The appeal and reviews of YAIBA: The perfect balance of action and humor

Sword Hero Legend YAIBA - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

April 9, 1993 - April 1, 1994

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo series

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 52

■Original Story

Gosho Aoyama

■ Director

・General Director: Kunihiko Yuyama

■ Production

Animation production: Pastel Production cooperation: Enoki Film Production: TV Tokyo, TV Hokkaido, Shogakukan Shueisha Productions

■Works

©Gosho Aoyama/Shogakukan・ShoPro

■ Story

Kuroganeyaiba lived in the jungle with his father, Kenjuro, aiming to become a samurai. One day, he returned to Japan and stayed with his father, Kenjuro's rival, Mine Raizo, and his daughter, Sayaka. Yaiba, who ended up attending the same high school as Sayaka, meets his sworn enemy, Onimaru. Onimaru became fascinated with the "Fujin Sword" and became the incarnation of evil. In order to defeat Onimaru, Yaiba heads to Miyamoto Musashi, a mysterious old man who possesses the magical sword "Raijin Sword," which holds incredible power, and begins his rigorous training.
Yaiba defeats Onimaru's assassins, the "Yakki," who attack him one after another, aiming for the "Raijin Sword." With their deadly "Kaminari Slash" in hand, Yaiba and his men finally attack Onimaru Castle, defeating the Four Heavenly Kings and fighting one-on-one with Onimaru, but Yaiba loses the "Raijin Ball" during the battle. Meanwhile, Onimaru's Fuujin Sword breaks during the fight, and he is forced to flee without a decisive victory.
By chance, Yaiba finds a map of the legendary balls scattered all over Japan at Sayaka's house, and he sets out on an adventure with his companions in search of the "Dragon God's Ball," which is said to allow them to fly freely through the air!

■Cast

・Yaiba/Minami Takayama・Sayaka/Kotono Mitsuishi・Kojiro/Jurota Kosugi・Jubei/Takaya Hashi・Musashi/Masaharu Sato・Onimaru/Ryo Horikawa・Kaguya/Rika Fukami

■ Main staff

・Planning / Yoshiaki Ito, Ren Usami ・Chief Director / Norihiko Sudo ・Series Composition / Norifumi Terada ・Character Design / Norihiro Matsubara ・Color Design / Kazuko Sato ・Art Director / Katsuyoshi Kanemura ・Director of Photography / Motoaki Ikegami ・Music / Kohei Tanaka ・Sound Director / Masafumi Mima ・Music Production / YOUMEX ・Editing / Toshio Henmi, Shigeyuki Yamamori ・Animation Producer / Shukichi Kanda ・Producer / Mutsuo Shimizu → Noriko Kobayashi, Toshihiro Nakazawa, Toshiaki Okuno

■ Main Characters

・Iron Blade (Kurogane Yaiba)
After overcoming various challenges, he finally obtains the legendary Dragon God's Jewel and fights against Onimaru and Kaguya to protect peace on Earth.
・Sayaka Mine Later, she goes on an adventure with the group. She seems to really like Yaiba, but...
・Miyamoto Musashi

・Rival of Onimaru Takeharu. He was captivated by the Fuujin Sword and became a demon. He is plotting to rule Japan.
・Kaguya
The Moon Empress invaded Earth 1000 years ago. Now she has come to invade Earth again.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Heisei Samurai Yaiba Appears! (1993/04/09)
Episode 2: The Resurrection of the Wind God's Sword! (1993/04/16)
Episode 3: The Sword of the Thunder God! The Sword of the Wind God (1993/04/23)
Episode 4: Attack of the Eighth Frog Man (1993/04/30)
Episode 5: The Deadly Senpuu Sword!! (1993/05/07)
Episode 6: The Terrifying Slug Man Arrives (1993/05/14)
Episode 7: The Weakness of the Eight-Eyed Spider Man!? (1993/05/21)
Episode 8: Vampire Bat Guy! (1993/05/28)
Episode 9: The Secret of Onimaru Manju (1993/06/04)
Episode 10: The Return of the Genius Swordsman Kojiro (1993/06/11)
Episode 11: Who is the best swordsman in Japan? (1993/06/18)
Episode 12: The birth of the secret technique, the Lightning Slash! (1993/06/25)
Episode 13: Giant Anglerfish!? Infiltration of Onimaru Castle (1993/07/02)
Episode 14: The Disappeared Chameleon! (1993/07/09)
Episode 15: Kojiro betrayed us!? (1993/07/16)
Episode 16: The Four Heavenly Kings' Strongest Machine Attack! (1993/07/23)
Episode 17: Wind and Thunder Clash!! Yaiba vs. Onimaru (1993/07/30)
Episode 18: Find the Legendary Ball! (1993/08/06)
Episode 19: What is the Golden Ball? (1993/08/13)
Episode 20: The Legend of the Red Dragon!! Amakusa Shiro Appears!! (1993/08/20)
Episode 21: Hell of Heat! Steal the Ball of Flame!! (1993/08/27)
・Episode 22: Goemon, the Great Thief of the World (1993/09/03)
Episode 23: Giant Battle! Great Buddha vs. Osaka Onimaru Castle (1993/09/10)
Episode 24: Friend or foe? Yagyu Jubei returns! (1993/09/17)
Episode 25: A Trap Awaits!? The Battle of Kawanakajima (1993/09/24)
Episode 26: The Dark Ball is the Entrance to the Dark World (1993/10/01)
Episode 27: Will you give up your dreams? Special sword training (1993/10/08)
Episode 28: Hardball Match! Defeat Benkei (1993/10/15)
Episode 29: What! 100,000 Legendary Balls? (1993/10/22)
Episode 30: Petrifying Poison Needle! Monkey Basho (1993/10/29)
Episode 31: Aim for the Mount Fuji Dragon God's Ball! (November 1993)
Episode 32: Yaiba loses the seven balls!? (1993/11/)
Episode 33: The Trial of the Merciless Dragon God! (1993/11/)
Episode 34: Vanishing Friends (November 1993)
Episode 35: The Strongest in History! Dragon God Sword!! (1993/12/03)
Episode 36: Invaders from the Moon: Empress Kaguya (December 10, 1993)
Episode 37: The Great Sinking! Onimaru's Floating Castle! (1993/12/17)
Episode 38: Tokyo Water Attack Operation!! (1993/12/24)
Episode 39: Moon Alien Combines with Gas Tank!? (1993/12/27)
・Episode 40: The New Dragon God Legend is Born!! (1994/01/07)
Episode 41: Woman Rescue Mission! (1994/01/14)
Episode 42: Jubei's body is stolen!? (1994/01/21)
Episode 43: Sayaka in trouble! Hurry up, Yaiba (1994/01/28)
Episode 44: Sayaka, the Dragon Priestess Targeted (1994/02/04)
・Episode 45: Gekko's Counterattack! Demon King Sword (1994/02/11)
Episode 46: Yaiba is defeated by the Demon King Sword! (1994/02/18)
Episode 47: Onimaru Returns! Save Sayaka!! (1994/02/25)
Episode 48: Take that! Combined Technique Wind and Thunder Wave (1994/03/04)
Episode 49: Kaguya's Terrifying True Form! (1994/03/11)
Episode 50: Desperate Situation! Losing the Yaiba Sword (1994/03/18)
Episode 51: The White Dragon God Appears!! (1994/03/25)
Episode 52: Tetsuyaiba, a Samurai! (1994/04/01)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Period/Episodes 1-52・If you have courage・Lyrics/Ichiban Ujikami・Composition/Seishiro Otsuki・Arrangement/Kabuki Rocks & Hideyuki Tsunoda・Song/Kabuki Rocks・Ending theme
・Period / Episodes 1-52 ・Battle Without Theosophy ・Lyrics / Kenji Otsuki ・Music / Kazuya Amikura ・Arrangement / Kabuki Rocks ・Song / Kabuki Rocks

Sword Hero Legend YAIBA - Detailed Review and Recommendation

YAIBA is a 52-episode anime series that aired on TV Tokyo from 1993 to 1994 and is based on the manga of the same name by Gosho Aoyama. The story follows the adventures and growth of Kuroganeyaiba, a young boy studying swordsmanship, and unfolds in an exciting world where swords, magic, friendship and courage intersect.

Story and Characters

The story begins when Tetsujin, who studied the ways of the samurai with his father, Kenjuro, in the jungle, returns to Japan and stays with his father's rival, Mine Raizo. There, he meets Raizo's daughter, Sayaka, and starts attending high school with her, where he comes face to face with his sworn enemy, Onimaru. Onimaru becomes fascinated with the "Fujin Sword" and follows the path of evil, so Tetsujin obtains the "Raijin Sword" to fight back against him, and undergoes rigorous training.

Tetsujin's character is portrayed as an innocent boy with a strong sense of justice and the courage to face difficulties. His growth and adventures move and excite the viewers. His friendship and love affair with Sayaka also add depth to the story and draw the viewers in. Onimaru appears as a powerful enemy, and his presence and fighting style give the viewers a sense of tension. Furthermore, the appearance of Kaguya, the Empress of the Moon who invaded Earth 1,000 years ago, brings a new development to the story, providing even more thrills and suspense.

Animation and Music

Animation was produced by Pastel, and character design was done by Tokuhiro Matsubara. The animation is visually enjoyable, with extremely dynamic swordplay and action scenes. The color design and art direction are also excellent, and the worldview of the story is expressed richly.

The music is by Kohei Tanaka, and the opening theme "If You Have Courage" and the ending theme "Battle Without Theosophy" are sung by Kabuki Rocks. These songs play an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story and eliciting emotions from the viewer. The opening theme in particular is a powerful song that symbolizes Tetsujin's courage and determination, and resonates in the hearts of viewers.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Yaiba" is an exciting anime series with themes of swordsmanship and adventure, providing viewers with a lot of excitement and thrills. The story is very fascinating, depicting Tetsujin's growth and adventures, friendship and romance, and battles with powerful enemies. The animation and music are also excellent, making it a visual and aural treat.

This work is especially recommended as an anime for boys, but viewers of all ages who like swordsmanship and adventure will enjoy it. You will be moved by Tetsujin's courage and determination, and the bond with his friends, and excited by the battles with Onimaru and Kaguya. It is a work that provides such a wonderful experience. Please give it a watch.