Lead Actors Announced for Matchmond Manga Live-Action Film
The long-awaited news has arrived! The first cast members for the live-action film adaptation of the Matchmond manga series have been officially announced. According to a report from Japanese media Natalie, the lead roles will be played by Masayoshi Katsuki (as Kagome Mahiro) and Kotaro Daigo (as Tozo Mikio). The duo will co-lead the project.
Created by Shogo Horiuchi, Matchmond is a youth story set in the competitive world of mahjong. The manga was first serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine in 2020 and quickly gained a cult following, especially among mahjong enthusiasts. The series' strong characters and strategy-filled narrative are its most distinctive features, setting it apart from other mahjong manga. Now, this story is being brought to the big screen.
Other notable names added to the cast include experienced actors Koki Maeda and Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi. Maeda is known for his performance in the Kamen Rider series, while Yamaguchi is recognized for his roles in many crime dramas. The director for the film has not been announced yet, but the production team is expected to make an official announcement soon.
Live-action adaptations have become a major trend in the manga world in recent years. The success of productions like Alice in Borderland and Kingdom encourages studios to invest in this area. The Matchmond film aims to provide an exciting experience for both mahjong fans and manga enthusiasts. Filming is scheduled to begin in summer 2025, with a planned release in 2026.
We will continue to share details as they become clear. This adaptation could be a big surprise for audiences seeing Shogo Horiuchi's work live for the first time. For now, based on the information we have, we can say the film will be a faithful adaptation. We'll wait and see!
