Mr. Tonegawa

Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Bluesis a Japanesemangaseries written by Tensei Hagiwara and illustrated by Tomohiro Hashimoto and Tomoki Miyoshi. It is aspin-offto theKaijimanga series byNobuyuki Fukumoto.It was serialized inKodansha'sMonthly Young Magazinefrom June 2015 to January 2018, and later moved to theComic Daysmanga app in March 2018 and finished in June 2020. Its chapters were collected in tentankōbonvolumes. The series comically depicts the struggles and conflicts of Tonegawa, amiddle managerwho is an executive of the Teiai Group and leads a large number of blacksuits, but is most concerned about the mood of the tyrannical Chairman Hyōdō.

Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues
Firsttankōbonvolume cover, featuring Yukio Tonegawa
Trung gian quản lý lục トネガワ (Chūkan Kanriroku Tonegawa)
Genre	Office comedy Parody
Manga
Written by	Tensei Hagiwara Nobuyuki Fukumoto(collaboration)
Illustrated by	Tomohiro Hashimoto Tomoki Miyoshi
Published by	Kodansha
Imprint	YMKC Special
Magazine	Monthly Young Magazine (June 20, 2015 – January 23, 2018) Comic Days (March 5, 2018 – June 8, 2020)
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	June 20, 2015–June 8, 2020
Volumes	10
Anime television series
Directed by	Keiichiro Kawaguchi
Produced by	Toshio Nakatani Atsushi Kirimoto Toshiyuki Satō Ryōsuke Tanaka Ayuri Taguchi
Written by	Mitsutaka Hirota
Music by	Takahiro Yamada
Studio	Madhouse
Licensed by	NA:Sentai Filmworks
Original network	Nippon TV(AnichU)
Original run	July 4, 2018–December 26, 2018
Episodes	24

Ananimetelevision series adaptation byMadhouseaired from July to December 2018 onNippon TV's AnichU programming block.Sentai Filmworkshave licensed the anime and an English dub began streaming onHidivein August 2018. The show is also available for viewing onCrunchyroll.

By November 2018, the manga had over 2.9 million copies in circulation.

Story

The story follows Yukio Tonegawa, the right-hand man of the company's chairman, Kazutaka Hyōdō, and the top executive of the Teiai Group, one of Japan's largestconsumer financeconglomerates. In order to distract Chairman Hyōdō from boredom, Tonegawa gathers eleven of his blacksuit subordinates and forms Team Tonegawa in order to plan a so-called "game of death" that will keep Hyōdō pleased. Troubled by the Chairman's interference, the threat of loss of trust from Tonegawa's subordinates, illness, the members' blunders, and unplanned accidents, the team struggles in various ways to execute the project.

Characters

See also:List ofKaijicharacters

Team Tonegawa

Yukio Tonegawa(Lợi căn xuyên hạnh hùng,Tonegawa Yukio)

Voiced by:Toshiyuki Morikawa(Japanese); David Harbold(English)

One of the top executives of the Teiai Group and is a hard-working man with a good command of the human mind and high level of trust from his subordinates. However, he is not very good at reading Hyōdō's feelings, and he is often reprimanded for provoking his displeasure. Although he serves almost year-round, he is not rewarded much. In the past, he worked at the southHaterumabranch of Teiai, and he still has scars from being bitten by a sea snake there. His favorite foods areyakinikuand yakinikubento.

He is last seen in the final chapter which takes place several years after he quit Teiai, staring at a setting sun on a beach in an unspecified location.

Initial members

Kenji Yamazaki(Sơn kỳ kiện nhị,Yamazaki Kenji)

Voiced by:Wataru Hatano(Japanese); Andrew Love(English)

One of the initial black suits in the project team, 30 years old. He has worked directly under the Chairman and is a leader among the blacksuit members. At first he was dissatisfied with Tonegawa's arrogant work ethic, but after being touched by his hard work and honest personality, he changed his mind, and later became a loyal subordinate who could be called a confidant of Tonegawa. He is also in charge of taking care of Masayan.

In the final chapter, he becomes one of the senior members of Teiai and instructs his blacksuit subordinates.

Jirō Saemonsaburō(Tá vệ môn tam lang nhị lãng,Saemonsaburō Jirō)

Voiced by:Nobunaga Shimazaki(Japanese); Alan Brincks(English)

One of the initial black suits, 23 years old. Before Nishiguchi joined, he was the youngest member of the team. He is remarkably capable of contributing and being flexible, such as coming up with ideas for Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors, and stands out among the team for his creativity. On the other hand, he has a free-spirited side and behaves with abandon, which is typical of today's youth. He is a skilled mahjong player in Team Tonegawa and won the Tonegawa mahjong tournament. Being the only one of the early members to have a very unusual last name, he is often called "Saemon" by those around him.

In the final chapter, he resigns from Teiai and starts running anevent management.He has anuxorilocal marriagewith Saeko, changing his last name to Nishiguchi.

Toshimasa Kawasaki(Xuyên kỳ mẫn chính,Kawasaki Toshimasa)

Voiced by:Kōtarō Nishiyama(Japanese); Ty Mahany(English)

One of the initial black suits, 30 years old. He was the first member on the team to come down with the flu.

In the final chapter, he resigns from Teiai and gets a new job at a major bank.

Keiichi Ogino(Địch dã khuê nhất,Ogino Keiichi)

Voiced by:Akira Ishida(Japanese);John Gremillion(English)

One of the initial black suits, 35 years old. When he got married in chapter 25, it was revealed that his birthplace wasZambia,in southern Africa, and that he had aspired to be a comedian in the past.

In the final chapter, while still working as one of the blacksuits, he reunites with his former comedy duo partner. They lose in the second round of theM-1 Grand Prix,but he is still busy making up ideas.

Hidetoshi Nakata(Trung điền anh thọ,Nakata Hidetoshi)

Voiced by:Daiki Hamano(Japanese); Jack Ivy(English)

One of the initial black suits, 32 years old. He likes planetariums and is the biggest bowling enthusiast on the team. He is interested in Nishiguchi and often invites her out for dinner. He is a bit of an airhead and makes a lot of careless remarks, and he is the only one who doesn't know about Saemon and Nishiguchi's love affairs at all. Despite being true to his own desires, he tends to act silly.

In the final chapter, he resigns from Teiai and becomes a professionalmanga artist.He works on a series of four-panel strips, but is having trouble with his editor, Komiya(Tiểu cung).

Heihachi Gonda(権 điền bình bát,Gonda Heihachi)

Voiced by:Rikiya Koyama(Japanese);John Swasey(English)

One of the initial black suits, 49 years old. He is the oldest person on the team. His career path has already been cut off, and he is concerned about it. He has spent his entire life running away from responsibility, but when Tonegawa comes down with the flu, he is directly ordered to be his substitute. Encouraged by Dōshita, he began to take on more responsibility.

In the final chapter, he is still working as one of the blacksuits, but he has won an award for his hobby of photography, and he confides to Yamazaki that he has found a way to love himself without having to get ahead.

Kōji Dōshita(Đường hạ hạo thứ,Dōshita Kōji)

Voiced by:Takuya Eguchi(Japanese); Jay Hickman(English)

One of the initial black suits, 32 years old. He is a former captain of the rugby team at T-Kyo University and an enthusiastic sportsman. Because he is sports-minded and hotblooded, he had the good sense to encourage Gonda, who served as Tonegawa's substitute. On the other hand, as pointed out by Nakata, his sports-minded attitude is difficult to get along with, and when Tonegawa had a medical checkup, he went to extreme lengths to control his diet (such throwing high-calorie lunch boxes in the trash), with Tonegawa describing himself as "a man under surveillance". He has a petite younger brother named Takashi who works part-time for Team Tonegawa. In the anime adaptation, he is shown to be willing to fully eat even the disgusting foods, such as grasshoppertsukudaniand frog sausages.

In the final chapter, he returns to the PR department, creates a rugby club, and wins a tournament there.

Suguru Ebitani(Hải lão cốc trác,Ebitani Suguru)

Voiced by:Taku Yashiro(Japanese); Mike Yager(English)

One of the initial black suits, 25 years old. A representative troublemaker in the story who would later become the first defector. His enthusiasm and energy for his work are extraordinary, but he cannot see the big picture and is described by Tonegawa as "a cannon facing the wrong way". In chapter 62, he shows a decent side by giving advice to Kanie, a younger co-worker.

In the final chapter, he resigns from Teiai and his personality changes to the point that he feels like a different person. He opens a small shrimp roll shop inNerimaand starts a successful business.

Added members

Ton(Đông さん,Ton-san)

Voiced by:Genki Okawa(Japanese); Joe Daniels(English)

An assistant black suit hastily called in during Tonegawa's Human Mahjong project presentation. Though he is not an official member, but is always there to carry out chores. He is later promoted to an official member by filling in the vacant position due to Tsukui's elopement, with his former choreman position taken over by Ebitani. Real name unknown.

Saeko Nishiguchi(Tây khẩu nhạ tử,Nishiguchi Saeko)

Voiced by:Rena Maeda(Japanese); Elissa Cuellar(English)

One of the added black suit members following the transfer of Hagio, Kikuchi and Nagata. She is 22 years old and the lone female black suit in Tonegawa's team, which is unusual for Teiai. She is fromHakataand has a brother named Hiro(ひろ).In her private life, she posts selfies on social media and gives homemade cakes to other members. In addition, Tonegawa sometimes asks her to provide a "female perspective." She later had an office love affair with Saemon, but they soon broke up.

In the final chapter, she marries Saemonsaburō and has one daughter, but because she didn't want to have two "Sae" parts in the family register, she adopts him into her family and he changes his surname instead.

Tsukui(Tân cửu tỉnh)

One of the added black suits. He is a temporary employee and has somewhat narrow eyes. He is not good at the basic skills needed in business culture such asreporting, contacting and discussing.His attempts at calling the steelworks so they can deliver required steel beams for the Steel Beam Crossing game all resulted in failure. Instead, he used a clothesline as a substitute, which resulted in all of the debtors surviving by forfeiting. Afterwards, he goes outside to a convenience store and is not seen again.

Junichi Miyazaki(Cung kỳ thuần nhất,Miyazaki Junichi)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards. He is fromNagasaki.

Masaya Ōsaki(Đại kỳ chính dã,Ōsaki Masaya)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards. He is fromTakasaki.

Junsaburō Higashimitateda(Đông ngự kiến điền thuận tam lang,Higashimitateda Junsaburō)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards. Just like Saemon, he has an unusually complicated last name.

Shōta Yamada(Sơn điền chính thái,Yamada Shōta)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards. He is the only one of the Yamadas to have suffered fromappendicitisin the past.

Taichi Yamada(Sơn điền thái nhất,Yamada Taichi)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards. He has a small birthmark behind his ear.

Shōichi Yamada(Sơn điền chính nhất,Yamada Shōichi)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards.

Hosoyamada(Tế sơn điền)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards.

Saburō Monjushirō(Văn thù tứ lang tam lang,Monjushirō Saburō)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards. Just like Saemon, he has an unusually complicated last name.

Kyōsuke Kumanomidō(Hùng dã ngự đường kinh giới,Kumanomidō Kyōsuke)

One of the added black suits from chapter 54 onwards. Just like Saemon, he has an unusually complicated last name. While the rest of the newly added members enjoy ordinary golf, he is the only one who enjoysminigolf.

Yūsaku Kanie(Giải giang ưu tác,Kanie Yūsaku)

A new graduate who appears in chapter 62. He is somewhat nervous and his heart throbs at the thought of picking up the phone. He is nicknamed "Crab"(カニ,Kani)by Ebitani, which leads him to call Ebitani "Mr. Shrimp"(エビさん,Ebi-san).He proposes the game of E-Card during a presentation and is given advice by his superior Ebitani. The game was successfully adopted afterwards.

Transferred members

Junichi Hagio(Thu vĩ thuần nhất,Hagio Junichi)

Voiced by:Kengo Kawanishi(Japanese); Orlanders Jones(English)

One of the initial black suits, 35 years old. He was later transferred to the Teiai branch office in south Hateruma with Kikuchi and Nagata. He has a younger twin brother Kōichi(Hạnh nhất)who was interviewed by Teiai while job hunting and rejected by Yamazaki due to having the same last name and face as that of his older brother.

While he, Kikuchi and Nagata returned to Teiai HQ in chapter 75 as new members of Team Tonegawa, they got transferred yet again in the final chapter, this time to the branch office inSarobetsu Plain.

Ryō Kikuchi(Cúc địa lượng,Kikuchi Ryō)

Voiced by: Takaya Aoyagi(Japanese); Rob Mungle(English)

One of the initial black suits. He is 35 years old.

Yūichirō Nagata(Trường điền hùng nhất lang,Nagata Yūichirō)

Voiced by:Chiharu Sawashiro(Japanese); Mike Haimoto(English)

One of the initial black suits. He is 37 years old.

Ataru Yaotome(Bát ất nữ trung,Yaotome Ataru)

Voiced by:Takuma Terashima(Japanese); Gareth West(English)

One of the added black suits. He is a former salesman who joined Teiai as a mid-career hire. After literally bending over backwards for Hyōdō's attention, he becomes the Chairman's secretary.

Miscellaneous

Masayasu Honda(Bổn điền chính an,Honda Masayasu)

Voiced by:Akio Ōtsuka(Japanese); Marty Fleck(English)

A former restaurant employee who looks identical to Chairman Hyōdō, nicknamed Masayan(まさやん).He was recruited by Teiai to serve as a diabolical body double under Hyōdō's orders. Despite being the exact opposite to the Chairman in terms of personality, he nevertheless becomes able to reproduce his personality through special training. In Yamazaki's absence, he was spoiled by Team Tonegawa, which led to him ranking everyone except Yamazaki lower than himself, and he went out of his way to break everyone's personal belongings, but is eventually corrected by Kurosaki. From then on, he has been fearful of Kurosaki, and the phrase "Kuro's coming!" is enough to get him to behave. He has a younger twin brother named Hiroyasu(Quảng an).In chapter 71.5, he reverts to his former personality and returns home.

Hajime Miyamoto(Cung bổn nhất,Miyamoto Hajime)

Voiced by:Toshiki Masuda(Japanese); John Ramirez(English)

A monitoring blacksuit from the Teiai underground forced labor facility who also appears in the spin-off1-nichi Gaishutsuroku Hanchō.He makes his first appearance in this series in chapter 74, asking the T-AI Boy robot to read his palm.

Ueno(Thượng dã)

Voiced by:Taiten Kusunoki(Japanese); Patrick Poole(English)

One of Tonegawa's classmates from high school days.

Shinanogawa(Tín nùng xuyên)

Voiced by:Tesshō Genda(Japanese);Kyle C. Jones(English)

One of Tonegawa's classmates from high school days. He and Tonegawa are known as the "Great Rivers Duo" because their surnames derive from real-life Japanese rivers (Tone RiverandShinano River).

Nakabeppu(Trung biệt phủ)

Voiced by:Hozumi Gōda(Japanese); Mark Mendelsohn(English)

One of Tonegawa's classmates from high school days.

Maho Kagawa(Hương xuyên chân tuệ,Kagawa Maho)

Voiced by: Eri Saitō (Japanese); Patricia Duran(English)

One of Tonegawa's classmates from high school days. Tonegawa was her first love.

Okamura(Cương thôn)

Voiced by: Yūko Ueda (Japanese); Samantha Stevens(English)

One of Tonegawa's classmates from high school days.

Teiai Group Executives

Kazutaka Hyōdō(Binh đằng hòa tôn,Hyōdō Kazutaka)

Voiced by:Masane Tsukayama(Japanese); Marty Fleck(English)

An old man who is the diabolical leader of the Teiai Group. He is called "Chairman" by his subordinates. There is more emphasis put on his old man qualities than in the main story, such as going to bed immediately at 10 PM and not skimping on skin care in the fall and winter. In the short story written by the original author, Fukumoto, he is depicted as caring about his son Kazuya's friendships.

Yoshihiro Kurosaki(Hắc kỳ nghĩa dụ,Kurosaki Yoshihiro)

Voiced by:Atsushi Miyauchi(Japanese); Jovan Jackson(English)

One of the top executives in the Teiai Group and a rival to Tonegawa, who is vying for the No. 2 spot in the Teiai Group. In contrast to Tonegawa, he has a knack for getting on Hyōdō's good side and often makes sharp and pointed remarks. As told by Tonegawa, he can always point out things that are hard to say without hesitation, and it always leads to a positive response. For the most part, he is gentle and aloof enough to make Hyōdō falter at times, but he is also ruthless enough to violently slap the unruly Masayan and make him calm down in an instant with his dark expression, which has traumatized him since then.

Related Teiai Group Persons

Yūji Endō(Viễn đằng dũng thứ,Endō Yūji)

Voiced by:Kenjiro Tsuda(Japanese);David Matranga(English)

Ayakuzaand president of the Teiai-affiliated company Endō Finance. Since he works under Tonegawa, he often appears as a supporting character. He tends to sympathize with Tonegawa, but due to his outrageous "favors" such as brainwashing recently-graduated blacksuits more than necessary and dumping Masayan in the woods without permission, Tonegawa becomes wary of how he always shows up at odd times and how whatever he does always leads to negative consequences.

Seiya Ichijō(Nhất điều thánh dã,Ichijō Seiya)

Voiced by:Daisuke Namikawa(Japanese); Scott Gibbs(English)

A young manager of a Teiai-affiliated underground casino that hosts the man-eatingpachinkoknown as "The Bog". In order to recover the 1.5 billion yen that the Bog has swallowed, he entertains Tonegawa when he visits the casino. However, the reception was very poor, and Tonegawa is appalled by how blatantly rigged the Bog's settings are.

Murakami(Thôn thượng)

Voiced by: Takaaki Torashima (Japanese); Michael Wronski(English)

Ichijou's underling and senior staff of the underground casino that Ichijō manages. At Ichijō's command, he blatantly rigged the settings of the Bog.

Kinezaki(Mộc căn kỳ)

Voiced by: Rei Yamahata (Japanese); Michael Wronski(English)

A representative of the Kansai branch of the Teiai Group. He is always high-handed and self-centered, ranting and yelling at his subordinates ( "a yakuza-like man," according to Tonegawa).

Watanabe(Độ biên くん,Watanabe-kun)

Voiced by:Masato Hagiwara(Japanese);Blake Shepard(English)

One of the debtors. Before becoming indebted, he had a problematic personality as a working adult, and despite his good age, he is selfish and enjoys horse racing. When he first appeared, he was dressed similarly to Kaiji in the Espoir arc, but with round facial features in contrast to Kaiji's more pointed chin and nose. Endō summons him to his lecture about multiple debtors where his childish actions are shown, such as spending company money on pachinko and using the money that his mother collected from other relatives to bet on horse racing instead of paying his debts.

Satoshi Aida(Tương điền さとし,Aida Satoshi)

One of the debtors. Aspiring to be a comedian, he demonstrates his comedy routine to President Hyōdō and Tonegawa in an attempt to promote himself. He draws the ire of Chairman Hyōdō, who calls him a genuine idiot who is not worthy of ridicule at all, while Tonegawa has to pretend he isn't amused by feigning a yawn. In the end, Aida is sent underground and manages to amuse Isawa with his jokes there. He appears in chapter 61 of1-nichi Gaishutsuroku Hanchō,where his aftermath is depicted.

Kaiji Itō(Y đằng khai tư,Itō Kaiji)

Voiced by: Masato Hagiwara

The protagonist of the main series. He appears in several recap scenes as well as the end of episode 13 in the anime adaptation. He does not appear in the manga, only referred to by name in one line of narration dialogue in chapter 59.

Underground Labor Facility

Tarō Ōtsuki(Đại khuê thái lang,Ōtsuki Tarō)

Voiced by:Chō(Japanese); Greg Cote(English)

The foreman of Squad E in the underground facility and protagonist of his own spin-off series1-nichi Gaishutsuroku Hanchō.He witnessed Aida's comedy routine in chapter 50, but was not amused. He also encounters Tonegawa in the "Tonegawa vs. Foreman" one-shot.

Takuya Numakawa(Chiểu xuyên thác dã,Numakawa Takuya)

Voiced by:Takuya Satō(Japanese); Kregg Dailey (English)

Ootsuki's close aide. He witnessed Aida's comedy routine in chapter 50, but was also not amused.

Kaoru Isawa(Thạch hòa huân,Isawa Kaoru)

Voiced by:Yoshitsugu Matsuoka(Japanese); Kyle C. Jones(English)

Ootsuki's close aide. He witnessed Aida's comedy routine in chapter 50 and was the only one of the three who laughed.

Media

Manga

Written by Tensei Hagiwara and illustrated by Tomohiro Hashimoto and Tomoki Miyoshi, with cooperation fromNobuyuki Fukumoto,Mr. Tonegawawas serialized inKodansha'sMonthly Young Magazinefrom June 20, 2015,to January 23, 2018.The manga was transferred to theComic Daysmanga app, where it was published from March 5, 2018,to June 8, 2020.Kodansha collected its chapters in ten individualtankōbonvolumes, published from December 4, 2015,to August 11, 2020.

Volumes

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	December 4, 2015	978-4-06-382721-7
"Introductions"(Thiệu giới,Shōkai) "Lubrication"(Chú du,Chūyu) "Choices"(択 nhất,Takuitsu) "Leisure"(Dư hưng,Yokyō) "Chopping"(Loạn thiết,Ransetsu) "Alternate Plan"(Đại án,Daian) "Riichi"(Lập trực) Fukumoto Nobuyuki Special Bonus Story: "Emblem"(Văn chương,Monshō)
2	April 6, 2016	978-4-06-382774-3
"Aesthetic Sense"(Giam thưởng,Kanshō) "Angle"(Giác độ,Kakudo) "Renewal"(Thư hoán,Kakikae) "Announcement"(Phát biểu,Happyō) "Cannon"(Đại pháo,Taihō) 12.5. "Vengeful Spirit"(Sinh linh,Seirei) "Washing Hands"(Thủ tẩy,Tearai) "Proxy"(Đại lý,Dairi) Extra Episode: "Business Trip"(Xuất trương,Shucchō) Special One-Shot: "Foreman: 1-Day Excursion"(1 nhật ngoại xuất lục ハンチョウ,1-nichi Gaishutsuroku Hanchō)
3	August 5, 2016	978-4-06-382833-7 978-4-06-362337-6(LE)
"Recruitment"(Thải dụng,Saiyō) "Lunch Time"(Trú thời,Hirudoki) "Beckoning"(Thủ chiêu,Temaneki) "Chase"(Truy tẩu,Tsuisō) "Measurement"(Kế trắc,Keisoku) "Get-Together"(Ẩm hội,Nomikai) "Training"(Giảng tập,Kōshō) "Life"(Nhân sinh,Jinsei) "Entertainment"(Tiếp đãi,Settai)
4	December 6, 2016	978-4-06-382884-9
"Sharp Boots"(Tiêm ngoa,Senka) "Questions and Answers"(Vấn đáp,Mondō) "Just Salt"(Duy diêm,Tadashio) "Seizing"(Thủ quặc,Tezugami) "Meat Diet"(Nhục thực,Nikushoku) "White Suits"(Bạch phục,Shirofuku) "Speech"(Biện thiệt,Benzetsu) "Shrimp"(Hải lão,Ebi) Fukumoto Nobuyuki Special One-Shot: "Throne"(Vương tọa,Ōza)
5	June 6, 2016	978-4-06-382972-3
"Unofficial Announcement"(Nội kỳ,Naiji) "Send-Off"(Tống biệt,Sōbetsu) "Horse's Name"(Mã danh,Bamei) "Saeko"(Nhạ tử) "Intervention"(Giới nhập,Kainyū) "Drum"(Thái cổ,Taiko) "Tweeting"(呟 ngôn,Tsubuyakigoto) Extra Episode: "Dessert"(Cam vị,Amami) Special One-Shot: "Tonegawa VS. Foreman"(トネガワVS．ハンチョウ,Tonegawa VS. Hanchō)
6	November 6, 2017	978-4-06-510526-9
"Editorial"(Biên tập,Henshū) "Old Friends"(Cựu hữu,Kyūyū) "Stardust"(Tinh tiết,Hoshikuzu) "Users' Manual"(Thủ thuyết,Torisetsu) "Prizing"(Ái ngoạn,Aigan) "Going Wild"(Bạo tẩu,Bōsō) "Red Hot"(Chước nhiệt,Shakunetsu) Extra Episode: "Change"(Cải 変,Kaihen)
7	July 11, 2018	978-4-06-512033-0
"Crossing Paths"(Quải vi,Kakechigai) "Tapering"(Tiên tế,Sakiboso) "Window-Side"(Song tế,Madogiwa) "Sponsoring"(Đề cung,Teikyō) "Dragons' Den"(Kim hổ,Kanetora) "Spring Breeze"(Xuân phong,Shunpū) "Rest"(An tức,Ansoku) Extra Episode: "Three Minutes"(Tam phân,Sanpun) Extra Episode: "Siblings"(Huynh đệ,Kyōdai)
8	February 13, 2019	978-4-06-514559-3
"Limited Express"(Đặc cấp,Tokkyō) "Death Struggle"(Tử đấu,Shitō) "Gambling Genius"(Bác tài,Bakusai) "Flying Swallow"(Yến phi,Enpi) "The Front"(Thủ tiền,Temae) "Computer"(Điện 脳,Dennō) "Overpayment"(Quá 払,Kabarai) "Black Feast"(Hắc yến,Kuroutage)
9	November 13, 2019	978-4-06-517724-2
"Jet-Black"(Tất hắc,Shikkoku) "Smoker"(Xuy giả,Suisha) "Halt"(Lập chỉ,Tachidomari) "One's Own Book"(Tự trứ,Jicho) "Conjecture"(Thốn độ,Sontaku) "Strong Friendship"(Đoạn kim,Dankin) "Discussion"(Đối thoại,Taiwa) "Surprise Attack"(Kỳ tập,Kishū) Special Episode: "Gonda"(権 điền)
10	August 11, 2020	978-4-06-520454-2
"Memories"(Tư xuất,Omoide) "Secret Account"(Lí cấu,Ura'aka) "The Two Kings"(Vương vương,Ōō) "Past Forty"(Bất hoặc,Fuwaku) 71.5. "Masayasu"(Chính an) "Change of Occupation"(転 chức,Tenshoku) "Palm Reading"(Thủ tương,Tesō) "Bamboo Rake"(Hùng thủ,Kumade) "Halfway In"(Đồ trung,Tochū)

Anime

Main article:List of Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues episodes

An anime television series adaptation was announced in February 2018.Produced byNippon TV,VAP,Nippon Television Music Corporation andMadhouse,it is directed byKeiichiro Kawaguchi,with Mitsutaka Hirota handling series composition, Haruhito Takada designing the characters andTakahiro Yamadacomposing the music. It ran for 24 episodes on Nippon TV's AnichU programming block from July 4 to December 26, 2018.Jay Kabira served as the series' narrator,and each episode includes different voice actresses and actors for the trademark sound effect "Zawa Zawa", among which are:Masako Nozawa,Miyuki Sawashiro,Yū Serizawa,Ari Ozawa,Kana Hanazawa,Tomoyo Kurosawa,Shiori Izawa,Megumi Han,Chōand Chiharu Sawashiro.The series also includes segments covering a portion of chapters from1-nichi Gaishutsuroku Hanchō,a spin-off manga about the foreman Ōtsuki.The opening theme is "Sassou to Hashiru Tonegawa-kun"(Táp sảng と tẩu るトネガワ quân,Gallantly Running Tonegawa)byGesu no Kiwami Otome,the first ending theme is "Oki Tegami"(Ẩn kỳ thủ chỉ,Farewell Letter)by Pistol Takehara,and the second ending is "Kyōgenmawashi"(Cuồng ngôn hồi し,Major Supporting Role)by NoisyCell.VAP has published the series on two DVD and Blu-ray box sets between December 12, 2018 and March 27, 2019, with the second set including adrama CDthat adapted chapters fromHanchōnot shown in the anime. Amazon-exclusive pre-order bonuses included a Teiai blacksuit-themedRubik's CubeandMatch Upcard game.A 32-track original soundtrack was released on August 22, 2018.

Sentai Filmworkshave licensed the anime and an English dub began streaming onHidiveon August 3, 2018.Sentai Filmworks released the series onBlu-rayon October 15, 2019.The show is also available for viewing onCrunchyroll.

Reception

The series topped the 2017 list ofTakarajimasha'sKono Manga ga Sugoi!guidebook top 20 manga for male readers.In 2018, the manga was among the top 20 best-sellingAmazon Kindlebooks in Japan, ranked at #16, based on sales data between November 13, 2017 and October 31, 2018.By November 2018, the manga had over 2.9 million copies in circulation.

Anime News Networkhad four editors review the first episode of the anime series. Paul Jensen wrote that the series would mainly appeal toKaijifans, but that "it could be amusing enough to lure in other viewers as long as it gives its humor some much-needed breathing room". Theron Martin stated that just the few minutes of recap shown at the beginning of the first episode is enough to make the series accessible to newcomers. Martin had a positive impression about the comedy of the series, and stated that it could find its "own niche and faithful following". James Beckett said that the series is aimed "exclusively at middle-aged Japanese viewers who can empathize with the highs and lows of being the middle manager of a large corporation (criminal or otherwise)". Rebecca Silverman called it "the character designs are interesting but not particularly attractive and the color palette mostly blacks and grays doesn't help,". Silverman concluded; "There's just not enough in this episode to make me want to go any further with the series – because ultimately watching the game play out is more interesting than watching someone build it".

Paul Chapman ofCrunchyrollrecommended the anime series, stating that it is "sure to appeal to any anime fan that's ever had to put their nose to the 9-to-5 corporate grindstone".Chris Beveridge ofThe Fandom Post,in his review of the Blu-ray release of the series, gave it a "B+" grade. Beveridge wrote; "Tonegawa's a great character to watch – just having someone like him as a lead is a wonderful change from the norm to begin with – and what we get here definitely delights". He concluded; "I do think this is a bit of an acquired taste but those that" get it "will love it so much and will want a whole lot more".Amy McNulty ofAnime News Network,ranked the series fourth on her list of "The Best Anime of 2018".In another article, McNulty listedMr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Bluesas one of the "Best Anime of Fall 2018".

Further reading

• Oroku, Takuya (December 25, 2015).『カイジ』の danh tràng diện “Thiêu き thổ hạ tọa” dụng の thiết bản をも thiêu nhục に sử うとは!! Khổ 悩する trung gian quản lý chức 『 trung gian quản lý lục トネガワ』.Manga Honz(in Japanese). Honz. Archived fromthe originalon May 29, 2016.
• Katō, Yoshiki (January 13, 2020).カイジ, トネガワ, ハンチョウ...... Dư tưởng bất năng な quảng がりを kiến せる "Phúc bổn thân hành ユニバース" の hoài の thâm さ.Real Sound(in Japanese). Blueprint Co., Ltd.Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2021.

External links

• Official manga website atYoung Magazine(in Japanese)
• Official anime website at VAP(in Japanese)
• Official English anime website at Nippon TV
• Mr. Tonegawa(manga) atAnime News Network's encyclopedia