The Heroic Legend of Arslan (manga)

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The Heroic Legend of Arslan
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Arslan
アルスラーン戦記
(Arusurān Senki)
Genre
Manga
Written byYoshiki Tanaka
Illustrated byHiromu Arakawa
Published byKodansha
English publisher
ImprintShōnen Magazine Comics
MagazineBessatsu Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runJuly 9, 2013 – present
Volumes20 (List of volumes)
Further information
Anime television series
Directed byNoriyuki Abe
Produced by
  • Tetsurō Satomi
  • Toshihiro Maeda
  • Reo Kurosu
  • Hirokazu Hara
  • Tsutomu Yanagimura
  • Chitose Kawazoe
  • Yōko Tanaka
Written byMakoto Uezu
Music byTaro Iwashiro
Studio
Licensed byCrunchyroll
Original networkJNN (MBS)
Original run April 5, 2015 – September 27, 2015
Episodes25 (List of episodes)
Original video animation
Directed byNoriyuki Abe
Produced by
  • Reo Kurosu
  • Chitose Kawazoe
  • Kensuke Tateishi
  • Kazuaki Takahashi
Written byMakoto Uezu
Music byTaro Iwashiro
Studio
  • Liden Films
  • Sanzigen
Released May 9, 2016 – November 9, 2016
Runtime25–28 minutes
Episodes2 (List of episodes)
Anime television series
The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance
Directed byNoriyuki Abe
Produced by
  • Tetsurō Satomi
  • Toshihiro Maeda
  • Reo Kurosu
  • Hirokazu Hara
  • Chitose Kawazoe
  • Yōko Tanaka
  • Yumi Wakabayashi
Written byMakoto Uezu
Music byTaro Iwashiro
StudioLiden Films
Licensed by
Original networkJNN (MBS)
Original run July 3, 2016 – August 21, 2016
Episodes8 (List of episodes)
icon Anime and manga portal

The Heroic Legend of Arslan (Japanese: アルスラーン戦記, Hepburn: Arusurān Senki, lit. 'Arslan War Records') is a Japanese manga series by Hiromu Arakawa, based on the original novel series of the same name written by Yoshiki Tanaka. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine since July 2013. The manga is licensed for English release in North America by Kodansha USA.

A 25-episode anime television series adaptation produced by Liden Films and Sanzigen was broadcast on MBS from April to September 2015, followed by an 8-episode series, titled The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance, broadcast from July to August 2016. The anime series is licensed in North America by Funimation.

Plot[edit]

Media[edit]

Manga[edit]

Main article: List of The Heroic Legend of Arslan chapters

The manga adaptation of Yoshiki Tanaka's The Heroic Legend of Arslan by Hiromu Arakawa was announced by Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in May 2013;[3] the series started in the magazine on July 9 of the same year.[4] In March 2023, it was announced that the series entered its "final decisive battle."[5] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on April 9, 2014.[6] As of January 9, 2024, twenty volumes have been released.[7][8]

In North America, the manga was digitally published in English by Crunchyroll Manga from 2014 until 2018, when the company announced that they would no longer publish manga from Kodansha.[9][10] Kodansha USA began publishing the manga in print and digital format on August 19, 2014.[11][2]

Anime[edit]

Main article: List of The Heroic Legend of Arslan episodes

An anime television series was announced in November 2014.[12] The series is directed by Noriyuki Abe, with scripts by Makoto Uezu.[13] The series aired from April 5 to September 27, 2015, on MBS's Nichi-5 [ja] timeslot and other Japan News Network stations.[13][14] The series' first opening theme is "Boku no Kotoba Dewanai Kore wa Boku-tachi no Kotoba" (僕の言葉ではない これは僕達の言葉, "These Aren't My Words, They're Our Words"), performed by Uverworld, while the first ending theme is "Lapis Lazuli" (ラピスラズリ, Rapisu Razuri), performed by Eir Aoi.[15][16] The second opening theme is "Uzu to Uzu" (渦と渦, "Swirl and Swirl"), performed by Nico Touches the Walls, while the second ending theme is "One Light", performed by Kalafina.[17] An original animation DVD (OAD) was bundled with the manga's fifth limited edition volume, released on May 9, 2016.[18]

In North America, Funimation announced the license to the series in April 2015,[19] and began a broadcast dub in June of the same year.[20]

An 8-episode second season, titled The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance (アルスラーン戦記 風塵乱舞, Arusurān Senki Fūjin Ranbu), aired from July 3 to August 21, 2016.[21][22][23] Another OAD was bundled with the manga's sixth limited edition volume, which released on November 9, 2016.[24]

Video games[edit]

Main article: Arslan: The Warriors of Legend

A Musou crossover game developed by Koei Tecmo, titled Arslan: The Warriors of Legend (アルスラーン戦記×無双, Arusurān Senki × Musō), was released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on October 1, 2015.[25] The game was released in North America on February 9, 2016, and in Europe on February 12 of that same year.[26]

A smartphone game, Arslan Senki: Senshi no Shikaku (アルスラーン戦記 戦士の資格, "The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Warrior's Qualification"), distributed by Sakura Soft, was launched on April 27, 2017,[27] and ended service on August 16, 2018.[28]

Reception[edit]

Manga[edit]

Alongside How Are You?, The Heroic Legend of Arslan ranked 17th on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2015 for male readers.[29] The manga ranked eighth on "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2015" by the Honya Club online bookstore.[30] The series was nominated for the 42nd Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2018.[31] The series ranked 35th on Da Vinci magazine's 17th annual "Book of the Year" 2017 list and ranked 45th on the magazine's 19th 2019 list.[32][33]

Sales[edit]

By June 2018, The Heroic Legend of Arslan manga had 5.5 million copies in circulation.[34] The third volume of the series had received an initial print run of 370,000 copies in circulation from the period between April 2014 and March 2015.[35] The seventh volume of the series had an initial print run of 358,000 copies in circulation from the period between April 2017 and March 2018.[36] The eleventh volume of the series had an initial print run of 265,000 copies in circulation from the period between April 2019 and March 2020.[37]

Critical reception[edit]

Kate O'Neil of The Fandom Post ranked the first volume of the manga as B+, and wrote: "Arslan has an appropriately dark start for a story about war. The action is strong, vicious and bloody. The stakes in the war are high, with death all around the young prince and his loyal retainer. It’s a solid start to what will hopefully turn out to be an excellent tale. While the leads haven’t grabbed me yet there’s plenty of time to develop them further".[38] Rebecca SIlverman of Anime News Network gave the first volume a B and wrote: "If you enjoy an epic fantasy with plenty of historical detail and battle scenes and don't mind waiting for the story to really get going, The Heroic Legend of Arslans first volume is worth reading".[1]

Anime[edit]

Theron Martin of Anime News Network ranked the anime series as B. Martin called The Heroic Legend of Arslan "a cross between Yona of the Dawn and Guin Saga", and said that the series is "often most interesting when focusing on anyone but Arslan himself". Martin concluded: "The Heroic Legend of Arslan is an ambitious series, inviting plenty of discussion about slavery and religion and politics in general. While its first half has its flaws, if you are looking for an epic fantasy story largely free of romantic distractions, then you could definitely do a lot worse".[39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Silverman, Rebecca (September 7, 2014). "The Heroic Legend of Arslan GN 1 – Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Loveridge, Lynzee (March 22, 2014). "Kodansha USA Announces The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga Release". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. ^ Loo, Egan (May 7, 2013). "Fullmetal Alchemist's Arakawa to Adapt Tanaka's Arslan Fantasy". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  4. ^ 荒川弘×田中芳樹「アルスラーン戦記」満を持して始動. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 9, 2013. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  5. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (March 13, 2023). "Hiromu Arakawa's The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga Enters 'Final Decisive Battle'". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  6. ^ アルスラーン戦記（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  7. ^ アルスラーン戦記（２０） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  8. ^ アルスラーン戦記（２０）特装版 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
  9. ^ Loo, Egan (March 14, 2014). "Crunchyroll Releases Ajin, Koe no Katachi, Arslan Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  10. ^ Ressler, Karen (February 16, 2018). "Crunchyroll Manga to No Longer Offer Catalog Chapters of Kodansha Titles". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 26, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  11. ^ Ressler, Karen (February 26, 2014). "Kodansha USA to Publish Arslan Manga by Fullmetal Alchemist's Arakawa". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  12. ^ Nelkin, Sarah (November 2, 2014). "The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga Gets Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Ressler, Karen (January 3, 2015). "The Heroic Legend of Arslan Anime's Main Staff, April Premiere Unveiled". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  14. ^ アルスラーン 戦記 THE HEROIC LEGEND OF ARSLAN. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  15. ^ Nelkin, Sarah (March 8, 2015). "6th The Heroic Legend of Arslan TV Spot Previews Eir Aoi Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  16. ^ Loo, Egan (March 15, 2015). "The Heroic Legend of Arslan TV Anime's 7th Ad, UVERworld Song, More Cast Revealed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 14, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 6, 2015). "Kalafina, Nico Touches The Walls to Perform New Arslan Themes". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  18. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (October 10, 2015). "Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga's 5th Volume Listed With Bundled DVD". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  19. ^ Ressler, Karen (April 2, 2015). "Funimation Adds The Heroic Legend of Arslan Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  20. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 5, 2015). "Funimation Reveals Broadcast Dub Casts For Arslan, Ultimate Otaku Teacher, Show By Rock!!, Mikagura School Suite". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  21. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 27, 2016). "The Heroic Legend of Arslan 2nd Season Premieres in July". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  22. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 8, 2016). "Heroic Legend of Arslan Anime's 2nd Season Will Have 8 Episodes, July 3 Premiere". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  23. ^ アルスラーン戦記 THE HEROIC LEGEND OF ARSLAN - 風塵乱舞 -. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  24. ^ "The Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga's 6th Volume Listed With Bundled DVD". Anime News Network. May 2, 2016. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  25. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (May 7, 2015). "Heroic Legend of Arslan Manga Gets Musou Game for PS4, PS3". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  26. ^ Ressler, Karen (January 14, 2016). "Arslan: The Warriors of Legend's English-Subtitled Trailer, PC Release Revealed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  27. ^ 新作アプリ「アルスラーン戦記 戦士の資格」は4月27日に配信。レア度★4のナルサスなど，豪華報酬のプレゼントも決定. 4gamer.net (in Japanese). April 21, 2017. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  28. ^ さくらソフト、『アルスラーン戦記 戦士の資格』のサービスを2018年8月16日をもって終了. Gamebiz (in Japanese). June 27, 2018. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  29. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (December 8, 2014). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2015's Series Ranking for Male Readers". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  30. ^ Ressler, Karen (February 4, 2015). "Japanese Bookstores Recommend 15 Top Manga for 2015". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  31. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 5, 2018). "42nd Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Nominees Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  32. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 6, 2016). "March comes in like a lion Tops Da Vinci Magazine's Rankings for 2nd Year". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  33. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (December 6, 2018). "Detective Conan Manga Tops Da Vinci Ranking". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  34. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 9, 2018). "Roundup of Newly Revealed Print Counts for Manga, Light Novel Series (May-June 2018)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  35. ^ Ressler, Karen (June 6, 2015). "Manga With Biggest 1st Printings from Kodansha, Shogakukan, Shueisha: 2014-2015". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  36. ^ Ressler, Karen (April 6, 2018). "Manga With Biggest 1st Printings from Kodansha, Shogakukan, Shueisha: 2017-2018". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  37. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 4, 2020). "Manga With Biggest 1st Printings from Kodansha, Shogakukan, Shueisha: 2019-2020". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 3, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  38. ^ O'Neil, Kate (September 1, 2014). "Heroic Legend Of Arslan Vol. #01 Manga Review". The Fandom Post. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  39. ^ Martin, Theron (September 22, 2016). "The Heroic Legend of Arslan BD+DVD S1 P1 - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.

External links[edit]

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