Darkness

Darkness

August 31, 2004 TV Episode Otogi Zôshi

Studio
NTV, VAP, Production I.G
Animation studio
Production I.G
Distributor
Anime Works

Synopsis

Raiko and her fellows rush to Heian, and report to the Court about Shuten Doji's plans. But their words are despised, and instead they receive an order to remain confined to their quarters. One night, Hikaru makes up her mind: with the flute received from her brother, she leaves the palace behind her...

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
Koh Yuh
Series Director
Mizuho Nishikubo

Writing

Writer
Junichi Fujisaku

Animation

Animator
Haruko Iizuka (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...