Smuggler (manga)

Smuggler
Tankōbon volume cover
スマグラー
(Sumagurā)
Genre
Manga
Written byShohei Manabe
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintAfternoon KC
MagazineMonthly Afternoon
Original runMarch 24, 2000 – June 24, 2000
Volumes1
Live-action film
Smuggler: Omae no Mirai o Hakobe
Directed byKatsuhito Ishii
Written by
  • Katsuhito Ishii
  • Masatoshi Yamaguchi
  • Kensuke Yamamoto
Music by
  • Toshiro Nakagawa
  • Tatsuo Yamaguchi
Studio
Licensed byFunimation
Released
  • September 16, 2011 (2011-09-16) (TIFF)
  • October 22, 2011 (2011-10-22) (Japan)
Runtime114 minutes
Box office$1.5 million

Smuggler (Japanese: スマグラー, Hepburn: Sumagurā) (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shohei Manabe. It was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon from March to June 2000, and published in a single volume. It was licensed in North America by Tokyopop, then by One Peace Books. A live-action film adaptation was released in 2011.

Plot

Development

Manabe took inspiration from the works of filmmaker Quentin Tarantino in the making of the series.[3]

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Shohei Manabe, the series was serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon from March 24, 2000,[a] to June 24, 2000.[b][6] Its chapters were collected into a single tankōbon volume, released on August 23, 2000.[7] A one-shot prequel by Manabe was released in Monthly Afternoon on August 25, 2011.[8] A shinsōban volume combining the original volume's chapters and the one-shot was released on September 23, 2011, ahead of the film's release.[9]

In August 2005, Tokyopop announced that they licensed the series for English publication.[10] One volume was published on January 10, 2006.[11] After Tokyopop ceased publishing the series, it was licensed by One Peace Books in March 2013,[12] with a new version of the English volume released on December 15.[13]

Chapter list

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1August 23, 2000[7]978-4-06-314249-5January 10, 2006[11]978-1-59532-150-3
  • 1. "The Transporter" (運送屋, Unsō-ya)
  • 2. "Spine and Gut" ("背骨"と"内臓", "Sebone" to "Naizō")
  • 3. "Back of a Truck" (荷台, Nidai)
  • 4. "Preparation" (覚悟, Kakugo)

Film

A live-action film adaptation was announced in October 2010.[14] Titled Smuggler: Omae no Mirai o Hakobe (スマグラー おまえの未来を運べ; 'Smuggler: Carry Your Own Future'), it was directed by Katsuhito Ishii and stars Satoshi Tsumabuki as Ryosuke Kinuta.[15] It made its official premiere at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2011, in the event's Midnight Madness program.[16][17] The film was later released to theatres in Japan on October 22, 2011.[15] It opened at No. 7 in the box office, making US$636,243 in 184 theaters.[18] It went on to gross $1,502,434 in Japan.[19]

Ahead of the film's release, a four-part spin-off drama for mobile devices was released on October 7, 2011. Titled Smuggler: Omae no Yaku wa Dore? (スマグラー おまえの役はどれ?; 'Smuggler: What's Your Role?'), it was directed by Masatoshi Yamaguchi and distributed by LISMO Drama, with Satoshi Tsumabuki, Masatoshi Nagase, and Tatsuya Gashuin reprising their cast roles. It takes place before the events of the film.[15]

In March 2012, Cinema Asia Releasing announced that they licensed the film for international distribution.[20] However, in January 2014 Funimation and Giant Ape Media announced that they licensed the film. They released the film on DVD on April 1, 2014.[21]

Reception

Ken Haley from Pop Culture Shock praised the story and characters, though felt the art in the early portion of the series was ugly and amateurish.[1] In Manga: The Complete Guide, writer Jason Thompson praised the artwork as realistic and the story as "well-written [and] tightly plotted".[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ Debuted in the magazine's May 2000 issue.[4]
  2. ↑ Finished in the magazine's August 2000 issue.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Dacey, Katherine; Haley, Ken; Finnegan, Erin (November 30, 2007). "Manga Minis, November 2007". Pop Culture Shock. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Thompson, Jason (July 3, 2012). Manga: The Complete Guide (Google Play Books). Del Rey Books. pp. 1143–1144. ISBN 978-0-345-53944-1.
  3. ↑ 真鍋昌平が石井克人と対談、実写「スマグラー」に興奮. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. October 21, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  4. ↑ アフタヌーン2000年5号詳細情報. manganetto.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 23, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ アフタヌーン2000年8号詳細情報. manganetto.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 23, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  6. ↑ 真鍋昌平「SMUGGLER」映画に妻夫木聡、監督は石井克人. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 25, 2010. Archived from the original on July 14, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  7. 1 2 ＳＭＵＧＧＬＥＲ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  8. ↑ Sherman, Jennifer (August 25, 2011). "Smuggler Manga 1-Shot Published Before Film's Opening". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  9. ↑ 新装版　スマグラー (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 22, 2025. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  10. ↑ Macdonald, Christopher (August 9, 2005). "Tokyopop Licenses Smuggler". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "SMUGGLER". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on December 28, 2005. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ Ressler, Karen (March 4, 2013). "One Peace Books Adds Ichiya Sazanami's Black Bard, Shohei Manabe's Smuggler Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 17, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  13. ↑ Smuggler. Amazon. ISBN 9781935548362. Archived from the original on July 14, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026.
  14. ↑ Loo, Egan (October 24, 2010). "Shohei Manabe's Smuggler Crime Manga Gets Film". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 17, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 Sherman, Jennifer (October 5, 2011). "Manga-Based Smuggler Film Gets Spinoff Mobile Drama". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 24, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  16. ↑ Loo, Egan (August 3, 2011). "Toronto Film Fest to Premiere Letter to Momo, Smuggler (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 20, 2026. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  17. ↑ D'Ornellas, Danielle (September 7, 2011). "Five must-see Midnight Madness films at TIFF". blogTO. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  18. ↑ Loo, Egan (October 30, 2011). "Japanese Box Office, October 22–23". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 6, 2026. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Smuggler". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 1, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
  20. ↑ Grace, Kimberly (March 21, 2012). "Cinema Asia Releasing Adds Live-Action Smuggler Film". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 26, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  21. ↑ Loveridge, Lynzee (January 25, 2014). "Funimation Offers Live-Action Smuggler Film on DVD". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 27, 2025. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
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