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Samurai Deeper Kyo

Genre:Action/Fantasy

Date Submitted:June 25, 2003

Review By:Flaming Monkey

Plot Summary:Samurai Deeper Kyo finished up it's last season early in 2003. There are 26 episodes total. The artwork is good, and the music is excellent, although neither is particularly exceptional. It takes place around 1604, four years after the battle of Sekigahara. That was the final battle that established the Tokugawa Shogunate as ruling Japan, and ended the warring states era. Many of the names of characters and certain events mentioned in the series actually occurred, although it is largely fictitious. Although the series is somewhat episodic in the beginning, nearly everything is tied to the main story arc. Almost all of the characters have some importance, and the plot seems to weave around the characters and their actions, stories, and developments. It's somewhat hard to say that there's a "good" side and a "bad" side, as characters do things for a variety of reasons and often become friends and then enemies, or enemies and then friends, or go in and out through the entire series. Despite the large number of individuals, most are used in the story frequently. Even those characters that are only present briefly often get their own of small bit of development. Here is a short rundown of the more important characters and groups presented early on in the series.

Main Characters:

Mibu Kyoshiro- He is first shown as a great samurai, and then immediately thereafter is presented as a goofy pharmacist who barely resembles his former self. He actually does not play a great role in the series, not even showing up for most of it. His body, though, is used by Kyo throughout the series, and Kyoshiro is very important to the backstory.

Demon Eyes Kyo- The "Killer of a thousand men", Kyo first seems to be a cold hearted killer, caring about no one and slaying anyone in his path. Soon, though, other sides of him start to emerge, but his almost sociopathic nature is always predominant. He develops mostly through how he treats other characters, and from what is shown of his past history. Mibu Kyoshiro has currently trapped Kyo's soul in his body. Kyo's main motivation is his want to return to his own body, and slay Kyoshiro. Kyo sometimes surfaces in Kyoshiro when he feels extremely threatened. He fights with a true Muramasa, a unique and powerful sword.

Shiina Yuya- She is a beautiful bounty hunter with a rare, three-barreled revolver. She initially lures the pharmacist Kyoshiro into a trap to collect the small bounty on his head (he didn't pay for a meal at an inn). Kyoshiro is instantly smitten with her. When Kyo surfaces, Yuya decides to stick around to collect the rich bounty on his head (for killing those 1000 men). The only problem she finds is that Kyo might kill her. She plays an important part in the story despite her almost complete lack of value as a fighter.

Sakuya- A name that strikes a nerve with both Kyo and Kyoshiro, she is a mysterious woman who reads the stars. She seems to want to have an effect on Kyo, possibly using him for some purpose.

Sanada Yukimura- Initially, he says he is hired by Sakuya. He appears to have his own goals, though. He helps bring Kyo out, and then sticks around. He always seems pleasant, and is often drinking sake. He's a master swordsman, to the point where he appears to be on the same level as Kyo. He's also rather androgynous, a point that they play on several times in the series.

Benitora- He is first presented as an enemy, but that quickly changes. Benitora (which means "Crimson Tiger") decides to follow Kyo about because he expects Kyo will run into tough opponents, and then Benitora will be able to have some fun, challenging fights. He also likes pretty girls to an extreme, and immediately latches on to Yuya (to her annoyance). Benitora is largely a carefree character, although he shows other emotions often. He likes to joke about, and fights with his Koyoku, retractable spear/trident. He is a solid fighter, although not at the level of Kyo or Yukimura.

Groups:

Juunishinshou- These are a group of 12 henchmen of a character for a long time referred to solely as "him." They're comprised of a number of diverse characters, most with their own interesting stories and development. They are often the opponents of Kyo and his group.

Kenyou- These are demons that used to be humans. Many were formed by the meteor impact at Sekigahara. Most Kenyou appear human at first. They can then transform into larger, more formidable monster forms, which often are characteristic of their human selves.

Sanada Ten Braves- These are completely loyal followers of Sanada Yukimura. They are elite fighters, but stay hidden most of the time. Saizou, a ninja, is shown often, taking orders from Yukimura and giving orders to the rest of the Ten Braves. Sasuke, a boy swordsman, is shown in the beginning, and also becomes an important character much later.

Eventually, many of the episodes are devoted to Kyo and his group fighting "him" and the Juunishinshou. The plot is complicated and hard to follow at times as it is revealed who is controlling who, and for what purpose.

Final Grading:On the whole I really liked Samurai Deeper Kyo. Most of the action is fun to watch. Some of it lacks, as it's occasionally just Kyo taking several minutes to explain and carry out a rather simple-looking finishing move. Also, although they looked cool, turning into a Kenyou didn't always seem to help a person's fighting ability. Sometimes they just turned into a giant monster and then got wasted. Otherwise, the fights were fast and active. I also liked most of the characters. Yukimura was my favorite. He was always jovial and drinking, and was a great swordsman yet it looked like he did it casually. Also, I just think any guy who can confidently put on a dress and kick ass is pretty cool. It's just a talent you wouldn't expect. Benitora was my next favorite. He was always all over the women, none of whom seemed to like him. His Koyoku was also a pretty cool weapon. Despite having to re-watch parts to understand what was going on, I found I liked the story. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the ending, which felt rushed and, despite it technically matching up with the rest of the story, out of place. I might have been a little sad that the series was ending, too, because I wanted to see more of the characters. On the whole the art was fine, the story was good, and the music was excellent. It's not the best anime out there, but it's nicely done and certainly very entertaining. I give it a 7/10.