Yugo (manga)

Manga

Written by Shinji Makari and illustrated by Shū Akana, Yugo was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon from December 25, 1993,^[a] to July 24, 2004.^[b] Its chapters were compiled into 22 tankōbon volumes and published in Kodansha's Afternoon KC line between June 23, 1994, and September 22, 2004.^[10][8] The volumes were republished in bunkobon format between February 10, 2004, and October 21, 2006, renamed and separated by story arc.^[11][12]

Just before the original series' conclusion, Yugo, with the subtitle "the Negotiator" added in, began serialization in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Evening on January 27, 2004, in the fourth issue of that year.^[13][14] It finished serialization on November 10, 2015, in the twenty-third issue of that year.^[15] The first tankōbon volume was published on September 22, 2004, in the Evening KC line,^[14] with subsequent volumes published in the KC Deluxe line.^[16] The nineteenth and final volume was published on December 22, 2015.^[15]

Novel

A novelization written by Shinji Makari, depicting the Russia arc in Yugo along with a new story depicting Yugo Beppu's first negotiation, was published by Kodansha under the title Yugo the Negotiator in Russia & India (勇午 交渉人inロシア&インディア, Yugo: Kōshōnin in Roshia & India). It was released on May 14, 1999.^[37]

Anime

In November 2003, it was announced that a 13-episode anime adaptation titled Yugo the Negotiator (勇午 ～交渉人～, Yūgo: Kōshōnin) would release next February, adapting the manga's first two major story arcs: 1st Negotiation, or Pakistan Chapter (パキスタン編, Pakisutan-hen), comprised the former six episodes; 2nd Negotiation, or Russia Chapter (ロシア編, Roshia-hen), comprised the latter seven episodes.^[38][3] G&G Direction produced the 1st Negotiation, with Seiji Kishi as director, Takehiko Matsumoto as character designer, and Kazuharu Sato as writer. Artland produced the 2nd Negotiation, with Shinya Hanai as director, Kenichi Imaizumi as character designer, and Kenichi Kanemaki [ja] as writer.^[3] It was originally broadcast on Kids Station from February 25 to May 26, 2004.^[c][39][40] The opening theme is "Modern Size", and the ending theme is "Kitty", both by Eiichiro Taruki [ja].^[41][5]

Six DVD volumes were released from May 25 to October 29, 2004, by Ken Media.^[42] ADV Films licensed the series for a North American release in March 2005,^[43] releasing the first volume in both a regular edition and an edition with a box on July 26.^[44][45] After releasing the last volume on March 21, 2006,^[46] ADV released the complete series in a DVD box set on October 2, 2007,^[47] and on March 24, 2009.^[48] The first three episodes of Yugo the Negotiator were screened at the Barbican Centre on February 26, 2008, in London; Helen McCarthy, an anime expert, did an introduction of the show for the audience.^[49]