Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga

Oda Nobunaga has probably been the subject of more anime titles than any other figure in Japanese history, and deservedly so; while he may not have lived long enough to finish the job of uniting all of Japan, he certainly laid the groundwork for it to happen, and was an innovator in both military tactics and economic practices. He was also a notoriously colorful figure, with some ideas that may have been too radical for his own good. While most stories about him have focused on his adult years, this series (or at least the first episode, anyway) takes the highly unusual approach of examining his earlier years. That’s what makes it a surprisingly fascinating view.

The first episode mostly focuses on events that happened in 1545, when Nobunaga was 12 years old. As near as I can determine, some of what is shown in this episode is being extrapolated from actual historical records, while in other places the story is fudging on details a lot. Among details that are probably accurate are that Kippoushi (later Nobunaga) was not well-liked by his mother, was fascinated with firearms from an early age, collected Western art, and hung around with youths well below his social status. The story is, however, fudging greatly on the appearance of Kitsuno, who would become Nogunaga’s favorite concubine and the mother of three of his children. According to historical accounts, Nobunaga was struck by her beauty during their first encounter (as shown here), but that happened about a decade later. Kistuno is also shown here as being significantly older that Nobunaga, when in fact she was four years younger, and thus would have been only eight years old at this time. Seeing how the story will later make this jive with actual history could be interesting.

Freed from historical context, the story makes a decent tale about a young man who is not fully bound by tradition as he grows into his own. It shows him as a likable rascal who is a quick thinker and bold schemer, one who is loyal enough to his friends that he’s willing to stand up to a father who intimidates him. That shades him towards being a more typical anime protagonist, but the historical context helps offset that. Technical merits are respectable but unexciting.

The episode’s closer (which is presumably going to be the regular opener) suggests that this is eventually going to become a bishonen fest. The series will lose me if that happens, but as long as it sticks to the hard history then I may keep watching. You can also Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga anime watch online and free anime download.