is a Japanese 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 and illustrated by Masatoshi Kawahara

Masatoshi Kawahara

is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known as the author of the long-running series Shura no Mon and its prequel Shura no Toki, for which he won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen in 1989.-External links:* at the Ultimate Manga Page...

. It was serialized in Kodansha

Kodansha

, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...

's Monthly Shōnen Magazine from April 1987 to November 1996. The individual chapters were collected and published into 31 tankōbon

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

volumes published between October 1987 and May 1997. Shura no Mon received the 1990 Kodansha Manga Award

Kodansha Manga Award

is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...

 for the shōnen category.

A prequel series, Mutsu Enmei Ryu Gaiden: Shura no Toki also ran in Monthly Shōnen Magazine, premiering in July 1989 and running until November 2005. Its chapters were published in 15 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. It was adapted into a 26-episode anime series by Media Factory

Media Factory

is a Japanese publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd...

 and Studio Comet

Studio Comet

is an animation studio based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established January 21, 1986.-Notable staff:*Hiroshi Kanazawa *Kazuo Harada *Shin Misawa...

 that aired from April 6, 2004 until September 28, 2004 and is licensed for release in North America by 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...

.

Manga

Written and illustrated by Masatoshi Kawahara

Masatoshi Kawahara

is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known as the author of the long-running series Shura no Mon and its prequel Shura no Toki, for which he won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen in 1989.-External links:* at the Ultimate Manga Page...

, Shura no Mon was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Magazine from April 1987 to November 1996. The individual chapters were collected and published in Japan in 31 tankōbon

Tankobon

, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...

volumes by Kodansha

Kodansha

, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...

 between October 1987 and May 1997.

Shura no Toki

A prequel series, , began serialization in the same magazine in July 1989 where it ran until November 2005. It was collected and published in 15 tankōbon volumes between February 13, 1990 and January 17, 2006. Five aizōban volumes of the series were also released between March 19, 2004 and July 21, 2004.

Three of the story arcs from the prequel series were adapted into a 26-episode 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 by Media Factory

Media Factory

is a Japanese publisher. It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd...

 and Studio Comet

Studio Comet

is an animation studio based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established January 21, 1986.-Notable staff:*Hiroshi Kanazawa *Kazuo Harada *Shin Misawa...

. It premiered on TV Tokyo

TV Tokyo

is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...

 on April 6, 2004 and ran until September 28, 2004. 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...

 licensed the series for distribution in North America.

Reception

Shura no Mon received the 1990 Kodansha Manga Award

Kodansha Manga Award

is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in four categories: children's, shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the...

 for the shōnen category.