Yotoden
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese historical fantasy
novel by Takeshi Narumi. In 1987 the novel was adapted into a 3-episode original video animation
by J.C.Staff
. In 1989, Yotoden was re-edited into the feature film titled Wrath of the Ninja for English-speaking regions. A manga
version was created as well.
, beginning in the summer of 1581 and ending two years later. In the anime, the historical warlord Oda Nobunaga
is really an evil demon killing everyone who stand in his way. An ancient prophecy says three mystical Demon Blades from three different ninja
clans can end Nobunaga's unholy campaign. The story follows Kasumi no Ayanosuke, a young kunoichi
(female ninja) who has escaped her village's annihilation, in her heroic efforts to reunite these three sacred weapons use them to kill Nobunaga.
and videodisc
formats; a laserdisc
version was also released in 1990. The OVA series series had been not licensed in the west until 2002, when it was released in the UK
by ADV Films on VHS. In 2006 the series was also released on DVD
by U.S. Manga Corps
under the title Wrath of Ninja - The Complete Yotoden Saga.
and released cinematically, premiering at Ikebukuro
Theater on May 27, 1989, with VHS and videodisc home releases coming out the following month in August. This version is 45 minutes shorter than the OVA series. A special laserdisc version was also released in Japan only in 1990, containing four new scenes. It has been released in the USA
by U.S. Manga Corps on VHS in 1998 as Wrath of the Ninja: Yotoden, and on DVD in 1999 and 2003 as Wrath of the Ninja: The Yotoden Movie. Another American DVD version was released in 2009 by Anime Cartoon DVD RSP, simply as Wrath of the Ninja.
, later also published in a book form in 1991 and in Kadokawa Newtype 100% Comics in 1992. The manga differs from the anime in some significant ways (including the introduction of the new character Kagome), but the main characters remain the same.
s released on CD
by Victor Musical Industries, Inc.
in 1987-1988, two artbook
s, a line of collectible phone cards, and a large number of minor merchandise such as calendars, posters, postcards, etc.
The OVA series achieved an enormous success in Japan upon its initial release, including being voted by the readers of Gakken
's animation magazine AnimeV as the best OVA in both 1987 and 1988. Ayame was also voted the best female character, and Sakon won the first place for two constructive years in the category best supporting character.
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too...
novel by Takeshi Narumi. In 1987 the novel was adapted into a 3-episode 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...
by J.C.Staff
J.C.STAFF
, is a Japanese animation studio founded in January 1986. Their first release was the three episode OVA Sengoku Kidan Yōtōden, in 1987. They have produced several well-known anime series, such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Excel Saga, Shingetsutan Tsukihime, Shakugan no Shana, Toaru Majutsu no...
. In 1989, Yotoden was re-edited into the feature film titled Wrath of the Ninja for English-speaking regions. A 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...
version was created as well.
Plot
The story takes place during Japan's great civil war Sengoku periodSengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, beginning in the summer of 1581 and ending two years later. In the anime, the historical warlord Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
is really an evil demon killing everyone who stand in his way. An ancient prophecy says three mystical Demon Blades from three different ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
clans can end Nobunaga's unholy campaign. The story follows Kasumi no Ayanosuke, a young kunoichi
Kunoichi
is the term for a female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu .-Etymology:The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the kanji character for ; said in the order they are written: ku - no - ichi...
(female ninja) who has escaped her village's annihilation, in her heroic efforts to reunite these three sacred weapons use them to kill Nobunaga.
Protagonists
- Ayanosuke (Ayame) Hayami (voiced by Keiko TodaKeiko Todais a Japanese actress and seiyū. Her most famous role is being the voice of the children's hero Anpanman on the long running anime Soreike! Anpanman...
and Rose Markisello) - the sole survivor of Kasumi village, burnt down in an attack by a huge three-headed demon monster. Her Demon Blade is a kodachiKodachiA , literally translating into "small or short tachi ", is a Japanese sword that is too long to be considered a dagger but too short to be a long sword...
short sword. Ayame (she transformed the feminine name "AyameAyame- People :* Yoshizawa Ayame , Japanese Kabuki actor* Ayame Koike , Japanese actress* Ayame Ikehata, Japanese adult actress- Characters :* Ayame , The Female wolf in InuYasha* Ayame Sohma, a Male character in Fruits Basket...
" (綾女) into "Ayanosuke" (綾之介) after her village was destroyed) is a strong fighter, but gets emotional at times. She is the only survivor of the final battle at Azuchi CastleAzuchi Castle' was one of the primary castles of Oda Nobunaga. It was built from 1576 to 1579, on the shores of Lake Biwa, in Ōmi Province. Nobunaga intentionally built it close enough to Kyoto that he could watch over and guard the approaches to the capital, but, being outside the city, his fortress would be...
, left all alone in the world again.
- Sakon Hayate (voiced by Kazuhiko InoueKazuhiko Inoueis a veteran voice actor from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.-Biography:Since his debut in 1973, Kazuhiko Inoue has become one of Japan's most well established voice actors. His early roles from the 1970s include Anthony in Candy Candy, and later as Joe in the 1979 remake of Cyborg 009...
and David HayterDavid HayterDavid Hayter is a Canadian-American voice and screen actor and screenwriter. He is best known for providing the English voices of Solid Snake and Big Boss in the Metal Gear video game series, and for writing the screenplay for X-Men and co-writing the screenplay for The Scorpion King and X2...
) - the sole survivor of Hyuga village, wiped out by Nobunaga's forces. His Demon Blade is a katanaKatanaA Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
sword. Sakon is calm and puts on a facade of coolheadedness, but when he abandons Ayame and Ryoma to fight the battle between IgaIga-ryuIga-ryū 伊賀流 is a historical school of ninjutsu. It became one of the two most well-known ninja schools in Japan, along with the Kōga-ryū. The Iga-ryū originated in the Iga Province in the area around the towns of Iga and Ueno...
and Nobunaga's army, he is raging with inner turmoil at his decision; later, he develops a love for Ayame and ultimately takes the mortal blow meant for her. He dies saying he had something to tell her, but he cannot remember what it is.
- Ryoma Kogure (voiced by Takeshi WatabeTakeshi Watabewas a Japanese voice actor. He was born in Kōchi Prefecture. He usually played villains and performed the voices for many anime characters and tokusatsu villains. He is most famous for voicing Kaminari in Doraemon...
and Peter Patrikios) - a headstrong ninja who has a good sense of right and wrong. His Demon Blade is a spear. He witnesses his father death's during the demon invasion of his home village Hagakure, as well as the death of his sister Kikyo, killed by Jinnai, and is himself forced to kill his love interest Kayo Momochi. When he dies, his last thoughts are about his sister.
- Kikyo Kogure (voiced by Mika Takenaka and Sharon BeckerSharon BeckerSharon Becker was a voice actress who worked for Central Park Media and Manga Entertainment from 1997-2004. Arguably her most notable roles are Reiko Mikami in Ghost Sweeper Mikami and Anthy Himemiya in Revolutionary Girl Utena...
) - Ryoma's younger sister who befriends and admires Ayame and tries to comfort her when she was upset and reminiscing about her tragic past. Kikyo dies in Ayame's arms after she shields her from Jinnai with her own body. - Lord Tanba Momochi (voiced by Tomomichi NishimuraTomomichi Nishimurais a Japanese voice actor who works for Arts Vision. He is most known for the roles of the narrator of YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei , Shibaraku Tsurugibe , and Jamitov Hymem...
) - Kayo's older brother who leads the Iga into the war. He dies trying to kill his sister when her body is possessed by the Masago.
- Jinpei (voiced by Masami KikuchiMasami Kikuchiis a veteran voice actor who was born in Nagano. He works for Kenyu Office.-Anime:* Air Gear * Aoki Densetsu Shoot * The Brave Express Might Gaine * Captain Tsubasa J...
and Frank FranksonFrank FranksonGregory Abbey , also known under the aliases Frank Frankson and John Campbell, is an American voice actor who is known for working with 4Kids Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video, NYAV Post and Central Park Media...
) - a young shinobi who looks up to Sakon and supports Sakon's claims that KogaKoga-ryuKōka-ryū is a historical school of ninjutsu. It originated from the region of Kōka...
betrayed Iga (not believed by Momochi), but refuses to abandon his people and leave with Sakon. He is blinded and killed during the attack on Iga.
- Genyusai (voiced by Kiyoshi KobayashiKiyoshi Kobayashiis a Japanese actor, seiyū and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...
and Greg Wolfe) - Ryoma's father and lord of Hagakure. He is killed in Jinnai's attack on his village.
- Shinosuke Hayami (voiced by Kei TomiyamaKei Tomiyama, better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and narrator from Anshan, Manchukuo. During his life, Tomiyama was affiliated with Aoni Production and Production Baobab....
) - Ayame's brother who was killed in the attack on their village. Before he died, Shinosuke gave her the enchanted sword to avenge them.
Antagonists
- Nobunaga OdaOda Nobunagawas the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
(voiced by 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...
and Flavio Romeo) - the adversary of the main characters. He used to be a ruler of a small region of OwariOwari Provincewas an old province of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishū .-History:The province was created in 646....
, until, as it is revealed during the showdown between Mori Ranmaru and Ayame in the final part of the OVA series ("Flames of Anger"), Ranmaru gave him control of the kagenin (shadow warriors) of the Host of Oboro and the power of the demons to conquer whole Japan. Nobunaga commands the host of Oboro and the three-headed monster, but unknowingly to him he is in turn himself controlled by Ranmaru and is unaware that he is the most powerful of the Oboro, the Black Demon. In the anime, Oda doesn't die after Akechi MitsuhideAkechi Mitsuhide, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...
betrayed him at at Honnō-ji and where Ayane and Sakon kill only his and Ranmaru's body doubles. Nobunaga is very paranoid that someone will kill him, and as Ranmaru feeds that paranoia he distrusts everyone so much that he has his own guards killed. In the end he becomes the Black Demon, but is killed by Ayame using the combined powers of their weapons.
- Ranmaru MoriMori Ranmaru, born Mori Nagasada , was the son of Mori Yoshinari, and had 5 brothers in total, from the province of Mino. He was a member of the Mori Clan, descendants of the Seiwa Genji....
(voiced by Kaneto ShiozawaKaneto ShiozawaKaneto Shiozawa , real name was a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo affiliated with Aoni Production. He had a distinctive cold, calm voice which usually typecast him in roles as villains or anti-heroes....
and Vinnie PennaWayne GraysonVinnie Penna is an American actor and voice actor who is mostly known for voice over under the name Wayne Grayson and has worked with 4Kids Entertainment, NYAV Post and DuArt Film and Video....
) - in the anime, Ranmaru, an advisor to Nobunaga, is a powerful demon who has descended upon the Earth five centuries earlier in 946 from a piece of the passing-by evil star (cometCometA comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
). Thinking he will gain ultimate power, Oda follows all of the advice Ranmaru gives him, tricking Nobunaga into allowing him to rule the Earth. Ranmaru is the one who foretold the prophecy and gave the enchanted weapons to the ninja groups in first place, manipulating everyone including not only Nobunaga and the heroes but even all the other Oboro for his master plan to gather negative human emotions (that was what powered the magic weapons) through the weapons and combine them with the power of the Oboro to form the Black Demon. He attempts to open the gate to the underworldNaraka (Buddhism)Naraka नरक or Niraya निरय is the name given to one of the worlds of greatest suffering in Buddhist cosmology.Naraka is usually translated into English as "hell", "hell realm", or "purgatory"...
when the returning evil star is closest to the Earth, but is killed by the combined efforts of Ayame, Sakon and Ryoma, the latter two however sacrifice their own lives for the victory.
- Jinnai Saegusa (voiced by Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
and Bruce Winant) - Jinnai is the first Oboro ninja to appear in the anime, using a necklace of giant beads in combat. He comes back later at Hagakure-no-Sato and attempts to kill Ayame, but fails and accidentally ends up killing Kikyo instead and is then himself killed by Ayame.
- Masago "The Silk Spinner" (voiced by Reizô NomotoReizo Nomotowas a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo, Japan. His birth name was . On July 7, 2006, Nomoto vomited blood at home and died at a hospital transported to. The cause of his death is unknown...
) - Masago is able to cause the people's heads to explode and to transform into a monster. He is killed by Ryoma, but not before he possesses Kayo and causes her to kill her own comrades at Iga.
- Kagame - Kagame, child-like in appearance and mute, has the ability to reanimate dead corpses as undead warriors with her crying and also carries a little ball which she can detonate. During the final battle she manages to mortally wound Ryoma, but then she herself meets her death at his hands.
- Kiheiji "The Quiet Doom" (voiced by 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....
and Nick Sullivan) - Khiheji is extremely quick fighter, skilled with his spear/scythe weapon, and this makes him a tough adversary for Ayame and Sakon until he is eventually killed by Sakon.
- Genzo "The Harpist" (voiced by Ritsuo Sawa) - Genzo uses genjutsu (illusion magic) against his foes. He is killed by Sakon in the OVA version and by Ayame in the movie version.
Other characters
- Ryoan (voiced by Eken MineEken Minewas a Japanese voice actor from Nagasaki, Japan.-Anime:*3000 Leagues in Search of Mother *Alps no Shōjo Heidi *Anime Sanjushi *Candy Candy *DNA² *Doraemon...
and Jack Taylor) - a BuddhistBuddhism in JapanThe history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...
monk who doesn't know he is actually one of the Host of Oboro. He is actually helpful to Ayame, Sakon and Ryoma, guiding them throughout the story and helping with his chants, until he is Impalement and killed by Ranmaru
- Kayo Momochi (voiced by Tomomichi NishimuraTomomichi Nishimurais a Japanese voice actor who works for Arts Vision. He is most known for the roles of the narrator of YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei , Shibaraku Tsurugibe , and Jamitov Hymem...
and Shannon Conley) - a female ninja for whom Ryoma has an unrequited crush. She is a representative of the Koga ninja clan and actually Momochi's younger sister, sent away to Koga when she was young. Kayo is one of the most tragic character in the story, as her body is possessed by Masago, forcing Ryoma to kill her at her own request.
OVA version
The series was released in three episodes from 1987 to 1988 in Japan only on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and videodisc
Videodisc
Videodisc is a general term for a laser- or stylus-readable random-access circular disc that contains both audio and analog video signals recorded in an analog form...
formats; a laserdisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
version was also released in 1990. The OVA series series had been not licensed in the west until 2002, when it was released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by ADV Films on VHS. In 2006 the series was also released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by U.S. Manga Corps
Central Park Media
Central Park Media was an American multimedia entertainment company based in New York City, New York, that was active in the distribution of East Asian cinema, television series, anime, manga and manhwa titles in North America prior to its bankruptcy in 2009...
under the title Wrath of Ninja - The Complete Yotoden Saga.
Movie version
The compilation movie version of Yōtōden was cut together by MTV JapanMTV Japan
MTV Japan is the Japanese version of the cable television network based in Japan. It is a subsidiary of MTV Networks, and was launched on December 24, 1992. It can be viewed on cable television, SKY PerfecTV!, SKY PerfecTV! e2 and IPTV.-History:MTV originally was a music block on JORX-TV from 1989...
and released cinematically, premiering at Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro
is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....
Theater on May 27, 1989, with VHS and videodisc home releases coming out the following month in August. This version is 45 minutes shorter than the OVA series. A special laserdisc version was also released in Japan only in 1990, containing four new scenes. It has been released in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by U.S. Manga Corps on VHS in 1998 as Wrath of the Ninja: Yotoden, and on DVD in 1999 and 2003 as Wrath of the Ninja: The Yotoden Movie. Another American DVD version was released in 2009 by Anime Cartoon DVD RSP, simply as Wrath of the Ninja.
Manga version
Yōtōden manga was published after the anime and ran for a year (September 1989 - September 1990) in the Japanese magazine NewtypeNewtype
A Newtype is theorized to be the next stage of human evolution in the fictional Gundam universe. This minor but groundbreaking metamorphosis is usually expressed as a heightened mental awareness, the result of an evolutionary adaptation to life in space....
, later also published in a book form in 1991 and in Kadokawa Newtype 100% Comics in 1992. The manga differs from the anime in some significant ways (including the introduction of the new character Kagome), but the main characters remain the same.
Other
Other media and items for the series included two soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
by Victor Musical Industries, Inc.
Victor Entertainment
is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...
in 1987-1988, two artbook
Artbook
An art book may mean a conventional book on art or art history, or an artist's book, which is a work of art in the form of a book, usually produced in a small limited edition, often not just using normal printing techniques. The term might also cover graphic novels, books of anime and other types...
s, a line of collectible phone cards, and a large number of minor merchandise such as calendars, posters, postcards, etc.
Reception
The OVA series achieved an enormous success in Japan upon its initial release, including being voted by the readers of Gakken
Gakken
is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales is reported at ¥ 821 billion ....
's animation magazine AnimeV as the best OVA in both 1987 and 1988. Ayame was also voted the best female character, and Sakon won the first place for two constructive years in the category best supporting character.