TMS Entertainment made a staggering announcement regarding an anime adaptation of Shotaro Ikenami’s super popular series Onihei Hankacho in commemoration of its 50th anniversary. The series boasts a total of 27 million sold copies.

According to TMS, the title will be Onihei.

Manga.Tokyo is delighted to share an awesome illustration of the main character!

The first-ever anime adaptation of Shotaro Ikenami’s series.

Masao Maruyama, who founded the production firm MAPPA at the age of 70 after building his career in Osamu Tezuka-leading Mushi Production and working as a CEO at Madhouse, was hired as the producer. He has worked on more than 200 anime including The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars.

Miya Shigeyuki, best known for BUZZER BEATER and Lupin the third GREEN vs RED will be playing a key role in direction and character design. In response to this anime adaptation, Office Ikenami made an official comment:
“We’re very surprised by Onihei Hankacho’s first-ever anime adaptation after over 50 years since its first serialization. We’re looking forward to seeing the new Onihei’s world that only anime can express and create.”

Comment from Masao Maruyama

This is such a huge challenge for me. I’ll try my best to breathe some new aspects into it without spoiling the original work and get the best out of what only anime can offer. I’d like to add some modern and stylish tastes faithfully following its historical setting. I aim to create a beautiful as well as distinctive world.

Main staff

Original: Shotaro Ikenami
Production: TMS Entertainment
Anime Production: Studio M2
Producer: Masao Maruyama
Director/Character designer: Shigeyuki Miya

About Onihei Hankacho

Onihei Hankacho is a novel series that depicts Heizo Hasegawa who takes up a position to crack down on sinners in Edo.
The first novel had been released back in 1967 and by 1989 it had a total of 135 volumes.
It’s a super popular series which has so far been adapted into a comic, a live-action drama, a movie and a theatrical play.

About the original author, Shotaro Ikenami

He was born in Asakusa, Tokyo in 1923. In 1955, he retired from public service and started to work as a writer.
He has written numerous playbooks for Shinkokugeki (Japanese theatrical group) and won the 43rd Naoki Prize with Sakuran as well as the 11th Eiji Yoshiwaka literary award with Onihei Hankacho back in 1977. He also won the 36th Kikuchi Kan Prize in 1988. His trademark works are Kenkaku Shobai, Sono Otoko, Sanada Taiheiki, and Shikakenin, Fujieda Baian. He passed away in 1990.

(C)オフィス池波／文藝春秋／「TVシリーズ鬼平」製作委員会