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Kamui (Japanese: カムイ伝, Hepburn: Kamui Den) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sanpei Shirato. It was serialized in Seirindō's monthly gekiga magazine Garo between December 1964 and July 1971, with its chapters collected in 21 tankōbon volumes. Set in feudal Japan, it tells the story of Kamui, a low-born ninja who has fled his clan, which pursues him. It illustrates the true nature of the Edo period and the discrimination that existed within the feudal system.[citation needed] The series combines historical adventure with social commentary and themes of oppression and rebellion that reflect Shirato's Marxist convictions. By October 2021, the series had over 15 million copies in circulation.

Kamui
Cover of the first English edition of Kamui den under the title The Legend of Kamui, published by Drawn & Quarterly.
カムイ
Genre
Manga
Kamui Den
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published bySeirindo
English publisher
MagazineGaro
DemographicSeinen
Original runDecember 1, 1964July 1, 1971
Volumes21
Further information
Manga
Kamui Gaiden
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
DemographicShōnen
Original runMay 1, 1965January 4, 1967
Volumes3
Anime television series
Ninpu Kamui Gaiden
Directed byYonehiko Watanabe
Music byRyōichi Mizutani
StudioTCJ, Zuiyo
Original networkFuji TV
Original run April 6, 1969 September 28, 1969
Episodes26
Anime film
Kamui Gaiden: Tsukihigai no Maki
Directed byYonehiko Watanabe
Written byJunji Tashiro
Music by
  • Ryōichi Mizutani
  • Tadashi Ōkura
StudioTCJ
ReleasedMarch 20, 1971
Manga
Kamui Gaiden Dai-ni-bu
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
  • NA: Viz Comics/Eclipse Comics
MagazineBig Comic
DemographicSeinen
Original runFebruary 25, 1982March 25, 1987
Volumes20
Manga
Kamui Den Da Ni-bu
Written bySanpei Shirato
Illustrated byTetsuji Okamoto [ja]
Published byShogakukan
MagazineBig Comic
DemographicSeinen
Original runMay 5, 1988April 10, 2000
Volumes22
Manga
Kamui Gaiden: Reunion
Written bySanpei Shirato
Illustrated byTetsuji Okamoto
Published byShogakukan
MagazineBig Comic
DemographicSeinen
Original runSeptember 25, 2009October 24, 2009
Live-action film

A spin-off, titled Kamui Gaiden,[a] ran in two parts: the first part ran in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from May 1965 to January 1967; and the second part, titled Kamui Gaiden Dai-ni-bu,[b] ran in Shogakukan's magazine Big Comic from February 1982 to March 1987. A sequel, titled Kamui Den Da Ni-bu,[c] illustrated by Tetsuji Okamoto, ran in Big Comic from May 1988 to April 2000.

Kamui Gaiden was licensed for English release in North America under the title The Legend of Kamui by Viz Media and Eclipse Comics; in 1967, Kamui Gaiden received an anime adaptation under the title Ninpu Kamui Gaiden that ran for 26 episodes on Fuji TV; the series was also adapted into an anime film in 1971, titled Kamui Gaiden: Tsukihigai no Maki, and a live-action film, titled Kamui Gaiden, in 2009. The series is licensed for English release in North America by Drawn & Quarterly, starting in January 2025.

Plot

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Kamui is a ninja from the Edo period who decides to leave his clan. After doing so, he is pursued relentlessly by the members of his former clan, who consider him to be a traitor and therefore wish to kill him. Kamui wanders around Japan to escape from them using his intelligence and survival abilities. In the course of the series, Kamui begins to suffer from paranoia because of his status as a persecuted man. Kamui starts to believe that everybody wishes to murder him and distrusts everyone he encounters.

Publication

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Kamui Den manga first appeared on the cover of Garo No. 9, May 1965 (left), and No. 15, August 1965 (right); art by Sanpei Shirato.

An original series written and illustrated by Sanpei Shirato, Kamui Den was serialized in Seirindō [ja]'s monthly gekiga magazine Garo with a total of 74 installments.[6][7] The first installment was published in the magazine's December 1, 1964, issue.[8][9] The series released its final installment in the July 1, 1971, issue of Garo.[10][11] Seirindō collected its chapters in 21 tankōbon volumes, released from May 10, 1967,[12] to October 10, 1971.[13]

In November 2023, Drawn & Quarterly licensed the manga for English release under the title The Legend of Kamui in North America, and will publish the series in ten omnibus 600-page volumes.[14][5] The first volume is scheduled to be published on January 14, 2025.[5]

Spin-off

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A spin-off manga, titled Kamui Gaiden, was published in two parts by two different Shogakukan magazines. The first part was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from May 1, 1965,[d] to January 4, 1967.[e] The first 16 chapters were collected in two volumes in May 1966[21][22][23] and republished in three volumes in April 1976.[21] The second part, titled Kamui Gaiden Dai-ni-bu, was serialized in the publisher's seinen manga magazine Big Comic from February 25, 1982,[24][25] to March 25, 1987.[26][27] Shogakukan collected its chapters in 20 volumes, released from August 1983 to July 1987.[28][29]

The series was licensed for English release in North America under the title The Legend of Kamui, published by Eclipse Comics in cooperation with Viz Media; they published an issue of Kamui Den on May 12, 1987, and published 36 issues of Kamui Gaiden biweekly from June 2, 1987, to November 15, 1988.[30][31][32][33][5][4][34] Eclipse Comics published a side-story, titled Island of Sugaru, which Viz Media republished in two volumes in 1990.[5][35]

Sequels

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A continuation of the original series, titled Kamui Den Da Ni-bu, illustrated by Tetsuji Okamoto, was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic from May 10, 1988,[36][37] to April 10, 2000.[38][39][40] Shogakukan collected its chapters in 22 volumes, released from October 1989 to August 2000.[41][42]

Sanpei Shirato wrote and serialized a three-installment set of short stories in Shogakukan's magazine Big Comic, illustrated by Tetsuji Okamoto, called Kamui Gaiden: Reunion.[f] They ran from September 25[g] to October 24, 2009.[h] Shogakukan collected the stories as a one-volume paperback supplement to the September 2018 issue of Sarai [ja] magazine.[48]

Adaptations

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Kamui Gaiden received an anime adaptation under the title Ninpu Kamui Gaiden,[i] which was produced by TCJ and Zuiyo in 1969.[49] It was broadcast in Japan from April 6 to September 28, 1969, on Fuji TV.[50][1] It ran for 26 episodes.[51] It was adapted into a second anime film in 1971, titled Kamui Gaiden: Tsukihigai no Maki,[j] and a live-action film, titled Kamui Gaiden, in 2009.[52] In January 2010, Funimation licensed the live-action film.[53][54]

Influence

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The manga series is considered to be among the most influential manga ever created, having inspired numerous artists, such as Lone Wolf and Cub artist Goseki Kojima, and Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto.[5]

Reception

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By October 2021, the series had over 15 million copies in circulation.[55] The series became one of the most successful series when it was initially published in Garo magazine,[1] and it was one of the first manga to be published in English in North America.[33] The series is viewed as a historical masterpiece of ninja manga that incorporates historical materialism and combines historical adventure with social commentary and themes of oppression and rebellion that reflect Shirato's Marxist convictions. The manga energized the student protest movement of the 1960s and 1970s; it became a symbol for the protestors, who saw the manga as a work that flipped the usual script, with an ideology whose purpose was to eliminate class distinctions.[56][5][1][57][58][59]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: カムイ外伝, カムイ伝 第一部, Hepburn: 'Legend of Kamui Continuation, Kamui Gaiden – Part 1'
  2. ^ Japanese: カムイ外伝 第二部, Hepburn: 'Kamui Gaiden – Part 2'
  3. ^ Japanese: カムイ伝 第二部, Hepburn: 'The Legend of Kamui – Part 2'
  4. ^ It started in the magazine's 21st issue of 1965 (cover date May 16),[15][16] released on May 1.[17]
  5. ^ It ended in the magazine's 3rd–4th issue of 1967 (cover date January 15)[18][19] released on January 4.[20]
  6. ^ Japanese: カムイ外伝 再会, Hepburn: "Kamui Gaiden: Saikai"
  7. ^ It began serialization in the magazine's 19th issue of 2009 (cover date October 10),[43][44] which was released on September 25.[39][40][34]
  8. ^ It ended serialization in the magazine's 21st issue of 2009 (cover date November 10),[45][46] which was released on October 24.[47]
  9. ^ Japanese: 忍風カムイ外伝, Hepburn: Ninpū Kamui Gaiden
  10. ^ Japanese: カムイ外伝 月日貝の巻

Further reading

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  • 白土三平 カムイ伝. 1000ya.isis.ne.jp (in Japanese). May 8, 2006. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hamamoto, Ben (December 23, 2010). "Behind the "Legend of Kamui" — Sampei Shirato". Nichi Bei News. Retrieved June 22, 2024. "Kamui" was by far the most successful of all serials published in "Garo". As an adventure story with adult content and themes ....
  2. ^ Ruh, Brian (October 26, 2010). "Cartoon Culture Shock - Brain Diving". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Ohara, Atsushi (October 27, 2021). "'Legend of Kamui' creator Sanpei Shirato dies at 89". The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2019. Manga artist Sanpei Shirato, widely known for his rich historical epics such as "Ninja Bugeicho" and "Legend of Kamui" ....
  4. ^ a b c Toole, Michael (January 1, 2012). "The Mike Toole Show". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 22, 2024. both Kaoru Shintani's Area 88 and Kudo & Ikegami's Mai were sleek and refined, while Kamui, a historical epic by gekiga tastemaker Sanpei Shirato.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Morris, D. (May 7, 2024). "D&Q to debut English edition of Sanpei Shirato's THE LEGEND OF KAMUI in January 2025". ComicsBeat. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  6. ^ カムイ伝(第一部). asa8.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  7. ^ 遠き遠き青春に合掌 ~「カムイ伝」白土三平逝く~ (in Japanese). oyajijazz.exblog.jp. October 27, 2021. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  8. ^ 月刊漫画ガロ 1964年 表示号数12. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  9. ^ "Contents". Garo (in Japanese). Seirindō. December 1964. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  10. ^ 月刊漫画ガロ 1971年 表示号数7. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "Contents". Garo (in Japanese). Seirindō. July 1971. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  12. ^ カムイ伝 第1巻. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  13. ^ カムイ伝 21 / 第21巻. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 20, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  14. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (November 22, 2023). "Drawn & Quarterly Licenses Sanpei Shirato's The Legend of Kamuy Manga for 1st English Release". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 4, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  15. ^ 週刊少年サンデー 1965年 表示号数21. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  16. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). No. 21. Shogakukan. 1965. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  17. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). No. 20. Shogakukan. 1965. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024. ★第21号は5月1日(土)発売!!
  18. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). No. 3–4. Shogakukan. 1967. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  19. ^ 週刊少年サンデー 1967年 表示号数3. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  20. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Weekly Shōnen Sunday (in Japanese). No. 2. Shogakukan. 1967. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024. ◆第3・4合併号は、1月4日(水)!!
  21. ^ a b 作品一覧. asa8.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024. 1966年05月発行 ゴールデンコミックス「カムイ外伝」全2巻/小学館※前半16話分のみ1976年04月発行 旧小学館文庫「カムイ外伝」第1-3巻/小学館
  22. ^ カムイ外伝 1 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  23. ^ カムイ外伝 2 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  24. ^ ビッグコミック 1982年 表示号数4 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  25. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Big Comic (in Japanese). No. 4. Shogakukan. 1982. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  26. ^ ビッグコミック 1987年 表示号数6 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  27. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Big Comic (in Japanese). No. 6. Shogakukan. 1987. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  28. ^ カムイ外伝第1部 1 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  29. ^ カムイ外伝第2部 20 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  30. ^ "Kamui". Eclipse Comics. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  31. ^ "The Legend of Kamui". Eclipse Comics. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  32. ^ "1987: The Legend of Kamui". Total Eclipse Blog. June 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  33. ^ a b "ANIMENYC: DRAWN AND QUARTERLY TO PUBLISH 'LEGEND OF KAMUY'". ICv2. November 21, 2023. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  34. ^ a b Loo, Egan (August 26, 2009). "Kamui, Milk Tea, I'll Give It My All Manga Return". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  35. ^ Ruh, Brian (July 12, 2011). "Brain Diving Ninja Wrap". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  36. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Big Comic (in Japanese). No. 9. Shogakukan. 1988. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  37. ^ ビッグコミック 1988年 表示号数9 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  38. ^ ビッグコミック 2000年 表示号数7 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  39. ^ a b 「カムイ外伝」9年ぶりの新作、ビッコミにて短期連載. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 26, 2009. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  40. ^ a b 「カムイ外伝」9年ぶりの「再会」、ビッコミにて開始. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 25, 2009. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  41. ^ カムイ伝 第二部 1 / 第1巻 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  42. ^ カムイ伝 第二部 22 / 第22巻 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  43. ^ ビッグコミック 2009年 表示号数19. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  44. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Big Comic. No. 19. Shogakukan. 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  45. ^ ビッグコミック 2009年 表示号数22. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  46. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Big Comic. No. 21. Shogakukan. 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  47. ^ もくじ [Contents]. Big Comic. No. 20. Shogakukan. 2009. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024. 次号10月24日発売!!!
  48. ^ 漫画史に残る傑作!白土三平『カムイ伝』幻の名品がサライの付録で復活. Sarai.jp (in Japanese). August 10, 2018. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  49. ^ "ズイヨー (c ZUIYO) 《旧・瑞鷹エンタープライズ》 作品(ハイジetc)解説". www.mmjp.or.jp. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  50. ^ "[Old News] Sanpei Shirato, a cartoonist of 'Kamui Den' and 'Sasuke', dies". Gigazine. October 26, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  51. ^ 白土三平原作のアニメ『サスケ』『忍風カムイ外伝』放送&全話見放題配信決定!. Rooftop (in Japanese). August 1, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  52. ^ Loo, Egan (August 2, 2007). "Legend of Kamui's 2009 Live-Action Movie to Begin Filming". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  53. ^ Loo, Egan (January 5, 2010). "Funimation Gets Live-Action Kamui, RoboGeisha Films". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  54. ^ "FUNIMATION ADDS 'KAMUI GAIDEN'". ICv2. January 6, 2009. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  55. ^ 漫画家の白土三平さん死去 「カムイ伝」「サスケ」―89歳. Jiji.com News (in Japanese). October 26, 2021. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  56. ^ Fusanosuke, Natsume (December 2, 2021). "Remembering Two Titans of Manga: Shirato Sanpei and Saitō Takao". The Comics Journal. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  57. ^ "Originally the successor of communism, how did he become Japan's top manga master". iNews. June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  58. ^ "Sanpei Shirato, narratore di drammi storici e umani". Fumettologica (in Italian). January 6, 2022. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  59. ^ "Addio a Sanpei Shirato, manga e lotta di classe sempre dalla parte degli ultimi". ilmanifesto.it (in Italian). October 26, 2021. Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
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