Samurai Deeper Kyo (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akimine Kamijyo. It was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from May 1999 to May 2006, with its chapters collected in 38 volumes. Set during the Edo period, the series follows Demon Eyes Kyo, a feared samurai seeking to regain his body after his soul is sealed inside the body of his rival, Kyoshiro Mibu. Demon Eyes Kyo is joined in his search by the bounty hunter named Yuya Shiina, the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate named Benitora and a known rival of the Tokugawa shogunate named Yukimura Sanada. The manga was licensed in North America by Tokyopop ( 1–34) and Del Rey Manga ( 35–38; released in two omnibus volumes).
A 26-episode anime television series produced by Studio Deen was broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to December 2002. The series was licensed by Media Blasters and released on home video under its AnimeWorks label in 2003–04. It was broadcast in the United States on Encore Wam in 2006.
Plot
Set in Edo period, Yuya Shiina, a bounty hunter, is searching for her brother's murderer. However, Yuya quickly meets a medicine peddler named Kyoshiro Mibu, who turns out to be sharing a body with the feared samurai Demon Eyes Kyo. The only wish Demon Eyes Kyo has is to regain his own body. Following this path leads Demon Eyes Kyo, Yuya and a variety of fellow travelers into conflict with both the Tokugawa shogunate and the Mibu Clan, a race of violent superhumans who have run Japan from the shadows for millennia.
Characters
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:A fearsome samurai renowned for his demonic blood-red eyes. Wielding the legendary , the Tenrō (Heavenly Wolf), forged by the master swordsmith Muramasa, he is an icy, undefeated warrior. As a child, he was shunned by the Mibu Clan for his crimson gaze—except by the Sendai Aka no Ou (Former Crimson King). After assassinating Nobunaga Oda, Demon Eyes Kyo was imprisoned in the Mibu dungeons until Muramasa freed him and trained him in Mumyo Jinpu Ryuu. Now the last True Mibu, Demon Eyes Kyo was tasked by the Sendai Aka no Ou to explore the outside world—and to stop the former king should he ever turn to evil and threaten destruction.
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:A formidable and enigmatic swordsman, he stands as Demon Eyes Kyo's only true rival. Wielding the cursed (Black Sword)—one of Muramasa's legendary blades—he is revealed to be an heir to the Aka no Ou throne, his crimson eyes marking his Mibu lineage. Though he is a "Red Cross Knight", forged from the flesh of the Sendai Aka no Ou, he is not a True Mibu—merely an advanced battle doll, surpassing even the first generation in power. For most of the manga, Kyoshiro's strength eclipses that of Demon Eyes Kyo, until the final confrontation tips the scales.
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:A skilled and determined warrior, Yuya hunts bounties to track down her brother's killer—the "Man with the Scar on His Back". Armed with a triple-barreled pistol and concealed daggers, she relies on cunning and precision rather than supernatural power. Though raised as Nozomu's adoptive sister, she is an orphan with no blood ties to the Mibu Clan. Unlike most warriors in her world, she possesses no extraordinary abilities—yet the Former Crimson King later suspects she may hold a latent gift for foresight.
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:Also known as , he is the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate, and is also known as "The Shadow Master" for his ability to create multiple copies of himself. He first appears alongside White Crow and later challenges Kyoshiro—mistaking him for Demon Eyes Kyo—but loses the fight and subsequently joins their group. Though he quickly develops romantic feelings for Yuya, his affections are unrequited.
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: to May 10, 2006. Kodansha collected its chapters in 38 volumes, released from October 15, 1999, to July 14, 2006.
In North America, the manga was first licensed for English release by Tokyopop; to April 7, 2009. In August 2009, Tokyopop announced that their manga licensing contracts with Kodansha had expired. The series was then acquired by Del Rey Manga; the remaining chapters were released in two omnibus volumes; volume 35/36 was released on December 15, 2009, and volume 37/38 was released on July 27, 2010.
Anime
A 26-episode anime television series produced by Studio Deen, directed by Junji Nishimura with screenplay by Shō Aikawa, was broadcast on TV Tokyo from July 2 to December 24, 2002. The opening and ending themes, and "Love Deeper", respectively, are both performed by Yuiko Tsubokura. They released it on six DVD sets, under their AnimeWorks label, from June 24, 2003, to May 11, 2004. A complete box set was released on November 16, 2004. The series premiered in the United States on Encore Wam on July 31, 2006.