17 Years Later, One of The Greatest Historical Series of All Time Is Ending Without an Anime Sequel

With the anime and industry dominated by the Shonen demographic, not just every series gets the recognition they deserve. Most viewers focus on thrilling battle action, while a huge portion of the incredible stories get overlooked despite having a better plot and art style than the mainstream shows. This is especially the case for historical shows that don’t rely on overpowered power systems or fantasy settings. One such series is Nobunaga Concerto, written and illustrated by Ayumi Ishii. It’s the only serialized manga by the creator, and one of the best historical Shonen series out there. On May 12th, 2009, the manga debuted in the first issue of Shogakukan’s Monthly Shonen Sunday magazine, widely known as Gesso.

Following the release of a new chapter in March 2023, the series went on an indefinite hiatus without specifying the reason. While it’s mostly common for manga series to go on such hiatuses for health reasons, nothing has been officially announced yet. Anime News Network confirmed that the series is returning in the magazine’s next issue on July 10th, 2026. It was already confirmed before the hiatus that Volume 23 will wrap up the story, which is why the story will wrap up after three new chapters.

Nobunaga Concerto‘s Anime Sequel Is Long Overdue

While the series is decently popular in Japan, it has never received enough attention in the West. The manga even won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for best shounen manga in 2011. Five years after the manga’s debut, Fuji TV released an anime adaptation in 2014, airing no more than ten episodes. Despite the promising story and animation, the series was never renewed for a sequel.

As one of the lesser-known Shonen series, it may get buried without ever earning the recognition it deserves. Since there hasn’t been any information regarding the anime sequel in 12 years, it’s more or less impossible to hope for its return unless the studio plans a major revival project. It’s currently streaming on Crunchyroll. Aside from the anime, the series also released a live-action film adaptation in 2016. The manga has released 22 volumes so far, but it has yet to be licensed in English.

What Is Nobunaga Concerto About?

The story centers around a high school student, Saburo, who couldn’t care less about Japan’s history since it had nothing to do with it. However, he finds himself thrown back in the Sengoku Era, during one of the most politically turbulent times in Japanese history. The boy lands directly in front of the legendary general Nobunaga Oda.

Hoping to rest due to his frail health, Nobunaga requested him to take his place. The young lord provides him with all the necessary items and hastily runs from his mansion. Following the unexpected encounter, Saburo embarks on a quest to lead the life of a man who attempted to unite all of Japan.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!