Published Feb 25, 2026, 12:30 PM EST
An experienced Editor representing Canada via Screen Rant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.
His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.
An emerging trend of great samurai dramas marketed to the world appears to carry the torch once held by Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi, and Hideo Gosha. While American-made feudal Japanese story Shogun certainly played a part in 2024, Japan has taken charge again, particularly at the end of 2025 with Netflix's Last Samurai Standing, but now a new rival emerges.
As recently announced by Variety, HBO Max has acquired the streaming rights to Song of the Samurai, a live-action adaptation of Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem. The manga, which ran in the pages of Monthly Comic Zenon between 2010 and 2023 alongside creator Shinya Umemura's seinen tournament smash Record of Ragnarok, will see its live-action adaptation launch on May 9, 2026.
Song of the Samurai Comes to HBO Max on May 9
With Song of the Samurai adapting Shinya Umemura's Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem, HBO Max now has its own potential heavy-hitter based on the creator's work. It means the streamer is prepared to draw in audiences craving something new while waiting for Last Samurai Standing season 2, while also enjoying a tighter, more grounded production compared to Netflix's Record of Ragnarok.
Song of the Samurai's source material has already been adapted for the stage, audio drama DCs, and anime, with the original manga having sold 3 million copies. As seen in Record of Ragnarok Round 10, in which Chiruran's rendition of Sōji Okita, captain of the Shinsengumi, actually fought the Sword God himself, Umemura has a documented reverence for samurai action.
“With a growing appetite for this genre, we hope fans enjoy this captivating new samurai story – rooted deep in Japanese culture, with passionate action and a charismatic ensemble cast.”
-James Gibbons, Warner Bros. Discovery Asia Pacific President
There's proven performance of this particular genre of period drama, as seen most recently with Last Samurai Standing. With Song of the Samurai set in Japan's Bakumatsu period, the series will regale viewers with the story of an elderly Shinpachi Nagakura reflecting on his work in this turbulent transition alongside Toshizo Hijitaka in the Shinsengumi, the era's shogunate-sanctioned police force.
Live-Action Manga Adaptations Are Loudly Hitting Their Stride
Japanese live-action drama adaptations are stirring up plenty of excitement, thanks in large part to Warner Bros. Discovery's connection with Japanese TV network TBS, U-Next streaming service, and The Seven. On top of English adaptations of worldwide best-seller One Piece and rumblings of the Naruto movie still in the works, manga adaptations are on a roll.
This stands despite skepticism, particularly in the West are numerous soulless live-action renditions of iconic series like Dragonball Evolution or 2017's Death Note. Meanwhile, live-action anime and manga adaptations outside of Japan have produced fairly consistent hits in their home market, particularly those of Kingdom, Golden Kamuy, and Cells at Work! among others.
Hijitaka will be portrayed by Yuki Yamada, with other Shinsengumi like Isami Kondo and Sōji Okita featured as well. While full casting details have yet to be confirmed, Go Ayano and Kento Nakajima are confirmed to star in the production as well. Kazutaka Watanabe (Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan) features as director, and Masaaki Sakai (Monkey) wrote the scripts.
English (US) ·