Orient (manga)

Orient (オリエント) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka. It was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 2018 to January 2021 and later transferred to Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in February 2021. Kodansha USA licensed the manga for English release in North America. An anime television series adaptation by A.C.G.T aired from January to September 2022.

Plot
The story revolves around a fifteen-year-old boy named Musashi and takes place during Japan's Sengoku period. At the time, Japan is ruled by Oni, and Bushi are considered taboo. Musashi is blending in as a miner along with others, who are brainwashed into thinking that the demons are their saviors and fed lies about the samurai being evil. However, Musashi knows the truth. He wants to confront the demons with his certain special power.

Main characters

 * (武蔵)
 * Musashi is cheerful and caring. He has proven to be determined since he firmly proposed to be a Bushi along with his friend Kojiro. His kitetsu blade is called, a longsword which has a blade that is pitch-black with a pattern that resembles flames.
 * Musashi is cheerful and caring. He has proven to be determined since he firmly proposed to be a Bushi along with his friend Kojiro. His kitetsu blade is called, a longsword which has a blade that is pitch-black with a pattern that resembles flames.


 * Kanemaki Kojirō (鐘巻小次郎)
 * Kojiro is kind, caring and self-sufficient. He tends to be a little competitive with his friend Musashi, even comparing himself to Musashi. His kitetsu blade is called, a katana capable of generating multiple strikes in one action.
 * Kojiro is kind, caring and self-sufficient. He tends to be a little competitive with his friend Musashi, even comparing himself to Musashi. His kitetsu blade is called, a katana capable of generating multiple strikes in one action.


 * Hattori Tsugumi (服部つぐみ)
 * Tsugumi is sweet and forgiving, but also quite manipulative. She is a powerful fighter on her own. She is shown to have a fear of letting toxic people go, and she is only able to do it with the help of her new friends Musashi and Kojiro. Her kitetsu blade is called, a weapon similar to a pair of tonfa but with blades.
 * Tsugumi is sweet and forgiving, but also quite manipulative. She is a powerful fighter on her own. She is shown to have a fear of letting toxic people go, and she is only able to do it with the help of her new friends Musashi and Kojiro. Her kitetsu blade is called, a weapon similar to a pair of tonfa but with blades.

Other characters

 * Kanemaki Jisai (鐘巻自斎)
 * Jisai is the deceased father of Kojiro. He was a kind and calm man. He had to bear the harshness from the townsfolk due to his Bushi origin. He encouraged Kojiro to be proud of being a Bushi descendant.
 * Jisai is the deceased father of Kojiro. He was a kind and calm man. He had to bear the harshness from the townsfolk due to his Bushi origin. He encouraged Kojiro to be proud of being a Bushi descendant.


 * Takeda Naotora (武田尚虎)
 * Naotora is the captain of the Takeda Band. He is very charismatic with a rather mischievous side. His kitetsu blade is called, a small cosmic blade capable of controlling water and fire alike.
 * Naotora is the captain of the Takeda Band. He is very charismatic with a rather mischievous side. His kitetsu blade is called, a small cosmic blade capable of controlling water and fire alike.


 * Yamamoto Shunrai (山本春雷)
 * Shunrai is the vice-captain of the Takeda Band.
 * Shunrai is the vice-captain of the Takeda Band.


 * Sanada Aoshi (真田青志)
 * Aoshi is the second class general of the Takeda Band.
 * Aoshi is the second class general of the Takeda Band.


 * Kosameda Hideo (小雨田英雄)
 * Hideo is the captain of the Kosameda Band. Despite his facade of being calm and gentle, he is actually arrogant and self-centered.
 * Hideo is the captain of the Kosameda Band. Despite his facade of being calm and gentle, he is actually arrogant and self-centered.


 * Inukai Shirō (犬飼四郎)
 * Shiro is a member of the Obsidian Eight. His kitetsu blade is called, an oversized sword with a curved blade that is able to cut out and swap locations, in which the size can range from an average human to an entire mountain top.
 * Shiro is a member of the Obsidian Eight. His kitetsu blade is called, an oversized sword with a curved blade that is able to cut out and swap locations, in which the size can range from an average human to an entire mountain top.


 * Inusaka Nanao (犬坂七緒)
 * Nanao is another member of the Obsidian Eight. Her kitetsu blade is called, a staff that splits into a seven-sectioned sword when activated and used as a whip.
 * Nanao is another member of the Obsidian Eight. Her kitetsu blade is called, a staff that splits into a seven-sectioned sword when activated and used as a whip.


 * Kokuyō no Megami (黒曜の女神)
 * The Obsidian Goddess is the mysterious entity that hides in Musashi's body. She is chased by the Obsidian Eight.
 * The Obsidian Goddess is the mysterious entity that hides in Musashi's body. She is chased by the Obsidian Eight.


 * Saruwatari Michiru (猿渡みちる)
 * Michiru is a princess and a member of the Saruwatari Band. She appears to act cold and distant, but she really has a severe case of shyness, though she eventually opens to Musashi. Her kitetsu blade is called, a dark blue sword with a butterfly-shaped guard on the hilt, which can manifest smaller blades arranged like a umbrella for floating in the air or for defense purposes.
 * Michiru is a princess and a member of the Saruwatari Band. She appears to act cold and distant, but she really has a severe case of shyness, though she eventually opens to Musashi. Her kitetsu blade is called, a dark blue sword with a butterfly-shaped guard on the hilt, which can manifest smaller blades arranged like a umbrella for floating in the air or for defense purposes.


 * Naoe Kanetatsu (直江兼竜)
 * Kanetatsu is the chief of territorial revenue and a first class general of the Uesugi Band. His kitetsu blade is called, a blade with a dragon emblem that allows him to conjure a long chain used to bind opponents, strong enough to cut off the horns of the Kuchisake Oni.
 * Kanetatsu is the chief of territorial revenue and a first class general of the Uesugi Band. His kitetsu blade is called, a blade with a dragon emblem that allows him to conjure a long chain used to bind opponents, strong enough to cut off the horns of the Kuchisake Oni.


 * Uesugi Tatsuomi (上杉竜臣)
 * Tatsuomi is the leader of the Uesugi Alliance and the captain of the Uesugi Band. He has a strict personality with a ferocious tone. His kitetsu blade is called, which can enhance the strength and speed of his comrades.
 * Tatsuomi is the leader of the Uesugi Alliance and the captain of the Uesugi Band. He has a strict personality with a ferocious tone. His kitetsu blade is called, which can enhance the strength and speed of his comrades.


 * Amako Katsumi (尼子勝巳)
 * Katsumi is a member of the Amako Band and the son of Hisami Amako, the leader of the Amako Band.
 * Katsumi is a member of the Amako Band and the son of Hisami Amako, the leader of the Amako Band.


 * Shimazu Akihiro (島津秋弘)
 * Akihiro is a member of the Shimazu Band and the son of Takahisa Shimazu, the leader of the Shimazu Band. His kitetsu blade is called, two pivotal black blades that fold in and out of his sandals, requiring himself to execute a fighting technique using a lot of spinning kicks.
 * Akihiro is a member of the Shimazu Band and the son of Takahisa Shimazu, the leader of the Shimazu Band. His kitetsu blade is called, two pivotal black blades that fold in and out of his sandals, requiring himself to execute a fighting technique using a lot of spinning kicks.


 * Usami Kuroko (宇佐美黒子)
 * Kuroko is the tactician of the Uesugi Band. Her kitetsu blade is called, which creates a cage to trap opponents or bandages to bind wounds made out of blade energy.
 * Kuroko is the tactician of the Uesugi Band. Her kitetsu blade is called, which creates a cage to trap opponents or bandages to bind wounds made out of blade energy.


 * Amakasu Masaki (甘粕政紀)
 * Masaki is the subordinate of Kanetatsu.
 * Masaki is the subordinate of Kanetatsu.

Manga
Orient, written and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka, was serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 30, 2018, to January 6, 2021. The manga was then transferred to Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine on February 9, 2021. In May 2023, it was announced that the manga will start its "final battle" on June 9. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on August 17, 2018. As of May 9, 2024, twenty-one volumes have been released.

In March 2020, Kodansha USA announced the acquisition of the manga for English language digital release, with the first volume being released on April 7, 2020. Kodansha USA also announced the print release of the manga starting on January 26, 2021. The manga has also been licensed in Germany by Kazé and in France by Pika.

Anime
On January 4, 2021, it was announced that the series will receive an anime television series adaptation. The series is animated by A.C.G.T and directed by Tetsuya Yanagisawa, with Mariko Kunisawa handling the scripts, Takahiro Kishida designing the characters, and Hideyuki Fukasawa composing the series' music. It aired from January 6 to March 24, 2022, on TV Tokyo and AT-X. Da-ice performed the series' opening theme song "Break Out", while Wataru Hatano performed the series' ending theme song "Naniiro." Crunchyroll licensed the series outside of Asia. Medialink licensed the series in Southeast Asia and South Asia; they released it on Ani-One Ultra YouTube channel for membership subscribers, iQIYI and Animax Asia. On January 13, 2022, Crunchyroll announced that the series will receive an English dub, which premiered on February 23.

At the end of the twelfth episode, a second cour was announced, which aired from July 12 to September 27, 2022. The opening theme song is "Break it down" by Sōta Hanamura from Da-ice and Lil' Fang from Faky, while the ending theme song is "Irochigai no Itotaba" by Gakuto Kajiwara.

Reception
Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network, gave the first volume 3½ out of five stars. Silverman praised the series for its iconography, adding that the demons are drawn with the same symbols and styling seen in Buddhist imagery, like bodhisattva with horns, fangs, and talons. She added that Ohtaka's art improved with the series and appreciated her departure from the "boob jokes" presented in her earlier works, making the series feel "less juvenile while still being good for middle grade readers". Silverman concluded: "in the shounen action line, this is looking like a safe bet". Faye Hopper of the same website, gave the first volume 2½ out of five stars. Hopper praised the series' art, but criticized it for its execution and pacing, adding: "New characters appear out of nowhere and are not given proper introductions, character arcs are not meaningfully advanced, and any potential tension is lost in how the characters don't face meaningful consequences for their actions. It is a mess." Hopper concluded: "a final impression is just as important as an introductory one. And sadly, at the end of the day, Orient just does not keep up its momentum".