Sometimes, all an anime fan needs are some nice historical stories. After all the flashy moves, neon cities, and high technology its flashy present and future-based equivalents offer, the low-tech setting can be refreshingly simple. Who needs space marines and laser cannons when there’s a samurai with a katana hanging around?
Luckily, the 16th Century offers viewers plenty of samurai, ninja, and political intrigue as subjects for anime. Japan’s Sengoku period covered the whole century, which saw the rise of its most famous (and infamous) historical figures. So, don’t be shocked if there’s a certain theme to this list, because these are the best anime shows set in the 1500s.
9 Hyōge Mono
Based on Yoshihiro Yamada’s seinen manga, Hyōge Mono may be set deep in the Sengoku Era. But for its lead, Furuta Sasuke, there’s something more important to his conquest: art and ceremony. Sasuke learned to appreciate the tea ceremony from Nobunaga himself, as well as the ceremony’s master Sen no Sōeki. Since then, he has become obsessed with the ceremony and other forms of art like pottery and architecture.
He wants to walk the path of the ‘hyōge mono’, or ‘Jocular Fellow’, to find inner peace. But how can he do that and fulfill his master Nobunaga’s ambitions at the same time? Can a samurai glory in war and art? The anime currently isn’t licensed outside of Japan, but there are ways to watch it online. Just be careful when scouring for it.
8 Nobunaga Concerto
Better get used to hearing about Nobunaga, because as one of the most significant figures of the era, his name is going to turn up on this list a lot. Ayumi Ishii’s Nobunaga Concerto mixes things up a bit though. It follows Saburō, a high school boy who ends up traveling back in time to the middle of the Sengoku Period. He comes across Oda Nobunaga, with who he shares a surprising likeness.
Tired of the political pressure, Nobunaga has Saburō take his place while he goes off to roam the country anonymously. Saburō now has to use his knowledge of Japanese history (and his textbooks) to maintain his disguise and keep his life. Like a samurai take on the Prince & the Pauper, this anime is available on Crunchyroll.
7 Ninja Girl & Samurai Master
Crunchyroll also has Naoki Shigeno’s comedic take on the ‘Demon King’. Not that he’s particularly demonic in this show. He actually saves Chidori, the titular Ninja Girl, from drowning. Since then, she’s pledged her services to Nobunaga in order to help him unify the nation. She’s skilled enough to take on other ninjas, including those from the rival Koga Clan.
Except she’s often her own worst enemy as she gets undone by her own idiocy and clumsiness. Other figures from the era get lampooned as well, like Hideyoshi Kinoshita (Toyotomi) being even dumber and clumsier, yet able to survive all deadly encounters. Or Nobunaga's wife Kichō described as having "the mind of a genius" in the records, being an airhead in this show.
6 Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings
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Still, if viewers are after something a little wilder, Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings takes the Sengoku Period and makes it more ‘anime’. On paper, it’s about rivals Yukimura Sanada and Date Masamune forming an alliance to take Oda Nobunaga down. It sounds like a reasonable topic for a historical epic
But that’s without mentioning Nobunaga is basically Dracula, and Tokugawa general Tadakatsu Honda is a drill-wielding robot, alongside other quirky character redesigns. Based on Capcom's video game series, it had to do something to set it apart from Koei-Tecmo's Samurai Warriors. Turns out their answer was to double down on the craziness. Both of its seasons and its movie, The Last Party, can be found on Funimation.
5 Yasuke
LeSean Thomas and Studio MAPPA’s anime brings up this little-known figure from 16th Century Japanese history and adds a little fantasy to his story. It’s true that Oda Nobunaga did have an African retainer who was generally referred to as Yasuke. He was brought over by Portuguese Jesuit priests, possibly from Mozambique, and disappeared from the records soon after Nobunaga’s end at Honnō-ji Temple.
The Yasuke anime, viewable on Netflix, throws in some magic, advanced technology, and demons to spice things up. In it, Yasuke is haunted by Nobunaga’s death at the hands of Mitsuhide Akechi and the Yami no Daimyō. 20 years later, he has to face his past in order to protect a young girl called Saki. She may be sickly, but her magic abilities may just be strong enough to free Japan from the Daimyō’s clutches.
4 Inuyasha
Rumiko Takahashi’s tale about the dog-like demi-demon doesn’t mention a specific date for its setting. Yet clues suggest it takes place in the 1550s or so. It’s perhaps the most popular of Takahashi’s work outside of Japan, having appeared on Toonami's lineup. The show follows Kagome, a schoolgirl who ends up back in the past when she falls down a well. It's there she meets Inuyasha and discovers she’s the reincarnation of Kikyo, guardian of the Shikon Jewel.
It's a powerful crystal that can grant its wielder any wish they desire. However, Kagome shattered it to keep it out of evil hands, and the pieces spread across every corner of Japan. Now she has to help Inuyasha and his friends put it back together by traveling around the country and picking up every piece. The show had 9 seasons, but only 1-2 of them are available for streaming on Netflix, Roku, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Funimation, and VRV.
3 BRAVE10
BRAVE10 only just makes the mark, as it takes place roughly a year before the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Inspired by Yukimura Sanada’s Ten Braves, Kairi Shimotsuki’s story follows Iga Clan ninja Saizō Kirigakure. He’s cold and calculating, but he begins to warm up when he saves a priestess, Isanami, from pursuing assassins. He joins her as her guardian on her way to seek sanctuary under Yukimura Sanada.
The famous general is looking for 10 particularly strong subjects to assist him in battle. Sanada sees something special in Saizō and selects him and Isanami to serve under the Braves' leader Sarutobi Sasuke. Saizō is skeptical of Sanada's judgment, but he may see more than he realizes. This dose of ninja-based fun can be found in full on Amazon Prime, Roku, Tubi, Crackle, VRV, Plex, and FreeVee.
2 Arte
Samurai, ninjas, daimyo, Nobunaga, etc., are all well and good. But is there an anime set in the 16th Century that went beyond Japanese shores? Well, yes, otherwise this paragraph wouldn’t have asked that question. Kei Okubo’s Arte moves across the world to Renaissance Italy to follow its title character, the only daughter of Florence’s noble Spaletti family.
After her father dies, her mother urges her to marry a wealthy man to save their household from ruin. But that would mean giving up her dreams to become a master painter. Throwing her family name aside, she runs off to become an artist in her own right, becoming an apprentice under the established artist Leo. Under his tutelage, she discovers true love and art may co-exist. Fans of Blue Period and other art anime will enjoy this, provided they have a Hulu or Funimation account.
1 The Mysterious Cities of Gold
This show brings anime and animé together at last. Co-produced by Japan’s Studio Pierrot and France’s DiC Audiovisuel, The Mysterious Cities of Gold goes all the way west to the New World. Set in 1532, the show follows a young boy called Esteban as he searches for his lost father and the Seven Cities of Gold. He’s aided in his journey by Zia, an Incan princess in search of her own father, and Tao, the last descendant of the lost continent of Hiva.
Their journey leads them toward hidden artifacts, high technology, and the true worth of the Seven Cities of Gold. Older fans in the US may remember seeing this show on Nickelodeon, but it currently isn’t (legally) available for streaming in America. Luckily, this hidden gem can still be found on DVD and is worth grabbing while the prices are still good.