Even though the manga is decades old, interest in it is likely going to pick up again soon. That’s because Disney+ announced that the Tanabata no Kuni manga is getting a live-action series adaptation.
This new series was revealed via the Disney+ official X (formerly Twitter) account. With it came the reveal of its lead actor along with a teaser visual that gives fans a taste of what to expect.
The upcoming series is the latest in Disney+'s ongoing expansion efforts in the realm of Japanese anime and manga.
Disney+ Continues to Expand With Japanese Projects
Since Disney+ was launched in 2019, the platform has gotten numerous big Star Wars and Marvel original shows. In the last couple of years, Disney has also begun investing in anime and anime-related content.
Just last month, Disney+ released Dragons of Wonderhatch, an original series produced in Japan that combines live-action and animated sequences.
This series is a star-studded one as it stars big-name actors like Mackenyu (Zoro in the One Piece live-action series). It also features popular VAs like Kenjiro Tsuda (Kento Nanami in Jujutsu Kaisen).
Along with this original work, Disney+ has also gotten exclusive streaming deals for select titles such as the Spring 23 hit Heavenly Delusion.
Other shows that were released exclusively on the platform include Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown, Summer Time Rendering, and Synduality: Noir.
There’s also the Phoenix:Eden17 anime, which is based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka, the father of Manga.
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Parasyte Creator’s Tanabata no Kuni Is Getting a Live-Action Adaptation
Now, Disney+ is working on another manga-related project. This time, it’s a live-action adaptation of Tanabata no Kuni (or The Country of Tanabata in English) by Hitoshi Iwaaki, the creator of the popular manga, Parasyte.
Tanabata no Kuni’s premise is reminiscent of Parasyte as it follows Youji Minamimaru who can create small holes in anything. Soon, he must use this power in a crisis that has worldwide ramifications.
For this live-action adaptation, Disney cast Kanata Hosoda as the protagonist Youji. A teaser visual for the series was also shared, which you can see here:
Currently, there’s no word on a release date for this series. As it’s a Disney+ original, this show is expected to be available worldwide on the platform, and possibly on Hulu in select countries like the US.
As for the manga, Tanabata no Kuni has not been published outside of Japan, though Iwaaki’s Parasyte is in print via Kodansha USA.
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Source: Comic Natalie
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