The Fable
The Fable | |
![]() First tankōbon volume cover | |
ザ・ファブル (Za Faburu) | |
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Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Katsuhisa Minami |
Published by | Kodansha |
English publisher | |
Imprint | Young Magazine KC |
Magazine | Weekly Young Magazine |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | November 1, 2014 – November 18, 2019 |
Volumes | 22 |
Manga | |
Written by | Katsuhisa Minami |
Published by | Kodansha |
Magazine | Comic Days |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | March 6, 2018 – February 26, 2019 |
Volumes | 1 |
Live-action film | |
Directed by | Kan Eguchi |
Written by | Yūsuke Watanabe |
Studio | |
Released | June 21, 2019 |
Runtime | 123 minutes |
Live-action film | |
The Fable: A Hitman Who Doesn’t Kill | |
Directed by | Kan Eguchi |
Written by |
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Studio |
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Released | June 18, 2021 |
Runtime | 131 minutes |
Manga | |
The Fable: The Second Contact | |
Written by | Katsuhisa Minami |
Published by | Kodansha |
Imprint | Young Magazine KC |
Magazine | Weekly Young Magazine |
Demographic | Seinen |
Original run | July 19, 2021 – July 10, 2023 |
Volumes | 9 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by |
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Written by |
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Music by | Shuichiro Fukuhiro |
Studio | Tezuka Productions |
Licensed by | Disney Platform Distribution |
Original network | NNS (Nippon TV) |
Original run | April 7, 2024 – present |
Episodes | 19 |
The Fable (Japanese: ザ・ファブル, Hepburn: Za Faburu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Katsuhisa Minami . It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine from November 2014 to November 2019, with its chapters collected in 22 tankōbon volumes. A sequel series, titled The Fable: The Second Contact, ran in Weekly Young Magazine from July 2021 to July 2023.
A live-action film adaptation premiered in Japan in June 2019 and a sequel premiered in June 2021. An anime television series adaptation produced by Tezuka Productions premiered in April 2024.
By June 2024, the manga had over 25 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series. In 2017, The Fable won the 41st Kodansha Manga Award for the General category.
Plot
[edit]Equipped with his favorite weapon, an anthracite-colored Nighthawk pistol, "Fable" is a professional killer feared by all the Japanese underworld, politicians, mobsters and public figures. This assassination genius can send any of his targets six feet under and in six seconds, if his heart tells him. One day, his sponsor orders him to put everything on hold and lead the life of an ordinary citizen, in the hideout of a yakuza clan in Osaka, banned from killing or attacking anyone for an entire year. For this human weapon with an unpredictable temperament, surrounded by trigger-happy criminals, the hardest contract begins.
Characters
[edit]- Akira Sato (佐藤 明, Satō Akira)
- Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu[3]
- Portrayed by: Junichi Okada, Ryoka Minamide (young)[4]
- He is a quietly spoken but highly skilled hitman, known only as "Fable". He has had a female assistant and driver for the past year and knows nothing about her or her name. They are ordered to lay low for a year and he is given the name and identity of Akira Sato and his assistant will act as his sister, Yoko.
- Yoko Sato (佐藤 洋子, Satō Yōko)
- Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro[3]
- Portrayed by: Fumino Kimura[5]
- A woman with long brown hair and a photographic memory who acts as Fable's assistant and driver. She is ordered to lay low with him for a year, acting as his sister and given the name Yoko Sato.
- Boss (ボス, Bosu)
- Voiced by: Tetsuo Komura[3]
- Portrayed by: Kōichi Satō[5]
- The man who assigns Fable his jobs but then tells him to take a year off to lay low in Osaka with the Maguro clan.
- Misaki Shimizu (清水 岬, Shimizu Misaki)
- Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa[3]
- Portrayed by: Mizuki Yamamoto[5]
- A woman who lives alone in an apartment near where Fable and his assistant stay in Osaka. She works multiple jobs to repay her father's debts, but she is blackmailed into agreeing to become a call girl by Kojima when he learns of her former career as a gravure idol.
- Jackal Tomioka (ジャッカル 富岡, Jakkaru Tomioka)
- Voiced by: Jun Fukushima[3]
- Portrayed by: Daisuke Miyagawa[6]
- A popular comedian who Fable thinks is really funny.
- Hiroshi Hamada (浜田 広志, Hamada Hiroshi)
- Voiced by: Kōji Ishii[7]
- Portrayed by: Ken Mitsuishi[4]
- Chief in the Maguro clan who accepts the arrangement to shelter Fable and his assistant.
- Takeshi Ebihara (海老原 剛士, Ebihara Takeshi)
- Voiced by: Akio Otsuka[3]
- Portrayed by: Ken Yasuda[5]
- Captain in the Maguro clan, Ebihara is unhappy about the arrangement to shelter Fable and his assistant. He is suspicious of Fable's motives, but after suffering a heart attack he involves Akira in his operations.
- Kenji Kojima (小島 賢治, Kojima Kenji)
- Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda[3]
- Portrayed by: Yuya Yagira[5]
- Middle-ranking member of the Maguro clan who has spent the last few years in prison. Upon his release, he decides to advance his career within the clan and encroaches on Sunagawa's territory.
- Shuichi Sunagawa (砂川 宗一, Sunagawa Sōichi)
- Voiced by: Kōjirō Takahashi[7]
- Portrayed by: Osamu Mukai[5]
- Middle-ranking member of the Maguro clan who runs a call girl business and who sees Kojima as a threat. He secretly plans to move up in the Maguro clan.
- Ryo Kuroshio (黒塩 遼, Kuroshio Ryō)
- Voiced by: Ryota Iwasaki[7]
- Portrayed by: Kai Inowaki[4]
- A lowly member of the Maguro clan who harbors ambitions to became an assassin. He is referred to as "Kuro" (クロ) by other members of the Maguro clan.
- Katsuya Takahashi (高橋 勝也, Takahashi Katsuya)
- Voiced by: Yudai Mino[7]
- A lowly member of the Maguro clan who carries out tasks for Ebihara.
- Matsu (マツ)
- Voiced by: Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi[7]
- A middle-aged man whose left eye is always half-closed. He appears to be the owner of a snack bar, but he works in corpse disposal, smuggling, and is an information broker.
- Kenjiro Takoda (田高田 健二郎, Takōda Kenjirō)
- Voiced by: Takeharu Onishi[7]
- Portrayed by: Jiro Sato[8]
- Misaki's boss and the manager of Octopus Ltd. who initially gives Akira Sato a temporary job as a delivery driver, but then hires him full-time.
- Etsuji Kainuma (貝沼 悦司, Kainuma Etsuji)
- Voiced by: Takumi Asahina[7]
- Portrayed by: Masao Yoshii[4]
- A spoiled young man of wealthy parents who is employed at Octopus Ltd. and is secretly obsessed with Misaki.
- Master (マスター, Masutā)
- Voiced by: Kazuya Ichijō[7]
- Portrayed by: Seiji Rokkaku[4]
- A bartender who works at Bar Buffalo, a bar Yoko frequents.
- Yuki Kawai (河合 ユウキ, Kawai Yūki)
- Voiced by: Yuki Kaji[7]
- Portrayed by: Shingo Fujimori[6]
- A man Yoko meets at Bar Buffalo whom she like to drink with because he does not have her capacity for alcohol consumption.
- Rei Utsubo (宇津帆 玲, Utsubo Rei)
- Voiced by: Shinshū Fuji[9]
- Portrayed by: Shinichi Tsutsumi[10]
- A man who uses the Taihei Detective Agency as a cover to commits fraud, blackmail, kidnapping, and murder for money.
- Hinako Saba (佐羽 ヒナコ, Saba Hinako)
- Voiced by: Chika Anzai[9]
- Portrayed by: Yurina Hirate[10]
- She witnessed an assassination by Fable, but is now confined to a wheelchair after her legs were damaged in a car crash. Utsubo killed her parents and blamed Fable so he can keep her as a sex slave while promising to avenge her parents.
- Hiroshi Suzuki (鈴木 ヒロシ, Suzuki Hiroshi)
- Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu[9]
- Portrayed by: Masanobu Ando[10]
- An assassin hired by Utsubo to assist in kidnapping Kainuma to extort money from his mother.
- Tsutomu Isaki (井崎 勤, Izaki Tsutomu)
- Voiced by: Yoshihiro Kanemitsu[9]
- Portrayed by: Jun Kurose[11]
- An associate of Utsubo's who helps with his illegal schemes.
Media
[edit]Manga
[edit]Written and illustrated by Katsuhisa Minami , The Fable was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine from November 1, 2014,[12] to November 18, 2019.[13] Kodansha collected its chapters in 22 tankōbon volumes, released from March 6, 2015,[14] to June 5, 2020.[15]
A sequel, titled The Fable: The Second Contact (ザ・ファブル The second contact), ran in Weekly Young Magazine from July 19, 2021,[16] to July 10, 2023.[17] Its first volume was released on November 5, 2021.[18]
A spin-off, also titled The Fable, but written in hiragana (ざ・ふぁぶる) instead of katakana, was published on Comic Days online platform from March 6, 2018,[19] to February 26, 2019.[20] A collected tankōbon, which also includes other stories by Minami, was published on June 5, 2020.[21][22]
In March 2022, Kodansha USA announced it had licensed the series for English digital publication;[23] in October 2023, it was announced that the manga is planned to be published in print, with the first volume released on April 9, 2024.[24][1]
Live-action films
[edit]A live-action film adaptation directed by Kan Eguchi premiered in Japan on June 21, 2019. The film stars Junichi Okada as Fable.[25][26]
A sequel film, titled The Fable: A Hitman Who Doesn’t Kill (ザ・ファブル 殺さない殺し屋, Za Faburu Korosanai Koroshiya), was originally announced to premiere on February 5, 2021; however, a month prior to the planned release date, it was announced that the film would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[27] and it eventually premiered on June 18 of that same year.[28][29]
Anime
[edit]An anime television series adaptation was announced on July 10, 2023. It is animated by Tezuka Productions and directed by Ryōsuke Takahashi, with scripts supervised by Yūya Takashima and co-written by Mayumi Morita, character designs handled by Kyuma Oshita, Saki Hasegawa and Junichi Hayama, and music composed by Shuichiro Fukuhiro.[30] The series premiered on April 7, 2024, on Nippon TV and its affiliates, and will run for two consecutive cours.[3][b] The first opening theme song is "Professionalism feat. Hannya" (Professionalism feat. 般若), performed by ALI, while the first ending theme song is "Odd Numbers", performed by Umeda Cypher .[32][33] The second opening theme song is "Switch" (スイッチ, Suitchi), performed by Umeda Cypher, while the second ending theme song is "Beyond feat. Mari" by ALI.[9] The adaptation was announced to be produced under Disney's partnership with Kodansha. It is streaming on Disney+ worldwide and Hulu in the United States.[34]
Episodes
[edit]No. | Title [35][c] | Directed by [d] | Written by [d] | Storyboarded by [d] | Original air date [b] | |
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1 | "Moving" Transliteration: "O Hikkoshi" (Japanese: お引っ越し) | Shintaro Matsui | Yūya Takashima | Takashi Kamei | April 7, 2024 | |
After Fable finishes a job, killing a minor boss and his henchmen, he and his female assistant share grilled fish with his boss who informs him that this will be the last job for a year. They both must spend a year laying low in Osaka with the Maguro clan and not kill anyone during that time. He is given the name and identity of Akira Sato and his assistant will act as his sister, Yoko. On their way there, Yoko stops for a coffee and while waiting, Akira is accosted by two minor thugs. Acting on instinct, he almost kills them when one touches him and he realizes laying low may be more difficult than he thinks. They arrive in Osaka and Akira throws his internal "switch" and changes to speaking with an Osaka dialect. Meanwhile, only Chief Hamada and Captain Ebihara of the Maguro clan know of the arrangement. | ||||||
2 | "A Wonderful Night" Transliteration: "Subarashī Yoru" (Japanese: 素晴らしい夜) | Hiromichi Matano | Yūya Takashima | Kazuo Terada | April 14, 2024 | |
Akira and Yoko meet Hamada and Ebihara dressed as holidaymakers and appear quite ordinary, although Akira's eye for detail upsets Ebihara. Ebihara allocates them two nearby apartments and warns them not to damage his vintage Hakosuka car. Akira quickly removes all the hidden surveillance cameras in his apartment to avoid surveillance, and also because he walks around naked indoors. Outside, Ebihara tells his underling Takahashi that he wants to get rid of them. When Yoko invites Akira out for drinks, Takahashi hires a local kickboxer to hassle Akira. He challenges Akira outside the bar, but rather than fight back, Akira feigns weakness while accepting a few blows to avoid a serious confrontation. He is offered a handkerchief for his bloody nose by a female neighbor that he noticed earlier in the day. | ||||||
3 | "Tag" Transliteration: "Onigokko" (Japanese: 鬼ごっこ) | Daisuke Nakajima | Yūya Takashima | Daisuke Nakajima | April 21, 2024 | |
Ebihara is surprised when Takahashi reports that Akira took a beating and seemed cowered. Boss sends a message recommending that the Satos each get a pet. Akira decides on a black-headed parrot from Brazil, which he later names it "Captain", and Yoko selects a hamster. While at the pet store, Akira sees the kickboxer from the previous night and takes off pretending to be frightened, outrunning the kickboxer and jumping from a high overhead bridge to escape. Ebihara gives some money to Takahashi to invite Yoko out for the evening and get background information on Akira, while Ebihara invites Akira out for the night. Ebihara takes Akira to a secluded spot and asks him to kill a strong local thug who owes the clan money. He expects Akira to win in six seconds to prove he really is the killer he is supposed to be and not an imposter. Akira touches his forehead to throw his internal "switch", dons a two-hole balaclava, and races out of the car towards his opponent. | ||||||
4 | "Chatting About Life" Transliteration: "Inochi no Hanashi......" (Japanese: 命の話......) | Noriyuki Nomata | Mayumi Morita | Kazuo Terada | April 28, 2024 | |
Akira races towards the thug, but instead of hitting him he leaps over his head, pulling him down by his hair and disabling him within about three seconds, but leaving him still alive. Ebihara is impressed as is Kuroshio, one of the Maguro group. However, Akira refuses to kill him even when Ebihara threatens to shoot him. In an ensuing discussion, Akira explains that he is just doing his job and emotion plays no part in it. Ebihara kills the thug and orders Kuroshio to dispose of the body and tell no-one what he saw. They stop for a meal, and Ebihara suggests that Akira get a job to avoid becoming a recluse. Meanwhile, Takahashi has taken Yoko out for the night, but she gets them both incredibly drunk so when they return to her apartment, he passes out. | ||||||
5 | "You Listening to Me?!" Transliteration: "Kīton no ka Kora‼" (Japanese: 聞いとんのかコラ‼) | Daisuke Nakajima | Yūya Takashima | Daisuke Nakajima | May 5, 2024 | |
Hamada reprimands Ebihara for threatening Akira, which could bring retribution down on the clan. He then warns Ebihara that Kojima will be released from prison in the coming week and to keep him out of trouble. Meanwhile, Akira's boss calls him to say that Jackal Tomioka has an acting role in a new TV soap opera, which Akira finds surprising but watches it anyway. Akira later unsuccessfully applies for some delivery driver jobs. However, after meeting with Misaki in the street, she takes him to her workplace, Octopus Ltd, where they need a driver. Misaki's boss, Kenjiro Takoda, offers Akira a deliver job for a low salary and he surprisingly accepts. Akira dutifully tells Ebihara about the job, but Ebihara is horrified that Akira has struck up a friendship with a local citizen. | ||||||
6 | "Prison Release Jamboree" Transliteration: "Dedokoro Iwai" (Japanese: 出所祝い) | Takashi Kamei | Yūya Takashima | Kei Sotokawa | May 12, 2024 | |
Ebihara welcomes Kojima back following his release from prison, but the latter suggests the Maguro clan has gone soft. Elsewhere, Akira carries out his first delivery and returns in half the time, much to everyone's surprise. Takoda takes the staff out for a meal and they are surprised when Akira eats the entirety of the food, including the shells, which he explains by saying he had a tough upbringing. A co-worker, Etsuji Kainuma, offers to walk Misaki to her night job but secretly steals her keys. Meanwhile, Takoda takes Akira to a bar where Kuroshio soon enters with an associate and he tries to impress Akira, who just ignores him. Kainuma later explores Misaki's apartment, puts on her underwear, and discovers she is a former gravure idol. Misaki arrives home without her keys and calls Akira for help. Although he could easily enter her apartment, he says he cannot help and offers that she can stay with him and Yoko. When she reluctantly agrees, they wake up an intoxicated Yoko. | ||||||
7 | "Realist" Transliteration: "Genjitsu Shugi♡" (Japanese: 現実主義♡) | Rei Kurosawa | Yūya Takashima | Kazuo Terada | May 19, 2024 | |
Misaki leaves the next morning and Akira apologizes for Yoko's drunken behavior the previous night. Meanwhile, Takahashi visits Kojima who still behaves like an aggressive prisoner, randomly hitting Takahashi and disparaging the Maguro clan. When they discover Ebihara has suffered a heart attack and is hospitalized, Kojima asks Hamada if he can borrow Takahashi. Kojima later pulls a knife on Akira at his apartment and demands that both the latter and Yoko give him 50,000 yen a month, which Akira agrees. Kojima then buys a gun and takes Takahashi along to start collecting old debts, but he kills the first of his debtors just for the adrenaline rush. Elsewhere, Kuroshio offers to become Akira's disciple and make a name for himself but Akira discourages him. | ||||||
8 | "Because I'm... You know!" Transliteration: "Datte Datte, Nanda Mon♪" (Japanese: だってだって、なんだもん♪) | Shuma Kanikubo | Mayumi Morita | Kazuo Terada | May 26, 2024 | |
Yoko decides to go out drinking while Akira prefers to stay home and watch the TV series featuring Jackal. She again visits Bar Buffalo and spends the evening coquettishly toying with a young man named Yuki Kawai before she leaves with his phone number. Elsewhere, Kojima proposes starting a call girl business to Ebihara, who forbids it because it will create a conflict with Sunagawa. Kojima proceeds with his plan anyway and asks Kuroshio to recruit the girls. During the meeting, Kuroshio informs Kojima about Misaki. Meanwhile at work, Misaki is unhappy about a design she has made. However, when Akira makes a childish attempt at some drawings, she and her boss agree that they suit the project and he gets a raise. Later in Taihei, Sunagawa angrily reacts to the news that Kojima is encroaching on his territory. | ||||||
9 | "You Mean a Hitman...?" Transliteration: "Moshi ka Shite Koroshiya....." (Japanese: もしかして殺し屋.....) | Hiromichi Matano | Mayumi Morita | Yuzo Sato | June 2, 2024 | |
Kojima turns up at Misaki's apartment and pressures her into working for him as a call girl, also claiming that Kuroshio injured his leg protecting her. He threatens to cause trouble for her friends and at her workplace, demanding her answer in 24 hours. Misaki later invites Akira out for dinner to thank him for helping at work, but when she presses him about his wilderness survival skills, he senses something is wrong. The next day, Misaki learns that her boss was attacked and the business is temporarily closed, but she still tells Kojima that she will not work for him. Elsewhere, Ebihara asks Akira to look into Kojima's activities and he reports that Kojima is planning a call girl business and has recently shot someone in the warehouse. Ebihara then offers his precious car to Akira to help him deal with Kojima. Meanwhile, Sunagawa hires a hooded hitman to kill Kojima. | ||||||
10 | "The Phantom of the Balcony" Transliteration: "Beranda no Kaijin......" (Japanese: ベランダの怪人......) | Shintaro Matsui | Yūya Takashima | Shintaro Matsui | June 9, 2024 | |
Sunagawa gives his hitman two targets, Kojima and someone else. Elsewhere, Akira takes Ebihara's car to Kojima's apartment to retrieve a gun, and installs surveillance cameras. He only just manages to escape over the balcony before being detected. Takoda is later beaten up by Kojima's men. As a result, Misaki reluctantly agrees to work for Kojima under contract for three months to avoid further trouble. Meanwhile, Akira has discerned her predicament and prepares to rescue her without being detected. He arranges for Yoko to give Takahashi a watch with a GPS tracker and fashions a rudimentary gun from hardware supplies and scrap metal. | ||||||
11 | "The Fated Day" Transliteration: "Unmei no Tsuitachi Desu♪" (Japanese: 運命の一日です♪) | Ryuta Yamamoto | Yūya Takashima | Kazuo Terada | June 16, 2024 | |
Misaki calls Akira and asks him to tell their boss she is ill and will not be in for work the next day. Akira agrees and thanks her for her kindness and tells her not to worry about anything. Sunagawa and Kojima both prepare for their meeting, each one making arrangements to eliminate the other. To protect Misaki, and with Yoko's help, Akira makes his own plans to appear at the meeting by using the tracker to follow Takahashi. Meanwhile, a man Ebihara does not know visits him in hospital and questions him about involving Akira in his operations. Elsewhere, as the meeting begins, Sunagawa has one of his men take Misaki aside to "initiate" her into the call girl business. The man strips off Misaki's clothing, but Akira enters the building and silently renders him unconscious with a series of powerful blows to his body. | ||||||
12 | "There's Always Someone Better" Transliteration: "Ue ni wa Ue" (Japanese: 上には上──。) | Tōru Yoshida | Yūya Takashima | Daisuke Nakajima | June 23, 2024 | |
Akira tells one of Kojima's wounded men, the kickboxer, to take Misaki home when he gives the signal. He then proceeds to neutralize the tense situation, wounding Sunagawa's hitman and abducting Kojima. Sunagawa's group suspect that he is Fable. Meanwhile, the "Boss" warns Ebihara not to involve Akira any further in his affairs. Akira and Yoko drive off with Kojima locked in the trunk of the car, while Akira tries to quell Yoko's fears that he may have killed someone. The kickboxer takes Misaki home and offers to protect her if required. Back at the warehouse, Sunagawa calls off any further action against Kojima, hoping to avoid any repercussions within the Maguro clan. | ||||||
13 | "Aniki... Aniki..." (Japanese: アニキ.....アニキ.....。) | Ayaka Kobayashi | Mayumi Morita | Kazuo Terada | June 30, 2024 | |
Akira takes Kojima back to the apartment's garage and delivers him to Ebihara, who is briefly out of hospital. Ebihara decides that even though Kojima is like a brother to him, the latter is a liability and kills him. He then calls in the gun dealer to clean up and bury Kojima's body. Meanwhile, a cold and distraught Misaki asks Yoko for shelter for the night. After Misaki faints in the bath, the very drunk Yoko has to get Akira to help lift her naked body out of the bathtub. Before returning to the hospital, Ebihara tells Sunagawa that the Kojima matter is closed and warns him to stay away from Misaki. He later gives the same advice to Kuroshio and to keep quiet about Akira's real purpose. However, Kuroshio is secretly still obsessed about becoming an apprentice to the man he believes is Fable. | ||||||
14 | "I Love You, Nii-san!" Transliteration: "Suki Desu Ani-san!!" (Japanese: 好きです兄さん!!) | Takashi Kamei | Mayumi Morita | Daisuke Nakajima | July 7, 2024 | |
Sunagawa tries to bribe the gun dealer and former "cleaner" to divulge details about Fable. However, he reminds Sunagawa that information in the organization is only made available on a need-to-know basis. Meanwhile, Akira plans a three day wilderness camping trip to maintain his survival skills because he suspects that he is losing his edge, and reluctantly agrees to allow Kuroshio to accompany him. Yoko drops them off as dawn approaches and although Kuroshio becomes apprehensive when Akira has only a knife and basic survival tools, he nevertheless follows his nii-san[e] into the woods, carrying the bare minimum of camping gear. | ||||||
15 | "Survival Training?" Transliteration: "Moshi ka Shite Sabaibaru.....。" (Japanese: もしかしてサバイバル.....。) | Shotaro Kamiyama | Yūya Takashima | Kazuo Terada | July 14, 2024 | |
Kuroshio struggles to keep up with Akira, who leads him through the forest to a clearing where they make camp for the night. Akira cooks a snake he killed earlier in the day and Kuroshio has to overcome his biases to eat it. The next day, Kuroshio is confronted by a black bear at their camp but Akira arrives back in time to scare it off. Kuroshio slowly becomes awed by Akira's intensity and practical survival skills such as cooking and eating frogs and grasshoppers to keep up his strength. Meanwhile, Yoko plans another night out drinking and calls up the man she met at Bar Buffalo, Yuki Kawai. | ||||||
16 | "Mountaineer Man" Transliteration: "Gezan no Otoko.....。" (Japanese: 下山の男.....。) | Michinosuke Nakamura | Yūya Takashima | Michinosuke Nakamura | July 21, 2024 | |
While Akira prepares to fight off the bear who attacked them earlier, Yoko goes to Bar Buffalo to engage in a drinking session with Kawai. Akira creates a lance with a branch and his knife, which he coates with venom from a snake he previously caught. When the bear attacks and Kuroshio trembles in fear, Akira calmly fights it off and stabs it with the lance to teach it to be wary of humans in the future. Meanwhile, Yoko goes head-to-head in a drinking session with Kawai drinking shots of tequila, each planning to score a conquest over the other. Yoko ultimately wins, with Kawai retching in the bathroom from his excessive consumption of alcohol, and eventually collapsing from alcohol poisoning. The next morning, Yoko picks up Akira and Kuroshio. Akira is grateful that he has not lost his edge, while Kuroshio is more impressed than ever by Akira's skills and understanding of the mechanics of defeating an adversary. | ||||||
17 | "Rei Utsubo" Transliteration: "Utsubo Rei....。" (Japanese: ウツボレイ....。) | Shintaro Matsui | Mayumi Morita | Shintaro Matsui | July 28, 2024 | |
At the Taihei Detective Agency, Rei Utsubo, his associate Tsutomu Isaki and the wheelchair bound Hinako Saba reveal their main activity is intimidating and kidnapping the spoiled children of monster parents. He later buries alive a young man who has squandered his parents' money and from whom they have extorted ten million yen. Utsubo adds an assassin, Hiroshi Suzuki, to his small team and confides in him that he is concerned about the possible existence of Fable, who may be a threat to their business. That evening in a park, Akira and Hinako appear to recognize each other from one of his earlier assassination assignments. Meanwhile, Utsubo asks Isaki to get information from Kuroshio on Sanagawa's relationship with Ebihara, but Kuroshio is uncooperative. Utsubo later asks Isaki and Suzuki to get information on their next target, Itsuji Kainuma. Elsewhere, Akira asks Yoko to look into details of a murder four years ago in Tokyo. At work, Kainuma is becoming more obsessive about Misaki and when she mentions she will be working late that night at a new job, he plans to enter her apartment again. | ||||||
18 | "Cheerio" Transliteration: "Kanpai no Pai......。" (Japanese: カンパイのパイ......。) | Takashi Kamei | Mayumi Morita | Takashi Kamei | August 4, 2024 | |
From Yoko's research, Akira connects Hinako to his assassination of a man involved in prostitution. Meanwhile, Kainuma discovers the lock on Misaki's apartment has been changed, but he is seen there by Isaki who realizes that Kainuma is stalking Misaki. Elsewhere, the hooded assassin arranges a meeting with Suzuki to share information about Fable, but things go wrong and Suzuki kills him and his associate. While Akira waits to see Hinako again later on, Suzuki intercepts and warns him to stay away from his "sister". Under the pretext of offering free checks for hidden cameras, Utsubo and Isaki enter Misaki's apartment. They find the camera planted by Kainuma while installing some of their own. | ||||||
19 | "Lies and Falsehoods" Transliteration: "Uso to Uso.....。" (Japanese: ウソと噓.....。) | Takuo Suzuki | Yūya Takashima | Kazuo Terada | August 18, 2024[f] | |
20 | "24 Hours" Transliteration: "24 Jikan....。" (Japanese: 24時間....。) | TBA | TBA | TBA | August 25, 2024 |
Reception
[edit]By January 2021, the manga had eight million copies in circulation;[27] 15 million copies in circulation by March 2022;[38] over 20 million copies in circulation by October 2022;[39] and over 25 million copies in circulation by June 2024.[40]
The Fable won the 41st Kodansha Manga Award for the general category in 2017.[41] Alongside Blue Period, the series ranked 14th on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2020 for male readers.[42] It was picked as a nominee for "Best Comic" at the 51st Angoulême International Comics Festival, held in 2024.[43]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Series director (シリーズディレクター)
- ^ a b Nippon TV listed the series premiere on April 6, 2024 at 24:55, which is effectively April 7 at 12:55 a.m. JST.[31]
- ^ All English titles are taken from Hulu.[36]
- ^ a b c Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.
- ^ Nii-san is the Japanese honorific for "older brother".
- ^ Due to the broadcast of the 2024 Summer Olympics, this episode was delayed one week from its originally scheduled air date of August 11, 2024.[37]
References
[edit]- ^ a b The Fable Omnibus. Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b The Fable. Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 28, 2024). "The Fable TV Anime Reveals Main Cast, Half-Year Continuous Run Starting in April". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e 岡田准一主演「ザ・ファブル」に木村了、井之脇海、光石研ら出演、キャラ写真も公開. Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. February 14, 2019. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f 岡田准一、初の漫画原作主演で殺し屋役 豪華キャスト集結で『ザ・ファブル』映画化. Oricon News. June 23, 2018. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ a b 岡田准一主演『ザ・ファブル』 原作でも人気のキャラに宮川大輔&藤森慎吾 (in Japanese). Oricon News. March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Tai, Anita (February 25, 2024). "The Fable TV Anime Reveals April 6 Debut, More Cast, Disney+ Streaming Worldwide". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
- ^ 佐藤二朗、岡田准一主演『ザ・ファブル』に出演 「運命めいたものを感じる」 (in Japanese). Oricon News. December 10, 2018. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Tai, Anita (June 23, 2024). "The Fable TV Anime's New Video Unveils More Cast, New Theme Songs (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c 岡田准一「ザ・ファブル」新作の製作決定、堤真一、平手友梨奈、安藤政信が参加. Eiga Natalie. Natasha, inc. August 19, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ 岡田准一主演『ザ・ファブル 第二章』に宮川大輔、橋本マナミら出演 公開日は2021年2月5日に. Real Sound . Blueprint Co., Ltd. October 7, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^ なに友完結から4カ月、南勝久が早くも新連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 1, 2014. Archived from the original on June 20, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ “殺しの天才”ファブルを描く南勝久「ザ・ファブル」第1部完、第2部は来夏開始――. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 18, 2019. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ ザ・ファブル(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ ザ・ファブル(22) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ 南勝久「ザ・ファブル」約1年8カ月ぶりの新シリーズがヤンマガでスタート. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 19, 2021. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Cayanan, Joanna (July 6, 2023). "The Fable: The Second Contact Manga Ends on July 10". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ 「ザ・ファブル」第2部&初の公式ガイド本同時発売、コミックDAYSで無料公開も. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 5, 2021. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ^ 第1話 飲みトモ 2018年03月06日. Comic Days (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ 第11話 ベッドの男(おとこ)‥‥。2019年02月26日. Comic Days (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ 「ザ・ファブル」第1部完結となる22巻&未収録作を収めた短編集「ざ・ふぁぶる」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 5, 2020. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ ざ・ふぁぶる (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael (March 23, 2022). "Kodansha USA Licenses Kyoko Okazaki's River's Edge Manga, The Dawn of the Witch Novels". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 24, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (October 14, 2023). "Kodansha USA Licenses Blue Lock -Episode Nagi-, Tank Chair, He's Expecting Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ Ressler, Karen (June 22, 2018). "The Fable Manga Inspires Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 17, 2018). "The Fable Live-Action Film's Teaser Video, Visual Reveal June Opening". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ a b 岡田准一主演、映画『ザ・ファブル』公開延期 新たな公開日は未定 (in Japanese). Oricon. January 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ 岡田准一の主演作「ザ・ファブル 殺さない殺し屋」新たな公開日が明らかに. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 2, 2021. Archived from the original on July 5, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ 「ザ・ファブル」が本日公開、岡田准一は平手友梨奈の「お父さんみたいだった」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 18, 2021. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ 「ザ・ファブル」TVアニメ化!南勝久「またひとつ夢に手が届いた」 監督は高橋良輔. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 10, 2023. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
- ^ "On'ea | =Bappu= Terebi Anime 'Za・Faburu' Kōshiki Saito" ON AIR | =VAP= TVアニメ『ザ・ファブル』公式サイト [Story | =VAP= TV Anime 'The Fable' Official Website]. www.vap.co.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Tai, Anita (March 17, 2024). "The Fable TV Anime Reveals Theme Songs in 2 New Videos". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Dempsey, Liam (April 8, 2024). "The Fable Anime Releases Creditless Opening Theme Video". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
- ^ Brzeski, Patrick (February 26, 2024). "Disney+ Sets Release Date for Hitman Anime Series 'The Fable'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Sutōrī | =Bappu= Terebi Anime 'Za・Faburu' Kōshiki Saito" STORY | =VAP= TVアニメ『ザ・ファブル』公式サイト [Story | =VAP= TV Anime 'The Fable' Official Website]. www.vap.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "Watch The Fable Streaming Online | Hulu". Hulu. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ 8/10(土)放送休止のお知らせ. www.vap.co.jp (in Japanese). August 5, 2024. Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "Weekly Young Magazine" No. 17, 2022, Kodansha, March 28, 2022. From the cover (in Japanese). Kodansha. March 2022.
- ^ ザ・ファブル:シリーズ累計2000万部到達 実写映画化も話題のマンガ (in Japanese). Mantan Web. October 30, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ ザ・ファブル:テレビアニメ「宇津帆編」 新キャラ声優発表 宇津帆は藤真秀 安済知佳、子安武人、金光祥浩も (in Japanese). Mantan Web. June 24, 2024. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
- ^ Sherman, Jennifer (May 9, 2017). "41st Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Winners Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 11, 2019). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Editors Unveil 2020 Rankings". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 29, 2023). "Blue Giant Explorer, Chainsaw Man, The Fable, More Manga Nominated for Angoulême". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
External links
[edit]- The Fable manga at Young Magazine (in Japanese)
- The Fable live-action film official website (in Japanese)
- The Fable anime official website (in Japanese)
- The Fable (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
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