An adventure into space is making its return into the manga community as Haruka Takachiho’s light novel “Crusher Joe” gains a manga adaptation for the next month. Last releasing a novel in 2005 the series returns with a new title, “Crusher Joe REBIRTH” and the Evening magazine taking charge of its publication.
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, one of the longest working Japanese animator and manga artist in the anime community is acting as the artist for the new series. He has previously worked on previous OVA and film adaptation of the series as a character designer and is recognized for having worked on the original Gundam series as a character designer.
The story is set in a future where a galactic coalition of over 8,000 solar systems exists. It tells of a young man named Joe, a member of the space explorer gang Crushers. Known to take on tough jobs while maintaining a rigid code of honor, Crusher Joe is recognized as a part of the Crusher Council’s Elite.
The series will be making its debut on September 12 in the 19th issue of the Evening magazine.
Originally, “Crusher Joe” began in 1977 as a series of science fiction light novels by Haruka Takachiho. The “Crusher Joe: Rentai Wakusei Pizan no Kiki” a.k.a."Crusher Joe: Crisis on Solidarity Planet Pizan” marked his authorial debut and was then released by Asahi Sonorama and currently has 12 volumes.
Other than the “Crusher Joe” series, Takachiho is also recognized for having created the “Dirty Pair” and “Dirty Flash” series. From the latter series he had earned the Best Japanese Short Story at the 1980 Seiun Awards for “Daatipea no Dai Boken” a.k.a. “Great Adventure of The Dirty Pair” and the Best Japanese Novel at the 1986 Seiun Awards for “Dirty Pair no Dai Gyakuten” a.k.a. "The Dirty Pair Strike Again.”
Prior to its manga reboot, “Crusher Joe” gained 4 other adaptations. First was a 1983 anime film which won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize. Next were two OVAs released in February and June 1986. Last was a previous manga adaptation that lasted for a single volume in 1979 and released by Manga Shounen magazine.
Source: Crunchyroll News