Romance of the Three Kingdoms (2009 animation)
A 2009 Sino-Japanese animated adaptation of the classic novel.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Chinese: 三国演义; Japanese: 最強武将伝 三国演義) is a 2009 animated television series adapting Luo Guanzhong’s 14th-century novel. It was a joint production between Beijing Huihuang Animation Company (a subsidiary of China Central Television) and Japan’s Future Planet Corporation. The series has 52 episodes and began airing in Japan in April 2010, following its debut on China’s CCTV-8 in August 2009.
The production cost ¥650 million (about US$7.8 million), with Japanese toy manufacturer Takara Tomy contributing ¥250 million. The project took 25 months (though some sources claim four years) and involved over 2,000 staff. A Japanese anime director provided the storyboard, while the Chinese side handled animation. Takara Tomy also released related merchandise, including figurines and card games.
Unlike many film adaptations that end at the Battle of Red Cliffs, this series continues through to the Jin dynasty’s unification of China. The first episode details Diao Chan’s adoption by Wang Yun against a backdrop of turmoil, while later events—such as the Oath of the Peach Garden and Zhang Fei’s beating of a governor—are covered quickly. Some battles, like Red Cliffs, span multiple episodes, but others are condensed or summarized with narration. In the Japanese dub, characters are referred to by both surname and given name for clarity.
Future Planet, the Japanese production company, was already in financial trouble before the series aired. Unable to pay its share of production costs, it transferred its rights to another company. It dismissed all employees on July 31, 2010, and was declared bankrupt on September 29 after creditors filed a petition on August 26.
The series was exhibited at the 2009 Tokyo International Anime Fair, with a promotional video featuring Chinese voices and Japanese subtitles. In March 2010, the Japanese version was confirmed for broadcast as a 50th-anniversary program for Horipro, with about half the characters voiced by Horipro-affiliated actors and talents. This broadcast replaced the Jewelpet series in its time slot and ended a 13-year run of nationally broadcast anime from TV Osaka in that slot, which resumed only in April 2020 with Tomica Kizuna Gattai Earth Granner. A DVD version was released in 13 rental volumes.
Chinese theme songs include “A Handful of Country in Hand,” “Continuous Flow,” “Dreams Are Burning
- Production cost
- 650 million yen (US$7.8 million)
- Episodes
- 52
- Production period
- 25 months (some articles claim four years)
- Staff involved
- More than 2,000
- Broadcast start (Japan)
- April 2010
- Broadcast start (China)
- August 2009 on CCTV-8
- Japanese investment by Takara Tomy
- 250 million yen
Lore & Background
The series is a collaboration between Beijing Huihuang Animation, a company under China Central Television (CCTV), and Future Planet Corporation, a Japanese video planning and production company. A Japanese anime director provided the storyboard manuscript, while the Chinese side produced the animation. The production period was 25 months (although some articles claim it was four years), and a total of more than 2,000 staff members were involved. Takara Tomy, a major Japanese toy manufacturer, invested 250 million yen into the production costs and released related merchandise such as figurines and card games.
Unlike many film adaptations that end with the Battle of Red Cliffs, this work depicts the unification of China by the Jin. The first episode carefully depicts events leading up to Diao Chan's adoption by Wang Yun, while the story moves quickly from the Oath of the Peach Garden to the suppression of the Yellow Turban Rebellion and Zhang Fei's beating of the governor. Some episodes, such as the Battle of Red Cliffs, are depicted over several episodes, while many others are omitted or shortened and handled with narration. In the Japanese dubbed version, characters are referred to by their surnames and given names.
Future Planet, the Japanese production company, was already in financial trouble before the series aired. It was unable to pay the production costs it was supposed to cover, so it transferred the rights to the series to another production company. The company dismissed all employees on July 31, 2010, was filed for bankruptcy by creditors on August 26, and received a decision to commence bankruptcy proceedings on September 29.
Reader's Guide
The 2009 animated Romance of the Three Kingdoms is significant as a major Sino-Japanese co-production that brought the classic Chinese novel to a new generation through animation. Its production involved over 2,000 staff and a budget of 650 million yen, with investment from Japanese toy manufacturer Takara Tomy. The series is notable for covering the entire story through the Jin unification, rather than stopping at the Battle of Red Cliffs as many film adaptations do. Its legacy is marked by the financial collapse of the Japanese production company Future Planet shortly after broadcast, which led to the transfer of rights and bankruptcy proceedings. The series also marked the end of a 13-year run of nationally broadcast anime produced by TV Osaka in its time slot, and a 9-year hiatus until 2020. The Japanese version was promoted as a 50th anniversary program for Horipro, featuring a star-studded cast of voice actors from that agency.
Did You Know?
- The production cost was 650 million yen (US$7.8 million).
- Takara Tomy invested 250 million yen and released figurines and card games based on the series.
- Future Planet, the Japanese production company, filed for bankruptcy in September 2010 after the series aired.
- The series depicts the unification of China by the Jin, unlike many adaptations that end at the Battle of Red Cliffs.
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