Best Asian history series

Get ready to binge. We've found a collection of must-watch history shows from Asia, now streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!

  • Poster for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

    Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba 2019

    It is the Taisho Period in Japan. Tanjiro, a kindhearted boy who sells charcoal for a living, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. To make matters worse, his younger sister Nezuko, the sole survivor, has been transformed into a demon herself. Though devastated by this grim reality, Tanjiro resolves to become a "demon slayer" so that he can turn his sister back into a human, and kill the demon that massacred his family.

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  • Poster for Vinland Saga

    Vinland Saga 2019

    For a thousand years, the Vikings have made quite a name and reputation for themselves as the strongest families with a thirst for violence. Thorfinn, the son of one of the Vikings' greatest warriors, spends his boyhood in a battlefield enhancing his skills in his adventure to redeem his most-desired revenge after his father was murdered.

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  • Poster for Hell's Paradise

    Hell's Paradise 2023

    For a chance at a pardon, a ninja assassin joins other condemned criminals on a journey to a mysterious island to retrieve an elixir of immortality.

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  • Poster for InuYasha

    InuYasha 2000

    Kagome Higurashi is a modern day young girl who lives with her family by the old Higure shrine. Unbeknownst to Kagome, she is the reincarnation of priestess Kikyo and posseses the "Jewel of Four Souls" (the Shikon jewel). One ill-fated day, Kagome locates an ancient well near her home and is abruptly transported through the well and into a feudal Japan, inhabited by demons. There, she encounters Inuyasha, son of a powerful demon father and a human mother, who is pinned to a tree by an enchanted arrow.

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  • Poster for The Apothecary Diaries

    The Apothecary Diaries 2023

    Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!

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  • Poster for My Happy Marriage

    My Happy Marriage 2023

    Miyo's abusive family deems her worthless – but together with her powerful husband-to-be, her true self and hidden powers slowly begin to shine.

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  • Poster for The Heroic Legend of Arslan

    The Heroic Legend of Arslan 2015

    Arslan is the heir apparent of Pars, a strong nation that sits at the hear of the trade route connecting the East and the West. When the pagan nation of Lusitania begins an invasion of Pars, the timid Arslan is confronted with battle for the first time. His worst anxieties are realized the Parsian army falls for a Lusitanian stratagem and are routed. He barely escapes with his life, thanks to the loyal and indomitable warrior Daryun. Together they will stand against the invasion and the cruelties of fate that are about to blow down on Pars.

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  • Poster for Golden Kamuy

    Golden Kamuy 2018

    In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto scratches out a meager existence during the postwar gold rush in the wilderness of Hokkaido. When he stumbles across a map to a fortune in hidden Ainu gold, he sets off on a treacherous quest to find it. But Sugimoto is not the only interested party, and everyone who knows about the gold will kill to possess it! Faced with the harsh conditions of the northern wilderness, ruthless criminals and rogue Japanese soldiers, Sugimoto will need all his skills and luck—and the help of an Ainu girl named Asirpa—to survive.

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  • Poster for Rurouni Kenshin

    Rurouni Kenshin 2023

    Ten years have passed since the end of Bakumatsu, an era of war that saw the uprising of citizens against the Tokugawa shogunate. The revolutionaries wanted to create a time of peace, and a thriving country free from oppression. The new age of Meiji has come, but peace has not yet been achieved. Swords are banned but people are still murdered in the streets. Orphans of war veterans are left with nowhere to go, while the government seems content to just line their pockets with money.

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  • Poster for Onimusha

    Onimusha 2023

    With a demonic, soul-consuming weapon in hand, can a legendary swordsman and a samurai brotherhood defeat a bloodthirsty zombie uprising?

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  • Poster for The Founder of Diabolism

    The Founder of Diabolism 2018

    A feared outlaw is reborn in another’s body and joins an old rival to unravel ghostly mysteries—and maybe his own past.

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  • Poster for Chrono Crusade

    Chrono Crusade 2003

    Set in New York during the 1920s, Chrono Crusade follows the story of Rosette Christopher, and her demon partner Chrono. As members of the Magdalene Order, they travel around the country eliminating demonic threats to society, while Rosette searches for her lost brother Joshua.

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  • Poster for The Elusive Samurai

    The Elusive Samurai 2024

    Set between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, during the Kenmu Restoration, the story follows the tale of Hojo Tokiyuki, a boy on the run after his family is overthrown by Ashikaga Takauji. With his only allies being a shady priest and his followers, the young lord must seek revenge and regain his glory, with his only weapon: a superhuman ability to flee and hide.

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  • Poster for Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water

    Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water 1990

    In mankind's grasp for the future, a sinister foe known only as Gargoyle begins his plans to take over the world. Nadia, with the help of a young inventor, Jean Ratlique, and Captain Nemo of the submarine Nautilus, must fight to save the world from Gargoyle and Neo-Atlantis.

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  • Poster for Gu Family Book

    Gu Family Book 2013

    Choi Kang Chi is a half-beast and half-human and was adopted by a merchant Park Mu Sol when he was a infant. Kang Chi has a kind of unusual power. Dam Yeo Wool is the daughter of Dam Pyeong Joon who is the owner of the Invisible Knife Moo Kwan and also a patriotic warrior. Kang Chi and Yeo Wool meet and fall in love with each other. However, there is hatred between their fathers. Jo Gwan Woong is a traitor. He uses his power to frame faithful and upright individuals and obtain profit for himself. His criminal plots are destroyed by Kang Chi time and again. Therefore, he is determined to kill Kang Chi through different ways. Kang Chi is troubled by his identity but stands up for justice.

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  • Poster for The Rose of Versailles

    The Rose of Versailles 1979

    Raised from birth as a man, the Lady Oscar commands the palace guards at Versailles in the years before the French Revolution. Her beauty and noble spirit make her a shining figure in the eyes of both men and women but she is torn between her chosen life of service and duty to class and country and her own heart and desires. She lives as a noble amidst the opulence of Versailles but her keen senses and compassion are not blinded to the poverty of the French people.

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  • Poster for Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play

    Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play 1995

    Junior high school student Miaka lives a normal life in Tokyo until she finds a mysterious book in the library, and she and her friend Yui are transported the Universe of the Four Gods. Upon arriving in this new universe, the girls are immediately attacked by would-be slavers and saved by a dashing young man. When Miaka isn't looking, both Tamahome and Yui vanish. Unbeknownst to Miaka, Yui has been sucked back into the real world. Back in the library, all she can do is read on as Miaka sets out for the city to find the mysterious young boy and save her friend. But what awaits for Miaka isn't what either of the girls expect—and now Miaka's only way back to her world is to become the Priestess of Suzaku and save their world.

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  • Poster for Revenger

    Revenger 2023

    As master assassin Usui Yuen looks into a series of assassinations made on the grand samurai clan, the Satsuma, he encounters Kurima Raizo, member and survivor of one of the attacks. Together, they discover the true nature of these murders is bigger than over stolen resources. As they get closer to the truth, will they come out alive to exact revenge?

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  • Poster for Anne of Green Gables

    Anne of Green Gables 1979

    Anne Shirley is a freckle-faced, red-haired girl, who grows up in an orphanage having lost her parents at a very early age. Anne is always cheerful and fun-loving despite being brought up without love or affection. When she turns 11, she is adopted by the old farmer Matthew Cuthbert and his sister Marilla. Anne starts her new life with Matthew and Marilla at a farm called "Green Gables", but actually the Cuthberts wanted a boy who could help with their work on the farm... Overcoming many hardships and meeting many friends and people, Anne grows up to be a strong-minded woman.

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  • Poster for Laughing Under the Clouds

    Laughing Under the Clouds 2014

    When swords were outlawed in the eleventh year of the Meiji era, the mighty samurai population began to dwindle. Those who rejected the ban on blades rebelled, causing violent unrest to erupt throughout the countryside. To combat the rise in criminal activity, an inescapable lake prison was constructed. Three young men, born of the Kumo line, were given the duty of delivering criminals to their place of confinement – but could there be more to their mission than meets the eye?

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  • Poster for Romeo and the Black Brothers

    Romeo and the Black Brothers 1995

    To get the money to pay for a doctor for his father, Romeo bravely sells himself as a chimney sweep. On the way to Milan he meets Alfredo, a mysterious boy on the run heading to the same fate. Upon being separated and sold to their new bosses, the two boys swear eternal friendship. Romeo has to learn the hardships of a chimney sweep's job.

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  • Poster for Sword of the Demon Hunter

    Sword of the Demon Hunter 2025

    Jinta journeys through a century-spanning epic, all while questioning why he wields a sword.

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  • Poster for The Great Queen Seondeok

    The Great Queen Seondeok 2009

    The life story of Queen Seondeok, the first queen of the Korean people during the Silla Dynasty.

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  • Poster for YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master

    YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master 2024

    Welcome to Yamauchi, a world inhabited by the Yatagarasu, a race of three-legged ravens who shapeshift into humans. The land is divided into four regions—North, South, East, and West—each ruled by a noble family. Yukiya, the son of a leader in the North, is shocked by a call to attend to the Imperial Prince. Murder, mysteries, and an invasion from an unexpected enemy await in this epic fantasy.

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  • Poster for Anne Shirley

    Anne Shirley 2025

    On the beautiful Prince Edward Island in Canada, an orphan named Anne Shirley is mistakenly sent to Green Gables, the home of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. They choose to adopt her anyway, as Anne finds friendship, love, and happiness in her new home. Come along for the story of a purehearted and imaginative girl growing up, leaving for college, and returning home a changed woman.

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  • Poster for The Romance Of Three Kingdoms

    The Romance Of Three Kingdoms 1994

    Adapted from the classical 14th century novel of the same title by Luo Guanzhong, Romance of the Three Kingdoms is part historical, part legend, and part mythical – romanticises and dramatises the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to replace the dwindling Han dynasty or restore it. The focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han dynasty, and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu.

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  • Poster for Apartment 404

    Apartment 404 2024

    Unprecedented real incidents that took place in Korean apartments! And six residents uncovering the mysteries of the apartment! The year changes with every episode. The cast directly faces incidents that happened in each era and solves the “secret of the apartment.” Who will become the main character to uncover the hidden secret? A variety show full of fantastic chemistry and real laughter, based on real apartment incidents, a time-and-space transcending true story chase drama.

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  • Poster for Requiem of the Rose King

    Requiem of the Rose King 2022

    The crown of England has been hotly contested throughout history, and in the Middle Ages, a series of great civil wars became known as the War of the Roses. Claiming a right to the throne, the Duke of York seeks to unseat King Henry VI and his heir in order to become king himself.

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  • Poster for Treasure Island

    Treasure Island 1978

    Jim Hawkins is a young boy lead by progressive events to embark on a search journey for the legendary treasure of the once dreaded pirate, Captain Flint. On their way to Treasure Island, John Silver, Jim's best friend, take over command of the ship revealing his true self as the ruthless pirate who once was the right hand of Flint himself. Feeling betrayed, Jim now has to deal with his mixed feelings and face Silver who still consider himself and Jim as friends. 

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  • Poster for Amatsuki

    Amatsuki 2008

    Ordinary high school student, Rikugou Tokidoki, has to take supplementary History classes, to boost his failing grade, at a state-of-the-art museum. This museum allows the visitor to use high-tech virtual reality to reconstruct a realistic Edo of the Bakumatsu period. However, once the simulation begins, Tokidoki is attacked by a strange creature. After something happens to his left eye, he realizes that he is not wearing the VR goggles - it is no longer a simulation; he's trapped in the virtual world and has no way of getting back.

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  • Poster for Yongzheng Dynasty

    Yongzheng Dynasty 1999

    The series was adapted from Eryue He's historical novels, which are loosely based on historical events in the reigns of the Kangxi and Yongzheng Emperors in the Qing dynasty (1644–1911).

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  • Poster for CESTVS -The Roman Fighter-

    CESTVS -The Roman Fighter- 2021

    Cestvs enters his first match at the slave gladiator training school. Though he's bewildered to discover that his opponent is his best friend, he wins the match, and his opponent is killed on the spot. According to his instructor Zafar, losers have no future. "Every time you win, your opponent will die. You're practically a murderer!" With all his sorrow and rage clenched in his fists, Cestvs survives, as one after another powerful opponents stand in his way, as well as the shadow of Nero, fifth emperor of the Roman Empire. With no other way to secure his freedom, can Cestvs seize his future?!

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  • Poster for Different Princess

    Different Princess 2024

    Female author Hua Qingge unexpectedly enters the world of her novel, taking on the role of a supporting character destined for failure. Armed with the script, she anticipates turning the tide, but instead, her journey takes a series of unexpected turns as she becomes entangled in a tale of love and hate with Ji Chu.

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  • Poster for Buddha

    Buddha 2013

    Mythological drama serial is based on the life of Lord Buddha that shows how a prince, Siddhartha became a Buddha.

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  • Poster for Suryaputra Karn

    Suryaputra Karn 2015

    The story revolves around one of the best archer of the Mahabharata, Karna and narrates the entire story of Mahabharata from Karna and Pandavas' birth to the eventual crowning of Karna in the Swarga. The show covers the life journey of Karna on his way to becoming a great warrior.

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  • Poster for News Treasury

    News Treasury 2020

    "News Treasury" explores historical news events and rarely seen footage, allowing viewers to dig into the news archives. From Bruce Lee's funeral and the Baoshang Bank robbery to Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Hong Kong and the Sha Tin measles outbreak, viewers can relive important moments in history. The show offers a chance to revisit key events that shaped modern Hong Kong.

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  • Poster for Year Hare Affair

    Year Hare Affair 2015

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  • Poster for The Mononoke Lecture Logs of Chuzenji-sensei: He Just Solves All the Mysteries

    The Mononoke Lecture Logs of Chuzenji-sensei: He Just Solves All the Mysteries 2025

    In 1948 Tokyo, just right after the war, Kanna Kusakabe had just become a second-year at a high school when she meets the new language teacher, Akihiko Chuzenji. Mysterious supernatural things keep happening around Kanna. Once again today, Kanna is going to open the doors to the library prep room to seek help from the surly Chuzenji-sensei who is waiting inside.

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  • Poster for Hwajung

    Hwajung 2015

    Fair Princess Jungmyung lives a life of the highest privilege, until her half-brother Prince Gwanghae executes the rightful crown prince and usurps the throne. Exiled from court, Jungmyung goes under disguise as a man and learns to adapt to life as a commoner — never forgetting Gwanghae's wrongdoing. But amidst rampant corruption throughout the kingdom, can Jyungmyung exact her vengeance, restore order and take back her rightful place in the palace?

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  • Poster for The King's Doctor

    The King's Doctor 2012

    The historical period epic was directed by Lee Byung-hoon, known for his previous works Hur Jun, Jewel in the Palace, Yi San and Dong Yi. This marked the first television drama for actor Jo Seung-woo in his 13-year film and stage career.

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  • Poster for Moawiya

    Moawiya 2025

    The story of the Umayyad dynasty, which wrote an unforgettable history, stretched from the east to the west.

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  • Poster for The King's Face

    The King's Face 2014

    Since Kwanghae was born from a concubine and only appointed as Crown Prince in a desperate measure, many dissatisfied officials from Northerner faction often plotted for his assassination and dethronement for 16 years. He also often quarreled with his father, King Seonjo, especially regarding Kim Ga Hee. Both son and father will fight against each other in favor of her. However, he eventually managed to overcome the obstacles by the help of Physiognomist, Kim Do Chi and become the next king. Meanwhile, Gwiin Kim is King Seonjo’s royal concubine.

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  • Poster for The Fugitive of Joseon

    The Fugitive of Joseon 2013

    Set during the reign of King Injong, the protagonist is a royal physician desperate to cure his ailing daughter. He becomes a fugitive when he gets entangled in an assassination plot to poison the crown prince, and fights to save both his daughter's life and his own.

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  • Poster for Secret Door

    Secret Door 2014

    A re-imagining of the legendary tale of the troubled father-son relationship between King Yeongjo and his only son Prince Sado. While his father insists on a strong and centralized government, Crown Prince Sado promotes social justice and equality throughout the kingdom. Throughout eight fateful years, the strain on their relationship — both familial and political — eventually evolves into a total breakdown, ending with one of the most tragic stories in Joseon history.

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  • Poster for Meiji Gekken: 1874

    Meiji Gekken: 1874 2024

    A former samurai, a yakuza bodyguard, a devious spy, and a geisha assassin try to find their place in the rapidly evolving Meiji-era while escaping the sins of their pasts.

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  • Poster for Ruy, the Little Cid

    Ruy, the Little Cid 1980

    In war-torn 11th century Spain, Ruy de Vivar, just a boy, dreams of becoming an invincible warrior.

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  • Poster for Bichunmoo

    Bichunmoo 2008

    This drama depicts the sacrifices four central characters make for love, vengeance and honor as each travels a road of chosen destiny.

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  • Poster for Pathfinding to the Northeast

    Pathfinding to the Northeast 2008

    Zhu Kaishan, a man from Shandong joins settlers in northeast China during the mid-19th century. Amidst turmoil, his family embarks on a journey to reunite, facing numerous challenges as they navigate survival in an unstable era.

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  • Poster for Hezar Dastan

    Hezar Dastan 1988

    Hezar-Dastan was an Iranian epic historical drama television series from 1987, developed and directed by Ali Hatami. Hezar Dastan is considered one of the most important and most influential works of art in the history of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The production of the show took almost 8 years, starting in 1979 and ending in 1987, during which Hatami established a large set to represent Tehran in both Qajar dynasty and World War II, retroactively creating Iran's first movie studio and backlot (named Ghazali Cinema Town). The show tells the story of Reza Khoshnevis (also known as Reza Tofangchi), and his life and entanglement with corruption in government, and trying to correct it using not conventional means. The story is split into two section and it features Iran during the turbulent times of the latter days of Qajar Dynasty and during the events of World War II and Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

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  • Poster for The Great Seer

    The Great Seer 2012

    The Great Seer is a 2012 South Korean historical television series, starring Ji Sung, Ji Jin-hee, Song Chang-eui, Kim So-yeon and Lee Yoon-ji. Set during the turbulent decline of Goryeo, it is about practicers of divination and the power that they hold over the fate of the country. It aired on SBS from October 10, 2012 to February 7, 2013 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 35 episodes.

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  • Poster for Memory of Chang'an

    Memory of Chang'an 2020

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  • Poster for Al Jazeera World

    Al Jazeera World 2011

    A series of one-hour documentaries showcasing films from across the Al Jazeera Network.

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  • Poster for King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

    King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table 1979

    King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a Japanese anime series based on the Arthurian legend.

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  • Poster for The Duo

    The Duo 2011

    In a story of two men switched at birth, noble-born Chun Doong lives as a slave and becomes a heroic outlaw, while beggar-born Gwi Dong lives as a nobleman and police chief; then each falls in love with the same girl, Dong Nyeo.

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  • Poster for Qin's Moon: The Legend of Qin

    Qin's Moon: The Legend of Qin 2007

    Set during the Qin Dynasty in ancient China, a brave assassin attempts to kill the Emperor to save his homeland. However, the assassin failed and in retaliation, the Emperor sent his troops to kill his eight year old son. A highly skilled swordsman intervenes and rescues the boy. After their escape from the forces of the Emperor, they embark on a journey to change the destiny of the empire while encountering several friends and foes along the way.

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  • Poster for Emily of New Moon

    Emily of New Moon 2007

    Based on the Emily of New Moon novel by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Emily is an orphan who gets sent to live with her relatives on Prince Edward Island, after her father dies. In New Moon she lives with her Aunt Elizabeth, Aunt Laura, and Cousin Jimmy, and learns to adapt with the help of her imagination and new friends.

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  • Poster for TOUKEN RANBU KAI KYODEN

    TOUKEN RANBU KAI KYODEN 2024

    In 2205 A.D., evil forces attack the past, threatening to alter the course of history. The judge calls on four swordsmen, with blades blessed by a Shinto priest, to protect the past and save the future. Loyal to their former master, the demon king Oda Nobunaga, they travel back to the Honnoji Temple where he was murdered. Can they stop evil in its tracks and preserve the past? Only time will tell.

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  • Sri Ayodhaya 2017

    Set during the reign of King Phrachaoyuhua Borommakot in the second quarter of the eighteenth century when art, literature, and learning flourished, it takes viewers through the fall of Ayutthaya nine years after his death to the liberation of Siam from Burmese occupation during the reign of Taksin the Great, who established the city of Thonburi as the new capital in 1767. The story is told through the attitudes of four present day characters and their past incarnations.

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  • Poster for Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe)

    Al-Nakba (The Catastrophe) 2007

    For Palestinians, 1948 marks the “Nakba” or “catastrophe”, when hundreds of thousands were forced out of their homes. For Israelis, the same year marks the creation of their own state. This four-part series attempts to present an understanding of the events of the past that are still shaping the present.

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  • Poster for Karasu Tengu Kabuto

    Karasu Tengu Kabuto 1990

    Those who have the blood of the Karasu Tengu in their veins must forever fight against the powers of darkness. Along with four other holy ninja warriors Genbu, Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko, Karasu Tengu Kabuto fights against the evil god Kuroyasha Dôki and his underlings such as Junin-shu

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  • Poster for Samvidhaan: The Making of the Constitution of India

    Samvidhaan: The Making of the Constitution of India 2014

    How the constitution of the largest Democratic Republic in the world was created.

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  • Princess at Large 2018

    Doctor Ji Xian Yun is an intern at a medical school in the modern times. She time travels to the olden times into the Chancellor's second daughter's body who tried to commit suicide to escape marriage. Prince Ming Wang is the fiance of the Chancellor's elder daughter, but she refuses the marriage because of his strange illness, which makes him have a big stomach. Ji Xian Yun is tricked into marriage with Ming Wang by her family.

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  • Poster for Byakkotai

    Byakkotai 2007

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  • Poster for The Legend of Lady Yang

    The Legend of Lady Yang 2000

    During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuan (Jiang Hua) fell in love with the beauty of Yang Guifei (Shang Hai Lan) is an orphan. was a famous woman in those days and also a wise man is the concubine that Hong Tae loves the most The love of the two is filled with Romance despite the big age difference Jealousy puts her in danger. They plan to kill concubine yang to death by Concubine Wu came to befriend to find an opportunity to slander Causing Yang's concubine to miscarry and ordered the army to kill Yang. But instead made the Hong Tae even more favored by her. and allowing her to participate in politics, thus giving her high political influence The emperor was wise to use capable people and with the power of concubine Yang, the Yang brothers were given their reign. Brother Concubine Yang has reached the position of general.

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  • Oda Nobunaga 1998

    Based on the novella of the same title by Ango Sakaguchi, this tells the story of 16th century Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga in his youth.

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  • Poster for Romance of the Three Kingdoms

    Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2009

    Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a 2009 animated television series joint produced by the Beijing Huihuang Animation Company of China and Future Planet of Japan. It was broadcast in Japan starting April 2010.

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