| Joker Game | |
 First novel volume cover | |
| ジョーカー・ゲーム (Jōkā Gēmu) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Mystery,political thriller,spy[1][2] |
| Novel series | |
| Written by | Koji Yanagi |
| Published by | Kadokawa Shoten |
| Original run | August 28, 2008 –March 25, 2016 |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Manga | |
| D no Maō | |
| Written by | Kayoko Shimotsuki |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Magazine |
|
| Original run | January 5, 2009 –May 27, 2010 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kayoko Shimotsuki |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Magazine | Big Comic Spirits |
| Original run | November 14, 2014 –January 19, 2015 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Live-action film | |
| Directed by | Yu Irie |
| Written by | Yūsuke Watanabe |
| Music by | Taisei Iwasaki |
| Studio | Toho |
| Released | January 31, 2015 (2015-01-31) |
| Runtime | 107 minutes |
| Manga | |
| Joker Game the Animation | |
| Written by | Subaru Nitō |
| Published by | Mag Garden |
| Imprint | Blade Comics |
| Magazine | Monthly Comic Garden |
| Original run | February 5, 2016 –February, 2018 |
| Volumes | 5 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Kazuya Nomura |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Taku Kishimoto |
| Music by | Kenji Kawai |
| Studio | Production I.G |
| Licensed by | |
| Original network | AT-X,Tokyo MX,MBS,TV Aichi,BS11 |
| Original run | April 5, 2016 – June 21, 2016 |
| Episodes | 12 + 2 OVA |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Joker Game (Japanese:ジョーカー・ゲーム,Hepburn:Jōkā Gēmu) is a Japanese novel series written byKoji Yanagi. It has inspired a live-action film, twomanga adaptations and ananime television series produced byProduction I.G, which aired from April to June 2016.
The original novel,Joker Game, published byKadokawa Shoten on August 28, 2008,[4] is a collection of five short stories written byKoji Yanagi.[5] Three of them were published directly in the novel, but two of them—"Joker Game" and "Robinson"—were first published in Kadokawa Shoten mystery magazineYasei Jidai on its November 2007 and May 2008 issues respectively.[5] The same happened in the following novels;Double Joker, released on August 29, 2009,[6] featured five stories that were previously serialized inYasei Jidai, an original story—"Black Bird"–and a story that was slated to the magazine October 2009 issue.[7][8]Paradise Lost, released on March 23, 2012,[9] contained five stories published betweenYasei Jidai's July 2011 and March 2012 issues.[10][11] Released on January 17, 2015,[12] the four stories ofLast Waltz had previously been published betweenYasei Jidai's September 2014 and January 2015 issues.[13][14]
| No. | Title | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joker Game Jōkā Gēmu (ジョーカー・ゲーム) | August 28, 2008 (tankōbon)[4] June 23, 2011 (bunkoban)[15] | 978-4-04-873851-4 (tankōbon) ISBN 978-4-04-382906-4 (bunkoban) | |
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| 2 | Double Joker Daburu Jōkā (ダブル・ジョーカー) | August 26, 2009 (tankōbon)[6] June 22, 2012 (bunkoban)[16] | 978-4-04-873960-3 (tankōbon) ISBN 978-4-04-100328-2 (bunkoban) | |
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| 3 | Paradise Lost Paradaisu Rosuto (パラダイス・ロスト) | March 23, 2012 (tankōbon)[9] June 21, 2013 (bunkoban)[17] | 978-4-04-110138-4 (tankōbon) ISBN 978-4-04-100826-3 (bunkoban) | |
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| 4 | Last Waltz Rasuto Warutsu (ラスト・ワルツ) | January 17, 2015 (tankōbon)[12] March 25, 2016 (bunkoban)[18] | 978-4-04-102137-8 (tankōbon) ISBN 978-4-04-104023-2 (bunkoban) | |
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Kayoko Shimotsuki wrote twomanga adaptations of the series. The first,D no Maō (Dの魔王), adapts the first novel and debuted inShogakukan'sseinen manga magazineWeekly Big Comic Spirits on January 5, 2009.[19] The manga was later transferred toMonthly Big Comic Spirits, where it was serialized from August 27, 2009,[20] to May 27, 2010.[21][22] Shogakukan collected its chapters in threetankōbon volumes, released from August 28, 2009, to July 30, 2010.[23][24][25] The second manga, adapting the film, was simply titledJoker Game and serialized inBig Comic Spirits between November 17, 2014,[26] and January 19, 2015,[27] the same day its soletankōbon was published.[27]
A manga by Subaru Nitō adapting the anime was announced in the February 2016 issue of Mag Garden'sComic Garden magazine. It began its serialization in the March 2016 issue of Mag Garden's Comic Garden Magazine on February 5, 2016, which contained the first two chapters of the manga.[28] The manga titledJoker Game the Animation has been collected into five volumes released on May 10, 2016, and March 10, 2018.[29][30]
| No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 10, 2016[29] | 978-4-8000-0572-4 | |
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| 2 | October 8, 2016[31] | 978-4-8000-0621-9 | |
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| 3 | April 10, 2017[32] | 978-4-80-000675-2 | |
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| 4 | October 10, 2017[33] | 978-4-80-000721-6 | |
| 5 | March 10, 2018[30] | 978-4-80-000751-3 | |
A live-actionactionsuspense film directed byYu Irie based on the novel was released on January 31, 2015.[34][35] StarringKazuya Kamenashi,Yūsuke Iseya andKyoko Fukada, it was filmed during April 2014 inSingapore and inBatam, Indonesia.[36] Irie described it as an international production since it featured British and Australian actors and only 20% of the crew was composed of Japanese people.[37] The film's budget was partially financed byNippon Television and it was distributed byToho.[38] The film earned¥271 million on its opening weekend in Japan,[35] closing its run with¥960 million grossed.[39] It received 225 votes (out of 677) and won the Fan Grand Prize of theNikkan Sports Film Award.[40] Its North American premiere was held during theJapan Cuts festival on July 9, 2015.[41]
Ananime television series was announced in the September issue of Kadokawa'sNewtype magazine. The 12-episode series was produced byProduction I.G, directed by Kazuya Nomura and written byTaku Kishimoto.[42][43]Shirow Miwa provided the series' character designs andKenji Kawai composed the music.[1] The anime began airing on April 5, 2016, onAT-X,Tokyo MX,MBS,TV Aichi andBS11, finishing on June 21, 2016.[44][45] The two Blu-ray disc released on July 27, 2016, and September 28, 2016, respectively, contained anoriginal video animation each, titledKuroneko Yoru no Bōken.[46][47] QUADRANGLE performed the anime's opening theme, titled "Reason Triangle", and MAGIC OF LiFE performed the anime's ending theme, titled "Double." The anime is licensed in North America byFunimation and simulcast through the streaming websiteCrunchyroll.[48]
 | This section'sexpanded plot summaries for episodes 5–13 and the OVAsexpanded plot summaries for episodes 5–13 and the OVAs to be improved. Please helpdo so. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page.(September 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Joker Game (Part 1)" Transliteration: "Jōkā Gēmu (Zenpen)" (Japanese:ジョーカー・ゲーム（前編）) | Kazuya Nomura | April 5, 2016 (2016-04-05) | |
The story is set in autumn 1937; with strong objection from the Imperial Army, Lieutenant Colonel Yuki establishes the D-Agency, which trains spies for insertion into other countries. General headquarters' colonel Muto nominates first lieutenant Sakuma to monitor the D-Agency, and orders the agency to investigate John Gordon, who is suspected to be an American spy. Disguised as military police, the training spies and Sakuma search the home of Gordon for evidence proving that he is in fact a spy. Sakuma's life is used as a pawn by one of the other spies when his committingseppuku is used as a bargaining tool to get inside of Gordon's home. However, it seems clear that actually Sakuma is being played by his superior and the other spies and there is no evidence linking Gordon to being a spy. | ||||
| 2 | "Joker Game (Part 2)" Transliteration: "Jōkā Gēmu (Kōhen)" (Japanese:ジョーカー・ゲーム（後編）) | Alan Smithee | April 12, 2016 (2016-04-12) | |
When he is preparing to commit seppuku, Sakuma remembers Yuki's definition of what constitutes the work spy—to be invisible—and infers the evidence they are looking for is behind the emperor's portrayal. They succeed on their mission but Sakuma is intrigued when Gordon says this was the second time the military police went there. Sakuma then realizes that this plot was contrived by Muto to fail so as to hide his own failure investigating Gordon. Sakuma also realizes that Yuki discovered Muto's plan and used this event to blackmail him to collaborate with D-Agency, hoping to receive more funds from the Army. | ||||
| 3 | "Miscalculation" Transliteration: "Gosan" (Japanese:誤算) | Takeshi Ninomiya | April 19, 2016 (2016-04-19) | |
A man, whose passport has the name "Shimano Ryousuke", wakes up with amnesia in Marseille, France. He is in a house with Alain, Jean, and Marie, three members ofFrench resistance to German occupation. When German soldiers surround the house, "Shimano" fixes their only gun and gives it to Marie. He also prepares adust explosion that gives them time to escape. The group stop to decide whether "Shimano" can join the resistance and then Marie reveals she is a German collaborator since her family was made hostage by the Germans. Shimano tries to disarm her, but is knocked out by Jean, who is moved by his love. When Shimano wakes up, he remembers he is D-Agency's Hatano, whose mission was to infiltrate Alain's group. Hatano meets Yuki and is informed he can return to Japan, and deduces Japan will align with Germany. | ||||
| 4 | "City of Temptation" Transliteration: "Mato" (Japanese:魔都) | Hideki Hosokawa | April 26, 2016 (2016-04-26) | |
After Captain Oikawa assigns Sergeant Honma to discover a supposed spy within the Shanghai Military Police, Oikawa's home is bombed, as was a Japanese business a few days ago. At the crime scene, Honma meets Shiozuka, whom he had once investigated for his affiliation with an anti-Japanese magazine. Shiozuka tells Honma he saw there the magazine's ringleader, Kusanagi, who may be involved on it because of his anti-Japanese feeling. Honma follows Kusanagi to a casino, where Honma solves the mystery; in fact, Oikawa himself bombed his home to cover his opium traffic. When a corporal, Miyata, discovered this, Oikawa paid a boy he met in the casino to kill him. Then the exploded the building to kill the boy. A private, Yoshino, kills Oikawa, revenging the death of the boy he loved. In the end, Shiozuka is revealed to be D-Agency's Fukumoto. | ||||
| 5 | "Robinson" Transliteration: "Robinson" (Japanese:ロビンソン) | Kazuchika Kise | May 3, 2016 (2016-05-03) | |
During an undercover assignment as a photographer in London, D-Agency's Kaminaga is captured and interrogated by Howard Marks, a spymaster for British Intelligence Secret Service. Even after being injected with truth serum and told that he had been set up by a diplomat, Kaminaga makes a deal with Marks to send a telegram with Japanese keying styles. Kaminaga manages to escape captivity with the help of a sleeper agent within Marks' organization. By receiving Marks' intel in verbatim rather than with errors, D-Agency learns about Kaminaga's situation and ensures his escape. It is revealed that Lieutenant Yuuki contrived the entire situation in order to discover the diplomat's leak. | ||||
| 6 | "Asia Express" Transliteration: "Ajia Ekusupuresu" (Japanese:アジア・エクスプレス) | Yūsuke Sunouchi | May 10, 2016 (2016-05-10) | |
After planning to leak top-secret information from the Soviet Union to Japan printed within a newspaper message, Anton Morozoff is assassinated aboard the Asia Express. His contact, D-Agency's Tazaki, enlists the help of three boys to identify the killer before he escapes the train at Mukden with the intel. It is revealed that the conductor was the assassin and that he was in cahoots with Morozoff's lover, Elena, who did not want to flee to America with him. Rather than turning her over to SMERSH, Tazaki recruits Elena to be a spy for Japan. | ||||
| 7 | "Code Name:Cerberus" Transliteration: "Kōdonēmu: Keruberosu" (Japanese:暗号名ケルベロス) | Kōji Komurakata | May 17, 2016 (2016-05-17) | |
Amari's story, set aboard a ship bound for Honolulu,Hawaiian Islands. | ||||
| 8 | "Double Joker (Part 1)" Transliteration: "Daburu Jōkā (Zenpen)" (Japanese:ダブル・ジョーカー（前編）) | Daiki Mori | May 24, 2016 (2016-05-24) | |
First half of Gamou's story, set in Japan. | ||||
| 9 | "Double Joker (Part 2)" Transliteration: "Daburu Jōkā (Kōhen)" (Japanese:ダブル・ジョーカー（後編）) | Takeshi Ninomiya Daiki Mori | May 31, 2016 (2016-05-31) | |
Second half of Gamou's story, also revealing Jitsui's involvement. | ||||
| 10 | "Pursuit" Transliteration: "Tsuiseki" (Japanese:追跡) | Takeshi Ninomiya | June 7, 2016 (2016-06-07) | |
Episode 10 features an attempted investigation into Yuuki's past by Aaron Price, a journalist for the British Times newspaper. | ||||
| 11 | "Coffin" Transliteration: "Hitsugi" (Japanese:柩) | Yoshimi Itazu | June 14, 2016 (2016-06-14) | |
The main part of the episode features Miyoshi's story, set in Germany, whilst also delving a little deeper into Yuuki's past. | ||||
| 12 | "Double Cross" Transliteration: "Daburu Kurosu" (Japanese:ダブル・クロス) | Kazuya Nomura | June 21, 2016 (2016-06-21) | |
The series draws to its close with Odagiri's story, set in Japan. | ||||
| OVA–1 | "Adventure of Black Cat Yoru: Part 1" Transliteration: "Kuroneko Yoru no Bōken Zenpen" (Japanese:黒猫ヨルの冒険 前編) | Hideki Hosokawa | July 27, 2016 (2016-07-27) | |
| OVA–2 | "Adventure of Black Cat Yoru: Part 2" Transliteration: "Kuroneko Yoru no Bōken Kōhen" (Japanese:黒猫ヨルの冒険 後編) | Hideki Hosokawa | September 28, 2016 (2016-09-28) | |
In 2008,Joker Game ranked second onKono Mystery ga Sugoi! and third onShūkan Bunshun Mystery Best 10.[49] In 2009,Joker Game won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers and theMystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel.[1][36] The anime won the special Nogizaka46 Award given by theNewtype magazine.[50]
Two episodes into Joker Game, and this political thriller is definitely done trying to bury the lede.
今月末頃発売の月刊スピリッツにて『Dの魔王』最終回です！よろしくお願いします〜！！ [The final chapter of "D no Maō" will be released inMonthly Spirits around the end of this month! thank you~! !! ]
