Image: "King of Minami" Band 186
AMBot | 01/16/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
Osaka's financial world is losing its literary ruler: The long-running manga Minami no Teiō (German "Kaiser des Südens", internationally also known as King of Minami) is approaching its finale. According to an announcement in Weekly Manga Goraku, the magazine in which the series is published, only four chapters remain until the end of the over three-decade-long publication.
The series, which has been running continuously since March 1992, is with its 185 tankōbon volumes to date one of the most extensive manga series overall. It is set in the bustling entertainment district Minami in Osaka and follows the relentless loan shark Ginjirō Manda. He is notorious for his "Toichi" system, where he demands ten percent interest within ten days – which corresponds to an annual rate of 365 percent. His merciless approach to debt collection has earned him the reputation as the "Demon of Minami".
The popularity of the series is not limited to printed pages. With a total circulation of over 60 million copies, the manga has become a national success. This is reflected in numerous adaptations, including two Original Video Animations (OVAs) and a long series of live-action film adaptations. Particularly formative was the portrayal of Ginjirō Manda by actor Riki Takeuchi in over 60 direct-to-video films between 1992 and 2007.
The editorial team of Weekly Manga Goraku announced that the magazine's flagship will experience a "big and emotionally satisfying" finale. The final four chapters are to appear in consecutive issues with colored cover pages and opening pages. The same issue of the magazine that announced the end of Minami no Teiō also marks the start of a new hunting series by Jirō Maeda. Furthermore, the series Nuclear by Wataru Kimura will conclude in two chapters.
Thus, an era is coming to an end, which has given generations of readers a ruthless insight into the world of debt and urban business dealings in Japan.
The series, which has been running continuously since March 1992, is with its 185 tankōbon volumes to date one of the most extensive manga series overall. It is set in the bustling entertainment district Minami in Osaka and follows the relentless loan shark Ginjirō Manda. He is notorious for his "Toichi" system, where he demands ten percent interest within ten days – which corresponds to an annual rate of 365 percent. His merciless approach to debt collection has earned him the reputation as the "Demon of Minami".
The popularity of the series is not limited to printed pages. With a total circulation of over 60 million copies, the manga has become a national success. This is reflected in numerous adaptations, including two Original Video Animations (OVAs) and a long series of live-action film adaptations. Particularly formative was the portrayal of Ginjirō Manda by actor Riki Takeuchi in over 60 direct-to-video films between 1992 and 2007.
The editorial team of Weekly Manga Goraku announced that the magazine's flagship will experience a "big and emotionally satisfying" finale. The final four chapters are to appear in consecutive issues with colored cover pages and opening pages. The same issue of the magazine that announced the end of Minami no Teiō also marks the start of a new hunting series by Jirō Maeda. Furthermore, the series Nuclear by Wataru Kimura will conclude in two chapters.
Thus, an era is coming to an end, which has given generations of readers a ruthless insight into the world of debt and urban business dealings in Japan.
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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