Orient (2nd Cour)

Alternate Title

オリエント

Synopsis

During the Warring States Period in Japan, Oni suddenly appeared and wiped out all the warlords vying for supremacy and control of the country, ultimately bringing the human world to an end. Since that time 150 years ago, there have been those who continue to fight against the Oni and seek freedom. They are called Bushi. Musashi and Kojiro are two boys who have longed to become Bushi since childhood and vow to one day form the strongest Bushi duo. However, in a town where Oni are worshiped as gods and Bushi are considered evil, Musashi is forced to keep his dream hidden. But after witnessing an Oni heartlessly tearing people apart, he is faced with the truth and decides to make his dream come true after all. In order to do so, though, he’ll have to confront the overwhelmingly powerful Oni!

Background

Orient is a manga series written and illustrated by Shinobu Ohtaka that began serialization in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in May 2018. The series’ run in the magazine ended in January 2021, and the following month it transferred to Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, where it has been in serialization since. As of August 2021, 13 collected tankobon volumes have been published. The manga has been licensed for English release in North America by Kodansha USA.

A TV anime adaptation was announced in January 2021. The series is being animated by A.C.G.T and features Tetsuya Yanagisawa as director, with Mariko Kunisawa handling series composition, Takahiro Kishida handling character designs, and Hideyuki Fukasawa composing the music. The first cour (quarter of a year) of the anime was broadcast from January to March 2022, and the second cour will air in Japan beginning July 11 on TV Tokyo and BS-TV Tokyo. Similarly to the first cour, Crunchyroll will stream the anime outside Japan as it airs.

Characters

Musashi (Voiced by: Yuma Uchida)
A boy born to a farming family in Ryuzancho. He was separated from his parents at a young age and was later taken in by Kojiro’s father. Perhaps due to his childhood, he is the type to read the room and try to fit in. Now, as the leader of the miners’ school, he keeps his true feelings to himself and lives in harmony with his surroundings. However, he has a strong desire to become a Bushi together with his friend Kojiro, a dream he swore to achieve when he was a child.

Kojiro Kanemaki (Voiced by: Soma Saito)
The sole Bushi in the town of Ryuzancho. Since his father’s death, he has been living alone in a shack on the outskirts of town. Though detested and persecuted by the townspeople, he has a friend in Musashi, who has been like a brother to him since their childhood. He has a calm and collected personality. Though seemingly indifferent to Musashi’s idea of the two becoming Bushi together, he seems to be hiding his true feelings.

Tsugumi Hattori (Voiced by: Rie Takahashi)
A Bushi girl belonging to the Kosameda Bushidan led by Hideo Kosameda. She has solid fighting abilities, and even Musashi and Kojiro recognize her skills. When in a pinch, she sometimes uses a certain method taught by her sister to catch her enemy off guard. She is a spoiled youngest child and always has someone she depends on. She is particularly attached to her adoptive father, Hideo.

Naotora Takeda (Voiced by: Satoshi Hino)
The leader of the Takeda Bushidan. He travels around the country in his flying castle together with Aoshi Sanada, Shunrai Yamamoto, and other unique Bushi in tow, fighting daily to reclaim Japan from the Oni. The members of his group love him like an older brother for his skills and cheerful personality. However, Musashi seems to dislike his personality for some reason.

Shiro Inukai (Voiced by: Hiro Shimono)
A mysterious Bushi of unknown affiliation. According to him, he is a “pet dog with no name.” He has an unparalleled love of swords and he enjoys saying sweet nothings to the swords in his collection. His favorite food is pheasant.

Nanao Inusaka (Voiced by: Azumi Waki)
A girl from an unknown Bushi group who follows Shiro, whom she calls master. She seems to have an interest in Musashi, who was kind to her when they first met. Though she looks like a reliable person, she can be a bit of a loose cannon at times.

Hideo Kosameda (Voiced by: Wataru Hatano)
The leader of the Kosameda Bushidan. He considers the Bushi in his group to be his family, and he takes special care of Tsugumi, who is alone after having lost her family, and treats her like a daughter. At first glance, he appears to be a good-natured, friendly person, but behind his smile hides a cruel side.

Music

Opening Theme Song: "Break it down” by Sota Hanamura and Lil' Fang
Ending Theme Song: "Irochigai no Itotaba” by Gakuto Kajiwara

• Official Site (Japanese)
• Official Twitter (Japanese)

• Original Creator: Shinobu Ohtaka
• Director: Tetsuya Yanagisawa
• Series Composition: Mariko Kunisawa
• Character Design: Takahiro Kishida
• Music: Hideyuki Fukasawa
• Animation Production: A.C.G.T