The Great Passage (TV series)

The Great Passage is a 2016 Japanese anime television series produced by Zexcs, based on a novel by Shion Miura. Directed by Toshimasa Kuroyanagi and written by Takuya Satō, it features original character designs by Haruko Kumota, adapted by Hiroyuki Aoyama, with music by Yoshihiro Ike. The series aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina block from October to December 2016, totaling 11 episodes.

Its opening theme is "Shiokaze" by Taiiku Okazaki, and its ending theme is "I&I" by Leola. Amazon simulcast the series on Amazon Video. Two home video volumes were released in January and March 2017.

The story follows the creation of a new dictionary titled The Great Passage. Mitsuya Majime, originally a salesman at Genbu Publishing, is recruited by retiring dictionary editor Kouhei Araki to take over the dictionary department, which is internally seen as a money-losing venture.

Majime’s deep love of reading and perseverance drive him to become a skilled editor. Key characters include Masashi Nishioka, a friendly editor who becomes Majime’s best friend; Kaguya Hayashi, a Japanese chef-in-training who marries Majime; and Midori Kishibe, a transfer who helps complete the dictionary. Others include secretary Kaoru Sasaki, PR worker Remi Miyoshi, professor Tomosuke Matsumoto, and Majime’s landlord Take.

A manga adaptation illustrated by Haruko Kumota ran in Kodansha’s Itan magazine from October 2016 to October 2017. A live-action television drama adaptation aired on NHK BS and NHK BS Premium 4K from February to April 2024, directed by Manabu Asou and Renpei Tsukamoto, with scripts by Naomi Hiruta and music by Face 2 fake.