From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman Manga Adaptation Now Available on WEBTOON

Yen Press has announced that the manga adaptation of From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman is now available on the WEBTOON digital comics platform. Adapted from the light novel of the same name, the manga has been reformatted for WEBTOON’s vertical scroll format and in full color.

WEBTOON describes the synopsis of the manga series as: 

Middle-aged Beryl Gardenant has only ever accomplished one thing: running a humble sword-fighting dojo in the quiet countryside. But when he’s paid a visit by his former pupil, Allucia, he discovers that she has become an elite commander — and she’s hardly the only ex-student who’s a renowned warrior! Now forced by Allucia to become a special instructor to the strongest order of knights in the kingdom, can Beryl reach his full potential even though he’s an old man?

The manga adaptation is illustrated by Kazuki Sato and was first published in Akita Shoten’s web magazine Dokodemo Young Champion on August 24, 2021. Seven tankobon volumes have been released in Japan as of March 2025. Yen Press releases the manga in English for North America.

Two manga spinoff series have also been released. The first spinoff, Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru Gaiden: Hajimari no Maho Kenshi, was launched on Square Enix’s Manga Up! service on November 29, 2024. A single tankobon volume has been released as of March 2025. A second spinoff, Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru Gaiden: Ryūsoken no Kiseki, began serialization on Square Enix’s Young Gangan magazine on February 7, 2025. A single tankobon volume has also been released as of March 2025. 

The original light novel series is written by Shigeru Sagazaki and illustrated by Tetsuhiro Nabeshima. It was first published by Square Enix’s SQUEX Novel label on April 7, 2021. Nine volumes have been released as of March 2025. The series originally began as a Shosetsuka ni Naro web novel on November 17, 2020. 

The light novel has inspired an ongoing TV anime adaptation from Passione and Hayabusa Film that began airing in Japan on April 6, 2025. Amazon Prime Video is streaming the anime worldwide. 

J-Novel Club licensed the From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman light novel series for release in English digitally, describing the main synopsis as:

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 a 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?!

Anime News Network also confirmed recently that Hiromu Arakawa‘s Fullmetal Alchemist manga series will also be reformatted for release on WEBTOON in vertical scroll format on May 7, 2025. It will also be presented in full color. 

Source: press release