The manga "Tomodachi Game" has concluded with its final chapter in the September issue of "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine," released on the 8th, marking the end of its 10.5-year serialization that began in the January 2014 issue. The final 26th volume of the comic will be released on October 8th.

"Tomodachi Game" follows the story of the protagonist Yuichi Katagiri, who, along with his close friends, participates in high-stakes games that make them question their trust in each other. The games require full utilization of their intellect to clear. The key to winning is "not to doubt your friends," but the real question is whether one can choose "friends" over "money"—a storyline that delves into the depths of human emotions. The manga has surpassed 6 million copies in circulation and was adapted into a live-action TV drama and movie in 2017 starring Ryo Yoshizawa, followed by an anime adaptation in 2022. Additionally, members from Bishonen and HiHi Jets starred in a TV drama adaptation.

To commemorate the conclusion, two major projects were featured in the September issue of "Bessatsu Shonen Magazine." The first project included congratulatory comments from the main cast who played Yuichi Katagiri in the "Tomodachi Game" anime and "Tomodachi Game R4" drama.

Chiaki Kobayashi, who voiced Yuichi Katagiri in the anime, commented, "Congratulations on the conclusion! Yuichi is a character that required various expressions, and I vividly remember sweating every week during the voice recording sessions...". Hidaka Ukisho, who played Yuichi Katagiri in the drama, said, "Encountering 'Tomodachi Game' and playing Yuichi Katagiri is a treasure to me...".

The second project featured a special interview with the original author Mikoto Yamaguchi and the manga artist Yuki Sato. The interview covers memorable episodes, their feelings towards the final chapter, and messages to the readers, making it a must-read for "Tomodachi Game" fans. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Interview

—How did you visualize the dual nature of Yuichi’s character, Mr. Sato?

Mr. Sato:
For Yuichi, I basically drew based on the initial character sketches. I was surprised to learn recently that Mr. Yamaguchi originally envisioned Yuichi with white hair (laughs).

Mr. Yamaguchi:
There was a character visual I drew as a reference, and Yuichi had white hair in that. I thought it would be better for the balance of the main character's appearance when we prepared the student uniforms.

Mr. Sato:
If he had white hair, it might have been difficult for the live-action adaptation (laughs).

Source : ORICON NEWS