Akuma-Kun, a remake of a 1989 anime, will be available on Netflix in 2023. It takes its roots in a 1963 manga, written and illustrated by Shigeru Mizuki. He developed several variants of the manga, which were adapted into anime and television episodes by Toei and others.
Speaking of Shigeru Mizuki, his most well-known manga series, Gegege no Kitaro also received an adaptation in 2018.
The anime adaptation of Akuma Kun will be one of four major projects celebrating Shigeru Mizuki’s 100th anniversary.
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What Akuma-Kun is About
The plot varies from version to version but what stands out in all the stories is that they are about a boy who tries to enlist the help of demons to maintain peace and harmony among humankind.
The stories typically unfold like this: once every 10,000 years, a young prodigy emerges and is dubbed Akuma-Kun. This story’s particular Akuma dreams of a world without a shred of discord. He concludes that with the help of demons, this dream would be a reality, so he sets off on his way with a plan in mind.
Along the way, Akuma Kun meets an enabler named Dr. Faust. Dr. Faust imparts his expertise on Akuma Kun, allowing his experiments to come to completion. He also bestows upon Akuma Kun other valuable items, such as the Solomon flute, which can subjugate demons to his will. He is usually accompanied by a group of subordinates known as the twelve apostles, who vary depending on the series.
It should be emphasized that the demons mentioned here are from myths and legends from all around the world, and not just from Christian roots.
The Cast and Release Date
Akuma-Kun is set to come out in 2023. It will be brought to us by the acclaimed production house, Toei Animations, and the studio responsible for animating Isekai Cheat Magician and Etotama, Encourage Films.
Myanimelist announced that the position of chief director is under Junichi Satou, who previously held the same title for the 1989 to 1990 adaptation. Fumitoshi Oizaki (animation director for Final Fantasy: Unlimited) will on the other hand hold the position of series director. Hiroshi Ohnogi (who worked on multiple projects including Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) will oversee the series scripts.
Yuuki Kaji (who voices Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan and Meliodas in The Seven Deadly Sins) will portray the protagonist, Ichirou Umoregi or Akuma II. Toshio Furukawa (Dragon Ball’s Piccolo and One Piece’s Portgas D. Ace voice actor among other huge roles) will voice Mephisto II while Yuuko Mita -who also had a fruitful career and has played Sayaka Isegami in City Hunter and Seripa, the father of Goku, in Dragon Ball Z Special 1: Bardock- will voice Shingo Umoregi otherwise known as Akuma I. Toshio Furukawa will also play Mephisto III.
The Video Game
In February 1990, a Famicon role-playing game based on Shigeru Mizuki’s work, Akuma-Kun: Makai no Wana, was launched. Tose developed the game and was released by none other than Bandai Namco.
Akuma-Kun is controlled by the user as he travels through three diverse locales. He may use the globe map to go to different towns and dungeons. The global map is viewed from above and has random encounters that pit Akuma-Kun against unexpected opponents.
During the battle, the perspective changes to first-person, and the player selects an attack from a menu of various possibilities. Also, in the midst of combat, the player can summon demons to assist Akuma-Kun. Like in most other turn-based RPGs, the player’s team and the opponents combat each other in turn.
The screen transforms into a side-scrolling video game when Akuma-Kun enters a town. He may gain access to buildings and businesses by climbing to particular locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
In 1989, the manga was adapted into a 42-episode anime series by Toei Animation. Additionally, two films based on the anime TV series were produced: Akuma-Kun: The Movie in 1989 and Akuma-Kun: Yokoso Akuma Land e!! in 1990.
A live-action Tv show was also released and now we are awaiting its Netflix adaptation.
Shigeru Mizuki passed away on November 30, 2015, at the age of 93. The 100th anniversary of his birth will be commemorated through efforts like this upcoming Netflix adaptation.
