Thanatos: Mushikera no Kobushi, a boxing manga written by former WBA middleweight champion Shinji Takehara and illustrated by Yusuke Ochiai, is being adapted into live-action movie for release this fall. Hidenori Tokuyama (Kamen Rider Kabuto, GTO) leads the cast.

The story follows Riku, a young man who endured a history of domestic violence and gang fighting. His entrance into the professional boxing world gradually changes him and helps him grow out of his painful past. The manga originally ran in Shogakukan’s Weekly Young Sunday magazine from 2007 to 2008, and its eight compiled book volumes sold over 600,000 copies. The story reflects the personal experience of Takehara, who had to struggle to stay afloat as a young man but overcame adversities to win a boxing championship.

Tokuyama had some training in boxing in high school, and has been on diet to prepare for the movie. Takehara said that he is very satisfied with the choice of Tokuyama: “If Tokuyama wants to, he can even become a professional boxer.”