Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Syun Matsuena. It was serialized in Shogakukan's magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from May 2002 to September 2014. An anime adaptation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha aired from October 2006 to September 2007. Brain's Base produced OVAs for the series, which continue from the Ragnarok Arc. The eleven OVAs episode were released between March 2012 and May 2014.
Plot
The story focuses on Kenichi Shirahama, a 15-year-old high school student and a long-time victim of bullying. At the beginning of the story, he befriends transfer studentMiu Fūrinji; and desires to become stronger, he follows her to Ryōzanpaku, a dojo housing several masters of diverse martial arts, led by her grandfather Hayato Fūrinji. After learning basics from Miu, Kenichi overcomes a high-ranking member of the school's karate club, and becomes a target for all the delinquents in the school. While initially training to protect himself, Kenichi eventually becomes a full disciple of Ryōzanpaku, and becomes enamored of Miu. Subsequently, Kenichi's daily routine is divided between training under the six masters of Ryōzanpaku, and his fights against the members of 'Ragnarok', a gang of bullies trying alternately to recruit or to vanquish him. After Ragnarok is disbanded, Kenichi and Miu are targeted by Yomi, a group of disciples personally trained by a master of an organization rivaling Ryōzanpaku, Yami. While the masters of Ryōzanpaku and their allies follow the principle of always sparing their opponents' lives, the members of Yami believe that any means of defeating an opponent is valid, including murder. In the struggle between the two factions, Kenichi, Miu, and their allies fight the members of Yomi, while his masters confront the members of Yami. The conflict between the two factions culminate with the final battle to stop Yami's main objective, which is to usher a new era of chaos and warfare in the world, also known as "The Eternal Sunset". Once the Eternal Sunset is prevented and their main leader is defeated, Yami and Yomi are disbanded as well. Kenichi then continues to train at Ryōzanpaku, and years later he becomes a famous novelist, but it's hinted that he also becomes Miu's husband and a martial arts master more powerful than her grandfather, the Elder, who had always sworn he would only allow Miu to marry someone capable of defeating him first.
Terminology
The series makes use of several in-universe concepts including: ; Dou ; Sei ;The Path of Asura ; Killing Fist ; Saving Fist
Media
Manga
Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi is written and illustrated by Syun Matsuena. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from May 1, 2002 and finished on September 13, 2014. The manga is a remake of Tatakae! Ryōzanpaku Shijō Saikyō no Deshi, which was serialized in the monthly magazine Shōnen Sunday Super. Shogakukan has released the individual chapters into sixty-one tankōbon volumes under Shōnen Sunday Comics imprint. The first volume was published on August 9, 2002, and the latest on February 18, 2015. Shogakukan also released limited edition versions of several volumes beginning with volume 35. The series has been licensed in France by Kurokawa.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation titled Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha first started airing on TV Tokyo on October 7, 2006. It aired a total of fifty episodes, covering from the beginning of the story to the confrontation against the top members of Ragnarok. In North America the series was licensed by Funimation in May 2008. The series made its North American television debut when it aired on Funimation Channel starting October 26, 2009. All 50 episodes have been shown. The rights to the series expired in 2018. An OVA series produced by Brain's Base started on March 14, 2012. The story continues from the Ragnarok Arc entering the Yomi arc. The second OVA featuring later story in the yomi arc was released on June 18, 2012, and a third OVA was released on November 16, 2012. The fourth and fifth OVA were released on September 16, 2013. The sixth and seventh OVA were released on November 18, 2013. The eighth and ninth OVA were released on February 14, 2014. The tenth and eleventh OVA were released on May 16, 2014. The main cast for the OVA series is the same from those of the anime series except for Rie Kugimiya who replaces the late Tomoko Kawakami as Miu and Yuzuru Fujimoto who replaces the late Hiroshi Arikawa as her grandfather Hayato.
Music themes
Opening themes
Ending themes
Video game
On March 15, 2007, Capcom released the series' first game, Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Kenichi: Gekitō! Ragnarok Hachikengō, exclusively on the PlayStation 2.
