HBO Max takes manga-based drama Song of the Samurai in over 100 countries

Song of the Samurai is based on the manga series by Shinya Umemura

HBO Max has acquired international streaming rights in more than 100 countries to the forthcoming Japanese live-action manga adaptation Song of the Samurai.

The show will launch on Warner Bros Discovery (WBD)-owned HBO Max in North America, Latin America, Europe and parts of Asia on May 9, as the streamer grows its line-up of Japanese dramas.

Produced by Japanese production company The Seven, part of broadcaster Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), the two-part drama was previously known as Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem.

Made in collaboration with TBS Television and Japanese streamer U-Next, the series is based on the best-selling historical manga series by Shinya Umemura, which follows a group of samurai warriors during the final years of the country’s Edo period.

Yuki Yamada (Pending Train) stars as Toshizo Hijikata, a rough and unruly country boy who grows up to become the fearsome vice-commander of the Shinsengumi.

The series will be broadcast over two nights on TBS in late March and then streamed on U-Next. The producer is The Seven’s chief content officer Akira Morii (Alice in Borderland).

James Gibbons, president of Asia Pacific at WBD, said: “Song of the Samurai is the next series to launch on HBO Max through our partnership with U-Next, focused on spotlighting Japanese series and the creators behind them.

“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.”

Tenshin Tsutsumi, president and representative director at U-Next, said: “This project was developed with global distribution and broadcast integration in mind, aiming to expand the reach of Japanese content.”