Actor Jiro Sato Launches New Manga Yamanami October 31

Hero’s Inc. revealed on October 17 through its Comiplex website that actor Jirō Satō is teaming with manga artist Takeaki Yonemon for a new manga called Yamanami. It launches on the site on October 31.

The story centers on a man named Ittsū who steals a large sum of money from the Yakuza. He comes across as carefree and frivolous, yet he turns ruthless against anyone who tries to take the money back.

Writing on X, Satō shared that the tale began as a movie script he wrote back in January 2011, one that had been sitting unused for 14 years before finding new life as a manga.

This is not Satō’s first time in comics. His debut manga, Nameless, drawn with artist Ryō Nagata, began on Comiplex in October 2024, and its second volume arrives on October 29. That series is also becoming a live action film in May 2026, with Satō both writing the script and taking the lead role.

Satō is a familiar face on screen, having appeared in many live action films and series over the years, and he has lent his voice to anime as well, including roles in Mary and The Witch’s Flower and Cross Game.

My take: There is something lovely about an old script finally getting its moment after more than a decade. It is clear Satō has real passion for storytelling beyond acting, and I am rooting for this one.