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From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman Anime Stars Hiroaki Hirata

The official website for the television anime of Shigeru Sagazaki's From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman (Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru: Tada no Inaka no Kenjutsu Shihan Datta noni, Taisei Shita Deshitachi ga Ore o Hōttekurenai Ken) light novel series revealed on Friday that the anime will star Hiroaki Hirata as Beryl Gardinant (note: while J-Novel Club and Yen Press both spell the character's last name as Gardinant, the anime's website lists it as Gardenant). The website also revealed a promo video for the character.

Akio Kazumi (Loner Life in Another World, Fist of the Blue Sky Regenesis) is directing the anime at Passione and Hayabusa Film. Kunihiko Okada (The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, By the Grace of the Gods season 2) is in charge of series scripts, Satsuki Hayasaka (The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy, Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki) is designing the characters, and is also the chief animation director, and Yasuharu Takanashi (Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura, Fairy Tail) is composing the music.

The anime will air in April 2025 on the IMAnimation programming block of 24 TV Asahi affiliate channels, and on BS Asahi.

Sagazaki launched the story on the Shōsetsuka ni Narō website in November 2020. Square Enix published the novels' first volume with illustration by Tetsuhiro Nabeshima in April 2021, and the eighth volume on August 6.

J-Novel Club licensed the novels and describes the story:

Beryl Gardinant, a self-proclaimed “humble old man,” is a sword instructor at his dojo in a rural, backwater village. In his younger years, he dreamed of glory as a master swordsman, but those days are long behind him. Out of the blue, he receives a visit from a famous former pupil who brings him world-shattering news—he's been appointed as special instructor for the knights of the Liberion Order! With his life now turned upside down, Beryl travels to the capital and reunites with some of his former students: elite knights, an ace wizard, and even an adventurer who's attained the highest guild rank possible. But why do they all want his tutelage?! As far as he's concerned, they clearly don't need him anymore.

Can Beryl live up to his new position? And will he ever get a moment's peace away from his adoring students?!

Kazuki Satō launched the novels' manga adaptation in Akita Shoten's Dokodemo Young Champion magazine in August 2021. Akita Shoten published the manga's first compiled book volume in February 2022, and the sixth volume released on August 6. Yen Press releases the manga in English.

The original novels and manga have a cumulative total of 5.5 million copies in circulation.

Sources: From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman anime's website, Comic Natalie