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Samurai Deeper Kyo #1
Samurai Deeper Kyo, Volume 01
Kyoshiro and Kyo--one a peaceful medicine seller, the other a merciless red-eyed samurai--are two spirits fighting for dominance of the same body as they travel with Yuya, a bounty hunter who helps them look for Kyo's true body.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 1999
71 people are currently reading
1142 people want to read
About the author
Akimine Kamijyo
152 books70 followersAkimine Kamijyo (上条明峰 Kamijō Akimine?, born September 13, 1975, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist best known for creating Samurai Deeper Kyo. The name 'Akimine Kamijyo' is merely her pen-name. Her doujinshi work was done under the name 'Meika Hatagashira' (伯明華?).
Her second series was Shirogane no Karasu also known as Silver Crow. It started on May 30, 2007 in Weekly Shōnen Magazine and ended after 3 volumes.
She is currently working on Code: Breaker.
Her second series was Shirogane no Karasu also known as Silver Crow. It started on May 30, 2007 in Weekly Shōnen Magazine and ended after 3 volumes.
She is currently working on Code: Breaker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
November 21, 2011
First things first. The anime adaptation of this manga is the most dreadful thing ever created and its makers deserve to be shot. Do not judge the manga based on the anime because you will make a most grave error.
And now for the actual review. Samurai Deeper Kyo (SMK) is a much exciting samurai / action / adventure / superpower / mystery piece of fiction that combines the typical formula with lots of extras, like historical personalities and an engrossing number of characters who form a very complicating web of a relation chart.
The art is in overall great, with almost everything looking as a perfect specimen of this genre should strive to look. The characters are all cool and sexy, with facial expressions that would drive even psychiatrists mad. The battles are super epic, DBZ level towards the second half, and can last up to one and a half volume straight and are full of severed heads and limbs and fountains of blood. The sceneries all look mighty interesting and detailed too. Even the chibi moments did not feel out of place. Art get a mark of 8 from me. I was thinking of 9 but usually the characters look like there is no uniformity with the setting and that makes things too silly to bear.
The story in a flash. Super samurais, full of ambitions, clash in order to conquer Japan, destroy the world, avenge someone, bring hell on earth and other cliché we have already seen a million times in manga. The thing is, the way everything unfolds is not that typical, as there are far too many dark secrets and hidden agendas in each character’s portfolio that easily make everyone two-faced, or even three-faced! Although at first, it feels like another silly adventure of a male and a female looking for some magic artifact that can defeat the baddies, it quickly turns to a grim story of vengeance, greed and violence. The cast was huge, yet the manga took its time to reveal each character’s past and goals, so despite their typical personalities, they were colorized and dramatized enough to the point where you actually liked them and cared about them. It’s true that most of them are just for show and get killed along the way without damaging the overall story. But at the same time they are all very unorthodox and politically incorrect, with killing and destroying being an obsession even for the main character. Plus, many are based on historical figures while a small amount of realism is taken to make things half-believable based on the time and place of the setting. These extras raise the bar a lot and allow immersion and sympathy from the reader.
It is clearly amongst the most enjoyable martial arts / fighting titles around. If there are some things that ruin the perfect mark, that would be the lack of wound severity that makes all battles look silly. After volume 20, the protagonist and his team enter the most dangerous place on Earth and have non-stop duels with the strongest warriors for 15 volumes straight. Yet all their clothes and wounds magically disappear and none has some sort of epic level healing power. So no, as much as I liked the story, after they enter Mibu the plot is just one duel after another and all traces of realism that was so well shown before now give place to random X-men in Feudal Japan. So it may feel tiresome in the last arc as the mangaka seems to keep throwing in mooks to slow an already simple plot. The ending is otherwise fine and complete, thus you are at least not left broken and betrayed.
And now for the actual review. Samurai Deeper Kyo (SMK) is a much exciting samurai / action / adventure / superpower / mystery piece of fiction that combines the typical formula with lots of extras, like historical personalities and an engrossing number of characters who form a very complicating web of a relation chart.
The art is in overall great, with almost everything looking as a perfect specimen of this genre should strive to look. The characters are all cool and sexy, with facial expressions that would drive even psychiatrists mad. The battles are super epic, DBZ level towards the second half, and can last up to one and a half volume straight and are full of severed heads and limbs and fountains of blood. The sceneries all look mighty interesting and detailed too. Even the chibi moments did not feel out of place. Art get a mark of 8 from me. I was thinking of 9 but usually the characters look like there is no uniformity with the setting and that makes things too silly to bear.
The story in a flash. Super samurais, full of ambitions, clash in order to conquer Japan, destroy the world, avenge someone, bring hell on earth and other cliché we have already seen a million times in manga. The thing is, the way everything unfolds is not that typical, as there are far too many dark secrets and hidden agendas in each character’s portfolio that easily make everyone two-faced, or even three-faced! Although at first, it feels like another silly adventure of a male and a female looking for some magic artifact that can defeat the baddies, it quickly turns to a grim story of vengeance, greed and violence. The cast was huge, yet the manga took its time to reveal each character’s past and goals, so despite their typical personalities, they were colorized and dramatized enough to the point where you actually liked them and cared about them. It’s true that most of them are just for show and get killed along the way without damaging the overall story. But at the same time they are all very unorthodox and politically incorrect, with killing and destroying being an obsession even for the main character. Plus, many are based on historical figures while a small amount of realism is taken to make things half-believable based on the time and place of the setting. These extras raise the bar a lot and allow immersion and sympathy from the reader.
It is clearly amongst the most enjoyable martial arts / fighting titles around. If there are some things that ruin the perfect mark, that would be the lack of wound severity that makes all battles look silly. After volume 20, the protagonist and his team enter the most dangerous place on Earth and have non-stop duels with the strongest warriors for 15 volumes straight. Yet all their clothes and wounds magically disappear and none has some sort of epic level healing power. So no, as much as I liked the story, after they enter Mibu the plot is just one duel after another and all traces of realism that was so well shown before now give place to random X-men in Feudal Japan. So it may feel tiresome in the last arc as the mangaka seems to keep throwing in mooks to slow an already simple plot. The ending is otherwise fine and complete, thus you are at least not left broken and betrayed.
July 28, 2007
The story is about Kyo, a meek medicine peddler who seems to have two personalities inside his body (the other being a ruthless, powerful samurai), who alternately take control of the body as situation dictates. At first it was almost similar to the duality of the kind-hearted and the Battousai Kenshin in Rurouni Kenshin, but you will see later on in the story that this is not the case. Unfortunately, the author doesn't seem to know what he wants to do with the character and the depiction of the two personalities is not consistent or coherent. The characters are not interesting, the plot does not appeal to me, and the sword-fight scenes are not exciting. I finally gave up in the middle of the series and didn't finish it.
Note: for manga series, I don't want to flood my bookshelf with dozens of volumes of the same title, so I'm only rating the first book, which represents my rating for the whole series.
Note: for manga series, I don't want to flood my bookshelf with dozens of volumes of the same title, so I'm only rating the first book, which represents my rating for the whole series.
October 29, 2019
This is my all time favourite Manga, and I decided that I wanted to do a re-read since it’s 10 plus years, since I probably have picked a Manga up. 🤷🏻♀️
It’s obviously not my go to genre anymore, but this series has never left me. 💙
It’s funny, and the story is action packed and thrilling.
The drawings are also incredibly stunning.
Not to mention the beautiful “wisdom” that finds its way into the story.
Yuya is hilarious and kind hearted, and Kyoshiro is the cutest. He is also carrying a secret. One that is more complex than most.
Kyo is flat out an ass, but there is more to him that we see. He is a total BADASS! But still an ass😂
It’s just such an interesting story, and I am glad I picked it up again. My teenage heart LOVED it. And I sure as hell still find it captivating in my mid twenties.
2nd re-read:
Re-read: 26/10/2019
2nd rating: 4 stars
Genre/sub-genres: Manga/samarai/bounty hunter/humour
Cover: 3 stars
Art: 5 stars
Will I recommend: Yes- always yes to Kyo😈
———————————————————————————
1st read:
Read: Don’t know the date🤷🏻♀️
1st rating: 5 stars
It’s obviously not my go to genre anymore, but this series has never left me. 💙
It’s funny, and the story is action packed and thrilling.
The drawings are also incredibly stunning.
Not to mention the beautiful “wisdom” that finds its way into the story.
Yuya is hilarious and kind hearted, and Kyoshiro is the cutest. He is also carrying a secret. One that is more complex than most.
Kyo is flat out an ass, but there is more to him that we see. He is a total BADASS! But still an ass😂
It’s just such an interesting story, and I am glad I picked it up again. My teenage heart LOVED it. And I sure as hell still find it captivating in my mid twenties.
2nd re-read:
Re-read: 26/10/2019
2nd rating: 4 stars
Genre/sub-genres: Manga/samarai/bounty hunter/humour
Cover: 3 stars
Art: 5 stars
Will I recommend: Yes- always yes to Kyo😈
———————————————————————————
1st read:
Read: Don’t know the date🤷🏻♀️
1st rating: 5 stars
January 15, 2024
my wife just bought the whole fucking serie for the nostalgia and told me "you have to read it it's incredible" but also "the first ten volumes are not the best" so let's give it a try.
For the moment, I'm confuse.
For the moment, I'm confuse.
July 28, 2025
Edit for read dates:
First read vol 1 in 2003 when I was in middle school.
Writing this after reading on 7/22/2022. I don't know offhand how many times I've read this first volume, but it's probably 4-5 times.
(Review below was one I wrote in 2016 for the series as a whole. I've only read the entire series once, before I even joined Goodreads, so now that I'm doing a full re-read, I might review some of the other volumes.)
My all-time favorite manga--and this is coming from a sucker for cute romances. (That being said, if ever given the chance to watch the anime, refuse. It is absolute garbage and completely destroys the beauty that is this manga.)
((My history with the series: I started reading SDK by borrowing from a friend when it was first being released here in the US (my middle school days). Eventually, when I started college and was actually making some money, I wanted to start collecting the series for myself, as it had been a while since I'd read the first 8 or so volumes. SDK was already starting to disappear from shelves, and was eventually out of print. I ordered volumes 2 and 3 at a time, some for just a few bucks, some for $30 just because they were hard to find. Finally, around 2-3 years ago, I had them all, and finally finished reading the series, over 10 years after I first started it.))
I really love Kamijyo-sensei's art. The girls are pretty, and the guys are good-looking, but it's not shoujo, so--ignoring the obviously fantastical aspects--the characters are pretty realistic in appearance while keeping the manga-y vibe. There's tons of action, but it's not all streaky action lines and blurs. I can think of maybe only one or two times in the entire series where it was a little difficult to tell what just got chopped off or slashed open. The backgrounds are also well done, so it's easy to get engrossed in the setting while you're reading.
The abilities, weapons, and personalities of the (many, many) characters are all so varied and interesting. I really like the interactions of the main group--the characters all feel differently about each other, so the relationships are dynamic and fun to experience. While there are a ton of characters in the series, it's not hard to keep track of them. The only time that might be a little iffy is when you're introduced to a group of baddies who have their own names, but also go by their designated names in the group. If you ever get lost, there's a chart in the front of every volume after they've been introduced. Generally speaking, though, it's not confusing.
The series may seem long-winded, but it doesn't ever feel like you're slogging through a volume or two. There's always something happening, whether an old enemy is appearing, or we're meeting new allies. Some fights can last an entire volume, but there's usually some side stuff happening that breaks it up, so it's not reminding you of DBZ filler. There's humor, touches of romance, action, adventure, and good storytelling, all presented in a fantastic art style. Just a really great series that has stuck with me for years.
First read vol 1 in 2003 when I was in middle school.
Writing this after reading on 7/22/2022. I don't know offhand how many times I've read this first volume, but it's probably 4-5 times.
(Review below was one I wrote in 2016 for the series as a whole. I've only read the entire series once, before I even joined Goodreads, so now that I'm doing a full re-read, I might review some of the other volumes.)
My all-time favorite manga--and this is coming from a sucker for cute romances. (That being said, if ever given the chance to watch the anime, refuse. It is absolute garbage and completely destroys the beauty that is this manga.)
((My history with the series: I started reading SDK by borrowing from a friend when it was first being released here in the US (my middle school days). Eventually, when I started college and was actually making some money, I wanted to start collecting the series for myself, as it had been a while since I'd read the first 8 or so volumes. SDK was already starting to disappear from shelves, and was eventually out of print. I ordered volumes 2 and 3 at a time, some for just a few bucks, some for $30 just because they were hard to find. Finally, around 2-3 years ago, I had them all, and finally finished reading the series, over 10 years after I first started it.))
I really love Kamijyo-sensei's art. The girls are pretty, and the guys are good-looking, but it's not shoujo, so--ignoring the obviously fantastical aspects--the characters are pretty realistic in appearance while keeping the manga-y vibe. There's tons of action, but it's not all streaky action lines and blurs. I can think of maybe only one or two times in the entire series where it was a little difficult to tell what just got chopped off or slashed open. The backgrounds are also well done, so it's easy to get engrossed in the setting while you're reading.
The abilities, weapons, and personalities of the (many, many) characters are all so varied and interesting. I really like the interactions of the main group--the characters all feel differently about each other, so the relationships are dynamic and fun to experience. While there are a ton of characters in the series, it's not hard to keep track of them. The only time that might be a little iffy is when you're introduced to a group of baddies who have their own names, but also go by their designated names in the group. If you ever get lost, there's a chart in the front of every volume after they've been introduced. Generally speaking, though, it's not confusing.
The series may seem long-winded, but it doesn't ever feel like you're slogging through a volume or two. There's always something happening, whether an old enemy is appearing, or we're meeting new allies. Some fights can last an entire volume, but there's usually some side stuff happening that breaks it up, so it's not reminding you of DBZ filler. There's humor, touches of romance, action, adventure, and good storytelling, all presented in a fantastic art style. Just a really great series that has stuck with me for years.
May 3, 2023
Placeholder for volumes 1-6
A relic from my samurai phase. Not a very good one, though.
A relic from my samurai phase. Not a very good one, though.
January 4, 2022
This volume is very action packed and funny but had a little too much fan service.
February 22, 2020
I've read this volume so many times. This is my latest re-read, though, I've never gotten the chance to read the full series. I bought all of the volumes, so this will be my first time completing it.
Samurai Deeper Kyo was one of the first manga I read, back in High School. I adored it.
It tells the story of a traveling medicine man named Kyoshiro Mibu. He encounters a young bounty hunter, named Yuya. She wants to trade him in for 100 mon. However, Kyoshiro has a secret. He's harboring the spirit of Demon Eyes Kyo, a monstrous samurai.
I still had so much fun reading this. Kamijyo's artwork is top notch. I love how emotional this volume gets. It's a violent dark story, with splashes of comedy straight out of the early 2000s. I highly recommend it!
Samurai Deeper Kyo was one of the first manga I read, back in High School. I adored it.
It tells the story of a traveling medicine man named Kyoshiro Mibu. He encounters a young bounty hunter, named Yuya. She wants to trade him in for 100 mon. However, Kyoshiro has a secret. He's harboring the spirit of Demon Eyes Kyo, a monstrous samurai.
I still had so much fun reading this. Kamijyo's artwork is top notch. I love how emotional this volume gets. It's a violent dark story, with splashes of comedy straight out of the early 2000s. I highly recommend it!
July 2, 2012
I love this series. It has romance, fighting, historical fiction, and everything about it was amazing.
January 18, 2013
It goes so fast- its a good thing I have the second volume already or I'd be going nuts!!
Read in: August 2013, January 2013
Read in: August 2013, January 2013
Read
April 30, 2013I thought this book was really good, it's one of those books that after you read the first one you got to read the next.
December 8, 2010
This is the most epic manga book i've ever read!!!!
March 5, 2024
While I read this I was not in the mood for what Samurai Deeper Kyo offered. I can see the parallels people are drawing from this and Rurouni Kenshin. I wonder if the split personality types are fun to write, if they've become a trope or if it really is profound trying to highlight the struggle of a warrior finding their way in a peaceful, civil society. Probably all of those reasons and more. I think I've seen enough. Perhaps if I was reading Kenshin after Kyo this review would be different on both books.
I'll let the stars talk that talk, so let my words shine a bit more positively. The art is telling and facial expressions register nicely. The chibi-like, goof-off humor is shrunk so it's not really in the way of what the author is saying, telling or doing at the time. I feel more manga can benefit from that, especially among ones with more serious tones. The chapters kick off with recaps. It helps to summarize what the author wanted to get out of those chapters as well to keep you, the reader, on the same page.
For all of this, I think if I stumble across volume 2 I will give the first few chapters a chance, because it ends on a damn cliffhanger!
I'll let the stars talk that talk, so let my words shine a bit more positively. The art is telling and facial expressions register nicely. The chibi-like, goof-off humor is shrunk so it's not really in the way of what the author is saying, telling or doing at the time. I feel more manga can benefit from that, especially among ones with more serious tones. The chapters kick off with recaps. It helps to summarize what the author wanted to get out of those chapters as well to keep you, the reader, on the same page.
For all of this, I think if I stumble across volume 2 I will give the first few chapters a chance, because it ends on a damn cliffhanger!
January 22, 2023
After reading this again I don't know if I was old enough to read it when I first read it as a kid. There's a lot (and I mean A LOT) of fan service, and sexual jokes. It's not really something I'm the biggest fan of, but if I remember correctly it gets a bit better when you really get into the series. I could be wrong of course and then I'll get a bit sad. Also the Danish translation uses the weirdest phrases, I don't know what the translators were on when choosing some of the stuff in here.
September 26, 2019
The anime adaptation are sucks!! Read the manga, there is so much differences and really deep down here. I Read all the volume from 1 to 38 but i only write the review here. It was amazing experience. Took 40 month to complete read the series. I love it. I think beside rurouni kenshin, this one is the best samurai story. Y'all should read too.
August 18, 2021
This is one of my all-time favorite shounen manga. Sure, it has its flaws, and the art's a little rough in the beginning, but I always revisit this manga with bubbly nostalgic feels. And to all fangirls/-boys, there's tons of hotties to drool over!
Knocked a star down for the excessive ecchi. But it's shounen, so what do you expect. *shrugs*
Knocked a star down for the excessive ecchi. But it's shounen, so what do you expect. *shrugs*
December 6, 2022
Rating the whole series, not just volume 1.
This series is such a base action series. Don't look into the story, the sexism, or any of that too much. This is a manga for action and action only, don't expect depth. If that's what you're looking for I actually quite enjoyed it.
This series is such a base action series. Don't look into the story, the sexism, or any of that too much. This is a manga for action and action only, don't expect depth. If that's what you're looking for I actually quite enjoyed it.
May 8, 2017
This is pretty good, but the female characters deserve to be treated better.
March 20, 2018
3.75
June 3, 2018
Nice manga
November 26, 2018
I absolutely love this series! Kyo is my all time favorite character!
December 27, 2019
J'entame une relecture de cette série qui m'a fait découvrir les mangas.
Je me souvenais plus que le début était si décalé et plein d'humour "potache".
Je me souvenais plus que le début était si décalé et plein d'humour "potache".
February 23, 2022
Ça faisait super longtemps que j'avais pas lu un manga j'ai trop aimé !!
June 4, 2023
This is the series that started my addiction.
September 19, 2024
Tror jag läst majoriteten av serien och gillat den skarpt! Lagom humor/allvar/snusk.
January 16, 2025
L’humour sur l’objectification des femmes et des agressions sexuelles vieillit TRÈS mal.
Read
April 19, 2025DNF. est-ce que vrmt c'est nécessaire de sexualiser TOUTES LES FEMMES ? je demande juste.
June 10, 2017
This is for all 38 volumes.
Definitely not a perfect series, but it has great artwork, lots of action, interesting characters with neat backstories, (a little too much) fanservice, and an ever-growing cast of quirky personalities. So...pretty much everything a 16-year old boy looks for in a title. In fact, I started the first few volumes when I was in high school and never finished it until now, so this was a bit of a nostalgic trip for me. My opinion might be biased because of this.
It's pretty much the samurai version of DragonBall Z, with characters getting stronger and defeating impossibly powerful enemies simply because they have the 'willpower' to do so. This overused logic, the way that females pretty much exist only for fanservice, and the fact that a ton of bad guys suddenly flip to become good - and completely change personalities - are probably the weakest things about this work. Still, in terms of enjoy-ability factor, this is a solid 4-star series. Far from perfect, but a lot of fun.
Note: The anime is terrible. Do not touch. Do not approach. Do not make eye contact.
Definitely not a perfect series, but it has great artwork, lots of action, interesting characters with neat backstories, (a little too much) fanservice, and an ever-growing cast of quirky personalities. So...pretty much everything a 16-year old boy looks for in a title. In fact, I started the first few volumes when I was in high school and never finished it until now, so this was a bit of a nostalgic trip for me. My opinion might be biased because of this.
It's pretty much the samurai version of DragonBall Z, with characters getting stronger and defeating impossibly powerful enemies simply because they have the 'willpower' to do so. This overused logic, the way that females pretty much exist only for fanservice, and the fact that a ton of bad guys suddenly flip to become good - and completely change personalities - are probably the weakest things about this work. Still, in terms of enjoy-ability factor, this is a solid 4-star series. Far from perfect, but a lot of fun.
Note: The anime is terrible. Do not touch. Do not approach. Do not make eye contact.
May 11, 2021
3.6/5
2021 reread and edit: Pretty much feel the same way about this one. Good art, some silly writing, decent start to the series.
Ah, nostalgia.
Samurai Deeper Kyo was one of the first manga I seriously read. Having only owned the first two volumes in paperback, I read most of the series' remainder through fan-scans online but never got around to finishing it.
Shame that I didn't, because Kyo made an impact that stays with me to this day. Having reread a couple of volumes, I can't say I enjoy it any less.
Everybody else has already given their synopsis of the story, so there isn't really much of a point in me repeating them, other than to say that it's about a cowardly medicine peddler named Kyoshiro with the spirit of a merciless samurai named Kyo sleeping within him, who awakens whenever Kyoshiro's life is in danger. Their paths cross with a number of allies, including bounty huntress Yuya, who seeks answers from her past (and lots of money).
The writing is serviceable-to-good--at least in the Tokypop translation--and the characters are somewhat memorable caricatures of their respective tropes. Most of the time, the villains (throughout the series) are the same old stark-raving mad brutes who wish for power or to specifically battle Kyo for vengeance or status or whatever. The storyline, at least in Vol. 1, is interesting enough to grab you. It's not that original, but it's not a ripoff of anything I'm familiar with.
The artwork is definitely a highlight. Akimine Kamijyo's fantastic artwork is heavy and light on the details when it's necessary. The action scenes are intense and well-done, and the character designs are, for the most part, pretty easy to distinguish. There's also quite a bit of fanservice (not quite enough to make one shake their head with a scowl) for those readers who enjoy that sort of shameless thing (like me lol).
Kamijyo has debuted her (yes, HER--I can't believe how many people think a man did this, but then again, it's not too hard to see why, given the content... still, do some research, people! Lol) series with a serviceable bang, opening up a few mysteries for us to look forward to learning more of as the series goes on.
As a side note, I'm surprised by how humorous this series is as a whole. Despite its often grim/brutal nature, it can be quite funny, mainly in Kyoshiro's exaggerated expressions/reactions to all things scary, and Kyo's cold indifference to just about... everything. Kyo may actually be one of my favourite samurai characters in manga for just that reason (well... that, and the fact that's he's actually a pretty cool dude once you get past all the gleeful killing he does with that long sword of his).
2021 reread and edit: Pretty much feel the same way about this one. Good art, some silly writing, decent start to the series.
Ah, nostalgia.
Samurai Deeper Kyo was one of the first manga I seriously read. Having only owned the first two volumes in paperback, I read most of the series' remainder through fan-scans online but never got around to finishing it.
Shame that I didn't, because Kyo made an impact that stays with me to this day. Having reread a couple of volumes, I can't say I enjoy it any less.
Everybody else has already given their synopsis of the story, so there isn't really much of a point in me repeating them, other than to say that it's about a cowardly medicine peddler named Kyoshiro with the spirit of a merciless samurai named Kyo sleeping within him, who awakens whenever Kyoshiro's life is in danger. Their paths cross with a number of allies, including bounty huntress Yuya, who seeks answers from her past (and lots of money).
The writing is serviceable-to-good--at least in the Tokypop translation--and the characters are somewhat memorable caricatures of their respective tropes. Most of the time, the villains (throughout the series) are the same old stark-raving mad brutes who wish for power or to specifically battle Kyo for vengeance or status or whatever. The storyline, at least in Vol. 1, is interesting enough to grab you. It's not that original, but it's not a ripoff of anything I'm familiar with.
The artwork is definitely a highlight. Akimine Kamijyo's fantastic artwork is heavy and light on the details when it's necessary. The action scenes are intense and well-done, and the character designs are, for the most part, pretty easy to distinguish. There's also quite a bit of fanservice (not quite enough to make one shake their head with a scowl) for those readers who enjoy that sort of shameless thing (like me lol).
Kamijyo has debuted her (yes, HER--I can't believe how many people think a man did this, but then again, it's not too hard to see why, given the content... still, do some research, people! Lol) series with a serviceable bang, opening up a few mysteries for us to look forward to learning more of as the series goes on.
As a side note, I'm surprised by how humorous this series is as a whole. Despite its often grim/brutal nature, it can be quite funny, mainly in Kyoshiro's exaggerated expressions/reactions to all things scary, and Kyo's cold indifference to just about... everything. Kyo may actually be one of my favourite samurai characters in manga for just that reason (well... that, and the fact that's he's actually a pretty cool dude once you get past all the gleeful killing he does with that long sword of his).
August 30, 2012
14 January 2013
I've been re-reading a few of my favorite mangas from years ago, which seem to all share a common recipe. These manga have the perfect combination of action and humor that keeps you addicted and completely entertained. Throw in a historical aspect and they reserve a special place in my heart forever. These manga transcend time and truly seem to get better with age.
I have an affinity for the samurai era of Japan. I love the history of this period, so I'm a huge fan of any movie, manga, anime - anything and everything - that is based during this exciting age. Naturally, I am a huge fan of this series.
Samurai Deeper Kyo, Volume 01 begins a few years after the Battle of Sekigahara, which ends one of the most intriguing eras of Japan and begins one of its most prominent, the Tokugawa period. We meet Kyoshiro, an adorably perverted, feeble medicine peddler with a demonic duplicitous personality.
Let's admit it, the reason we really read this series is for the "evil" side of Kyoshiro, the legendary Demon Eyes Kyo. When the lives of the people Kyoshiro care about are in danger, we get a peek of the badass hawtness that is Demon Eyes Kyo. He doesn't make too many appearances in this volume, but stay tuned because you'll see more of him soon.
Another element I really love about this manga is that they keep some of the Japanese words in the translations that I feel are key to understanding the relationships between characters. Also, the use of other key terms kept in the Japanese language gives the story a feeling of historical authenticity.
While this first volume is awesome, it gets even more exciting the further you get into the series. The action sequences are more thrilling, plus you get to see a lot more of Kyo. This manga is packed full of fun, action, and, yes, nudity. I'm looking forward to re-reading through this series again. So much fun!
I've been re-reading a few of my favorite mangas from years ago, which seem to all share a common recipe. These manga have the perfect combination of action and humor that keeps you addicted and completely entertained. Throw in a historical aspect and they reserve a special place in my heart forever. These manga transcend time and truly seem to get better with age.
I have an affinity for the samurai era of Japan. I love the history of this period, so I'm a huge fan of any movie, manga, anime - anything and everything - that is based during this exciting age. Naturally, I am a huge fan of this series.
Samurai Deeper Kyo, Volume 01 begins a few years after the Battle of Sekigahara, which ends one of the most intriguing eras of Japan and begins one of its most prominent, the Tokugawa period. We meet Kyoshiro, an adorably perverted, feeble medicine peddler with a demonic duplicitous personality.
Let's admit it, the reason we really read this series is for the "evil" side of Kyoshiro, the legendary Demon Eyes Kyo. When the lives of the people Kyoshiro care about are in danger, we get a peek of the badass hawtness that is Demon Eyes Kyo. He doesn't make too many appearances in this volume, but stay tuned because you'll see more of him soon.
Another element I really love about this manga is that they keep some of the Japanese words in the translations that I feel are key to understanding the relationships between characters. Also, the use of other key terms kept in the Japanese language gives the story a feeling of historical authenticity.
While this first volume is awesome, it gets even more exciting the further you get into the series. The action sequences are more thrilling, plus you get to see a lot more of Kyo. This manga is packed full of fun, action, and, yes, nudity. I'm looking forward to re-reading through this series again. So much fun!
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