Yaiba
Encyclopedia
Yaiba, also known as , is a shōnen
manga
series by Gosho Aoyama
. It ran in Shogakukan
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from issue 39 of 1988 to issue 50 of 1993, collected in 24 tankōbon
volumes. It also came in 12 double volumes. In 1993, it received the Shogakukan Manga Award
.
named who knows how to be a samurai, and little else. Yaiba lives with his father, Kenjurou, in the forest. One day, while Yaiba was eating, a troop of gorillas came to attack. Yaiba and his father escaped and hid inside a box, but they didn't know that the box was full of pineapples and was going to be transported into the city. In the city, Yaiba finds out that he is a legendary warrior and has to fight the evil of a demonic looking high-school student named Takeshi Onimaru.
Yaiba was adapted as an anime series that ran over 50 episodes, and encompassed the adventures Yaiba had in the first few runs of the manga. The show begins with Yaiba training to become a samurai in the jungle with his father and his two animal friends, Kagetora and Shonosuke. At a pivotal point, Yaiba's father announces that he is ready to return to Japan, and instructs him to find his old friend and rival, who just happens to be Sayaka's father.
The people that Yaiba meets along his journey to become a true samurai encourage him, train him, or inspire him to greatness, though at heart he is still a child, and his incredible skill with a sword is matched only by his kindness towards his friends. Though, he tends to leap before he looks, and his thick-headedness tends to turn potential allies into enemies, though his friends soon clobber him, and salvage the situation. This unlikely group embarks on a host of incredible adventures where they meet legendary figures from Japanese history, and finally overcome impossible odds, and put everything on the line, to save the entire planet from a threat not of this world. It's a story of love, friendship, hard work, and never giving up.
of this manga. He is the Thunder God incarnate, and later acquires the legendary Dragon's Orb. Since he fights without the Thunder Orb in the socketed Thunder God's sword, he was able to be spared the same fate of being possessed by the sword's owner that had befallen Onimaru. Aside from his skills with the sword and his keen senses, he is also able to converse with animals.
: Sayaka is the second protagonist of Yaiba and Yaiba's unlikely love interest. She originally had not intended to join Yaiba's journey, and simply found herself tied to Kagetora with Yaiba going towards the Thunder God's sword when she woke up. Later it is revealed that she is the Dragon Maiden incarnate, the key to Kaguya's true form.
: Kurogane Kenjuro is Yaiba's father. He was only shown in one episode of Yaiba in the anime, whereas in the manga he accompanies Yaiba to tokyo. He doesn't stay very long though but occasionally comes back to check up on Yaiba.
: The legendary 400-year old samurai Musashi took it upon himself to guard the Thunder God sword and lived as a hermit quite near it (although this is puzzling considering that the Thunder God's sword itself electrocutes all unworthy of it). Since his time on the mountain he has taught one student and started using two swords due to old age. Like all old men, he is lecherous. He serves as Yaiba's teacher, especially upon controlling the Thunder Orb.
: Kojiro has been dead for a long time, having been defeated, killed in a duel and buried by Musashi himself. However he was given new life by Onimaru, through Spiderman's reviving Ritual (or rather, it was the stench coming from the foul-smelling ingredients used for the reviving ceremony that brought Kojiro back, as well as the Hakki's facial slapping), on the condition that he kill Yaiba. After getting beaten by Yaiba while using the Thunder Orb, he then becomes friends with them in order to beat them. Kojiro uses an enchanted sword (Washline Pole as he calls it) that grows longer on his whim, and thus the maximum length that the sword can attain is limited only by Kojiro's imagination. It doesn't seem to be particularly durable as the other mystical swords shown in the series, since various characters (even those with no mystical powers or weapons to begin with) have been known to cut the sword all the way down to the guard with apparent ease. Thankfully, Kojiro's sword's ability allows it to recover the severed blade simply by lengthening itself indefinitely. Perhaps the sword's only true weakness is the fact that it is very sensitive to salt water (and even to eye tears); even a slight splash will cause it to spontaneously lengthen against Kojiro's will, making it inadvisable to use in a battle where a large body of salty water happens to be nearby. He is also the natural playboy - one of the series' many running gags, Kojiro usually needs to be manhandled by others in order to "help" him subdue his overwhelming idiocy. Despite this, he serves as one of the shows more prominent swordfighters in the series
: Jubei was revived by Onimaru and defeated Kojiro Sasaki by kicking Kojiro's overextended sword straight down to Sayaka Mine's house. Before he defeated Yaiba, Musashi yelled at him and withdrew himself from attacking to join with Yaiba's group. What Onimaru didn't know about is that he is Musashi's disciple. He tends to be suicidal, as he always attempts to commit seppuku
if he commits an error or feels that he did something dishonorable. When Jubei got drunk thanks to Musashi who forcibly makes him drink sake(Japanese rice wine), Onimaru takes advantage and summons a demon while he's in a drunken state to turn him into a werewolf which has the same skills (albeit heightened to a degree) like a normal Jubei but is murderous and loves drinking sake. He can revert back to Jubei when he's knocked out cold, but when he gets drunk again, he'll change into a werewolf.
: Kagetora is Yaiba's friend tiger. He helps Yaiba in his training and lets Yaiba ride him when speed is needed. He is also shown a much higher intelligence than Yaiba when it comes to rock-scissors-paper. He was probably found on the same mountain where Yaiba and his father lived.
: Shonosuke is Yaiba's friend vulture. He helps Yaiba in his training and is used by Yaiba when he needs to fly. Like Kagetora, he occasionally ups Yaiba. He was probably found on the same mountain Yaiba and his father lived.
: The frog demon Gerozaimon is the first of Onimaru's demons to attack Yaiba, and was beaten by him when Yaiba called for his snake friends. When the second demon came and informed him he was to be disposed due to his uselessness, Gerozaimon was befriended by Yaiba. He uses his axe in battle. He also shows how good his tongue is against a battle with the chameleon demon. In the anime, his speech pattern forces him to either begin or end any sentence with , which is Japanese for "Ribbit". In the manga. he is shown to somewhat more easily depressed, having fallen to a state of despair after Snakeman told him that Onimaru already gave up on him; as a result Gerozaimon brutally beats up the Kuro Oni who came with Snakeman in blind despair
: Like Gerozaimon, he used to be one of Onimaru's demons. On his way to Izu
he gets lost and is found by Yaiba's group. From then on he is always with them, usually seen on Sayaka's shoulder. He usually ends his sentences with .
: Yaiba's little sister. Because she was raised to believe Kenjuro is her mother's enemy, she has been training in the way of the sword to defeat him. She joins Yaiba's group for the final arc and speaks very bluntly. She does not appear in the anime.
: The third of Onimaru's Hakki, he become something of a sidekick to Onimaru, who often sends him to others whom he instructed Spiderman to revive to attack Yaiba and his friends. He is also arguably the most comedic Hakki shown in the series. He calculates the expenses of financing high technological projects, usually with an old-fashioned abacus. In the anime, he sometimes uses a calculator with several features. His one true flaw is the fact that he's easily intimidated by loud noises. For example: several fragile materials like beer bottles or plate breaking against the floor can render Spiderman in a state of trauma. That, along with the fact that he's very gullible with limited fighting skills make him a not-so-formidable enemy. After Onimaru becomes carbonated, he comes to live with Yaiba while loyally polishing his master. He speaks with a Kansai dialect.
: The second assassin sent after Yaiba. He fights with a hoko from a powerful snake god. Being a sentient reptile, he is also the fellow Hakki most feared by Gerozaimon, which is appropriate since snakes are the natural enemies of frogs. He is defeated by Yaiba's Senpuu Ken technique.
: A large male starfish from Kumamoto who thinks of himself as the leader of his group. He is married with a son and runs a dining hall. He speaks with a Kumamoto dialect.
: Sent with Hitode-Otoko and Namako-Otoko to stop Yaiba. After their many failures, they each get homesick and return to their respective hometowns. He speaks with a Nagoya dialect.
: His sticky body made him a tough opponent, but he is defeated when Yaiba throws a salt package over him and cuts it open with the Senpuu Ken, causing him to shrivel up. He puts on a shell to become and challenges yaiba to a rematch, but meets the same fate once again.
: Often speaks in English and greatly admires Musashi. His weakness is sunlight. He is master swordsman and the strongest of the Hakki and is defeated by Yaiba's Senpuu Ken technique. During Yaiba's attack on Onimaru Castle he is revived by Kumo-Otoko, but Yaiba defeats him with a single lightning strike. In the anime he was renamed .
A giant angler fish.
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A chameleon who can change shape and color.
A super-powered gorilla that is only the size of a doll.
A giant Mechanical Suit run by Spider-man.
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. She awakens after sensing the energy of Yaiba's Dragon Orb, and launches an invasion of earth using bamboo-styled spaceships. She had conquered the world a thousand years before the show begins, but the priest of the dragon god defeated her by cutting off her ears and sealing them within the spirit of the Dragon Priestess, and each Dragon Priestess down the line. Kaguya has many properties of a Gaki, a form of spiritual vampire, and as such she requires the essence of young girls to maintain her youth and power. A simple kiss from Kaguya drains the youth and energy from young girls and recharges Kaguya for a time. How long depends on how much of her world-cracking energy she chooses to unleash. Kaguya has minions of her own, including a nearly limitless population of gray furred rabbits dressed in sharp suit and sunglasses, very similar to the Yakuza
style of look. They are incredibly polite, even to their captives, though they are completely loyal to Kaguya.
: The effective General and Shogun of the Moon Bunny forces, Tsukikage is an anthropomorphic rabbit
who acts with the full authority and trust of Kaguya. Like all the Moon Rabbits, he has the power to fly, and also the power to 'Gatai', or fuse, with other objects or even other people. He is incredibly competent, which is unusual in most television shows, and tolerates Kaguya's temper tantrums with almost limitless patience. At times, Kaguya gives Tsukikage her fan
, a symbol of her authority and a focus for some of her power. The fan allows Tsukikage to fire Kaguya's trademark pink energy blasts. Tsukikage only voiced a concern with one of Kaguya's orders, which was to release Gekko from imprisonment in order to combat Yaiba.
: The only black rabbit on the Moon, Gekko was bullied as a child. The only rabbit who would stand up for him was Tsukikage, and thus formed a brotherly bond between the two. Gekko often calls Tsukikage 'Annaki' which translates roughly as 'brother'. Gekko's style of dress is similar to Tsukikage's own, and he has a scar over one eye that keeps it shut. Gekko's tactics, unlike all the generals sent to stop Yaiba, are ruthless and direct. Gekko has no need for fair play and begins his assault at Sayaka's house while they're in the middle of dinner! Once determining that Gekko cannot beat Yaiba without some degree of magical weapon, Gekko goes to "Cell Sixty Six" to unleash the Mao-Ken sword, the blade responsible for turning the Moon from a lush bamboo forest into a barren wasteland. Gekko's proficiency and power with the Mao-Ken sword force Yaiba and Onimaru to join forces to combat him. Gekko's desire for victory was so great that he was willing to kill other Moon Rabbits, though it's entirely possible that the Moon Rabbits he killed were the ones initially responsible for his imprisonment.
: One of the Generals under Tsukikage, vying for the position. He is a huge rabbit with a sinister look to him, dressed in a different style of uniform from the other generals. This indicates that he's either a general of a different branch of the "Moon Army" that came down, or all the other generals were higher ranked them him. He concocts a plan to deliver Yaiba to Kaguya, which fails. Mongetzu then decides to take direct action by assaulting Yaiba directly. The fight ends up in a seafood restaurant where Mongetzu demonstrates the 'true power of the moon people' by brandishing a lobster
, then yelling "Gatai!". Once the smoke clears, Mongetzu was now part lobster, with claws, gleaming red shell armor, and (as all Gatai forms have) big rabbit ears. The next Gatai Mongetzu attempted was with a propane
tank, which gave him the power to breathe fire. Yaiba defeated him using a combination of the "Big" orb and the "Fire" orb he had earned at this point, and blasted Mongetzu clear back to the Moon Bunny base. For his failure, Kaguya disintegrated him.
: Another one of Kaguya's generals.
: Another one of Kaguya's generals.
: Another one of Kaguya's generals.
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master and owns his own dojo.
Sayaka's Grandmother: More commonly known as . She is very strict and seems to know more about kendo than Raizo.
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Yaiba's sword, Raijin-ken has an orb within it marked with the kanji
for "Thunder". Throughout his adventures in Japan, Yaiba finds several other orbs in search of the Dragon God's Orb, which are listed as follows:
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, TV Hokkaido
, and TV Aichi
from April 9, 1993~April 1, 1994. On TV Tokyo it was titled . The anime contained 52 episodes and covered up to the Kaguya Arc.
Shonen
The term refers to manga marketed to a male audience aged roughly 10 and up. The Kanji characters literally mean "few" and "year", respectively, where the characters generally mean "comic"...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Gosho Aoyama
Gosho Aoyama
, born on June 21, 1963 in Hokuei, Tottori Prefecture, Japan is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known as the creator of the manga series Detective Conan .-Educational background:Aoyama was talented in drawing even at an early age...
. It ran in Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from issue 39 of 1988 to issue 50 of 1993, collected in 24 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes. It also came in 12 double volumes. In 1993, it received the Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
.
Summary
The light-hearted manga is about an adventuring samuraiSamurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
named who knows how to be a samurai, and little else. Yaiba lives with his father, Kenjurou, in the forest. One day, while Yaiba was eating, a troop of gorillas came to attack. Yaiba and his father escaped and hid inside a box, but they didn't know that the box was full of pineapples and was going to be transported into the city. In the city, Yaiba finds out that he is a legendary warrior and has to fight the evil of a demonic looking high-school student named Takeshi Onimaru.
Yaiba was adapted as an anime series that ran over 50 episodes, and encompassed the adventures Yaiba had in the first few runs of the manga. The show begins with Yaiba training to become a samurai in the jungle with his father and his two animal friends, Kagetora and Shonosuke. At a pivotal point, Yaiba's father announces that he is ready to return to Japan, and instructs him to find his old friend and rival, who just happens to be Sayaka's father.
The people that Yaiba meets along his journey to become a true samurai encourage him, train him, or inspire him to greatness, though at heart he is still a child, and his incredible skill with a sword is matched only by his kindness towards his friends. Though, he tends to leap before he looks, and his thick-headedness tends to turn potential allies into enemies, though his friends soon clobber him, and salvage the situation. This unlikely group embarks on a host of incredible adventures where they meet legendary figures from Japanese history, and finally overcome impossible odds, and put everything on the line, to save the entire planet from a threat not of this world. It's a story of love, friendship, hard work, and never giving up.
Yaiba's Group
: The titular character, Yaiba is the protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of this manga. He is the Thunder God incarnate, and later acquires the legendary Dragon's Orb. Since he fights without the Thunder Orb in the socketed Thunder God's sword, he was able to be spared the same fate of being possessed by the sword's owner that had befallen Onimaru. Aside from his skills with the sword and his keen senses, he is also able to converse with animals.
- For a while, Yaiba was fighting without any orbs. While this left him vulnerable because he had no divine assistance, it also let him master several techniques. The in which he spins the sword like a lawnmower blade by twirling it on his fingers in the hole that the orbs would usually go in. The in which he executes a downward slash in a furious zigzag pattern and finally the "Yaiba Windmill Slash" in which he executes a full body vertical spin motion in the air by sticking his sword between his feet and then uses the momentum to create a buzzsaw-like effect.
- There is one other technique, "The Wave of Wind Thunder". It can only be used along with Takeshi Onimaru, for both Thunder God and Devil Wind Swords are needed in order to execute this technique. It is the resulting combination of Yaiba's "Lightning Blast" and Takeshi's upgraded Devil Wind Slash "Tornado Ripper". They used this move against Kaguya-hime.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Minami TakayamaMinami Takayamais a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. She was married to manga artist Gosho Aoyama on May 5, 2005 but they divorced on December 10, 2007. Minami is also a member of the pop group Two-Mix, and a part of DoCo when it was active....
: Sayaka is the second protagonist of Yaiba and Yaiba's unlikely love interest. She originally had not intended to join Yaiba's journey, and simply found herself tied to Kagetora with Yaiba going towards the Thunder God's sword when she woke up. Later it is revealed that she is the Dragon Maiden incarnate, the key to Kaguya's true form.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Mitsuishi Kotono
: Kurogane Kenjuro is Yaiba's father. He was only shown in one episode of Yaiba in the anime, whereas in the manga he accompanies Yaiba to tokyo. He doesn't stay very long though but occasionally comes back to check up on Yaiba.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Bin ShimadaBin Shimadais a Japanese voice actor. He is currently affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production.-References:* Nakagami, Yoshikatsu et al. "You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle". Newtype USA. pp. 48–49.-External links:...
: The legendary 400-year old samurai Musashi took it upon himself to guard the Thunder God sword and lived as a hermit quite near it (although this is puzzling considering that the Thunder God's sword itself electrocutes all unworthy of it). Since his time on the mountain he has taught one student and started using two swords due to old age. Like all old men, he is lecherous. He serves as Yaiba's teacher, especially upon controlling the Thunder Orb.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Masaharu SatōMasaharu Satois a Japanese voice actor currently working for Aoni Production.Along with the late Kōji Totani, he is considered the No. 1 supporting actor of the Japanese voice acting world....
: Kojiro has been dead for a long time, having been defeated, killed in a duel and buried by Musashi himself. However he was given new life by Onimaru, through Spiderman's reviving Ritual (or rather, it was the stench coming from the foul-smelling ingredients used for the reviving ceremony that brought Kojiro back, as well as the Hakki's facial slapping), on the condition that he kill Yaiba. After getting beaten by Yaiba while using the Thunder Orb, he then becomes friends with them in order to beat them. Kojiro uses an enchanted sword (Washline Pole as he calls it) that grows longer on his whim, and thus the maximum length that the sword can attain is limited only by Kojiro's imagination. It doesn't seem to be particularly durable as the other mystical swords shown in the series, since various characters (even those with no mystical powers or weapons to begin with) have been known to cut the sword all the way down to the guard with apparent ease. Thankfully, Kojiro's sword's ability allows it to recover the severed blade simply by lengthening itself indefinitely. Perhaps the sword's only true weakness is the fact that it is very sensitive to salt water (and even to eye tears); even a slight splash will cause it to spontaneously lengthen against Kojiro's will, making it inadvisable to use in a battle where a large body of salty water happens to be nearby. He is also the natural playboy - one of the series' many running gags, Kojiro usually needs to be manhandled by others in order to "help" him subdue his overwhelming idiocy. Despite this, he serves as one of the shows more prominent swordfighters in the series
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Jūrōta KosugiJurota Kosugiis a Japanese voice actor. His deep voice is often used for rough and imposing characters. He is well known for playing the role of Sukashii from Kyattou Ninden Teyandee and Asuma Sarutobi from Naruto....
: Jubei was revived by Onimaru and defeated Kojiro Sasaki by kicking Kojiro's overextended sword straight down to Sayaka Mine's house. Before he defeated Yaiba, Musashi yelled at him and withdrew himself from attacking to join with Yaiba's group. What Onimaru didn't know about is that he is Musashi's disciple. He tends to be suicidal, as he always attempts to commit seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
if he commits an error or feels that he did something dishonorable. When Jubei got drunk thanks to Musashi who forcibly makes him drink sake(Japanese rice wine), Onimaru takes advantage and summons a demon while he's in a drunken state to turn him into a werewolf which has the same skills (albeit heightened to a degree) like a normal Jubei but is murderous and loves drinking sake. He can revert back to Jubei when he's knocked out cold, but when he gets drunk again, he'll change into a werewolf.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Takaya HashiTakaya Hashiis a Japanese voice actor and actor affiliated with the Seinenza Theater Company. His real name is '.-Television animation:*Allison & Lillia *D.Gray-man *Elemental Gelade...
: Kagetora is Yaiba's friend tiger. He helps Yaiba in his training and lets Yaiba ride him when speed is needed. He is also shown a much higher intelligence than Yaiba when it comes to rock-scissors-paper. He was probably found on the same mountain where Yaiba and his father lived.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Hisao EgawaHisao Egawais a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo who works for Aoni Production. Egawa is most known for the roles of Shin'ichi Maki in Slam Dunk, Geki Kuroiwa in Brave Command Dagwon, Geki Hyūma and Goldymarg in The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, Killer Bee in Naruto Shippuden, and Falco Lombardi in the Star Fox...
: Shonosuke is Yaiba's friend vulture. He helps Yaiba in his training and is used by Yaiba when he needs to fly. Like Kagetora, he occasionally ups Yaiba. He was probably found on the same mountain Yaiba and his father lived.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Ryō HorikawaRyo Horikawais a Japanese voice actor. He is married to fellow Japanese voice actress Hitomi Oikawa, whose birth name is also . His former stage name is also Ryo Horikawa, which has his given name, Makoto, pronounced as Ryo.-Career:...
: The frog demon Gerozaimon is the first of Onimaru's demons to attack Yaiba, and was beaten by him when Yaiba called for his snake friends. When the second demon came and informed him he was to be disposed due to his uselessness, Gerozaimon was befriended by Yaiba. He uses his axe in battle. He also shows how good his tongue is against a battle with the chameleon demon. In the anime, his speech pattern forces him to either begin or end any sentence with , which is Japanese for "Ribbit". In the manga. he is shown to somewhat more easily depressed, having fallen to a state of despair after Snakeman told him that Onimaru already gave up on him; as a result Gerozaimon brutally beats up the Kuro Oni who came with Snakeman in blind despair
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Kazunari TanakaKazunari Tanakais a Japanese voice actor from Osaka Prefecture who works for Aoni Production.-Notable voice roles:*Air Gear *Air Master *Blue Submarine No...
: Like Gerozaimon, he used to be one of Onimaru's demons. On his way to Izu
Izu Peninsula
The is a large mountainous peninsula with deeply indented coasts to the west of Tokyo on the Pacific coast of the island of Honshū, Japan. Formerly the eponymous Izu Province, Izu peninsula is now a part of Shizuoka Prefecture...
he gets lost and is found by Yaiba's group. From then on he is always with them, usually seen on Sayaka's shoulder. He usually ends his sentences with .
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Tsutomu KashiwakuraTsutomu Kashiwakurais a Japanese voice actor and sound director. He was formerly credited as 柏倉 つとむ .- Primary roles :* young Terry Bogard in Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf* Ryo in Generator Gawl* Glemy Toto in Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ...
: Yaiba's little sister. Because she was raised to believe Kenjuro is her mother's enemy, she has been training in the way of the sword to defeat him. She joins Yaiba's group for the final arc and speaks very bluntly. She does not appear in the anime.
Onimaru Faction (Main)
: Takeshi is the primary antagonist of Yaiba. Originally a gifted highschool swordsman, but when the fight he had with Yaiba ended in a draw, he made himself train harder. He eventually found a hidden basement containing the statues of Thunder God and the Devil Wind which was holding a sword. Upon wielding the Devil Wind sword, he was possessed and grew horns, turning into the Devil Wind incarnate. Although he uses the Devil Wind sword, he gave it to Yaiba upon acquiring the "Mao-Ken" Black Moon sword.(Also note that he looks like Tenshinhan from the Dragon Ball series with only a black dot on his forehead instead of a literal third eye). Like all good villains, Onimaru has entire hordes of faceless minions who are nothing more than humanoid black bodies with eyes, mouths, and a single horn sticking straight up from the center of their head.- Onimaru became the ruler of Japan when he mind-controlled the Japanese Diet. This typically explains how the authorities never really seem to bother two super-powerful beings with eldritch artifact weapons destroying cities and historical monuments during their fights, or stealing from ancient temples in order to gain more power.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Ryō HorikawaRyo Horikawais a Japanese voice actor. He is married to fellow Japanese voice actress Hitomi Oikawa, whose birth name is also . His former stage name is also Ryo Horikawa, which has his given name, Makoto, pronounced as Ryo.-Career:...
: The third of Onimaru's Hakki, he become something of a sidekick to Onimaru, who often sends him to others whom he instructed Spiderman to revive to attack Yaiba and his friends. He is also arguably the most comedic Hakki shown in the series. He calculates the expenses of financing high technological projects, usually with an old-fashioned abacus. In the anime, he sometimes uses a calculator with several features. His one true flaw is the fact that he's easily intimidated by loud noises. For example: several fragile materials like beer bottles or plate breaking against the floor can render Spiderman in a state of trauma. That, along with the fact that he's very gullible with limited fighting skills make him a not-so-formidable enemy. After Onimaru becomes carbonated, he comes to live with Yaiba while loyally polishing his master. He speaks with a Kansai dialect.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Tetsuo Sakaguchi
Hakki Arc
Onimaru's are 8 demon souls reborn into the bodies of dead animals. Gerozaimon, Namako-Otoko, and Kumo-Otoko are among their ranks. While each of them have their own unique fighting skill and abilities, all of them are also downright comedic - a continuous running gag in the series: The second assassin sent after Yaiba. He fights with a hoko from a powerful snake god. Being a sentient reptile, he is also the fellow Hakki most feared by Gerozaimon, which is appropriate since snakes are the natural enemies of frogs. He is defeated by Yaiba's Senpuu Ken technique.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Ken YamaguchiKen Yamaguchiwas a Japanese voice actor. He was represented by OYS Produce.He was most known for the roles of Ashuraman, The Omegaman, Prisman , Genji Togashi , Flazzard , Tarantula Arachne , and Ein .Yamaguchi died on October 24, 2011 due to illness.-Notable voice...
, Emi ShinoharaEmi Shinoharais a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. She was born in Fukushima Prefecture and raised in Nagano. She is married to tokusatsu actor Hiroshi Watari...
(Human disguise)
: A large male starfish from Kumamoto who thinks of himself as the leader of his group. He is married with a son and runs a dining hall. He speaks with a Kumamoto dialect.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Wataru TakagiWataru Takagiis a Japanese seiyū and stage actor from Chiba Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Arts Vision.He is best known for his roles in Detective Conan , After War Gundam X , Slayers Try , the Beast Wars: Transformers series , GTO , Hajime no Ippo (July 25, 1966 - ) is a Japanese seiyū and stage...
: Sent with Hitode-Otoko and Namako-Otoko to stop Yaiba. After their many failures, they each get homesick and return to their respective hometowns. He speaks with a Nagoya dialect.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Michio Nakao
: His sticky body made him a tough opponent, but he is defeated when Yaiba throws a salt package over him and cuts it open with the Senpuu Ken, causing him to shrivel up. He puts on a shell to become and challenges yaiba to a rematch, but meets the same fate once again.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Tsutomu Kashiwakura
: Often speaks in English and greatly admires Musashi. His weakness is sunlight. He is master swordsman and the strongest of the Hakki and is defeated by Yaiba's Senpuu Ken technique. During Yaiba's attack on Onimaru Castle he is revived by Kumo-Otoko, but Yaiba defeats him with a single lightning strike. In the anime he was renamed .
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Hirohiko KakegawaHirohiko Kakegawais a Japanese actor. He has starred in a number of anime series, such as Transformers and Turn A Gundam. He enjoys softball, ice-skating and tennis.-Appearances:*Saint Seiya *Transformers: The Headmasters...
Onimaru's Shitennō Arc
:- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Fumihiko TachikiFumihiko Tachikiis a Japanese voice actor and narrator.-Career:Formerly a blues singer and known for his low voice, Tachiki is best known as the narrator for the pre-fight movies for Pride Fighting Championships and currently for Dream...
A giant angler fish.
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Kazumi TanakaKazumi Tanakawas a male voice actor from Suginami, Tokyo, Japan. He was the younger brother of Ryouichi Tanaka and was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of his death. He was best known for his roles in Dragon Ball Z , Galaxy Cyclone Braiger and Zawazawamori no Ganko-chan...
A chameleon who can change shape and color.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
A super-powered gorilla that is only the size of a doll.
A giant Mechanical Suit run by Spider-man.
Dragon God Orbs Arc
:- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Hisao Egawa
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Minoru InabaMinoru Inabais a Japanese voice actor from Shizuoka Prefecture. He is affiliated with Ken Production.Inaba is best known for his roles in Disney productions , Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory , Buzz Lightyear of Star Command , and The Transformers .-Television animation:*After War Gundam X - Rike Anto,...
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Hōchū ŌtsukaHochu Otsuka, also known by the his stage name , is a Japanese voice actor from Okayama Prefecture, affiliated with the talent management firm Crazy Box. He is the official Japanese dub-over artist for: Gary Oldman and Jean-Claude Van Damme....
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Toshihiko SekiToshihiko Sekiis a Japanese voice actor and member of 81 Produce. Apart from voice actor work, Seki sometimes does live action drama stage work. He is sometimes mistaken for another voice actor, Tomokazu Seki, sharing the same last name but are unrelated.-Person/Career:...
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Shōzō IizukaShozo Iizukais a male Japanese voice actor from Fukushima Prefecture who is affiliated with Sigma Seven. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University....
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Kappei YamaguchiKappei Yamaguchi, better known by his stage name of , is a Japanese voice actor and actor from Fukuoka, affiliated with Gokū and 21st Century Fox.He is best known for the roles of Ranma Saotome , Jackson Neil , Tombo , Yattaro , InuYasha , Ryuichi Sakuma , L , Usopp...
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Shigezō SasaokaShigezo Sasaoka, real name , was a seiyū born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. After his death, Ryūzaburō Ōtomo took over all of his ongoing roles.-TV:*Akū Daisakusen Srungle *Attacker YOU! *Blue Comet SPT Layzner...
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Daisuke GōriDaisuke Goriwas a Japanese voice actor, narrator and actor from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was...
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Takeshi AonoTakeshi Aonois a Japanese voice actor and actor from Asahikawa, Hokkaidō affiliated with Aoni Production. He graduated from Hokkaidō Asahikawa Higashi High School....
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- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Kōji IshiiKoji Ishiiis a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Vi-Vo.-Notable voice roles:*Chief Koutarou Taiga in The King of Braves GaoGaiGar and The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL*Kimura-sensei in Azumanga Daioh*Jose Collins in A.D...
Kaguya Arc
: The secondary antagonist of Yaiba, she is the Empress of the Moon and the ruler of a race of bunny people living on the moon. Unlike the other inhabitants of the Moon, who are all anthropomorphic rabbits she appears as a human who is dressed like a Playboy bunnyPlayboy Bunny
A Playboy Bunny is a waitress at the Playboy Club. The Playboy Clubs were originally open from 1960 to 1988. The Club re-opened in one location in The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas in 2006...
. She awakens after sensing the energy of Yaiba's Dragon Orb, and launches an invasion of earth using bamboo-styled spaceships. She had conquered the world a thousand years before the show begins, but the priest of the dragon god defeated her by cutting off her ears and sealing them within the spirit of the Dragon Priestess, and each Dragon Priestess down the line. Kaguya has many properties of a Gaki, a form of spiritual vampire, and as such she requires the essence of young girls to maintain her youth and power. A simple kiss from Kaguya drains the youth and energy from young girls and recharges Kaguya for a time. How long depends on how much of her world-cracking energy she chooses to unleash. Kaguya has minions of her own, including a nearly limitless population of gray furred rabbits dressed in sharp suit and sunglasses, very similar to the Yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
style of look. They are incredibly polite, even to their captives, though they are completely loyal to Kaguya.
- During one of their first encounters, Kaguya seals Onimaru in a block of stone very similar to how Han SoloHan SoloHan Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...
was frozen in Carbonite in Star Wars. She even calls it her "Carbon Freeze Ray" and it turns Onimaru into a statue. - SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Rika FukamiRika FukamiRica Fukami , born August 8, 1963 in Saitama) is a Japanese voice actress and licensed hypnotherapist.She is the Japanese voice of Linka in Captain Planet and the Planeteers...
: The effective General and Shogun of the Moon Bunny forces, Tsukikage is an anthropomorphic rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
who acts with the full authority and trust of Kaguya. Like all the Moon Rabbits, he has the power to fly, and also the power to 'Gatai', or fuse, with other objects or even other people. He is incredibly competent, which is unusual in most television shows, and tolerates Kaguya's temper tantrums with almost limitless patience. At times, Kaguya gives Tsukikage her fan
Fan (implement)
A hand-held fan is an implement used to induce an airflow for the purpose of cooling or refreshing oneself. Any broad, flat surface waved back-and-forth will create a small airflow and therefore can be considered a rudimentary fan...
, a symbol of her authority and a focus for some of her power. The fan allows Tsukikage to fire Kaguya's trademark pink energy blasts. Tsukikage only voiced a concern with one of Kaguya's orders, which was to release Gekko from imprisonment in order to combat Yaiba.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Daiki NakamuraDaiki Nakamurais a Japanese voice actor and member of 81 Produce.-Anime:* The Brave Express Might Gaine * Colorful * Cromartie High School * Grandpa Danger...
: The only black rabbit on the Moon, Gekko was bullied as a child. The only rabbit who would stand up for him was Tsukikage, and thus formed a brotherly bond between the two. Gekko often calls Tsukikage 'Annaki' which translates roughly as 'brother'. Gekko's style of dress is similar to Tsukikage's own, and he has a scar over one eye that keeps it shut. Gekko's tactics, unlike all the generals sent to stop Yaiba, are ruthless and direct. Gekko has no need for fair play and begins his assault at Sayaka's house while they're in the middle of dinner! Once determining that Gekko cannot beat Yaiba without some degree of magical weapon, Gekko goes to "Cell Sixty Six" to unleash the Mao-Ken sword, the blade responsible for turning the Moon from a lush bamboo forest into a barren wasteland. Gekko's proficiency and power with the Mao-Ken sword force Yaiba and Onimaru to join forces to combat him. Gekko's desire for victory was so great that he was willing to kill other Moon Rabbits, though it's entirely possible that the Moon Rabbits he killed were the ones initially responsible for his imprisonment.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Kazuki YaoKazuki Yaois a veteran voice actor and actor currently represented by Mix Max.- Television animation :* Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple * Astro Boy * Beast Wars * Beast Wars Neo...
: One of the Generals under Tsukikage, vying for the position. He is a huge rabbit with a sinister look to him, dressed in a different style of uniform from the other generals. This indicates that he's either a general of a different branch of the "Moon Army" that came down, or all the other generals were higher ranked them him. He concocts a plan to deliver Yaiba to Kaguya, which fails. Mongetzu then decides to take direct action by assaulting Yaiba directly. The fight ends up in a seafood restaurant where Mongetzu demonstrates the 'true power of the moon people' by brandishing a lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
, then yelling "Gatai!". Once the smoke clears, Mongetzu was now part lobster, with claws, gleaming red shell armor, and (as all Gatai forms have) big rabbit ears. The next Gatai Mongetzu attempted was with a propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
tank, which gave him the power to breathe fire. Yaiba defeated him using a combination of the "Big" orb and the "Fire" orb he had earned at this point, and blasted Mongetzu clear back to the Moon Bunny base. For his failure, Kaguya disintegrated him.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Toshihiko NakajimaToshihiko Nakajimais a Japanese voice actor who was affiliated with Ken Production but is now associated with Gekidan 21 Seiki Fox.-Notable voice roles:*Carlos in Cowboy Bebop*Lemint in Fushigiboshi no Futagohime*Kojiro Murdoch in Gundam Seed*Hachiemon in Inuyasha...
: Another one of Kaguya's generals.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Nobuhiko Kazama
: Another one of Kaguya's generals.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Tomohisa AsōTomohisa Asois a male Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture affiliated with Aoni Production. His real name is . He is best known for his role of Peppy Hare in the Star Fox series.- Anime :* BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad...
: Another one of Kaguya's generals.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Ginzō MatsuoGinzo Matsuowas a Japanese voice actor who was born in Nakatsu, Oita, Japan as . He was part of Aoni Production, but he established in 1997. He was most known for the roles of Hemu-Hemu and Ginnosuke Nohara ....
Pyramid Arc
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Yamata no Orochi Arc
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Oda Nobunaga Tournament Arc
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Others
: Sayaka's father and an old rival of Kenjuurou. He is a kendoKendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
master and owns his own dojo.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Unshō Ishizuka, Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
(Conan vs. KID vs. Yaiba)
Sayaka's Grandmother: More commonly known as . She is very strict and seems to know more about kendo than Raizo.
- SeiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
: Reiko Suzuki
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Swords
:Yaiba's sword, Raijin-ken has an orb within it marked with the kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for "Thunder". Throughout his adventures in Japan, Yaiba finds several other orbs in search of the Dragon God's Orb, which are listed as follows:
- Water (水) - This orb allows Yaiba to control water by swinging his sword and can shoot water from the tip of the sword. It was found in Lake BiwaLake Biwais the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...
. - Gold (金) - Allows Yaiba to transform into different people and objects. He earned this orb from the TanukiTanukiis the common Japanese name for the Japanese raccoon dog . They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times...
in ShikokuShikokuis the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
. - Fire (火) - This orb allows Yaiba to shoot balls of flame from his sword. It was found on Mount AsoMount Asois the largest active volcano in Japan, and is among the largest in the world. It stands in Aso Kujū National Park in Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyūshū. Its peak is 1592 m above sea level. Aso has one of the largest caldera in the world...
. - Big (大) - Let's Yaiba grow huge. The first time he used this orb, he grew large enough to leave the atmosphere. However by the time the orb runs out of power, it turns black and Yaiba becomes exhausted because he used up all his stamina. It only takes time to recharge the orb before he uses it again. It was found in NaraNara Prefectureis a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
. - Darkness (闇) - This orb is the most dangerous of all. It can suck up anything on its path including the user as an act of desperate measure. When Yaiba use it for the first time, he got sucked into the orb along with Jubei. But they got out from the orb successfully. It was found in NiigataNiigata Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
. - Ice (氷) - This orb allows Yaiba to shoot ice from the tip of this sword. It also allows him to freeze water into ice. It was found in HokkaidōHokkaido, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. - Reliance (当) - This talking orb indicates the position of all the other orbs. It was found in TōhokuTohoku regionThe is a geographical area of Japan. The region occupies the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region consists of six prefectures : Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata....
. Voiced by Shigeru ChibaShigeru Chibais an actor and voice actor. He has also worked as a sound effects director and music director. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce....
. - Dragon (龍) - Contains all of the powers of the six other orbs from Water to Ice. Whenever he uses it, the Raijin-ken changes its shape; turning into the Ryūjin-ken. This also happened when he used the orb on Onimaru's Fūjin-ken when the Raijin-ken was swallowed by Kaguya-hime. The orb has 3 abilities: One, Yaiba can now fly while holding the sword. Two, it can create a powerful energy shield that can block projectiles. And three, he can summon the Dragon God by activating all of the orbs, including the Dragon Orb as well to unveil its ultimate power. It was found inside of Mount FujiMount Fujiis the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
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Anime
The anime aired simultaneously on TV TokyoTV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
, TV Hokkaido
TV Hokkaido
is a TV station headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan, and is affiliated with TXN.- Offices :*Headquarters - 6-12-4, Odori-higashi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo*Tokyo office - Hashizen Building, Shinbashi, Minato, Tokyo...
, and TV Aichi
Aichi Television Broadcasting
Aichi Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd. is a TV station in Nagoya. It is known as "TV Aichi"...
from April 9, 1993~April 1, 1994. On TV Tokyo it was titled . The anime contained 52 episodes and covered up to the Kaguya Arc.
- Opening Theme: by Kabuki RocksKabuki Rocksis a Kabuki-based role-playing video game developed by RED and published by Atlus, which was released exclusively in Japan in 1994.-External links:* at superfamicom.org* at super-famicom.jp -See also:...
- Ending Theme: by Kabuki Rocks
Cultural references
- It appears Yaiba was highly inspired by Dragon Ball. As was the case with Dragon Ball, both series began as a kind of light-hearted gag manga, but towards the end of their run the tone became more serious and action-packed.
- It should be noted that in Yaiba's world, there are King KongKing KongKing Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
sized gorillas, tigers and vultures in Japan.
Other Appearances/Cameos
Although Yaiba has now become a little known anime, it still appears as cameos in other works such as Detective Conan.- In volume 2 file 3 of Detective Conan, he appeared in a TV show Conan was watching.
- In volume 3 Conan is seen playing the same game below at episode 7 to distract Ran from suspicion.
- In volume 10 file 6, Conan is looking through some books in the children section at the library. One of them is title Samurai Kid, a double reference to both Yaiba and Magic KaitoMagic Kaitois a shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama, about a thief named . Aoyama stopped work on the manga after three volumes because he started Detective Conan , which was an instant hit, and where a version of Kaitou Kid and some related characters makes occasional appearances...
. - In volume 5 file 6 of Detective Conan, Yaiba is seen on the karaoke screen.
- In episode 7, Conan is seen playing a Game BoyGame BoyThe , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
-like console, where his character in the game is Yaiba. - In episode 25, Yaiba's main antagonist, Onimaru, appears on the cover of another video game.
- Conan's companions in the Junior Detective League are fans of a series called "Masked Yaiba" (Kamen Yaiba), another nod to the series (as well as an homage to the live-action series Kamen RiderKamen Rider, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
). - There is a special OVA consisting all three of Gosho Aoyama's most famous works in one video. "Conan vs KID vs Yaiba".
- In the last episode before Musashi TV close, there are chibi version of Conan Edogawa and Ran Mori inside the TV.
- Ran Mori of Detective Conan has a mobile phone accessory in the shape of a sea cucumber demon (one of the demons Yaiba befriends with) at the end of her mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
's strap. - In Magic KaitoMagic Kaitois a shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama, about a thief named . Aoyama stopped work on the manga after three volumes because he started Detective Conan , which was an instant hit, and where a version of Kaitou Kid and some related characters makes occasional appearances...
, Kaito Kid once goes to Mine's House and fights against Yaiba & the old Miyamoto Musashi. - The character Okita has a brief cameo in Detective Conan episode 263 as Heiji Hattori's rival in a kendo tournament- the joke being that Okita has a very similar character design to Shinichi, the main character.