I’m sure we all have a few manga series that we go back to and re-read every so often, franchises that stick with us that we want to experience time and time again. Saumrai Deeper Kyo is one of those manga for me, and in my latest read through, I thought that since it is a series that hasn’t gotten the same love from the manga community at large when compared to other long-running shounen manga, it would be perfect to dig up and explore what makes this series so fun to read, and why it is worth giving attention years after its run.
Samurai Deeper Kyo is a samurai battle manga by Akimine Kamijyo that ran in Kondansha’s Weekly Shounen Magazine for an impressive 308 chapters between the years 1999 and 2006. The series was collected into 38 volumes that are fully available, albeit rare, in both English and Japanese. The English release has interesting and rocky publishing history, with Tokyopop handling the first 34 volumes before they went through a massive restructuring of the company, and through a series of declining sales of their licensed manga as a whole, layoffs and lost licenses of Kodansha properties, Samurai Deeper Kyo was one of the many series that Tokyopop was forced to abandon before they had published the full story. Thankfully, Del Rey Manga obtained the license and published two, two-in-one omnibus volumes that collected the remainder of the series, giving American readers and fans access to the full series in their native language. The series was also partially adapted into a 26 episode animation by Studio Deen, which received an English dub and release in 2003. Video games for the Sony Playstation and Gameboy Advance of the series were also released, with only the Gameboy Advance game getting an English localization. The Japan exclusive Playstation fighting game also received a collectors edition that came with a collectible card game. Another little fun fact about the Gameboy Advance game is that it was the last game released for the console in North America. Now that we are acquainted with the history and legacy of Samurai Deeper Kyo, let us delve into the source material for all of this merchandise, and look into the aspects that make it am enjoyable battle shounen experience.
The story opens up by introducing us to a traveling medicine man named Kyoshiro Mibu, who is examining a wanted poster that depicts a man named Demon Eyes Kyo, a killer of a thousand men with a 1,000,000 ryo (Japanese gold coins that were the national currency during the time the story is set in) bounty on his head. The description of this wanted fugitive is strangely close to Kyoshiro’s appearance, even down to the clothing that Demon Eyes Kyo wears. Shortly after, he resumes his travels and meets a sick woman in trouble. She is Yuya Shiina, a bounty huntress that has her eyes set on Demon Eyes Kyo, as well as any other fugitive that has the displeasure of crossing paths with her. Kyoshiro quickly finds out that her illness was faked to get him to drop his guard, and a battle ensues. During the pair’s battle, Kyoshiro manages to explain that he is in fact not Demon Eyes Kyo, but a simple traveling medicine man, and after a little bit of back and forth banter, the two decide to travel together while Yuya hunts other criminals with prices on their heads, but what of Demon Eyes Kyo? Is he closer than the pair think? Is Kyoshiro a good liar, hiding his real identity as the merciless killer of a thousand, or is something deeper (excuse the pun!) going on with Kyoshiro Mibu?
The characters in Samurai Deeper Kyo tick all the boxes for characters in a shounen battle manga, and fans of that genre will undoubtedly have a character they gravitate towards. With the series boasting characters like the battle hungry, bad ass Demon Eyes Kyo, the clever, calculating Akira, or the mysterious Okuni, there is a character that will fit every shounen fan’s favorite archetype. Also, the dichotomy between Kyoshiro Mibu and Demon Eyes Kyo is an interesting one that develops the both of them as the story makes way for more revelations about the truths of the two. I’ll touch a bit more on this when I get to the art section, but each character’s design compliments their personality well, as in their overall design, as well as how emotively they are drawn does a great job reflecting each character’s demeanor. Another interesting touch the series has that gives each character their own flavor is that while most of the cast are samurai and wield some sword of Japanese sword, each of them has their own combat discipline that has its basis in some sort of real life art, such as iaido, dual weilding or ninjutsu. In addition to this, each character has their own sort of magic or ki they can harness, with most pertaining to a certain element, such as wind for Kyo, ice for Akira, shadows for Benitora; these give each fight a unique feel and lets each characters approach to combat really shine within the panels of Samurai Deeper Kyo.
The setting of Samurai Deeper Kyo is a mystical fantasy-like take on the Edo period of Japan. The opening events of the story are set four years after the battle of Sekigahara, a real life event that occurred in Japan in 1600. The story also features characters that are named after and loosely based on historical Japanese figures of the time; Yukimura Sanada, Sasuke Sarutobi and various members of the Tokugawa Shogunate are all present within the pages of Samurai Deeper Kyo, and while I was born too late to have the pleasure of meeting any of them, I think it is safe to assume that some creative liberties were taken to make the characters relevant to the story of Kyo. If you are a fan of that specific period in history, or you are just a fan of traditional Japanese landscapes and architecture, the setting of Samurai Deeper Kyo is sure to tickle your fancy.
Art is one of my favorite aspects of manga, and I love not only appreciating the different styles through the decades, but also talking and writing about them. Samurai Deeper Kyo has a certain style and aesthetic that I consider synonymous with the trends in manga art that were going on in the late 1990’s and well into the 2000’s, especially the character designs. As someone who grew up in America in the early 2000’s, where manga was really getting to be a huge deal here, Samurai Deeper Kyo has an art style that I really adore that also gives me nostalgia for my formative years as a manga reader. From the punk-adjacent, spiky hair styles to the larger than life, emotive eyes, even down to the thicker, bolder outlines that were commonplace at the time, Samurai Deeper Kyo is a series that really captures that time and approach to aesthetics well, and while some may find it dated, I personally love that art style and find that it holds up well years later. Lets move to the battle sequences and action panels, the special ingredient that brings a battle manga together. Samurai Deeper Kyo has these in spades, and really know what makes a battle scene interesting. Everything from the characters inhuman movement speed, their crazy abilities and their tactical approach to each scenario are not only detailed and well thought out, but also simple to follow from point A to point B. Battles are clear to follow and are a joy to read, and Akimine Kamijyo’s art really shines in the two-page spreads that depict the end to a battle or an important moment within one. My last praise for the art is just how downright crazed Demon Eyes Kyo can look at times, especially when in a duel. The fact that he is a ruthless killer of a thousand is reflected so well in just how well his face is drawn into a warped, twisted smile as he crosses blades with those that oppose him.
Fans of battle manga and shounen franchises should go back and check out the non-stop action and wonderful artistry within the pages of Samurai Deeper Kyo. If you enjoy more mainstream shounen manga with plenty of sword fighting action, such as Bleach or Rurouni Kenshin, what Samurai Deeper Kyo has to offer will be right up your alley!
