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Kengan Ashura Mangapedia Official
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[AUTHOR]
Mangapedia Official
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Set in “Kengan Jiai,” a proxy war between corporations in which they bet huge profits on each other and force their hired fighters to engage in bare-knuckle combat matches, this is a mixed martial arts battle manga in which mercenaries, assassins, and users of existing schools such as Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, and professional wrestling, as well as fictional martial arts Baritsu and martial arts created by the author compete to see who is the strongestfor strength. This manga marks the commercial debut of both the original author Sandrovich Yabako and the manga artist, Daromeon.

Official Name
Kengan Ashura
Furigana
Kengan Ashura
Drawing
Daromeon
Original Author
Sandrovich Yabako
Genre
Battle
Label
Ura Shonen Sunday Comics (Shogakukan)
Volume
21 Volumes Published

Synopsis
Businessman Yamashita Kazuo witnesses a street fight one night on the street. It was an encounter with a mysterious fighter, Tokita Ohma, and a premonition that he was about to enter the arena of "Kengan Jiai," where corporations pit martial artists against each other for huge profits. Yamashita Kazuo is appointed as the caretaker of Ohma after Ohma defeats a fighter from the Nogi Group and replaces him.

Furthermore, the ambition of the chairman of the Nogi Group leads to the holding of the "Kengan Zetsumei Tournament" to determine the best company and martial artist in Japan, and leads to an intense battle of the managers who aim for the top of the Japanese economy and the martial artists who aspire to be the strongest unfolds.

Characters
Tokita Ohma
A mysterious Japanese fighter who is 182 cm tall, weighs 85 kg, and is estimated to be in histhe late 20s. He is good at being self-sufficient, such as killing boars by himself and eating them. He is an orphan who was abandoned as a baby, and he inherits the techniques of Niko Style from Tokita Niko, whom he met as a boy. He became a Nogi Group fighter after easily beating former Nogi Group fighter Komada Shigeru in a street fight. Also, Yamashita Kazuo, who witnessed the street fight, has become his sponsor. He competes in "Kengan Jiai," a betting match between companies, but he is low in weight for such a fighter and is sometimes regarded as an "effiminate man" at first sight. In addition to the various techniques of the Niko Style fighting, including blow, defense, joint techniques, and walking, he also uses a technique called "Maegari," in which he temporarily boosts his power at the cost of his own body. He is a fighter who combines "wild fighting instinct" and "precise strategy" and has absolute faith in his own strength, never doubting that he will be the "strongest.” His nickname is "Asura.”

Yamashita Kazuo
A 56-year-old Japanese man who is 167 cm tall, weighs 65 kg, and was born on March 8. He is the other main character who appears from the first episode as the narrator. He is an employee of Nogi Publishing, a subsidiary of the Nogi Group. He is separated from his wife and lives in a house with a 15-year mortgage with two sons. He spends his days being bullied by his boss, who is younger than him. Although he is an ordinary citizen who longs for a peaceful life, after an unexpected encounter with a street-fighting Tokita Ohma, he is appointed to be his caretaker by the chairman of the Nogi Group without knowing why. Furthermore, when he participates in the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, he is made the president of a new company called Yamashita Trading Co., whose representative fighter is Ohma. He has an instinctive yearning for strong men and enjoys watching martial arts battles. Even though he is not very aware of it, he has an excellent eye for spotting strong men. He is also a skilled Shogi player and hates to lose. According to the author's commentary, his initial plan was to make Yamashita appear in only the first episode despite his significance as the “heroine” of the comic.

Nogi Hideki
Chairman of the Nogi Group, a large corporation with affiliated companies in transportation and publishing. He is a 61-years-old man who is 177 cm tall, weighs 51 kg, and was born on April 29. Although he is not a fighter, he is a mature man who gives a fearless impression. He has a chiseled face and slicks back his hair. He hired Tokita Ohma as a fighter and appointed Yamashita Kazuo as his caretaker. At his initiative, he forces Katahara Metsudo, the president of the Kengankai, to declare the "Kengankai Zetsumei Tournament," which is a "battle for the Kengankai presidency.”

Akiyama Kaede
A young woman who serves as secretary to Nogi Hideki, the chairman of the Nogi Group. She is 165 cm tall and was born on July 21. She has not revealed her age, but she probably belongs to the same generation as Tokita Ohma. She is a beautiful, intelligent, and calm woman with glasses. The type of men she likes areHer type of man is those who are inclusive and taciturn. While accompanying Chairman Nogi, she takes on the role of supporting Ohma and his caretaker Yamashita Kazuo. She has an older sister named Akiyama Sakura, who works as a secretary at a company called Magatanien.

Hatsumi Sen
A man who is 178 cm tall and weighs 80 kg, and was born on June 19. He is a regular fighter of the Nogi Group and is known as the "Floating Cloud.” He is as strong as Tokita Ohma. He is a master of Hatsumi Style Aikido and is familiar with the Niko Style fighting that Ohma inherits. He is described as "a middle-aged character with a relaxed personality," is irresponsible, moody, and is always messing around with women. He is an ex-boyfriend of Soryuin Shion, the chairwoman of the Koyo Academy Group. He dislikes the words "hard work" and "perseverance.”

Lihito
A 26-year-old Japanese man who is 186 cm tall, weighs 102 kg, and was born on July 15. He appears as a fighter for Yoshitake Real Estate and later becomes the president and head fighter of SH Cold Storage. He calls himself the "Superman," and Lihito is the name he gave himself (his real name is Nakata Ichiro). He has an extraordinary finger power (pinch power) by nature, and his specialty is the "Razor's Edge," which is scraping off the flesh of his opponents with his fingertips. He is a womanizer with an easygoing personality who genuinely tries to be the "strongest.” He decides which woman he wants to date based on her appearance. At the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, he often watches the matches with Okubo Naoya, Himuro Ryo, and Kaneda Suekichi, with whom he seems to hit it off.

Okubo Naoya
A Japanese man who is the head fighter of Muji TV. He is 195 cm tall, and he weighs 116 kg. Known as the “King of Combat,” he is an absolute champion, reigning at the top of the 217 registered fighters of "Ultimate Fight," the world's largest professional martial arts organization. He has experience in amateur wrestling and amateur boxing and boasts an undefeated record of 26 fights in mixed martial arts. In the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, which marks his first tournament appearance in the Kengan Jiai, he battles Kano Agito, the strongest fighter in Kengan Jiai history. At the tournament venue, he often watches the matches together with Lihito, Himuro Ryo, and Kaneda Suekichi, with whom he seems to hit it off.

Kaneda Suekichi
A 27-year-old Japanese man who is 170 cm tall, weighs 73 kg and born on October 30. He appears not as a fighter of the Kengan Jiai but rather an ordinary person that Oya Ken, the chairman of Ginokuniya Bookstore, “brought to the tournament after getting to know him at the Shogi center.” He plans to challenge Himuro Ryo (a.k.a. "The Icy Emperor",) head fighter of the Ginokuniya bookstore and a Jeet Kune Do master, to qualify for the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament. He uses the Kujin Style, martial art derived from the "Kaisha Kenjutsu" used in battles during the Sengoku era. He has a soft demeanor and narrow eyes. His nickname is "Giant Killer," and although he is a "weakling" who lacks physical strength and has poor taste in martial arts, he fights with a style that thoroughly analyzes his opponent's movements and avoids attacks at the last possible moment. As his nickname suggests, he aims to defeat the strong from a position of weaknessthe weakling.

Jerry Tyson
A 32-year-old black man from Detroit, USA. Known as the "Rocket Man," he is the head fighter of the 22nd Century Fax Corporation who competes against Tokita Ohma in the qualifying round of the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament. He has excelled in all sports since his youth that he was selected as the representative of the U.S. in the short-distance race at the age of 15. When he was 17, he moved to China because of his father and discovered Chinese martial arts in the new world. Within five years, he had mastered Chinese martial arts to a level that surpassed his master. Then, seven years later, he developed his own original style of Xing Yi Quan called the "J (Jerry) Style Xing Yi Quan" using techniques that mimic (or are shaped like) modern weapons such as Scud missiles, Full Metal Jacket, and Patriot missiles. He also has extensive knowledge of the sports industry and martial arts associations that he breaks into the live commentary section during the main tournament and behaves as the commentator.

Mikazuchi Rei
A young man also known as the "Lightning God.” He participates in the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament as the head fighter of the Gold Pleasure Group. He is the present master and the inheritor of the “Raishin Style,” a 1200-year-old ancient martial art passed down from one generation to the next. He fights for Kurayoshi Rino, the representative of the Gold Pleasure Group, whom he is fascinated by her tolerance.

Kuroki Gensai
The head fighter of Motorhead Motors. He is a bearded man with the nickname "The Magic Lance.” He is 185 cm tall and weighs 96 kg, and is a master of the Kaiwan Style, a form of assassination fighting originating in the Ryukyu Kingdom. He combines the characteristics of Ryukyu and Chinese martial arts, and his limbs, which have transformed into spears through thorough training of all parts, are strong enough to carve a statue of Niou on a wall with his bare hands. The Kengan Zetsumei Tournament is his first participation in the Kengan Jiai. He is a skilled fighter who shows his composure by claiming that he does not have the fists to shoot "weaklings."

Kano Agito
A man of 201 cm in height and 128 kg in weight. He is considered the strongest fighter in the history of Kengan Jiai. He is also known as the "Fang of Metsudo". He is a strong fighter who is undefeated in an unprecedented 157 fights withthat most companies wishingwished to avoid battle with him in the early stages of the main round of the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, . He does not get many jokes, perhaps because of his unworldly nature.

Kiryu Setsuna
A beautiful young man with long black hair. He is 180 cm tall and weighs 75 kg. He was chosen as the head fighter for the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament even though he illegally interfered in the battle royal for the recruitment of fighters for the Koyo Academy Group and regarded as a dangerous person by Soryuin Shion, the chairwoman of the board of directors. The name of the style he inherited from his master is the "Koei Style.” He is abnormally attached to Tokita Ohma with whom he has a grudge through their mutual master, and wishes to fight to the death with him in the tournament. When Ohma is involved, he behaves narcissistically by frequently acting like a pervert and calling himself an "ugly human being.” His nickname is the "Beautiful Beast.” However, he is also known as "the Other Asura," in contrast to the "Asura" of Tokita Ohma.

Tokita Niko
A deceased man who was the master of Tokita Ohma. He met Ohma as an orphaned boy in the Tokita district and became his godfather. He is known as a one time master of the "Niko Style" of fightingone single generation, but not much about that he taught the Niko Style to Ohma is known. He was killed by Setsuna Kiryu's master ten years ago, but theits circumstances are unknown. Facing his avenging enemy is the reason for Ohma’s participation in the Kengan Jiai. However, Ohma himself is not very open about his motives.

Kure Karura
A young girl from the Kure clan. She is the great-granddaughter of the head Kure Erioh, and is old enough to wear a sailor fuku uniform as a school uniform. The members of the Kure clan describes her as a "true monster" and a "heretic even among the clan members," whose strength is on another level. She fell in love at first sight with the might of Tokita Ohma, whom she saw at the Ganryu Island, and proposed to him in an attempt to have a child with him. HerHis great-grandfather Erioh loves her so much that he is called "the doting great-grandfather," and the Kure clan keeps an eye on Ohma as an unsavory type approaching hisher pretty great-granddaughter. He also seems to belong to the same generation as Elena Robinson, the younger sister of the fighter Mokichi Robinson who accompanies him, and they have become good friends since meeting on Ganryu Island.

Katahara Metsudo
An old man with white hair and a white beard. He is the 58th president of the Kengankai. He is 96 years old, 161 cm tall, weighs 48 kg, and was born on December 2. He is the director of the Dainippon Bank, which is represented by Kano Agito, the strongest fighter in the history of the Kengankai, a.k.a. "Fang of Metsudo," and is a major figure in the Japanese political and business world. He is at the top of the Kengankai in both name and reality and exudes a tremendous sense of intimidation despite his wrinkled old body, which is still growing even though he is over 90 years old. His favorite food is meat and sweets in general. At the suggestion of the Nogi Group, he announces the opening of the "Kengan Zetsumei Tournament" for the presidency of Kengankai.

Soryuin Shion
A member of the Kengankai who also serves as the chairwoman of the Koyo Academy Group. She is a cool and beautiful woman whose trademarks are a straight one-length haircut, a cigarette in her mouth, and big breasts. She participates in the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament with Kiryu Setsuna as the head fighter. She is actually an ex-lover of Hatsumi Sen, a regular fighter of the Nogi Group.

Kurayoshi Rino
A woman who is 164 cm tall, weighs 52 kg and born on May 25. She is a glamorous and beautiful woman who works as the young representative of the Gold Pleasure Group, the largest company in the night leisure industry. She has earned the title of "Queen of the Night" and has been instrumental in growing the Gold Pleasure Group to the top ranks of the Kengankai. She is skilled at subduing men and is considered a "super-female" to a "super-male." She is also said to be "more of a monster than an ordinary fighter.” Hatsumi Sen gave her the nickname "Sexual Violence of Kengankai,” and Soryuin Shion calls her the "Female Fox."Despite her gentle smile, she has a belligerent personality. When participating in the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, Rino treats the head fighter Mikazuchi Rei as her lover and pampers him, but it is unclear whether she has romantic feelings for him. She sometimes seduces not only men but even women.

Yamashita Kenzo
A 25-years-old, long-haired man with glasses. He is the eldest son of Yamashita Kazuo. He started being socially reclusive and withdrawing to his room around junior high school and has not seen his father for a long timelong. However, he is actually the shadow boss of Under Mount Inc., one of the companies that joined the Kengankai. He manipulates the president Ota Masahiko from behind the scenes and has an ambition to "take control of the country without ever leaving histhis house.”

Groups and Organizations
The Kure Clan
An organization that appears in "Kengan Ashura.” They are a group of mercenaries who do not belong to any particular power and are considered to have no humanity and justice that kill even their former employers depending on money and conditions. Clan members are distinguishable because the white of the eyes are dark, and the pupils are white. Because of this difference, it is said that "a demon lives inside the Kure." The head of the Kure clan is an old man named Kure Erioh, the old acquaintance of Katahara Metsudo, the president of Kengankai. Katahara Metsudo and Erioh used to be in an employment relationship. At the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, they make Kure Raian, known as the "Taboo Descendants," participate as the head fighter of Under Mount Inc.

Yamashita Trading Co.
An organization that appears in "Kengan Ashura.” The company was hastily established with Yamashita Kazuo as the president to obtain the right to participate in the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament. Nogi Hideki decided both the company name and the business category at random. The fact that the company has risen to membership in the Kengankai in such a short period of time since its establishment has attracted the attention of Kengankai members and the heads of state from around the world. Its head fighter is Tokita Ohma and the president’s secretary is a woman named Kushida Rin.

Nogi Group
An organization that appears in "Kengan Ashura.” It is the parent company of Nogi Publishing, where Yamashita Kazuo works, and is headed by Nogi Hideki. The Nogi Group is a group of companies centered on Nogi Trading Co. and dates back to the 2nd year of Keian. It has been a member of the "Kengan Jiai," a competition between merchants since the Edo period, and ranks sixth in the corporate hierarchy of its governing body, the "Kengankai." It is also part of the “Shiryu,” the second oldest faction. The company was employing Komada Shigeru, also known as "Komada the Deva King," as its fighter but decided to hire Tokita Ohma as his replacement after he defeated Komada. Its regular fighter is Hatsumi Sen, also known as the "Floating Cloud.”

Kengankai
An organization that appears in "Kengan Ashura.” It runs the "Kengan Jiai," a proxy war between merchants that has continued since the Edo period. The current chairman is Katahara Metsudo, the director of the Dainippon Bank. Kengankai is internally divided into several factions, in which the oldest being the Sanketsu (contrary to the number in the name, it currently consists of only two companies), the next oldest being the Shiryu (a faction that includes the Nogi Group, which employed Tokita Ohma), and the Hyakuninkai. In addition, there is a department called the "Events Department," where the chairman's daughter, Katahara Sayaka, works as the host of the competitions.

Locations
Tokita District
An area that appears in the episode of Tokita Ohma’s boyhood. It is said to be part of an illegal settlement area that has been formed in Japan since around 1968. It is believed that as many as 100,000 to 200,000 people live in the area of 48.77 square kilometers, and there are no laws in place. As opposed to the 23 wards of Tokyo, this area is considered "District 0," which is unrecognized by the government. Ohma grew up as an abandoned child in this area for 12 years before meeting his master, Tokita Niko. Himuro Ryu, one of the competitors in the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, is also from this district.

Ganryu Island
An uninhabited island that serves as the venue for the "Kengan Zetsumei Tournament," a "battle for the presidency of Kengankai.” The island has been used as a venue for large-scale Kengan Jiai since the Meiji period, and today is also serves as the private beach of Katahara Metsudo, the president of Kengankai. Participants and fighters from various companies travel to this island on a luxury cruise ship called "Kengan-go" and a rag-tag ship called "Zetsumei-go."

Other keywords
Niko Style (Niko-ryu)
A term used in "Kengan Ashura.” It is the name of a fictional martial arts school practiced by the main character, Tokita Ohma. It is known to the outsiders as the one-time-only school of Ohma’s master, Tokita Niko. The school is divided into the following four major styles: the Redirection Kata (manipulation of the body and power), the Flame Kata (walking), the Adamantine Kata (hardening of the body and striking), and the Water Kata (softening of the body and joint work.) The Niko Style is only attained after mastering all four types of kata.

Koei Style (Koei-ryu)
A term used in "Kengan Ashura." It is a name of a fictional martial arts school that is a rival to Niko Style, which the main character, Tokita Ohma, has inherited. Kiryu Setsuna has inherited this style. There are only two named techniques in the Koei Style: the "Blink," which moves instantly to the opponent's blind spot, and the "Rakshasa's Palm," an attack technique that twists the impact of the striking into the opponent's body.

Raishin Style (Raishin-ryu)
A term used in "Kengan Ashura.” It is a fictional martial arts school whose current head is Mikazuchi Rei. It is an assassination technique passed down from one generation to the next that has a history of 1,200 years. The school's ultimate aim is to go beyond "like lightning" to "become like lightning itself," as it enables its practitioners to accelerate to top speed in a split second. They share a belief in not getting involved in political disputes, and it is said that they have appeared on the political stage only twice in the past: in the Battle of Bun'ei and the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima. However, Rei, who is the current head of the school, changed this belief, and the school entered the Kengan Zetsumei Tournament, a power struggle between companies.

Kengan Jiai
A term used in "Kengan Ashura.” It is a bare-knuckle fighting match that has been a tradition since the reign of Tokugawa Ietsugu. In this match, companies and merchants compete against each other with their representative fighters, betting on huge profits. The competitons are managed by the members of the Kengankai, which also includes the betting on who will win. The number of registered fighters goes beyond 1,205, and the average number of the matches in which each fighter participate per year is 8.5 matches. These numbers show the large scale of the Kengan Jiai that exceeds other martial arts competition.

Kengan Zetsumei Tournament
A term used in “Kengan Ashura.” It is a competition to determine the presidency of the Kengankai, and the fighters compete for the victory in a tournament format. In the comic, the tournament is held on an uninhabited island called the Ganryu Island. Since it is also the place to decide the pinnacle of the Japanese economy, the heads of state of various countries gather at the spectator's seats to watch the outcome. Katahara Sayaka, the member of the Kengankai Event Department and the daughter of Katahara Metsudo (the child of his mistress) works as the host and the commentator.

Bibliography
KENGAN ASHURA Vol. 21 (Shogakukan <Ura Shonen Sunday Comics>) in serial publication
Volume 1 (December 2012, 978-4091241108)
Volume 2 (January 2013, 978-4091242372)
Volume 3 (April 2013, 978-4091243324)
Volume 4 (May 2013, 978-4091243348)
Volume 5 (September 2013, 978-4091244178)
Volume 6 (October 2013, 978-4091245311)
Volume 7 (February 2014, 978-4091246004)
Volume 8 (May 2014, 978-4091246912)
Volume 9 (August 2014, 978-4091252340)
Volume 10 (October 2014, 978-4091254788)
Volume 11 (January 2015, 978-4091257093)
Volume 12 (April 10, 2015, 978-4091260567)
Volume 13 (June 12, 2015, 978-4091261847)
Volume 14 (October 9, 2015, 978-4091265883)
Volume 15 (March 11, 2016, 978-4091270825)
Volume 16 (June 10, 2016, 978-4091273000)
Volume 17 (September 9, 2016, 978-4091274342)
Volume 18 (December 19, 2016, 978-4091274656)
Volume 19 (February 10, 2017, 978-4091275196)
Volume 20 (June 12, 2017, 978-4091276339)
Volume 21 (August 18, 2017, 978-4091277572)
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