Aoi Bungaku Anime TV Series Announced

Japanese publisher Shueisha has revealed the news that a 12 episode anime TV series titled Aoi Bungaku (Blue Book) will premiere on October 10 at 1:20am. The series will consist of adaptations of four modern classics of Japanese literature: Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) & Run, Melos! (Hashire, Melos!), Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro, and Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Hell Screen (Jigoku Hen).

Manga illustrator Takeshi Obata (Death Note, Bakuman) will participate in the creation of the No Longer Human & Kokoro segments. No Longer Human is Dazai’s semi-autobiographical 1948 novel about a young man whose life declines into despair. Kokoro is a 1914 novel detailing the friendship between a young man and his mentor during early 1900s. Obata provided the cover art and interior illustrations for recent Japanese reprintings of both novels.

Prince of Tennis manga creator Takeshi Konomi will participate in the latest anime adaptation of Run, Melos! Osamu Dazai’s adaptation of an ancient Greek legend was originally published in 1940 and was adapted into anime TV special in 1981 and an anime feature film in 1992. Konomi has drawn the cover and illustrations for a recent Japanese reprinting of the short story.

Bleach manga creator Tite Kubo will contribute to the anime adaptation of the 1918 short story Hell Screen, writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s tale of the violent creation of a screen painting of hell.

On a related note, a live action film adaptation of No Longer Human will hit Japanese theaters next year.

Source: Anime News Network