If you are familiar with the world of manga, then you have surely heard of Kingdom. The series has been around since 2006, and it remains one of the industry’s most popular titles. Even without an on-going anime, Kingdom has earnings comparable to titles like One Piece. So, if you still need an in to the series, then you don’t have to look any further.
After all, Shueisha did make a live-action short film based on the series.
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If you need to trigger your interest to Kingdom, then you have got to check out its live-action past. Last year, Young Jump produced a short film for Kingdom with help from Hengdian World Studios in China. The commemorative film was done to honor the franchise’s tenth anniversary, and fans are still hoping a major studio will pick up the series for a full-length feature.
Yes, manga readers are actually okay with Kingdom heading to live-action if it looks like this. That should tell you how well-received the short film has been.
The clip, which can be seen above, is a sobering one that introduces the warring world of Kingdom. It begins with an up-close shot of Shin as the boy struggles to his feat against Hou Ken during the Battle of Sai. A montage of scenes from the series also show characters like Hyou, Kyou Kai, and Ei Sei. The lumbering reel then ends back in the present with Shin charging against Hou Ken, and Kyou Kai wraps the trailer with a mysterious smile.
While the film does have its discrepancies, it stays very true to Kingdom‘s canon. It manages to distill the story’s 300+ chapters into a very intriguing reel, and fans of Kingdom cannot help but want more.
If you are not familiar with Kingdom, then you have quite a bit to read. The series was created by Yasuhira Hara and is still on-going. The story is set in China during the Warring States period and follows two orphans named Ri Shin and Hyou. When the latter dies, Shin finds himself involved in a conspiracy which allows him to join the army. Shin dreams of becoming the world’s greatest general, and the hero tries to do so by helping Ei Sei of Quin unify China before its internal conflicts split it apart.
Would you like to see Kingdom get its own live-action film or perhaps a rebooted anime series? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!
