is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by Masaharu Noritsuke. It follows a 24-year-old Afro-haired young man named Hiroshi Tanaka who falls in love for the first time. It has been serialized in

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...

's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Big Comic Spirits'' since 2001, spawning six series. A

live action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...

film adaptation premiered in February 2012.

Media

Manga

The ''Afro Tanaka'' series, written and illustrated by , has been serialized in

's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Big Comic Spirits'' since December 3, 2001. It has been divided into seven parts: * (2001–2004, 10 volumes) * (2004–2007, 10 volumes) * (2007–2010, 10 volumes) * (2010–2013, 10 volumes) * (2015–2018, 10 volumes) * (2018–2021, 10 volumes) * (2022–present)

Film

A film directed by Daigo Matsui, based on ''Jōkyō Afro Tanaka'' story was released on February 18, 2012, by Showgate. The theme song of the film is "''Yoru wo Koete''" by Tsuru. ''Afro Tanaka'' was released in

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

and

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

by Happinet on August 2, 2012. The film also spawned a

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...

: a 10-episodes mini-

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

entitled ''Hōkago Afro Tanaka''.

Reception

The ''Afro Tanaka'' manga has sold 3.6 million units in Japan as of May 2013. In 2008, the third manga series, ''Jōkyō Afro Tanaka'', was nominated in the manga category at the 12th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards. The film debuted at number 10 in Japanese theaters. ''Afro Tanaka'' grossed over $1.8 million in Japan.

Notes

References

External links

Afro Tanaka film's official siteArchive
* * 2002 manga 2004 manga 2007 manga Comedy anime and manga Films directed by Daigo Matsui Japanese comedy films Live-action films based on manga Manga adapted into films Seinen manga Shogakukan franchises Shogakukan manga 2010s Japanese films {{manga-stub