Old Boy

• Name — Old Boy • Ja Kanji — オールドボーイ―ルーズ戦記 • Ja Romaji — Ōrudo Bōi Rūzu Senki • Genre — * Action • Psychological thriller

• Type — manga • Author — Garon Tsuchiya • Illustrator — Nobuaki Minegishi • Publisher — Futabasha • Imprint — Action Comics • Magazine — Manga Action • First — 1996 • Last — 1998 • Volumes — 8 • Volume List — #Volumes

• Title — Live-action films • Content — * Oldboy (2003) • Zinda (2006) • Oldboy (2013) Old Boy is a Japanese manga series written by Garon Tsuchiya and illustrated by Nobuaki Minegishi. The narrative follows the protagonist Shinichi Gotō, a man who, after a decade of incarceration in a private prison, is suddenly freed. After his release, Gotō must find his captors and discover the reason for his confinement. Old Boy was serialized in the Futabasha magazine Weekly Manga Action from 1996 to 1998, with a total of 79 chapters among eight collected volumes released during that time. The series was picked up for North American localization by Dark Horse Comics and released between 2006 and 2007. The manga was also adapted into an award-winning South Korean film, directed by Park Chan-wook in 2003. In 2013, Spike Lee directed an American remake of the 2003 film.

Intoxicated and confused, 25-year-old Shinichi Gotō finds himself in a small room inside a private jail after being kidnapped and imprisoned during one fateful night for unknown reasons. Despite his pleadings, none of the guards will tell him who kidnapped him or why he is being held captive. As the days go by, his forced isolation slowly takes a toll on his sanity. He finds an outlet through training his mind and body for the day he will be able to wreak vengeance. After ten years of solitary confinement in a maximum security cell, with only a television for company, he is suddenly released. Once outside, he encounters a much changed world. His long imprisonment ripped him from society and kept him from having the normal life he desired. With nothing to lose, he begins his mission to hunt down the identities of his captors and uncover the reason behind his imprisonment. However, it seems that the unidentified person behind Shinichi's captivity is not finished with him just yet, and thus begins a twisted game where only the winner survives.

• Gotō Shin'ichi • The protagonist who was mysteriously captured and held hostage in solitary confinement for a decade. • Takāki Kakinuma • The villain, Gotō's 6th grade classmate who now seeks revenge for Gotō inadvertently shattering his sense of self-worth. • Yoko Kurata • Gotō and Kakinuma's 6th grade teacher who has become a writer using the pen name Yayoi Kusama. • Eri • A lady who became Gotō's girlfriend. She is actually a paid actress under hypnosis placed upon her by Kakinuma. • Kyoko Kataoka • Kakinuma's henchwoman.

Old Boy was serialized in the Futabasha magazine Weekly Manga Action from 1996 to 1998. A total of 79 chapters among eight tankōbon (collected volumes) were released in Japan from May 28, 1997, to October 28, 1998. Between June 19 and July 17, 2007, Futabasha re-released the entire series in five, larger volumes. In 2005, Dark Horse Comics bought the rights to make an English translation of the book for its customers worldwide. All eight volumes were released from July 5, 2006, to October 10, 2007. In 2025 and 2026, Dark Horse rereleased the complete series in two deluxe hardcovers.

Old Boy is associated with Japan.