It has been announced that actor Kosei Yuki will appear in the fifth film in the "Kingdom" series, "Kingdom: The Soulful Showdown" (directed by Shinsuke Sato, opening July 17). He will play Xiang Yi of Chu, who joins the "Coalition Army" that pushes the Qin state to the brink of collapse.
Xiang Yi is a "thousand-man commander" in the powerful state of Chu, renowned for his strength in duels and promising for the future. He is a young warrior of the same age as the protagonist, Shin (Kento Yamazaki).
The film "Kingdom" is based on the historical manga by Yasuhisa Hara (Shueisha), set in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of ancient China. It depicts the exploits of Shin, who aims to become a great general, and Ei Sei, who would later become the First Emperor of Qin. Kento Yamazaki plays Shin, and Ryo Yoshizawa plays Ei Sei. The series has been released in 2019 ("Kingdom"), 2022 ("Kingdom 2: To the Faraway Land"), 2023 ("Kingdom: Flame of Destiny"), and 2024 ("Kingdom: The Return of the Great General"). The series has attracted approximately 17.34 million viewers and grossed over 24.5 billion yen at the box office.
This film adapts the "Coalition Army Arc," one of the most popular episodes from the original manga, into live-action. It depicts a major battle in which the states of Chu, Zhao, Wei, Han, Yan, and Qi join forces to overthrow Qin, with the fate of the Qin state hanging in the balance.
