NEWS

THE SEVEN, INC. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Katsuaki Setoguchi; hereafter “THE SEVEN"), TBS Television, Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Masamine Ryuho; hereafter “TBS"), and U-NEXT Co., Ltd. (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Tenshin Tsutsumi; hereafter “U-NEXT") have announced a large-scale project: the “TBS × U-NEXT × THE SEVEN Global Project." This project will be the first live-action adaptation of the popular manga, “Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem" which features powerful artwork and overwhelming drawing skill by Eiji Hashimoto, and is based on a story by Shinya Umemura (also known for “Record of Ragnarok"). Set in Kyoto at the end of the Edo period (Bakumatsu), the story depicts the intense and passionate lives of the Shinsengumi, the strongest samurai group, through spectacular action and a bold interpretation based on historical facts. It was recently announced that Yuki Yamada will play the protagonist, Toshizo Hijikata.

This "Japanese sword-action entertainment" will portray how Toshizo Hijikata, upon encountering the greatness of Isami Kondo, went on to build the legendary Shinsengumi together with comrades of powerful individuality such as Soji Okita and Hajime Saito. The lives of these men—their friendships, betrayals, and convictions interwoven—who questioned the meaning of their own existence during a period of historical change, living briefly but brilliantly, driven by fierce determination so intense they were willing to stake their very lives, will be depicted with modern, alluring, and attractive character designs, also featuring high-speed sword fighting (“tate”) that has been praised as the fastest in history.
The additional cast members who will portray the passionate samurai who lived alongside Hijikata—including Isami Kondo—are being announced.

Nobuyuki Suzuki will play Isami Kondo, the head of the impoverished dojo “Shieikan” which later Toshizo Hijikata joins, and a figure who is loved and looked up to by the members like a father. Suzuki possesses a captivating charm, stemming from the appealing contrast between his sincere, strong spirit and his innocent, bright smile.

Aoi Nakamura, whose recent activities in taiga dramas and the morning drama series have been remarkable, and who reveals the depths of his characters' hearts with his calm presence and eloquent eyes, will play Keisuke Yamanami, the intellectual strategist who becomes a Vice Commander supporting the Shinsengumi alongside Hijikata.

Kanata Hosoda, whose acclaimed performance in the morning drama series Anpan became a hot topic, embodies even the most difficult roles naturally with his unique acting that holds a blend of purity and danger, will play the young genius swordsman, Soji Okita, known as the “Demon's Child".

Shuhei Uesugi, who possesses both a wild charm and intelligence that draws the viewer in, will play Shinpachi Nagakura, a key figure in this story who supported the Shieikan and Kondo with his honest personality and constant effort.

Kisetsu Fujiwara, an actor who carries both a fragile intensity and overwhelming passion, will play Hajime Saito, known as Shieikan’s greatest sadist with a lone-wolf nature but also a caring side for his comrades.

Yosuke Sugino, who has starred in many films and dramas with his natural charm and unique sensitivity, and who has co-starred with the lead actor Yamada multiple times, will play Eizaburo Abiru, known as the conscience of the Shieikan for his kind nature but harbors a complex background.

Shuntaro Yanagi, whose distinctive presence and aura shine, will play Sanosuke Harada, the Shieikan's best spear master, a reserved big eater.

Shuto Miyazaki, a skilled actor with outstanding physical ability and passionate acting, will play Heisuke Todo, the youngest member and mood-maker.

Hihio Iwanaga, a distinctive actor who has appeared as a key supporting role in numerous hit works in recent years, will play Genzaburo Inoue, the most senior and silent powerhouse of the Shieikan.

Just like the members of the Shieikan themselves, a gathering of young, talented actors with intense individuality and skill have come together. The lead actor, Yamada, also stated powerfully, “This could only been done with this cast!" raising anticipation for how they will portray the Shinsengumi of a new era.

Character visuals, highlighting the unique individuality of each role while paying respect to the original characters, along with character movies that vividly convey each character, have been released on the official social media accounts and the TBS official YouTube channel, "YouTuboo." Please enjoy the vibrant, expressive faces of these young men who lived fiercely through their era.

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.

This unprecedentedly large-scale “Japanese sword-action entertainment" will continue to feature even more lead-class actors, with young actors and renowned character actors also to be announced. Try to guess which character will be played by whom—and stay tuned for further updates!

The Shinsengumi members depicted in Chiruran are a group of truly unique and individualistic figures. We gathered a cast who can fully unleash their power and truly live their roles for each of these characters.
During the first day of filming at the Shieikan, Yamada Yuki, as Hijikata, completely captured the hearts of everyone there with his performance. Some shed tears, others were filled with excitement, and our Shinsengumi literally became one team.
Please look forward to seeing the heart-stirring exploits of this Shinsengumi!

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

Isami Kondo - Nobuyuki Suzuki
Keisuke Yamanami - Aoi Nakamura
Soji Okita - Kanata Hosoda
Shinpachi Nagakura - Shuhei Uesugi
Hajime Saito - Kisetsu Fujiwara
Eisaburo Abiru - Yosuke Sugino
Sanosuke Harada - Yanagi Shuntaro
Heisuke Todo - Shuto Miyazaki
Genzaburo Inoue - Hihio Iwanaga

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 >
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