The Fable

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This article is about the manga series and its adaptations. For other uses, see Fable (disambiguation).

The Fable
First tankōbon volume cover
ザ・ファブル
(Za Faburu)
Genre
Manga
Written byKatsuhisa Minami
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintYoung Magazine KC
MagazineWeekly Young Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runNovember 1, 2014 – November 18, 2019
Volumes22 (List of volumes)
Manga
Written byKatsuhisa Minami
Published byKodansha
MagazineComic Days
DemographicSeinen
Original runMarch 6, 2018 – February 26, 2019
Volumes1
Live-action film
Directed byKan Eguchi
Written byYūsuke Watanabe
Studio
ReleasedJune 21, 2019 (2019-06-21)
Runtime123 minutes
Live-action film
The Fable: A Hitman Who Doesn’t Kill
Directed byKan Eguchi
Written by
  • Masahiro Yamaura
  • Kan Eguchi
Studio
  • Geek Pictures
  • Shochiku
ReleasedJune 18, 2021 (2021-06-18)
Runtime131 minutes
Manga
The Fable: The Second Contact
Written byKatsuhisa Minami
Published byKodansha
ImprintYoung Magazine KC
MagazineWeekly Young Magazine
DemographicSeinen
Original runJuly 19, 2021 – July 10, 2023
Volumes9 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byRyōsuke Takahashi
Written by
  • Yūya Takashima
  • Mayumi Morita
Music byShuichiro Fukuhiro
StudioTezuka Productions
Licensed byDisney Platform Distribution
Original networkNNS (Nippon TV)
Original run April 7, 2024 – present
Episodes2
icon Anime and manga portal

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 October 2022, the manga had over 20 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, ban on 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 Satō (佐藤 明, Satō Akira)
Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu[2]
He is a quietly spoken but highly skilled hitman, known only as The 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.
Yōko Satō (佐藤 洋子, Satō Yōko)
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.
Voiced by: Miyuki Sawashiro[2]
Boss (ボス, Bosu)
Voiced by: Tetsuo Komura[2]
The man who assigns The 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[2]
A lady in a nearby apartment to where The Fable and his assistant stay in Osaka.
Jackal Tomioka (ジャッカル富岡, Jakkaru Tomioka)
Voiced by: Jun Fukushima[2]
A popular comedian who The Fable thinks is really funny.
Hiroshi Hamada
Voiced by: Kōji Ishii[3]
Chief in the Maguro clan who accepts the arrangement to shelter The Fable and his assistant.
Takeshi Ebihara (海老原 剛士, Ebihara Takeshi)
Voiced by: Akio Otsuka[2]
Captain in the Ebihara the Maguro clan who is unhappy about the arrangement to shelter The Fable and his assistant.
Kojima (小島)
Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda[2]
Member of the Maguro clan.
Kuroshio
Voiced by: Ryota Iwasaki[3]
Katsuya Takahashi
Voiced by: Yudai Mino[3]
A lowly member of the Maguro clan.
Shūichi Sunagawa
Voiced by: Kōjirō Takahashi[3]
Matsu
Voiced by: Kiyomitsu Mizuuchi[3]
Kenjirō Takōda
Voiced by: Takeharu Onishi[3]
Etsuji Kainuma
Voiced by: Takumi Asahina[3]
Master
Voiced by: Kazuya Ichijō[3]
Yūki Kawai
Voiced by: Yuki Kaji[3]

Media[edit]

Manga[edit]

Main article: List of The Fable chapters

Written and illustrated by Katsuhisa Minami [ja], The Fable was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Magazine from November 1, 2014,[4] to November 18, 2019.[5] Kodansha collected its chapters in 22 tankōbon volumes, released from March 6, 2015,[6] to June 5, 2020.[7]

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,[8] to July 10, 2023.[9] Its first volume was released on November 5, 2021.[10]

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,[11] to February 26, 2019.[12] A collected tankōbon, which also includes other stories by Minami, was published on June 5, 2020.[13][14]

In March 2022, Kodansha USA announced they licensed the series for English digital publication;[15] in October 2023, they announced that the manga is planned to be published in print starting in Q2 2024.[16]

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.[17][18]

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, in January 2021, it was announced that it would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[19] and it premiered on June 18, 2021.[20][21]

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.[22] The series premiered on April 7, 2024, on Nippon TV and its affiliates, and will run for two consecutive cours.[2][a] The opening theme song is "Professionalism feat. Prajñā" (Professionalism feat. 般若), performed by ALI, while the ending theme song is "Odd Numbers", performed by UmedaCypher.[23] The adaptation was announced to be produced under Disney's partnership with Kodansha, streaming the series on Disney+ worldwide and Hulu in the United States.[24]

Episodes[edit]

No.Title [25][b]Directed by [c]Written by [c]Storyboarded by [c]Original air date [27][a]
1"Moving"
Transliteration: "O Hikkoshi" (Japanese: お引っ越し)		Shintaro MatsuiYūya TakashimaTakashi KameiApril 7, 2024 (2024-04-07)
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 MatanoYūya TakashimaKazuo TeradaApril 14, 2024 (2024-04-14)
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. 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)		TBATBATBAApril 21, 2024 (2024-04-21)

Reception[edit]

By January 2021, the manga had 8 million copies in circulation.[19] By March 2022, the manga had 15 million copies in circulation.[28] By October 2022, the manga had over 20 million copies in circulation.[29]

The Fable won the 41st Kodansha Manga Award for the general category in 2017.[30] Alongside Blue Period, the series ranked 14th on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2020 for male readers.[31] It was picked as a nominee for "Best Comic" at the 51st Angoulême International Comics Festival, held in 2024.[32]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ All English titles are taken from Hulu.[26]
  3. ^ a b c Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b The Fable. Kodansha USA. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ “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.
  6. ^ ザ・ファブル（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  7. ^ ザ・ファブル（２２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 「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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 「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.
  14. ^ ざ・ふぁぶる (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ 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. Oricon (in Japanese). January 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ 「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.
  22. ^ 「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.
  23. ^ Tai, Anita (March 17, 2024). "The Fable TV Anime Reveals Theme Songs in 2 New Videos". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ "Watch The Fable Streaming Online | Hulu". Hulu. Retrieved April 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ "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). Retrieved April 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "Weekly Young Magazine" No. 17, 2022, Kodansha, March 28, 2022. From the cover (in Japanese). Kodansha. March 2022.
  29. ^ 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. Mantan Web (in Japanese). October 30, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ 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]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Fable&oldid=1219464482"