Kirin (manga)
| Kirin | |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Shohei Harumoto |
|---|---|
| Published by | Shōnen Gahosha |
| Magazine | Shōnen King (1987–1988) Young King (1989–2010) |
| Original run | 1987 – 2010 |
| Volumes | 39 |
| Live-action film | |
| Directed by | Gitan Ōtsuru |
| Released | March 3, 2012 |
Kirin (キリン) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shohei Harumoto. Its title character is an office worker who leads a second life as a street-racing motorcyclist. It was adapted into a live action film in 2012.[1]
The series began in 1987 in Mr. Bike BG, a monthly motorcycle magazine published by Motor Magazine. Later chapters ran in Shōnen Gahōsha's Young King until the story concluded in 2010.[2] Shōnen Gahōsha released the final, 39th volume in September 2010.[3] A continuation, Kirin: The Happy Ridder Speedway, ran in Young King from 2010 to 2016.[4][5]
In Japan the manga acquired a reputation as "the motorcycle-riding bible".[6] A live-action film adaptation directed by Gitan Ōtsuru opened in Japanese theaters in March 2012.[6]
Publication
Harumoto launched Kirin in Mr. Bike BG in 1987. The serialization later moved to Shōnen Gahōsha's seinen magazine Young King, where it continued until 2010.[4] The 39th and final collected volume was published on September 13, 2010.[3] Kirin: The Happy Ridder Speedway, a continuation serialized in the same magazine, was collected in eleven volumes between 2010 and 2016.[2][5]
In 2010, NTT Solmare distributed the original series in English on Nokia's Ovi store for mobile phones; the release is no longer available.[2] A French edition of Kirin: The Happy Ridder Speedway has been published by Kasaï Éditions since November 2023.[7]
Harumoto died on July 27, 2025. Young King announced his death the following month.[2]
Live-action film
Kirin: Point of No-Return! (キリン POINT OF NO-RETURN！), a live-action adaptation of the manga's first story arc, was released in Japan on March 3, 2012, by Interfilm.[8] Actor Gitan Ōtsuru, himself a well-known motorcyclist, directed the film, with Claude Maki starring as Kirin, a middle-aged rider of a Suzuki Katana who takes on a Porsche 911 in an illegal race on public roads.[6][9] Ayano co-stars as Tomomi, a young woman Kirin meets in a bar.[10]
Plot
Cast
- Claude Maki - Kirin
References
- ↑ "Kirin Motorcycle Racing Manga Gets Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
- 1 2 3 4 "Kirin Motorcycle Manga Creator Shōhei Harumoto Dies". Anime News Network. August 27, 2025. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 キリン 第39巻（東本昌平） [Kirin Volume 39 (Shohei Harumoto)] (in Japanese). Shōnen Gahōsha. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 "Kirin Motorcycle Manga Creator Shōhei Harumoto Dies". Anime News Network. August 27, 2025. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 "Kirin - The Happy Ridder Speedway vo". Manga-news (in French). Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Kirin Motorcycle Racing Manga Gets Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. May 9, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ "Kirin -1- The happy ridder speedway". BD Gest' (in French). Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ キリン POINT OF NO-RETURN！ [Kirin: Point of No-Return!]. Eiga Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ キリン POINT OF NO RETURN！ (2011)：キャスト・あらすじ・作品情報 [Kirin: Point of No Return! (2011): Cast, Synopsis, Film Information]. Cinema Today (in Japanese). Retrieved July 11, 2026.
- ↑ キリン POINT OF NO-RETURN！：映画作品情報 [Kirin: Point of No-Return!: Film Information]. Movie Walker Press (in Japanese). Retrieved July 11, 2026.