In just a few weeks, the live-action TV drama series adaptation Wingman will premiere and this week we have a brand new piece of key art. Shared on the official social media account for the series, the key visual highlights the show's main hero character, Wingman, along with the tagline that reads: "A tokusatsu hero otaku saves the world!?"
"While paying respect to the worldview of this work drawn by Katsura-sensei, I aimed to reach a quality that would not be outdone by hero movies from around the world on creation of this key visual," added Masahiro Furuya, the designer of the visual.
Not everyone may be familiar with Wingman as it's a Japanese superhero manga that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1983 to 1985. Written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura (Video Girl Ai, DNA², I"s), the story follows junior high school student Kenta Hirono who dreams of becoming a hero. When a mysterious woman named Aoi arrives from the realm of Podreams, his dream is finally made true thanks to the power of her dream Note book.
Wingman was also adapted into an anime television series in 1984, titled Yume Senshi Wingman ("Dream Warrior Wingman). Produced by Toei Animation, the synopsis reads:
Although Kenta Hirono appears in many ways to be the typical backward Tokyo junior high school student, he actually can transform himself into Wingman, the Ally of Justice. Yet his struggles for righteousness are often misunderstood; so, despite his good intentions, he often ends up disturbing his class and getting punished by his teacher.One day on his way home from school, Kenta has a dramatic encounter of the third kind. Aoi, a sexy girl who has fled from the multi-dimensional kingdom of Podreams, lands on his head. She is carrying the "Dream Book", which can make dreams come true.Aoi, comes to live in Kenta's house as his cousin; but Miku Ogawa, the girl in Kenta's heart, at first misinterprets their relationship and gets jealous. Moreover, the evil king of Podreams sends a succession of killers to earth to snatch the "Dream Book". Though this new situation makes Kenta somewhat dizzy, he manages to remain cheerful. Will the "Dream Book" help to bring good fortune to Kenta?This story is filled with both thrills and laughter.
The live-action television series adaptation will premiere on TV Tokyo's "DramaTues!" midnight programming block beginning October 22, 2024. Koichi Sakamoto serves as the director and action director of the series. Sakamoto previously worked as an action director for the Power Rangers series in the United States.
The series will star 20-year-old Maito Fujioka (Play It Cool, Guys) as the protagonist, Kenta Hirono. He's joined by 25-year-old actor Konatsu Kato (I"s) who will play the main heroine, Aoi Yume. Seven more cast members have also been revealed:
- Miku Ogawa played by Himena Kikuchi
- Kumiko Fuzawa played by Hiyori Katada
- Momoko Morimoto played by Amane Uehara
- Tomoo Fukumoto played by Jotaro
- Sakagami played by Yuno Ohara
- Kurotsu played by Ui Mihara
- Tatsuo Saito played by Haruki Tachibana
While Wingman will premiere next month in Japan, there's no word on when, or if, it will be available globally.