A trailer and poster for Ya Boy Kongming! The Movie, the live-action Ya Boy Kongming! film that’s premiering in Japan on April 25 JST, have been released.
The former previews more of the MUSIC BATTLE AWARDS 2025 competition that the movie revolves around, while the latter shows off its large cast and Kongming’s sense of style.
A number of announcements related to Ya Boy Kongming! The Movie‘s songs were also made. Among these are Soshi Sakiyama‘s (the singer and writer of Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2’s “Akari”) and Lilas Ikuta from YOASOBI’s involvement as writers for the songs “again and again” and “Sing along!!!,” respectively. “again and again” is a song for the character shin (played by Wednesday Campanella’s Utaha), while “Sing along!!!” is the movie’s ending theme.
Ya Boy Kongming! The Movie is inspired by the Kodansha-published Ya Boy Kongming! manga written by Yuto Yotsuba and drawn by Ryo Ogawa. The film is preceded by a 2023 live-action drama, and the returning cast includes Osamu Mukai (Kongming), Moka Kamishiraishi (Eiko Tsukimi), Rikako Yagi (Nanami Kuon), and Ryubi Miyase (Kabe Taijin). Yuhei Shibue, one of the drama’s directors, is directing Ya Boy Kongming! The Movie.
The Ya Boy Kongming! manga started serialization in 2019 and has 20 tankoubon volumes as of February 2025. It debuted in Kodansha’s Comic Days app/website before being moved to Weekly Young Magazine. Kodansha USA describes the plot as:
General of the Three Kingdoms, Kongming had struggled his whole life, facing countless battles that made him into the accomplished strategist he was. So on his deathbed, he wished only to be reborn into a peaceful world…and was sent straight to modern-day party-central, Tokyo! Can even a brilliant strategist like Kongming adapt to the wild beats and even wilder party people?!
The manga inspired a TV anime, produced by P.A.WORKS and directed by Osamu Honma (The Aquatope on White Sand episode director) that aired from April to June 2022. A compilation film was released in 2024.
