Jyūshin Enbu - Hero Tales

is a Japanese manga and anime series created by Huang Jin Zhou, a unit composed of Hiromu Arakawa, Genco, and Studio Flag. The manga series, illustrated by Arakawa, was serialized in Square Enix's ''Gangan Powered'' (2006–2009) and ''Monthly Shōnen Gangan'' (2009–2010), with its chapters collected in five volumes. The 26-episode anime television series, produced by Studio Flag, was broadcast on TV Tokyo and history, as well as having an element of fantasy.

Plot

Manga

The series follows Taitou, a young man who resents the ruling empire, and his sister Laila. The story begins with the revelation that Taitou unknowingly harbors a mysterious power—he is the incarnation of Hagun, a celestial star that grants him immense but uncontrolled strength. They are joined by Ryuukou, a warrior with abilities similar to Taitou's but more refined. After Taitou's coming-of-age ceremony, which involves a ritualized defeat by Ryuukou, he is given the Kenkaranpu, a legendary conqueror's sword he cannot yet wield. Their lives are disrupted when a man named Shimei arrives, seeking the sword. During their confrontation, Shimei reveals Taitou's connection to Hagun, one of the Hokushin-Tenkun, celestial beings of great power. When Shimei uses his own sword's magic to stop Laila's breathing, Taitou unleashes Hagun's full might, drawing the Kenkaranpu for the first time and impaling Shimei. Overcome by rage, he attacks Ryuukou, overpowering him until Laila intervenes, snapping Taitou out of his fury. However, Shimei escapes with the sword.

Determined to reclaim the Kenkaranpu, Taitou sets out at night, accompanied by Ryuukou and Laila. Their journey takes them to the canal town of Jousei, where Ryuukou attempts to teach Taitou to control his ki, the energy tied to his star. Taitou, impatient with Ryuukou's disciplined methods, struggles to master his power. Meanwhile, the town's officials prioritize protecting the harbor over the impoverished refugee district, leading to a devastating flood. Taitou urges Ryuukou to break the floodgates to relieve the pressure, but Ryuukou is nearly swept away by the rushing water. Taitou leaps in to save him, only to be pulled under himself. Ryuukou rescues him, revealing a star-shaped mark on his chest before Taitou loses consciousness.

Upon awakening, Taitou learns that Laila enlisted the help of Koyou, a flamboyant ship captain they met earlier, to rescue them. Taitou confronts Ryuukou about hiding his identity as another Hokushin-Tenkun—Bukyoku, the star neighboring Hagun. Koyou offers them refuge on his massive barge, Touga, and evacuates the flood survivors. Meanwhile, Shimei delivers the Kenkaranpu to the shogun, Keirou Hakuhou, who is revealed to be the incarnation of Tonrou, another celestial star.

The broader narrative revolves around an ancient prophecy foretelling that the seven stars of the Big Dipper will take human form during a crisis. Among them, Hagun (Taitou) and Tonrou (Keirou) are destined as the Noble Spirits, fated to clash for control of the empire. While Keirou embraces this prophecy, seeking to reshape the corrupt empire through force, Taitou rejects predestination, choosing to defy fate. The other stars include Ryuukou, who grew up alongside Taitou; Hosei, a warrior trained in the prophecy's lore; Koyou, the compassionate ship captain; Rinmei, a volatile woman devoted to Ryuukou; and Shoukakou, a shadowy figure in the capital whose loyalties remain unclear.

Anime

General Keirou attempts to steal the Kenkaranpu from Tian Long Temple under the cover of darkness. In the process, he slaughters dozens of ascetic monks sworn to protect the sacred artifact. During the attack, he encounters Taitou for the first time, marking the beginning of their prolonged conflict.

The anime and manga diverge in several aspects, including character fates, battle sequences, and the resolution of the final confrontation. In the anime, Keirou absorbs Shimei, gaining supernatural abilities that allow him to control Ryuukou and transform others into demons. While the overarching outcome of Keirou's battle with Taitou remains consistent across both versions, specific details differ. Additionally, the manga implies a seven-year gap between their climactic fight and the concluding events, whereas the anime features an ambiguous time skip with no noticeable aging among the characters, suggesting a shorter passage of time.

Characters

The Two Celestial Deities

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:A skilled but reckless 16-year-old fighter who opposes corrupt authorities to protect others. His adoptive sister Laila can calm his violent outbursts as their relationship develops beyond sibling bonds. Marked with the Hokushin-Tenkun mark , symbol of the war god Alkaid, he belongs to the , law enforcement group until its near-destruction by General Keiro forces him to train for vengeance. The sacred sword becomes his objective after being stolen—by Shimei in the manga or Keiro in the anime. Taitou later discovers he is the emperor's exiled elder brother, separated due to his divine Hagun birthmark.
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:A 35-year-old general of the imperial army and leader of the Black Wolf Party. Marked with the symbol of on his left shoulder, he is the incarnation of the war god Dubhe and seeks to claim the throne of the Ken Empire. In his pursuit of power, he assaults Lotus Temple with his forces to seize the sacred Kenkaranpu sword, said to grant its wielder the right to rule. The attack results in the deaths of numerous monks and Seiryutō members. While both the anime and manga depict Keiro slaughtering the empire's populace, their motivations differ: in the manga, he acts on a prophecy demanding mankind's extinction, whereas the anime portrays him as a demonic figure who rejects human morality entirely.

The Five Divine Warriors

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:An 18-year-old warrior bearing the mark on his right pectoral. Skilled with a staff, he is the adopted son of Ryuushou Moukan, a master from another temple of the Rikka Sect. Though originally named Keikō, he is later revealed to be the biological son of Keirou. A serious and self-disciplined individual, Ryuukou struggles with poor sense of direction and harbors romantic feelings for Rinmei. During a confrontation with Keirou, Ryuukou fights to buy time for Taitou to escape. However, he later shifts allegiance from Taitou to Keirou, supporting his father's bid for the throne. When Keirou doubts his loyalty, Ryuukou is forced to execute his adoptive father, Moukan, plunging him into despair.
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:A 17-year-old warrior bearing the mark on the back of his right hand. A skilled archer with a carefree and impulsive personality, he wields the Soutenkyuu—a bladed bow that can separate into twin swords. He develops romantic feelings for Laila during their adventures. In the manga's continuity, Housei becomes Taitou's primary ally after Ryuukou's apparent betrayal. He eventually defeats Shimei in battle but sustains fatal wounds. After his death, Shimei reanimates his corpse, forcing Laila to destroy it in self-defense. She continues to honor his memory years later by wearing his necklace and visiting his grave.
:The anime presents an alternate fate where Housei survives the conflict with Shimei. In this version, he witnesses Taitou's final battle with Keirou and is later shown stargazing with Laila in their village.
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:The 22-year-old bearer of the mark at his neck. The leader of a group of sea bandits. Although a big, lively and rough person, he has skillful fingers and has interest in cooking and make-up. He wields an eight-section staff. He also seems to have a paralyzing fear of heights.
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:The 24-year-old bearer of the mark at his right palm. He serves as Taigatei's tutor and chief strategist for the Ken Empire. Though typically composed and mild-mannered, he is a ruthless pragmatist who prioritizes the empire's survival above all else. His right palm bears the Renjou mark, signifying his celestial affiliation.
:The anime portrays Shoukaku as terminally ill and resigned to his impending death. In the manga, his motivations differ—viewing both the Hagun and Tonrou bearers as existential threats to humanity, he maneuvers secretly to preserve peace.
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:The 20-year-old bearer of the mark at her right thigh. She harbors feelings for Ryuukou but struggles with his withdrawn nature. She serves as a cook at his temple. Self-conscious about appearing older than she is, she has a fearsome temper when provoked. While the anime depicts her fighting alongside Ryuukou in the final conflict, the manga reveals she remains behind due to her pregnancy with his child.

Others

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:a 14-year-old girl and Taitou's adoptive younger sister, the daughter of Souei, leader of the Seiryutō. Though frequently quarreling with Taitou—often prevailing—she remains the only one capable of restraining his recklessness. After her father's death, she briefly blames Taitou for the surrounding tragedies, influenced by Shimei's manipulations, before recognizing his innocence. In a pivotal confrontation, she battles Shimei after he reanimates Housei's corpse, during which she discovers her lineage as a descendant of the ancient shamans who controlled the stars—the source of her power over Taitou. Using this ability, she ultimately defeats Shimei. Following these events, she assumes leadership of her village, succeeding her father.
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:The 16-year-old Emperor of the Ken Empire. Good-hearted and has no self thought. He would like to change the Empire into a better place, yet he does not have much power - in reality members of his court govern the Empire. He and Taitou are twins, with Taigatei being the younger brother. The brothers were separated when they were about three, but while Taitou remembers that he was taken away from his original parents and brother, neither he nor Taigatei are aware of their relationship until others reveal it to them. He promises to Taitou to become a good Emperor who helps the people of his empire.
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:A follower of Keirou. One of the primary antagonists, he is a sorcerer who manipulates many people from behind the scenes all for the purpose of seeing "people die". He holds the demon sword of all seeing eye, and is able to use spells. "Shimei" is who ever holds the ''Banshoushimei''. He has had three separate bodies in the manga. He possesses the body of Housei Meitoku in an attempt to kill Laila Seiren and take her body, but Laila destroys him for good, cutting the Banshoushimei in half.
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:Taitou's and Laila's father. A former member of the Imperial Army, now leader of Seiryutou. After having roamed the Empire, his master Sonnei asked him to settle down at Lotus Temple. He is killed by Shimei.
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:The elderly High priest of Lotus Temple (the headquarters of the ), and former master of Souei. A master of the technique who is well known in the Empire. Has a weakness for women.
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:A subordinate of Keirou. A quiet and unsociable person. In the anime, he is Taki's real father, and is killed while protecting Taki and Taigatei from Keirou. In the manga, he survives.
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:Keirou's adopted daughter who entered the Court as a princess candidate. A quiet and sweet-natured girl. She and Taigatei are in love and they eventually marry.
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:Originally from a foreign country but stowaway to the Ken Empire. She was then picked up by Keirou and now serves him loyally. Now a court lady attached to the Emperor where she guides the weak-willed Emperor to follow Keirou's wishes. She distrusts Ryuukou and Shōkaku, despite their claims to serve Keirou. In the anime, Shōkaku deducts, apparently correctly, that she is in love with Keirou.
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:Koei is Housei's mentor and later instructs Taitou in the dual disciplines of Soukihō: Gaiden (focused on weaponry) and Naiden (devoted to physical enhancement). A profoundly erudite scholar, she meets her end in a clash with Shimei, who refers to her by the honorific , hinting at their shared history. Their connection runs deeper; prior to inhabiting his current form, Shimei once possessed a female host under whom Koei studied, and had previously attempted to kill her during that time.

Media

Manga

''Hero Tales'', authored by Huang Jin Zhou (a unit composed of Hiromu Arakawa, Genco, and Studio Flag), and illustrated by Arakawa, was serialized in Square Enix's ''Gangan Powered'' from October 21, 2006, to February 21, 2009. It was then serialized in ''Monthly Shōnen Gangan'' from May 12, 2009, to August 12, 2010. Square Enix collected its chapters in five volumes, released from August 11, 2007, to November 22, 2010.

In North America, the manga licensed for English release by Yen Press. The five volumes were released from October 27, 2009, to October 25, 2011. It was also serialized in ''Yen Plus'', starting in the February 2009 issue.

Volumes

Anime

A 26-episode anime television series, produced by Studio Flag, directed by Osamu Sekita, with character designs by Hiromu Arakawa, titled , was broadcast on TV Tokyo

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