Raiko
Also known as: Raikou
- Studio
- NTV, VAP, Production I.G
- Animation studio
- Production I.G
- Distributor
- Anime Works
Synopsis
When the legendary gem Magatama is stolen by the barbaric Tsuchigumo clan, one noble warrior receives the order to bring the jewel back to the capital city of Heian: his name is Minamoto no Raiko. But Raiko's unexpected illness forces him to renounce the accomplishment of his perilious mission. And so Hikaru, the youngest daughter of the Minamoto family, disguises herself as a man, and assuming the identity of her elder brother Raiko, starts her journey in search of the Magatama. Together with Watanabe no Tsuna, an one-eyed retainer who made an oath of brotherhood with Raiko, Hikaru heads to Hitachi-no-Kuni, the land of the Tsuchigumo clan, but she is attacked by her enemies on the way. Her hands hesitate while she draws her bow, and for the first time in her life, Hikaru shoots an arrow at another human being.
Characters
Hikaru (Minamoto no Hikaru), Tsuna (Watanabe no Tsuna), Sadamitsu, Urabe, Kintaro, Mansairaku, Abe no Seimei, Urabe no Suetake, Villagers; English Version: Aya's Father, Minister of the Left, Regent, Mansairaku, Minister of the Right, Minamoto no Mitsunaka, Totate, Watanabe no Tsuna, Minamoto no Raiko, Taroumaru, Hoshikuma, Minamoto no Hikaru, Usui no Sadamitsu, Emperor, Abe no Seimei, Tabigeinin
Credits
Directing
- Director
- Jun Takahashi
- Series Director
- Mizuho Nishikubo
Writing
- Writer
- Yoshiki Sakurai
Animation
- Animator
- Akiharu Ishii (Animation Director)
- Series Animation Director
- Kazuchika Kise
Voices
- Voice
- Fumie Mizusawa (Hikaru [Minamoto no Hikaru]), Kenta Miyake (Tsuna [Watanabe no Tsuna]), Oki Sugiyama (Sadamitsu), Kumi Sakuma (Urabe), Wasabi Mizuta (Kintaro), Shinichirô Miki (Mansairaku), Kan Tokumaru (Abe no Seimei), Kumi Sakuma (Urabe no Suetake), Yasuhiro (Villager 2), Michael Forest (Minister of the Left), Barbara Goodson (Narrator), Steve Kramer (Regent), Lex Lang (Mansairaku), Joey Lotsko (Minister of the Right), Dave Mallow (Tabigeinin A), Michael McConnohie (Minamoto no Mitsunaka), Tony Oliver (Totate), Jamieson Price (Watanabe no Tsuna), Steve Staley (Minamoto no Raiko), Doug Stone (Taroumaru), Paul St. Peter (Tabigeinin B), Kim Strauss (Hoshikuma), Julie Ann Taylor (Minamoto no Hikaru), Kirk Thornton (Usui no Sadamitsu), Ezra Weisz (Emperor), Tom Wyner (Abe no Seimei)
Music
- Music
- Hideki Taniuchi
Editing
- Editor
- Taeko Hamauzu
Crew
- Plot Supervisor
- Yoshiki Sakurai
- Original Character Concept
- Sho-u Tajima
- Character Design
- Kazuchika Kise
- Series Director
- Mizuho Nishikubo
- Series Animation Director
- Kazuchika Kise
- Cinematography
- Miki Sakuma
- Color Designator
- Kumiko Yusa
- Sound Director
- Kazuhiro Wakabayashi
- Editor
- Taeko Hamauzu
Companies and other credits
- Voice: English Version: Joe Cappelletti (Aya's Father)
- Original Concept: Production I.G
- Original Concept: NTV
Production notes
It is 972 A.D., the middle of the Heian Era in ancient Japan...
Kyoto, the capital of the country, is suffering serious famine and widespread disease. But to make the chaotic situation even worse, samurai and onmyoji are continuing their selfish strife for supremacy of political power.
Unable to overlook the calamity any longer, the Imperial Court orders Minamoto no Raiko, a samurai well-known for his archery skills, to seek out a legendary gem said to hold mysterious power to save the world.
But Raiko himself also falls ill. So instead, the youngest daughter in the Minamoto family, Hikaru, disguised as a samurai and pretending to be her brother, departs on a long journey in a quest to for the gem. Together with her faithful bodyguard, Watanabe no Tsuna, she finds herself caught up in many adventures, acquiring companions who join her for the quest.
She encounters a handsome sarugakushi named Mansairaku and also an enigmatic onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, and experiences countless unpredictable incidents. Hiding her feelings toward Mansairaku, Hikaru gradually gets involved in a great battle...
Kyoto, the capital of the country, is suffering serious famine and widespread disease. But to make the chaotic situation even worse, samurai and onmyoji are continuing their selfish strife for supremacy of political power.
Unable to overlook the calamity any longer, the Imperial Court orders Minamoto no Raiko, a samurai well-known for his archery skills, to seek out a legendary gem said to hold mysterious power to save the world.
But Raiko himself also falls ill. So instead, the youngest daughter in the Minamoto family, Hikaru, disguised as a samurai and pretending to be her brother, departs on a long journey in a quest to for the gem. Together with her faithful bodyguard, Watanabe no Tsuna, she finds herself caught up in many adventures, acquiring companions who join her for the quest.
She encounters a handsome sarugakushi named Mansairaku and also an enigmatic onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, and experiences countless unpredictable incidents. Hiding her feelings toward Mansairaku, Hikaru gradually gets involved in a great battle...