The creative team behind the acclaimed anime Kingdom has revealed its official trailer for the fifth season across various social media platforms. This preview, lasting a minute and a half, is embellished by the music of Kohta Yamamoto and Sawano Hiroyuki, and includes the main theme “Shirubebi” performed by DeNeel. This new season, adapting Yasuhisa Hara‘s manga set in the Warring States period of China, is scheduled to premiere on Japanese television on January 6, 2024.
The Kingdom anime has so far presented four exciting seasons. The first, with 38 episodes, aired between June 2012 and February 2013, directed by Jun Kamiya and written by Naruhisa Arakawa for Studio Pierrot. The second season, consisting of 39 episodes, was broadcast from June 2013 to March 2014, under the direction of Akira Iwanaga.
The third season made its debut in April 2020. However, it was interrupted after only four episodes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series resumed broadcasting on April 4, 2021, on NHK General, with Kenichi Imaizumi as director. In this season, Noboru Takagi joined as a screenwriter and Hisashi Abe adapted the character designs for animation, with Kohta Yamamoto and Sawano Hiroyuki in charge of the musical composition.
The fourth season, which recounts the events after the Coalition Army Arc, stands out for its portrayal of one of the largest battles in history, marking a turning point between the state of Qin and the rest of China. Ei Sei shares his ambition to unite China under a single ruler with Prince Sei Kyou. This season aired from April to October 2022, concluding with 26 episodes.
Kingdom has achieved significant international recognition, with seasons three and four available on the streaming platform Crunchyroll. Additionally, Selecta Vision has acquired the rights to distribute the entire series in various regions. The first season will be released in Home Video format. Likewise, the first two seasons are available on Prime Video, offering both the original version and dubbed versions in multiple languages.
Yasuhisa Hara, the creator of the Kingdom manga, first launched his work in 2006 in Shueisha‘s Shukan Young Jump magazine. This series, deeply rooted in Japanese history and culture, has continued its impressive publishing journey, reaching 69 volumes to date. The enduring appeal of “Kingdom” in the Japanese market showcases Hara‘s skill in weaving complex and engaging narratives that resonate powerfully with local readers.
The Kingdom manga not only enjoys success in the form of anime but has also been adapted into three live-action films. The first premiered in April 2019 with a duration of 134 minutes. The sequel, “Kingdom II: To Far Lands,” hit the screens in July 2022, also lasting 134 minutes. Recently, in July of this year, the third film, “Kingdom III: Flame of Destiny,” was released, all directed by Shinsuke Sato.
The story transports us to the ancient territory we now know as China, around 300 B.C. In that era, the territory was divided into seven kingdoms constantly struggling for territorial dominance, embroiled in civil wars and conflicts with independent clans. Shin, a war orphan from the kingdom of Qin turned slave, dreams of becoming a great general. Shin‘s life changes radically when his friend Hyou is recruited as a body double for King Ei Sei of Qin. This twist in his fate leads him to join the army and pursue the same dream as his king: to unify the seven kingdoms into one, China. The narrative, featuring large-scale battles and a wide range of strategic characters, is a work of art by Yasuhisa Hara, who shows both the greatness and the horror and brutality of war through his artistic evolution.
As you can see, January 6 is just around the corner, so you’ll soon be enjoying this new season of Kingdom. Will you be keeping an eye out for its premiere? Come on, be good and tell us in the comments what aspects you have enjoyed most about this impressive series! We’ll be reading! 🙂
Images Source: AnimeTaiyo太陽 YouTube Channel, YouTube
