Kamui (1964 manga)

Kamui (Japanese: カムイ伝, Hepburn: Kamui Den) is a manga series written and illustrated by Sanpei Shirato. Set in feudal Japan, it tells the story of a low-born ninja who has fled his clan. The series combines historical adventure with social commentary and themes of oppression and rebellion that reflect Shirato's Marxist convictions.

Kamui
Cover of the Viz English edition of The Legend of Kamui
カムイ
GenreAction, historical[1]
Manga
Kamui Den
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published bySeirindo
English publisher
MagazineGaro
DemographicSeinen
Original runDecember 1964 – July 1971
Volumes21
Further information
Manga
Kamui Gaiden
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published byShogakukan
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
DemographicShōnen
Original run1965 – 1967
Volumes2
Anime television series
The Chronicles of Kamui the Ninja
Directed byYonehiko Watanabe
Music byRyōichi Mizutani
StudioTCJ, Zuiyo
Original networkFuji TV
Original run April 6, 1969 – September 28, 1969
Episodes26
Manga
The Legend of Kamui
Written bySanpei Shirato
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
MagazineBig Comic
DemographicSeinen
Original run1982 – 1987
Volumes20
Manga
Kamui Den
Written bySanpei Shirato
Illustrated byTetsuji Okamoto
Published byShogakukan
MagazineBig Comic
DemographicSeinen
Original runMay 5, 1988 – April 10, 2000
Volumes22
Live-action film

Plot

Kamui is a ninja from the Edo period who has decided 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 then wanders around Japan to escape from them by using his intelligence and great abilities to survive. In the course of the series, Kamui begins to suffer from paranoia because of his status as a persecuted man. Kamui then started to believe that everybody wished to murder him and became distrusting of everyone he came across.

Publication

The original series, Kamui Den (カムイ伝), ran from December 1964 to July 1971 in the monthly gekiga magazine Garo. Two spin-offs series titled Kamui Gaiden (カムイ外伝) ran in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1965 to 1967 and in Big Comic from 1982 to 1987, respectively.[2][3] A continuation of Kamui Den, illustrated by Tetsuji Okamoto, ran from May 5, 1988, to April 10, 2000, in Big Comic.

In 1987, two volumes of the second Kamui Gaiden series became one of the first manga titles to be published in the United States (by Eclipse Comics and Viz Comics), as The Legend of Kamui. The Viz edition featured lettering and retouching by Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai.

Adaptations
Main article: Kamui Gaiden

The manga was adapted into an anime series The Chronicles of Kamui the Ninja (1969) and a live-action film Kamui Gaiden (2009) (based on the first and second Kamui Gaiden series, respectively).

The Chronicles of Kamui the Ninja (忍風カムイ外伝, Ninpū Kamui Gaiden) was produced by TCJ and Zuiyo in 1969.[4] It was broadcast in Japan from April 6, 1969, to September 28, 1969, by Fuji TV. Kamui the Ninja had 26 episodes with a running time of 22 minutes each. An episode of the series was dubbed to English and released as a VHS bundle by REMCO under their Secret of the Ninja toyline.

References
  1. Ruh, Brian (October 26, 2010). "Cartoon Culture Shock - Brain Diving". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  2. "週刊少年サンデー カムイ外伝(白土三平 赤目プロ作品)" (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  3. Trailer of "Kamui Gaiden", live-action film adaption of the Ninja Manga Classic - GIGAZINE
  4. "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.


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