An rising development of nice samurai dramas marketed to the world seems to hold the torch as soon as held by Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi, and Hideo Gosha. Whereas American-made feudal Japanese story Shogun definitely performed a component in 2024, Japan has taken cost once more, significantly on the finish of 2025 with Netflix’s Final Samurai Standing, however now a brand new rival emerges.
As just lately introduced by Selection, HBO Max has acquired the streaming rights to Music of the Samurai, a live-action adaptation of Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem. The manga, which ran within the pages of Month-to-month Comedian Zenon between 2010 and 2023 alongside creator Shinya Umemura’s seinen event smash File of Ragnarok, will see its live-action adaptation launch on Might 9, 2026.
Music of the Samurai Involves HBO Max on Might 9
With Music of the Samurai adapting Shinya Umemura’s Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem, HBO Max now has its personal potential heavy-hitter based mostly on the creator’s work. It means the streamer is ready to attract in audiences craving one thing new whereas ready for Final Samurai Standing season 2, whereas additionally having fun with a tighter, extra grounded manufacturing in comparison with Netflix’s File of Ragnarok.
Music of the Samurai’s supply materials has already been tailored for the stage, audio drama DCs, and anime, with the unique manga having offered 3 million copies. As seen in File of Ragnarok Spherical 10, wherein Chiruran’s rendition of Sōji Okita, captain of the Shinsengumi, truly fought the Sword God himself, Umemura has a documented reverence for samurai motion.
“With a rising urge for food for this style, we hope followers get pleasure from this fascinating new samurai story – rooted deep in Japanese tradition, with passionate motion and a charismatic ensemble solid.”
-James Gibbons, Warner Bros. Discovery Asia Pacific President
There’s confirmed efficiency of this explicit style of interval drama, as seen most just lately with Final Samurai Standing. With Music of the Samurai set in Japan’s Bakumatsu interval, the collection will regale viewers with the story of an aged Shinpachi Nagakura reflecting on his work on this turbulent transition alongside Toshizo Hijitaka within the Shinsengumi, the period’s shogunate-sanctioned police drive.
Reside-Motion Manga Diversifications Are Loudly Hitting Their Stride
Japanese live-action drama variations are stirring up loads of pleasure, thanks largely to Warner Bros. Discovery’s reference to Japanese TV community TBS, U-Subsequent streaming service, and The Seven. On prime of English variations of worldwide best-seller One Piece and rumblings of the Naruto film nonetheless within the works, manga variations are on a roll.
This stands regardless of skepticism, significantly within the West are quite a few soulless live-action renditions of iconic collection like Dragonball Evolution or 2017’s Dying Word. In the meantime, live-action anime and manga variations outdoors of Japan have produced pretty constant hits of their house market, significantly these of Kingdom, Golden Kamuy, and Cells at Work! amongst others.
Hijitaka can be portrayed by Yuki Yamada, with different Shinsengumi like Isami Kondo and Sōji Okita featured as properly. Whereas full casting particulars have but to be confirmed, Go Ayano and Kento Nakajima are confirmed to star within the manufacturing as properly. Kazutaka Watanabe (Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan) options as director, and Masaaki Sakai (Monkey) wrote the scripts.