The upcoming anime series From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman has released its third promotional video, offering a sneak peek at the opening theme song “Heroes,” performed by renowned Japanese musician Takanori Nishikawa. The anime is set to premiere on April 5, 2025, on TV Asahi’s IMAnimation programming block.
Beryl’s Unexpected Journey: From Rural Dojo to Knights’ Instructor
From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman (Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru), adapted from Shigeru Sagazaki’s light novel series, follows the story of Beryl Gardinant, a humble old man and sword instructor in a rural village. Once dreaming of glory as a master swordsman, Beryl’s quiet life is disrupted when a former pupil appoints him as a special instructor for the knights of the Liberion Order. This new role takes him to the capital, where he reunites with his accomplished former students, including elite knights, a powerful wizard, and a top-ranked adventurer.
Takanori Nishikawa’s “Heroes”: A Theme of Valor
Takanori Nishikawa, known for his powerful vocals and contributions to numerous anime and game themes, performs the opening theme song “Heroes”. Nishikawa’s involvement adds to the anime’s appeal, with fans anticipating how his musical style will complement the series’ fantasy and action elements. He is well known for contributing to Gundam SEED (“Invoke”) as well as several Kamen Rider series.
Production Details and Streaming Information
The anime adaptation is produced by Passione and Hayabusa Film, with Akio Kazumi directing. Kunihiko Okada handles the series composition, Satsuki Hayasaka is in charge of character designs and chief animation direction, and Yasuharu Takanashi composes the music. Amazon Prime Video will stream the series worldwide.
Cast
The cast includes:
- Beryl Gardinant voiced by Hiroaki Hirata
- Allucia Citrus voiced by Nao Toyama
- Surena Lysandra voiced by Hitomi Ueda
- Curuni Crueciel voiced by Yuki Hirose
- Ficelle Harbeller voiced by Hinaki Yano
- Lucy Diamond voiced by Chiwa Saito
- Henblits Drout voiced by Kaito Ishikawa
- Myui Flare voiced by Arisa Nakada
- Spur voiced by Ryōta Ōsaka
Light Novel and Manga
The original light novel series by Shigeru Sagazaki began serialization in November 2020 on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website. Square Enix later acquired the series, publishing it under their SQEX Novel imprint in April 2021. A manga adaptation, illustrated by Kazuki Satō, began serialization in Akita Shoten’s Dokodemo Young Champion web magazine in August 2021. Yen Press has licensed the manga adaptation.
