History Manga / Kingdom

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[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kingdom_Season_3.jpg]]

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''Kingdom''[='s=] anime aired starting from June 4th 2012. Its first season lasted 38 episodes, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-01-23/kingdom-2nd-anime-series-to-premiere-this-june season 2 aired in June 2013]], and a third season began in April 2020. Creator/{{Funimation}} has all of season 1 [[https://www.funimation.com/shows/kingdom/ here.]] They released it on DVD in 2016.

* AllForNothing: The reason why Riboku and his men are so loyal to the Kingdom of Zhao despite their declining state and [[TheCaligula less-than-stellar monarch]] is because they put their hope in the [[TheWisePrince Crown Prince Ka]], believing he would be able to return Zhao to greatness. However shortly after [[spoiler:Zhao's defeat in Gyou the king choose to disown Prince Ka in favor of his equally depraved second son Prince Sen. Even after King Toujou's death, Zhao still can't catch a break]].

** Ou Ki and Hou Ken. Ou Ki hates Hou Ken for slaying his fiancee and fellow general Kyou, while Hou Ken lives for nothing more than to kill Ou Ki to right his only defeat. [[spoiler: He succeeds, but the manner of his victory leaves him unsatisfied.]]

** On a national level, Qin and Zhao have a lot of bad history with each other. Things have gotten to a point where Qin is invading Zhao in an all-out attack that will destroy one of them.
* BadassArmfold: Bajio all the time. Even when riding a horse down a cliff.

** [[spoiler:On a smaller scale, Sou Ou and Shi Ryou, one of the vessels of Ou Sen.]]

** Bajio. [[spoiler:In his berserker mode he goes in such a frenzy he starts speaking gibberish]]

** Ran Bi Haku 'The Berserker' is a mindless brute of frightening destructive power.
* BladeOnAStick: The glaive or ''guandao'' is the primary weapon of choice of most generals. Spear users, most notably Ou Hon and Earl Shi, are also fairly common.

** [[spoiler: Go Hou Mei also has one in his place so he can escape from his HQ after defeat in Choyou.]]

** Ri Boku is undefeated in the Shiji, while in the manga he was defeated in the [[spoiler: Battle of Sai by Yo Tan Wa and Sei and in Shukai Plains against Ousen.]]

* CivilWar: Qin is currently going through one of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar type. [[spoiler: Sei wins.]]

* DeathorGloryAttack: Qin's invasion of Gyou. If successful, shatters Southern Zhao and is a huge step forward for unification. If unsuccessful, Qin loses a majority of their armies and top generals, and puts a stop to their dream of unification. [[spoiler: Naturally, it works.]]

* DespairEventHorizon: After [[spoiler:Duke Hyou was slain and on the run from Ri Boku, a dejected Hi Shin unit limps to Sai to rest. The sight of Sei restores their fighting spirit.]]

* DiedStandingUp: [[spoiler: Ou Ki and Chou Tou]] die on their horse.

* DualWielding: Bajio, Rin Ko, Kaine, and Fu Tei.

** An inversion with Riboku and Shou Hei Kun.

* FatBastard: Ketsu Shi, Shoumou

* FirstNameBasis: When nobody else is around, Shin and Ten call Ying Zheng, Qin king and future Emperor of China, by his given name, since they first met when Zheng was KingIncognito. Shoubunkun is shocked upon learning this.

** Ouhon is the stoic, noble-born, spear-wielding, skilled fighter to Shin's brash, common-born, glaive-wielding brute force fighter. This difference is evident in their personal armies and the strategies they use as well.
** Kanki and Ousen, who both started their career as lieutenants to Mougou, generally look and feel more like villains, and have geniuses without peer - but they fight and behave very differently. Kanki is a high-risk high-reward gambler who relies on reading his opponent and getting into their mind. He is flamboyant, arrogant and fights out of a sense of rage against the world, preferring to kill even captured soldiers. Ousen, on the other hand, is a calculated schemer who always ensures he has backup plans, and tries to minimize the risks in any fight. He is quiet, cold, and fights out of ambition to gain power. He also prefers to spare the enemies he defeat, that is, if they join him.

* FriendlyRivalry: Between the three special units and their young commanders. The amount of friendliness may vary.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: In ancient times the Shiyuu were a clan of dancers. Over millenia they somehow turned into nigh-superhuman assassins.

* AHouseDivided: A central theme of the story. Whether it's Sei's little brother starting a coup d'etat or Ryo Fui's faction plotting to seize power in the imperial court.
** Is one of the fatal flaws of Zhao, as most vassals hold contempt for their current king, Tou Jou, whose hedonistic and self-indulgent character makes him one of the worst rulers in China. [[spoiler: It is his refusal and overall hatred towards Ri Boku that leads to Qin victory at Gyou, as it is noted by both sides that had he sent the capital's army to support the Zhao forces that there was no chance of victory for the Qin.]]
%%* HotBlooded: Most of the new generation is this on some level, with Shin, Fu Tei, and Kou Yoku being the most exemplary ones. Ou Hon also shows moments of this too despite his stoic demeanor.
* HowWeGotHere: The story begins with an adult Shin already as a renowned general in the middle of an unknown battle. The story then moved to a 15-year-old Shin, a war orphan and a lowly servant as we follow his military career and how slowly climb up the military ladder. It took 642 chapters for Shin to finally become a General and it's made clear it'll be a while before the plot catch up to the first chapter.
* IfWeGetThroughThis: [[spoiler:Sadly, Bi Tou never gets to propose to his girlfriend.]] However, it works out for [[spoiler:Dansa and Shiryuu]], who are able to spend the night together after successfully surviving the battle of Shukai Plains.
* KilledOffForReal: Hyou, [[spoiler: Bi Tou, Ou Ki, Chou Tou, Duke Hyou, Mou Gou, Sei Kyou]].

* ManlyTears: Everyone regarding [[spoiler:Ou Ki's death]]. Also whenever Sei gives an impassioned speech.

** Sei angrily stomps on his throne a bit after his meeting with Ryofui.
** Sei bangs on his throne in excitement after learning that Shin had slain [[spoiler:Mangoku]]. Seems like it can't catch a break.

** Kyou Kai initially acts as Shin's right-hand man during the Hi Shin Unit's early years, though she eventually becomes more independent upon being promoted and Karyo Ten takes her position.
* ObligatoryWarCrimeScene: Is a common occurance due to the nature of the work, with both friend and foe alike engaging in wanton cruelty throughout the campaigns.
** After the capture of Kourou, Shin personally interupts one of the massacres perpetrated by a 1000-Man Commander, which he is punished for and is only spared through Mou Ten's generocity. Both Mou Ten and Ou Hon didn't get involved due to the duo believing it is only when one becomes of high enough influence that any real change can occur.
** [[spoiler: During the Battle of Koku You, Kan Ki's army pillages and massacres the local population in an attempt to scare the Zhao forces to withdrawl to their homes. Both Shin and Kyou Kai nearly kill the general for the act, but are whaved off as not realizing such affairs are bound to happen when uniting China.]]
* OhCrap: Bi has this expression when [[spoiler:Ou Ki appears during the She Gan Plain battle]].

** The Qin army, after [[spoiler:Ou Ki is stabbed by Hou Ken]].

** [[TheChessmaster Ri Boku]] is normally so on top of things that it is an ''incredibly'' rare event when something catches him off-guard enough to do this. Three major events stand out - [[spoiler:the Mountain Tribe riding to the rescue of Sai]] which he didn't predict at all, [[spoiler: Ou Sen's "Locust Plan" to siege Gyou]] which exploited a weakness in his strategies he never thought of, and [[spoiler: Ou Sen arranging for food to be shipped by river from Qi]] which he predicted, but too late to act.

** Downplayed for the rest of the cast. Even Shin and Kyou Kai are noted to require their personal units during battle despite their overwhelming strength, and have been caught offguard on occasion only to be saved by their men.

** Shin personally has inherited both the wills and armament of various generals, such as [[spoiler: Ou Ki's glaive, Rin Ko's sword, and Duke Hyou's shield.]]

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The five-man squad that Shin is assigned to in his first campaign. This also applies to the entire Hi Shin Force once he's promoted, growing into TrueCompanions.
** Episode 4 of season 2 drives it home [[spoiler:when the newly introduced Gyoku Hou Force (whose members are of noble lineage) laughs in the faces of the villager-populated Hi Shin Force]].
* RapePillageandBurn: Is a common occurance due to the setting.
* TheRival: Shin, Ou Hon, and Mou Ten with their respective units/armies. Each of them have been marked by the Qin leadership as promising young officers with a lot of growth potential.

* ShipTease: Shin with Ten and Kyou Kai. Even his subordinates often join in.

* SquadNickname: Shin's "Hi Shin" (Flying Arrow) Force, Ou Hon's "Gyoku Hou" and Mou Ten's "Gaku Ka".
* TheStrategist: Ten makes steps to become this near the end of season 1, and has enrolled in a strategist school in season 2 and becomes Shin's strategist by the end of season 2.
** Shou Hei Kun acts as this for the entirety of Qin due to his position as the Head of Military Affairs, being the one who coordinates most of the campaigns for the various armies.

* TragicKeepsake: Hyou's sword [[spoiler:and Ou Ki's glaive and Duke Hyou's shield]] for Shin.

** When the Hi Shin organized a recruitment drive, they implemented a very strict testing course to weed out the numbers. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by veterans like Bi Hei that they would have never passed the new standards.
* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: About half the time the characters themselves in the anime are CGI. Season 2 reduces how much it's used though.
* VillainousBreakdown: Sei Kyou and the members of his faction after Rankai's defeat.

* WarElephants: Are utilized by Ka Rin during battle against the remnants of Ou Ki's army during the Coalition Invasion Arc. They are noted as being a rare sight and are stated to be from Indochina rather than Chu lands outright.

** Episode 32. The Hi Shin Force is forced to retreat from a losing battle, ending in [[spoiler:Bi Tou's death]].

* RealityEnsues: This ''does'' take place in the middle of a war period.

** Kanki and Ousen, who both started their career as lieutenants to Mougou, are geniuses without peer - but they fight and behave very differently. Kanki is a high-risk high-reward gambler who relies on reading his opponent and getting into their mind. He is flamboyant, arrogant and fights out of a sense of rage against the world. Ousen, on the other hand, is a calculated schemer who always ensures he has backup plans, and tries to minimize the risks in any fight. He is quiet, cold, and fights out of ambition to gain power.

* BrainsAndBrawn: Accounts for how a lot of armies operate, with the commander either being strategic or combative, and having a strategist or someone doing all the fighting under them.

* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: About half the time the characters themselves in the anime are CGI. Season 2 reduces how much it's used though.

** Ri Boku is undefeated in the Shiji, while in the manga he was defeated in the [[spoiler: Battle of Sai by Yo Tan Wa and Sei.]]

* PayEviluntoEvil: Is Man Goku and his personal army's justifications for his cruelty towards the people of Qin due to the deaths of four hundred thousand prisoners of war by the leader of the Six Great Generals, Haku Ki, at Chouhei (Battle of Changping).

* ForegoneConclusion: History tells us that the Qin state ultimately succeeds in ending the Warring State Period, bringing about the start of the Qin Dynasty.

** According to the Shiji, Sei's half-brother was killed when he unsuccessfully rebelled against the Qin. In the manga, he is framed by Ryo Fui, though Sei is not in the position to prove it yet.

[[quoteright:284:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ogre_natalie_mu_kingdum.png]]

Serialized in Weekly Young Jump, Kingdom is a manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara since 2006. It won the 17th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Award Grand Prize.

Kingdom's anime aired starting from June 4th 2012. Its first season lasted 38 episodes, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-01-23/kingdom-2nd-anime-series-to-premiere-this-june season 2 aired in June 2013]], and a third season began in April 2020. Creator/{{Funimation}} has all of season 1 [[https://www.funimation.com/shows/kingdom/ here.]] They released it on DVD in 2016.

Kingdom's anime aired starting from June 4th 2012. Its first season lasted 38 episodes, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-01-23/kingdom-2nd-anime-series-to-premiere-this-june season 2 aired in June 2013]], and a third season began in April 2020. Funimation has all of season 1 [[http://www.funimation.com/kingdom/episodes here.]] They released it on [=DVD=] in 2016.

!!Kingdom provides examples of:

* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: About half the time the characters themselves in the anime are CGI. Season 2 is improving on how much it's used though.

[[quoteright:348:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kingdomlogo_4616.png]]

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Many of the characters are.

* VillanRespect: Ri Boku notably shows Shin this many times throughout the story, and is hinted at being one of the few to recognize his capacity at warfare.

* Foil: Multiple examples in series.

* FirstEpisodeSpoiler: Hyou dies.

* CainAndAbel: Sei Kyou and Ei Sei respectively(altough they are only half-brothers)

* Determinator: Nearly the entire cast is this to some extent.

* DualWielding: Bajio and Rin Ko

%%* HotBlooded: Shin.

* ObligartoryWarCrimeScene: Is a common occurance due to the nature of the work, with both friend and foe alike engaging in wanton cruelty throughout the campaigns.