is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by . It was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday from May 2009 to September 2026, with its chapters collected in 23 volumes as of August 2026.

A ten-episode anime television series adaptation was broadcast on Fuji TV from July to September 2014. An eleven-episode television drama adaptation was also broadcast on Fuji TV from October to December 2014. A live-action film premiered in Japan in January 2016.

As of February 2016, the Nobunaga Concerto manga had over 3.5 million copies in circulation. In 2012, the manga won the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category.

Plot The story centers on Saburō, a high school student who travels back in time to Japan's Sengoku era. There, he must become Oda Nobunaga, the famed warlord who helped unite Japan.

Characters Main characters

Played by: Shun Oguri Saburo is a high school boy who finds himself traveling back in time to Japan's Sengoku Era. He meets Oda Nobunaga, who asks Saburo to impersonate him because they look like identical. He occasionally uses his textbook regarding Nobunaga's life to guide him through the events he needs to create.

Played by: Shun Oguri The real Oda Nobunaga. Unable to withstand the political pressure as Nobunaga, he has Saburo take his place while he travels around the country. He eventually ends up taking over the Akechi Clan after the previous leader had no heir, and now works under Saburō (fake Nobunaga) as Akechi Mitsuhide.

Played by: Kou Shibasaki Kichō is Nobunaga's wife

Played by: Takayuki Yamada Tokichiro was originally a spy from the Imagawa, sent to ruin the Oda. Tokichiro initially attempted to incite rebellion through Nobuyuki as well as acting as a stable boy for the Oda army in the Imagawa's advance. Both areas failed as Nobuyuki was betrayed by Katsuie and, due to a miscommunication, he sends incorrect info to Yoshimito, leading to his death at Okehazama. With no place to go, he bides his time under Nobunaga, waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill him.

Played by: Kiko Mizuhara Oichi is Nobunaga's younger sister.

Other characters

Played by: Osamu Mukai

Played by: Masahiro Takashima Originally a retainer of Nobuyuki, Katsuie was initially unable to understand Nobunaga's behaviour, and attempted to kill Matsudaira Motoyasu in order to show Nobunaga's incompetence. Years later, he soon realizes that Nobunaga not only has the support of the people, but also has the ambition to rule the land. Siding with Nobunaga instead, he is still often baffled by his lord's decision making.

Played by: Taisuke Fujigaya A violent man, he was found by Nobunaga fighting in the streets. As punishment for his rowdy behaviour, he was not allowed to serve in the army until after Nobunaga's first few battles.

Played by: Shinnosuke Abe Like Toshiie, Narimasa was a violent person and was fighting Toshiie when they were both scouted by Nobunaga. Later on, he becomes a full-fledged officer of the Oda.

Played by: Masanobu Sakata

Played by: Denden

Played by: Gaku Hamada Initially a young hostage for the Oda, Motoyasu becomes indebted to Nobunaga after he rescues the young child's life from Katsuie's assassination attempt. Being given Saburo ("Nobunaga")'s modern day pornographic magazine, he eventually forms an alliance with the Oda after the collapse of the Imagawa forces at Okehazama to repay his debt to Nobunaga.

Played by: Naohito Fujiki A strategist that initially served Saito Tatsuoki, he became dissatisfied with his lord's complacency over Inabayama Castle's victories against Nobunaga, and proceeds to take the castle for himself. Interested in Nobunaga's vision of the world, he eventually turns against the Saito, and joins the Oda forces.

Played by: Issei Takahashi

Played by: Kunio Murai

Played by: Yoshiyuki Morishita

Played by: Takumi Kitamura

Played by: Keisuke Horibe

Played by: Arata Furuta Originally a Yakuza member before being transported to the past, Hisahide relishes the chaos of the Sengoku period, believing it to be a battle where only the strongest win. Meeting Nobunaga after his rejection of the Shogun's letter to attack the Oda, Hisahide offers his loose loyalty to Nobunaga until the time he can rebel.

Played by: Yūya Yagira Nobunaga's younger brother, whom he spites to the core. Nobuyuki, while afraid of Nobunaga, was also tired of his brother's erratic behaviour. In his brother's youth, Nobuyuki had Nohime kidnapped, which was exposed by Nobunaga in front of their father. Years later, he is incited into rebellion by Kinoshita, falsely believing that the Imagawa would support him as the lord of Owari. Failing in his rebellion, he attempts to kill Nobunaga once more when he is sick, only to be betrayed by Katsuie. After his third failure, he commits suicide, but encourages Nobunaga to take the world without the permission of others.

An elderly man who is the tutor of Nobunaga, he is befuddled by Nobunaga's lax behaviour and constantly remonstrates his lord for his laziness. While reviewing conscripts, he notices that Kinoshita is a spy for another warlord and rejects him. Eventually, he is murdered by Kinoshita and another Imagawa spy, and dies telling Nobunaga to not let the world think him a fool. Kinoshita would later kill his associate in order to be able to infiltrate the Oda Army.

Played by: Toshiyuki Nishida The Lord of Mino and the father of Nohime, he was originally a policeman named Nagai Shinichi, who had a family with a daughter. Travelling to the past mysteriously like Saburo, he stays at the Sengoku Period for 30 years. Upon seeing Saburo's school uniform, he gives the younger man his uniform, and later his pistol and a letter to his original daughter and another to Nohime. Like in history, he is killed by his sons in the conflict at Mino.

Played by: Katsuya

Originally a batter for an unknown professional baseball team, Yasuke was transported to the Sengoku period, where he is found by Nobunaga. While taken in as an officer, he is bewildered by the savage culture of the time period as well as his baseball bat being mistaken as a weapon.

Played by: Hirofumi Arai

Media Manga Written and illustrated by , Nobunaga Concerto debuted in the first issue of Shogakukan's Monthly Shōnen Sunday, released on May 12, 2009. The series finished after 17 years on September 11, 2026. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on November 12, 2009. As of August 10, 2026, 23 volumes have been released.

Volumes

Anime A 10-episode anime television series adaptation was announced in May 2014. The series is directed by Yūsuke Fujikawa, scripted by Natsuko Takahashi, with music composed by Masaru Yokoyama. The series aired on Fuji TV from July 12 to September 20, 2014.

The series was streamed worldwide outside of Asia on Crunchyroll.

Episodes

Drama An 11-episode Japanese television drama was announced in May 2014. It stars Shun Oguri as Saburo and Nobunaga. It was broadcast on Fuji TV from October 13 to December 22, 2014.

Live-action film

A live-action film adaptation was announced in May 2014. It features the same cast from the television drama and premiered in Japan on January 23, 2016.

Reception As of February 2016, the manga had over 3.5 million copies in circulation. The series placed 10th on Kono Manga ga Sugoi!s 2012 list of Top 10 Manga for Male Readers. In 2012, Nobunaga Concerto won the 57th Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category. It was nominated for the 5th Manga Taishō Award in 2012, and ranked 3rd with 57 points.

Notes

References

External links