When the 2023 Japanese drama Trillion Game premiered, it should surprise no one that I tuned in only because Snow Man’s Ren Meguro, was one of the stars. The velvet-voiced dreamboat with the 1000 watt smile won my heart as the clueless cutie Ida in the 2021 comedy My Love Mix-Up and since then I’ve seen every film, drama, and music video he’s featured in. But Trillion Game – a total ‘dude-bro’ series about two old friends taking on corporate greed by hook or by crook – wasn’t something even in the realm of my normal wheelhouse.

Haru Tennoji (Meguro), a magnetic and persuasive salesman, people love him instantly. Manabu “Gaku” Taira (Hayato Sano), is brilliant when it comes to computers, but knows nothing when it comes to human beings – especially women. ogether, they dive headfirst into the cutthroat world of high-stakes entrepreneurship, determined to turn their bold vision into reality against all odds to make 1 Trillion dollars.

Based on the popular manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, the series was an instant hit and will continue in a feature film in early 2025 – with everyone from the key cast (including Meguro) reprising these iconic roles.

In Japan, the manga has been serialized in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Superior, a leading seinen manga magazine, since December 2020. Meanwhile, VIZ Media—one of the foremost publishers of English manga adaptations—has begun bringing this captivating series to audiences in North America.

Released on 17 September 2024 Volume one of the American edition consist of the series first seven chapters, which is basically episode one of the series. Available in digital and print formats, the physical book is considerable larger than the Japanese (I bought it when I was in Japan the first time) with a trim size of 5 3/4 × 8 1/4 – which honestly I prefer as Ryoichi Ikegami‘s artwork – as explicit as it sometimes is – is incredible should be enjoyed in the largest size possible – and at 208 pages, there is a lot of art to be enjoyed.

Translated by Miyumi Hata, the text is as engaging as the art and incredibly well done. Volume two was released on 19 November 2024 with volume three set to be released on 21 January. You can order all three versions through the official Trillion Game website through VIZ Media – which also includes links to other retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The books have a suggested retail price of $14.99 (plus tax and shipping).

There will be more Trillion Game soon so…

Stay Tuned!