is a Japanese novel series written by Koji Yanagi. It has inspired a live-action film, two manga adaptations and an anime television series produced by Production I.G, which aired from April to June 2016.
Characters
Yuuki is the founder of D-Agency, a lieutenant colonel of the Imperial Japanese Army, and a spymaster. As a spy he was named as the "Demon Lord." He is the adopted son of Viscount Arisaki, originally known as Akira Arisaki. He is good at academics, but was expelled from the military school for his cowardly tactics of fighting. This led him to open up the D-Agency, or this is what the information trail he left behind explains, but the spy who uncovers this information finds that it may all be a fabrication taken from another individual altogether.
A man from the Imperial Japanese Army, Sakuma was sent to D-Agency to work as a liaison. He is a diligent soldier and is cautious of his surroundings. Although he personally dislikes spies, after the incident in Gordon's house, he's grown to understand them.
Miyoshi is a narcissist with an arrogant nature. He often talks in a sarcastic tone. Like Kaminaga, he often works overseas. He acts bitter towards Sakuma at first because of his fixed thought about the military, but this soon changes after their first mission together.
At first glance, he gives the atmosphere of a mischievous, happy-go-lucky playboy. He has a lot of pride. Like Miyoshi, he works overseas.
His real name is Tobisaki Hiroyuki. Graduated from military academy and cadet school, he is unique compared to other members of D-Agency. He was appointed as the second lieutenant. He rarely laughs and is somewhat distant to the other D-Agency members. In most visuals, he is shown to be not very good at handling alcohol.
One of the oldest along with Kaminaga. A man with a sociable and caring personality, he is like a big brother to the other agency members. He is a very carefree man who is good at handling women.
While he is said to be charming and proud, he has a cheeky personality. He is a master martial artist and is very agile.
He has a friendly personality, even to Sakuma who was antagonized by most of the members of the agency. He is soft-spoken and caring, but sometimes when he is against a hostile enemy, he shows a sadistic side.
He talks calmly and gives an intellectual atmosphere which makes him sound older than he looks. He has the habit of doing magic when he is thinking. In his conversation card, Amari stated that he can see how stressed Tazaki is from the amount of pigeons flying out from his coat.
While he is goofy and quiet in nature, he gets along with Odagiri. He can cook.
He is a professional at chess and is known as a good man even in missions that require no emotions.
Media
Novels
The original novel, Joker Game, published by Kadokawa Shoten on August 28, 2008, is a collection of five short stories written by Koji Yanagi. Three of them were published directly in the novel, but two of them—"Joker Game" and "Robinson"—were first published in Kadokawa Shoten mystery magazine Yasei Jidai on its November 2007 and May 2008 issues respectively. The same happened in the following novels; Double Joker, released on August 29, 2009, featured five stories that were previously serialized in Yasei Jidai, an original story—"Black Bird"–and a story that was slated to the magazine October 2009 issue. Paradise Lost, released on March 23, 2012, contained five stories published between Yasei Jidais July 2011 and March 2012 issues. Released on January 17, 2015, the four stories of Last Waltz had previously been published between Yasei Jidais September 2014 and January 2015 issues.
Manga
Kayoko Shimotsuki wrote two manga adaptations of the series. The first, , adapts the first novel and debuted in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Weekly Big Comic Spirits on January 5, 2009. The manga was later transferred to Monthly Big Comic Spirits, where it was serialized from August 27, 2009, to May 27, 2010. Shogakukan collected its chapters in three tankōbon volumes, released from August 28, 2009, to July 30, 2010. The second manga, adapting the film, was simply titled Joker Game and serialized in Big Comic Spirits between November 17, 2014, and January 19, 2015, the same day its sole tankōbon was published.