History Manga Epic Receives Anime Adaptation

A significant work from the Afternoon magazine of the publisher Kodansha is being adapted for television. The historical manga Historie (jap. ヒストリエ, dt. Geschichte) by author Hitoshi Iwaaki is receiving an anime series.

The production of the animation episodes lies with the studio Liden Films. The company with several branches in Japan was in the past responsible among other things for the animation of series such as Tokyo Revengers and the new adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin.

Historie tells the life of Eumenes, a historical personality who served as secretary and general under Alexander the Great. The story begins in the 4th century before Christ and follows the path of the protagonist, who grows up as a foundling in the Greek city of Cardia, later falls into slavery, and makes a name for himself through his acumen and strategic abilities.

The manga has been appearing since the year 2003 in Kodansha's Monthly Afternoon. As of June 2024, twelve collected volumes have been published, whose total circulation amounts to over 4.7 million copies. The work has been awarded multiple times, including with the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in the year 2012 and a Kodansha Manga Award in the year 2025.

On the occasion of the announcement, a first key visual and a short preview film were published. The visual shows the main character Eumenes, as he walks before the silhouette of the city of Cardia and a wide, round horizon. The author Hitoshi Iwaaki expressed himself in a statement. In it, he thanks all participants of the production and mentions that the first ideas for this story originated already more than four decades ago. Over twenty years ago he then began to sketch the drawings in his small workroom.

Iwaaki is internationally known above all as the creator of the manga Parasyte (jap. 寄生獣), which was also adapted as an anime.

Promotional campaign for the start of the announcement