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Fūma no Kojirō

Fūma no Kojirō
Cover of the first manga volume
風魔の小次郎
Manga
Written byMasami Kurumada
Published byShueisha
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original runJanuary 11, 1982November 21, 1983
Volumes10
Further information
Original video animation
Directed byHidehito Ueda (chief)
Produced by
  • Nagateru Kato
  • Yasuhisa Kazama
Written byTakao Koyama (head writer)
Music byToshiro Imaizumi
StudioJ.C. Staff
Released June 1, 1989 December 1, 1990
Runtime25−30 minutes (each)
Episodes12
Original video animation
Fuma Rebellion
Directed byHidehito Ueda
Produced byYumiko Masujima
Written by
  • Motonori Tachikawa
  • Tomoyuki Machida
Music byToshiro Imaizumi
StudioJ.C. Staff
ReleasedNovember 21, 1992
Runtime50 minutes
Manga
Fūma no Kojirō: Yagyū Ansatsuchō
Written bySatoshi Yuri
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineChampion Red
DemographicSeinen
Original runSeptember 19, 2003May 19, 2006
Volumes3
Television drama
Directed by
  • Toshihiko Ōoka
  • Ryūichi Ichino
Written by
  • Takashi Ito
  • Megumu Sasano
Music byKōichirō Kameyama
StudioGeneral Entertainment
Original networkTokyo MX
Original run October 3, 2007 December 26, 2007
Episodes13
Manga
Fūma no Kojirō: Jo no Maki
Written byMasami Kurumada
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineChampion Red
DemographicSeinen
Original runAugust 19, 2019October 19, 2019
Manga
Fūma no Kojirō Gaiden: Asuka Mumeicho
Written byMasami Kurumada
Published byAkita Shoten
MagazineChampion Red
DemographicSeinen
Original runAugust 19, 2022 – present

Fūma no Kojirō (風魔の小次郎, "Kojiro of the Fuma Clan") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. It was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump from January 1982 to November 1983. It tells the story of sword legends and rivalry between ninja clans. The main character Kojiro is a young boy who is a member of the Fuma clan.

The series was adapted into an original video animation (OVA) series released between June 1989 and December 1990, plus an additional episode released in November 1992.

A sequel entitled Yagyū Ansatsuchō (柳生暗殺帖, "Yagyu's Murder Book"), written and illustrated by Satoshi Yuri, was published in Akita Shoten's Champion Red between 2003 and 2006.

In October 2007, a live-action television drama adaptation began airing on Tokyo MX, starring Ryouta Murai in the lead role of Kojiro.

Plot

Hakuo Academy used to be a prestigious high school, and famous for martial arts. However, because its rival school Seishikan has been cowardly luring its superior students, Hakuo was going to decline. In order to recover from the situation, the acting principal of Hakuo; Himeko Hojo, sends Ranko Yagyu to the Fuma village in search of the famous Fuma ninja clan for assistance. The leader of the Fuma sent Kojiro to Hakuo, there he faces the notorious Yasha clan who fights for Seishikan led by Musashi Asuka. Kojiro's comrades arrive, resuming an all-out ninja war that began five centuries ago.

Kojiro with his friends, will fight in the "war of the sacred swords", for the conquest of the ten swords that give the power to rule over the whole world.

Characters

Fuma Clan

Kojiro (小次郎, Kojirō)
Voiced by: Keiichi Nanba
Portrayed by: Ryouta Murai
Ryoma (竜魔, Ryōma)
Voiced by: Hideyuki Hori
Portrayed by: Gaku Shindo
Kirikaze (霧風)
Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita
Portrayed by: Yūta Furukawa
Ryuho (劉鵬, Ryūhō)
Voiced by: Yūsaku Yara
Portrayed by: Takehisa Takayama
Kou (項羽, Kōu)
Voiced by: Shigeru Nakahara
Portrayed by: Naoya Sakamoto
Shoryu (小龍, Shōryū)
Voiced by: Shigeru Nakahara
Portrayed by: Kazuya Sakamoto
Rinpyo (琳彪, Rinpyō)
Voiced by: Kōichi Yamadera
Portrayed by: Tsuyoshi Takahashi
Kabutomaru (兜丸)
Voiced by: Michitaka Kobayashi
Portrayed by: Shingo Yashiro
Reira (麗羅)
Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki
Portrayed by: Hiroki Suzuki
Fuma Leader
Voiced by: Hideyuki Tanaka
Komomo (小桃)

Hakuo Academy

Fūma no Kojirō - Yagyū Ansatsuchō compilation cover art
Ranko Yagyu (柳生 蘭子, Yagyū Ranko)
Voiced by: Mami Koyama
Portrayed by: Ayumi
Himeko Hojo (北条 姫子, Hōjō Himeko)
Voiced by: Yūko Mizutani
Portrayed by: Makoto Kawahara

Seishikan

Musashi Asuka (飛鳥 武蔵, Asuka Musashi)
Voiced by: Shō Hayami
Portrayed by: Takuji Kawakubo
Erina Asuka (飛鳥 絵里菜, Asuka Erina)
Musashi's younger sister.
Voiced by: Chieko Honda
Portrayed by: Nonoka Imaizumi

Yasha Clan

Kosuke Mibu (壬生 攻介, Mibu Kōsuke)
Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue
Portrayed by: Rei Fujita
Princess Yasha (夜叉姫, Yasha-hime)
Voiced by: Fumi Hirano
Portrayed by: Natsuki Okamoto
Maya (魔矢)

8 Yasha Generals

Byakko (白虎, "White Tiger")
Voiced by: Kenyu Horiuchi
Portrayed by: Yasuka Saitoh
Shiranui (不知火, "Mysterious Sea Light")
Portrayed by: Haruki Itabashi
Shien (紫炎, "Purple Flame")
Voiced by: Yoku Shioya
Portrayed by: Atsushi Maruyama
Raiden (雷電, "Thunder Lightning")
Voiced by: Masashi Hironaka
Portrayed by: Takuma Harada
Anki (闇鬼, "Darkness Demon")
Voiced by: Ryō Horikawa
Portrayed by: Kōtarō Endō
Kurojishi (黒獅子, "Black Lion")
Voiced by: Banjō Ginga
Portrayed by: Jun Shirota
Yosui (妖水, Yōsui, "Magic Water")
Voiced by: Kaneto Shiozawa
Portrayed by: Yū Kawada
Kagero (陽炎, Kagerō, "Shining Flame")
Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi
Portrayed by: Kōji Tashiro

Cosmo Warriors

Sigma (死牙馬, Shiguma)
Voiced by: Kazuki Yao
Soshi Date (伊達 総司, Date Sōshi)
Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto

Chaos Warriors

Emperor Chaos (華悪崇皇帝, Kaosu-kōtei)
Voiced by: Hirotaka Suzuoki
Nero (涅絽, Nerō)
Voiced by: Hirokazu Hiramatsu
Oz (雄皇, Ozu)
Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao
Jackal (邪火麗, Jakkaru)
Voiced by: Nobuyuki Furuta
Shura (朱羅)
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu

Media

Manga

Fūma no Kojirō is written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada. The manga was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from January 11, 1982, to November 21, 1983.[1] Shueisha collected its chapters in ten tankōbon volumes, released from August 15, 1982,[2] to May 15, 1984.[3]

In 2003, a sequel entitled Fūma no Kojirō: Yagyū Ansatsuchō started in Akita Shoten's Champion Red on September 19, 2003.[4] The manga is written by Kurumada and illustrated by Satoshi Yuri. The series finished on May 19, 2006.[5] Akita Shoten compiled the individual chapters into three tankōbon volumes released between July 29, 2004 and May 18, 2006.[6][7][8]

A short series, titled Fūma no Kojirō: Jo no Maki (風魔の小次郎 序の巻) was serialized in Champion Red from August 19 to October 19, 2019.[9][10] Another series, titled Fūma no Kojirō Gaiden: Asuka Mumeicho (風魔の小次郎 外伝 飛鳥無明帖), started in the same magazine on August 19, 2022.[11]

Original video animations

A twelve-episode OVA series was produced by Animate Film and J.C. Staff. It was split in two arcs of six episodes each. The first arc was released between June 1 and August 2, 1989.[12][13] The second arc was released between September 21 and December 1, 1990.[14][15] An additional one-episode OVA was released on November 21, 1992.[16]

Episodes

No. Title Episode director Original release date
The Yasha Clan arc
01"Fuma Clan! The Arrival of Kojiro!"
(風の一族! 小次郎見参!!)
Hideki HiroshimaJune 1, 1989 (1989-06-01)[12]
02"Wood Thunder! The Flying Dragon's Supreme Sword!!"
(林の雷鳴! 飛龍覇皇剣!!)
Shigeru MorikawaJune 1, 1989 (1989-06-01)[12]
03"Crossfire! The 8 Generals of the Yasha Clan!!"
(火の集結! 夜叉八将軍!!)
Osamu YamasakiJuly 1, 1989 (1989-07-01)[12]
04"Hallucinations on the Mountain! The Fog's Killer!!"
(山の幻夢! 霧の刺客!!)
Jun'ya KoshibaJuly 1, 1989 (1989-07-01)[12]
05"Dancing Lights! The Fuma's Deadly Mirror!!"
(光の舞曲! 風魔死鏡剣!!)
Yoshinori NakamuraAugust 2, 1989 (1989-08-02)[12]
06"Rest in the Snow! The Voice That Calls the Warrior!!"
(雪の終焉! 戦士を呼ぶ声!!)
Hideki HiroshimaAugust 2, 1989 (1989-08-02)[12]
The Sacred Swords War arc
07"Emperor Chaos"
(華悪崇)
Nanako ShimazakiSeptember 21, 1990 (1990-09-21)[14]
08"The Ten Sacred Swords"
(十聖剣)
Hideki TonokatsuSeptember 21, 1990 (1990-09-21)[14]
09"Cosmos"
(秩序)
Jun'ya KoshibaOctober 21, 1990 (1990-10-21)[14]
10"Gathering"
(集結)
Akihiro IzumiOctober 21, 1990 (1990-10-21)[14]
11"Phoenix Heavenly Dance"
(鳳凰天舞)
Hideki TonokatsuDecember 1, 1990 (1990-12-01)[14]
12"The Wheel of Samsara"
(輪廻転生)
Nanako ShimazakiDecember 1, 1990 (1990-12-01)[14]
Fuma Rebellion
Special"Fuma Rebellion"
(風魔反乱篇)
Hidehito UedaNovember 21, 1992 (1992-11-21)[16]

Drama

A thirteen-episode live-action television drama series adaptation was announced in July 2007.[17] It was broadcast from October to December 2007.[18] The opening theme is "Ryūsei Rocket" performed by An Cafe and the ending theme is "Eien no Setsuna" (永遠の刹那, lit. Eternal Moment) performed by On/Off.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ 週刊少年ジャンプ 風魔の小次郎(車田正美と神輪会). Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  2. ^ 風魔の小次郎 1巻 (in Japanese). Kurumada Production. Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  3. ^ 風魔の小次郎 10巻 (in Japanese). Kurumada Production. Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  4. ^ チャンピオンRED 2003年11月号 (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "チャンピオンRED 2006年7月号" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  6. ^ "風魔の小次郎 柳生暗殺帖 第壱 1 巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  7. ^ "風魔の小次郎 柳生暗殺帖 第弐 2 巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  8. ^ "風魔の小次郎 柳生暗殺帖 第参 3 巻" (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  9. ^ Pineda, Rafael (July 19, 2019). "Masami Kurumada Launches New Fūma no Kojirō Manga in August". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  10. ^ チャンピオンRED 2019年12月号 (in Japanese). Akita Shoten. Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  11. ^ 車田正美「風魔の小次郎」新シリーズがREDに、吉富昭仁&ひよどり祥子の読み切りも. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 19, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g 風魔の小次郎. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  13. ^ 風魔の小次郎 夜叉篇 (in Japanese). J.C. Staff. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g 風魔の小次郎 聖剣戦争篇. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  15. ^ J.C.STAFF 風魔の小次郎 聖剣戦争篇 (in Japanese). J.C. Staff. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  16. ^ a b 風魔の小次郎 最終章 風魔反乱篇. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  17. ^ Loo, Egan (August 2, 2007). "ChocoMimi, Kurumada's Kojirō to Be Adapted as TV Dramas". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  18. ^ "学園忍者アクションドラマ「風魔の小次郎」公式サイト:". fuuma-kojirou.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  19. ^ "アンティック-珈琲店-" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  20. ^ "永遠の刹那" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.