Manga has several genres, with some of them being more topical or educational than others. For better or worse, that's unintentionally the case with a recent manga hit. Hotly desired for an anime adaptation, this series could take a very pertinent economic issue and make it incredibly entertaining.
Hyperinflation explores the idea of artificial money printing in a medieval fantasy world. It's yet to receive so much as an English localization, likely due to its having ended recently. Nevertheless, fans are clamoring for it to receive an anime adaptation, and the name alone could help the tentative show reach a wide audience.
The Hyperinflation Manga Involves Medieval Money Manipulation
Set in a fantasy world, Hyperinflation by Kyu Sumiyoshi tells the story of a downtrodden boy named Ruc (Luke). After his parents' deaths, the only family he has left is his sister, who's unfortunately sold into slavery. Thankfully, Luke soon develops the ability to generate money from his body, making wealth a mere matter of existence for him. Unfortunately, this has a drastic effect on the local economy, gaining Luke all manner of enemies from different sides. Hoping to use his powers to the advantage of himself and his people, Luke becomes the embodiment of an oppressed group's hope.
Coming to a close rather suddenly, Hyperinflation only went on for about 58 chapters, but it was incredibly popular during its run. Part of this popularity is that it's a rare example of a fantasy manga with "cheats" that isn't some sort of cliche fantasy isekai series. It does, however, employ some of the world-building seen in entries in that genre as it relates to commerce and politics. Another interesting element is that Luke and his enemies are written as being genuinely intelligent, with little in the way of plot contrivances or other convenient writing tropes seen in some similar anime and manga. All these concepts can come together to turn it into a great anime series, especially considering its relevance on the world stage.
The Anime Adaptation of Hyperinflation Can Succeed By Tapping Into a Global Zeitgeist
Much of the world is still in economic chaos in terms of jobs and everyday people's financial stability after the COVID-19 outbreak. For many people, the idea of hyperinflation is quite real because of the dollar-per-unit price increases on many necessities. In many instances, this situation was brought on by governments basically printing money to bail themselves out of crises, which led to that currency depreciating in value. This is somewhat Luke's situation in the Hyperinflation manga, and it was perhaps this cultural phenomenon that made the manga successful in Japan.
Due to how realistic its main premise is, Hyperinflation is certain to catch audiences' interest regardless of whether it is localized outside of Japan or made into an anime. While witnessing firsthand the results of the kind of money-printing that his skills entail, many viewers may be able to connect to Luke's and people around him's sense of financial powerlessness. The fact that this is all done under a shell of fantasy fiction makes it far more entertaining than it would be in reality. It's an ironic prescription for success, which is perhaps why so many people found it compelling and are now eagerly awaiting an anime version. Providing a lesson in both medieval fantasy and economics, Hyperinflation could easily become a global money pit for readers and viewers all over the world if it's ever released outside Japan.
