Riki-Oh
Encyclopedia
is a manga
which later adapted to an anime
series and live-action film
. Created by Masahiko Takajo and Saruwatari Tetsuya, the story is about a young man who has learned the art of Qigong
from one of Chiang Kai Shek's bodyguards and has become so strong that he can literally punch holes through people and solid objects. It was serialized in Business Jump from 1983 to 1990 and later published in 12 volumes.
Outside Japan, it was translated and published only in Hong Kong
by Comicsworld in nine volumes.
The only difference between the two editions, besides the different number of pages in each volume, is the absence of the short story "N.Y. Dust", which is unrelated to Riki-Oh, in the Hong Kong edition.
The manga, anime, and live-action film all contain gruesome violence.
has devastated most of the earth and the world is suffering from an economic depression which led to increased crime.
The story centers around Saiga Riki-Oh, blessed with inhuman strength, who, after taking revenge against a yakuza
who was responsible for the death of a child who befriended him (in the movie, it was his girlfriend who died), ends up in a maximum security prison owned by a private organization. The story follows Riki and his search for his little brother Saiga Nachi, who bears a Swastika
symbol on his right hand and also possesses superhuman strength.
Riki-Oh will encounter many deadly opponents with either superhuman strength or martial arts during his travel for avenging his mother and in search of his brother.
on his right hand which is the source of his great strength and skill. This scar is also a sign that he's destined to overthrow his real father.
Gifted with strong telekinetic powers, he's the younger brother of Riki-Oh from whom he was separated when he was still a child. He has a scar in the shape of a Swastika
on his right hand since birth.
An android that resembles Riki-Oh in appearance constructed by Obinata. It was sent on a mission to kill Riki-Oh but, after a long fight in a wood, it is accidentally sucked into quicksand with Riki-Oh with the latter surviving after having carved a shelter in the abdomen of the android.
A general armed with an ancient blade infused with qi, Washizaki is an extremely capable fighter. Easily dodged Riki-Oh's punch once, and knocked him out with the weapon. Washizaki came to manipulate him later (thanks to his comrade Otto), but soon found himself at Riki-Oh's mercy and is killed by Nachi.
A cyborg
weighing 300 kg (661.4 lbs) who wasn't viewed by anyone other than Riki-oh as a real person.
Originally he was a slave robot constructed from a human body. Becoming this way allowed him to work in a power plant in the Cape, an environment too intense for non-cybernetic humans.
He volunteered as fighter in the Pankration, a death match show, in order to get revenge against the humans for denying his brethren freedom. It was after this he meets Riki-Oh, then is made to kill his friend, and nearly does, but after Nachi interferes, realizes his true enemy is Washizaki.
Robotomi is known as in the OVA.
A scientist at the dependence of Aneyama.
He's the chief charged with the accomplishment of a plan whose goal is to accelerate the coming of Judgement Day. In order to achieve this goal, he needs to give birth to the so called "chosen one", a being created from the union of Nachi's head with the body of Riki-Oh.
A Chinese man who stopped Riki's suicide attempt in front of his mother's grave, he later became Riki's sensei
whom taught him the art of Qigong
. He used to be Chiang Kai-Shek
's elite bodyguard.
Also known as . Riki-Oh and Nachi's biological mother, she was executed by hanging for allegedly poisoning thirteen infants twenty-five years ago. Before her death sentence, with help from a friend, Riki and Nachi managed to escaped from prison. She foretold that one day her death will be avenged by her son and that evil will never conquer the good. Although Jewish and Japanese, she uses a Chinese name. Her birth name was Hanna, and was raised in Shanghai
with her foster family.
s. The first anime
was called Riki-oh: The Wall of Hell (1989). The second one was titled Riki-oh: Child of Destruction (1990). The first one is a retelling of the prison chapters and the second is Riki's adventure to find his brother, Nachi, and stop his devilish cult
following. Media Blasters
have acquired the rights to rerelease the two OAV
s in the United States
on DVD
, April 11, 2006, but has since let go of the licenses Source: ANN
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...
which later adapted to 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....
series and live-action film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. Created by Masahiko Takajo and Saruwatari Tetsuya, the story is about a young man who has learned the art of Qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
from one of Chiang Kai Shek's bodyguards and has become so strong that he can literally punch holes through people and solid objects. It was serialized in Business Jump from 1983 to 1990 and later published in 12 volumes.
Outside Japan, it was translated and published only in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
by Comicsworld in nine volumes.
The only difference between the two editions, besides the different number of pages in each volume, is the absence of the short story "N.Y. Dust", which is unrelated to Riki-Oh, in the Hong Kong edition.
The manga, anime, and live-action film all contain gruesome violence.
Plot
The story is set in a dystopian future where global warmingGlobal warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
has devastated most of the earth and the world is suffering from an economic depression which led to increased crime.
The story centers around Saiga Riki-Oh, blessed with inhuman strength, who, after taking revenge against a yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
who was responsible for the death of a child who befriended him (in the movie, it was his girlfriend who died), ends up in a maximum security prison owned by a private organization. The story follows Riki and his search for his little brother Saiga Nachi, who bears a Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
symbol on his right hand and also possesses superhuman strength.
Riki-Oh will encounter many deadly opponents with either superhuman strength or martial arts during his travel for avenging his mother and in search of his brother.
Characters
The main character of the story, he was separated from his younger brother Nachi since childhood and was adopted by the affluent Saiga family. He has a scar in the shape of the HexagramStar of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
on his right hand which is the source of his great strength and skill. This scar is also a sign that he's destined to overthrow his real father.
Gifted with strong telekinetic powers, he's the younger brother of Riki-Oh from whom he was separated when he was still a child. He has a scar in the shape of a Swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
on his right hand since birth.
An android that resembles Riki-Oh in appearance constructed by Obinata. It was sent on a mission to kill Riki-Oh but, after a long fight in a wood, it is accidentally sucked into quicksand with Riki-Oh with the latter surviving after having carved a shelter in the abdomen of the android.
A general armed with an ancient blade infused with qi, Washizaki is an extremely capable fighter. Easily dodged Riki-Oh's punch once, and knocked him out with the weapon. Washizaki came to manipulate him later (thanks to his comrade Otto), but soon found himself at Riki-Oh's mercy and is killed by Nachi.
A cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
weighing 300 kg (661.4 lbs) who wasn't viewed by anyone other than Riki-oh as a real person.
Originally he was a slave robot constructed from a human body. Becoming this way allowed him to work in a power plant in the Cape, an environment too intense for non-cybernetic humans.
He volunteered as fighter in the Pankration, a death match show, in order to get revenge against the humans for denying his brethren freedom. It was after this he meets Riki-Oh, then is made to kill his friend, and nearly does, but after Nachi interferes, realizes his true enemy is Washizaki.
Robotomi is known as in the OVA.
A scientist at the dependence of Aneyama.
He's the chief charged with the accomplishment of a plan whose goal is to accelerate the coming of Judgement Day. In order to achieve this goal, he needs to give birth to the so called "chosen one", a being created from the union of Nachi's head with the body of Riki-Oh.
A Chinese man who stopped Riki's suicide attempt in front of his mother's grave, he later became Riki's sensei
Sensei
' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
whom taught him the art of Qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
. He used to be Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
's elite bodyguard.
Also known as . Riki-Oh and Nachi's biological mother, she was executed by hanging for allegedly poisoning thirteen infants twenty-five years ago. Before her death sentence, with help from a friend, Riki and Nachi managed to escaped from prison. She foretold that one day her death will be avenged by her son and that evil will never conquer the good. Although Jewish and Japanese, she uses a Chinese name. Her birth name was Hanna, and was raised in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
with her foster family.
Original Video Animations
Riki-oh was released as two OAVOriginal video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
s. The first 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....
was called Riki-oh: The Wall of Hell (1989). The second one was titled Riki-oh: Child of Destruction (1990). The first one is a retelling of the prison chapters and the second is Riki's adventure to find his brother, Nachi, and stop his devilish cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
following. Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
have acquired the rights to rerelease the two OAV
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, April 11, 2006, but has since let go of the licenses Source: ANN
External links
- Business Jump Riki-Oh page
- Japanese Language Fan Site
- http://www.dra-mata.com/manga/rikioh/ (Some page translated in English.)
- Comparison of M.Bison and Washizaki