Kingdom (manga)

Kingdom
Cover of the first volume, released in Japan by Shueisha on May 19, 2006.
キングダム (Kingudamu)
Genre	Action, Historical, Drama
Manga
Written by	Yasuhisa Hara
Published by	Shueisha
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Weekly Young Jump
Original run	2006 – present
Volumes	46
Anime television series
Directed by	Jun Kamiya (Season 1) Akira Iwanaga (Season 2)
Studio	Pierrot
Licensed by	NA Funimation
Original network	NHK BS Premium
Original run	June 4, 2012 – March 2, 2014
Episodes	77 (List of episodes)

Kingdom (キングダム, Kingudamu^?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara (泰久原). The manga provides a fictionalized account of the Warring States period primarily through the experiences of the war orphan Xin and his comrades as he fights to become the greatest general under the heavens, and in doing so, unifying China for the first time in history. The series was adapted into a thirty-eight episode anime series by studio Pierrot that aired from June 4, 2012 to February 25, 2013. A second season was announced and aired from June 8, 2013 to March 1, 2014. An English language release of the anime was licensed by Funimation.

Born in the Warring States period of ancient China, Xin and Piao are war-orphans in the kingdom of Qin who dream of becoming "Great Generals of the Heavens" to rise from their lowly stations in life. One day, however, Piao is taken to the palace by a minister to be used for an unknown purpose, leaving Xin alone as a household slave in a peasant village. A few months later, Piao returns to the village on the verge of death, urging Xin to travel to another village. There he meets a boy who looks nearly identical to Piao, Ying Zheng, the current King of Qin. Xin learns that Piao served as a body double for Ying Zheng, and was mortally wounded in a power struggle for the throne. Though initially furious at Ying Zheng for causing Piao's death, Xin decides to seize the opportunity and aid Ying Zheng in defeating his brother and reclaiming the Qin throne. Successful in this endeavor, Xin officially starts his life as a Qin commander on the battlefields of Warring States China with the goal of becoming the "Greatest General in the World", and to help King Zheng of Qin achieve his dream of total unification, ending the incessant warfare once and for all.