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Kaichō Kosaku Shima Manga Gets TV Drama Special

This year's 23rd issue of Kodansha's Morning magazine revealed on Thursday that Kenshi Hirokane's Chairman Kosaku Shima (Kaichō Shima Kōsaku) manga will get a live-action television special . The project celebrates the 35th anniversary of the original manga. The special is based on "Kaichō Shima Kōsaku Tokubetsu-hen: Kazehana Rinko no Koi" (Rinko Kazehana's Romance), a special arc for the manga that will launch in the 25th issue on May 24.

Since 1983, Hirokane has been depicting the corporate rise of a Japanese executive named Kōsaku Shima. With every change in job title the main character receives, the manga title also changes. The manga began under the name Kachō Shima Kōsaku (Section Chief Kōsaku Shima). Sequels include Division Chief Kosaku Shima, Managing Director Kosaku Shima, Executive Managing Director Kosaku Shima, Senmu Shima Kōsaku, President Kosaku Shima, and Chairman Kosaku Shima. Chairman Kosaku Shima is currently ongoing in Morning magazine, and the ninth volume (seen right) shipped last October.

Other manga spinoffs include Young Shima Kōsaku and Young Shima Kosaku Shunin-hen. Hirokane ended the Gakusei Shima Kōsaku (Student Kōsaku Shima) spinoff manga in Kodansha's Evening magazine in April 2017, and launched the Gakusei Shima Kōsaku: Jūkatsu-hen (Student Kōsaku Shima: Job Hunting) spinoff in May 2017. Hirokane and Shin Kibayashi's Shima Kōsaku no Jikenbo (Kōsaku Shima Case Files) manga spinoff launched last August and ended last December. A compiled book volume shipped in January.

Hirokane's debut manga Hello Hari-nezumi (Hello Hedgehog) previously inspired a Japanese live-action film in 1991, as well as the Hello Harinezumi: File 170 Satsui no Ryōbun OVA in 1992, which Central Park Media released in North America with the title Domain of Murder. The manga also inspired a live-action television special in 1996, and a Taiwanese television drama in 2005. The manga recently inspired a new live-action series that premiered on TBS last July.

Hirokane's Human Crossing manga spawned a 2003 television anime series. His "C-46 Seiun" (C-46 Nebula) manga also inspired a live-action television project in 2011.