How many episodes are in Song of the Samurai?

Song of the Samurai has 6 episodes in this listed season.

When does Song of the Samurai premiere?

Song of the Samurai premieres on 2026-05-09.

Is Song of the Samurai a new series?

Song of the Samurai is a new series (Season 1).

NEW

Song of the Samurai(2026)

Also known as Chiruran: Shinsengumi Chinkon-ka • ちるらん新撰組鎮魂歌江戸青春篇 • ちるらん新撰組鎮魂歌～京都決戦篇～

Archived · TBS

8.115+6 eps

S01

Action & AdventureActionDrama

ON AIR: MAY 9Season 1Archived listing

What to Expect

PremiereLens read

Song of the Samurai is a high-intensity miniseries built around sword combat and the specific codes that govern it. Set in the turbulent final years of the Edo period, it moves at a propulsive pace, staging action sequences with the weight of historical consequence rather than spectacle alone. The Shinsengumi warriors here are not chasing victory so much as choosing how to meet an end they already see coming.

Rivalries between the men sharpen over time without neatly resolving, and the bonds forged inside that pressure carry real friction. Hijikata and his fellow warriors burn through the story with a kind of fierce clarity, loyalty tested not by doubt but by the mounting cost of holding to it. That combination of brotherhood and impending loss gives the drama its particular charge.

Best for

honor-code samurai, high-octane sword action and Action & Adventure

Story lane

Action & Adventure and Action

Commitment

Season 1 · 6 episodes

Where

TBS

Official Premise

The Japanese drama series "Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem," internationally titled "Song of the Samurai," follows Toshizo Hijikata and the warriors of the Shinsengumi as they fight through the violent final years of the Edo period. Blending historical drama with intense "Japanese Sword Action," the series depicts the bonds, rivalries, and fiery lives of men who chose to burn brightly and fall with honor.

Watch Next If This Is Your Lane

Start with the closest match, then check out two more shows with a similar feel, pace, mood, or theme.

Last Samurai Standing

Netflix • Nov 13, 2025

DramaAction

In 1878, 292 samurai gather for a battle royale lured by a 100 thousand yen prize. Wooden tags are given; the last survivor reaching Tokyo wins. Shujiro Saga participates to save his sick family. A dangerous game of survival unfolds.

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Strongest Match

Last Samurai Standing turns Edo-era grit into a survival gauntlet, and Song of the Samurai shares that same relentless, honor-coded fight-to-the-end energy. You get escalating danger with men pushed to the limit, where every choice tightens the pressure, then the action pays off fast, darker and more game-like than the brotherhood-focused sword drama.

The Murky Stream

Disney+ • Sep 26, 2025

DramaAction

Takryu tells the story of a man who was a gangster who would become a legend in Joseon. He was known as a gangster at Han River's Mapo Port and eventually became a Joseon legend because of his body and skills.

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Why this pick

The Murky Stream brings street-level combat and loyalty under pressure, and Song of the Samurai delivers the same kind of intensity through blade work and rivalries. Expect hard-hitting fight scenes in historical back alleys, plus family and crew bonds that keep characters moving even when the stakes turn brutal, with a more underdog rise and less battlefield fatalism.

Gangs of London

Sky Atlantic • Jan 15, 2026

Action & AdventureDrama

Tells the story of London being torn apart by the turbulent power struggles of its international gangs and the sudden power vacuum that's created when the head of London's most powerful crime family is assassinated.

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Why this pick

Gangs of London and Song of the Samurai both lean into constant danger, where loyalties get tested in the middle of violence. The crime chaos hits with frequent, visceral confrontations and betrayal-driven tension, while Song of the Samurai keeps the focus on warrior brotherhood and honor, making the overall ride harsher and more sprawling.

Want the bigger picture?

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