Akuma-kun

The main character is the boy Akuma-kun ("The Devil's Boy"). Its main goal is to conquer the world by calling demons and youkai into it, and in other versions - to eradicate evil and make the world a better place. In some episodes, he acts as the messiah , which should open a new era for the millennium. Once I got the superpower from the devil ( п 魔 Akum ) , but not Christian , but youkai - one of the supernatural beings of Japanese mythology .

One day, Akuma-kun meets Faust , who hands him the flute of King Solomon to summon a demon. The protagonist learns to control the power of the flute, and 12 apostles stand in his way ( 十二 使徒 , uni sieve ).

Shigeru Mizuki has released several versions of the manga, where the stories and enemies are very different. However, all the main characters remain the same.

Akuma-kun (1963-1964)

The first manga released in 1963. 3 volumes have been released. The main character here is Itiro Matsushita ( я 一郎 ).

Akuma-kun (1966-1967)

The manga appeared in the monthly Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine , and after 1967, in the weekly Shūkan Shōnen Magazine . The main character here is called Shingo Yamada ( 山田 真 吾 ).

Akuma-kun Fukkatsu: Sennen Ōkoku ( Japanese Akuma-kun Fukkatsu: Sennen O: Koku , The Ascent of the Devil's Boy: The Millennial Empire) (1970-1971)

Manga was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine . Here, the main character performs the role of the messiah. His name is Itiro Matsushita. This manga is a redone version of the original work of 1964.

Akuma-kun no Bouken ( Japanese 悪 魔 く ん の 冒 険 Akuma-kun no Bo: ken , Adventure of the Devil's Boy) (1971)

A one-volume manga originally released in Asahi Sonorama .

Fukkatsu! Akuma-kun (1976)

The short-story manga was released as a crossover with another famous work by Mizuki's GeGeGe no Kitarō , where Itiro Matsushita fought against Kitaro. Came out in Monthly Shōnen Jump .

Akuma-kun Seikimatsu Taisen ( Japanese 悪 魔 く ん 世紀末 大 戦 Akuma-kun Seikimatsu Taisen , The Devil's Boy: The Great War at the End of the Century) (1987-1988)

Issued in Magazin Comic BE! . It is a direct continuation of the first manga.

Saishinban Akuma-kun ( Japanese 最新 版 悪 魔 く ん Saysinban Akuma-kun , The Devil's Boy: New Version) (1988-1990)

It was published in the magazine Comic BonBon . Manga created for anime adaptation. The main character's name is Shingo Umoregi (埋 れ 木 真 吾).

Nostradamus Taiyogen (1993-1994)

2 volumes of the last manga were released. The main character is again Shingo Yamada.

Based on the plot of the first manga, a black and white drama was released in 1966-1967, consisting of 16 episodes. The broadcast was on the Japanese TV channel NET TV (now TV Asahi ) ^[2] . The drama is a representative of the tokusatsu genre, and monsters appear in it - kaiju .

In 1989, Toei Animation started an anime series. For the anime adaptation of mangaka, he specially released the manga Saishinban Akuma-kun . The style of the characters is changing, for example, Faust from a tall, skinny old man turns into chibi . Director Junichi Sato . The premiere of 42 episodes was held from April 25, 1989 to March 24, 1990.

Movies

For the annual Tōei Manga Matsuri anime film festival, 2 short films were released. July 15, 1989 The 40-minute film Akuma-kun and March 10, 1990 The 25-minute film Akuma-kun: Yōkoso Akuma Land e !! ( Japanese 悪 魔 く ん よ う こ そ 悪 魔 ラ ン ド へ !! ) .

Music

• Akuma-kun (悪 魔 く ん), performed by Koorogi '73 & Wild Cats , sounded at the beginning of the anime series and both films.
• 12 Friends , performed by YF Zombie Company , was used at the end of the anime series.
• Arashi no Shinwa (嵐 の 神話), performed by Wild Cats , accompanied the final cutscene of the first film - Akuma-kun .
• Oh yes! Performed immediately by Koorogi '73 , Wild Cats and Shines , sounded at the end of Akuma-kun: Yōkoso Akuma Land e !!

On February 24, 1990, the 8-bit computer role-playing game Akuma-kun: Makai no Wana ( Japanese 悪 魔 く ん ・ 魔界 の 罠 ) , developed by Tose and released by Bandai for Nintendo Famicom game consoles, was released.

The player controls Akuma-kun in three different zones. The world map allows the player to visit various cities and dungeons. On the world map it is possible to meet random opponents with whom you have to fight. During the battle, the game switches to the first-person view and the player can choose various types of attacks from the menu, you can also call the demon to help in the battle, which in some way resembles the games of the Megaten line ^[3] . The player’s team and his opponents take turns . When entering the city, the camera switches to a side view.

The game begins by explaining to the wizard Akuma-kun that the world would be better if people and demons could find a common language, and the main character undertakes to arrange it.

• Official Anime Website (Japanese)

In databases

• Anime "Akuma-kun" in the encyclopedia of Anime News Network
• Anime "Akuma-kun" in the AniDB database
• Akuma-kun drama in the Internet Movie Database