Nippon Sangoku TV Anime Confirmed for April 2026 Premiere; Key Staff and Cast Revealed

The TV anime adaptation of Ikka Matsuki's Nippon Sangoku manga is officially set to premiere in April 2026. The series plunges viewers into a fractured near-future Japan, defined by nuclear fallout, widespread disasters, and various factions fighting fiercely for national control in a new Warring States era.

Twin Engine announced the project today, confirming the core staff lineup, main cast, a teaser visual, and the first trailer. Kensho Ono will star as Aoteru Misumi, the sharp-tongued bureaucrat whose singular goal is the reunification of the nation.

The confirmed supporting cast includes Asami Seto as Saki Higashimachi, Takashi Nagasako as Denki Taira, and Megumi Han handling narration duties.

Kazuaki Terasawa, who previously directed The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2, is directing the series over at Studio Kafka. Takahiko Abiru of Vinland Saga fame is handling the character designs while also serving as chief animation director for the project.

The initial trailer provided a glimpse of the expected gritty aesthetic. It showed Saki in a wedding dress, framed as a relic of forgotten luxury, followed by a harsh scene where Aoteru and Saki witness a brutal execution by horses. This sequence clearly sets up Misumi’s path to power, suggesting he will rely on strategy rather than brute force to climb the ranks.

Matsuki began serializing the manga back in November 2021 across Shogakukan's Manga ONE and Ura Sunday platforms. As of November 2024, six volumes have been released. The source material has already garnered critical attention, earning a nomination for the 16th Manga Taisho awards and placement in Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2023 for male readers. Fans can follow the official site and X account, both live now, for further updates on this Japanese interpretation of Three Kingdoms-style chaos.