Hotaru's Wooden Clog

One thing that catch my attention from Samurai Deeper Kyo is Hotaru's geta (wooden clogs) called Ippon-ba-geta (one-support geta). Hotaru, another sexy guy from SDK, was sent to spy on Kyo. He was actually a member of the five stars of the Mibu. His geta is different from other's geta because it needs extra effort to keep the balance (look at the picture). Imagine with this one-support geta Hotaru has to fight Kyo and others. It shows how good his balance is. Also, it's still produced in Japan nowadays.

I miss him

I miss him, really. I miss his silence, his stunning acts and his piercing red eyes. I really really crazy about him. He is not just a figure, but he is the metaphore of my life. I can't express myself but by imagining him.
I miss you Kyo. :,(

February Calendar

I just make a calendar, from Kyo manga from fd's Flckr Toys. I like this part best, the last part. It matched with the february theme, valentine's day.

The Final Book of Samurai Deeper Kyo

Finally I finished reading Samurai Deeper Kyo. The final battle between Kyo and the former Aka no Ou (Crimson King) is the final part of whole story's conflict. It was more philosophical, and very insightful. It revealed the secrets of the former Crimson King and his relationship with Kyo. Also the relation between Kyo and Kyoshiro is revealed clearly. Why they looked like ''best friends" to each other, how their deep relationship grew in the past far before the battle of Sekigahara. Kyoshiro is well described in this volume, along with the secrets of the Mibu. But I still have big question marks on how Kyo was born, still is not known who his parents were, and his real name is. He's still a mystery, we only know him as the last of the real Mibu but nothing more than that. Why was he, in his childhood has many conversations with the former Crimson King, is still kept unexplained. I think that's best part of the story, keeping his real past and identity in secret to maintain his mysterious image.

With the final book of Kyo in hand, I miss the excitement of waiting for another chapter of the next story. No more Kyo will be waiting - T_T I will miss Kyo, his piercing red eyes, and his battle. I read the book from 2005 and his image is kept well in my mind. I admire his character, which is determined, always believe in himself. He is not interested in money, power or wealth. He only interested in the calling of his heart, which in the story is to be the strongest samurai - at first, but ended as the strongest character in the last book. Not only he has overcome the evil destiny of his own blood - the real Mibu blood -, he has found the true meaning of love.

Kyo, his character has gradually changed from the first story to the end. From a selfish person to a person who can appreciate others and care for others even for his enemy. That's what Kyoshiro has witnessed too. I like this part because it shows that people, no matter how bad he is, still have some good side in him. In the story, no matter how fierce he is, he still has a heart. It is once said that Kyoshiro had using Kyo's name to make a bad reputation of him. I will miss Kyo a lot. Although I no longer waiting for his series, his character is still in my heart. His character has been an inspiration to me. His passion, his own idealism, is motivating me. Sayonara Kyo-san!

Kyo and Ashura

Samurai Deeper Kyo 34 : Ashura had captured Akari's soul so she couldn't take control of herself any longer. All she wanted is to kill Kyo. Kyo was trying hard to wake Akari's soul inside, to fight the Ashura within. The best part was when Kyo told her that he liked her. He wanted her to be his friend regardless what kind of monster she was. He didn't care about her past, he just wanted her to be his friend, that's all he wanted. If she died he would loose a friend. Akari had awakened and had courage to face her own dream at last. She tried to kill Kyo again but he captured the medusa eye and reflected it to his own sword. The medusa turned into stone as it faced its own reflection. The witty part was when Kyo reminded Akari that if all her dreams was not real at least "there is one that is real", he said that with a meaningful grin.

Meet 'Ashura'!

Kyo & friends managed to find Fubuki & Hishigi eventually. Suddenly, the secret weapon of Hishigi unleashed: Ashura. Fubuki meet again with his ex-disciple, Shin Rei. Yu An against Hishigi and Kyo himself has to beat the Ashura, in order to make the Ashura 'tamed'. Who is Ashura? Find it in Samurai Deeper Kyo vol 34.

The Concept of Kyo

Why I like Kyo? Is there any particular reason to like him? Kyo is a type of bad guy. Opposite to Kyoshiro, who is perceived as a nice, helpful person (supported by his current doing as a medicineman), Kyo is pictured as a manslaughtered, fierce and cruel.

For me, Kyo is more like an utopia of character. He has the character I don't have. He is fearless, compare to myself who is most of the time fear of almost anything. He is focused. On the other hand I'm easily distracted. I can use him as an euphoria in some way. I can make myself have a feeling as if I was him. As if I have his character, although it's only in a mind, not something real. I can say that is a mechanism not a day dreaming. Because that behaviour is repeating, I can say it's a self-defense mechanism. Coz when I find dificulties to cope problems, I begin to "induce" myself with my own "Concept of Kyo" so I act as if I was him. '_'

So, it's not because he is cute or handsome. Because he is me, and I am him.

Onime no Kyo

Those fearful eyes...

The Most Fearful Character in The Story

Right now Kyo is the most favorite character for me. Not just about his coolness I admire. But the way he saw things really thrilled me. He never shows fear when facing the most fearful enemy. He never frightened even when defeated and was about stabbed by Kyoshiro. At that time no sign of fear in his eyes at all. Because of that people wondered if he human or not. He is a human after all. He showed anger, he showed sadness a bit. Maybe he felt fear slightly but I think he hid it well to deceive his enemy. Kyo, the most fearful character in the story and yet after many events happened in his journey, he is showing his humanity.

Samurai Deeper Kyo to End

Samurai Deeper Kyo manga that has been released since 1999 has approaching its end, according to Manga News. It has will end in Weekly Shonen Magazine issue 23, on May 10th. I'm gone miss Kyo then... :(

Meanwhile, Bleach vol. 22 has set its place as the number 1 in Japan Weekly Top 10.

Kyo's Sword Style

Some notes from Wikipedia about Kyo's Sword Style:

Mumyo Jinpu Ryu Satsujin Ken

Demon Eyes Kyo's sword style is the Mumyo Jinpu Ryu Satsujin Ken (Earthly Wind of God Style Murdering Sword), which was taught to him by Muramasa, his master and the man who made Kyo's sword. It teaches standard fencing skills and defense, but they are far more powerful than any of the skills of other sword styles. It is the most powerful sword school in the Mibu Clan. His attacks are:

• Mizuchi: An attack that uses the air to cut an opponent to pieces.
• Shinkiro: An attack that creates illusion of his opponent's worse nightmare, then kills him, and is usually shortened to Shin.
• Suzaku: An attack that's so fast, even one of the Four Emperors can barely follow the attack's path. A fiery phoenix surrounds Kyo as he cuts his into his opponent. If the first attack does not kill his opponent or is turned aside somehow, a second attack with twice as much power, is used immediately.
• Byakko: A white tiger that tears the opponent aparts with it's claws. A superior technique to Suzaku, and consequently, the difficulty of execution and the subsequent stress on Kyo is also greater.
• Genbu: A black tortoise entwined with serpents, and is both an offensive and defensive technique. Genbu's shell protects Kyo from an opponent's attack, while the serpents bind and destroy them.
• Seiryu: More than a dozen Mizuchi are projected towards the opponent and surrounds them, eventually merging to create an immobilizing and destructive whirlwind that pulls the opponent into the heavens, where the waiting Kyo (in the form of the legendary blue dragon) descends to deliver the final blow.
• Kouryu: During the final battle with Mibu Kyoshiro, Kyo's faith reaches it's peak and allows him to surpass his limits, giving him the ability to summon all of the Four Gods simultaneously, which in turn brought forth from the heavens a golden wind of unsurpassed power. But it's while in possession of his original body that Kyo was able to summon the golden wind again in it's true form: the ultimate heavenly dragon Kouryu.

"He was the one who taught me the meaning of fighting itself."

The kind of person who is not seeking wealth or power. He seeks perfection in strength. He is not fighting for money or possession but for the meaning of fighting itself: Onime no Kyo.

Who is Kyoshiro?

Kyoshiro Mibu

Finally Nobunaga meet Kyo again. In a fierce battle, suddenly Kyoshiro show up again. He managed to take over Kyo's body and tells everybody who he is and how he will control everything that has been messed up because of his absence. Who is he actually and what is his role to the story? Find it out in Samurai Deeper Kyo Volume 30.

The Legend

once a fearful warrior,
wrapped in scarlet armour
red long haired head glowed
in the middle of the battle...
a name to be known for ages
nobody would forget the name,

four years ago
the legend, the legacy
is there to be remembered
still you fight for it.
onime no kyo.

Comments on Samurai Deeper Kyo

Samurai Deeper Kyo has no black or white character. The hero or the center of the story is a man slaughter, a cold blooded warrior with terribly fearful reputation. Throughout the story, the character of Kyo had developed interestingly. Separated from his old time companion who shared the same strength and fear, Shiseiten, Kyo's character gradually developed from a cold hearted anti-social warrior to a social and caring person without him realised the change. He had found a new expressions he never encountered such as compassion and love within his new group. A bunch of people who consist of bounty hunter who had been helpful and caring, an adventurous young man who tried to run away from his dutiful heritage, a superior ninja, a spy who had fallen in love with him, and a ambitious warrior-politician. The relationship among them had developed into a higher level of understanding and unspeakable faith without them realizing that.

The Second: Onime No Kyo

Nobody knew what happened during the fight of two powerful men, Onime no Kyo, or so called The "Demon Eyes Kyo" against Mibu Kyoshiro in the Battle of Sekigahara. The legendary two red piercing eyes warrior who slaughtered 1000 men seemed vanished from the earth after the battle is over. Onime no Kyo was so powerful that anybody doubted him as human. Four years after the battle he appeared from the body of Kyoshiro, a decent herbalist who couldn't even kill a fly. Some said the only person who can beat him is Mibu Kyoshiro. But, who is Kyoshiro? Why he seemed experience amnesia after that battle and changed into a different person? Kyoshiro, his life itself was surrounded by mysteries.