, sometimes translated as ''Sabu and Ichi's Detective Stories/Tales'' and ''Sabu and Ichi's Arrest Warrant'', is a Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series by Shotaro Ishinomori originally published in ''

Weekly Shōnen Sunday is a weekly manga magazine published in Japan by Shogakukan since March 1959. Contrary to its title, ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' issues are released on Wednesdays. ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' has sold over 1.8billion copies since 1986, making it ...

'' from 1966 to 1967. In April 1968, the series moved to serialization in the first issue of ''

Big Comic is a semimonthly ''seinen'' manga magazine published since 18 February 1968 by Shogakukan in Japan. Publication history It was originally launched as a monthly magazine, but switched to twice monthly on the 10th and 25th beginning in April 1 ...

'', where it was published until the series ended four years later in the April 10, 1972 issue. The manga was adapted into a black and white

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series which aired on NET from October 3, 1968, to September 24, 1969. The series won the 1968

Shogakukan Manga Award The is one of Japan's major manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is ...

. In addition to the manga and anime series, a live action period drama series was aired on

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...

from 1981 to 1982 as part of their '' Jidaigeki Special'' series. A total of four specials were created and aired. Sabu and Ichi were played by veteran actors Tomokazu Miura and Tatsuo Umemiya (respectively), with Yūko Natori and Junzaburō Ban playing the parts of Midori and her father, Saheiji. In 2015, two live action film were released starring Teppei Koike, Kenichi Endō and Akemi Masuda.

Plot

The series follows the adventures of Sabu, a young Edo bakufu investigator traveling with the blind master swordsman Ichi. In their travels, they assist the common people in solving mysteries and righting wrongs (usually committed by bandits or corrupt officials). Sabu is engaged to Midori, the daughter of his boss, who works as a police officer for the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

Main characters

; :''Voiced by:'' Kei Tomiyama (ep.1-33), Makio Inoue (ep. 34–52) :A handsome young warrior and apprentice thief-taker who works for Saheiji a police

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

. His main weapon is a

jitte A is a blunt melee weapon that was used by police in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868). In English-language sources, it is sometimes incorrectly spelled jutte, such as in Ikkaku-ryū juttejutsu. History In feudal Japan, it was a crime punishable ...

attached to a long

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

rope, and he is an expert in using it to capture villains in order to turn them over to the authorities. He was originally an orphan from a poor village. ; : :A blind anma masseur who is also a master swordsman. He is a close friend of Sabu and frequently helps him capture criminals. His

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

is similar to the one used by Zatoichi. All of the hair on his head (including eyebrows) is shaved, and his eyes are milky-white due to his blindness. He lost his sight due to being kicked in the face by a horse when he was very young, and he trained with the sword since that time. ; : :Saheiji's daughter and Sabu's

fiancé An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''f ...

. ; : :A police

, and Sabu's boss. He has a weak constitution, however, so spends a lot of time in bed. He generally only goes out in order to arrest those captured by Sabu. ; :''Voiced by:'' Osamu Kobayashi :Sabu and Saheiji's boss. The equivalent of a

chief of police A chief of police (COP) is the title given to an appointed official or an elected one in the command hierarchy, chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. A chief of police may also be known as a police chief or somet ...

for the Edo bakufu. ; : Sources:

Media

Anime episode list

References

{{Shogakukan Manga Award - General Shotaro Ishinomori 1966 manga 1968 anime television series debuts 1981 Japanese television series debuts Fuji Television original programming Historical anime and manga 20th-century Japanese novels Japanese television dramas based on manga Seinen manga Shogakukan manga TV Asahi original programming Winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga Toei Animation television