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Ogre Slayer

Ogre Slayer (鬼切丸) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kei Kusunoki. It was published in Shogakukan's manga magazine Shōnen Sunday Zōkan (later Shōnen Sunday Super) from 1992 to 2001, with its chapters collected in 20 volumes. It was adapted into a four-episode original video animation (OVA) released from 1994 to 1995. Both the manga and anime were distributed in North America by Viz Media; only two volumes of the manga were released. Another series, titled The Legend of Onikirimaru, was serialized from August 2013 to March 2025. It takes place in the Sengoku era and features a different lead character

Synopsis

The series follows an unnamed young man (voiced by Takeshi Kusao in Japanese and Jason Gray-Stanford in English)[1] who hunts ogres (oni (鬼)). The young man was born of an ogre's corpse, like the ogre born of human's body, making him pure ogre blood. Though he was born like an ogre, he has the appearance of a human. Instead of being born with horns like traditional Japanese ogres, he was born with a sword called Onikirimaru (鬼切丸), the Ogre Slayer.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Kei Kusunoki, Ogre Slayer was first published as a one-shot short story, which proved popular among readers, and eventually turned into a serial as Kusonoki drew more sequels, being published in Shogakukan's manga magazine Shōnen Sunday Zōkan (later Shōnen Sunday Super) from 1992 to 2001.[2][3] Shogakukan released 20 volumes from February 18, 1992, to April 18, 2001.

In North America, the manga was licensed by Viz Communications, publishing it on its Manga Vizion magazine,[4][5] and releasing the first two volumes in 1997 and 1998, respectively.[6]

Volumes

The Legend of Onikirimaru

Kusunoki published a one-shot, titled The Legend of Onikirimaru (鬼切丸伝), in Leed Publishing's Sengoku Bushō Retsuden on August 26, 2013, with a serialization planned for future issues;[6][27] the serialization started on December 26 of that same year.[28] Unlike its predecessor, it takes place in the Sengoku era, and features an entirely different lead character.[6] The magazine published its final issue on June 27, 2016,[29] and the series moved to Comic Ran Twins on September 13 of that same year.[30] It was published in the magazine until June 13, 2018, and moved to the Pixiv Comics website in July of that same year.[31][32][33] The series finished on March 25, 2025.[34] Leed Publishing collected its chapters in 23 volumes, released from September 30, 2014, to June 24, 2025.[35][36][37]

Crunchyroll Manga started publishing the manga digitally in English in 2014.[38] The service ended in December 2023.[39]

Volumes

The Legend of Onikirimaru

Kusunoki published a one-shot, titled The Legend of Onikirimaru (鬼切丸伝), in Leed Publishing's Sengoku Bushō Retsuden on August 26, 2013, with a serialization planned for future issues;[6][27] the serialization started on December 26 of that same year.[28] Unlike its predecessor, it takes place in the Sengoku era, and features an entirely different lead character.[6] The magazine published its final issue on June 27, 2016,[29] and the series moved to Comic Ran Twins on September 13 of that same year.[30] It was published in the magazine until June 13, 2018, and moved to the Pixiv Comics website in July of that same year.[31][32][33] The series finished on March 25, 2025.[34] Leed Publishing collected its chapters in 23 volumes, released from September 30, 2014, to June 24, 2025.[35][36][37]

Crunchyroll Manga started publishing the manga digitally in English in 2014.[38] The service ended in December 2023.[39]

Original video animation

A four-episode original video animation, produced by OB Planning, KSS, and Tokyo Broadcasting System, and animated by Pastel,[40][41] was released from September 9, 1994,[42] to July 21, 1995.[43]

In North America, Viz Video released the four episodes on two VHS (each containing two episodes) in October 1995 and February 1996.[44][45]

Further reading

External links

References

  1. Ogre Slayer Voice – Ogre Slayer (TV Show) Behind the Voice Actors, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  2. https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000128.000035072.html Leed Publishing, May 28, 2020, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  3. http://www.s-book.net/plsql/mag99_code?sho=081182&sha=1&type=c s-book.net, Shogakukan, retrieved August 28, 2025^
  4. Justin Sevakis. Why Did Shonen Jump Succeed In America? – Answerman Anime News Network, January 4, 2016, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  5. Mike Toole. Jump-ing Ship – The Mike Toole Show Anime News Network, December 9, 2018, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  6. Karen Ressler. Kei Kusunoki's Ogre Slayer Manga Returns Anime News Network, July 11, 2013, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  7. http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4091230113 Shogakukan, retrieved November 8, 2020^
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  22. http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4091251366 Shogakukan, retrieved November 8, 2020^
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  25. http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4091251390 Shogakukan, retrieved November 8, 2020^
  26. http://www.s-book.com/plsql/com2_detail?isbn=4091251404 Shogakukan, retrieved November 8, 2020^
  27. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/98012 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, August 26, 2013, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  28. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/106594 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, December 26, 2013, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  29. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/192339 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, June 27, 2016, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  30. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/198052 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, August 12, 2016, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  31. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/286519 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, June 13, 2018, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  32. Crystalyn Hodgkins. Manga Briefs Roundup: June 2018 Anime News Network, July 2, 2018, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  33. Kusunoki, Kei. https://archive.today/20240918222047/https://x.com/keikusunoki/status/1022275880654069760 July 25, 2018, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  34. Kusunoki, Kei. https://archive.today/20250714101034/https://x.com/keikusunoki/status/1904436780423934031 July 25, 2018, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  35. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/125131 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, September 3, 2014, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  36. Joanna Cayanan. The Legend of Onikirimaru Manga Listed to End With 23rd Volume Anime News Network, April 22, 2025, retrieved April 22, 2025^
  37. https://natalie.mu/comic/news/625912 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, June 24, 2025, retrieved July 14, 2025^
  38. Lynzee Loveridge. Crunchyroll Manga Adds Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou, The Legend of Onikirimaru Anime News Network, August 24, 2014, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  39. Adriana Hazra. Crunchyroll Ends Digital Manga App on Mobile, Web on December 11 Anime News Network, November 11, 2023, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  40. Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Century of Japanese Animation Stone Bridge Press, 2015, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  41. http://www.obkikaku.com/work/pastel/index.html OB Planning, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  42. https://www.suruga-ya.jp/kaitori/kaitori_detail/952003100 Suruga-ya, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  43. https://www.suruga-ya.jp/kaitori/kaitori_detail/952004047 Suruga-ya, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  44. Viz Video: Ogre Slayer – Please Save My Earth Viz Communications, retrieved January 29, 2024^
  45. Viz Video Title List Viz Communications, retrieved January 29, 2024^