Karasu Tengu Kabuto (鴉天狗カブト, lit. "Crow Goblin Kabuto") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Buichi Terasawa in 1987.

Karasu Tengu Kabuto
Cover of the Taiwanese edition of volume 2 of the manga Karasu Tengu Kabuto
鴉天狗カブト
GenreHistorical fantasy[1]
Manga
Written byBuichi Terasawa
Published byShueisha
English publisherComicsOne
MagazineFresh Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original run19871988
Volumes2
Anime television series
Directed byGen Fukuda
Takashi Watanabe
Written byHideki Mitsui
StudioTerasawa Production
Original networkNHK
Original run July 29, 1990 June 30, 1991
Episodes39 (26 episodes to cover the manga with 13 episodes to new additions on re-used episodes as specials)
Original video animation
Raven Tengu Kabuto: The Golden-Eyed Beast
Directed byBuichi Terasawa
Produced byJunko Ito
Kazuo Nakamura
Kenji Toyoda
Koji Iwakawa
Takumi Ogawa
Written byBuichi Terasawa
Music byNaritsugu Nagaoka
Seikou Nagaoka
StudioNakamura Production
Licensed byUS Renditions (defunct)
ReleasedJuly 24, 1992
Runtime45 minutes

Plot

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Those who have the blood of the Karasu Tengu (Crow Goblin) in their veins must forever fight against the powers of darkness. Along with four other holy ninja warriors Genbu (Black Snaky Tortoise), Suzaku (Red Phoenix), Seiryu (Blue Dragon), Byakko (White Tiger), Karasu Tengu Kabuto fights against the evil god Kuroyasha (Black Night Demon) Dôki and his underlings such as Junin-shu (Top Ten Warriors). Their battle continues through generations: in the second volume of the manga, Kabuto's son makes an appearance as the second Karasu Tengu.

Media

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Manga

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The manga has been serialized in Shueisha's Fresh Jump in 1987–1988, and later published in the United States by ComicsOne (as Kabuto in 2001),[2]

Anime

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The manga was later adapted into the 39-episode anime series written by Hideki Mitsui and directed by Gen Fukuda and Takashi Watanabe in 1990–1991, premiering on NHK BS-2 on July 29, 1990. There were also six special episodes.

Episodes 14 to 26, which tell an anime-original storyline, have never been released on home video, even in Japan. Episodes 1 to 13, which cover Volume 1 of the manga, & Episodes 27 to 39, which cover Volume 2, were released on VHS & LD, both in their original episode forms & via four compilation movies, but the middle portion of the anime only ever aired on TV.

Original video animation

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An OVA, Raven Tengu Kabuto: The Golden-Eyed Beast (鴉天狗カブト 黄金の目のケモノ, Karasu Tengu Kabuto: Ôgon no me no Kemono), was released in 1992. It was released in the U.S. on VHS as Kabuto the Golden Eye Monster by US Renditions in 1992.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Ross, Carlos. "Raven Tengu Kabuto: The Golden-Eyed Beast". THEM Anime Reviews. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  2. ^ Kabuto, Volume 1
  3. ^ Kabuto the Golden Eye Monster (VHS)
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