, also known as ''Rainbow Samurai'', is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written by Tetsuya Takeda and illustrated by Yū Koyama. It is a comical and serious account mixing history and fiction of the life of the Bakumatsu period leader Sakamoto Ryōma. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine '' Shōnen Big Comic'' (1986–1987) and ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Young Sunday'' (1987–1996), with its chapters collected in 23 '' tankōbon'' volumes. It was adapted into a 39-episode anime television series by Nippon Herald Films and Animation 21 and broadcast on NHK from April 1992 to March 1993. The manga has over 15 million copies in circulation.

Synopsis

It is November 15, 1835, near

Kōchi Castle is an Edo Period Japanese castle in the city of Kōchi, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. It is located at Otakayama hill, at the center of Kōchi city, which in turn is located at the center of the Kōchi Plain, the most prosperous area of former ...

. The youngest daughter of the Sakamoto family, Otome Sakamoto, is stargazing and sees a comet. That day her mother, Sachi Sakamoto, is about to give birth. The comet appears as a dragon and a horse, and Otome shouts to it: "Make the child born tonight a boy! I promise I'll make him a strong samurai!", after which the comet changes to a soft glow. Soon the first cry of the baby is heard—a strong baby boy. However, the newborn boy has long hair on his back which is seen as strange. At this the father, Yahei, is dumbfounded but Otome names the boy Ryōma, a name combining Japanese characters for dragon and horse. Ryōma quickly grows but is a coward and a crybaby. He is mocked for his back hair and bullied every day by children in the neighborhood. He is not a good student and is thrown out of his juku. Otome and the second oldest sister Ei do not give up on Ryōma, and raise him more strictly. Even so, Ryōma's unique characteristic is his kind heart. This kind heart amazes the bullies in the neighborhood, led by a young Izo Okada. Zuizan Takechi, helped by Ryōma, is also impressed by his capacity for good. It looks as though Ryōma will enjoy a peaceful childhood, but he soon learns about the oppression of the by the upper class samurai. His mother is chased to her death by the '' daimyō'' Yamanōchi, after which Ryōma vows to himself: "I want to become stronger!", at the age of 16.

Media

Manga

Written by Tetsuya Takeda and illustrated by Yū Koyama, ''Oi! Ryoma'' was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Shōnen Big Comic'' from 1986 to 1987, when the magazine ceased its publication and was transferred to the ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Young Sunday'', where it ran until its conclusion in 1996. Shogakukan collected its chapters in twenty-three '' tankōbon'' volumes, released from October 5, 1987, to July 5, 1996; it was later republished in fourteen '' wideban'' volumes from January 16, 1998, to March 16, 2000; and twelve '' shinsoban'' volumes from October 30, 2009, to March 30, 2010.

Anime

The manga was adapted into a thirty-nine episode anime television series, produced by Nippon Herald Films and Animation 21 and broadcast on NHK from April 7, 1992, to March 30, 1993.

Reception

As of November 2009, the manga had over 15 million copies in circulation.

References

External links

* {{Weekly Young Sunday Historical anime and manga NHK original programming Shogakukan manga Seinen manga Shōnen manga Yū Koyama