Kurozuka
Encyclopedia
is a novel and Japan
ese manga
series written by Baku Yumemakura
and illustrated by Takashi Noguchi. The manga was first serialized in the Japanese seinen
manga magazine Super Jump
starting in 2003 by Shueisha
and ended in December 2006. An anime
adaptation by Madhouse
was announced by Japanese anime television network Animax
in May 2008 and ran between October and December 2008, spanning a total of 12 episodes.
. Kuro and his servant, Benkei, meet a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kuromitsu while on the run from Kuro's elder brother
, who seeks his life. Kuromitsu and Kuro fall in love, but he soon discovers that she harbors a terrible secret: she is a vampiric
immortal. Following an attack by his pursuers, Kuro is badly injured and must imbibe Kuromitsu's blood to save his own life. Kuro is then betrayed and attacked by Benkei, who has been subverted by a shadowy organization called the Red Army, and Kuro's head is severed, which interferes with his transformation into a fully immortal being.
Kuro loses consciousness and wakes up centuries later in a post-apocalyptic, dystopia
n Japan. The surviving citizens have fallen under constant oppression by the Red Army, and Kuro is quickly found and recruited by an underground revolution
ary movement called Haniwa. The remaining episodes follow Kuro's fight with the Red Army and its host of elite warriors, who have been enhanced by samples of Kuromitsu's blood, and his quest to find his inexplicably lost love.
The starting plot for the series is probably inspired by Kurozuka, a 1939 Japanese dance-drama, which features a man-eating ogress named Kuromitsu, as well as the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
. It began on October 7, 2008, on Animax. The opening theme is "SYSTEMATIC PEOPLE" by Wagdug Futuristic Unity
with Maximum the Ryo
of Maximum the Hormone
. The closing theme is "Hanarebanare (ハナレバナレ)" by Shigi.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese 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...
series written by Baku Yumemakura
Baku Yumemakura
is a Japanese science fiction and adventure writer. He is best known for writing Jōgen no Tsuki wo Taberu Shishi , which won both the Seiun Award and the Nihon SF Taisho Award...
and illustrated by Takashi Noguchi. The manga was first serialized in the Japanese seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
manga magazine Super Jump
Super Jump
, is a biweekly manga anthology published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines. Released in Japan on December 20, 1986, the magazine provides serialized chapters of various seinen manga series. The manga series are published under the Jump Comics Deluxe imprint.- History :The magazine...
starting in 2003 by Shueisha
Shueisha
is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...
and ended in December 2006. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation by Madhouse
Madhouse (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
was announced by Japanese anime television network Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
in May 2008 and ran between October and December 2008, spanning a total of 12 episodes.
Story
The series begins in 12th century Japan and centers on Kuro, a character based loosely on the legendary Japanese swordsman Minamoto no YoshitsuneMinamoto no Yoshitsune
was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo founded the Kamakura...
. Kuro and his servant, Benkei, meet a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kuromitsu while on the run from Kuro's elder brother
Minamoto no Yoritomo
was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.-Early life and exile :Yoritomo was the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan, and his official wife, a daughter of Fujiwara no Suenori, who was a member of the...
, who seeks his life. Kuromitsu and Kuro fall in love, but he soon discovers that she harbors a terrible secret: she is a vampiric
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
immortal. Following an attack by his pursuers, Kuro is badly injured and must imbibe Kuromitsu's blood to save his own life. Kuro is then betrayed and attacked by Benkei, who has been subverted by a shadowy organization called the Red Army, and Kuro's head is severed, which interferes with his transformation into a fully immortal being.
Kuro loses consciousness and wakes up centuries later in a post-apocalyptic, dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
n Japan. The surviving citizens have fallen under constant oppression by the Red Army, and Kuro is quickly found and recruited by an underground revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
ary movement called Haniwa. The remaining episodes follow Kuro's fight with the Red Army and its host of elite warriors, who have been enhanced by samples of Kuromitsu's blood, and his quest to find his inexplicably lost love.
The starting plot for the series is probably inspired by Kurozuka, a 1939 Japanese dance-drama, which features a man-eating ogress named Kuromitsu, as well as the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
Characters
Manga
The Kurozuka manga was adapted from the original novel by author Baku Yumemakura and was illustrated by Takashi Noguchi. Serialized in Shueisha's Super Jump, the series spans ten volumes. The first was released in January 2003 and the last in December 2006.Anime
The anime adaptation of Kurozuka is produced by Madhouse and AnimaxAnimax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
. It began on October 7, 2008, on Animax. The opening theme is "SYSTEMATIC PEOPLE" by Wagdug Futuristic Unity
Hiroshi Kyono
Hiroshi Kyono is the vocalist for The Mad Capsule Markets.- Early years :Kyono claims that in his earlier years he was an MTV junky, in high school he started listening to Japanese punk like Gauze, The Stalin, Inu, and Aburadako. Then he ventured out into overseas punk like Crass and Pop Group...
with Maximum the Ryo
Ryo Kawakita
, also known as Maximum the Ryo , is the guitarist, songwriter and singing vocalist of Japanese metal band Maximum the Hormone.-General information:...
of Maximum the Hormone
Maximum the Hormone
is a Japanese nu metal band from Hachiōji, Tokyo.-1998–2001: Creation, early days and line-up change:Maximum the Hormone was created in 1998 by Daisuke Tsuda and Nao Kawakita. After a couple of regional shows, the band signed a contract with the Japanese rock label Sky Records. A.S.A...
. The closing theme is "Hanarebanare (ハナレバナレ)" by Shigi.
Episode List
| EP# | Title | Original Airdate |
|---|