Akuma-kun

Akuma-kun (悪魔くん Akuma-kun) is a manga series created in 1963 by the creator of GeGeGe no Kitarō, Shigeru Mizuki. It has seen several manga remakes, reboots, and spin-offs and was adapted to a live-action tokusatsu series, an anime series, and movies. The series focuses on the titular Akuma-kun, of which there have been several characters to use this alias.

Manga[]

Main article: List of Akuma-kun manga chapters

Akuma-kun (1963-1964): The original rental manga, it was published by Tōkōsha and released in three volumes. It was originally planned to be five volumes, but the series was ended early due to poor sales. Akuma-kun's name is Ichirō Matsushita.
Akuma-kun (1966-1967): A new manga was made in the wake of the 1966 TV series. It was published in Monthly Shonen Magazine and Weekly Shonen Magazine. The trade paperback was renamed Ganbare Akuma-kun. Akuma-kun's name is Shingo Yamada.
Akuma-kun Returns: Millennium Kingdom (1970-1971): This manga was published in Shonen Jump and was intended to be a remake of the rental manga but with an actual ending. Ichirō Matsushita returns as Akuma-kun.
Kitarō vs. Akuma-kun (1976): A one-shot crossover manga published in Monthly Shonen Jump featuring Akuma-kun and GeGeGe no Kitaro.
Akuma-kun: Final War (1987-1988): This manga was published in Comic BE! and is a direct continuation of the original manga.
Saishinban Akuma-kun (1988-1990): A modernized reboot of Akuma-kun published in Comic Bom Bom. Akuma-kun's name is Shingo Umoregi. This manga was the basis for the 1989 anime.
The Great Prophet Nostradamus (1993-1994): A two volume graphic novel published by Tatsumi Publishing. It was based on the Armageddon predictions of the prophet Nostradamus. Shingo Yamada is the protagonist in this manga.

Characters[]

Main article: List of Akuma-kun characters

1966 TV series[]

See Akuma-kun (1966)

Akuma-kun was adapted into a live-action tokusatsu series by Toei Company. It aired from October 6, 1966 to March 30, 1967 on NET (TV Asahi), almost two years before the 1968 anime of GeGeGe no Kitaro. Akuma-kun's name is Shingo Yamada, who is portrayed by Mitsunobu Kaneko of Giant Robo (named Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot for its English dub) fame.

1986 TV movie[]

Akuma-kun was adapted into a live action TV movie by Toei Company, three years before the anime. It aired on September 15, 1986 as part of Fuji TV's Monday Drama Land, which also previously aired a TV movie adaptation of GeGeGe no Kitaro. Akuma-kun's name is Shingo Itō.

1987 TV movie[]

GeGeGe no Kitarō: The Demon Flute Eloim Essaim (妖怪奇伝ゲゲゲの鬼太郎魔笛エロイムエッサイム) was aired in 1987, and is the second official cross-over with GeGeGe no Kitarō.

Anime[]

Akuma-kun (1989):
Akuma-kun (2023):

Trivia[]

Mizuki invented the term Mahōjin (魔法陣 Mahōjin, lit. Magic Formation) and generalized the system to summon demons within the circles in Akuma-kun series, making them popular subjects in modern fictions and cultures.^[1]
The live-action drama of Akuma-kun had great impact on the history of Japanese TV shows. The success of this program might have resulted in the creation of the anime series of GeGeGe no Kitarō.^[2]