NIPPON SANGOKU: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun

What it’s about

At the end of the 21st century, Japan has been shattered by nuclear war, natural disaster, and misrule. Society collapses, technology regresses to a 19th-century level, and the islands break into three rival nations: Yamato, Buo, and Seii. Aoteru Misumi, a young former agricultural officer, loses his wife to the arbitrary cruelty of the authorities. Driven by the need to end the endless bloodshed, he resolves to reunify Japan. He is no great warrior, but a brilliant strategist who must rely on his sharp mind and powers of persuasion to navigate a dangerous political game against tyrants and armies.

What hooks you

Directed by Kazuaki Terasawa, with voice work by Kensho Ono as Aoteru Misumi, Jun Fukuyama as Yoshitsune Asama, and Asami Seto as Saki Higashimachi. The series is based on a manga and unfolds as a shocking, zealous political and military intrigue in a dystopian future.

Who it’s for

It is worth a look for anyone who enjoys dense political maneuvering, post-apocalyptic settings with a historical twist, and stories of an underdog using intellect to overcome overwhelming force.