Nobunaga Concerto

信長協奏曲 (Nobunaga Kontseruto)
Nobunaga Concerto
Cover of the first volume of Nobunaga Concerto
Genre	Historical
Manga
Written by	Ayumi Ishii
Published by	Shogakukan
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Monthly Shōnen Sunday
Original run	June 2009 – ongoing
Volumes	11
Anime television series
Directed by	Yūsuke Fujikawa
Written by	Natsuko Takahashi
Music by	Masaru Yokoyama
Network	Fuji TV, FTV, NST, TV Shizuoka, KTN, KSS, KTS, OHK
Original run	July 12, 2014 – September 20, 2014
Episodes	10
Television drama
Network	Fuji TV
Original run	October 13, 2014 – December 22, 2014
Episodes	11
Live-action film
Released	December 2015

Nobunaga Concerto (信長協奏曲, Nobunaga Kontseruto) is a Japanese manga series by Ayumi Ishii. It began serialization in Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday from 2009. It was announced on June 2014 issue of Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine that the historical manga is inspiring a television anime, a live-action television series, and a live-action film. An anime television series adaptation aired from July 12, 2014 to September 20, 2014 on Fuji TV. The television drama aired on October 2014 starring Shun Oguri as Saburo and Nobunaga.^[1] The live-action film will be released on December 2015.

Plot

The story centers around Saburō, a high school boy who time-travels to Japan's Sengoku Era. He must become Oda Nobunaga, the famed warlord who helps unite Japan.^[1]

Characters

Main characters

Saburō (サブロー): Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano; Saburo is a high school boy who finds himself taken back in time to Japan's Sengoku Era. He then meets Oda Nobunaga who asks him to become Oda Nobunaga because of their same look.
Oda Nobunaga (織田信長): Voiced by: Yuki Kaji; The real Oda Nobunaga. He works under Saburō (fake Nobunaga) as Akechi Mitsuhide.
Kichō (帰蝶): Voiced by: Nana Mizuki; Kichō is Nobunaga's wife
Kinoshita Tōkichirō (木下藤吉郎): Voiced by: Yuichi Nakamura
Oichi (お市): Voiced by: Aoi Yūki; Oichi is Nobunaga's younger sister.

Other characters

Ikeda Tsuneoki (池田恒興): Voiced by: Kazuyuki Okitsu
Shibata Katsuie (柴田勝家): Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama
Maeda Toshiie (前田利家): Voiced by: Shintarō Asanuma
Sassa Narimasa (佐々成政): Voiced by: Kenta Miyake
Niwa Nagahide (丹羽長秀): Voiced by: Shinya Takahashi
Takugen (沢彦): Voiced by: Kenichi Ogata
Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康): Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama, Nozomi Masu (young)
Takenaka Hanbei (竹中半兵衛): Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai
Azai Nagamasa (浅井長政): Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura
Azai Hisamasa (浅井久政): Voiced by: Akio Nojima
Endo Naotsune (遠藤直経): Voiced by: Takaya Hashi
Isono Kazumasa (磯野員昌): Voiced by: Jun Hazumi
Mori Yoshinari (森可成): Voiced by: Ryō Sugisaki
Mori Nagayoshi (森長可): Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino
Mori Ranmaru (森蘭丸): Voiced by: Ayumu Murase
Mori Bōmaru (森坊丸): Voiced by: Marie Miyake
Mori Rikimaru (森力丸): Voiced by: Nichika Oomori
Ashikaga Yoshiaki (足利義昭): Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita
Matsunaga Hisahide (松永久秀): Voiced by: Takaya Kuroda
Oda Nobuyuki (織田信行): Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama
Hirate Masahide (平手政秀): Voiced by: Motomu Kiyokawa
Saitō Dōsan (斎藤道三): Voiced by: Yōsuke Akimoto
Hori Hidemasa (堀秀政): Voiced by: Akira Ishida
Hachisuka Koroku (蜂須賀小六): Voiced by: Takashi Matsuyama
Yasuke (弥助): Voiced by: Kōichi Yamadera
Saitō Yoshitatsu (斉藤義竜): Voiced by: Kenji Hamada
Asakura Kagetake (朝倉景健): Voiced by: Hiroshi Naka

Anime adaptation

The manga received an anime adaptation that started airing during summer 2014. Narrated by Shun Oguri.

Episode list

No.	Title	Original airdate
1	"Saburou Nobunaga" "Saburou Nobunaga" (サブロー信長)	July 12, 2014
2	"preparing to die in an effort to dissuade one's lord" "Kanshi" (諫死)	July 19, 2014
3	"Viper of Mino" "Mino no Mamushi" (美濃のマムシ)	July 26, 2014
4	"Battle of Okehazama" "Okehazama no Tatakai" (桶狭間の戦い)	August 2, 2014
5	"Love Letter" "Raburetaa" (らぶれたあ)	August 9, 2014
Saburou tries to take Mino by force and fails because of Inabayama castle. He's rejoined by Matsudaira Takechiyo the womanizer. Saburou is in need of a stratagem to scare Mino's people: Tokichirou comes up with the idea of building a fortress in one night. Saburou has also been sending letters to Mino's main retainers who then take Inabayama and side with Owari. Matsudaira changes his name to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
6	"Mitsuhide Akechi" "Akechi Mitsuhide" (明智光秀)	August 16, 2014
The original Nobunaga contacts Saburou and enters his service under the name of Akechi Mitsuhide while keeping his face hidden. Through his connections, they enter Tokyo to petition Ashikaga Yoshiaki to be the new shougun, and succeed, Mitsu taking care of the court formalities in place of Saburou. He also convinces Oichi to accept Saburou's proposal of marrying Azai to strengthen the Oda clan.
7	"Kill Nobunaga" "Nobunaga wo ute!" (信長を討て！)	August 23, 2014
Oichi, now married to Azai Nagamasa, has a daughter Chacha. Saburou names four generals: Shibata Katsuie, Niwa Nagahide, Mitsuhide and Tokichirou, who changes his name to Hashiba Hideyoshi for the occasion. Saburou orders Hideyoshi against the Asakura clan. Saburou meets Matsunaga Hisahide, also a time traveler. The shougun asks various daimyou to destroy Nobunaga: the Azai clan answers the call.
8	"An Unthinkable Betrayal" "Masaka no Uragiri" (まさかの裏切り)	August 30, 2014
After conquering Kanegasaki during the Asakura campaign, the Oda forces are facing a pincer manoeuvre due to the treacherous Azai who attacks from Oumi. Saburou quickly decides to retreat to Kyoto: Hideyoshi volunteers to lead the rear-guard so he can finally exact revenge on the Oda. But Mitsuhide and Takenaka Hanbei from Mino accompany Hideyoshi, which leaves him no choice but to fight valiantly.
9	"A Thorny Road" "Ibara no Michi" (イバラの道)	September 13, 2014
The Oda move out against Azai HQ, Odani Castle, but it's too well fortified so they target Yokoyama instead. Azai receives reinforcement lead by Asakura Kagitake and sorties. Ieyasu's army comes to support Oda and defeats Asakura. Hideyoshi and Takenaka Hanbei win and occupy Yokoyama. Saburou goes to Settsu to subjugate the Miyoshi 3: he leaves the rear position of Usayama Castle in Mori Yoshinari's hands. Usayama is attacked by Asakura/Azai on their way to Kyoto. Mitsuhide is sent to Kyoto to strengthen their defense; Shibata handles the rear-guard of Settsu while the rest of Oda return to Usayama. Mori Yoshinari buys them time with his sacrifice. The Asakura/Azai army retreats to Enryaku Temple on Mount Hiei.
10	"Two Nobunagas" "Futari no Nobunaga" (二人の信長)	September 20, 2014
The younger sons of Mori Yoshinari become Saburou's pages (including Ranmaru), the eldest son Nagayoshi becoming a general. Saburou meets another time traveler who becomes his bodyguard Yasuke. Several targets are available for the campaign: Azai's Odani Castle, Ishiyama Hongan Temple (Osaka), the Takeda, Mount Hiei (Kyoto). On the counsel of Mitsuhide, Saburou picks the Enryaku Temple of Mount Hiei.

Reception

It won the 2011 Shogakukan Manga Award for Shōnen manga.^[2] It was nominated for the 5th Manga Taisho.^[3] As of 19 February 2012, the 6th volume has sold 73,877 copies.^[4] As of 19 August 2012, the 7th volume has sold 92,838 copies.^[5]

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 "Nobunaga Concerto Manga Gets TV Anime, Live-Action Show & Film". Anime News Network. May 7, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
↑ "Inazuma Eleven, Apollon Win Shogakukan Manga Awards". Anime News Network. 2012-01-23. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
↑ "Hiromu Arakawa's Silver Spoon Wins 5th Manga Taisho Award". Anime News Network. 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 13-19". Anime News Network. 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
↑ "Japanese Comic Ranking, August 13-19 (Updated)". Anime News Network. 2012-08-22. Retrieved 2012-08-29.

External links

Official anime website (Japanese)
Nobunaga Concerto (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

Works of Monthly Shōnen Sunday

Aoi Honō Azumanga Daioh: Supplementary Lessons The!! Beach Stars Mix Nobunaga Concerto Seishinshi Toaru Hikūshi e no Tsuioku Tsuki no Hebi: Suikoden Ibun Welcome to the El-Palacio

Shogakukan Manga Award – Shōnen

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1990s	Mobile Police Patlabor by Masami Yuki (1990) Ushio and Tora by Kazuhiro Fujita (1991) Ghost Sweeper Mikami by Takashi Shiina and Yaiba by Gosho Aoyama (1992) YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi (1993) Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue (1994) Major by Takuya Mitsuda (1995) Firefighter! Daigo of Fire Company M by Masahito Soda (1996) Ganba! Fly High by Shinji Morisue and Hiroyuki Kikuta (1997) ARMS by Kyoichi Nanatsuki and Ryōji Minagawa (1998) Monkey Turn by Katsutoshi Kawai and Hikaru no Go by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata (1999)

2000s	Detective Conan by Gosho Aoyama and Cheeky Angel by Hiroyuki Nishimori (2000) Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi (2001) Konjiki no Gasshu!! by Makoto Raiku (2002) Yakitate!! Japan by Takashi Hashiguchi and Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa (2003) Bleach by Tite Kubo (2004) Wild Life by Masato Fujisaki (2005) Kekkaishi by Yellow Tanabe (2006) Ace of Diamond by Yuji Terajima (2007) Cross Game by Mitsuru Adachi (2008) Sket Dance by Kenta Shinohara (2009)

2010s	King Golf by Ken Sasaki (2010) Nobunaga Concerto by Ayumi Ishii (2011) Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa (2012) Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic by Shinobu Ohtaka (2013)