Manga creator Tarō Minamoto passed away on August 7 due to heart failure.
The original manga inspired a live-action series on NHK in 2018, and also inspired a kabuki stage adaptation in 2019.
The sequel manga Fūnji-tachi: Bakumatsu-hen also won a runner-up award in the “Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Fine Arts Recommendation Awards” in 2010.
The original manga more recently won the 49th Japan Cartoonists Association Awards’ grand prize in 2020.