Samurai Deeper Kyo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Samurai Deeper Kyo | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Genre | Adventure, Comedy, Historical, Shounen, Supernatural |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Akimine Kamijyo |
| Publisher |  Kodansha
|
| Serialized in | Shukan Shonen |
| Original run | October 15, 1999 – May 10, 2006 |
| No. of volumes | 38 (in Japan) |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Junji Nishimura |
| Studio | Studio Deen |
| Network | TV Tokyo ABS-CBN , Studio 23 , Hero TV True Vision,Modern Nine TV Encore WAM |
| Original run | July 2, 2002 – December 23, 2002 July 31, 2006 – August 25, 2006 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
Samurai Deeper Kyo (written in English, even in Japan) is Akimine Kamijyo's first published manga. First released in October 1999 in Shūkan Shōnen Magazine, volume thirty-seven was published in April, 2006 by Kodansha[1]. The manga led to the adaption of an anime series of the same name from Studio Deen. Both the manga and the anime combine action with the supernatural, taking liberties with historical personages to create an alternate history of Tokugawa Japan.
Although they differ widely in many crucial aspects of plot and characterization, both the anime and the manga follow the story of Demon Eyes Kyo (鬼目のキョウ; Oni Me no Kyō) as he seeks to regain his body after his soul was sealed inside the body of his rival, Mibu Kyoshiro (or "Kyoshiro Mibu" when written in western order). Kyo is joined in his search by, among others, the bounty-hunter Shiina Yuya, Tokugawa Hidetada, heir to the shogunate, and Sanada Yukimura, a famous rival of the Tokugawa.
The final chapter of the manga, 307, was published in Japan on May 10, 2006. As of February 2007, 21 volumes have been released in the United States by Tokyopop, 22 in France, 25 in Spain, 34 in Singapore, 2 in Germany, and 38 (final volume) in Indonesia. The twenty-six episodes of the anime aired in Japan in late 2002. The Anime is licenced in the US by Media Blasters (under the "Anime Works" imprint). As of July 31, 2006 the series starting airing in the US on Encore WAM. Since Encore WAM airs the Anime 7 days a week for each episode, it is suggested that the Anime will finish its first run in the US on August 25.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
- Further information: Samurai Deeper Kyo manga summaries
Underlying the principle story arc of Kyo's search to reclaim his body, there are many smaller arcs, each leading to the next one. The basis of many later revelations are established many volumes in advance. In the manga, it is revealed that all of the Mibu, except for Kyo , are descendants of "Battle Dolls", creatures created by the Mibu to fight for their amusement. In time, the Battle Dolls come to believe they were the real Mibu, and that the real Mibu were destroyed by infighting. The extant Mibu are gradually being killed by the "Disease of Death", known among fans as "The Mibu Disease". Muramasa's sister was the first to be killed by the Mibu Disease, but others soon followed. The disease manifests itself when the infected person reaches a certain age. For this reason, the aging process has been stopped in Antera, Tokito, and probably others.
Plot Differences of the Manga and Anime
A major difference between the anime and manga is that Kyo in anime is an artificial construct, born of Kyoshiro's attempt to purge violence and cruelty from himself. While Kyo is sealed inside Kyoshiro after losing a swordfight to him, as in the manga, the settings and motivations differ; Kyoshiro confronts Kyo at the Battle of Sekigahara in order to stop his bloody rampage, rather than to protect Sakuya. Apart from these and flashbacks to his time with Muramasa, Akira and Hotaru, the anime provides fewer details of Kyo's past than the manga. The manga also reveals much more about Kyo's relationship with Akira and his 'band', the Four Emperors, as well as glimpses of his former life when he was friends with Kyoshiro. Yuya, who is often relegated to the background in the anime, plays a much more prominent role in the manga. The manga is more graphic than the anime, containing far more blood and nudity than its television counterpart; kenyou play a smaller role in it, and it introduces characters such as Date Masamune, and the five stars of the Mibu Clan. Nevertheless, the manga and anime share themes of friendship, but the anime develops the idea that some warriors will actually fight to prevent peace.
[edit] Characters
In the English-language manga, names are in Japanese order (family name, then given name), while in the English-language anime names are in Western order (given name, then family name)
- Demon Eyes Kyo (鬼目のキョウ; Oni Me no Kyō), known for his glowing, blood-red eyes, is one of the greatest and most feared samurai in the world. He carries a legendary nodachi called Tenro (Heavenly Wolf), made by mastersmith Muramasa. In the manga, he is depicted as a cold, unbeatable samurai. When he was young, he was shunned by all of the Mibu clan except for the Sendai Aka no Ou (Former Crimson King). After killing Oda Nobunaga, he was thrown into the Mibu dungeons until Muramasa rescued him and trained him in the Mumyo Jinpu Ryuu. Kyo is the last remaining real Mibu. Kyo was forced to leave the Mibu by the former Aka no Ou when the former Crimson King foresaw that he would become evil and try to destroy the world, and that he and Kyo were fated to fight each other to the death. Kyo was the leader of The Four Emperors, also known as the Shiseiten, who were said to be close to Kyo in strength.
- Further information: Demon Eyes Kyo
- Mibu Kyoshiro is a remarkable swordsman, depicted as the only rival to Demon Eyes Kyo. He wielded (before Sasuke did) the Shibien (Purple Sword), a Muramasa. In the manga, he is depicted as one of the heirs to the Aka no Ou throne, the Red Eyes were proof of his Mibu lineage. He is a "Red Cross Kight", created from the flesh of the true Mibu.
- Further information: Mibu Kyoshiro. He fought Kyo at the battle of Sekigahara but was hit by a demon portal and their bodies became infused. They spend the entire anime trying to get Kyo back his body, even though Kyoshiro and Kyo were once one in the same. Kyoshiro split himself into two separate pieces in order to devote his love to Lady Sakuya, and that way he would not become the "Crimson King".
- Shiina Yuya is a girl who makes a living as a professional bounty hunter in order to track down the "Man with the Scar on his back" who killed her brother, Nozomu. She uses a three barreled gun and small daggers, strapped to her thigh.
Shiina Yuya was actually an orphan found by Nozomu and raised by him. Nozomu was Sakuya's real brother. Yuya is just a normal human without any powers (though later her strong trust in Kyo leads to Aka no Ou into thinking that she can see the future).
- Migeira is a member of the central city's society. Granted the ability to see into the future, Migeira is determined to set history back on path. After Kyoshiro Mibu and Kyo separated into two different beings, the timeline of the future has been distorted. Migeira's main objective is to fix history at all costs. He was the only character who fully understood the powers of the "5 True Muramasas" and was determined to gather them in all in the name of justice.
- Benitora is the alias for Hidetada Tokugawa, the heir to the throne of the Tokugawa clan. He is also known as "The Shadow Master" due to his ability to make multiple copies of himself. With the help of Migeira he obtains the Hokorakshimon, a true Muramasa, in order to defeat his father, Ieyasu Tokugawa, who became a Kenyou. One of his followers is Mahiro, the sister of Muramasa, who crafted the Muramasas and taught Kyoshiro Mibu all of his techniques.
- The Mibu clan is a fictional clan. Most of their members are humanoid in appearance but have very long lives compared to humans and have great strength and power. The lower ranked Mibu are sometimes in humanoid shape with three eyes or other weird features. They were created by experiments on humans and animals because for unknown reasons children are no longer born and the clan is dying out. They are said to possess the most advanced knowledge in sciences and technology and have been manipulating the country's history from the shadows by helping the Shoguns. Ieyasu Tokugawa is the first shogun to rebel against them and it infuriates them so much that they have decided to come out of the shadows and rule the country openly but Kyo and his friends stand in their way.
Almost all of the Mibu are constructs made by the First Crimson King. But as generations passed, this was forgotten. The only True Mibu are Kyo and the former Crimson King. The Death Disease is killing off the fake Mibu. The Death Disease is a flaw in the design of the constructs. Mibu Kyoshiro and Chinmei are higher than constructs, but not True Mibu. They are called "sons of the God", and have limited power compared to that a True Mibu has. They, too, will get the Death Disease and die.
[edit] Japanese Cast
- Katsuyuki Konishi as Kyoushirou Mibu / Onime no Kyo (Demon Eyes Kyo)
- Yui Horie as Yuya Shiina
- Toshihiko Seki as Benitora
- Yumi Kakazu as Izumo no Okuni
- Megumi Ogata as Yukimura Sanada
- Akira Ishida as Sasuke Sarutobi
- Hikaru Midorikawa as Migeira
- Yukana Nogami as Sakuya
- Sho Hayami as Nobunaga Oda
- Souichiro Hoshi as Akira
- Miki Machii as Santera
- Akio Suyama as Makora/Kotaro
- Takayuki Yamaguchi as Shindara
- Sakiko Tamagawa as Shatora
- Kana Ueda as Antera
- Katsuhiro Harasawa as Bikara
- Makoto Yusumura as Mekira
- Souichirou Tanaka as Haira
- Takahiro Sakurai as Kubira
- Norihisa Mori as Basara
- Takashi Matsuyama as Saizou Kirigakure
- Takehito Koyasu as Hanzou Hattori
- Akio Suyama as Jimon
- Kazuhiko Inoue as Muramasa
[edit] English Cast
- Dan Green as Kyoshiro Mibu/Demon Eyes Kyo
- Veronica Taylor as Yuya Shiina
- Wayne Grayson as Benitora
- Deborah S. Craig as Izumo no Okuni
- Christopher Kromer as Yukimura Sanada
- Michelle Newman as Sasuke Sarutobi
- Addie Blaustein as Migeira
- Sonja Lingo as Sakuya
- Michael Alston Baley as Nobunaga Oda
- Michael Sinterniklaas as Akira
- Tara Jayne as Santera
- Jack Lingo as Makaora
- Ryan Brack as Shindara
- Shelly Dean as Shatora
- Stacey Williams as Mahiro
- Zachary Alexander as Basara
- Marc Diraison as Saizo Kirigakure
- Greg Miller as Isyusu Tokugowa
- Lisa Ortiz as Mika
- John Campbell as Mika's Father
- Kevin T. Collins as Shirogarusu
- Benjamin Thomas as Hanzo Mattori
- Lex Woutas as Jimon
- Mike Pollock as Muramasa
[edit] List of episodes
- The Way to Armageddon
- Wanted (Dead or Alive) Man
- Red Mirage
- Sneaking Nightmare
- The Assassin's Tears
- The Duel of Hibiya Bay
- Keichou Battle Royal
- Demon Spear Cries
- A Blind of Smiles
- Cold-Blooded Illusion
- Pitch Black Flashback
- The Boy Who Came from the Deep Forest
- The Crossing Souls
- The Return of Satan
- Our Friend, Red Tiger
- Perfect Victory
- The Secret Talk of the Ladies
- The Nurse Devil ♥
- Thunderbolt Attack
- Absolute Zero is Far
- The Hellish Mibu Castle
- Clockwork Doors
- Passionate Ecstasy
- Last Muramasa Awakening
- That Which Surpasses a Tachyon
- The Samurai Sing a Ballad
[edit] Music
- Opening Theme
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- Aoi no Requiem (Blue Requiem) by Pipeline Project featuring Yuiko Tsubokura
- Ending Theme
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- Love Deeper by Pipeline Project featuring Yuiko Tsubokura
[edit] References
- Anime and Manga Information at Anime News Network
- Anime and Manga Information at AnimeNfo.com.
