HBO Max is set to release “Song of the Samurai,” a live-action historical drama series with roots in one of Japan’s longest-running manga series, on May 9.
This program is based on the long-running manga “Chiruran Shinsengumi Requiem” by Shinya Umemura, which gained worldwide popularity after being made into a popular anime with “Record of Ragnarok.” Chiruran has maintained an avid readership for over 10 years, with 36 volumes and over 3 million copies sold. Over the years, it has also been adapted into anime and stage plays.
This work brings together three major Japanese entertainment companies: broadcasting station TBS, video distribution service U-Next, and production company The Seven, which has previously worked on works such as “Alice on the Edge” and “Yu Yu Hakusho.” The series will arrive on HBO Max through existing content partnerships with Warner Bros. Discovery and U-Next.
The drama takes place in Kyoto during the late Edo period and follows the Shinsengumi, a renowned samurai troupe that served as the shogunate’s last line of defense during one of Japan’s most tumultuous political upheavals. At the center of it all is former street fighter Toshizo Hijikata, played by Yuki Yamada, whose unlikely brotherly relationship with Isamu Kondo and Souji Okita forms the emotional core of the series. Loyalty, betrayal, disease, and war all weigh heavily on the group as the old order crumbles around them.
The cast includes Go Ayano and Kento Nakajima. The screenplay is by Masaaki Sakai, the director is Kazutaka Watanabe, and the producers are Akira Morii, Mamoru Inoue, and Kazuya Shimomura.
Viewers in Japan will be able to get early access through a two-night broadcast event “Chapter: Days of Edo Youth” on TBS TV on March 26th and 27th, with episodes streaming on U-Next immediately after each broadcast. Chapter 2, “Chapter: Kyoto Conflict of Fate” will be exclusively distributed every Friday on U-Next.
“As interest in the genre continues to grow, we hope fans will enjoy this captivating new samurai story deeply rooted in Japanese culture, with passionate action and a charismatic ensemble cast,” said James Gibbons, President, Asia Pacific, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Tenshin Tsutsumi, President and Representative Director of U-NEXT, added, “This project was developed with global distribution and broadcast integration in mind, with the aim of expanding the reach of Japanese content. With The Seven’s production quality, TBS’s creative strength, and world-famous manga at its core, we are confident that this series will captivate audiences overseas.”
“This large-scale drama, set in the turbulent era at the end of the Edo period, captures the spirit of young people living through one of Japan’s most transformative periods,” said TBS Television President and Representative Director Masahine Ryuho.
Morii, who serves as executive vice president, CCO and chief producer at The Seven, said the team set out to reimagine the period drama genre for a younger audience. “Based on a masterful manga original, ‘Song of the Samurai’ is brought to life with a modern vision of the samurai spirit through Yuki Yamada’s dedicated acting and action, and an outstanding cast,” he said.
Yamada, who plays Hijikata in the lead role, added, “The Shinsengumi were one of the last samurai warriors who continued to protect the way of the sword during a time of great change in Japan in the mid-19th century.For me, the samurai spirit is the desire to protect someone, and it is a universal emotion that is shared across borders.I hope that the audience will enjoy the action while feeling the emotion put into each blade.”
Local language subtitles and dubbing will be available in select markets.
Meanwhile, HBO Max will launch direct-to-consumer services on March 26 in new markets in the Asia-Pacific region, including Bhutan, Fiji, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
