Original illustration by Keigo Shinzo
©︎ Keigo Shinzo/Shogakukan
It has been announced that manga artist Keigo Shinzo’s “Hira Yasumi” will be adapted into an anime and a live-action drama. A congratulatory illustration and comment by Keigo Shinzo have been unveiled.
Shinzo, who made his debut with “Nankin” while studying at Tokyo Zokei University, has produced “Bokura no Funkasai” and “Tokyo Alien Brothers,” among others, and won the Newcomer Award in the Manga Division of the 16th Japan Media Arts Festival, Heisei 23. “Hira Yasumi,” which has been serialized in the manga magazine “Weekly Big Comic Spirits” (Shogakukan) since April 2009, has sold over 1.1 million copies worldwide. In addition to winning the Grand Prize at the “Shine! Bros Comic Awards 2021,” it was also nominated for the Manga Grand Prize at the “27th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize,” and in 2024 won the Best Serialized Comic Award at “Lucca Comics & Games 2024,” Europe’s largest pop culture festival held in Italy.
©︎Shinzo Keigo/Shogakukan
The protagonist is Hiroto, a carefree free spirit with no fixed job, no girlfriend, and no worries about the future that most people would have. He accepts a single-story house for free from a neighboring grandmother, Wada Hanae, who he has become friends with, simply because of his good personality. He starts living in the single-story house with his 18-year-old cousin, Kobayashi Natsumi, who came to Tokyo from Yamagata to attend art school. Before long, people with “problems” that make life difficult for Hiroto, such as work, relationships, and vague anxieties about the future, begin to gather around him.
Hiroto’s carefree way of life and the scenery of the downtown area, mainly Asagaya, have captured the hearts of many readers, and the nostalgic life in the single-story house and the seasonal cooking taught by his grandmother add a touch of color.
The original illustration shows Hiroto jumping with a big smile in front of sunflowers that have bloomed higher than the roof in the garden of their one-story house, and Natsumi with a proud expression on her face. Shinzo commented with joy, “I’m so happy that it’s been made into an anime and a drama!! I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product!!”
The animation will be produced by the up-and-coming studio “Production +h.”, which has worked on “Chikyuugai Shounen Shojo” and “Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction”. The animation will depict Hiroto and Natsumi with expressive faces, and will faithfully recreate the warm lives of the people living in Asagaya and other downtown areas.
The live-action drama will be broadcast this fall on NHK’s “Yorudora” time slot (Monday to Thursday: 10:45 pm).
Slice-of-life manga set in Asagaya gets both anime and live-action adaptations
The announcement of both an anime and a live-action drama for “Hira Yasumi” reflects the growing trend of adapting grounded, slice-of-life stories that resonate with adult audiences. Set in the real-world location of Asagaya, the series captures the subtle charm of everyday life and emotional recovery. Production +h.‘s involvement in the anime raises expectations for a visually warm and sincere depiction. Meanwhile, the fall live-action drama may further enhance the story’s realism and bring in viewers who prefer grounded storytelling. It’s a rare and exciting case where both mediums are explored simultaneously, highlighting the cultural appeal of the original manga.
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