Japan’s Toei Company has teamed with Amazon to produce a live-action feature and TV series adapation of Oshi No Ko, a hit manga series that has sold more than 15 million copies.
Prime Video will premiere the series on its global streaming platform in winter 2024 and the feature will be distributed in Japan by Toei Company, which is also expected to introduce the title to international buyers at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin next month.
The manga, written by Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari, was launched in 2020 followed by an anime series in 2023, whose theme song Idol became the first Japanese-language song to top the US Billboard global chart.
The feature will star Kaito Sakurai as Aqua, a young man who infiltrates the entertainment world with a mission to uncover the truth behind the death of his mother, Ai Hoshino, who led a popular idol group. Asuka Saito, formerly of Japanese idol group Nogizaka46, has been cast as Ai. Nagisa Saito will play Ruby, Aqua’s twin sister, who dreams of becoming an idol like her mother.
The cast also includes Nanoka Hara, who voiced the title character in Makoto Shinkai’s animated feature Suzume, which played in Competition at the Berlinale in 2022, as well as Mizuki Kayashima and Ano. A first look at the cast can be seen above.
Creator Akasaka said of the upcoming adaptation: “Oshi No Ko cuts deep into the Japanese entertainment industry, which not only sheds light on the glitz and glam but also the dark side, which are critical in the comics. Thus, I wasn’t certain if Oshi No Ko would ever be adapted and made into a live-action film… While I wrote the story from my perspective as a manga writer, it would be even more intriguing when it is recreated as a live-action drama.”
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