Gunka no Baltzar
Gunka no Baltzar is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Michitsune Nakajima. It began serialization in Shinchosha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Bunch magazine in January 2011. It was later transferred to Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in August 2022.
Plot
The story takes place in a fictionalized version of 19th century Europe in which one of its countries, Weissen, stands as one of the strongest regional military powers on the continent. Major Bernd Baltzar is a young and ambitious rising star in the Weissen military, until he suddenly receives new orders that he is to be sent to the previously neutral country of Baselland as an advisor and instructor for the nation's military academy.However, Baltzar finds his work cut out for him when he sees the poor state of Baselland's military, which uses both obsolete tactics and weaponry. In addition to trying to modernize Baselland's military, Baltzar also finds himself getting caught up in Baselland's internal politics between its two feuding crown princes, as well as international intrigue as Weissen competes with its rival Ezreich over influence within Baselland. Baltzar will have to utilize all of his knowledge and cunning to ensure both his own and his students' safety.
Characters
;Bernd Baltzar;Rudolph von Liebknecht
;Reiner August Winklefield
;Helmut Marx von Babbel
;Dieter Strunz
;Paul Breitner
;Marcel Jansen
;Thomas Linke
Publication
Written and illustrated by Michitsune Nakajima, Gunka no Baltzar was serialized in Shinchosha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Bunch from January 21, 2011, to August 19, 2021. It later began serialization on Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine on August 9, 2022. The series chapters have been collected into twenty tankōbon volumes as of September 2025.A spin-off manga written and illustrated by Kyōichi, titled Gunka no Baltzar: Ginkai no Jurij, was serialized on Shinchosha's Kurage Bunch manga website from April 20, 2021, to May 10, 2022. Its chapters were collected in two volumes.
Reception
The series had 1 million copies in circulation by June 2022.The series was ranked tenth in the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2013.