Myojin Yahiko
Encyclopedia
, known as Yahiko Myojin in the Media Blasters
English-language dub
and Yoshi Myojin in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character
from the Rurouni Kenshin
manga
and anime
series authored by Nobuhiro Watsuki
. The character of Yahiko is based on the author's childhood experiences practicing kendo
; since Watsuki's experienced frustration during kendo classes, the author wrote Yahiko as experiencing frustration with his kendo skills. Watsuki liked Yahiko, and while writing the manga, he began to develop the character so that readers would enjoy him.
The fictional setting takes place during the pre-Meiji period
of Japan. Yahiko is an orphan from a samurai family who was forced to work as a thief to repay the debt he had presumably owed, as his parents died before they could repay it. When he is rescued by the main character of the story Himura Kenshin
, he decides that he will grow up to be just like Kenshin. But because of his strong beliefs, Kenshin is no longer teaching the sword style he had learned. Therefore, Kenshin arranges for Yahiko to be trained by Kamiya Kaoru
, the teacher of the . As the series progresses, Yahiko becomes skilled at swordsmanship and faces many opponents.
Yahiko appears in the featured movie of the series, as well as other media relating to the franchise, including a wide range of electronic games and an original video animation
s (OVAs) series. His character has been very popular with readers from Rurouni Kenshin, ranking near the top of the series' popularity polls. His character is featured in various types of merchandising developed for the series, such as figurines and key-chains. Several publications have commented on his character. While he was initially criticized for his lack of action in the plot, his further development in the series has been praised.
Nobuhiro Watsuki
, creator of Rurouni Kenshin, says that he used no particular logic when drawing Yahiko except for the "defiant" eyes and "mussed" hair. (Watsuki describes these traits as "a must" in a shōnen
comic.) Watsuki enjoyed practicing kendo
"almost as much as drawing manga". To create Yahiko, Watsuki drew on his emotions from junior high school. He has described himself then as "weak" and "an embarrassment to my 183 centimeters of height" (183 centimeters is equivalent to 6 feet). He says he was a member of the kendo starting squad only because the school suspended another student originally intended to be a starter. However, he failed to win in a league tournament, experienced frustration and felt he was "awful" despite his desire to succeed; he yearned to improve his kendo skills. As an "outlet" for Watsuki's kendo emotions, Yahiko "knows a pain that hero-types like Himura Kenshin
and Sagara Sanosuke
can never know". As Watsuki further developed the story, Yahiko becomes a comedic character. Watsuki wanted to draw Yahiko in a way that readers could envision him as being a "great" swordsman five to ten years later.
During the last story arc from the manga, the story takes a darker tone than those from other shōnen series published by Shueisha
. As the series was aimed at teenagers, Watsuki made Yahiko the main character during the time when Kenshin thought that Kamiya Kaoru
was dead; his role was to serve as the identifying character for readers. However, the author found this hard to do, as the more time Kenshin was unwilling to continue to live, the worse Yahiko felt, leaving Watsuki a more negative feeling concerning the story. By the end of the series as Yahiko becomes a teenager, Watsuki had redesigned his appearance. He wanted Yahiko to impress manga readers so that he could be a protagonist for a possible series sequel. He said this goal influenced his design of Yahiko, with Kenshin's physical appearance as well as Sanosuke's personality. He added Sanosuke's kanji
of to the back of his clothes, and was pleased that various readers recognized it. Although he suggested he was not going to make a sequel, he said the main characters would be Yahiko, Sanjō Tsubame and Tsukayama Yutarō. Watsuki thought about writing a story in which Yahiko and Tsubame would have a son, Myōjin Shinya, who would become a skilled swordsman.
In the 20th volume from the Rurouni Kenshin kanzenban edition, Watsuki again redesigned of Yahiko's appearance to show how he would appear at that time. His hair was not as spiky as it was originally, and he had new clothes. He wore a dark jacket, a white short-sleeved t-shirt and short trousers. He did not have socks under his sandals and he had bandages on his hands in order hold a swords. He had two swords—a shinai and a katana—with the latter tied on his back.
In the anime adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki's designs were combined with the voice talents of Miina Tominaga
, a female seiyū
. In producing the English dub version of the series, Media Blasters
chose Wendee Lee
to voice Yahiko, but she was credited as Elyse Floyd.
; he has already bestowed upon himself the title "Tokyo Samurai", as his father was a samurai who died during the Battle of Ueno in the Boshin War
, slain at the Keneiji Temple. Because Yahiko respected his parents, he becomes a thief before the start of the series, to pay back their debt. Yahiko first appears trying to rob Kenshin, who stops him but lets him go. As his yakuza
bosses are about to beat him to death for his desire to quit, Kenshin arrives to save him and take him to Kaoru's dojo to learn swordsmanship. Yahiko's dream is to be as strong as Kenshin so he will be able to protect himself and the people he loves. Despite his young age and his short time of training, as the series continues Kenshin allows Yahiko to fight with him, noting that he is too mature for his age. He becomes a witness to many of Kenshin's later battles to the point which Yahiko becomes adept at imitating some of Kenshin's techniques, combining them to perform many other powerful sword techniques. Yahiko also learns the principles of , which matches Kenshin's ideal of saving lives. When Kenshin goes to Kyoto to fight Shishio Makoto
who wanted to conquer Japan, Yahiko accompanies Kaoru to find and aid Kenshin. While Kenshin goes to have his final fight against Shishio, he stays in Kyoto to defend their base, a hotel named Aoi-ya, from Shishio's forces along with Kaoru and the Oniwabanshū
. They are successful in doing it, and Yahiko manages to defeat one of Shishio's strongest soldiers, Henya.
Back in Tokyo after Shishio's defeat, Yahiko notices Yukishiro Enishi
's revenge plot against Kenshin. Sensing his own inability to help, he trains much harder to learn the two succession techniques in Kamiya Kasshin-ryū. Such moves allow him to block an opponent's attack and then hit him with his weapon. He successfully learns both of this techniques and becomes so adept at using them, that Yahiko starts performing several variations. He uses these moves against one of Enishi's partners Otowa Hyōko and defeats him. While Yahiko rests from to his injuries, Kaoru is kidnapped by Enishi, and Yahiko and his friends start searching for her. When another of Enishi's comrades, Kujiranami Hyōgo escapes from jail and goes on a rampage, Yahiko stands up against him. However, he is not strong enough on his own to defeat him and Kenshin saves him at the last moment. After he and Kenshin recover from their fight injuries, they go to rescue Kaoru from Enishi. While on his island fortress, Yahiko defeats one of the four bodyguards from Enishi's partner, Heishin, and witnesses Kenshin's fight against Enishi, which Kenshin wins. Five years later, he is the acting instructor at the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū dojo. One day Kenshin calls him to test his skills; when he lands a hit on Kenshin, he gives Yahiko his own reverse-blade sword as a sign that he has become a true samurai.
and Kaoru. Yahiko also appears in all of the Rurouni Kenshin video games, including the crossover game Jump Ultimate Stars
. After the manga serialization ended, Watsuki authored one-shot chapter from the series in which Yahiko goes to take care from the people of dojo, but ends confronting a former soldier from Shishio who takes as hostages the students from the dojo. In Samurai X The Motion Picture, Yahiko joins the samurai Takimi Shigure's group in their attempt to overthrow the Meiji Government, but Shigure later knocks Yahiko out to make him stay out of danger. In Samurai X: Reflection
, set various years after the manga's end, a now adult Yahiko lives with Sanjō Tsubame, a childhood friend he met works at a restaurant where both worked together. He starts taking care of Kaoru when she suffers from an illness while Kenshin went to assist people injured in wars. Due to Kaoru's suffering, Yahiko goes to Kyoto to request Kenshin and Kaoru's son, Himura Kenji, to accompany his mother. In order to make him accept, both have a duel, and Yahiko wins.
popularity polls of the series, usually in the top ten characters and once taking third place. A plethora of merchandise have been released in Yahiko's image, including key-chains wall scrolls, and action figures in both his child and teenager appearances. In an interview with Miina Tominaga
, the seiyū for the character, has said that she was a bit afraid when performing the voice of Yahiko in the OVAs since the character was now an adult, but she ended up happy with her performance. Watsuki described Minami Takayama
, the CD voice actor, as having "a lot of energy" and as being a "great fit" for Yahiko.
Various publications for manga, anime and other media have provided acclaim and criticism of Yahiko's character. While reviewing the volume 8 from the manga, Mania Entertainment writer Megan Lavey applauded the way Yahiko starts acting much stronger after Kenshin's departure to Kyoto and noted that, along with the other characters starring in the volume, he is seen more in-depth. While reviewing volume 15, Lavey praised Yahiko's development during the series as he becomes a good fighter and his courage shows a remarkable potential to become a powerful swordsman. However, Carlos Ross from T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews criticized Yahiko for being "a bit annoying" during the start of the series but noted that he has his enjoyable moments. His design in the OVA series has drawn acclaim as one of the few to be well translated from his original manga design by Mike Crandol from Anime News Network
. In the second review from the OVA, Crandol liked that Yahiko appeared several times in contrast to the previous OVA in which he was "written out" so that the story would focus more in Kamiya Kaoru and Kenshin's relationship. He also noted his battle against Himura Kenji to be very entertaining, but not as much as the previous fight which was between Kenshin and Yukishiro Enishi.
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
English-language dub
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
and Yoshi Myojin in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin
, also known as Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The fictional setting takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. The story is about a fictional assassin named Himura Kenshin, from the Bakumatsu who becomes a wanderer to...
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...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series authored by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Nobuhiro Watsuki
is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He once worked as an assistant for his favorite author Takeshi Obata.-Biography:...
. The character of Yahiko is based on the author's childhood experiences practicing kendo
Kendo
, 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...
; since Watsuki's experienced frustration during kendo classes, the author wrote Yahiko as experiencing frustration with his kendo skills. Watsuki liked Yahiko, and while writing the manga, he began to develop the character so that readers would enjoy him.
The fictional setting takes place during the pre-Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
of Japan. Yahiko is an orphan from a samurai family who was forced to work as a thief to repay the debt he had presumably owed, as his parents died before they could repay it. When he is rescued by the main character of the story Himura Kenshin
Himura Kenshin
, known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series, as well as the related media in the franchise...
, he decides that he will grow up to be just like Kenshin. But because of his strong beliefs, Kenshin is no longer teaching the sword style he had learned. Therefore, Kenshin arranges for Yahiko to be trained by Kamiya Kaoru
Kamiya Kaoru
, known as Kaoru Kamiya in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Kori Kamiya in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki as a main protagonist of the media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime,...
, the teacher of the . As the series progresses, Yahiko becomes skilled at swordsmanship and faces many opponents.
Yahiko appears in the featured movie of the series, as well as other media relating to the franchise, including a wide range of electronic games and an original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
s (OVAs) series. His character has been very popular with readers from Rurouni Kenshin, ranking near the top of the series' popularity polls. His character is featured in various types of merchandising developed for the series, such as figurines and key-chains. Several publications have commented on his character. While he was initially criticized for his lack of action in the plot, his further development in the series has been praised.
Creation and conception
Nobuhiro Watsuki
is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He once worked as an assistant for his favorite author Takeshi Obata.-Biography:...
, creator of Rurouni Kenshin, says that he used no particular logic when drawing Yahiko except for the "defiant" eyes and "mussed" hair. (Watsuki describes these traits as "a must" in a shōnen
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"...
comic.) Watsuki enjoyed practicing kendo
Kendo
, 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...
"almost as much as drawing manga". To create Yahiko, Watsuki drew on his emotions from junior high school. He has described himself then as "weak" and "an embarrassment to my 183 centimeters of height" (183 centimeters is equivalent to 6 feet). He says he was a member of the kendo starting squad only because the school suspended another student originally intended to be a starter. However, he failed to win in a league tournament, experienced frustration and felt he was "awful" despite his desire to succeed; he yearned to improve his kendo skills. As an "outlet" for Watsuki's kendo emotions, Yahiko "knows a pain that hero-types like Himura Kenshin
Himura Kenshin
, known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series, as well as the related media in the franchise...
and Sagara Sanosuke
Sagara Sanosuke
is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin manga and anime series created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is known as Sanosuke Sagara in the English adaptation of the anime and is nicknamed Sano...
can never know". As Watsuki further developed the story, Yahiko becomes a comedic character. Watsuki wanted to draw Yahiko in a way that readers could envision him as being a "great" swordsman five to ten years later.
During the last story arc from the manga, the story takes a darker tone than those from other shōnen series published by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
. As the series was aimed at teenagers, Watsuki made Yahiko the main character during the time when Kenshin thought that Kamiya Kaoru
Kamiya Kaoru
, known as Kaoru Kamiya in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Kori Kamiya in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki as a main protagonist of the media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime,...
was dead; his role was to serve as the identifying character for readers. However, the author found this hard to do, as the more time Kenshin was unwilling to continue to live, the worse Yahiko felt, leaving Watsuki a more negative feeling concerning the story. By the end of the series as Yahiko becomes a teenager, Watsuki had redesigned his appearance. He wanted Yahiko to impress manga readers so that he could be a protagonist for a possible series sequel. He said this goal influenced his design of Yahiko, with Kenshin's physical appearance as well as Sanosuke's personality. He added Sanosuke's 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...
of to the back of his clothes, and was pleased that various readers recognized it. Although he suggested he was not going to make a sequel, he said the main characters would be Yahiko, Sanjō Tsubame and Tsukayama Yutarō. Watsuki thought about writing a story in which Yahiko and Tsubame would have a son, Myōjin Shinya, who would become a skilled swordsman.
In the 20th volume from the Rurouni Kenshin kanzenban edition, Watsuki again redesigned of Yahiko's appearance to show how he would appear at that time. His hair was not as spiky as it was originally, and he had new clothes. He wore a dark jacket, a white short-sleeved t-shirt and short trousers. He did not have socks under his sandals and he had bandages on his hands in order hold a swords. He had two swords—a shinai and a katana—with the latter tied on his back.
In the anime adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki's designs were combined with the voice talents of Miina Tominaga
Miina Tominaga
, better known by her stage name of is a Japanese seiyū and tarento from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. She is currently attached to Mint Avenue....
, a female seiyū
Seiyu
Voice 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...
. In producing the English dub version of the series, Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
chose Wendee Lee
Wendee Lee
Wendee Lee is an American voice actress. While she has done voice work for many video games as well as several episodes in the Power Rangers franchise, she is particularly prolific in the dubbing of anime. As of April 2009, with 223 credits to her name, she has more credits in this medium than any...
to voice Yahiko, but she was credited as Elyse Floyd.
In Rurouni Kenshin
A hotheaded child, Yahiko is arrogant, cheeky, bad-mannered and a user of profanityProfanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
; he has already bestowed upon himself the title "Tokyo Samurai", as his father was a samurai who died during the Battle of Ueno in the Boshin War
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
, slain at the Keneiji Temple. Because Yahiko respected his parents, he becomes a thief before the start of the series, to pay back their debt. Yahiko first appears trying to rob Kenshin, who stops him but lets him go. As his 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...
bosses are about to beat him to death for his desire to quit, Kenshin arrives to save him and take him to Kaoru's dojo to learn swordsmanship. Yahiko's dream is to be as strong as Kenshin so he will be able to protect himself and the people he loves. Despite his young age and his short time of training, as the series continues Kenshin allows Yahiko to fight with him, noting that he is too mature for his age. He becomes a witness to many of Kenshin's later battles to the point which Yahiko becomes adept at imitating some of Kenshin's techniques, combining them to perform many other powerful sword techniques. Yahiko also learns the principles of , which matches Kenshin's ideal of saving lives. When Kenshin goes to Kyoto to fight Shishio Makoto
Shishio Makoto
, known in the anime in Western order as Makoto Shishio, is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin. He is the primary antagonist of the series' Kyoto arc...
who wanted to conquer Japan, Yahiko accompanies Kaoru to find and aid Kenshin. While Kenshin goes to have his final fight against Shishio, he stays in Kyoto to defend their base, a hotel named Aoi-ya, from Shishio's forces along with Kaoru and the Oniwabanshū
Oniwabanshu
The was a group of onmitsu government-employed undercover agents established by the 8th Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune . They are sometimes described as "ninja".- History :...
. They are successful in doing it, and Yahiko manages to defeat one of Shishio's strongest soldiers, Henya.
Yukishiro Enishi
Yukishiro Enishi is a character from the manga Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the primary antagonist of the final arc of the series, the Jinchū arc, and the younger brother of Yukishiro Tomoe.-Conception and design:...
's revenge plot against Kenshin. Sensing his own inability to help, he trains much harder to learn the two succession techniques in Kamiya Kasshin-ryū. Such moves allow him to block an opponent's attack and then hit him with his weapon. He successfully learns both of this techniques and becomes so adept at using them, that Yahiko starts performing several variations. He uses these moves against one of Enishi's partners Otowa Hyōko and defeats him. While Yahiko rests from to his injuries, Kaoru is kidnapped by Enishi, and Yahiko and his friends start searching for her. When another of Enishi's comrades, Kujiranami Hyōgo escapes from jail and goes on a rampage, Yahiko stands up against him. However, he is not strong enough on his own to defeat him and Kenshin saves him at the last moment. After he and Kenshin recover from their fight injuries, they go to rescue Kaoru from Enishi. While on his island fortress, Yahiko defeats one of the four bodyguards from Enishi's partner, Heishin, and witnesses Kenshin's fight against Enishi, which Kenshin wins. Five years later, he is the acting instructor at the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū dojo. One day Kenshin calls him to test his skills; when he lands a hit on Kenshin, he gives Yahiko his own reverse-blade sword as a sign that he has become a true samurai.
In other media
In Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, he is known as and is the brother of Takani MegumiTakani Megumi
, known in Western order as Megumi Takani in the English-language anime adaptation, is a fictional character created by Nobuhiro Watsuki for the popular manga and anime, Rurouni Kenshin. Megumi is the youngest daughter of Takani Ryūsei, a well-known doctor in Aizu which was an important province...
and Kaoru. Yahiko also appears in all of the Rurouni Kenshin video games, including the crossover game Jump Ultimate Stars
Jump Ultimate Stars
is a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It is the sequel to Jump Super Stars, also released for the DS. The game was released in Japan on November 23, 2006...
. After the manga serialization ended, Watsuki authored one-shot chapter from the series in which Yahiko goes to take care from the people of dojo, but ends confronting a former soldier from Shishio who takes as hostages the students from the dojo. In Samurai X The Motion Picture, Yahiko joins the samurai Takimi Shigure's group in their attempt to overthrow the Meiji Government, but Shigure later knocks Yahiko out to make him stay out of danger. In Samurai X: Reflection
Samurai X: Reflection
Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection, known as in Japan, is the second OVA series of the Rurouni Kenshin anime television series, acting as its sequel...
, set various years after the manga's end, a now adult Yahiko lives with Sanjō Tsubame, a childhood friend he met works at a restaurant where both worked together. He starts taking care of Kaoru when she suffers from an illness while Kenshin went to assist people injured in wars. Due to Kaoru's suffering, Yahiko goes to Kyoto to request Kenshin and Kaoru's son, Himura Kenji, to accompany his mother. In order to make him accept, both have a duel, and Yahiko wins.
Reception
The character from Yahiko has been well-received by manga readers, having consistently placed highly in the Weekly Shōnen JumpWeekly Shonen Jump
is a weekly shōnen manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. The first issue was released with a cover date of July 2, 1968, and it is still circulating. One of the longest-running manga magazines in Japan, it has a circulation of 2.8 million copies...
popularity polls of the series, usually in the top ten characters and once taking third place. A plethora of merchandise have been released in Yahiko's image, including key-chains wall scrolls, and action figures in both his child and teenager appearances. In an interview with Miina Tominaga
Miina Tominaga
, better known by her stage name of is a Japanese seiyū and tarento from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. She is currently attached to Mint Avenue....
, the seiyū for the character, has said that she was a bit afraid when performing the voice of Yahiko in the OVAs since the character was now an adult, but she ended up happy with her performance. Watsuki described Minami Takayama
Minami Takayama
is 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....
, the CD voice actor, as having "a lot of energy" and as being a "great fit" for Yahiko.
Various publications for manga, anime and other media have provided acclaim and criticism of Yahiko's character. While reviewing the volume 8 from the manga, Mania Entertainment writer Megan Lavey applauded the way Yahiko starts acting much stronger after Kenshin's departure to Kyoto and noted that, along with the other characters starring in the volume, he is seen more in-depth. While reviewing volume 15, Lavey praised Yahiko's development during the series as he becomes a good fighter and his courage shows a remarkable potential to become a powerful swordsman. However, Carlos Ross from T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews criticized Yahiko for being "a bit annoying" during the start of the series but noted that he has his enjoyable moments. His design in the OVA series has drawn acclaim as one of the few to be well translated from his original manga design by Mike Crandol from Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
. In the second review from the OVA, Crandol liked that Yahiko appeared several times in contrast to the previous OVA in which he was "written out" so that the story would focus more in Kamiya Kaoru and Kenshin's relationship. He also noted his battle against Himura Kenji to be very entertaining, but not as much as the previous fight which was between Kenshin and Yukishiro Enishi.