The 48th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine recently announced the anime adaptation of manga series Isobe Isobee Monogatari: Ukiyo wa Tsurai yo/磯部磯兵衛物語 〜浮世はつらいよ〜 . The official English title is Chronicles of Isobe – The Life is Hard.

The announcement
The announcement

The manga is written and illustrated by Ryo Nakama, published since May 2013. At first, the series is only meant to be a placeholder until One Piece came back after being on hiatus at that time. Shockingly, the comedy series became so popular and received a massive positive feedback from the readers that it became a permanent series in Weekly Shonen Jump.

Eight tankubon volumes is printed so far, this manga is famous for very unique blend of traditional Japanese art of ukiyo and modern manga sensibilities. The manga is even told in wood block style. Foreign anime fans might find it a bit too Japanese but it is popular with the local readers.

It is planned to be a short anime series and a stage play is in the talks too.

Synopsis:

In this ukiyoe-style manga, Isobe Isobee is a lazy, slacker samurai with big dreams. He lives with his mother, who thinks highly of him. He lays around the house, sneakily looks at Edo-period pornography without his mother noticing, naps at school… but he plans to become a respectable samurai one day!”