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Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple

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Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple
File:KenichiLogo.png
Logo of the anime series
GenreMartial arts, Comedy, Romance
Manga
Written bySyun Matsuena
Published byJapan Shogakukan
MagazineShōnen Sunday
DemographicShōnen
Original runAugust 9 2002 ongoing – present
Volumes27
Anime
Directed byHajime Kamegaki
StudioTMS Entertainment
Released October 7 2006 – September 29 2007

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple (史上最強の弟子ケンイチ, lit. History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi) is a Japanese manga by Syun Matsuena serialized in the weekly manga magazine Shōnen Sunday.

The first tankōbon was published in August 9 2002. An anime adaptation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha aired from October 2006 to September 2007.

This manga is a remake of Tatakae! Ryōzanpaku Shijō Saikyō no Deshi (戦え!梁山泊 史上最強の弟子, lit. Fight! Ryōzanpaku, History's Strongest Disciple), which was serialized in the monthly manga magazine Shōnen Sunday Super, publishing five tankōbon between 2000 and 2002.

Storyline

The story focuses on Kenichi Shirahama (Shirahama Kenichi), an average 15-year-old weakling, whose life is upended with the appearance of the naive, beautiful, and strong transfer student, Miu Fūrinji. After Kenichi witnesses Miu's skills in martial arts, he joins the Ryōzanpaku dojo, a gathering place of those who are truly strong, which coincidentally also happens to be Miu's home. After beating a karate student in a match, he is soon targeted by all the delinquents in the school. Since then, Kenichi's daily routine is divided between his hellish training with the six masters of Ryōzanpaku, and his fights against the members of Ragnarok, a gang who views him as either a possible ally or an impending threat to their plans.

Characters

Main article: List of Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi characters
Kenichi Shirahama (白浜 兼一 ( ケンイチ ), Shirahama Ken'ichi) Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki
Kenichi is a first year high school student, who likes to read How to... books. He was initially viewed as a weakling by the rest of his school, and was ranked as the weakest student. In order to become strong enough to protect others, he becomes a disciple of the Ryōzanpaku Dojo, and eventually lives there, so he can fully embrace his masters' teachings. Despite his whiny nature, he grows to be a strong fighter when motivated, usually when using his skill to protect others, adversary and ally alike. Isshinsai Ogata believes that he possesses untapped potential, and if he could unlock it, Kenichi would become the strongest in the world.
Miu Fūrinji (風林寺 美羽, Fūrinji Miu) Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami
Miu is a first year high school student, who also happens to be in the same class as Kenichi. She transferred into his school from Shōchiki Academy, a prestigious school in the area. She admits to Kenichi that she had no friends at her previous school because she "stood out" too much, she now wears fake glasses in an effort to moderate her appearance.

Terminology

Dō
A Dō type martial artist uses his anger to exceed his limits. According to the manga, Apachai and Sakaki are both Dō types. It seems that Dō types are more prone to move onto the Asura path (the killing path), because they fight with anger, and can hardly control themselves when fighting. However, Apachai and Sakaki are kind by nature, so they avoided walking onto the Asura path; though they are still hot blooded fighters.
Sei
A Sei type martial artist hides his intention to fight, then releases it quickly. According to the manga, it actually means that this type of martial artist fights not with power or anger, but with talent, skills, and wit. These traits are evident in Shigure, Kensei and Akisame.
Attacks and techniques:
Sōtenshu
A Hakkyouken's attack learned from Kensei Ma. You push away the attacks of the enemy, and when you get closer, push the enemy with both hands.
Details: You stand with your right foot front. As you make a circular movement with both your hands, you step with your left foot. Then (while stepping), you bring your hands to your right. You then push both your hands forward and hit the ground with your left foot at the same time. This move is seen in episode 32.
Seikūken
A defensive technique first deployed by Odin. It involves controlling the entire radius within one's arm length, creating an impenetrable shield around oneself. In the anime Odin supplements this technique by releasing high amounts of ki, allowing him to confuse and scare his opponents, causing wayward attacks. The Seikūken can only be erected with a calm mind (i.e. jumping around or moving will make it difficult); if one is not calm, it would be near impossible to erect the Seikūken. In volume 16 of the manga, during his battle with Kenichi, Odin shows that he is able to overcome this limitation. The Sei type masters at Ryōzanpaku were able to implement Seikūken with just their mind. In chapter 257, Kenichi understands the second level of Seikuken, and is able to deflect stones from an explosion with seemingly no effort.
It is also a term actually used by the Karate and Aikido (See also: Maai).
Yamazaki
A Karate's attack learned from Shio Sakaki. You pretend to aim for the head with your left fist, but when they try to block it, you hit them in the stomach with your right fist. This attack is forbidden in sport karate.
Details: Step in with your left foot, and pretend that your main attack is a punch to your opponent's head. When they block it, pull the fist back, and use that fluent motion to make a punch to the opponent's stomach with the opposite fist.
Kao Loy
A Muay Thai's knee-dive to the opponent's head learned from Apachai.
Details: Grab the opponent by their neck or head. Then jump up and hit their face with your right knee. In the anime, this attack is said to be useful when the opponent is running towards you.
Kuchiki daoshi
A Jujitsu attack learned from Akisame Kōetsuji. Grab the opponent's knee with both hands and lift it up, making the enemy fall.
Details: Shirahama uses this attack after a Ugyuhaitou, a punch in the stomach. While punching in the stomach with his right hand, he grabs the opponent's knee with his left. After that, he grabs it with his right too and he proceeds as above.
Sawk Klab
A Muay Thai technique Kenichi learns from Apachai.
Details: This technique is performed by getting your opponent behind you, then turning and hitting his/her neck with an elbow blow (reverse elbow). This is the first Muay Thai technique that Kenichi learns after starting the techniques with his masters.
Kouho and Haiho (扣歩・擺歩)
A Hakkeshou's sidestep technique taught by Fūrinji Miu. When an opponent attacks, you circle around his side, and appear behind him.
Details: When someone attacks with their right hand, put your right foot behind their left, with your two feet pointing towards each other. After that, follow up with your left foot, circle behind your opponent's left side and you appear behind the opponent. This can be followed by a throw; when behind the opponent's rear, hit their neck with your right arm, and put your right leg behind their legs. You should not necessarily hit the oppponent's neck too severely, as the opponent will have lost their balance already depending on the speed of the attack, not the strength of it.

Adaptations

Anime

Main article: List of Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi episodes

An anime adaptation of Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha first started airing on October 7 2006. It aired a total of fifty episodes, covering from the beginning of the story to the confrontation against the top members of Ragnarok.

Music themes

Opening themes
Title Transcription/Translation Artist Episodes
Be Strong n/a Kana Yazumi 1-25
ヤッホー Yahhō Diva x Diva 26-50
Ending themes
Title Transcription/Translation Artist Episodes
君がいるから Kimi ga Iru Kara/Because you are there Issei Eguchi 1-15
Catch Your Dream☆ n/a Koike Joanna 16-25
Run Over n/a Koike Joanna 26-45
Kokoro Kara no Message A message from Heart Sakura 46-49
Be Strong n/a Kana Yazumi 50

Games

On March 15 2007, Capcom released the series' first game,Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi: Gekitō! Ragnarok Hachikengō, exclusively on the PlayStation 2. It is currently only available in Japan. The story is based on the Ragnarok arc which was the main storyline of the anime, so most of the main characters from the anime are in the game. It contains a fast paced versus battle mode with 14 characters. There is also an option to play in story mode or in practice mode for learning new attacks.

Differences between the manga and anime

  • In the manga, Kenichi starts training at Ryōzanpaku after beating Daimonji. Miu's map was so confusing that Kenichi needed Honoka to decipher it for him.
  • A short arc before Kenichi's showdown with Hermit showed that Akisame had brought Kenichi to train in the mountains to learn the art of strategy. However, at the end of the short arc, Kenichi showed that training can surpass even strategy. This arc is not shown in the anime.
  • In the manga, after the battle between Kenichi and Hermit, there is a short arc where Kenichi and Sakaki challenged another dojo, where one of the members of the Shinpaku Alliance was learning an unsportsmanlike version of martial arts (poking the opponents' eyes, using foldable chairs to attack, etc.). This arc is not shown in the anime.
  • Right after defeating Thor, the next chapter showed Kenichi slacking off in his training as he thought he was strong enough. His masters proved otherwise, with Apachai getting him severely injured. This is not shown in the anime.
  • Right after the arc where Kisara quit Ragnarok, the following 5 chapters followed Hayato's recounts of his meeting with Apachai, and how the latter followed him to Ryōzanpaku. This arc, which is not shown in the anime, was then immediately followed by Nījima's plan 'H' to get Hermit to join the Shinpaku Alliance. This is set after Kenichi went on the mountain retreat with Hayato in the anime, but in the manga, Kenichi participated in the action.
  • There is a short arc where Kenichi's father visited him at the Ryōzanpaku Dojo, and after witnessing the actual training, tried to get Kenichi to return home. He brought along his new gun, Ludwig, which he secretly bought without his wife's knowledge.
  • In the manga, the 馬 family (Kensei, Sōgetsu, Renka, etc.) pronounces their family name ば, (Ba); in the anime, and in some translations, this has been changed to the usual Chinese pronunciation, ま (Ma.)
  • Blood in the anime version is either significantly reduced, or removed entirely when compared to the manga.
  • The anime ends before the YOMI arc, thus its existence is omitted.

Differences from Tatakae!! Ryōzanpaku

The plot to the 5 volume monthly predecessor to the series was mostly the same, with a few major differences:

  • Shigure does not exist in the monthly version, and two of the masters are said to be away on a journey (the silhouette of one of them seems to be Shigure, though). Also, Akisame's age is said to be 28 instead of 38, but despite the 10 year age difference his looks are the same.
  • Kenichi and Miu do no attend the same high school.
  • Ba Kensei and Ikki Takeda both look completely different. Additionally, Takeda is named Takenouchi (竹ノ内) (possibly a parody of Ippo Makunouchi from Hajime no Ippo) and is the captain of the boxing team. Natsu Tanimoto is also instead named Natsu Sugimoto (杉本 夏, Sugimoto Natsu).
  • The group Kenichi battles against is named Snake (スネイク) and is headed by three main members: Shōgo Furukawa (吉川 将吾, Furukawa Shōgo) (Top One), Natsu Sugimoto/Hermit (Top Two), and Kisara Nanjō (Top Three). The three of them later appeared in Kenichi as members of Ragnarok (Furukawa appeared as Berserker). Ragnarok was used as the name of Snake's rival group.
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