Keiji (manga)

Summary

Hana no Keiji (花の慶次, lit. The Flowery Keiji) is a Japanese period manga series, based on the novel Ichi-Mu-An Fūryūki by Keiichiro Ryu and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from March 1990 to August 1993. The story serves as a fictionalized account of the life of Keiji Maeda. Hana no Keiji is one of best-selling Weekly Shōnen Jump manga series of all time, with over 17 million copies in circulation.[3] An English adaptation was published in Raijin Comics under the shortened title Keiji.

Keiji
Manga volume 1 cover, featuring Maeda Keiji
花の慶次 -雲のかなたに-
(Hana no Keiji -Kumo no Kanata ni-)
GenreHistorical,[1] samurai[2]
Manga
Written byKeiichiro Ryu
Illustrated byTetsuo Hara
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
English magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runMarch 12, 1990August 2, 1993
Volumes18
Further information
Game
DeveloperTOSE
PublisherYojigen
GenreFighting
PlatformSuper Famicom
ReleasedNovember 18, 1994
Manga
Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Tsuki-gatari-
Written by
  • Tetsuo Hara
  • Nobuhiko Horie
Illustrated byYuji Takemura
Published byShinchosha
MagazineWeekly Comic Bunch
DemographicSeinen
Original runNovember 7, 2008August 27, 2010
Volumes9
Manga
Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Sake-gatari
Written byTetsuo Hara
Nobuhiko Horie
Illustrated byYuji Takemura
Published byTokuma Shoten
MagazineMonthly Comic Zenon
DemographicSeinen
Original runOctober 25, 2010January 27, 2014
Volumes10
Anime television series
Kanetsugu & Keiji
Directed byBob Shirahata
Produced byNaoki Miya
Written byYasuhiro Imagawa
Music byKazsin
StudioStudio Deen
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run July 2, 2013 December 17, 2013
Episodes25
Manga
Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Hana-gatari
Written by
  • Tetsuo Hara
  • Nobuhiko Horie
Illustrated byMasato Deguchi
Published byTokuma Shoten
MagazineMonthly Comic Zenon
DemographicSeinen
Original runMarch 24, 2014October 25, 2018
Volumes14

Characters edit

Maeda Keiji (前田 慶次)
A tall military commander who is said to be the best "kabukimono" on Earth. Although the son of Takigawa Kazumasu, he was adopted by Maeda Toshihisa, Toshiie's older brother. Despite this, Toshiie dislikes him. A free-spirited warrior who lives by his own will. His beloved horse is named Matsukaze (松風).
Sutemaru (捨丸)
A pint-sized shinobi who formerly served Yotsui Shume. Even though his younger brother was trampled to death by Keiji and his horse Matsukaze, he becomes fascinated with Keiji to the point of infatuation and becomes his follower.
Iwabei (岩兵衛)
A character original to the manga. A resident from the Village of Seven Faces who has the face of an oni. He fought against Keiji at first in order to rescue his adoptive daughter Ofū, but comes to admire Keiji's character and eventually becomes one of his followers. He possesses enormous strength, as well as the ability to read minds.
Ofū (おふう)
Matsu (まつ)
Maeda Toshiie (前田 利家)

Media edit

Manga edit

Hana no Keiji is based on the novel Ichi-Mu-An Fūryūki (一夢庵風流記) by Keiichiro Ryu and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was originally published as a one-shot manga in issue #50 of 1989 of the shōnen manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump, released on November 27. The regular serialization started in 1990 in Weekly Shōnen Jump from issue #13, dated March 12, and finished in 1993, in issue #33 dated August 2.[4] 18 tankōbon volumes were published by Shueisha under the "Jump Comics" imprint between July 10, 1990, and November 4, 1993.[5][6] The series was republished in a 10-volume bunkōban edition by Shueisha, published between March 18 and November 18, 1999.[7][8] A 15-volume kanzenban edition by Tokuma Shoten was released from September 30, 2004, to October 29, 2005.[9][10]

In 2003, an English version of the manga was serialized in the short-lived anthology Raijin Comics published by the now-defunct Gutsoon! Entertainment, where the first 26 chapters were printed, until Raijin Comics ceased its publication in 2004. No collected volumes were published.[1][11]

Spin-offs edit

In 2008, a Keiji spin-off titled Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Tsuki-gatari-, written by Tetsuo Hara and Nobuhiko Horie and illustrated by Yuji Takemura, began serialization in Shinchosha's Weekly Comic Bunch on November 7.[11] The series was stopped on August 27, 2010, after Weekly Comic Bunch ended its publication.[12] Nine volumes were published.

In 2010, a sequel entitled Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Sake-gatari started in the brand new magazine Monthly Comic Zenon by Tokuma Shoten on October 25, 2010.[13] The manga finished on January 27, 2014, with ten volumes being published.[14][15]

A final arc entitled Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Hana-gatari, written by Hara and Horie and illustrated by Masato Deguchi, was published in the May issue of Monthly Comic Zenon on March 24, 2014.[16] The series finished on October 25, 2018.[17] As of November 20, 2018, fourteen volumes have been published.[18]

Related media edit

Shueisha released an audiobook version of Hana no Keiji in December 1993. The audiobook stars Akio Ōtsuka as the voice of Keiji Maeda.

A Hana no Keiji video game was developed by TOSE and published by Yojigen for the Super Famicom on November 18, 1994. It is a competitive weapon-based fighting game which adapts the storyline of the manga from the beginning and up until the Fūma Kotarō arc.

Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Sake-gatari has been adapted into an anime television series aired on TV Tokyo on July 2, 2013, entitled Gifū Dōdō!! Kanetsugu to Keiji,[19] and was streamed on Crunchyroll.[20] The 25-episodes series aired until December 17, 2013.[21]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Surat, Daryl (June 7, 2010). "Hana no Keiji". Otaku USA. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  2. ^ "ABOUT HARA TETSUO". Raijin Comics. Archived from the original on October 9, 2003.
  3. ^ "Top Manga Properties in 2008 - Rankings and Circulation Data". Comipress. December 31, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  4. ^ 週刊少年ジャンプ 花の慶次 -雲のかなたに-(原哲夫 / 隆慶一郎). Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  5. ^ 花の慶次 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on February 26, 2007.
  6. ^ 花の慶次 18 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 27, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  7. ^ 花の慶次―雲のかなたに― 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  8. ^ 花の慶次―雲のかなたに― 10 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  9. ^ トクマコミックス 花の慶次 雲のかなたに(1)完全版 (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  10. ^ トクマコミックス 花の慶次 雲のかなたに(15)完全版 (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Loo, Egan (October 17, 2008). "Tetsuo Hara to Launch Keiji Spinoff Naoe Kanetsugu". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  12. ^ Loo, Egan (June 18, 2010). "Comic Bunch, Comic Yuri Hime S Mags to End Publication". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  13. ^ Loo, Egan (October 12, 2010). "Monthly Comic Zenon to Succeed Comic Bunch Manga Mag (Updated)". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  14. ^ 「義風堂々!!」酒語り編完結、新章は3月よりスタート. Natalie (in Japanese). January 27, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  15. ^ Nelkin, Sarah (December 21, 2013). "Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu -Maeda Keiji Sake-gatari Manga to End in 10th Volume". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  16. ^ Ressler, Karen (February 24, 2014). "Final Gifū Dōdō!! Naoe Kanetsugu Manga Arc to Start". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  17. ^ Ressler, Karen (September 26, 2018). "Gifū Dōdō!! Manga Ends on October 25". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  18. ^ 義風堂々!!直江兼続 ~前田慶次花語り~ ⑭ (in Japanese). Tokuma Shoten. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  19. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (June 22, 2013). "Gifū Dōdō!! Kanetsugu to Keiji Anime's TV Ads Streamed". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  20. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (July 1, 2013). "Crunchyroll to Stream Gifū Dōdō!! Kanetsugu to Keiji TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  21. ^ アニメ「義風堂々!!」公式サイト. gifuu.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved May 4, 2019.

External links edit

  • Gifū Dōdō!! official website (in Japanese)
  • Keiji (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia