Psychological Manga Tomodachi Game Gets Live-Action TV Show, 2 Films

The November issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine is revealing this week that a live-action television adaptation and two live-action movies of Yuki Satou's Tomodachi Game (Friend Game) manga have been green-lit. The television project and movies are slated for 2017.

Tomodachi Game will be on the front cover of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine's November issue, which ships on Saturday.

The story, based on Mikoto Yamaguchi's original concept, centers on Yūichi Katagiri, a young man with a perfect student life who has four friends with difficult lives. His peaceful daily life comes to an end when 2 million yen (about US$20,000) in school trip fees goes missing. Riddles unfold as Yūichi gets caught up in a mysterious game for money and must decide whether friendship or money matters more.

Sato (Sherlock Bones) launched the Tomodachi Game manga inKodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in December 2013. The first compiled volume shipped in April 2014. The seventh and most recent compiled volume shipped this past July.

Sato launched the 15-volume Yokai Doctor manga in 2007, and North American publisher Del Rey released the first three volumes before Kodansha Comics took over its titles in 2010. Sato launched the seven-volume Sherlock Bones (Tanteiken Sherdock) manga with Yuma Ando in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine in 2011. Kodansha Comics licensed the series for release in North America, and the first volume shipped in 2013. The seventh and final volume shipped in 2014.

Yamaguchi's other works include Shinigami-sama ni Saigo no Onegai o and Scumbag Loser.​