If Shohei Otani were to be made into a manga… “An Unexpected Answer” from a 69-year-old legendary manga artist

I never thought that a player would emerge who could surpass Oh and Nagashima!

The “Black Angels” series was a “hard” worldview in the “Weekly Shonen Jump” magazine of the 1980s, which was entering its golden age. This masterpiece, which has sold more than 8 million copies in total, will be revived in the modern age.

Prior to the January 31 distribution launch, “Black Angels NEO” episodes 1-5 are now available exclusively on FRIDAY Digital. We interviewed Shinji Hiramatsu, who supervised the project, about the behind-the-scenes story behind the revival.

He said, “I used to put up calendars of actresses and gravure artists in my workroom, as they would be my reference when I was drawing manga. But now.”

Hiramatsu’s eyes are on a calendar of Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani at …….

I grew up in the era of Giants, Taiho, and egg rolls, so when I thought of baseball, it was ‘ON. However, I never thought a player would surpass Oh and Nagashima.”

Shohei Otani was an unexpected presence even for a manga artist who has drawn stories that transcend reality. In addition to his unprecedented record, he also had his share of ups and downs, including an interpreter scandal, a sudden marriage, and an injury.

In fact, Hiramatsu has a work titled “Kirara,” which is based on baseball. The story begins with a surprising turn of events: “A bank robber appears during a high school baseball game, and the strong-armed pitcher, Kirara Ikuzawa, and his girlfriend, Nami, unfortunately receive a bullet from the robber. With his experience in drawing unique baseball manga, how would Hiramatsu adapt Shohei Otani into a manga?