Product Description

Yukimura makes short work of Haira and his throwing knife techniques, prompting Kyo to comment that Yukimura has gotten stronger. The remaining General, Makora, still has confidence in killing Kyo's whole group on his own, claiming to be a lone wolf. He uses Ninja techniques involving the group's shadows to stop them dead in their tracks, but Sasuke avoids the techniques and fights him one on one. Sasuke shortly realizes however that Makora's true identity is that of his childhood friend, Kotaro, with whom he made a pact that one of them would become the Crimson King (Aka no Ou) who rules the Sea of Trees. Kotaro is angered with Sasuke, claiming he betrayed him, but as Kyo and the others become able to move again, Kotaro retreats. Elsewhere, Basara is walking with "that Man" and a newly introduced General, a glasses-wearing, innocent-looking girl named Santera. Santera seems to have some sort of information gathering ability, and reports the latest news of the other Generals to "That Man," who is shown for the first time as a good-looking man with long, light colored hair, wearing a cross. In the Hades Plain, Yuya hallucinates, flashing back to her 12th birthday, the day her brother was killed. As the killing is relived, she sees the killer's face clearly as Kyoshiro. Kyoshiro begins speaking "I won't make excuses...but...I..." but Yuya can't hear the rest, as she is awakened from the hallucination by Akira. Akira reveals that Hades Plain is filled with poppy flowers, and the effect of the pollen causes hallucinations in those who walk through it, get lost, and eventually die. The blind Akira can't see the hallucinations, so he is unaffected and able to lead the rest of the group through the Plain. Soon, Akira leads the group to the Crimson Lotus (or Blazing Red) Pure Land (Guren Jodo) which Yuya expects to be a scary place deep in the Sea of Trees, but it turns out in actuality to look like Paradise. Kotaro having run away, Yukimura discusses with Kyo and the others his plan to reach the Crimson Lotus Pure Land by going the straight method...through "Hell's Gate," the Crimson King's entrance, which they can pass through by obtaining the keys from the five guards of the gate. After the group agrees, Kyo questions Yukimura's motives, suspecting that Sakuya asked him to help them, but Yukimura dismisses Kyo's perception. The group reaches what seems to be the gate, but they are welcomed through it by beautiful maidens offering food and wine. In the end, however, the maidens turn out to be monsters, the first guards of the Gate, and try to eat the group. They are no match for Kyo however, and the Village Elder, the only one to have met the Crimson King, stops them and leads Kyo to the real gate. Kyo passes the trial of defeating four sword-wielding stone statues with such prowess that the elder questions if Kyo is really the Crimson King. Meanwhile, Basara, Santer, and "That Man" also enter through the fake gate and approach Kyo and company. Kyo and "That Man's" reunion doesn't last long before That Man declares his intention to kill Kyo. Before the fight begins, however, Basara thanks Okuni, who is revealed to be the General Indara, for her help in information gathering. The elder gives Kyo the final key (he got the other four from defeating the statues) and tells him to go through the gate, willing to sacrifice her life to stall "That Man." "That Man" isn't stalled, however, as the elder is killed by him instantly. The true battle then begins, with Kyo facing off with That Man, who is still on his horse, and the rest of the group facing Basara. As That Man is about to deliver a finishing slash of his sword to an outclassed Kyo, Okuni steps in the way of the sword, sacrificing her life for Kyo's sake and redeeming herself. Kyo tells Benitora to tend to Okuni as he challenges "That Man" once again, calling him out as the presumed-dead Oda Kazusanosuke Nobunaga and swearing to not let him have his way (ruling the Earth).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #831367 in Books
• Published on: 2004-08-10
• Released on: 2004-08-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781591825449
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

All Star Manga
Worthy series to own! Action, action, action! Lots of plots, and some philosophy too. Enjoy!

Recycled Goodness
If there's anything that Kamijyo-san can do well, it's the recycling of the same plotline over and over and over and over...well, you get the idea. Following where the last book left off, after Kyo's defeat of Hotaru, the gang are now at the Second Gate. Akira is pitted against two sickeningly pathetic villains: twin nurses Saishi and Saisei.

This is the oddest attempt yet by Kamijyo-san to appeal to fanboy fantasies. The action does pick up, however, once it becomes apparent that Saisei is not as one-dimensional as she seems. While this series is rife with our favorite characters getting "serious" and the constant hint that Kyo is simply waiting to unleash his inner demon, Kamijyo-san manages the astounding feat of holding the reader's attention after 16 trite yet addictive volumes.

The plot is absolutely absurd most of the time and Yuya is constantly dangled as the damsel-in-distress. This time, her life hangs in the balance as the clock ticks and her life will soon be snuffed out by a waterwyrm (created by Shinrei and exacerbated by the aforementioned nurses) in her heart. The only morsels keeping the reader's appetite alive are the promises of revealing Kyo's past (including more of his connections with the Crimson King, Kyoshiro, Sakuya, and the Four Emperors), his terrible power, and the potential romantic interest in Yuya.

Tension and anticipation are what sell Samurai Deeper Kyo yet after pages and pages building up Saishi's fantastic powers, Akira's relatively easy victory seems more afterthought than actual climactic battle. Too much time is spent lamenting Saisei's "tragic" past and the attempt to infuse humanity into Akira is touching but forced.

Why do I rate this volume four stars out of five? Akimine Kamijyo accomplishes the only thing he set out to do: hook readers and keep them on board. Yes, this story is much too drawn out. Yes, the plot is repetitive. Yes, so many boss fights in succession without sufficient character development has reduced SDK to a dull, "tournament"-style manga. Yet, he must be doing something right. I bought it, didn't I?

Secrets revealed
"Samurai Deeper Kyo, Book 5" is full of secrets being revealed -- secret identities, secret pasts, and the secret location of Kyo's much-sought-after body. Akimine Kamijyo shifts rather abruptly from one major arc to another in this volume, but he does it with a bang and some truly astonishing sword-fights -- as well as a new and deadly band of enemies.

The identity of the true Ieyasu is shockingly revealed to Kyo, mere moments before Yukimura's bombs cause his palace to come crashing down. But despite Yuya's fears, Kyo isn't even scratched -- and after some parting jibes from Ieyasu, he and Yukimura finally square off in a maddened duel of fight-loving men (one of whom is wearing a dress). The price: Yukimura finally reveals where Kyo's body is -- in a haunted forest near Mount Edo, Aokigahara.

But the trek to that forest may be even more dangerous, as Yuya encounters a kind young blind man with superhuman skills -- and an old grudge against Kyo. He is also part of a band of new enemies whose presence may mean death to Kyo, if he and his friends can't make it through Aokigahara in time. Unfortunately Aokigahara is not a very friendly place... but then, Kyo may be even nastier.

I have to admit, Akimine Kamijyo doesn't mess around when he's shifting the story focus -- "Samurai Deeper Kyo Book 5" swings the focus from "kill Ieyasu" to "retrieve Kyo's body" in just a few chapters. It also introduces some spectacularly nasty new villains, although they haven't yet been explored in full -- but at least one of them is scarily strong.

It also produces the long-awaited fight between Yukimura and Kyo, a blood-smearing orgy of sweeping blades and crazy grins. And Kamijyo turns the creep factor up to eleven in the last chapter when Yuya is accosted by a tribe of pointy-toothed cannibals pretending to be children (the "ball" monologue is horrendous"). The one downside is that once again, he forgets about what minor characters are doing -- last time I checked, poor Saizo was in critical condition, but we never hear what happened to him.

Interestingly, it also seems that Yuya is outright falling in love with Kyo -- which seems a bit out of character for our tough independent heroine, since Kyo has basically treated her like an inept peon at best. But she also discovers a shocking fact about her brother's murderer, and Benitora turns out to have some surprising secrets of his own. Apparently he's not just another wandering weirdo.

"Samurai Deeper Kyo Volume 5" is another turning point in this kick-butt samurai manga, and it leaves you desperately wanting to know what happens next in Aokigahara.