Sins of Kujo (Kujō no Taizai), Shohei Manabe’s best-selling manga, is getting a live-action series from Netflix (and TBS). While the streamer has been a mixed bag when it comes to manga and anime adaptations, from successes like One Piece to critically panned series like Cowboy Bebop, the Japanese productions that they have featured have faced a far better and more consistent track record.
The series is helmed by visionary director Nobuhiro Doi, with Takeyoshi Yamamoto and Hiroshi Adachi also directing, and producer Atsushi Nasuda joining for his first collaboration with Netflix. Sins of Kujo will premiere worldwide on April 2, 2026, with the series promising a thrilling exploration of law, morality, and the dark underbelly of modern society. Most importantly, however, are the stars and creatives attached to this live-action series.
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Read our interview with Yuya Yagira for Hulu’s Gannibal.
What is Sins of Kujo?
Sins of Kujo debuted in Shogakukan in October 2020 and has taken off with 14 volumes and over 4 million copies sold. A crime drama, the series will star Yuya Yagira (Gannibal) as Taiza Kujo, a lawyer notorious for taking on the most dangerous, morally ambiguous cases. Kujo’s philosophy is as provocative as his clientele, it’s not about morals ut about serving your client.
Yuya Yagira said in a release to the Netflix Newsroom, “The original manga was a work of fiction, but it also offered an impressive kind of realism and immediacy. Reading through it, you sense the constant push and pull between the ideas that ‘ignorance is bliss’ and ‘ignorance is a sin.’ Where do the principles and beliefs behind the actions of the so-called ‘corrupt lawyer’ Kujo ultimately lie?”
“I hope audiences will notice how Kujo grows and develops while interacting with Karasuma, as portrayed by Hokuto Matsumura. It felt exhilarating to collaborate with my trusted colleagues on this project, like director Doi, producer Nasuda, Netflix, and all my fellow actors, and I was truly excited to help bring it to life. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did,” Yagira said.
Kujo defends even the most reprehensible villains, forcing audiences to deal with the complex line between justice and corruption. Who deserves a defense? Does the man who would defend even the devil himself have any values?
Sins of Kujo Cast
In a response to Netflix’s media room, Hokuto Matsumura added contect to the characters we can expect to see n screen. “Dangerously alluring, secretly devoted in love, and somehow lonely, Kujo makes a compelling and beloved character.”
He said, “Now that we’ve finished filming, I feel like I’m still in my role as Karasuma, continuing to gaze at Yuya Yagira’s Kujo. I think feeling that way really lines up with Karasuma’s character. This series has many fascinating characters whose stories leave lasting impressions. I hope you will enjoy the magic and excitement of getting caught up in them.”
- Yuya Yagira as Taiza Kujo: The series main character, a lawyer who is notorius for taking dangerous cases and defedning the worst of the worst.
- Hokuto Matsumura as Shinji Karasuma: University of Tokyo graduate and elite lawyer.
- Elaiza Ikeda plays Hitomi Yakushimae: A social worker who sees criminals through a different lens.
- Keita Machida as Kengo Mibu: An auto repair shop owner with deep underworld ties.
- Takuma Otoo as Yoshinobu Arashiyama: A detective who harbors a long-standing grudge against Kujo and Mibu
- Tsuyoshi Muro as Kiyoshi Kyogoku: The formidable second-in-command of the Fushimi-gumi gang
Is mangaka Shohei Manabe involved in production?
This isn’t the first Shohei Manabe manga to be adapted. The mangaka’s previous acclaimed work Ushijima the Loan Shark also recieved the lie action treatment. Manabe issued this comment via Netflix, making it easy to assume that he is involved in the project in some capacity.
“I’d like to congratulate everyone on the completion of this live-action adaptation. It’s been a few years since this project was first developed. I was genuinely awestruck by the first episode, and watching it actually brought me to tears. I really want to share the incredible world of Kujo with audiences as soon as possible, created by phenomenal lead actors Yagira and Matsumura, the directors, the casts, the script, the sets and costumes, and the music.
Today’s rapidly changing, complicated world is an endlessly fascinating time to work as a creator, but life is neither simple nor easy. These days, the overwhelming flood of information has caused many people to simply close their weary ears.
Truth is being crushed by what the loud majority deems justice. Good and evil are interchangeable, depending on your perspective. In these times when we aren’t quite sure how to live our lives, Sins of Kujo might just help each of us to decide. These characters and their interactions now come fully to life with a new vividness in this live-action series. Please don’t miss it!”
