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Bengoshi no Kuzu

Bengoshi no Kuzu
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Motohito Kuzu
弁護士のくず
GenreLegal comedy[1]
Manga
Written byHideo Iura [ja]
Published byShogakukan
MagazineBig Comic Original
DemographicSeinen
Original runAugust 5, 2003 – June 20, 2014
Volumes21
Series titles
  1. Bengoshi no Kuzu (2003–2010, 10 volumes)
  2. Bengoshi no Kuzu Dai-2 Shin (2010–2014, 11 volumes)
Television drama
Directed by
  • Imai Natsuki
  • Sakai Masahiro
  • Takemura Kentaro
  • Morishima Masaya
Original networkTBS
Original run April 13, 2006 – June 29, 2006
Episodes12
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Bengoshi no Kuzu (弁護士のくず, lit. Scum of Lawyers) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideo Iura [ja]. It started in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Original in August 2003. In 2010, the manga was re-titled Bengoshi no Kuzu Dai-2 Shin, and continued until June 2014. The overall series' chapters were collected in 21 tankōbon volumes. The series follows Mami Takeda, a new lawyer, and her partnership with fellow attorney Motohito Kuzu, as they deal with challenging court cases.

A 12-episode television drama adaptation was broadcast on TBS from April to June 2006.

In 2007, Bengoshi no Kuzu won the 52nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category.

Characters

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Motohito Kuzu (九頭 元人, Kuzu Motohito)
Portrayed by: Etsushi Toyokawa[2]
Mami Takeda (武田 真実, Takeda Mami)
Portrayed by: Hideaki Itō[2]
Makoto Shiraishi (白石 誠, Shiraishi Makoto)
Portrayed by: Soichiro Kitamura [ja][2]
Kōhei Katō (加藤 公平, Katō Kōhei) / Tetsuko Katō (加藤 徹子, Katō Tetsuko) (drama)
Portrayed by: Reiko Takashima[2]
Yūk Omata (小俣 夕花, Omata Yūka)
Portrayed by: Aki Hoshino[2]
Yūjirō Kunimitsu (国光 裕次郎, Kunimitsu Yūjirō)
Portrayed by: Fuyuki Moto [ja][2]

Media

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Manga

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Written and illustrated by Hideo Iura [ja], Bengoshi no Kuzu started in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Original on August 5, 2003.[a] The manga reached 99 chapters on June 5, 2010,[5][6] and starting on July 5 of that same year, it changed its title to Bengoshi no Kuzu Dai-2 Shin (弁護士のくず 第二審).[7] The series finished on June 20, 2014.[8] Shogakukan collected the overall series' chapters in 21 tankōbon volumes; the first part was collected in ten volumes, released from July 30, 2004,[9] to January 29, 2010,[10] and the second part was collected in eleven volumes, released from December 25, 2010,[11] to August 29, 2014.[12]

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In February 2008, Tokyo lawyer Masatoshi Uchida alleged that Iura had plagiarized a novel that he wrote, and petitioned the Tokyo District Court to ban sales of Big Comic Original.[1] In August 2010, the Intellectual Property High Court ruled out in favour of Iura and Shogakukan, stating that Uchida's work is not a novel, but "a document that clearly describes social events that were widely reported at the time", and that the manga is "merely based on these real-life events, and there is no copyright infringement."[13]

Drama

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A 12-episode television drama adaptation was broadcast on TBS from April 13 to June 29, 2006.[14]

Reception

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In 2007, the series won the 52nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the general category.[15]

Etsushi Toyokawa and Hideaki Itō received the Best Leading Actor and Best Supporting Actor awards, respectively, at the 49th Television Drama Academy Award [ja] in 2006.[16]

Notes

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  1. ^ It started in the magazine's 16th issue of 2003,[3] released on August 5 of that same year.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Loo, Egan (February 13, 2008). "Lawyer Accuses Bengoshi no Kuzu Law Manga of Plagiarism". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Cast" (in Japanese). TBS. Archived from the original on November 6, 2006. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  3. ^ 弁護士のくず (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on August 18, 2003. Retrieved October 7, 2023. 最新号の見どころ (16号) […] [第1話]　ヤブの中
  4. ^ ビッグ オリジナル [バックナンバー]. s-book.com (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 22, 2003. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  5. ^ ビッグコミックオリジナル 2010年12号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  6. ^ 「蔵人」尾瀬あきら、オリジナルで落語の魅力描く新連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 6, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  7. ^ ビッグコミックオリジナル 2010年14日号. Neowing (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  8. ^ ビッグコミックオリジナル 2014年13日号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  9. ^ 弁護士のくず 1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  10. ^ 弁護士のくず 10 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  11. ^ 【12月25日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 25, 2010. Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  12. ^ 【8月29日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 29, 2014. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  13. ^ 『弁護士のくず』裁判で小学館勝訴 「盗用にあたらない」. Oricon News (in Japanese). June 29, 2010. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  14. ^ 弁護士のくず（誤り…弁護士のクズ）. TV Drama Database (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  15. ^ Miller, Evan (January 24, 2007). "Shougakukan Manga Awards Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  16. ^ webザテレビジョン：ドラマアカデミー賞 第49回. Web The Television (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. August 2, 2006. Archived from the original on October 21, 2006. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
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