Kai Doh Maru (怪童丸) is an original video animation (OVA) anime directed by Kanji Wakabayashi and produced by Production I.G. and SME Visual Works. It was released on December 19, 2001, in Japan and on July 29, 2003, in the United States by Manga Entertainment. In Australia, it is distributed on DVD by Madman Entertainment.
Plot
Set in the Shōryaku and Chōtoku eras of Japan's Heian period, Kai Doh Maru is set against a background of a capital under threat from disease, outlaws, and political plots. The story reworks themes from Japanese folklore, focusing on the relationship between Sakata no Kintoki (Kintarō) and Minamoto no Raikō, one of the first military Minamoto and "monster hunters" of folklore.[1] The story replaces the traditional image of Kintaro - a strong, ruddy-cheeked man[2] - with that of a determined, tomboyish girl, while retaining much of the traditional character such as the carrying of an axe.[3]