It has been revealed that actresses Aju Makita and Mizuki Yamashita will appear in the latest installment of the "Kingdom" film series starring actor Kento Yamazaki , titled "Kingdom: The Soulful Showdown" (directed by Shinsuke Sato, opening July 17).
Makida plays Xiang, a palace maid who supports Qin King Ying Zheng ( Ryo Yoshizawa). She is a pure woman who wholeheartedly admires Zheng and is one of the few people he trusts. She will eventually become an important character who greatly influences the course of the story. Yamashita plays Yang, also a palace maid. She is a bright, strong-willed, and energetic woman who is a friend who supports Xiang as she is tossed about by the turbulent circumstances.
"Kingdom" is a popular manga series by Yasuhisa Hara that has been serialized in the manga magazine "Weekly Young Jump" (Shueisha) since 2006. Set in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of ancient China, it depicts the exploits of Shin, who aims to become a great general, and Ei Sei, the King of Qin who would later become "Qin Shi Huang." The live-action film adaptations have so far attracted a cumulative audience of 17 million people and grossed over 24.5 billion yen at the box office.
The latest film, "Kingdom: The Soulful Showdown," depicts the popular "Coalition Army Arc" from the original manga, in which the Qin state faces a desperate crisis when a coalition army of six countries, led by the Shun Oguri strategist Li Mu (Shun Oguri), attacks.
