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Samurai Deeper Kyo

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Samurai Deeper Kyo
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Mibu Kyoshiro (front) and Shiina Yuya (back)
Genre
Manga
Written byAkimine Kamijyo
Published byKodansha
English publisher
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runMay 25, 1999 – May 10, 2006
Volumes38 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byJunji Nishimura
Written byShō Aikawa
StudioStudio Deen
Licensed by
Original networkTV Tokyo
English network
Original run July 2, 2002 – December 24, 2002
Episodes26
Video game
PublisherBandai
GenreFighting
PlatformPlayStation
Released
  • JP: December 12, 2002
Video game
DeveloperMarvelous Entertainment
Publisher
GenreAction
PlatformGame Boy Advance
Released
  • JP: December 27, 2002
  • NA: February 12, 2008
icon Anime and manga portal

Samurai Deeper Kyo (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 1999 to May 2006, with its chapters collected in 38 tankōbon volumes. Set during the Edo period, the series follows Demon Eyes Kyo, a feared samurai seeking to regain his body after his soul is sealed inside the body of his rival, Mibu Kyoshiro. Kyo is joined in his search by the bounty-hunter Shiina Yuya, the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate Benitora; and Sanada Yukimura, a known rival of the Tokugawa. The manga was licensed in North America by Tokyopop (vol. 1–34) and Del Rey Manga (vol. 35–38; released in two omnibus volumes).

A 26-episode anime television series produced by Studio Deen was broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to December 2002. The series was licensed by Media Blasters and released on home video under its AnimeWorks label in 2003–04. It was broadcast in the United States on Encore Wam in 2006.

Plot

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Set in Edo period, Shiina Yuya, a bounty hunter, is searching for her brother's murderer. However, Yuya quickly meets a medicine peddler named Mibu Kyoshiro, who turns out to be sharing a body with the feared samurai Demon Eyes Kyo. Kyo's only stated wish is to regain his own body. Following this path leads Kyo, Yuya and a variety of fellow travelers into conflict with both the Tokugawa shogunate and the Mibu tribe, a race of violent superhumans who have run Japan from the shadows for millennia.

Characters

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Demon Eyes Kyo (鬼目の狂, Oni Me no Kyō)
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi[3] (Japanese); Dan Green[4] (English)
A fearsome samurai renowned for his demonic blood-red eyes. Wielding the legendary ōdachi, Tenro (Heavenly Wolf), forged by the master smith Muramasa, he is an icy, undefeated warrior. As a child, he was shunned by the Mibu clan for his crimson gaze—except by the Sendai Aka no Ou (Former Crimson King). After assassinating Oda Nobunaga, Kyo was imprisoned in the Mibu dungeons until Muramasa freed him and trained him in Mumyo Jinpu Ryuu. Now the last True Mibu, Kyo was tasked by the Sendai Aka no Ou to explore the outside world—and to stop the former king should he ever turn to evil and threaten destruction.
Mibu Kyoshiro (壬生 京四郎, Mibu Kyōshirō)
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi[3] (Japanese); Dan Green[5] (English)
A formidable and enigmatic swordsman, he stands as Kyo's only true rival. Wielding the cursed Shibien (Black Sword)—one of Muramasa's legendary blades—he is revealed to be an heir to the Aka no Ou throne, his crimson eyes marking his Mibu lineage. Though he is a "Red Cross Knight", forged from the flesh of the Sendai Aka no Ou, he is not a True Mibu—merely an advanced battle doll, surpassing even the first generation in power. For most of the manga, his strength eclipses Kyo's, until the final confrontation tips the scales.
Shiina Yuya (椎名 ゆや)
Voiced by: Yui Horie[3] (Japanese); Veronica Taylor[6] (English)
A skilled and determined warrior, Yuya hunts bounties to track down her brother's killer—the "Man with the Scar on His Back". Armed with a triple-barreled pistol and concealed daggers, she relies on cunning and precision rather than supernatural power. Though raised as Nozomu's adoptive sister, she is an orphan with no blood ties to the Mibu clan. Unlike most warriors in her world, she possesses no extraordinary abilities—yet the Former Crimson King later suspects she may hold a latent gift for foresight.
Benitora (红虎)
Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki[3] (Japanese); Wayne Grayson[7] (English)
Also known as Hidetada Tokugawa (德川秀忠), he is the heir to the Tokugawa clan, and is also known as "The Shadow Master" for his ability to create multiple copies of himself. He first appears alongside White Crow and later challenges Kyoshiro—mistaking him for Kyo—but loses the fight and subsequently joins their group. Though he quickly develops romantic feelings for Yuya, his affections are unrequited.
Sanada Yukimura (真田 幸村)
Voiced by: Megumi Ogata[3] (Japanese); Christopher Kromer[6] (English)
A renowned general who lost the Battle of Sekigahara—and with it, Japan itself. After escaping Kudoyama, he plotted to assassinate Tokugawa Ieyasu, though the plan was never executed. Now, Yukimura joins Kyo in his quest to destroy the Mibu Clan and Oda Nobunaga, hoping to liberate Japan from their shadow rule and seize power for himself.
Mibu clan (壬生一族, Mibu Ichizoku)
The Mibu Clan is ruled by The Crimson King. Most members appear humanoid but possess extraordinary strength, agility, and longevity. Lower-ranked Mibu often exhibit grotesque mutations—such as third eyes or clawed hands—due to experiments fusing humans and animals, as natural reproduction has ceased for unknown reasons. Renowned for their advanced science and technology, the Mibu have secretly manipulated Japan's history by aiding successive shoguns. However, when Ieyasu Tokugawa rebels against them, they abandon subterfuge and seize direct control. Nearly all present-day Mibu are battle dolls—artificial constructs created by the now-extinct True Mibu, save for Demon Eyes Kyo, the last surviving pureblood. The True Mibu's civil wars for supremacy ultimately led to their self-destruction, leaving only flawed replicas behind. These battle dolls now face extinction due to the Death Disease, an inherent defect in their design. Kyoshiro and Chinmei are enhanced battle dolls, crafted by the original Aka no Ou ("Crimson King"). Dubbed "Sons of the God", they surpass ordinary constructs but remain inferior to True Mibu—and will eventually succumb to the Death Disease.

Media

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Manga

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Further information: List of Samurai Deeper Kyo chapters

Written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo, Samurai Deeper Kyo was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 25, 1999,[a] to May 10, 2006.[b] Kodansha collected its chapters in 38 tankōbon volumes, released from October 15, 1999,[12] to July 14, 2006.[13]

In North America, the manga was first licensed for English release by Tokyopop;[1] they released 34 volumes from June 10, 2003,[14] to April 7, 2009.[15] In August 2009, Tokyopop announced that their manga licensing contracts with Kodansha had expired.[16] The series was then acquired by Del Rey Manga;[17] the remaining chapters were released in two omnibus volumes; volume 35/36 was released on December 15, 2009,[18] and volume 37/38 was released on July 27, 2010.[19]

Anime

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A 26-episode anime television series produced by Studio Deen, directed by Junji Nishimura with screenplay by Shō Aikawa, was broadcast on TV Tokyo from July 2 to December 24, 2002.[3] The opening and ending themes, "Aoi no Requiem" (青のレクイエム, "Blue Requiem") and "Love Deeper", respectively, are both performed by Yuiko Tsubokura.[3]

The series was licensed in North America by Media Blasters.[20] They released it on six DVD sets, under their AnimeWorks label, from June 24, 2003,[21] to May 11, 2004.[22] A complete box set was released on November 16, 2004.[23] The series premiered in the United States on Encore Wam on July 31, 2006.[24]

Episodes

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No. Title Original airdate[3] English airdate
1"Road to Armageddon"
"Arumagedon no Yukue" (アルマゲドンの行方)		July 2, 2002 (2002-07-02)July 31, 2006
2"Wanted Dead or Alive"
"Shoukinkubi (Deddo Oa Araibu) no Otoko" (賞金首（デッド オア アライブ）の男)		July 9, 2002 (2002-07-09)August 1, 2006
3"Red Mirage"
"Akaki Miraajyu" (紅きミラージュ)		July 16, 2002 (2002-07-16)August 2, 2006
4"The Creeping Nightmare"
"Shinobiyoru Naitomea" (忍び寄るナイトメア)		July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23)August 3, 2006
5"Tears of the Assassin"
"Asashin no Namida" (アサシンの涙)		July 30, 2002 (2002-07-30)August 4, 2006
6"The Duel at Hibiya Bay"
"Hibiya Bei no Kettou" (ヒビヤ・ベイの決闘)		August 6, 2002 (2002-08-06)Not aired
7"Keichou Era Battle Royal"
"Keichou Batoru Roiyaru" (慶長バトルロイヤル)		August 13, 2002 (2002-08-13)Not aired
8"Demon Spear Cries"
"Demon Supia Naku" (デモンスピア哭く)		August 20, 2002 (2002-08-20)Not aired
9"The Blind Smile"
"Hohoemi no Burando" (微笑のブラインド)		August 27, 2002 (2002-08-27)Not aired
10"Cold Blood Illusion"
"Reiketsu no Iryuujyon" (冷血のイリュージョン)		September 3, 2002 (2002-09-03)August 12, 2006
11"Pitch Black Flashback"
"Shikkoku no Furasshubakku" (漆黒のフラッシュバック)		September 10, 2002 (2002-09-10)August 13, 2006
12"The Boy From the Deep Forest"
"Diipu Foresuto kara Kita Shōnen" (ディープ・フォレストから来た少年)		September 17, 2002 (2002-09-17)August 14, 2006
13"Crossing Souls"
"Kurosusuru Tamashii tachi" (クロスする魂たち)		September 23, 2002 (2002-09-23)August 15, 2006
14"Satan Again"
"Satan Futatabi" (サタン再び)		October 1, 2002 (2002-10-01)August 16, 2006
15"Our Friend Red Tiger"
"Waga Tomo Reddo Taigaa" (我が友レッド＜紅虎＞タイガー)		October 8, 2002 (2002-10-08)August 17, 2006
16"Perfect Victory"
"Kanpekinaru Bikutorii" (完璧なるビクトリー)		October 15, 2002 (2002-10-15)August 18, 2006
17"The Secret Talk of Girls"
"Shoujotachi no Shiikuretto Tooku" (少女たちのシークレットトーク)		October 22, 2002 (2002-10-22)September 16, 2006
18"Nurturing the Devil"
"Naasu na Akuma" (ナースな悪魔 ♥)		October 29, 2002 (2002-10-29)September 17, 2006
19"Thunderbolt Attack"
"Sandaaboruto Zangeki" (サンダーボルト斬撃)		November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05)September 18, 2006
20"Far Away, to Absolute Zero"
"Abusoryūto Zero no kanata e" (アブソリュートゼロの彼方へ)		November 12, 2002 (2002-11-12)September 19, 2006
21"The Demonic Mibu Castle"
"Jigoku no Mibu Kyassuru" (地獄のミブ・キャッスル)		November 19, 2002 (2002-11-19)September 20, 2006
22"The Machine Made Dolls"
"Kikaijikake no Dooruzu" (機械仕掛けのドールズ)		November 26, 2002 (2002-11-26)September 21, 2006
23"Scorching Ecstasy"
"Shakunetsu no Ekusutashii" (灼熱のエクスタシー)		December 3, 2002 (2002-12-03)September 22, 2006
24"Last Muramasa Awakening"
"Rasuto Muramasa Kakusei" (ラストムラマサ覚醒)		December 10, 2002 (2002-12-10)September 23, 2006
25"The One that Surpasses Tach"
"Takion o Koeru Mono" (タキオンを超える者)		December 17, 2002 (2002-12-17)September 24, 2006
26"The Ballad of the Samurai"
"Samurai wa Baraddo o Utau" (SAMURAIはバラードをうたう)		December 24, 2002 (2002-12-24)September 25, 2006

Video games

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Two video games based on Samurai Deeper Kyo have been published by Bandai. The first, a versus fighting game for the PlayStation, was released in Japan on December 12, 2002. Alongside the regular edition of the game, Bandai released a "Limited Edition" bundled with a Samurai Deeper Kyo collectible card game.[25] The second, an action-adventure game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA), was developed by Marvelous Entertainment and released in Japan on December 27, 2002.[26] The game was later localized for North America by Destineer and bundled with a re-release of the anime series box set in 2008; it was the last game to be released for the GBA before the system’s discontinuation in North America.[27]

Kyo is a playable character in the 2009 fighting game Sunday vs Magazine: Shūketsu! Chōjō Daikessen, released by Konami for the PlayStation Portable.[28]

Notes

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  1. ^ The series started in the magazine's 26th issue of 1999 (cover date June 9),[8] released on May 25 of the same year.[9]
  2. ^ It finished in the magazine's 23rd issue of 2006 (cover date May 24),[10] released on May 10 of the same year.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Macdonald, Christopher (October 24, 2002). "Tokyopop Announces New Manga Titles". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 25, 2007. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  2. ^ Pine, Jarred (August 25, 2005). "Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. #08". AnimeOnDVD. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "SAMURAI DEEPER KYO". Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on May 14, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  4. ^ Toole, Mike (October 18, 2003). "Samurai Deeper Kyo vol. 1". Anime Jump. Archived from the original on December 29, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (November 30, 2011). "Voice Actress, Singer Michal Friedman Passes Away (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023. Friedman was the wife of fellow voice actor Dan Green (Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Yugi Muto, Sonic X's Knuckles, Samurai Deeper Kyo's Kyoshiro Mibu).
  6. ^ a b Credits from "Road to Armageddon". Samurai Deeper Kyo (DVD 1). Episode 1. Media Blasters. June 24, 2003. Event occurs at 22:24.
  7. ^ Credits from "Red Mirage". Samurai Deeper Kyo (DVD 1). Episode 3. Media Blasters. June 24, 2003. Event occurs at 22:24.
  8. ^ 週刊少年マガジン 1999年26. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  9. ^ 更新情報 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on April 7, 2000. Retrieved March 22, 2023. 1999.05.25 週刊少年マガジンNo.26情報　登録
  10. ^ 週刊少年マガジン 2006年23. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  11. ^ 少年マガジン - 進行表 2005年11月2日号～2006年6月14日号. AD Station (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 19, 2005. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  12. ^ "SAMURAI DEEPER KYO (1)" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 22, 2005. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  13. ^ "SAMURAI DEEPER KYO (38)" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
  14. ^ "Samurai Deeper Kyo Volume 1". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  15. ^ "Samurai Deeper Kyo Volume 34". Tokyopop. Archived from the original on July 16, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  16. ^ "Tokyopop Confirms Its Kodansha Manga Licenses Will End". Anime News Network. August 31, 2009. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  17. ^ Loo, Egan (June 12, 2009). "Del Rey Adds Samurai Deeper Kyo, Wild @ Heart Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  18. ^ "Comics & Graphic Novels". Random House. Archived from the original on January 23, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  19. ^ Jones, Davey C. (July 26, 2010). "Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. 37–38". Active Anime. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  20. ^ DeLorme, Daniel (January 27, 2003). "Samurai Deeper Kyo and Juuni Kokki Licensed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  21. ^ Beveridge, Chris (July 6, 2003). "Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. #1 (of 6)". AnimeOnDVD. Archived from the original on November 1, 2006. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  22. ^ Beveridge, Chris (May 24, 2004). "Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol. #6 (of 6)". AnimeOnDVD. Archived from the original on November 1, 2006. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  23. ^ "Samurai Deeper Kyo Complete Box Set (of 1)". AnimeOnDVD. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  24. ^ Mays, Jonathan (June 19, 2006). "New Anime on Encore WAM, Starz Action". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Game Watch staff (November 15, 2002). バンダイ、21人＋1匹が登場する本格格闘ゲーム PS「SAMURAI DEEPER KYO」 (in Japanese). Game Watch. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  26. ^ MMV、アニメやコミックの雰囲気をそのままゲーム化 GBA「SAMURAI DEEPER KYO」 (in Japanese). Game Watch. November 15, 2002. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  27. ^ Spencer (February 21, 2008). "Samurai Deeper Kyo, the GBA's swan song?". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  28. ^ "Konami Mashes Manga Characters Together For PSP Fighter". Siliconera. January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
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