Nobunaga Concerto

Nobunaga Concerto (信長) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ayumi Ishii. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday since May 2009, with its chapters collected in twenty-two tankōbon volumes as of February 2022.

A ten-episode anime television series adaptation was broadcast on Fuji TV from July to September 2014. An eleven-episode television drama adaptation was also broadcast on Fuji TV from October to December 2014. A live-action film premiered in Japan in January 2016.

As of February 2016, the Nobunaga Concerto manga had over 3.5 million copies in circulation. In 2012, the manga won the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category.

Plot
The story centers around Saburō, a high school boy who time-travels to Japan's Sengoku Era. He must become Oda Nobunaga, the famed warlord who helps unite Japan.

Main characters

 * Saburō (サブロー)
 * Played by: Shun Oguri
 * Saburo is a high school boy who finds himself traveling back in time to Japan's Sengoku Era. He meets Oda Nobunaga, who asks Saburo to impersonate him because they look like identical. He occasionally uses his textbook regarding Nobunaga's life to guide him through the events he needs to create.
 * Saburo is a high school boy who finds himself traveling back in time to Japan's Sengoku Era. He meets Oda Nobunaga, who asks Saburo to impersonate him because they look like identical. He occasionally uses his textbook regarding Nobunaga's life to guide him through the events he needs to create.


 * Oda Nobunaga (織田信長)
 * Played by: Shun Oguri
 * The real Oda Nobunaga. Unable to withstand the political pressure as Nobunaga, he has Saburo take his place while he travels around the country. He eventually ends up taking over the Akechi Clan after the previous leader had no heir, and now works under Saburō (fake Nobunaga) as Akechi Mitsuhide.
 * The real Oda Nobunaga. Unable to withstand the political pressure as Nobunaga, he has Saburo take his place while he travels around the country. He eventually ends up taking over the Akechi Clan after the previous leader had no heir, and now works under Saburō (fake Nobunaga) as Akechi Mitsuhide.


 * Kichō (帰蝶)
 * Played by: Kou Shibasaki
 * Kichō is Nobunaga's wife
 * Kichō is Nobunaga's wife


 * Kinoshita Tōkichirō (木下藤吉郎)
 * Played by: Takayuki Yamada
 * Tokichiro was originally a spy from the Imagawa, sent to ruin the Oda. Tokichiro initially attempted to incite rebellion through Nobuyuki as well as acting as a stable boy for the Oda army in the Imagawa's advance. Both areas failed as Nobuyuki was betrayed by Katsuie and, due to a miscommunication, he sends incorrect info to Yoshimito, leading to his death at Okehazama. With no place to go, he bides his time under Nobunaga, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill him.
 * Tokichiro was originally a spy from the Imagawa, sent to ruin the Oda. Tokichiro initially attempted to incite rebellion through Nobuyuki as well as acting as a stable boy for the Oda army in the Imagawa's advance. Both areas failed as Nobuyuki was betrayed by Katsuie and, due to a miscommunication, he sends incorrect info to Yoshimito, leading to his death at Okehazama. With no place to go, he bides his time under Nobunaga, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill him.


 * Oichi (お市)
 * Played by: Kiko Mizuhara
 * Oichi is Nobunaga's younger sister.
 * Oichi is Nobunaga's younger sister.

Other characters

 * Ikeda Tsuneoki (池田恒興)
 * Played by: Osamu Mukai
 * Played by: Osamu Mukai


 * Shibata Katsuie (柴田勝家)
 * Played by: Masahiro Takashima
 * Originally a retainer of Nobuyuki, Katsuie was initially unable to understand Nobunaga's behaviour, and attempted to kill Matsudaira Motoyasu in order to show Nobunaga's incompetence. Years later, he soon realizes that Nobunaga not only has the support of the people, but also has the ambition to rule the land. Siding with Nobunaga instead, he is still often baffled by his lord's decision making.
 * Originally a retainer of Nobuyuki, Katsuie was initially unable to understand Nobunaga's behaviour, and attempted to kill Matsudaira Motoyasu in order to show Nobunaga's incompetence. Years later, he soon realizes that Nobunaga not only has the support of the people, but also has the ambition to rule the land. Siding with Nobunaga instead, he is still often baffled by his lord's decision making.


 * Maeda Toshiie (前田利家)
 * Played by: Taisuke Fujigaya
 * A violent man, he was found by Nobunaga fighting in the streets. As punishment for his rowdy behaviour, he was not allowed to serve in the army until after Nobunaga's first few battles.
 * A violent man, he was found by Nobunaga fighting in the streets. As punishment for his rowdy behaviour, he was not allowed to serve in the army until after Nobunaga's first few battles.


 * Sassa Narimasa (佐々成政)
 * Played by: Shinnosuke Abe
 * Like Toshiie, Narimasa was a violent person and was fighting Toshiie when they were both scouted by Nobunaga. Later on, he becomes a full-fledged officer of the Oda.
 * Like Toshiie, Narimasa was a violent person and was fighting Toshiie when they were both scouted by Nobunaga. Later on, he becomes a full-fledged officer of the Oda.


 * Niwa Nagahide (丹羽長秀)
 * Played by: Masanobu Sakata
 * Played by: Masanobu Sakata


 * Takugen (沢彦)
 * Played by: Denden
 * Played by: Denden


 * Matsudaira Motoyasu (徳川家康)
 * Played by: Gaku Hamada
 * Initially a young hostage for the Oda, Motoyasu becomes indebted to Nobunaga after he rescues the young child's life from Katsuie's assassination attempt. Being given Saburo ("Nobunaga")'s modern day pornographic magazine, he eventually forms an alliance with the Oda after the collapse of the Imagawa forces at Okehazama to repay his debt to Nobunaga.
 * Initially a young hostage for the Oda, Motoyasu becomes indebted to Nobunaga after he rescues the young child's life from Katsuie's assassination attempt. Being given Saburo ("Nobunaga")'s modern day pornographic magazine, he eventually forms an alliance with the Oda after the collapse of the Imagawa forces at Okehazama to repay his debt to Nobunaga.


 * Takenaka Hanbei (竹中半兵衛)
 * Played by: Naohito Fujiki
 * A strategist that initially served Saito Tatsuoki, he became dissatisfied with his lord's complacency over Inabayama Castle's victories against Nobunaga, and proceeds to take the castle for himself. Interested in Nobunaga's vision of the world, he eventually turns against the Saito, and joins the Oda forces.
 * A strategist that initially served Saito Tatsuoki, he became dissatisfied with his lord's complacency over Inabayama Castle's victories against Nobunaga, and proceeds to take the castle for himself. Interested in Nobunaga's vision of the world, he eventually turns against the Saito, and joins the Oda forces.


 * Azai Nagamasa (浅井長政)
 * Played by: Issei Takahashi
 * Played by: Issei Takahashi


 * Azai Hisamasa (浅井久政)
 * Played by: Kunio Murai
 * Played by: Kunio Murai


 * Endo Naotsune (遠藤直経)


 * Isono Kazumasa (磯野員昌)


 * Mori Yoshinari (森可成)
 * Played by: Yoshiyuki Morishita
 * Played by: Yoshiyuki Morishita


 * Mori Nagayoshi (森長可)
 * Played by: Takumi Kitamura
 * Played by: Takumi Kitamura


 * Mori Ranmaru (森蘭丸)


 * Mori Bōmaru (森坊丸)


 * Mori Rikimaru (森力丸)


 * Ashikaga Yoshiaki (足利義昭)
 * Played by: Keisuke Horibe
 * Played by: Keisuke Horibe


 * Matsunaga Hisahide (松永久秀)
 * Played by: Arata Furuta
 * Originally a Yakuza member before being transported to the past, Hisahide relishes the chaos of the Sengoku period, believing it to be a battle where only the strongest win. Meeting Nobunaga after his rejection of the Shogun's letter to attack the Oda, Hisahide offers his loose loyalty to Nobunaga until the time he can rebel.
 * Originally a Yakuza member before being transported to the past, Hisahide relishes the chaos of the Sengoku period, believing it to be a battle where only the strongest win. Meeting Nobunaga after his rejection of the Shogun's letter to attack the Oda, Hisahide offers his loose loyalty to Nobunaga until the time he can rebel.


 * Oda Nobuyuki (織田信行)
 * Played by: Yūya Yagira
 * Nobunaga's younger brother, whom he spites to the core. Nobuyuki, while afraid of Nobunaga, was also tired of his brother's erratic behaviour. In his brother's youth, Nobuyuki had Nohime kidnapped, which was exposed by Nobunaga in front of their father. Years later, he is incited into rebellion by Kinoshita, falsely believing that the Imagawa would support him as the lord of Owari. Failing in his rebellion, he attempts to kill Nobunaga once more when he is sick, only to be betrayed by Katsuie. After his third failure, he commits suicide, but encourages Nobunaga to take the world without the permission of others.
 * Nobunaga's younger brother, whom he spites to the core. Nobuyuki, while afraid of Nobunaga, was also tired of his brother's erratic behaviour. In his brother's youth, Nobuyuki had Nohime kidnapped, which was exposed by Nobunaga in front of their father. Years later, he is incited into rebellion by Kinoshita, falsely believing that the Imagawa would support him as the lord of Owari. Failing in his rebellion, he attempts to kill Nobunaga once more when he is sick, only to be betrayed by Katsuie. After his third failure, he commits suicide, but encourages Nobunaga to take the world without the permission of others.


 * Hirate Masahide (平手政秀)
 * An elderly man who is the tutor of Nobunaga, he is befuddled by Nobunaga's lax behaviour and constantly remonstrates his lord for his laziness. While reviewing conscripts, he notices that Kinoshita is a spy for another warlord and rejects him. Eventually, he is murdered by Kinoshita and another Imagawa spy, and dies telling Nobunaga to not let the world think him a fool. Kinoshita would later kill his associate in order to be able to infiltrate the Oda Army.
 * An elderly man who is the tutor of Nobunaga, he is befuddled by Nobunaga's lax behaviour and constantly remonstrates his lord for his laziness. While reviewing conscripts, he notices that Kinoshita is a spy for another warlord and rejects him. Eventually, he is murdered by Kinoshita and another Imagawa spy, and dies telling Nobunaga to not let the world think him a fool. Kinoshita would later kill his associate in order to be able to infiltrate the Oda Army.


 * Saitō Dōsan (斎藤道三)
 * Played by: Toshiyuki Nishida
 * The Lord of Mino and the father of Nohime, he was originally a policeman named Nagai Shinichi, who had a family with a daughter. Travelling to the past mysteriously like Saburo, he stays at the Sengoku Period for 30 years. Upon seeing Saburo's school uniform, he gives the younger man his uniform, and later his pistol and a letter to his original daughter and another to Nohime. Like in history, he is killed by his sons in the conflict at Mino.
 * The Lord of Mino and the father of Nohime, he was originally a policeman named Nagai Shinichi, who had a family with a daughter. Travelling to the past mysteriously like Saburo, he stays at the Sengoku Period for 30 years. Upon seeing Saburo's school uniform, he gives the younger man his uniform, and later his pistol and a letter to his original daughter and another to Nohime. Like in history, he is killed by his sons in the conflict at Mino.


 * Hori Hidemasa (堀秀政)


 * Hachisuka Koroku (蜂須賀小六)
 * Played by: Katsuya
 * Played by: Katsuya


 * Yasuke (弥助)
 * Originally a batter for an unknown professional baseball team, Yasuke was transported to the Sengoku period, where he is found by Nobunaga. While taken in as an officer, he is bewildered by the savage culture of the time period as well as his baseball bat being mistaken as a weapon.
 * Originally a batter for an unknown professional baseball team, Yasuke was transported to the Sengoku period, where he is found by Nobunaga. While taken in as an officer, he is bewildered by the savage culture of the time period as well as his baseball bat being mistaken as a weapon.


 * Saitō Yoshitatsu (斉藤義竜)
 * Played by: Hirofumi Arai
 * Played by: Hirofumi Arai


 * Asakura Kagetake (朝倉景健)

Manga
Nobunaga Concerto is written and illustrated by Ayumi Ishii. Ishii started the manga in the first ever issue of Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday, the June 2009 issue, released on May 12, 2009. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on November 12, 2009. As of February 10, 2022, twenty-two volumes have been released. The series will end with the release of its 23rd volume.

Anime
A 10-episode anime television series adaptation was announced in May 2014. The series is directed by Yūsuke Fujikawa, scripted by Natsuko Takahashi and music composed by Masaru Yokoyama. The series aired on Fuji TV from July 12 to September 20, 2014. The series was streamed worldwide outside of Asia on Crunchyroll.

Drama
An 11-episode Japanese television drama was announced in May 2014. It stars Shun Oguri as Saburo and Nobunaga. It was broadcast on Fuji TV from October 13 to December 22, 2014.

Live-action film
A live-action film adaptation was announced in May 2014. It features the same cast from the television drama and premiered in Japan on January 23, 2016.

Reception
As of February 2016, the manga had over 3.5 million copies in circulation. The series placed 10th on Kono Manga ga Sugoi!'s 2012 list of Top 10 Manga for Male Readers. In 2012, Nobunaga Concerto won the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category. It was nominated for the 5th Manga Taishō Award in 2012, and ranked 3rd with 57 points.