Adapting a
story where the protagonist does not utter a single word seemed like an
impossible mission, but the anime industry always finds a way to surprise
us. Production company King Amusement Creative confirmed
Friday that the popular mystery-romantic comedy manga
written by Shinichi Sawaragi and illustrated by tank
Gasuyama, A Pen, Handcuffs, and a Common-Law Marriage (Pen to Wappa
to Jijitsu Kon), will receive an animated adaptation for
television. The announcement was made official with the release of a first
teaser video and a commemorative illustration that gives us a taste of the
visual style that the project will have.
A
challenge for animation: A silent heroine
The news
took even the creators themselves by surprise. In a message shared with fans,
writer Shinichi Sawaragi confessed that he thought an anime would be
"absolutely impossible" due to the mutism of its main character, but
he was eager to see how they will solve the lack of on-screen dialogue. For his
part, tank artist Gasuyama celebrated the opportunity to see his work with
movement, soundtrack and voices (at least for the rest of the cast).
Since the
announcement is very recent, the production committee has not yet revealed the
technical team, the animation studio or the voice cast, so the mystery about
what this series will sound like will remain for a while longer. What is a fact
is that the base material is solid: published in Hakusensha's Young
Animal magazine since 2022, the manga already exceeds 400,000 copies
in circulation and is about to release its seventh volume on April 28.
What
happens when the only clue is a marriage drawing?
If the
premise and the age difference make you curious, here we explain
the entanglement. The story follows in the footsteps of Eiji Kirisame,
a serious and dedicated 40-year-old detective whose world revolves solely
around his work. Everything changes during a criminal investigation when he
bumps into Tsugumi Kuchinashi, a silent high school girl who
was present at the scene of the crime.
Tsugumi has
a peculiarity: he doesn't speak at all and his only way of communicating is by
scribbling quickly in a sketchbook. Eiji, accustomed to putting together
puzzles with minimal clues, takes every stroke of the girl very seriously to
try to solve the case. However, his detective instinct goes overboard when one
of Tsugumi's drawings turns out to be a straightforward proposition: "Will
you marry me?!"
