In the upcoming television anime adaptation of Katsuhisa Minami’s manga “The Fable,” which is set to premiere in April as confirmed by this year’s ninth issue of Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine, the main cast has been announced. The show will be broadcast for two continuous cours (two quarters of a year) on NTV and its affiliates.
The announced cast includes Kazuyuki Okitsu in the role of Akira Satō, Kenjiro Tsuda portraying Kojima, and Miyuki Sawashiro in a yet-to-be-revealed role, among others. The anime will be directed by Ryousuke Takahashi (known for “Armored Trooper Votoms,” “Phoenix,” and “Ozma”) at Tezuka Productions.
Yūya Takashima, a notable sci-fi writer, is responsible for writing and overseeing the series scripts. Mayumi Morita, known for works like “Black Jack TV” and “Vampire Knight,” is also contributing to the scriptwriting. The character designs are crafted by Hisama Kinoshita, Saki Hasegawa, and Junichi Hayama.
The original manga of “The Fable,” published in English by Kodansha USA Publishing, presents the story of the infamous “genius killer” hitman known as The Fable. While many things come easily to him in his role, being a normal person is a challenge, especially when told he can’t kill anyone for a while, making it one of the toughest jobs he’s ever taken.
Katsuhisa Minami launched the original manga in Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine in November 2014 and concluded the series in November 2019, spanning 22 volumes. The manga received acclaim and won the Best General Manga at the 41st annual Kodansha awards in 2017.
The success of the manga led to the creation of two live-action films, released in Japan in June 2019 and June 2021, respectively. Additionally, Minami continued the narrative with “The Fable: The Second Contact,” a sequel manga that concluded its serialization on July 1, 2021. The manga serves as the “second part” to the overall franchise, with Kodansha releasing the ninth and final volume on November 6, 2021.
