NEWS

A bold and innovative live-action adaptation of the best-selling historical manga series depicting the Shinsengumi — a group of samurai warriors who lived passionately through the turbulent final years of Japan’s Edo period (Bakumatsu era).

Yuki Yamada takes on the role of Toshizo Hijikata — the legendary “Demon Vice-Commander.”
His fierce way of life, unwavering resolve, and burning conviction will set screens ablaze.

THE SEVEN has announced its new large-scale project in collaboration with TBS Television and U-NEXT, marking the first partnership between the three companies. Today, we are pleased to reveal the project’s key details and announce the lead cast.

The original manga, created by Shinya Umemura (known for Record of Ragnarok) and illustrated by Eiji Hashimoto, captivates readers with its powerful artwork and dynamic storytelling. Set in Kyoto during the Bakumatsu period, the story depicts the intense and passionate lives of the Shinsengumi — the most formidable samurai group of their time — through explosive action and bold reinterpretations of historical events.

Driven solely by his desire to become the “strongest,” the hot-blooded Hijikata meets Isami Kondo and joins forces with strong-willed comrades such as Soji Okita and Hajime Saito, ultimately forging the legendary Shinsengumi that would make its mark in history.　Their short but blazing lives — filled with purpose, conviction, friendship, and betrayal — are brought to audience through strikingly modern and alluring character designs and some of the fastest sword-fighting choreography ever seen in Japanese drama. This adaptation promises to create a new Shinsengumi legend unlike anything before.

The protagonist is portrayed by Yuki Yamada, one of Japan’s most in-demand actors, known for his remarkable range — from intense, transformative performances that seem to possess his characters, to natural and deeply human portrayals that captivate audiences. His piercing gaze, brimming with both ferocity and purity, perfectly embodies the soul of Toshizo Hijikata for a new generation.

The newly released character visuals and character movie offer a glimpse into this strikingly fresh portrayal of Hijikata.

Announced as a TBS × U-NEXT × THE SEVEN global project, production began in April and has been shooting on location across Japan, including Kyoto, Shiga, Shizuoka and Chiba. By combining sweeping locations, rich cinematic production values and advanced VFX, the project delivers truly spectacular imagery. At the helm of the production is Akira Morii of THE SEVEN as Chief Producer — whose credits include globally successful projects such as Netflix’s Alice in Borderland and the worldwide hit adaptation of Yu Yu Hakusho; THE SEVEN’s film BAKA’s Identity also received acclaim at the Busan International Film Festival, taking home the Best Actor Award. Producers Mamoru Inoue and Kazuya Shimomura (THE SEVEN) also join the producing team.

Directing is Kazutaka Watanabe, known for his work on NHK’s taiga drama Onna Jōshu Naotora, the morning drama series Mare, and the Kishibe Rohan Does Not Move series; Watanabe is widely respected for his meticulous pursuit of realism and tension and enjoys great trust from performers. The writing team includes top industry talent such as Masaaki Sakai, whose credits include WOWOW’s Cold Case seasons 2 & 3 and the feature film Small, Slow But Steady. Together, these leading members of Japan’s film and television industry form a creative team of the highest caliber.

The project will be broadcast and streamed through exclusive channels made possible by this unique collaboration. A special drama will air on TBS’s terrestrial network in the spring of 2026, followed by an exclusive streaming series on U-NEXT.

Adding further excitement to this unprecedented large-scale “Japanese Sword Action Entertainment”, the upcoming cast announcements will feature an all-star lineup, including top-billing actors, rising stars, and some of Japan’s most celebrated character actors. Fans can look forward to discovering which actors will portray the iconic members of the Shinsengumi—roles that have been brought to life by many legendary performers in the past—as we unveil the cast of a new Shinsengumi for the Reiwa era (Japan’s current era).

“The original manga depicts Toshizo Hijikata’s fiery spirit and the strong bonds between comrades with such clarity that I felt a deep responsibility to honor that. I thought to myself, ‘If I’m going to do this, I want to see it through to the very end.’

Recently, while constantly pushing forward in my career, there were moments when I felt a kind of loneliness — like I’d lost sight of where my own flame was burning. But I’ve always believed one thing: ‘If you keep doing the unbelievable, something unbelievable will eventually happen.’

I think that’s exactly what the Shinsengumi believed too. Even when they faced death — their comrades, themselves — they held on to a single conviction: they wanted to change their era, change their world. ‘I’m alive, so I have to do something.’

When I shared these feelings with Producer Morii, he told me, ‘Then unleash all that frustration here.’ From that moment on, like Hijikata himself, I felt, ‘I’ve got to burn. I’ve got to let my soul blaze.’

Thanks to an incredible team of colleagues, we’ve created a ‘Reiwa-era Shinsengumi’ that could only have been brought to life by this group. I truly hope everyone will see and feel it.”

“When confronted with a world in crisis, one must ask: What is my personal course of action? What is my objective, and what do I seek to accomplish? Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem chronicles the lives of individuals who, despite being unwillingly engulfed by the overwhelming tides of a changing era, refused to yield quietly. It is the narrative of those who proclaimed their conviction until their final breath, even as their lives were spent.

To us, the contemporary audience, often resigned to lamenting the uncertainty of the future, we present the determined resolve of these young figures, urging all to witness their power to live life to the fullest.”

“One of the great appeals of the Shinsengumi is often said to be their ‘aesthetic of demise.’ That is exactly what Chiruran embodies.
But what I find even more compelling about the original manga Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem is that the characters do not live to ‘fall’ — they live to bloom.
It’s the story of men who burned their lives to shine in their own fleeting moments, giving everything they had to find their place to bloom.
Over the course of six months of filming, Yuki Yamada and the young warriors of this project faced that burning spirit head-on.
Capturing every single spark of that passion was our mission. The set itself became a place of razor-sharp focus — an intense battleground where no one could afford to even blink.”

“The Shinsengumi have been portrayed across countless genres over the years, but Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem is unlike any of them.
I approached the script with the belief that if we could fully capture the wild, unrestrained charm of the original manga, it would become a historical drama the world has never seen before.
I truly hope viewers will see with their own eyes whether we were able to achieve that.”

“To be honest, my first reaction when I heard about the live-action adaptation was, ‘Will this really work...?’
But after visiting the set and witnessing the passion of the director, the staff, and the cast, my doubts completely vanished.
This morning, I had the chance to watch an unfinished version of the PV, and it moved me to tears on the spot — tears of pure emotion.
What I saw was the most perfect ‘real-life Chiruran’ I could have ever imagined.
I have nothing more to say. This is a live-action adaptation that we, the creators of the original manga, wholeheartedly approve of. You can’t miss it!”

“Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem is a manga that has spent 13 years depicting the passionate, fiery final moments of men who lived through the Bakumatsu era.
To see it brought back to life as a live-action series — after the manga’s conclusion — by such a talented team of creators and some of the hottest actors working today is an incredible honor.
I’m truly excited, as a viewer, to experience this live-action Chiruran, complete with its own original developments unique to the drama.”

Broadcast / Streaming  TBS Television / U-NEXT — Spring 2026
Produce   THE SEVEN

< Key Staff >
Producers
Akira Morii (THE SEVEN) / Netflix series Alice in Borderland, Yu Yu Hakusho
Mamoru Inoue  / TBS×WOWOW series Double Face, MOZU
Kazuya Shimomura (THE SEVEN) / Netflix series Yu Yu Hakusho, film The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill

Director Kazutaka Watanabe / NHK taiga drama Naotora: The Lady Warlord, morning drama Mare, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan series

Screenwriter Masaaki Sakai / WOWOW series Cold Case 2 & 3, film Small, Slow but Steady

Action Director Kensuke Sonomura / film Baby Assassins, Onmyoji 0

VFX Producer Tomofumi Akahane (THE SEVEN) / Netflix series Alice in Borderland Season 3, Yu Yu Hakusho

Character Designer Yuya Maeda / film THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY

Music Yoshiaki Dewa / Netflix series Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, animation Hell's Paradise

Post-Production Supervisor Norimasa Ishida (THE SEVEN) / Netflix series Alice in Borderland, Yu Yu Hakusho

Toshizo Hijikata — Yuki Yamada

Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem
Authors Manga by Eiji Hashimoto / Original Story by Shinya Umemura
Publisher Coamix — Mangano (Zenon Comics), Volumes 1~36 available now.
Copyright ©橋本エイジ・梅村真也／コアミックス
Read the first chapter (Japanese)

< Official Website>
https://chiruran-the7.jp/

< Official Social Media >
X (Twitter) — https://x.com/chiruran_the7
Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/chiruran_the7
TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@chiruran_the7