The appeal and reviews of "Karakuri Kengoden Musashi Road": A novel world view and deep story

Karakuri Swordsman Musashi Road - A story of Karakuri people in the turbulent Sengoku period of Japan

"Karakuri Kengoden Musashi Road", which was broadcast as a TV anime series in the early 1990s, is set in the country of Zipangu during the Warring States period, and depicts the adventures of Karakuri-nin, robot-like superhumans who coexist with humans while seeking glory as martial artists. This anime was produced as an original work without an original source. It was broadcast from October 3, 1990 to September 25, 1991, with a total of 50 episodes airing on Nippon TV every Wednesday from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m.

story

In the country of Zipangu, humans and Karakuri people coexisted in an era of warring factions. Karakuri people are mechanical lifeforms, and among them, a boy named Musashi who lives in Minamoto Village in Okayamana in the Chugok Mountains, is known as a pure-hearted and devoted bully. Musashi decides to go on a journey to train to become the number one martial artist. During his journey, he meets and fights with his arch rival Kojiro, as well as various Karakuri people, master swordsmen, heroes, and villains, and the story depicts his growth as he fights them.

Commentary

"Karakuri Kengoden Musashi Road" is a story set in the country of Zipangu that depicts the coexistence of Karakuri people and humans. The protagonist, Musashi, is a clumsy but skilled Karakuri person who sets out on a journey to train in order to become the number one martial artist. During his journey, he meets Kojiro, as well as fellow Karakuri swordsmen, heroes, and villains, and as he goes through battles, Musashi matures into a fine young man. The story's unique plot combines fantasy elements based on Japan's Warring States period with the distinctive setting of Karakuri people, making it a fascinating work.

cast

Many voice actors participated in this work, expressing the individuality of each character richly. The voice of the main character Musashi is Nozawa Masako, the voice of Otsuru is Mizutani Yuko, the voice of Bokuden is Toyama Kei, the voice of Baiken is Ishimaru Hiroya, the voices of Zenigatan are Otsuka Yoshitada (#1-#37) and Furuta Nobuyuki (#38-#50), the voice of Benkei is Yamaguchi Ken, the voices of Hanzou are Sato Masaharu (#8) and Yamaguchi Ken (#12-#50), the voice of Ushiwaka is Tsujitani Kouji, the voices of Jiraiyan are Yamaguchi Kappei (#1-#19) and Nanba Keiichi (#20-#50), the voices of Senhime are Matsui Naoko, the voices of Onihime are Amano Yuri, and the voices of Stentiger are Otsuka Akio (# The cast includes Daisuke Gori (#20-#50), Goemond is played by Kazunari Futamata (#18), Ken Yamaguchi (#32), Ryoma is played by Kazuhiko Inoue, Himiko is played by Masako Katsuo, Kenshin is played by Shinya Otaki, Dokuganryu is played by Satoshi Shimada, Shingen is played by Nobuaki Fukuda, Rokudo Maoh is played by Unsho Ishizuka, the narrator is played by Tamio Oki, Kojiro is played by Kazue Ikura, Takuan is played by Kohei Miyauchi, Jubei is played by Shou Hayami, Saigo is played by Tesshō Genda, Gennai is played by Jōji Yanami and Shōtoku is played by Chafurin.

Main Staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of "Karakuri Kengoden Musashi Road". The producers were Toru Horikoshi (Nippon Television), Toshihiko Fujinami (Yomiuri Advertising), and Shigehiro Suzuki (Pierrot), the planner was Kazuo Shimamura (Yomiuri Advertising), the series composition was Tsunehisa Ito, the animation character design was Tsuneo Ninomiya and Masami Shimoda, the script was written by Tsunehisa Ito, Haruya Yamazaki, Yoshihisa Araki, Isao Shizuya, Narumitsu Taguchi, and Shiyoshi Ohashi, and the direction and illustrations were done by the director. The storyboards are by Akira Shigino, Sae Aoki, Yoshitaka Fujimoto, Noriyuki Abe, Hiromitsu Hoshino, and Akiyuki Shinbo, the storyboards are by Takaaki Ishiyama, Hideki Tonokatsu, Akinori Ohyori, Yuki Suzuki, Katsumi Endo, and Shinsaku Agatsuma, the directors are Satoshi Nishiura and Hitoshi Matsui, the animation directors are Masami Shimoda, Takeshi Osaka, Yuko Kusumoto, Kei Takeuchi, Shinichi Toji, Joji Kikuchi, Hideyuki Motohashi, The cast includes Iida Hiroyoshi, Inoue Eisaku, Abe Kosashi, Noguchi Hiroki, Watanabe Keisuke, Tanaka Ryo, Nakao Masaki, and Shinbo Akiyuki, art director is Ikeda Yuji (Studio Y's), director of photography is Ozawa Tsugio (Easy Film), sound director is Shimizu Katsunori, Karakuri-nin design is Okawara Kunio and Aoki Kenta, backgrounds are by Studio Y's, photography is by Easy Film, sound production is by Zack Promotion, music is Kawai Kenji, editing is by Morita Seiji and Sakamoto Masaki (Morita Editing Room), effects are by Noguchi Toru (anime sound), adjustments are by Naruki Ryo (Sound Editing Studio), recording studio is Sound Editing Studio, developing is by Tokyo Development Laboratory, planning and production is by Nippon Television, production by Yomiuri Advertising and Pierrot, music production is by Nippon Television Music and Hummingbird.

Main Characters

At first, Musashi relied on his superhuman strength and was unsure of his swordsmanship, but through training and fighting, he discovered the art of dual-wielding and forged ahead on the path to becoming the strongest martial artist in Zipangu. Kojiro is a handsome, talented swordsman who is good at saying cheesy things, and his specialty is the "Tsubame Gaeshi" technique using a long sword. He is Musashi's lifelong nemesis and friend. Baiken is a martial artist who uses a kusari-gama and is one of Musashi's rivals. He is a righteous man who lives a clean, poor, and upright life despite having young siblings. Ushiwaka is a martial artist from an aristocratic background, and has an elegant and dignified demeanor, but when it comes to fighting, he is good at attacking and defending with his agility, and is a character who punishes Benkei with his golden sword. Jubei is a subordinate of Ieyasu, and travels around the country as a watchdog. He is a nice guy who hides his passionate manliness behind his cool and dignified appearance. Senhime is the granddaughter of Ieyasu, and although she appears to be a pretty girl at first glance, she is actually a tomboy with a tomboyish personality, and she is a character who causes endless troubles for Kojiro and Musashi, who end up accompanying her on her journey. Ieyasu is the great general who reigns over Edotopia and is the organizer of a martial arts tournament, and is a character who wants the winner to accompany Senhime on her secret journey.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Karakuri Swordsman Legend: Musashi Road" are as follows:

• Episode 1: Let's go on a great adventure!
• Episode 2: Tears are a great way to calm your nerves
• Episode 3: It's Benkei from Gojo, Kyoto
• Episode 4: Ryoma is alone in the wind
• Episode 5: The famous sword Kotetsu brings about a storm
• Episode 6: I'm the master. I'm great.
• Episode 7: The Pure and Poor Kusarigama
• Episode 8: The evil Hanzo sneaks up on us
• Episode 9: Ishimatsu, the Man, is a Man of Friendship
• Episode 10: Flowers and storms are Edotopia
• Episode 11: It's a martial arts tournament!
• Episode 12: Save Senhime and let's fight
• Episode 13: The Karakuri Swordsmen are on the Move!
• Episode 14: Musashi's dream match
• Episode 15: The Giant Toad Magic Jiryan
• Episode 16: A beautiful Onihime appears
• Episode 17: The Great Battle of Yamata no Orochi
• Episode 18: It's Goemon the Gold Thief
• Episode 19: I'm Scared of the Night When the Nue Cry
• Episode 20: The Great Shunten Explosion
• Episode 21: Hey! It's the ghost of Ishimatsu
• Episode 22: The Sea is Scary, Onigoroshi
• Episode 23: A Deadly Battle in the North Sea Western
• Episode 24: Idiot! It's a Karakuri Fortress
• Episode 25: The power of friendship can melt ice
• Episode 26: The Return of Hanzo, the Number One Evil
• Episode 27: Saigo-san is a mysterious person
• Episode 28: I'm Going to Be Rebellious
• Episode 29: Huh?! It's Kojiro the Fallen
• Episode 30: The legendary sword is reborn
• Episode 31: Yes! Musashi is dead!
• Episode 32: Musashi is Invincible After All
• Episode 33: The Secret Himiko
• Episode 34: Fires Everywhere
• Episode 35: Queen Himiko of the Land of Fire
• Episode 36: Shiranui's Final Plot
• Episode 37: I Beat Kojiro!
• Episode 38: Here it is, the mysterious Six Paths Demon King
• Episode 39: Monster! It's Megaton Joe
• Episode 40: Senhime's love will win
• Episode 41: Nikko is pretty Shingen
• Episode 42: The Wooden Horse Was a Scary Trap
• Episode 43: The Shingenshin of Heaven and Earth
• Episode 44: Oh, it's a magical transformation
• Episode 45: The Wave-Riding Inventor
• Episode 46: The Laughing Octopus Dance Strategy
• Episode 47: Let's Destroy Babel 13
• Episode 48: Edotopia is in big trouble
• Episode 49: Musashi the Flower Cuts Down Evil
• Episode 50: Musashi vs Kojiro

Ratings and Recommendations

"Karakuri Kengoden Musashi Road" is a work that combines fantasy elements based on the motif of Japan during the Warring States period with a unique setting of Karakuri people, and has a unique story development that is appealing. It depicts the protagonist Musashi's growth, battles with rivals, and encounters with various characters, and is characterized by a story development that draws the viewer in. Also, do not miss the performances of the voice actors who express the individuality of each character richly.

This work is recommended for those who are interested in the history and culture of the Sengoku period, those who like fantasy elements, and those who are attracted to the unique setting of Karakuri-nin. In addition, there are many episodes depicting Musashi's growth story, battles with rivals, friendship and love, and many touching scenes, so it is a work that can be enjoyed by a wide range of age groups.

Furthermore, the production staff's attention to detail can be felt in the music, art, and drawings. The theme songs, such as the opening theme "Musashi! BUGEI Den!!" and the ending themes "Tenamonda Jinsei" and "Naki na Naka na Taberu to Tasui ni Nai!!", are also memorable and have distinctive melodies that stay in the viewers' minds.

"Karakuri Kengoden Musashi Road" is a fantasy anime set in Japan during the Warring States period, and has been loved by many viewers. Please watch this work and enjoy the story of Musashi's adventure and growth.