Shonen Onmyoji
Encyclopedia
is a light novel
authored by Mitsuru Yūki
and illustrated by Sakura Asagi
. The novel is currently serialized in Kadokawa Shoten
's The Beans. The light novel currently has 25 volumes, including three short stories and a side story. A manga acting as a gaiden is being serialized in Beans Ace.
There iss also a series of drama CDs, a PlayStation 2 game and a manga adaptation that was announced in 2005 and a musical as well. Moreover, it was announced in August 2006 in Newtype
that the anime
adaptation is going to be animated by Studio Deen
and the character design was to be done by Shinobu Tagashira. It began its broadcast on October 3, 2006.
The anime premiered on Animax
under the title, Shōnen Onmyoji: The Young Spirit Master. It was aired across its respective networks worldwide, including Hong Kong and Taiwan
, with translations and dubbed versions for English language networks in Southeast Asia
, South Asia
, and other regions.
The anime was licensed for North American distribution by Geneon Entertainment. However, only two volumes of the series have been released, and have yet to receive a full release due to Geneon's departure from the American market. On July 3, 2008, FUNimation announced that it had struck a deal with Geneon to release several of their licenses, including Shōnen Onmyōji.
. Seimei, who passed his teachings on to his grandson, Masahiro who has lost his sixth sense
and the ability to see spirits. Masahiro constantly feels resentful for being in his grandfather's shadow.
Even so, one day, Masahiro meets a fox-like creature which he names who shows him his true potential powers after fighting a demon. Mokkun is actually , see Teng (mythology)
, who prefers to be called Guren. He is one of the twelve shikigami called the , who has pledged his loyalty to Seimei and is helping Masahiro to surpass his grandfather.
Masahiro's dream to surpass his grandfather may not be realised easily as not only does he have to convince the other Shinshō that he is Seimei's true successor, he must also increase his power in order to stop demons coming from China, the other parts of Japan and the Underworld as well as rival onmyōji's who want to destroy Japan. He also has to keep his promise to protect Princess Akiko of the Fujiwara clan.
He arrives in Japan and plans to eat Fujiwara no Akiko to replenish his spirit powers and heal his wounds. With him are an army of foreign demons, all unknown to the inexperienced and apprentice onmyōji Masahiro who has started to use his skills.
A vengeful spirit has been summoned and has cursed Yukinari of the Fujiwara clan. A mysterious woman appears and tries to take Seimei's life.
Someone is trying to open the gate to the underworld, events from fifty-five years ago reoccur, and Guren as well as Masahiro must undergo the ultimate test.
Masahiro is an onmyōji in training and the grandson of the legendary Abe no Seimei. When he was young, his spiritual sight was so strong that Seimei temporarily sealed it away until he was old enough to properly use it. After meeting Mokkun, Masahiro regained his spirit sight and embraced his destiny as an onmyōji in service to the emperor.
He is friendly and kind to both yōkai
and people whom he seeks to protect from evil demons that had taken up residence surrounding the imperial capital.
He also has a relationship with Akiko.
Guren is one of twelve shikigami in service to Seimei, who gave him his current name, after he pledged his servitude. His original name is Tōda. However, the other shikigami still address him by original name. Only Seimei and Masahiro call him Guren.
The form he takes most of the time is a mononoke, whom Masahiro named Mokkun. Because he's invisible to anyone without a spirit sense, Mokkun frequently plays tricks on people who annoy him, much to Masahiro's chagrin. In episode 18 of the anime, it was shown that Guren tries very hard to avoid children, goings as far as to avoid entering dwellings with children even when his help is needed. According to Guren, the reason behind this is that children cry for no reason. Masahiro later notes that Guren's apprehension does not stem from the crying itself, but that Guren does not want the children to "cry at him" demonstrating that he fears being by loathed by everyone.
Masahiro later tries to comfort him by showing him that children are not afraid of him.
The greatest onmyōji in the history of Japan Abe no Seimei
is the grandfather of Masahiro. He has twelve shikigami called the Shinshō under his command and is able to project his soul, which takes the form of his younger self, outside of his body in order to aid Masahiro in combat.
Rokutōsei (六等星 Sixth-Magnitude Star)
Note: Yuki Kaida sang the closing theme under the name, Abe no Masahiro.
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
authored by Mitsuru Yūki
Mitsuru Yuki
Mitsuru Yūki is a female Japanese novelist who is famed for her work, Shōnen Onmyōji.Her current work, Shōnen Onmyōji is currently serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's The Beans and Beans Ace.-External links:***...
and illustrated by Sakura Asagi
Sakura Asagi
is a Japanese animator, illustrator, and manga artist.She contributed her character design for the series Shōnen Onmyōji and Saint Beast. Apart from illustrating for the novel series Shōnen Onmyōji, she also authors the manga, which acts as a gaiden for the main story which serializes in Kadokawa...
. The novel is currently serialized in Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
's The Beans. The light novel currently has 25 volumes, including three short stories and a side story. A manga acting as a gaiden is being serialized in Beans Ace.
There iss also a series of drama CDs, a PlayStation 2 game and a manga adaptation that was announced in 2005 and a musical as well. Moreover, it was announced in August 2006 in Newtype
Newtype (magazine)
is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime and manga . It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985 with its April issue, and has since seen regular release on the 10th of every month in its home country...
that the 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 is going to be animated by Studio Deen
Studio DEEN
is a Japanese company that produces anime. Three years after Sunrise was founded in 1972, Studio Deen was established by Sunrise's members in 1975. As a result of this, anime shows such as Cowboy Bebop that were produced by Sunrise may have had assistance from Studio Deen.-Produced anime:* Urusei...
and the character design was to be done by Shinobu Tagashira. It began its broadcast on October 3, 2006.
The anime premiered on 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...
under the title, Shōnen Onmyoji: The Young Spirit Master. It was aired across its respective networks worldwide, including Hong Kong and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, with translations and dubbed versions for English language networks in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, and other regions.
The anime was licensed for North American distribution by Geneon Entertainment. However, only two volumes of the series have been released, and have yet to receive a full release due to Geneon's departure from the American market. On July 3, 2008, FUNimation announced that it had struck a deal with Geneon to release several of their licenses, including Shōnen Onmyōji.
Story
The series, set in the Heian era, Abe no Masahiro is the grandson of the great onmyōji, Abe no SeimeiAbe no Seimei
was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....
. Seimei, who passed his teachings on to his grandson, Masahiro who has lost his sixth sense
Extra-sensory perception
Extrasensory perception involves reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind. The term was coined by Frederic Myers, and adopted by Duke University psychologist J. B. Rhine to denote psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairaudience, and...
and the ability to see spirits. Masahiro constantly feels resentful for being in his grandfather's shadow.
Even so, one day, Masahiro meets a fox-like creature which he names who shows him his true potential powers after fighting a demon. Mokkun is actually , see Teng (mythology)
Teng (mythology)
Teng or Tengshe is a flying dragon in Chinese mythology.-Names:This legendary creature's names include teng 螣 "a flying dragon" and tengshe 螣蛇 "flying-dragon snake" or 騰蛇 "soaring snake".-Teng:...
, who prefers to be called Guren. He is one of the twelve shikigami called the , who has pledged his loyalty to Seimei and is helping Masahiro to surpass his grandfather.
Masahiro's dream to surpass his grandfather may not be realised easily as not only does he have to convince the other Shinshō that he is Seimei's true successor, he must also increase his power in order to stop demons coming from China, the other parts of Japan and the Underworld as well as rival onmyōji's who want to destroy Japan. He also has to keep his promise to protect Princess Akiko of the Fujiwara clan.
Story arcs
In the novels, there’re already 5 story arcs. However, the anime only covered two arcs, the Kyūki and Kazane arc.Kyūki arc
The Kyūki arc starts from episode 1 to 12 in the anime and volume 1 to 3 in the novel. Kyūki, a winged tiger from the West or to be precise, China has been forced to evacuate after being defeated by another demon.He arrives in Japan and plans to eat Fujiwara no Akiko to replenish his spirit powers and heal his wounds. With him are an army of foreign demons, all unknown to the inexperienced and apprentice onmyōji Masahiro who has started to use his skills.
Kazane arc
The Kazane arc starts from episode 13 to 26 in the anime and volume 4 to 8 in the novel.A vengeful spirit has been summoned and has cursed Yukinari of the Fujiwara clan. A mysterious woman appears and tries to take Seimei's life.
Someone is trying to open the gate to the underworld, events from fifty-five years ago reoccur, and Guren as well as Masahiro must undergo the ultimate test.
Abe no Masahiro
Masahiro is an onmyōji in training and the grandson of the legendary Abe no Seimei. When he was young, his spiritual sight was so strong that Seimei temporarily sealed it away until he was old enough to properly use it. After meeting Mokkun, Masahiro regained his spirit sight and embraced his destiny as an onmyōji in service to the emperor.
He is friendly and kind to both yōkai
Yōkai
are a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
and people whom he seeks to protect from evil demons that had taken up residence surrounding the imperial capital.
He also has a relationship with Akiko.
Mokkun/Guren
, (as Guren) (as Mokkun for TV anime and side story drama CD)Guren is one of twelve shikigami in service to Seimei, who gave him his current name, after he pledged his servitude. His original name is Tōda. However, the other shikigami still address him by original name. Only Seimei and Masahiro call him Guren.
The form he takes most of the time is a mononoke, whom Masahiro named Mokkun. Because he's invisible to anyone without a spirit sense, Mokkun frequently plays tricks on people who annoy him, much to Masahiro's chagrin. In episode 18 of the anime, it was shown that Guren tries very hard to avoid children, goings as far as to avoid entering dwellings with children even when his help is needed. According to Guren, the reason behind this is that children cry for no reason. Masahiro later notes that Guren's apprehension does not stem from the crying itself, but that Guren does not want the children to "cry at him" demonstrating that he fears being by loathed by everyone.
Masahiro later tries to comfort him by showing him that children are not afraid of him.
Abe no Seimei
(young)The greatest onmyōji in the history of Japan Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei
was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....
is the grandfather of Masahiro. He has twelve shikigami called the Shinshō under his command and is able to project his soul, which takes the form of his younger self, outside of his body in order to aid Masahiro in combat.
Opening theme
Egao no Wake (笑顔の訳 The Meaning of Your Smile)- Song: Kaori Hikita
- Lyrics: Yūko Itō
- Music and choral arrangement: Yuki KajiuraYuki Kajiura, born August 6, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese composer and music producer. She has provided the music for several popular anime series, such as one of the Kimagure Orange Road movies, Noir, .hack//SIGN, Aquarian Age, Madlax, My-HiME, My-Otome, .hack//Roots, Pandora Hearts, Puella Magi...
- Arrangement: HΛL
Ending themes
Yakusoku (約束 Promise)- Song: Saori Kiuji
Rokutōsei (六等星 Sixth-Magnitude Star)
- Song: Abe no Masahiro
- Lyrics: U-ka
- Arrangement: rhythnic bird
Note: Yuki Kaida sang the closing theme under the name, Abe no Masahiro.
Episodes
| # | English Title | Japanese Romaji Title | Japanese Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | This boy, Seimei's successor | Kono shōnen, Seimei no koukei ni tsuki | この少年、晴明の後継につき | 2006-10-03 |
| 02 | When the Imperial Palace burned | Oumagadoki ni dairi moyu | 逢魔(おうま)が時(どき)に内裏(だいり)燃ゆ | 2006-10-10 |
| 03 | Listen To The Voice When Afraid Of The Dark | Yami ni obieru koe o kike | 闇に怯える声をきけ | 2006-10-17 |
| 04 | Search For The Shadow Of The Foreign Country | Ihou no kage o sagashidase | 異邦の影を探しだせ | 2006-10-24 |
| 05 | Forcing Back the Ferocious Monsters | Takeru youi o shirizokero | 猛る妖異を退けろ | 2006-10-31 |
| 06 | Catching the Signs that Appear in the Dead of the Night | Yain ni ukabu kizashi o tsukame | 夜陰に浮かぶ兆しを掴め | 2006-11-07 |
| 07 | The Hatred of the Woman Controlled by the Enemy | kanata ni taguru onna no omoi | 彼方に手繰る女の念(おも)い | 2006-11-14 |
| 08 | Dispelling the Hatred that Reverberated at Kifune | Kifune ni hibiku ensa o tomero | 貴船に響く怨磋を止めろ | 2006-11-21 |
| 09 | Shattering the Binding of the Curse of Darkness | Yami no jubaku o uchikudake | 闇の呪縛を打ち砕け | 2006-11-28 |
| 10 | A Voice in Response to a Faint Wish | Awaki negai ni irae no koe wo | 淡き願いに応(いら)えの声を | 2006-12-05 |
| 11 | Hold the Symbol of the Vow Close to Heart | Chikai no shirushi o mune ni dake | 誓いの刻印(しるし)を胸に抱け | 2006-12-12 |
| 12 | Penetrate the Mirror Cage | Kagami no ori o tsukiyabure | 鏡の檻をつき破れ | 2006-12-19 |
| 13 | The Catastrophic Song Brought by the Whirlwind | Tsujikaze ga hakobu magauta | 辻風が運ぶ禍歌 | 2006-12-26 |
| 14 | It is Like the Full Moon to Wane | Michita tsuki ga kakeru ga gotoku | 満ちた月が欠けるが如く | 2007-01-03 |
| 15 | Release the Catastrophic Chains | Magatsu kusari o tokihanate | 禍つ鎖を解き放て | 2007-01-09 |
| 16 | The Old Shadow Wanders in the Night | Furuki kage wa yoru ni mayoi | 古き影は夜に迷い | 2007-01-16 |
| 17 | Sleep Embraced by the Snow | Rikka ni idakarete nemure | 六花に抱(いだ)かれて眠れ | 2007-01-23 |
| 18 | That Reason is Not Known by Anyone | Sono riyuu wa dare shirazu | その理由は誰知らず | 2007-01-30 |
| 19 | When the North Star is Clouded | Hokushin ni kageri sasu toki | 北辰に翳りさす時 | 2007-02-06 |
| 20 | Chase the Wind That Invites the Underworld | Yomi ni izanau kaze o oe | 黄泉に誘(いざな)う風を追え | 2007-02-13 |
| 21 | Let the Bonds Hold in the Fires of Sin | Tsumi no honoo ni kizuna tae | 罪の焔に絆絶え | 2007-02-20 |
| 22 | Everything for the Priestess | Subete wa miko no on tameni | すべては巫女の御為に | 2007-02-22 |
| 23 | The Flame of Kagutsuchi Shines Majestically | Kagutsuchi no honoo wa ogosoka ni | 軻遇突智の焔は厳かに | 2007-03-06 |
| 24 | Winds of Twilight, Eyes of Daybreak | Tasogare no kaze, Akatsuki no hitomi | 黄昏の風、暁の瞳 | 2007-03-13 |
| 25 | A Dance of Junipers in a Whirl of Misfortune | Magaki no uzu ni ibuki mau | 禍気の渦に伊吹舞う | 2007-03-20 |
| 26 | Sharpen the Sword of Flame | Honoo no yaiba o togi sumase | 焔の刃を研ぎ澄ませ | 2007-03-27 |