The official website for the TV anime Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru (From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman), released the first promotional video and a new visual for the anime. The anime will premiere in April 2025 on the IMAnimation programming block of 24 TV Asahi affiliated channels and BS Asahi.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcukm1_SPII]
Kazumi Akio (Hitoribotchi no Isekai Kouryaku, Souten no Ken REGENESIS) is directing the anime at studios Passione and Hayabusa Film, and the anime will star:
- Hirata Hiroaki as Beryl Gardinant
- Touyama Nao as Allucia Citrus
- Ueda Hitomi as Surena Lysandra
- Hirose Yuuki as Curuni Crueciel
- Yano Hinaki as Ficelle Harbeller
- Saitou Chiwa as Lucy Diamond
- Ishikawa Kaito as Henbritz Drought
The anime is based on the light novel series Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru: Tada no Inaka no Kenjutsu Shihan Datta noni, Taisei Shita Deshitachi ga Ore o Houttekurenai Ken (From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone) written by Sagazaki Shigeru and illustrated by Nabeshima Tetsuhiro (108-Kai Korosareta Akuyaku Reijou, Inu to Hasami wa Tsukaiyou, Moto Yuusha wa Shizuka ni Kurashitai).
Sagazaki started the story in November 2020 on the Shousetsuka ni Narou website, and Square Enix published the first novel with illustrations by Nabeshima in April 2021. The eighth novel in the series was released in August 2024. J-Novel Club publishes the novels in English under the name From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone, and it will release the fifth novel on January 15th, 2025.
Satou Kazuki started the manga adaptation of the novel series in August 2021 in Akita Shoten’s Dokodemo Young Champion magazine. Akita Shoten published the manga’s first tankoubon volume in February 2022 and the sixth volume in August 2024. Yen Press Releases the manga in English under the title From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman, and it will release the manga’s second volume on January 21st, 2025.
It has also been revealed that the franchise will get a new manga spinoff by Soromichi Megumi (YoRHa Shinjuwan Kouka Sakusen Kiroku) on November 29th, 2024. The new manga will be serialized on Square Enix’s Manga UP! service under the title Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru Gaiden: Hajimari no Mahou Kenshi (From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman Spinoff: The Beginning of a Magic Swordsman).
[https://x.com/ossan_kensei/status/1859887564964167980]
The original novel series is described by J-Novel Club below:
Beryl Gardinant, a self-proclaimed “humble old man,” is a sword instructor at his dojo in a rural, backwater village. In his younger years, he dreamed of glory as a master swordsman, but those days are long behind him. Out of the blue, he receives a visit from a famous former pupil who brings him world-shattering news—he’s been appointed as special instructor for the knights of the Liberion Order! With his life now turned upside down, Beryl travels to the capital and reunites with some of his former students: elite knights, an ace wizard, and even an adventurer who’s attained the highest guild rank possible. But why do they all want his tutelage?! As far as he’s concerned, they clearly don’t need him anymore.
Can Beryl live up to his new position? And will he ever get a moment’s peace away from his adoring students?!
