For the Soul Taker film starring Joe Estevez see Soultaker (film)

Soultaker (film)

Soultaker is a 1990 fantasy horror film starring Vivian Schilling, Joe Estevez, and Robert Z'Dar. The film was featured on an episode of movie-mocking TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. However, despite the negative reception, it won a Saturn Award in 1992 for Best Genre Video Release...

.

is an 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 that focuses on Kyosuke Date who was killed by his mother, and afterward gained the ability to turn into a monster known as "The SoulTaker". The show was Tatsunoko's first attempt at a more adult (even by Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese standards) series.

There is a spin-off OVA featuring Komugi, Nurse Witch Komugi

Nurse Witch Komugi

is an original video animation anime series co-produced by Tatsunoko Production and Kyoto Animation. The series lasted for five episodes ,all of which were released on DVD in North America by ADV Films...

. It is somewhat similar to Pretty Sammy, but shares more in common with Puni Puni Poemi.

Plot

After being stabbed in the chest by his mother, Kyosuke Date returns from the dead to find out he has a twin sister named Runa, and the ability to transform into the amazingly strong, powerful and dangerous superhuman mutant known as the SoulTaker. As he seeks out his twin sister, he is being pursued by the strange mutant doctors and nurses of the Hospital, led by his own father, Richard Vincent, as well as the evil Kirihara corporation, led by Yui Kirihara, who is also tracking down Runa for their own malevolent purposes.

Assisting him along the way are the mysterious Shiro Mibu and the nurse mutant girl Komugi Nakahara, who betrayed the Hospital out of love for Kyosuke.

Characters

Date Kyosuke

The main character. Serious and determined. After being stabbed by his mother, he comes back alive to find his lost twin sister. He has the ability to transform into the creature known as 'SoulTaker'

Date Mio

Kyousuke's mother who stabbed him in the heart and buried him alive.

Dr. Kyoya

The first mutant doctor Kyosuke faces in the first episode.

Kirihara Yui

The CEO and head of the Kirihara corporation, and one of the series' antagonists.

Mibu Shiro

The mysterious man who allies with Kyosuke against the Kirihara corporation.

Misaki Maya

Kyosuke's friend and savior who was kidnapped by the Kirihara corporation.

Nakahara Komugi

A mutant nurse girl who betrayed the Hospital to help Kyosuke. She is the main protagonist in the spin-off, Nurse Witch Komugi

Nurse Witch Komugi

is an original video animation anime series co-produced by Tatsunoko Production and Kyoto Animation. The series lasted for five episodes ,all of which were released on DVD in North America by ADV Films...

.

Richard Vincent

The main antagonist and Kyosuke's father.

Runa Tokisaka

Kyosuke's twin sister and creator of the Flickers. She was accused of being the Devil. Although she looks as if she were 8 years old, she is actually 17 years old. She looks like a child because her Flickrs aren't in her body, but when they are, she transforms to look more her age.

Episode list

The 13 episode-series produced by Tatsunoko Productions and directed by Akiyuki Shinbo

Akiyuki Shinbo

, born September 27, 1961 in Fukushima, Japan, is a Japanese animation director. Shinbo started his career as an animator in 1981 at Studio One Pattern. He then made his directorial debut with Metal Fighter Miku in 1994. He is most notable for his involvement in a number of Shaft works since 2004...

, premiered on the Japanese television network WOWOW

WOWOW

WOWOW was the first private satellite broadcasting and pay TV station in Japan. It has its headquarters on the 21st floor of the Akasaka Park Building in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo...

 on April 4, 2001 and ended on July 4, 2001. Two days after the last episode aired, North American anime licensor Geneon Entertainment USA had licensed the series and released it on 4 volumes on DVD and VHS. In 2004, Geneon had re-released the series under their Signature Series label.

It originally aired in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 on TechTV

TechTV

TechTV was a 24-hour cable and satellite channel based in San Francisco featuring news and shows about computers, technology, and the Internet. In 2004, it merged with the G4 gaming channel which ultimately dissolved TechTV programming...

 as part of Anime Unleashed

Anime Unleashed

Anime Unleashed was an anime block that was broadcast on the American cable TV network, G4. The block was placed on the original TechTV in early 2003 and moved to G4techTV after the two networks merged...

, and later aired on G4

G4 (TV channel)

G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...

after the TechTV merger.

No.	Title	Original airdate	English airdate