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.
Many secrets are revealed in Samurai Deeper Kyo, Volume 05, including the one most important to Kyo. This volume teaches you to stay on your guard because no one is who they seem.
The most interesting revelations are the relationship between the leader of the Iga Ninja and Ieyasu Tokugawa. But the true icing on the cake is how Benitora is involved in all of the mysteries.
Later in the volume, Kyo is reunited with some frenemies, the Four Emperors: Ajira, Shindara, Antera, and Bikara. The Four Emperors are now a part of the Twelve God Shoguns who are charged with the task of finding Kyo's body.
When Kyo and Yuya battle demons in the Aokigahara, the Forest of Death, Yuya discovers the identity of the man with the scar on his back. Is this the man who killed her brother? We'll have to read the next volume to find out!
I'm beginning to be really confused as to why I liked this series as a kid. It's surprisingly dry for an action series, but then again it is kind of heavy on the political/military history elements for my tastes. I'm also very confused as to why Yuya would have develop any kind of romantic-ish feelings toward Kyo at this point, since he has more or less been a dick to her the entire time, save for like 3-4 times. I do remember liking Akira a lot as a character so I'm hoping that he makes it more fun to read the series.
Again, 3 stars because I used to really like the series.
The story is a bit dull when it starts off with Yuya and Kyoshiro. But as you progress, the plot thickens and newly cast members introduced piece by piece make this manga unique and a bit of a masterpiece. There are two main story lines: 1- Yuya is looking for the man that killed her brother and 2- Kyo is searching for his true body to exact his revenge. Every other plot in between just adds fuel to the story and lets you learn of the diverse background of many characters, friends or foes. The story itself was captivating and it is a shame that many people know of this series.
The art style refined over time, giving the battle scenes flaws execution. The each character had their own torments and demons to deal with but I would have to say that certain individuals needed more evolution or better backstory. The end was well received and left no stone unturned.
I have watched the anime adaptation and I don't recommend it. It doesn't do it justice.
Still enjoying this series! Akira was introduced in this volume. This cast of characters is so interesting, and all of them are low key psychotic...or just plain crazy. And I love them. We also get a little bit more of Yuyu's past in this volume, and I want to learn more! I forget if I ever learned who killed her brother, so I can't wait to read more!
Ieyasu goes down in flames, but not before vowing to cross blades again with Kyo. Yuya gets saved by Kyo again, but wants Kyo to tell the truth of who killed her brother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Today’s post is on Samurai Deeper Kyo Volume 5 by Akimine Kamijo. It is the fifth in the series and you need to have read the previous volumes to get the story. The cover has Kyo, and Yukimura on it looking cool. There is strong language, sexuality, and lots of violence in this series. The story is told from third person god point of view with the thoughts of the characters sometimes added for character development and history. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- Who is the real Demon Eyes Kyo? For a man without a body, Demon Eyes Kyo is in hot demand. Yuya Shiina needs him for his bounty and to find her brother’s killer. Yukimura Sanada wants him to assassinate the shogun. And now, Kyo is hunted by the legendary 12 God Shoguns as well. But just who is Demon Eyes Kyo? A cold-blooded murderer or an honor-bound warrior? One this is certain- now that he knows the location of his body, no one, human or demon, will stop him from getting it back!
Review- Kyo and Yuya’s relationship is starting to grow and how that is going to affect Kyo for the rest of the series. Kyo knows who killed her brother and he asks her to trust him. Yuya’s trust is very important to the series and the character development of all the characters in the story. Because she trusts Kyo and is willing to listen to him something changes. Kyo is the thousand man slayer but is that all he is? With that question and others like it Yuya begins her great character growth too. Not that Kyo is no less an ass from now on. He is still a world class asshole to everyone but there is a change in him. Not that he likes it either. Another main character makes an appearance Akira. He had been Kyo’s apprentice from before the battle of Sekigahara. He is one of my favorite characters. He is very fun. He is clever, funny, and I like his interactions with rest of the characters. But it will be a while before he becomes a main stay. So I will have to be content with his appearance for now.
I give this volume Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my money long ago.
**See vol. 1 for my review of the full series from several years ago, plus my nearly-20 year history with this series. c:
Enter Akira, one of my favorite characters in this series! This is where things really start rolling.
I've always liked Tora well enough, but I feel like I appreciate him even more with this reread. He's a truly solid character throughout the series, and I really love his rapport with both Kyo and Yuya.
We finally find out that Kyo/Kyoshiro has a scar on his back- Yuya's brother died in front of her and his killer had the same scar. We don't know which of these two are responsible for his death. We are currently in the Forest of Death, on our way to find Kyo's body.
This volume was much more interesting to me. We learn where Demon Eyes Kyo's body is hidden. We meet another group of characters (gods) that plan to get to his body before Kyo/Kyoshira. Several more secrets are revealed, adding some new twists and levels to the story.