The Ambition of Oda Nobuna
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is a Japanese light novel series written by and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. It was adapted into an anime television series animated by Madhouse and Studio Gokumi that aired from July to September 2012. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the series released it with an English dub in December 2014.
Plot
Suddenly finding himself in the Sengoku period, average high school student Yoshiharu Sagara is about to be killed on the battlefield. He is saved by none other than the man who would later become the respected Hideyoshi Toyotomi, but at the cost of the latter's life. Yoshiharu notices differences from what he remembers from his favorite Sengoku era video game – Nobunaga's Ambition. In particular, there are many female who should be male to his knowledge. Yoshiharu begins working under a female Nobuna Oda, who nicknames him and probably corresponds to the male Nobunaga Oda in the real history. He serves Nobuna with hopes of saving her from Nobunaga's fate to be killed at the Honnō-ji Incident, not thinking of his way back home to the present-day world.The story gradually reveals the difficulties in Yoshiharu's attempt. In addition to Nobuna's jealousy to other female attracted by him, two other persons who have historical foreknowledge hinder Yoshiharu's way. History itself seems to have a kind of resilience; if he succeeds in stopping an event, an equivalent event will occur at another opportunity.
Yoshiharu and Nobuna strive to overcome the problems, achieving her ambition of the unification of Japan and start trade and diplomacy on the equal footing with European nations. However, the Honnō-ji Incident eventually occurs. Yoshiharu, who survived the incident, repeats travel through time and space and finally saves Nobuna from the incident. The last pages of the novel suggest that Yoshiharu successfully rewrote the historical facts. A museum in his hometown holds an exhibition featuring Nobuna Oda – the woman who unified Japan and played an important role for the international society of the Age of Exploration.
Background
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna is Mikage Kasuga's first work started in 2009, which was inspired by Noboru Yamaguchi's The Familiar of Zero. They share the plot that a boy comes to another world and works under a girl. Like Saito summoned to Halkeginia as Louise's familiar, Yoshiharu slips into a Sengoku world and becomes Nobuna's retainer. Kasuga recalls that such plot deviated from the pattern of those days' light novels in which someone came to a present-day Japanese school. Based on the differences between Nobuna's Sengoku world and that in the real history - as the author expresses as "strangely parallel worlds"- this novel can be located in the tradition of isekai fantasy.
Another background is the tradition of historical fictions on Sengoku period Japan. Kasuga refers to NHK's Taiga drama series such as Ōgon no Hibi in 1978 and Dokuganryū Masamune in 1987 as well as Ryōtarō Shiba's historical novel Sekigahara in 1966 and its TV drama adaptation by TBS in 1981. As the title implies, The Ambition of Oda Nobuna also cites the historical simulation video game series Nobunaga's Ambition as well as other games with their names slightly changed. Borrowing well-known events and characters from the preceding works, it can be said to be a kind of historical novel. Several reviewers evaluate it as a well-researched historical fiction. even recommends it to high school students as useful for studying history.
However, the novel does not follow the real history. Rather, it tells a story that is impossible as the historical fact.
Tatsuya Tamai regards this novel as a composition of superficial and fragmented knowledge on history that readers would have shared through video games or school textbooks. Such composition also reflects preceding works. For the figure of Danjō in particular, Kasuga acknowledges by in 2003.
This novel characterizes many and as women. Regarding the idea to depict Nobunaga as a woman, Kasuga cites Utsukibara's another work in 1999:. In addition, mentioning bloody conflicts between brothers of Sengoku depicted in NHK Taiga dramas, Kasuga explains the motivation toward revising history to avoid such tragedies by changing their gender. Nobuna's conquest consequently tends to refrain from casualties. Such characters as Dōsan Saitō, Yoshimoto Imagawa, and Shingen Takeda survive the historical events in which their counterparts in the real history died, making differences in what subsequently occurs.
Characters
According to Tamai, character settings are the key to the composition of the fragments of knowledge to make up The Ambition of Oda Nobuna as entertainment contents. People in Kasuga's parallel world show differences from those in the real history, keeping their identity in trivial aspects. In addition to the most remarkable gender-swapping, basic properties like the dates of birth and death are often different. Moreover, each character has a strong impression based on appearance, personality, skills, habits, and the way of speaking.The story tells how female Nobuna accomplishes her ambition of the unification of Japan in several years, in which male Nobunaga failed after his thirty-year struggle, and how she then participates in global politics. In the beginning, Nobuna is already the head of the Oda clan in the Owari Province, but her position is instable. The story first depicts characters in the Oda clan and in its neighbors in the provinces of Mino, Mikawa, and Suruga. As Oda's reach expands, the story introduces more characters with more complex relationships among them. In addition to and their retainers, the author features a wide variety of characters: the empress and court nobles; merchants; mercenary soldiers; religious groups; and experts in literature, art, and tea ceremony. The last four volumes of the novel even introduce 16th century European political/military figures such as Elizabeth I from England, Don Juan de Austria from Spain, and Maurits van Nassau from the Netherland, who never visited Japan in the real history.
Oda Clan
The status of the Oda clan as the of the Owari Province was established by the previous head Nobuhide. When he deceased, his daughter Nobuna inherited his position. The succession was not welcomed by those who supported Nobukatsu, a younger brother of Nobuna. They thus had an internal conflict, when Yoshiharu suddenly appeared on the field of the battle between Oda and Imagawa.Nobuna unifies her clan, negotiates with the neighbor, and defeats the Imagawa at the Battle of Okehazama. She then conquers the Mino Province and marches into the capital Kyoto. The expansion of Oda power so frightens other political forces that they form an anti-Oda alliance. Nobuna also expands her network and seeks allies. The focus of the story is thus on the people around the Oda clan.
;Yoshiharu Sagara
;Nobunaga Oda
;Mitsuhide Akechi
;Katsuie Shibata
;Nagahide Niwa
;Matsunaga Hisahide
;Ishikawa Goemon
;Maeda Toshiie
;Takenaka Shigeharu
;Zenki
;Nene
;Ikeda Tsuneoki
;Sassa Narimasa
;Kazumasu Takigawa
;Yoshitaka Kuki
;Kuroda Yoshitaka
;Yamanaka Yukimori
;Tsuchida Gozen
;Gamo Ujisato
Neighbors
;Saitō Dōsan;Nōhime
;Tokugawa Ieyasu
;Hattori Hanzō
;Yoshimoto Imagawa
Ōmi and Echizen
The Ōmi Province is the land surrounding the Lake Biwa, being the eastern gateway to Kyoto. The South Ōmi is ruled by the Rokkaku, while the North is by the Asai. Echizen is the province located to the north of Ōmi, ruled by the Asakura.After conquering Ōmi, Nobuna builds Azuchi Castle there. In volumes 16–18, battles occurred in Sekigahara, to the east of Azuchi.
;Rokkaku Yoshikata
;Azai Hisamasa
;Azai Nagamasa/Oichi
;Oda Nobuyuki/Tsuda Nobusumi/Oichi
;Asakura Yoshikage
;Makara Naotaka
;Tsuchimikado Hisanaga
Christians
Missionaries and merchants came from Europe, and some Japanese people became interested in Christianity and were baptized. Nobuna is not a Christian, but she respects religious freedom and imports advanced European technology. She obtains an edict from the empress Himiko, authorizing the mission of Christianity, and later establishes a mission school in the Castletown of Azuchi, gathering students from Christian daimyos like Sōrin Ōtomo.Although not included in the list below, the following people were also baptized: Mitsuhide Akechi, Kanbē Kuroda, Ujisato Gamō, and Yukinaga Konishi.
;Date Masamune
;Katakura Kagetsuna
;Luís Fróis
;Organtino
;Giovanna L'Ortese
;Dom Justo Takayama
; Konishi Ryūsa
;Ōtomo Sōrin
;Gaspar Vilela
; Francisco Xavier
Miyoshi Triumvirate (Miyoshi Three) and allies
The Miyoshi clan is based on the Awa Province of the Shikoku island. It served the Hosokawa, the deputy of the Muromachi shogunate, at Kyoto. After the Ōnin War, the Miyoshi had gained its power and effectively ruled Kyoto and its surrounding areas over the Ashikaga shoguns. However, the Miyoshi had an internal conflict following the death of the head Nagayoshi, with four retainers assuming the power. They called themselves the, despite being a group of four. Against the Oda's conquest of Kyoto, they seek coalition of several factions.;Konoe Sakihisa
;Tsuda Sōgyū
;Gōsei Shōkakuin
;Masayasu Miyoshi
;Nagayasu Miyoshi
Honbyō Temple
Honbyō Temple is the headquarter of Nyankō-shū. They are the counterparts to Hongan-ji and Ikkō-shū in the real history. Nyankō-shū adores cats like gods and emphasizes laughter as a means of relief. Rituals at Honbyō Temple take the form of . This religion has spread and led popular uprising across Japan. The history of Nyankō-shū is explained in volume 6 of [|the revised edition].Amid rising tensions between Oda and Honbyō Temple, they hold a soccer game, instead of war. This once leads to their reconciliation and an agreement is reached to hold a soccer game every year. However, the second game is never held. Instead, war breaks out in Osaka.
;Kennyo
;Kyōnyo
;Suzuki Magoichi
Mōri Clan and allies
The Mōri are the most powerful force in western Japan. Based on the Aki Province, they effectively control almost the entire Chugoku region and the Seto Inland Sea through the alliance with the Ukita clan and the. When Nobuna conquers Kyoto and its surrounding areas, the Harima Province to the west of Kyoto becomes the front line of the battle between Oda and Mōri. Naval battles later occur in Osaka Bay.Mōri's status was established by the previous head Motonari. He used his three children to expand the power of the clan. The eldest son Takamoto became the successor to the Mōri. Two daughters, Motoharu and Takakage, were adopted into different families: Kikkawa and Kobayakawa respectively. As Takamoto died young, Motoharu and Takakage substantially lead the Mōri.
;Ashikaga Yoshiaki
;Ukita Naoie
;Ukita Hideie
;Konishi Yukinaga
;Kobayakawa Takakage
;Kikkawa Motoharu
;Murakami Takeyoshi
Other daimyos
;Takeda Shingen;Takeda Katsuyori
;Uesugi Kenshin
;Uesugi Kagekatsu
;Naoe Kanetsugu
;Hōjō Ujiyasu
;Manmi Shigemoto
;Yoshiaki Mogami
;Sagara Yoshihi
;Shimazu Sisters
Golden Crusade
A union of ambassadors and armed forces from Europe, called the "Golden Crusade". They are under the complex motivation of the different interests among European states. In volumes 19 and 20, they gather off the coast of Sagami and, after some diplomatic process, declare war against Japan.;Francis Drake
;Elizabeth I
;Hasekura Tsunenaga
Other characters
;Himiko;Imai Sōkyū
;Hosokawa Fujitaka
;Guillaume Postel
Media
Light novel
Original story
The Ambition of Oda Nobuna began as a light novel series written by Mikage Kasuga and illustrated by Miyama-Zero. Volume 1–10 and a spin-off novel were published between August 15, 2009, and March 16, 2013, by SB Creative under their GA Bunko imprint. On April 19, 2014, volume 11 was published by Fujimi Shobo under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint and all further releases were published this way.From volume 11, the light novel series have the postfix. This reflects that the story was expanding its coverage to include family affaires of daimyos across Japan, other than the Oda.
Revised volumes 1–10
A revised version of volumes 1–10 was published in September 2015. The author and illustrator are the same as the original's. The title was changed to and the publisher was also changed to Kadokawa, which are the same as the original volumes 11–22. Before the publication of this revised edition, 13 volumes of the original story had already been published.Only the first volume uses a different cover illustration from the original GA Bunko version. Volumes 2–10 add a new special short story at the end of each volume. These are "bonus" for readers, according to the author.
The author provides explanations about this revision in the afterword for each volume. According to the author's account, there were three reasons for the revision.
The first reason for revision was that the constraint of page count resulted in omitting important episodes from the original story. Since the constraint has been relaxed thanks to changes in publishing environment, the author attempted to include new episodes. The number of pages accordingly increased for each volume of the revised edition. New important episodes are, for example, the Battle of Inō in volume 1, the attack on Yoshiteru Ashikaga
in volume 2, the extinguishing of the immortal lantern of Eizan
in volume 4, and the operations of Sanada and Fuma ninja troops in volume 7.
The second reason for revision was the inconsistent taste of the story. The author evaluates the original story as lacking coherence, especially in volumes 6 and 7, because they were written under a bad mental condition caused by the shock of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. These volumes show a significant change. The revision created totally different chapters related to the Nyankō-shū religion and the Honbyō Temple.
The chapters about Nobuna and Yoshiharu's incognito visit to Odawara Castle were also completely rewritten.
The third reason was that the character settings had been changed through writing the spin-off story focusing the battles between the Takeda clan and the Uesugi clan, Ten to Chi to Hime to. This experience renewed the author's imagination of the characteristics of Shingen Takeda after she lost her mentor Kansuke Yamamoto. This difference is reflected in the figure of Shingen appearing in volume 7.
Spin-off stories
The first spin-off story of The Ambition of Oda Nobuna focused on childhood of Masamune Date, titled Jakigan Ryū Masamune, published in December 2012 by SB Creative. The author and the illustrator are the same as the original story's.As well as the original story, this spin-off volume has a revised version published in September 2015 by Kadokawa.
Another spin-off story featuring Shingen Takeda and Kenshin Uesugi, titled Ten to Chi to Hime to had been serialized on the free novel website "Fantasia Beyond" by Fujimi Shobo since June 2014. It was published as a series of books from September 2016 to October 2017. The author is Mikage Kasuga. Illustrator is Ryōsuke Fukai.
Spin-off short stories are compiled in a book series of three volumes titled Azuchi Nikki. They were published in 2015 and 2018. The author and the illustrator are the same as the original story's.
After the original story completed in 2019, another special story was set in a modern Japanese high school, titled Oda Nobuna no Gakuen, with the same author and illustrator as the original.
The Editorial Department of Fantasia Bunko published an official character book in 2017, with illustrations by Miyama-zero and Ryosuke Fukai.
Manga
A manga adaptation written by Mikage Kasuga and illustrated by was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace magazine from July 2011 to June 2014 and the serial chapters were collected into 6 volumes. The first volume was released in February 2012 and the last volume was released in August 2014.Another spin-off manga series in two volumes, written by Mikage Kasuga and illustrated by, was published by Fujimi Shobo in 2012.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation animated by Madhouse and Studio Gokumi based on volumes 1 to 4 of the novels aired from July 9 to September 24, 2012, on TV Tokyo. The anime is directed by Yūji Kumazawa, scripted by Masami Suzuki, and composed by Yasuharu Takanashi.The opening theme song is "Link" by Aimi and the closing theme song is "Hikari" by Makino Mizuta.