Nihon Sangoku / I want to praise the achievement of reviving classical education and psychological warfare / TV Anime 'Nihon Sangoku' Review and Impressions

Introduction

I have not read the original manga.

Warriors who use classical education as a common language, and the exchange of psychological warfare between cunning individuals.
Oh my, this was right up my alley.
Live-action period dramas should also be like 'Nihon Sangoku',
quoting classics and engaging in debates.

I suddenly shouted my love for it, but...
Actually, I stopped watching after the first episode.
It looked interesting, like a future Warring States Japan, but
I was already watching this year's Taiga drama about the Warring States period, so I put it on the back burner.

I returned to it after the broadcast had entered its second half.
I heard rumors on social media about a scenario involving the 'Empty Fort Strategy' from the 'Thirty-Six Stratagems'.

In Japan's Warring States period, the 'Empty Fort Strategy' used by Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Mikatagahara is a personal favorite of mine.
Recently, these kinds of tactical maneuvers based on classical education
have not been featured much in things like Taiga dramas,
and I was feeling lonely, and then came 'Nihon Sangoku'.

When I heard 'Empty Fort Strategy'!? I got excited,
and in June, I caught up from episode 2 and fell headfirst into the swamp.

'Nihon Sangoku'. It is certainly an outrageous sci-fi fantasy.
If I started nitpicking, there would be no end to it.

But I,would rather praise it as a wild sci-fi setting
designed to maximize the fun of classical education and psychological warfare battles.

In this article, I would like to talk about that aspect.

Story 📖

A post-apocalyptic setting for the restoration of Eastern classics

The worldview of 'Nihon Sangoku' looks like a 'future Warring States Japan' at first glance, but
I felt that its true nature is a civilization collapse setting for the restoration of Eastern classics.

The author must really love the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
There seems to be some geopolitical basis, but the three-way division of Japan is also a forced border line driven by a passion for the tripartite balance of power.
The protagonist, Shoki, who later becomes a 'genius strategist', is even equipped with a Zhuge Liang fan.
Love for the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' is bursting out everywhere.

And above all, the evaporation of modern Western civilization.
This is the biggest outrageous element, and also the biggest 'gimmick'.

Reiwa, the 'end of the Japanese era'. Even though our country, which was so obsessed with the West,
underwent a civilization collapse, is it possible for the influence of Western civilization to recede to the level of the early Meiji period?
If you think about it normally, you'd say 'that wouldn't happen'.
However, I feel the author's true intentions and aims here.

The author wanted warriors who have acquired Chinese classics and the like
as a common education,
to test each other's intelligence and courage, and to deceive one another.
The kind of tactical maneuvering seen in historical works related to the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and old-school Taiga dramas.
I perceived that they wanted to do this to their heart's content,
without worrying about the criticism of realists who are overly concerned with historical facts.

It is not a sci-fi setting for talking about the future,
but I understand it as having blown away modern Western civilization through civilization collapse,
in order to revive the real thrill of past historical dramas—the exchange of classical education—
in modern manga and anime.

That is why, rather than deducting points for this work as an 'outrageous sci-fi',
I think it is overwhelmingly more enjoyable to add points to it as a work that maximizes classical psychological warfare battles.

The vividness of a 'historical drama' that even incorporates the bitter regrets born of education

Episode 8, 'The Decisive Battle of Dragon and Tiger'. The aforementioned 'Empty Fort Strategy'.

Ryumon Mitsuhide, a frontier general of Yamato who fell into a predicament,
brewed tea alone in the middle of the Kuzuryu Bridge,
making the massive army of Sei-i led by Commander Wajima Ouka
suspicious of an ambush and causing them to retreat; this was the climax of the Western Expedition of Sei-i.

For Commander Wajima, who had united Sei-i with such strong charisma until now,
this battle became a bitter retreat that greatly damaged his authority.

A historical drama born precisely because both sides shared classical knowledge like the 'Empty Fort Strategy' and over-analyzed each other's hidden intentions.

In real history, there are cases where even later historians are left wondering why such a bad move was made.
But that is easy to say in hindsight.

The people involved in history were doing their best in the moment with limited information.
That is precisely why it leaves such deep regrets.
But that, too, is the true thrill of history.

Even though the setting is outlandish,this kind of intellectual battle feels strangely vivid,
and at times, you can feel the human nature of making mistakes, which draws you in.

The schemes spanning several years feel like 'Taiga drama' material.

The bitter regret at Kuzuryu River caused by over-analyzing.
But that was just a misdirection in the way of over-analyzing,
and the fact that reading the opponent's heart is an essential skill to survive this 'Three Kingdoms era' is another part of this work's depth.
In the final stages, the unveiling of strategies by masters who have been plotting over a span of several years makes you keenly feel the severity of this era, where you cannot survive without a broad perspective and probing each other's true intentions.

Symbolic of this was the revelation in the final stages of the true intentions of the frontier army strategist, Yasuaki Kaku, which were embedded in the early second episode, 'The Dragon Gate'.

In 'The Dragon Gate' itself, Aoteru attempts to clear the difficult challenge of making General Ryumon kneel, which is the condition for appointment, through his own strategy.
It is a compelling episode, much like the origin of a classic idiom.

Furthermore, behind the scenes, the strategist Kaku was suffering from a fatal illness at the time of the Dragon Gate, and he had been harboring a long-term plan to entrust the future of the frontier army and the peace of Japan to promising young talents like Aoteru, recommending early appointment at the Dragon Gate to General Ryumon.

For the sake of a grand ambition, he continues to deceive even his own allies over a span of years. The strategist Kaku's military strategy against the 'Seii Conquest' as a final touch. It gave me chills.

Although, in the end, a monster with an even more devious broad perspective runs wild.

A 'Taiga drama'-level script technique where early episodes are paid off and redefined many episodes later.
I truly hope that 'Nihon Sangoku' will continue to have anime sequels produced for dozens of episodes to come, and surprise us by making us realize, 'So that scene back then meant this!?'

Art: The 'Seii Conquest' location that delights the people of Hokuriku.

Planning to expand the audience with art conscious of 'pop' appeal.

Animation Production: Studio Kafka

A 'Three Kingdoms era' where intense faces harboring hidden agendas line up. The screen tends to become heavy.
However, the staff made the visuals appropriately lightweight with a 'pop' sensibility, appealing to audiences beyond just 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and history fans.

Even though the episodes being depicted are heavy, they appropriately mix in gags, simple streamlined backgrounds, and comical facial expressions, so it is surprisingly not tiring to watch.

As for me, I would have stood my ground even if the visuals had remained heavier, but the light rhythm of the contrast is likely one of the reasons why it consistently occupied the top rankings on Amazon Prime, one of the distribution platforms for 'Nihon Sangoku'.

The 'Seii Western Expedition' that set Hokuriku, especially Fukui and Ishikawa, on fire

Despite being an absurd post-apocalyptic story, the setting is surprisingly solid, with borders based on geopolitics.

The background art, which was reportedly created while staring at Google Maps, also reproduced the reality of the terrain and brought weight to the story.

As a Hokuriku native from Ishikawa Prefecture, the Seii Western Expedition was also a joyful episode where Fukui and Ishikawa were heavily featured.

The strategy of General Wajima of the Seii to launch a surprise attack from Okuetsu. It also reproduced the ruggedness of the Hokuriku prefectural border, which was mocked as an 'isolated island on land' during the Showa era before highways and national roads were developed.
The plot point of refurbishing an abandoned 'Japan Era' highway tunnel on the Ishikawa-Fukui border to carry out a surprise attack via the Okuetsu route.
As a Hokuriku native, I watched this with a sense of conviction.

It was also a pleasure to see familiar place names like the Tedori River and Daishoji become the stages for battles.
Furthermore, the fact that they even set up camp at the ruins of the Tedori Fishland amusement park made the excitement of Ishikawa residents peak.
By the way, Tedori Fishland is the 'largest comprehensive leisure land in Hokuriku,' which grew from a fishing pond operator on the south bank of the Tedori River to an amusement park level, and sometimes Ultraman comes to visit.

The stages on the Fukui Prefecture side are also unique, with the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum becoming 'Kuzuryu Castle,' and the base of the Yamato Frontier General's army being placed at the Fukui Prefectural Office, or 'Fukui Reihoku Castle.'

Local tourism department staff should also
stop expecting anything from Taiga dramas that skip the Battle of the Tedori River in narration (← still saying it)
and bet on 'Nihon Sangoku' pilgrimage business!

With that said, the digital stamp rally is being held until the end of this year.
It seems they are doing it in Fukui Prefecture too.
This gives me another excuse to go play around in Fukui.

Characters: The confrontation between corruption and ambition

Taira no Denki—A boss character with dignity who stands in the way of rising young people

The protagonist of Yamato, Aoteru Misumi, is an Ehime native who seeks to clear his late wife's regret and fulfill the great wish of peace in Japan through his intellect.

Yoshitsune Asama of the same country, also known as 'Tsune-chan,' is a Wakayama native who is an overconfident son of a prestigious family aiming to rise through martial arts, and is Aoteru's rival and frenemy.

Adults who stand as walls to the young people who are making a name for themselves, trying to correct this corrupt country from the Dragon Gate.

Especially Taira no Denki.
This Osaka native, who is the Minister of Home Affairs and the de facto ruler of Yamato, poisoned the previous emperor and boasted, 'I am the state.'
Furthermore, he is a tyrant type who would have someone's head chopped off in a second just because they displeased him, and he is also Aoteru's nemesis.

Even in the story, the Taira faction repeatedly uses hateful provocations to try and disturb the calm emotions of Aoteru and his friends.
I wanted to applaud Aoteru many times for enduring it so well.

However, Taira no Denki is not just a fool who sits in a position of power and destroys himself; he has the capacity to listen to logical arguments, and he possesses a broad perspective that allows him to plan strategies over several years.
Above all, he has a strange charm that makes him stand out in the world even if he is hated. Even if he does cut off heads.

I also felt his charm through his 10-year-old son, the Grand Librarian Taira no Tonotsugu.
In his case, I thought he was just an impudent brat who would insult the Dragon Gate Frontier General by calling him bald and flaunt his father's authority to adults, but in the second half, he showed signs of repentance, and I was drawn to that unexpected side of him.

In any case, Taira no Denki.
It's as if the Taira no Kiyomori and the Retired Emperor Shirakawa from the NHK Taiga drama 'Taira no Kiyomori' were combined into a demon.
Even Fuji the 3rd would wet his pants.
Unless this brazen boss character is defeated, the great ambition of achieving peace in Japan cannot be realized.
This looks like it will be a tough nut to crack from here on out.

Wajima Ouga — How the 'idolization' of politics invites dictatorship and war

Wajima Ouga. A Noto native who rose to become the Sei-i Commander-in-Chief through a coup d'état,
and the young leader who launched the Western Expedition of Sei-i against the Yamato Kingdom.

In 'Nihon Sangoku,' which features a style reminiscent of classic historical dramas,
what I felt was a modern element was the process of Wajima Ouga's manipulation of public sentiment.

The corrupt Sei-i upper echelons who 'betray' the Yamato Kingdom are defeated by the lovely and 'precious' resistance leader Ouga,
who then saves and leads the Sei-i nation with the kindness of personally serving porridge to the people.
The dissemination of a story that stirs up the public opinion of the entire nation toward the conquest of Yamato, which is truly tormenting Sei-i.

The prestige of the 'precious' Commander Wajima even reaches the Yamato frontier general troops,
and some of the dim-witted warlords even end up being 'swayed' into teaming up with Wajima and Sei-i to defeat Taira no Denki.

There, for colleagues like Strategist Kaku who retained their intelligence and sanity,
the porridge Commander Wajima served was actually repurposed from goods confiscated from the old government.
While justifying the coup d'état as saving the people exhausted by corruption and cold,
there is a self-contradiction in inciting a great war that will deplete the people the most.
Is there any true justice in the Western Expedition of Sei-i, where Wajima Ouga's personal motives, such as avenging his father, are hidden?

The process of breaking the brainwashing of the people who were infatuated with their 'idol' through calm fact-checking was impressive.
In the real Japan as well, the 'idolization' of politics is being mocked,
and these days, I myself tend to get immersed in videos of the political party I support, as if I were just watching the recent activities of an idol.

Taking Sei-i, which paid a high price as a result of political fanaticism, as a lesson,
I also want to be mindful of calm political participation.

Voice Actors 🎙️ Passionate long lines drive the conversational drama

Kensho Ono, who plays the lead, Misumi Aoteru.
In recent years, as the voice of Hathaway Noa (the second generation) in 'Hathaway's Flash',
he is a voice actor who is also adept at playing excellent and cunning young men.

The fact that the battle of wits through long lines stands out so much that the script pages are filled with Aoteru's lines is also 'Taiga drama' level.
The actor himself humbly says things like he stumbled over his lines,
but it was a passionate eloquence that made me want to be taken in by Aoteru's eccentric proposals.

Jun Fukuyama, who plays Asama Yoshitsune, also known as Tsune-chan.
In this spring's anime, he also performs in a yose (vaudeville theater) as Shinta Arakawa in 'Akane-banashi',
so he is no less eloquent than Aoteru.

However, Tsune-chan's charm is better displayed in his monologues.
He calls Aoteru a 'plain guy with a 7-3 parting' and talks to himself, vowing that he is the one who will fulfill the great cause.
Tsune-chan unearths Aoteru's charm from a different perspective.
It makes me feel warm inside at his tsundere attitude, thinking, 'He really loves Aoteru, doesn't he?'

By the way, 'Nihon Sangoku' was criticized for things like the Yamato people's Kansai dialect intonation being off.
I thought that since they were recording without much Kansai dialect supervision,
the policy was that civilization had collapsed and it couldn't be helped if the dialects were sloppy or broken, but...

Shunsuke Takeuchi, who plays the frontier general, Lieutenant General Nagamine Shiryo, actually has perfect Satsuma dialect supervision.

Is the Yamato Kingdom of the Three Kingdoms period, where civilization has regressed to the early Meiji level, also biased toward the Satsuma-Choshu faction?
Does the suspicion deepen?

Music 🎵 Contributes to the conversational drama as much as, or more than, the battles

Reaffirming the breadth of Kevin Penkin's repertoire

The composer in charge of the soundtrack is an Australian composer known for his impressive, grand orchestral work on the anime "Made in Abyss".
However, the BGM for this work is a bit of a curveball,

adopting a cross-genre approach focused on entertainment rather than just targeting history fans,
appealing to a wide range of viewers.

The staff mentioned that they asked Kevin to create music that captures Japan from the perspective of a foreigner.
Although Japanese-style sounds are also arranged,
what remained in my heart were the jazz elements inserted into the dialogue scenes.
The light, swinging tracks helped build excitement during Seiki's solo performances as he overcame difficult situations.

Since I was able to recognize Kevin's versatility through this soundtrack,
I would like to hear his BGM in anime works other than sci-fi fantasy in the future.

The theme song animation that returns to Seiki's origins every episode

The OP is "Hidane" by Tatsuya Kitani.
This is also a somewhat tricky, up-tempo number that embodies the rise of a genius who hides a burning passion while wandering through the Three Kingdoms era with a nonchalant air.

The ED is "Chikai" by Leina.
A love ballad with impressive, powerful vocals.
The depiction of Seiki's wife, Koki Higashimachi, in a wedding dress was apparently an anime-original element for the first episode.
Koki in her dress is also included in the ED animation, functioning as an icon that allows us to recall the origin point of Seiki's determination.

Summary

"Nihon Sangoku" is a valuable work that, while wearing the skin of an outrageous sci-fi story,
on the inside, revived the true thrill of classic historical dramas—the exchange of classical education and psychological warfare—for modern anime.

The bold setting of civilization collapse is not for talking about the future, but
a stage device to maximize the intellectual battles of warriors who use the classics as a common language. In the "Empty Fort Strategy" at Kuduryu Bridge, education becomes a trap of overthinking, leading to a painful retreat, and at the Dragon Gate, we see the resolution of difficult problems through the logic of historical idioms. This contrast between the two extremes defined the depth of this work as a historical drama.

In historical dramas, it is the historian's role to worry about historical facts, and in fiction, one should pursue entertainment value.
The distance between historical fact and historical drama.
It left a good impression that the author's sense of balance was conveyed throughout.

It can be said that the author's attitude of being tolerant of the transformation of history and stories by the people who enjoy creation led to the good results of "original work changes" such as the wedding dress mentioned above.
How will the anime "Nihon Sangoku Romance" change in the future,

and what kind of discussions will take place among fans from there?

I want to talk about it until I'm satisfied, so I look forward to the news of an anime sequel production.

References

#AnimeReview #NihonSangoku