Altair: A Record of Battles
| Company type | Manga series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manga, Anime |
| Founded | July 26, 2007 |
| Founder | Kotono Kato |
| Defunct | November 25, 2023 |
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Products | Manga, Anime adaptation |
| Parent | Kodansha |
is a Japanese manga series created by , who both wrote and illustrated the work. The narrative centers on Tuğril Mahmut, a youthful military officer dedicated to safeguarding his nation from an encroaching empire. The manga was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen periodical Monthly Shōnen Sirius from July 2007 until November 2023, culminating in a total of 27 volumes.
An anime adaptation consisting of 24 episodes, produced by MAPPA, aired between July and December 2017. This series was simultaneously available worldwide through streaming on Amazon Video during its original broadcast.
In the year 2017, Altair: A Record of Battles earned the prestigious 41st Kodansha Manga Awards in the shōnen category.
Plot
Set within the western region of Rumeliana, the story follows Mahmut, a young war orphan who holds the distinction of being the youngest Pasha in Türkiye’s military government, known as the Stratocracy. Despite his role, he is devoted to maintaining peace. When a political assassination occurs, Türkiye finds itself threatened by the aggressive Balt-Rhein Empire. After resolving domestic turmoil, Mahmut embarks on a journey across West Rumeliana to resist Balt-Rhein’s territorial ambitions by establishing strategic alliances. The creation of the Tripartite Military Alliance—consisting of Greater Türkiye, the Republic of Venedik, and the Urado Kingdom—along with support from the Cuore Alliance, sets the stage for the Anti-Imperial Alliance’s confrontation with Balt-Rhein during the Great Rumeliana War.
Manga
Authored and illustrated by , Altair: A Record of Battles launched in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius on July 26, 2007, and concluded on November 25, 2023. Kodansha compiled the chapters into 27 collected volumes, released between April 23, 2008, and April 9, 2024.
Kodansha USA announced plans for digital English editions starting March 21, 2017, broadening the series’ reach to an international audience.
Additional manga
A four-panel comic strip titled Shōkoku no!' appeared on Monthly Shōnen Siriuss official website in 2012. Another comedic chibi-style spin-off manga by Shiina Soga, named Shōkoku no Altair-san, was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Sirius from April 26, 2012, until September 26, 2013. This series consists of 21 chapters compiled into a single tankōbon volume published on October 9, 2013. A special chapter was also released in August 2017.
The spin-off series Shōkoku no Altair Gaiden: Tōkoku no Subaru, written by Hirokazu Kobayashi and illustrated by Chika Kato (sister of Kotono Kato), ran in Monthly Shōnen Sirius from January 26, 2016, through April 26, 2019. Set east of Rumeliana with strong Asian cultural influences, it tells the story of Kusanagi Island under Çinili annexation. The protagonist Subaru assumes the identity of a former prince to lead an uprising. Kodansha published this spin-off in seven tankōbon volumes between January 17, 2017, and September 9, 2019.
Anime
In December 2016, Aniplex revealed "Project Altair," an anime adaptation directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi at MAPPA, later confirmed as an adaptation of Altair: A Record of Battles. Noboru Takagi was responsible for scriptwriting while Ryo Kawasaki composed its soundtrack. The series aired from July 7 to December 22, 2017, on MBS's "Animeism" programming block.
In June 2017, Amazon Video acquired exclusive streaming rights across more than 200 countries through its "Anime Strike" channel, simulcasting episodes alongside their Japanese release. The initial Blu-ray/DVD set was released on October 25, 2017; it included limited edition bundles featuring bonus booklets, a soundtrack CD, and a Drama CD. Subsequent volumes were accompanied by additional soundtracks and DJCDs from radio broadcasts, concluding with the fourth volume released on April 25, 2018. In East and Southeast Asia, Medialink licensed the series and streamed it via its Ani-One Asia YouTube channel.
Other media
On November 29, 2014, Kotono Kato published an illustration book titled Milkazzar Altair The Shōkoku no Altair Illustration Gallery Book (ミルカザル・アルタイル 将国のアルタイルイラストギャラリーＢＯＯＫ) related to Altair: A Record of Battles. To celebrate ten years of serialization, another art book named Shōkoku no Altair Artbook (画集 将国のアルタイル), containing over 170 artworks, was released on October 6, 2017.
An official fanbook called Official Fanbook of Shōkoku no Altair Book of Stars (将国のアルタイル公式ファンブック 将星の書) came out on August 9, 2017. It includes illustrations alongside background information and character details; a preview featuring rough sketches appeared in Monthly Shōnen Sirius on August 26 that year.
Reception
In recognition of its quality and popularity, Altair: A Record of Battles received the shōnen division award at the prestigious 41st Kodansha Manga Awards in 2017.