On Tuesday, NHK began streaming a trailer for the latest live-action episode inspired by “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan” (Kishibe Rohan wa Ugokanai), Hirohiko Araki’s spinoff from his renowned “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” manga. The trailer showcases Italian chef Tonio inviting Rohan to poach a mysterious abalone in Morioh, a venture fraught with peril.
The upcoming episode, the series’ ninth overall (excluding the live-action film), adapts the “Mitsuryō Kaigan” (Poaching Seashore) story from the manga. It is scheduled to air on BS Premium 4K on May 5 and on NHK General on May 10.
Issei Takahashi, known for roles in productions like “Whisper of the Heart” and the live-action “Ikebukuro West Gate Park,” reprises the title role of Rohan from the previous eight episodes and the film. Marie Iitoyo, recognized for her work in “anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day” and “City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes,” returns as Kyoka Izumi, Rohan’s editor.
New Additions to Cast Revealed for Live-Action “Tonio Trussardi” Series
Joining the cast, Alfredo Chiarenza portrays Italian chef Tonio Trussardi, while Misako Renbutsu takes on the role of Hatsune Morishima, Tonio’s fiancé.
In addition to the live-action series, the film adaptation of Hirohiko Araki’s “Kishibe Rohan Louvre e Iku” (Rohan at the Louvre) manga, titled “Rohan at the Louvre,” is set to premiere on television in Japan on April 27 on BS Premium 4K, followed by a broadcast on NHK General on May 6.
The film originally debuted in Japanese theaters in May 2023, achieving significant success by selling 221,000 tickets in its first three days and earning 315 million yen (approximately US$2.26 million). It later became available on Amazon Prime Video in Japan, France, and over 160 other countries and territories worldwide in September 2023.
The most recent episodes of the live-action series premiered in December 2023.
Recap and Future of “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan” Series Revealed
The initial three episodes debuted in December 2020, airing consecutively over three nights on the NHK General channel. Subsequently, the second set of three episodes premiered at the end of December 2021, following the same pattern. Retro Crush is currently streaming the first three episodes.
The 11th story of the “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan” spinoff manga, titled “Dripping Gahō-hen” (Dripping Art Technique), made its debut in Shueisha’s Ultra Jump magazine in April 2022, with its second part releasing the following May.
David production, the anime studio responsible for “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure,” adapted two “Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan” stories into original anime DVDs. The episode “Fugō Mura” (Millionaire Village) was accessible to those who purchased all 13 DVD or Blu-ray Disc volumes of “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable” anime in 2017.
Additionally, the episode “Mutsukabezaka” (Mutsukabe Hill) was bundled with the manga’s second volume in 2018. Crunchyroll screened the overseas premiere of “Fugō Mura” at its Crunchyroll Expo event in August 2019.
Furthermore, david production created two new episodes, “Zange-shitsu” (Confessional Room) and “The Run,” which were showcased at nine screenings across six cities in Japan from December 2020 to March 2021.
