20th Anniversary Project Launches, Newly Drawn Commemorative Visual Released, Yasuhisa Hara: "The story gets even more exciting from here on out"

It has been announced that a project will be launched to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the serialization of Yasuhisa Hara's popular manga "Kingdom," which is currently being serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump. A special 20th anniversary visual drawn by Hara has been released. The latest 78th volume of the manga was released on January 19, and it was also announced that the total number of copies sold has exceeded 120 million.

Regarding the 20th anniversary of the series' serialization, Hara commented, "We have been able to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series thanks to all our readers. Thank you so much for your support over the years. However, the journey is still on. The story is set to get even more exciting from here onwards as we move towards the unification of China. I hope you will continue to support Kingdom. I will do my best, while keeping my body in shape, so that I can finish the story properly."

The opening movie for the 20th anniversary of the series, "Believe and Move Forward," has been released on YouTube. With the theme of "the fire of hope," it depicts the path that the protagonist, Shin, will take up until now and in the future. The movie commemorating the 20th anniversary of the series, "BELIEVE YOUR KINGDOM," will be released on YouTube on January 22nd. The drama series depicts the daily lives of readers who are supported by the words and way of life of the "Kingdom" characters, and in addition to three videos featuring a high school student, an office worker, and a mother, a feature-length movie narrated by actor Osawa Takao will be released.

Online bookstores such as "Young Jump +" and "Zebrack" are running a campaign where you can read volumes 1 to 20 of the manga for free, limited to the period from January 19th to February 8th.

Following the 2020 character popularity poll and the 2023 famous quote popularity poll, the third installment of the reader-selected general election project will see the simultaneous holding of the "1st Kingdom Famous Scene General Election" and a free-form reader vote. The election will run from February 1st to 28th, and votes for both projects will be accepted on the general election website.

It has also been announced that a book devoted entirely to "Kingdom," titled "Kingdom Magazine 2026," will be released. The cover will be newly drawn by Hara, and the book will include memories of fierce battles, a project tracing the 20-year history of the series, and a splendid dialogue. The "Kingdom Box Set (tentative title)," which will compile each chapter of the "Kingdom" comics and store them in an original design box, will be released sequentially from May.

It was also announced that the film will be collaborating with Sapporo Koime Lemon Sour, Grapefruit Sour, and Lemon Sour Layered Lemon. This collaboration was made possible by the characters in Kingdom and their "koime" lifestyles. As the first step, a recipe for "Chinese Koime Rice" inspired by Kingdom characters and suitable for Sapporo Koime brand products will be released on the brand website at noon on February 4th. As the second step, limited quantities of Sapporo Koime brand products featuring Kingdom illustrations will be released from April 7th. Sapporo Beer Official X will also be running a gift campaign.

"Kingdom" began serialization in Weekly Young Jump in 2006. Set in China's Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, it depicts the exploits of Shin, who aspires to become the greatest general in the world, as well as the drama of heroes such as King Ei Sei of Qin, who later becomes known as the First Emperor. In 2013, it won the Manga Grand Prize at the 17th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize.

The TV anime series has also gained popularity, with the first series airing from June 2012 to February 2013, the second from June 2013 to March 2014, the third from April to October 2021, the fourth from April to October 2022, the fifth from January to March 2024, and the sixth from October to December 2025. A sequel to the sixth series has also been announced. The live-action film adaptations have also garnered attention, with the first film released in 2019, the second in 2022, the third in 2023, and the fourth in 2024. The four films have attracted a cumulative audience of 17 million and grossed over 24.5 billion yen. The fifth film in the series is scheduled for release this summer.