The Heroic Legend of Arslan (manga)

Adaptation

Writer Makoto Uezu had read The Heroic Legend of Arslan novel since the first Kadokawa Bunko edition was published. He therefore felt more pressure than any other staff or cast member in handling the source material, while also feeling greatly honored by the task. When working on the series composition, he proceeded carefully, respecting the original work while seeking to make the anime distinct. Director Noriyuki Abe stated that although the work is a "war story", for him it was a "character story" defined by well-developed characters. Several characters were introduced in the first season of the anime before appearing in the original manga, with Arakawa collaborating in creating their designs.[4]

For the second season, Abe said the staff aimed to give each season a distinct setting. They created appealing fight scenes by experimenting with different visual styles. Uezu sought to focus more heavily on Narsus and to further develop the relationship between Arslan and his subordinates. The positive reception to the first season led the staff to quickly produce a sequel. Meanwhile, the characters were designed by Shingo Ogiso, who created different outfits under the supervision of Arakawa.[5] The staff emphasized Arslan's beginning as a beautiful figure and then transforming into a darker character, as highlighted by the opening and video sequences. However, they did not wish to change the protagonist's core, as they wanted him to remain cute. Instead, Daryun and Hermes were the characters whose facial expressions changed. Storyboard artist Naomi Nakayama aimed to show Daryun's devotion to the prince from the early episodes. For the animation, the staff used 3DCG alongside traditional animation.[6]

Yūsuke Kobayashi voiced Arslan in Japanese. He stated that the protagonist had already fully developed his awareness and capabilities as a king in the first work, and that in the second, his words carried even more persuasiveness and strength. These scenes surprised Kobayashi himself, as they also surprised Arslan's closest subordinates, Daryun and Narsus. Other voice actors included Daisuke Namikawa and Yoshimasa Hosoya as Narsus and Daryun, respectively; they felt their characters' relationships with the prince were strong and became softer the more screen time they shared.[7] Kenn researched the manga when cast and was charmed by his character Gieve, another individual who becomes vital in protecting the prince.[8]

Manga

The manga adaptation of Yoshiki Tanaka's The Heroic Legend of Arslan by Hiromu Arakawa was announced by Kodansha's manga magazine Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in May 2013;[9] the series started in the magazine on July 9 of the same year.[10] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on April 9, 2014.[11] As of March 9, 2026, twenty-four volumes have been released.[12]

In North America, the manga was digitally published in English by Crunchyroll Manga from 2014 until 2018, when the company announced that it would no longer publish manga from Kodansha.[13][14] Kodansha USA began publishing the manga in print and digital format on August 19, 2014.[15][16]

Anime

An anime television series was announced in November 2014.[17] The series was directed by Noriyuki Abe, with scripts by Makoto Uezu.[18] The series aired from April 5 to September 27, 2015, on MBS's Nichi-5 timeslot and other Japan News Network stations.[18][19] The series' first opening theme is "Boku no Kotoba Dewanai Kore wa Boku-tachi no Kotoba" (僕の言葉ではない これは僕達の言葉), performed by Uverworld, while the first ending theme is "Lapis Lazuli" (ラピスラズリ), performed by Eir Aoi.[20][21] The second opening theme is "Uzu to Uzu" (渦と渦), performed by Nico Touches the Walls, while the second ending theme is "One Light", performed by Kalafina.[22] An original animation DVD (OAD) was bundled with the manga's fifth limited edition volume, released on May 9, 2016.[23]

In North America, Funimation announced its license for the series in April 2015,[24] and began a broadcast dub in June of the same year.[25]

An 8-episode second season, titled The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance (アルスラーン戦記 風塵乱舞), aired from July 3 to August 21, 2016.[26][27][28] Another OAD was bundled with the manga's sixth limited edition volume, which was released on November 9, 2016.[29]

Video games

A Musou crossover game developed by Koei Tecmo, titled Arslan: The Warriors of Legend (アルスラーン戦記×無双), was released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on October 1, 2015.[30] The game was released in North America on February 9, 2016, and in Europe on February 12 of that same year.[31]

A smartphone game, Arslan Senki: Senshi no Shikaku (アルスラーン戦記 戦士の資格), distributed by Sakura Soft, was launched on April 27, 2017,[32] and service ended on August 16, 2018.[33]

Manga

Alongside How Are You?, The Heroic Legend of Arslan ranked 17th on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2015 for male readers.[34] The manga ranked eighth on "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2015" by the Honya Club online bookstore.[35] The series was nominated for the 42nd Kodansha Manga Award in the Shōnen manga category in 2018.[36] The series ranked 35th on Da Vinci magazine's 17th annual "Book of the Year" 2017 list and ranked 45th on the magazine's 19th, 2019 list.[37][38] In 2021, to celebrate the release of the manga's 100th chapter, several manga artists, including Chihiro Ishizuka and Hajime Isayama, drew tribute illustrations to commemorate the occasion.[39]

Sales

By September 2025, The Heroic Legend of Arslan manga had over 10 million copies in circulation.[40] The third volume of the series received an initial print run of 370,000 copies in circulation for the period between April 2014 and March 2015.[41] The seventh volume of the series had an initial print run of 358,000 copies in circulation from April 2017 to March 2018.[42] The eleventh volume of the series had an initial print run of 265,000 copies in circulation between April 2019 and March 2020.[43]

Critical reception

Upon the release of the manga's third volume, Clément Derrien of Azu Manga described it as a phenomenon, as its popularity led to an adaptation and a video game. Derrien considered the manga to meet readers' expectations, noting that its conflicts introduced a serious tone that made it a relatively mature title, given the author's limited use of humor. The focus on war, strategy, religion, and political conflicts provided a realistic setting inspired by Persia, avoiding fantasy elements and instead prioritizing human conflicts. The early volumes were praised for their fast pacing, which gave the manga a strong beginning, and Derrien recommended it to fans of war fiction.[44] Kate O'Neil of The Fandom Post stated that Arslan had an appropriately dark start for a war story, based on its action and heavy focus on conflict. Joshua Fox of Screen Rant recommended the series to fans of Vinland Saga, citing their similar appeal.[45]

Regarding the cast, O'Neil did not find the main characters particularly appealing at first. The stakes of the war were high, with death surrounding the young prince and his loyal retainer.[46] Ralindae of Ramen Para Dos observed that Arslan's characterization initially appears flawed due to his stance on slavery and his inexperience, making his physical and mental growth a central focus of the manga. Peter Fobian of Crunchyroll noted that Arakawa often took liberties when writing the manga, drawing parallels between characters and real-life conquerors such as Alexander the Great.[47] The manga holds an average score of 17.15/20 on the French review site Manga News,[48] with critic Erkael comparing the supporting characters to those from the Game of Thrones television series, to the point that they often overshadow the prince. Erkael also noted that the series consistently addresses serious themes such as religion, slavery, and oppression, which lend the manga considerable depth.[49]

Concerning the series' artwork, Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network appreciated the focus on action scenes, even in the first volume, which she found suitable for fans of epic fantasies.[50] Fobian praised Arakawa's artwork as simple and clean, reminiscent of Western cartoons, rarely employing more detail than necessary and prioritizing familiar, dynamic character designs over elaborate visuals.[47] Derrien noted that Arakawa's art style had matured and remained as dynamic as ever during battle scenes.[44] O'Neil described the action as strong, vicious, and bloody.[46] Erkael also praised the designs of the main cast, likening them to role-playing game archetypes.[51] Ralindae stated that the cast had distinctive designs that would remind readers of Arakawa's previous series, though it felt that there were few battles early on.[52]

Anime

The first season was praised by Theron Martin of Anime News Network, who graded the series as B. Martin described The Heroic Legend of Arslan as a cross between Yona of the Dawn and Guin Saga, noting that while the main character is often less interesting than the supporting cast, it remains an epic fantasy story without romantic subplots and with strong thematic discussions among the cast, including on religion. The English cast received general praise, though Aaron Dismuke's performance as Arslan drew mixed reactions from the writer.[53] Chris Beveridge of The The Fandom Post called Arslan a character disconnected from the world, with a predictable narrative role based on the premise of his relationship with his father, the king. The reviewer also stated that the handling of multiple supporting characters is one of the anime's strongest points, and that the antagonists receive distinct characterization as well.[54]

The narrative handling also drew negative responses. Anime UK News's writer IncendiaryLemon was more critical of the first season, citing padding following the first five episodes involving multiple fights between the major characters. The writer found Arslan the most likable character in the series due to his kindheartedness, which makes the viewer root for him, but felt that the rest of the cast, except Gieve, were less entertaining. Nevertheless, the animation was praised by the reviewer.[55] Mitch Jay of Rice Digital agreed with the pacing of the first season being slow but still praised the production values. However, the reviewer felt the anime changes notably when the narrative provides a major revelation about the main character, giving the series and its lead potential for a shift in writing.[56]

For the second season, Beveridge praised the protagonist's character arc despite his lack of charisma compared to other characters. The new alliances the protagonist forms also received positive response from the reviewer, who highlighted the commentary on the "next generation" and praised the handling of fight scenes.[57] In retrospect, IncendiaryLemon noted that a major complaint about the anime was the rushed ending of the first season and that the second season still has flaws; the writer believed there was little progress in the second season and that the character development was poorly handled, with the exception of Arslan's rival, Prince Hilmes. After criticizing the animation, the writer concluded that the second season was a weak sequel.[58] Martin objected to the second season's small number of episodes compared to the first but noted that it retained the strengths of the original anime through its handling of multiple fight scenes while exploring the protagonist's role from a different perspective than his portrayal as a mere dependent in the first season.[59] Jay's reaction to the second season was more positive, praising the animation that combines 2D and CGI art. The English localization by Funimation was also praised by Jay for delivering strong voice performances,[60] while Martin expressed mixed thoughts about Dismuke's work in the leading role.[59]