Martial arts Anime

220

PG-13

Naruto

Twelve years ago, a colossal demon fox terrorized the world. During the monster's attack on the Hidden Leaf Village, the Hokage—the village's leader and most powerful ninja—sacrifices himself to seal the beast inside a newborn, relieving civilization from destruction while dooming the baby to a lonely life. Now, after years of being shunned and bullied, Naruto Uzumaki pesters the village with elaborate pranks and vandalism. Despite these antics, he works hard to achieve his dream: to become the Hokage and earn the acknowledgement of those who have mistreated him for his entire life. Naruto joins Team 7, a ninja squad made up of two of his peers—prodigy Sasuke Uchiha and clever Sakura Haruno. Under the aloof Kakashi Hatake's leadership, Team 7 takes on a series of difficult missions, forcing its members to grow in strength and comradery despite their many differences. Naruto strives to stand out in his rivalry with Sasuke and earn the romantic affection of Sakura. But as the trio brush against danger and death, their tragic pasts threaten to tear them apart. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

TV Fall 2002 8.02

24

R-17+

Basilisk

For centuries, the Iga and Kouga ninja clans have engaged in a bitter war. But when a ceasefire is ordered by the powerful warlord Ieyasu Tokugawa, the two clans are forced to put down their arms. Years later, Gennosuke Kouga, heir of the Kouga clan, and Oboro Iga, heir of the Iga clan, have fallen in love. Through marriage, both heirs aim to bring peace to the clans. But their hopes are dashed when flames of rivalry between their clans are reignited, and they are dragged into another war. Ieyasu's two grandsons have both claimed to be the next heir to the shogunate. To resolve this dispute, both the Kouga and Iga are ordered to send their 10 best warriors to fight in a bloody battle royale, with each clan representing one of the potential shogunate heirs. Two scrolls with the names of the fighters are given and are to be marked in blood upon the given fighter's death. The prize for winning is the favor of the Tokugawa shogunate for a thousand years. Torn between their love for each other and duty to their clans, Gennosuke and Oboro must ultimately decide the fate of their clans. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

TV Spring 2005 7.53

52

PG-13

Mysterious Play

During a visit to the National Library, Miaka Yuuki and Yui Hongo stumble upon a strange old book that casts a red light, sucking them inside its unfamiliar world. Upon arrival, the two encounter hostile slave traders and barely escape with the help of Tamahome—a powerful young man bearing a Chinese symbol on his forehead. But, a moment later, the red light returns and takes Yui away. Desperate to reunite with her companion, Miaka asks Tamahome for assistance. However, the situation escalates when the pair encounters the land's emperor, Hotohori, who believes Miaka is the foretold priestess of the kingdom's protector god Suzaku. By gathering the god's seven Celestial Warriors, the priestess can summon Suzaku and have all her wishes granted. Hotohori hopes this will save his country, and since it appears to be a fitting solution to the girl's problems as well, he convinces her to accept the role. Meanwhile, at the library, Yui realizes she has been brought back alone. Unable to intervene, she helplessly witnesses Miaka traversing through courageous trials as the mysterious book's heroine. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

TV Spring 1995 7.6

24

R-17+

Tenjho Tenge

For some people, high school represents the opportunity for a fresh start. You can take new classes and make new friends. For Souichiro Nagi and Bob Makihara, though, high school means something different: the chance to become the top fighters in the entire student body! Too bad Toudou Academy is the hardest possible place to realize their dreams. Their new high school is no ordinary academic institution. Rather than concentrating on classic subjects like math and science, Toudou Academy was created for the sole purpose of reviving the martial arts in Japan! As a result, Souichiro's aspirations to become top dog are cut short when he runs afoul of Masataka Takayanagi and Maya Natsume. The two upperclassmen easily stop the freshmen duo's rampage across school, but rather than serving as a deterrent, it only stokes their competitive fire. What kind of monstrous fighters attend Toudou Academy? Are there any stronger than Masataka and Maya? And why in the world is Maya's younger sister stalking Souichiro? Learn the answers to these questions and more in Tenjou Tenge!

TV Spring 2004 6.86

R+

161

7.77