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 by Noboru Takahashi. It was 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 ''

Weekly Young Sunday was a weekly manga magazine published by Shogakukan in Japan since the first issue on March 27, 1987. It replaced '' Shōnen Big Comic'' in Shogakukan's lineup of shōnen titles, and many of the titles in ''Shōnen Big Comic'' were continued in ...

'' from 2005 to 2008, and transferred to ''

Big Comic Spirits is a weekly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine published by Shogakukan. The first issue was published on October 14, 1980. Food, sports, romance and business are recurring themes in the magazine, and the stories often question conventional va ...

'' in 2008. It has been adapted into 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, titled '' The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji'' in 2013, which was followed by a sequel, '' The Mole Song: Hong Kong Capriccio'', released in 2016. As of March 2022, the manga had over 9.6 million copies in circulation. In 2014, ''Mogura no Uta'' won the 59th

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga awards, and is sponsored by Shogakukan, Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga and features candidates from a number of publishers. It is the oldest manga award in Japan, being ...

in the General category.

Plot

Reiji Kikukawa, a silly young man still a virgin, managed to join the police. Remaining in a position of simple agent at the bottom of the ladder, Reiji is one day fired. In reality, this dismissal hides a completely different mission, because Reiji is offered to become an undercover agent, in other words, a "mole".

Media

Manga

''Mogura no Uta'' is written and illustrated by Noboru Takahashi. The series ran in

's ''

'' from 2005 to 2008, when the magazine ceased its publication. It was then transferred to ''

'' in 2008. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual ''

tankōbon is the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...

'' volumes. The first volume was released on January 5, 2006. As of November 30, 2022, seventy-eight volumes have been released.

Live-action films

The manga was adapted into 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 titled '' The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji'' and directed by

Takashi Miike is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over one hundred theatrical, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films run through a variety of different genres, and range from violent an ...

that was released in Japan on February 15, 2014. Miike also directed a sequel, '' The Mole Song: Hong Kong Capriccio'', which was released in 2016.

Reception

''Mogura no Uta'' won the 59th

in the General category in 2014. The manga has 6.5 million copies in print as of January 2016. As of March 2022, the cumulative number of copies has exceeded to 9.6 million copies.''

'' 2022 No. 14,

Shōgakukan 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 Hitot ...

, March 7, 2022, ASIN B09T8DSKPG. from the cover.

References

External links

* {{Shogakukan Manga Award - General Action anime and manga Crime in anime and manga Manga adapted into films Shogakukan manga Seinen manga Winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga