Mutsu Enmei-ryu Gaiden Shura no Toki: A thorough review of the fierce swordplay and profound story

●Part 1: Miyamoto Musashi

In the early Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate had just unified Japan, and it was a time when those who had yet to realize their dreams of war competed with each other and risked their lives. One day, the great warrior of the time, Miyamoto Musashi, who was the most highly regarded martial artist of his time, encounters Asura. The fateful showdown between those who aim to be the strongest man begins.

●Part 2: The Kan'ei Imperial Match

Times have changed, and in the Edo Kan'ei period, the Tokugawa Shogunate is about to hold a tournament to determine who will be number one in the world. Yagyu Munenori and the mysterious monk Nankoubou Tenkai engage in a series of schemes and schemes surrounding the tournament. Those who aim to be the strongest gather before the eyes of Tokugawa Iemitsu, and sparks fly in a fierce battle. Miyamoto Iori, who inherited the techniques of Musashi, and the mysterious girl Maru who calls herself Mutsu... What will be the outcome of the fateful showdown between Yagyu Jubei and Mutsu Tento?

●Part 3: Stormy End of the Edo Period

In the late Edo period, when the ideologies of the people - pro-imperial, anti-shogunate, anti-foreign, and anti-opening - were all mixed up, and people's way of life was being questioned anew, Mutsu Izumi met Sakamoto Ryoma, who had his sights set on the world, and they became allies. However, the turbulent times tore the two apart, and Izumo soon found himself facing off against the Shinsengumi's Okita Souji and Hijikata Toshizo, who sacrificed themselves for the samurai code.

Mutsu Enmei-ryu is a legendary martial art that has been passed down since the Heian period, in which fighting is done with bare hands. This is an epic story in which the successors of the Mutsu Enmei-ryu, who continue on their undefeated path, face off against master swordsmen from each era.

●Miyamoto Musashi Edition

・Mutsu Yakumo/Hiroki Takahashi・Miyamoto Musashi/Takashi Matsuyama・Iori Miyamoto (childhood)/Kikuchi Shin・Kisshomaru/Masu Nozomu・Takuan Osho/Ishihara Bon

●Kan'ei Imperial Match Edition

・Mutsu Tento/Koji Yusa・Maru/Masahito Suzuki・Iori Miyamoto (younger years)/Koji Watanabe・Jubei Yagyu/Hidefumi Takemoto・Sasuke/Tadashi Miyazawa・Munenori Yagyu/Sukekiyo Kameyama

●The Stormy End of the Edo Period

・Mutsu Izumi/Gouda Hozumi・Sakamoto Ryoma/Endou Akifumi・Okita Souji/Nakamura Yuichi・Hijikata Toshizou/Kusunoki Daisuke・Chiba Sadakichi/Tonohayama Fumiaki・Chiba Sanako/Hirata Eriko

・Original work: Kawahara Masatoshi・Director: Misawa Shin・Series composition: Takegami Junki・Character design and chief animation director: Hamazu Takehiro・Art director: Nishikura Chikara・Color design: Tsumori Yuko・Directors of photography: Morishita Seiichi, Takehara Kenji・Editor: Kojima Toshihiko・Sound director: Matsuoka Yuki・Music: Minobe Yutaka・Producers: Gushima Tomoko, Morimura Shoko, Itabashi Hidenori, Ooi Mamoru・Animation producer: Mogaki Hiromichi・Animation production: Studio Comet・Production: TV Tokyo, Sotsu Eizou, Marvelous Music Publishing

●Miyamoto Musashi Edition

・Mutsu Yakumo He is the successor to the legendary martial art "Mutsu Enmei-ryu", which is said to have remained undefeated for hundreds of years. It is said that he fights only "without hands", without using weapons such as swords, but very few people know about his techniques.

Miyamoto Musashi is a legendary strategist who is rumored to be the strongest in history. As a two-sword style swordsman, his name is known throughout Japan. He travels all over the country in search of strong opponents.

・Iori Miyamoto (childhood)
Musashi's only disciple. He ran away from where he was being looked after and is searching for Musashi.

・Kisshomaru (Shiori)
He is the son of the previous lord of a small castle. His uncle, who has become the new lord of the castle, is wary of his existence and is trying to kill him.

●Kan'ei Imperial Match Edition

A mysterious man who suddenly appears in front of Mutsu Tento Iori and Maru. He usually has his right eye closed, so Iori mistakes him for Yagyu Jubei. He knows Maru's purpose, but acts alongside him as an ally.

・En (Part 2)
A girl who calls herself "Mutsu" challenges the contestants of the tournament held by Iemitsu. She shows off her fearsome martial arts skills and defeats the Yagyu warriors in an instant. What is her true identity and purpose...?

・Iori Miyamoto (young adult)
A disciple of Miyamoto Musashi, who was known as the greatest swordsman in the world. He uses two swords just like his master. On his way to Edo to take part in a tournament in front of the emperor, he meets En and Tento.

Jubei Yagyu is rumored to be the strongest swordsman in Yagyu. He is widely known as the one-eyed swordsman. He is a fearsome man whose sword spirit made Sasuke say that it was of the same quality as Musashi.

A ninja who accompanied Sasuke En. He raised the young En and taught him his techniques.

A swordsman from Owari Yagyu. He takes part in a tournament in front of the shogun to prove the authenticity of the Yagyu style.

Munenori Yagyu: Head of the Edo Yagyu clan and father of Jubei. He works behind the scenes to protect the Yagyu school, which serves as the Shogun's instructor.

●The Stormy End of the Edo Period

・Mutsu Dekai A practitioner of the mysterious martial art "Mutsu Enmei-ryu". He visits the Okemachi Chiba dojo and challenges Ryoma Sakamoto to a fight.

・Ryōma Sakamoto came to Edo from Tosa to study swordsmanship and met Izumi and worked with him. Later he founded the Kaientai. He worked hard to establish the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance and achieved the restoration of imperial rule.

・Souji Okita At a young age, he entered Kondo Isami's Shieikan school. He later joined the Shinsengumi and became known as a genius swordsman. He fought Izumi and was fascinated by his strength.

・Toshizo Hijikata, vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, a group of assassins. He was feared by anti-Shogunate patriots for his strictness and skill with the sword.

Kogoro Katsura was a Choshu samurai who later changed his name to Takayoshi Kido. He was one of the leaders of the Choshu side in the movement to overthrow the shogunate. After the Meiji Restoration, he played an active role as a member of the new government.

Hanpeita Takechi was from the Tosa clan. He gathered together pro-Sonno-Joi low-ranking samurai and formed the Tosa Kinno Party. However, his radical activities angered the lord of Tosa, Uchida Yamauchi, and he was imprisoned and forced to commit seppuku.

Episode 1: The Man Like a Cloud (2004/04/06)
Episode 2: The Unrivaled Vessel (2004/04/13)
Episode 3: The Chain Sickle of the Gale (2004/04/20)
Episode 4: Reunion (2004/04/27)
Episode 5: Dark Tactics (2004/05/04)
Episode 6: The Battle of Sanbonmatsu (2004/05/11)
Episode 7: The Master of Battle (2004/05/18)
Episode 8: Tento and En (2004/05/25)
Episode 9: That Man, the Ogre (2004/06/01)
Episode 10: Plots over Mutsu (2004/06/08)
Episode 11: The Falling Waterfall (2004/06/15)
Episode 12: Kan'ei Imperial Match (2004/06/22)
・Episode 13: The Successor...(2004/06/29)
・Episode 14/Monster (2004/07/06)
Episode 15: Sleeping Dragon (2004/07/13)
Episode 16: Patriot of the Ocean (2004/07/20)
・Episode 17: Shinsengumi (2004/07/27)
・Episode 18: Dragon's Avatar (2004/08/03)
・Episode 19: The Dark Sea Battle (2004/08/10)
Episode 20: Assassin of the Jigenryu (2004/08/17)
Episode 21: My Friend, Ryoma Sakamoto (2004/08/24)
Episode 22: Farewell, Friend (2004/08/31)
・Episode 23/Promise (2004/09/07)
・Episode 24: Like Snow (2004/09/14)
Episode 25: North (2004/09/21)
・Episode 26: Demons and Demons (2004/09/28)

・OP1

・identity

Lyrics by Miyabi Kitani

・Composition: Miyabi Kitani

・Arrangement: sacra & Tatsuya Hirakawa

・Song: sacra

・ED1

・Summer Star

Lyrics by Wataru Tanaka

・Composer: Masato Tobisawa

・Arrangement/Nishikawa Susumu

・Song: Akane Osawa