The Laughing Salesman

The Laughing Salesman
First bunkobon volume cover
笑ゥせぇるすまん
(Warau Sērusuman)
Genre
Manga
The Black Salesman (one-shot)
Written byFujiko Fujio
Published byShogakukan
MagazineBig Comic
Published1968
Manga
The Black Salesman
Written byFujiko Fujio
Published byJitsugyo no Nihon Sha
MagazineManga Sunday
Original run19691971
Volumes2
Further information
Anime television series
The Laughing Salesman
Directed by
Produced by
  • Sōichi Besshi
  • Seitarō Kodama
  • Hiroshi Inoue
Written byYasuo Tanami
Music byKōhei Tanaka
StudioShin-Ei Animation
Original networkJNN (TBS)
Original run Original run
October 10, 1989 –
September 29, 1992
Specials
December 26, 1992
December 28, 1993
Episodes127
Manga
The Laughing Salesman
Written byFujiko Fujio A
Published byChuokoron-Shinsha
MagazineChuokoron
Original run19901995
Volumes5
Manga
The Salesman Returns
Written byFujiko Fujio A
Published byJitsugyo no Nihon Sha
MagazineManga Sunday
Original run19962000
Volumes2
Television drama
Directed by
  • Mitsuo Ezaki
  • Takahito Hara
  • Hiroshi Ikezoe
  • Gō Nakajima
  • Kyōji Mafune
Produced by
  • Fumio Igarashi
  • Masaru Takahashi
  • Gō Nakajima
Written by
Music byKōji Endō (e-KLAY 1999)
Studio
Original networkANN (TV Asahi)
Original run June 26, 1999 September 18, 1999
Episodes10
Manga
The Dancing Salesman
Written byFujiko Fujio A
Published byJitsugyo no Nihon Sha
MagazineManga Sunday
Original run20012004
Anime television series
New Laughing Salesman
Directed byHirofumi Ogura
Written by
  • Naohiro Fukushima
  • Asami Ishikawa
  • Midori Natsu
Music byKōhei Tanaka
StudioShin-Ei Animation
Licensed by
Original networkTokyo MX, Yomiuri TV, BS11, Animax
Original run April 3, 2017 June 19, 2017
Episodes12 (24 segments)
Television drama
Directed by
  • Masaaki Itō
  • Yōhei Osabe
  • Daisuke Yamamoto
  • Shōta Sasaki
Written by
  • Kankurō Kudō
  • Magy
  • Tōru Hosokawa
  • Udai Iwasaki
StudioTV Tokyo
Original networkAmazon Prime Video
Original run July 18, 2025 August 1, 2025
Episodes12
Video games
  • The Laughing Salesman (1991)
  • The Laughing Salesman (1993)

The Laughing Salesman (Japanese: 笑ゥせぇるすまん, Hepburn: Warau Sērusuman) is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko Fujio A. The manga "The Black Salesman" began as a one-shot manga in Shogakukan's Big Comic magazine on 1968, later serialized in Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha's Manga Sunday magazine from 1969 to 1971. It was again re-released as "The Laughing Salesman" by Chuokoron-Shinsha from 1990 to 1995. The manga tells the story of a salesman named Moguro Fukuzou, whose job is to help people fill gaps in their soul. In reality, he often ruins the lives of his clients if they do not follow his strict instructions or if they betray his trust.

An anime "The Laughing Salesman" adaptation was produced by Shin-Ei Animation, directed by Toshirō Kuni and written by Yasuo Tanami. It aired on TBS from 1989 to 1993 with a total of 127 episodes. A Live-Action adaptation aired on 1999 while a second anime adaptation aired on Tokyo MX in 2017. A second live action drama adaptation of the manga began airing on July 18, 2025.