is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by

Mitsuteru Yokoyama was a Japanese manga artist born in Suma Ward of Kobe City in Hyōgo Prefecture. His personal name was originally spelled , with the same pronunciation. His works include ''Tetsujin 28-go'', ''Giant Robo'', '' Akakage'', ''Babel II'', '' Sal ...

, based on

Eiji Yoshikawa was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as ''The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', m ...

's retelling of the 14th century

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

literary classic ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ...

''. It was adapted into an

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television called . As of May 2020, the manga series had sold over 80 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.

Characters

Shu Han

* * * * * * :An original character in the manga. She was a daughter of Hong family, who Zhang Fei served. When Liu Bei escaped from the Yellow Turban, he saved her. Meeting Liu Bei and falling in love with him from his younger day, that makes her based on

Lady Gan Lady Gan (died 210) was a concubine of Liu Bei, the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China and Liu Shan's mother. She was later posthumously honoured as Lady Huangsi which means "the Lady whom the Emperor ...

. * and

Kikuko Inoue is a Japanese voice actress, singer and narrator. She has been part of the singing groups DoCo and Goddess Family Club. She is the founder and manager of her voice-acting company, Office Anemone. Inoue tends to play the " perfect girlfriend" o ...

:An original character in the anime, she was Liu Bei's apprentice who grew up to be his wife. She died of her injuries during the

Battle of Changban The Battle of Changban was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei in October 208 in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. The battle took place at Changban (長坂; south of present-day Duodao District, Jingmen, Hubei). Background ...

, this makes her based on

Lady Mi Lady Mi (190s) was a younger sister of Liu Bei's associate Mi Zhu who arranged a marriage between her and Liu Bei after Liu Bei's wife or wives and children had been captured by Lü Bu in 196. Though information on her life is scarce, she is mos ...

Cao Wei

* * :Although his name should be Xiahou Dun (夏侯惇), both the anime and the manga named him Xiahou Chun (夏侯淳). * * * and

Michitaka Kobayashi is a Japanese voice actor. For a time, he was known as . He currently works for Aoni Production. Voice roles Television *''Atashin'chi'' (????) (Mizushima Husband) *''Digimon Xros Wars'' (????) (Angemon) *''Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman'' (????) (R ...

* and

Jun Hazumi , better known as his stage name , is a Japanese voice actor from Tōkyō Metropolis attached to Arts Vision. He was formerly attached to Production Baobab. His voice has been compared to those of Shinji Nakae and Gorō Naya. Filmography Telev ...

Cao hong

Sun Wu

* * * * * * and

Kazuo Hayashi is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is affiliated with Theater Echo, and is skilled in Buyō. Roles Television animation *''Ippotsu Kanta-kun'' (Kōzan) *'' Legendary Giant God Ideon'' (Gije Zaral) *''Pokémon'' (Russell) *''Spa ...

Others

* and

Hikaru Midorikawa is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor from Otawara, Tochigi who is represented by Aoni Production. He is best known for the roles of Softon in ''Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo'', Tamahome in ''Fushigi Yûgi'', Seiran Shi in ''Saiunkoku Monogatari'' ...

* * * * * * * *Narrator

Media

Manga

The manga was first serialized in the ''Kibō no Tomo'' magazine, which changed its name to ''Comic World'' in 1978, and then to '' Comic Tom'' in 1980. Although Eiji Yoshikawa only wrote the story up to

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...

's death in the

Battle of Wuzhang Plains The Battle of Wuzhang Plains was fought between the contending states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 234 AD during the Three Kingdoms period of China. The battle was the fifth and last of a series of Northern Expeditions led by Shu's chancellor, ...

, the manga continued until the fall of Shu Han. With this manga, Mitsuteru Yokoyama won the 1991 Japanese Cartoonist Association Award for Excellence.

Anime

The anime was largely faithful to the manga, though it centered mainly on the camps of

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...

and

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

, often minimizing the scenes of other camps. The anime stopped after the

Battle of Red Cliffs The Battle of Red Cliffs, also known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive naval battle in the winter of AD 208–209 at the end of the Han dynasty, about twelve years prior to the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. T ...

, which is about the midway through the manga series.

Theme songs

*Opening ** by Fence of Defense **"Don't Look Back" by Fence of Defense *Ending ** by

Mimori Yusa , (born February 20, 1964, in Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture), is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She made her nationwide debut at the age of 6 on the TV program Chibikko Nodojiman, which she recited the Takibi nursery rhyme. Shortly after graduating ...

**"Standing Alone" by Fence of Defense

Reception

By May 2020, the manga series had sold over 80 million copies in circulation.

References

External links

* * {{Romance of the Three Kingdoms 1971 manga 1991 anime television series debuts Historical anime and manga Mitsuteru Yokoyama Works based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms Shōnen manga ar:صقور الأرض