Kingdom (キングダム, Kingudamu) is a historical japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by mangaka Yasuhisa Hara. It began its serialization on January 26, 2006, in Weekly Young Jump and was published by Shueisha Inc. where it is still being serialized.
In 2012 the manga received an anime adaptation by Pierrot. On June 4, 2012, the first episode of the anime series premiered. Currently, the anime has 4 seasons with 129 episodes with its fifth season airing since January of 2024. The series has also been adapted into multiple movies and a stage play.
Plot
Millions of years have passed since the times of legends when the worlds of man and gods were still the same. In these times it was the desires of man that moved the world. It is the period of the 500-year war: the Era of Warring States.
Born in the Warring States period of the central plains, Shin and Hyou are war-orphans in the state of Qin who both dream of becoming the "Greatest Generals of the Heavens" to rise from their lowly stations as slaves in life. One day, however, Hyou is taken to the palace by a minister to be used for unknown purposes, leaving Shin alone as a household servant in their hometown.
A few months later, Hyou returns to the village on the verge of death, urging Shin to travel to another village called Kokuhi village, a full of vagabonds and thugs. There he meets a boy who looks nearly identical to Hyou, Ei Sei, the current King of Qin, and a strange lookout for the village called Ka Ryo Ten. Shin learns that his best friend served as a body double for Ei Sei and was mortally wounded in a power struggle for the throne. Though initially enrage at Ei Sei for causing Hyou's death, Shin decides to seize the opportunity and aid the young king in defeating his younger half-brother and reclaim the Qin throne.
Successful in this endeavor, Shin officially starts his life as a Qin soldier on the battlefields of the Warring States with the goal of becoming the "Greatest General in the World" as a Great General underneath the Heavens, and to help the young king of Qin achieve his dream of total Unification of the central plains, ending the incessant strife, warfare once and for all.
Reception
Part 2 of the series' timeline.
Part 1 of the series' timeline.
The series made its debut in the 9th issue of 2006's Weekly Young Jump. The series ranked fairly poor in reader surveys early on but was able to take off after Hara made adjustments to his art style through advice from his mentor, Takehiko Inoue. As of September 2023, the manga has over 100 million copies in circulation and holds the title of being one of the best-selling manga series of all time. In 2012, the series was adapted into a five-season anime by Studio Pierrot and has since then received multiple animated seasons, live action films and video games. In 2013, the series won the grand prize at the 17th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize event and in the same year, Hara would be appointed the first ambassador of his hometown, Kiyama. In 2023, the series had surpassed 100 million copies in total circulation with Vol.70's release.
Manga
Volumes and Chapters
- Main article: Volumes and Chapters
There are over 72 volumes with over 796 chapters.
| “ | I can't remember the last time I read nearly 30 volumes in a row feeling this excited. A judge for the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. | ” |
.png "Kyou Kai the Beauty of the Hi Shin Unit (Kingdom).png (4.34 MB)")
35th anniversary cover of Young Jump.
to celebrate reaching 100 Million Copies in Circulation!
For the first time in history, the Weekly Young Jump magazine secures a second consecutive manga cover.
Anime
The first two seasons of the Kingdom anime are from Studio Pierrot and the third season is by Studio Signpost, licensed by Funimation, that is aired on NHK BS Premium.
Movies
Promotional Short Movie
Kingdom Live Action Special Movie was made for the 10th Anniversary of Kingdom; it was released on 17 April 2016. It shows various important events in the manga spanning from Chapters 1-351.
Movie 1
The first movie, Kingdom (キングダム, Kingudamu), directed by Shinsuke Sato, was released on April 19, 2019. It covers the first arc:
The movie generated a box office revenue of 5.73 billion yen.[1][2]
Movie 2
The second movie, Kingdom II: To Far Lands (キングダム II: 遥かなる大地, Kingudamu II: Harukanaru Daichi e) directed by Shinsuke Sato, was released on July 15, 2022. It covered the second and fourth arcs:
The movie generated a box office revenue of 5,16 billion yen.[3]
Movie 3
The third movie, Kingdom III: Flame of Destiny ( キングダム3 運命の炎, Kingudamu III: Unmei no Hōno) directed by Shinsuke Sato, that premiered on July 28, 2023.[4][5][6] It will cover the third, fifth, and sixth arcs:
- Escape from Zhao Arc
- Training Arc
- Battle of Bayou Arc (first part only)
The movie generated a box office revenue exceeded 5,13 billion yen after 46 days.[7]
Movie 4
The fourth Kingdom IV: Return of the General (キングダム4大将軍の帰還, Kingdom: Taishogun no Kikan) directed by Shinsuke Sato, is scheduled for July 12, 2024. [8] It will cover the third and sixth arcs:
- Escape from Zhao Arc
- Battle of Bayou Arc (second part)
Theater
Stage 'Kingdom' premiered at the Imperial Theater in February 2023.[9] Script by Fumio Fujisawa, directed by Kazuya Yamada and music by Kohta Yamamoto.
It covered the first and third arcs:
Videos
Trailers
Interviews
Specials
Trivia
- A collaboration between the Sagan Tosu soccer team, from Saga Prefecture from which the author, Yasuhisa Hara originally hails from, happened in 2017.[10]
External Links
- Manga Official Website
- Anime Official Website
- Movies Official Website
- Theater Official Website
- MyAnimeList
- Jump Fandom
Manga
References
- ↑ https://japan.postsen.com/movies/amp/13966
- ↑ https://www.cinemacafe.net/article/2022/07/18/79849.html
- ↑ https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2260485/full/
- ↑ https://twitter.com/kingdomthemovie/status/1609204857730129923
- ↑ https://mydramalist.com/745159-kingdom-3
- ↑ https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2022-12-31/3rd-live-action-kingdom-film-teaser-unveils-title-story-july-28-debut/.193491
- ↑ https://twitter.com/kingdomthemovie/status/1701556490719608840
- ↑ https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-12-12/4th-live-action-kingdom-film-reveals-july-12-release-in-new-teaser/.205434
- ↑ https://www.crunchyroll.com/fr/anime-news/2022/03/06-1/yasuhisa-haras-historical-manga-kingdom-gets-stage-play-in-february-2023
- ↑ https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2017/10/10/players-discuss-kingdom-style-soccer-in-new-sportsanime-collab