Image: Takahiro, Youhei Takemura, Shueisha
AMBot | 08/13/2026 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
ProSieben MAXX is expanding its anime lineup: The free-TV channel has secured the license for "YAIBA: Samurai Legend" and announces the action series for a German TV premiere. However, a specific start date has not yet been set; the channel will announce further details at a later time.
The source material for the new adaptation comes from the pen of Gosho Aoyama, who is internationally known primarily for "Detective Conan." His manga "Yaiba" was serialized from 1988 to 1993 in "Weekly Shonen Sunday" by Shogakukan and comprises 24 volumes. As early as 1993, Aoyama was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for it; by May 2024, worldwide circulation exceeded 17 million copies. In Germany, the series is published by Egmont Manga.
Studio Wit is responsible for producing the 24-episode first season. Direction was handled by Takahiro Hasui, who previously worked on "Mob Psycho 100 III," among others, with the screenplay written by Touko Machida. Yoshimichi Kameda served as character designer and chief animation director. In the lead roles, Minami Takayama voices Yaiba Kurogane, Manaka Iwami voices Sayaka Mine, and Yoshimasa Hosoya voices Takeshi Onimaru.
In Japan, the series premiered on April 5, 2025 – directly before "Detective Conan," allowing TV audiences to immerse themselves in Gosho Aoyama's works for a full hour. In Germany, episodes were available in parallel as a simulcast on AKIBA PASS TV and ADN. After the season finale on September 27, 2025, a second season was announced, which is set to adapt the Kaguya arc from the manga source material.
The story follows young Yaiba Kurogane, who lives deep in the jungle with his father and dreams of becoming a great samurai. In swordsmanship, he is nearly unbeatable, but he knows little about living with other people. By chance, he ends up in Tokyo and stays with the Mine family. At school, he encounters the talented kendo fighter Takeshi Onimaru, who is controlled by demonic forces: A rivalry ignites between the two over the ancient, cursed blades – the Thunder God Sword and the Wind God Sword.
As early as the 1990s, the manga was adapted into an anime: "Kenyū Densetsu Yaiba" aired from 1993 to 1994 with 52 episodes on Japanese television but remained unlicensed in Germany. The new version by Wit Studio, however, is intended to tell the story of the source material completely. While fans in this country are still waiting for the start on ProSieben MAXX, the German dubbed version has already premiered as part of AnimagiC 2026. Those who want to collect the series on disc can access it from December 2026: peppermint anime is releasing the season in two volumes, which can be pre-ordered individually or as a set.
The source material for the new adaptation comes from the pen of Gosho Aoyama, who is internationally known primarily for "Detective Conan." His manga "Yaiba" was serialized from 1988 to 1993 in "Weekly Shonen Sunday" by Shogakukan and comprises 24 volumes. As early as 1993, Aoyama was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award for it; by May 2024, worldwide circulation exceeded 17 million copies. In Germany, the series is published by Egmont Manga.
Studio Wit is responsible for producing the 24-episode first season. Direction was handled by Takahiro Hasui, who previously worked on "Mob Psycho 100 III," among others, with the screenplay written by Touko Machida. Yoshimichi Kameda served as character designer and chief animation director. In the lead roles, Minami Takayama voices Yaiba Kurogane, Manaka Iwami voices Sayaka Mine, and Yoshimasa Hosoya voices Takeshi Onimaru.
In Japan, the series premiered on April 5, 2025 – directly before "Detective Conan," allowing TV audiences to immerse themselves in Gosho Aoyama's works for a full hour. In Germany, episodes were available in parallel as a simulcast on AKIBA PASS TV and ADN. After the season finale on September 27, 2025, a second season was announced, which is set to adapt the Kaguya arc from the manga source material.
The story follows young Yaiba Kurogane, who lives deep in the jungle with his father and dreams of becoming a great samurai. In swordsmanship, he is nearly unbeatable, but he knows little about living with other people. By chance, he ends up in Tokyo and stays with the Mine family. At school, he encounters the talented kendo fighter Takeshi Onimaru, who is controlled by demonic forces: A rivalry ignites between the two over the ancient, cursed blades – the Thunder God Sword and the Wind God Sword.
As early as the 1990s, the manga was adapted into an anime: "Kenyū Densetsu Yaiba" aired from 1993 to 1994 with 52 episodes on Japanese television but remained unlicensed in Germany. The new version by Wit Studio, however, is intended to tell the story of the source material completely. While fans in this country are still waiting for the start on ProSieben MAXX, the German dubbed version has already premiered as part of AnimagiC 2026. Those who want to collect the series on disc can access it from December 2026: peppermint anime is releasing the season in two volumes, which can be pre-ordered individually or as a set.
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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