Kingdom

About Kingdom

Meet Kingdom, an action, seinen and historical anime by Studio Pierrot (2012). Here is the premise in a nutshell. The setup: China’s Warring States period, a raging dragon that would raze the land for 500 years, saw many kingdoms rise and fall, making way for the next generation of kings and generals to struggle for supremacy. Before long, seven powerful states emerged from the endless cycle of warfare.

From there, in the domain of Qin, Li Xin, a war-orphaned slave, trains vigorously with fellow slave and best companion, Piao, who shares his proud dream of one day becoming a Great General of the Heavens. However, the two are all at once forced to part ways when Piao is recruited to work in the royal palace by a retainer of the King. After a fierce coup d'état unfolds, Piao returns to Xin, half dead, with a mission that will lead him to a meeting with China's young King, Ying Zheng, who bears a striking resemblance to Piao.

As an action title, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. If you count yourself among viewers who like fast, high-impact fights, put it on your list.

Production & Appeal

Production sits with Studio Pierrot, which means the visual identity of Kingdom follows that studio's craft. Within the action category, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Viewers rate it 8.1/10, which signals strong word of mouth. It aired in 2012, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.