#Tonde Saitama BL Comedy Live-action Film Gets A Sequel in 2022

It is officially announced today that Tonde Saitama II (tentative title), a sequel to the live-action film adaptation of Mineo Maya (Patarillo!)’s boys love comedy manga in the 1980s, Tonde Saitama / Fly Me to the Saitama, is now in the works for a release in 2022. The first film’s two leading cast memebrs, 48-year-old singer/actor GACKT and 26-year-old actress Fumi Nikaidou are confirmed to reprise their high school student characters.

The manga was originally serialized in Hakusensha’s Hana to Yume magazine from 1982 to 1983, then compiled in one-volume tankobon without completing its story. Its story is set in a fictional Japan where people are discriminated according to their birthplace and residence. Saitama Prefecture is particularly look down on by the people in Tokyo. One day, a mysterious male student named Rei Asami transfers to Hakuhoudou Academy, a prestigious high school in Tokyo, from America. Momomi Hakuhoudou, the male president of the school’s student council and the grandson of the director of the school, is gradually attracted by him. However, Rei’s secret origin that he was born in Saitama is accidentally revealed. He returns to Saitama to join resistance movement to eliminate discrimination against Saitama citizens. When Momomi learns that a powerful politician tries to destroy Rei’s resistance group, he decides to go to Saitama to inform Rei of the danger.

30 years after　that, it suddenly started gaining internet buzz, and Takarajimasha released its reprint edition in 2015. Its amazing success, selling over 300,000 copies, led to an immediate decision to produce a live-action film.

The live-action film directed by Hideki Takeuchi (Nodame Cantabile, Thermae Romae live-action film) was released in Japan on February 22, 2019. Despite the low expectations, it ranked No.1 in its opening weekend, and its total box office gross reached an astonishing 3.76 billion yen (34 million USD), making it the third top-grossing Japanese live-action film of 2019.

The sequel’s first catchphrase is “The people of Saitama, We are sorry for making a sequel.”  Also, in response to the news of the decision to produce a sequel, the original manga’s author, Mineo Maya, simply commented, “I’m saying this again, are you guys insane?”

Source: “Tonde Saitma” live-action film project official website / Twitter

(C)2022 Movie “Tonde Saitama” Production Committee

(C)2019 Movie “Tonde Saitama” Production Committee