HBO Max Acquires Japanese Action Drama ‘Song of the Samurai’
HBO Max will bow “Song of the Samurai,” a live-action jidaigeki series rooted in one of Japan’s most enduring manga franchises, on May 9.
The show is adapted from “Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem,” the long-running manga by Umemura Shinya, whose work on “Record of Ragnarok” earned him a worldwide following after the title was adapted into a popular anime series. ‘Chiruran’ has maintained a devoted readership for over a decade, with 36 collected volumes and more than three million copies sold. It has also spawned anime and stage adaptations over the years.
The production brings together three major Japanese entertainment players: broadcaster TBS, streaming service U-Next and production house The Seven, whose previous credits include ‘Alice in Borderland’ and ‘Yu Yu Hakusho’. The series will debut on HBO Max through Warner Bros.’ existing content partnership. Discovery with U-Next.
Set in Kyoto’s late Edo period, the drama follows the Shinsengumi, the legendary samurai corps that served as the shogunate’s last line of defense during one of Japan’s most turbulent political transitions. At its center is Hijikata Toshizo – a former street fighter played by Yamada Yuki – whose unlikely brotherhood with Kondo Isami and Okita Soji forms the emotional core of the series. Loyalty, betrayal, disease and war all negatively impact the group as the old order collapses around them.
The cast is completed by Go Ayano and Nakajima Kento. Sakai Masaaki wrote the scripts, Watanabe Kazutaka directs and Morii Akira, Inoue Mamoru and Shimomura Kazuya produce.
Japanese audiences will get a sneak peek via a two-day broadcast event on TBS TV – “Chapter: Youthful Days in Edo” – on March 26 and 27, with episodes streaming on U-Next immediately after each broadcast. The second chapter, “Chapter: Fateful Showdown in Kyoto,” will then be released weekly on U-Next as a streaming exclusive every Friday.
James Gibbons, president of Asia Pacific at Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “With growing interest in this genre, we hope fans will enjoy this compelling new samurai story – deeply rooted in Japanese culture, with passionate action and a charismatic ensemble cast.”
U-Next president and representative director Tsutsumi Tenshin 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 power and a world-renowned manga at its core, we are confident the series will captivate international viewers.”
Masamine Ryuho, president and representative director of TBS Television, said: “Set against the turmoil of the Bakumatsu era, this large-scale drama reflects the spirit of young men living through one of Japan’s most transformative periods.”
Morii, who serves as VP, CCO and lead producer at The Seven, said the team wanted to reinvent the jidaigeki genre for a younger audience. “Built on an exceptional manga original, ‘Song of the Samurai’ is brought to life by the dedicated performances and action of Yamada Yuki and an outstanding cast, with a contemporary vision of the samurai spirit,” he said.
Yamada, who leads the series as Hijikata, added: “In mid-19th century Japan, the Shinsengumi were among the so-called last samurai warriors who upheld the way of the sword during a time of profound change. For me, the samurai spirit is the desire to protect someone; a universal feeling shared across borders. I hope audiences can enjoy the action while also feeling the emotion carried in each sword.”
Local language subtitles and dubs will be available in select markets.
Meanwhile, HBO Max will launch direct-to-consumer 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.
