悪魔くん (1989)

Akuma-kun (悪魔くん) is a manga series created by Shigeru Mizuki, with the initial manga debuting in 1963. In 1989, Toei Animation adapted the manga into a 42-episode TV anime series, which aired on TV Asahi from April 15, 1989, to March 24, 1990. The anime is based on the 'Saishinban Akuma-kun' manga and features Shingo Umoregi as the protagonist. The story revolves around Shingo, nicknamed 'Akuma-kun' by his friends due to his extensive knowledge of demons and the occult. According to Faust, Shingo is said to be the Messiah, who appears once every ten thousand years to bring peace to the world. The anime series spawned two films: 'Akuma-kun' released on July 15, 1989, and 'Akuma-kun: Welcome to Akuma Land!!' released on March 10, 1990. Additionally, a Famicom RPG game based on the anime, 'Akuma-kun: Makai no Wana,' was released in 1990. The anime was popular at the time and saw various merchandise such as toys and coloring books. In 2023, Netflix released an original net animation (ONA) series, which can be considered a sequel to the original series, with Junichi Sato as chief director and Fumitoshi Oizaki as series director, co-animated by Encourage Films.