Shadow Skill
| Shadow Skill | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First tankōbon volume cover (Bamboo Comics edition) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Phantom of Shade / Black Howling / Black Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Written by | Megumu Okada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Original run | 1992 – 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Manga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by | Megumu Okada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by | Kodansha | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Original run | February 10, 2000 – March 24, 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Volumes | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shadow Skill (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Megumu Okada. The series has been adapted into four original video animations released from 1995 to 1996 and an anime adaptation produced by Studio Deen aired on TV Tokyo in 1998.
In North America, the OVAs have been released by Manga Entertainment and the anime television series was distributed by ADV Films.
Plot
Shadow Skill takes place in the warrior kingdom of Kuruda, where Elle Ragu has recently become the 59th Sevaar, a title awarded to their most elite warriors. She often leaves a trail of destruction when she fights and along with a drinking habit. Elle is constantly followed by debts and throughout the series takes on jobs to work off these debts. One of these such jobs leads her to the Green Octopus Inn on an island outside the city, which eventually becomes the protagonists' base of operation.
Throughout the series, Elle travels along with her adopted younger brother Gau Ban, who is studying Elle's fighting skills so that one day he could become the greatest Sevaar in Kuruda. Also in Elle and Gau's life is Faulink Maya (Faulee), a Sui Rame talisman sorceress, and Kyuo Liu, a Septia beast-catcher and grandniece of Eva Stroll, the king of Kuruda.
Warriors in Kuruda fight using the Kurudan-style Kōsappō (交殺法; lit. 'combining kill methods', ADV dub: 'annihilation techniques') which has two general divisions: Hyōgi (表技; lit. 'bright skills'), which emphasize punches and throws, and Eigi (影技; lit. 'shadow skills'), which focus on kicks and the user's footwork.
Media
Manga
The Shadow Skill manga series was originally created by Megumu Okada as a self-published doujinshi.[4] In 1992, it was picked up by Takeshobo for serialization in its shōnen magazine Comic Gamma. The magazine ceased publication in 1996; a total of four tankōbon (bound volumes) collecting the manga's chapters were released during that time. Shadow Skill was carried over by publisher Fujimi Shobo in its magazine Monthly Dragon Jr. until 1998; another four volumes were released by that publisher. In 1999, Kodansha gained the rights to Shadow Skill and released the existing chapters in three aizōban volumes from November 19, 1999,[1] to June 20, 2000.[3]
The following year, Okada began regularly publishing new chapters in Kodansha's seinen magazine Afternoon Season Zōkan on February 10, 2000.[5][6] The magazine ceased publication after its 14th issue on October 10, 2002,[7][8] and the series moved to Monthly Afternoon on February 25, 2003.[9][10] Okada took a hiatus from the manga on December 2005,[11] but resumed on July 2009,[12] submitting new chapters every other month, until finishing the series on March 24, 2014.[4][13][14] Kodansha collected its chapters in 11 tankōbon volumes, released from September 19, 2001,[5] to May 23, 2014.[13] In total, Kodansha released the entire Shadow Skill series in three aizōban volumes, and an additional 11 tankōbon volumes.
Kodansha aizōban
| No. | Title | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phantom of Shade | November 19, 1999[1] | 978-4-06-334240-6 |
| 2 | Black Howling | February 21, 2000[2] | 978-4-06-334283-3 |
| 3 | Black Wing | June 20, 2000[3] | 978-4-06-334310-6 |
Kodansha tankōbon
| No. | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 19, 2001[5] | 978-4-06-334457-8 |
| 2 | November 20, 2002[7] | 978-4-06-334630-5 |
| 3 | December 18, 2003[9] | 978-4-06-334826-2 |
| 4 | November 22, 2004[15] | 978-4-06-334949-8 |
| 5 | April 21, 2006[11] | 978-4-06-372134-8 |
| 6 | May 21, 2010[12] | 978-4-06-375923-5 |
| 7 | March 23, 2011[16] | 978-4-06-376040-8 |
| 8 | January 23, 2012[17] | 978-4-06-376187-0 |
| 9 | January 23, 2013[18] | 978-4-06-376769-8 |
| 10 | September 20, 2013[19] | 978-4-06-376887-9 |
| 11 | May 23, 2014[13] | 978-4-06-376987-6 |
Anime
Original video animations
There have been a number of anime productions based on the Shadow Skill manga. It was first adapted into an original video animation (OVA) by Zero-G Room and released in Japan on October 25, 1995. Three additional OVA episodes were produced and released from September 21 to November 21, 1996. The first volume was officially numbered "volume 2.5" in Japan due to its chronological place among the four episodes.[20] All four OVAs were licensed in North America and the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment.[21] The latter three episodes were compiled and released in English-speaking regions as Shadow Skill: The Movie, while the first OVA was later released as Shadow Skill: The Origin. Finally, a single cel shaded, CGI animation OVA[22] titled Shadow Skill — Kurdan Style: The Secret of the Lethal Martial Art (影技 ～クルダ流交殺法の秘密～, Shadō Sukiru Kuruda-ryū Kōsatsu-hō no Himitsu) was produced by Tandm and released in Japan on October 2, 2004.
TV series
A 26-episode television series titled Shadow Skill: Eigi (SHADOW SKILL —影技—) was produced by Studio Deen and aired on TV Tokyo from July 3 to December 25, 1998.[d][24] The opening theme is "Born Legend" by Kasumi. The ending themes are "Last Quarter" by Princess Purin, and "For My Pride" by Spirit Level.
ADV Films licensed the series in the United States.[4][25][26]
| No. | Title | Directed by [24] | Written by [24] | Storyboarded by [24] | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Power of My Blow has No Equal!" Transliteration: "Waga Ichigeki wa Mutekinari" (Japanese: 我が一撃は無敵なり) | Teruo Satō | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | July 3, 1998 |
| 2 | "Duelists" Transliteration: "Kettōshatachi" (Japanese: 決闘者たち) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Ryōta Yamaguchi | Kunihisa Sugishima | July 10, 1998 |
| 3 | "Phantom's Keepsake" Transliteration: "Fantomu no Wasuregatami" (Japanese: ファントムの忘れ形見) | Takeshi | Kōji Ueda | Tsukasa Sunaga | July 17, 1998 |
| 4 | "What My Father Left Me" Transliteration: "Chichi ga Nokoshita Mono" (Japanese: 父が遺したもの) | Shunji Yoshida | Hisashi Tokimura | Hisashi Tokimura | July 24, 1998 |
| 5 | "Proud Battlefield" Transliteration: "Hokori Takaki Senjō" (Japanese: 誇り高き戦場) | Teruo Satō | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga Nobuo Shirahata | July 31, 1998 |
| 6 | "White and Black Flash" Transliteration: "Shiro to Kuro no Senkō" (Japanese: 白と黒の閃光) | Makoto Bessho | Kōji Ueda | Makoto Bessho | August 7, 1998 |
| 7 | "Destined Confrontation" Transliteration: "Shukumei no Taiketsu" (Japanese: 宿命の対決) | Akira Shimizu | Ryōta Yamaguchi | Naoyuki Yoshinaga | August 14, 1998 |
| 8 | "Dangerous Human Weapon. To the North" Transliteration: "Ningen Kyōki. Kita e" (Japanese: 人間凶器. 北へ) | Shunji Yoshida | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | August 21, 1998 |
| 9 | "Violent Bombing of the Holy City" Transliteration: "Seito Bakuretsu su" (Japanese: 聖都爆烈す) | Teruo Satō | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | August 28, 1998 |
| 10 | "Clash of White and Black" Transliteration: "Shiro to Kuro no Gekitotsu" (Japanese: 白と黒の激突) | Naoki Hishikawa | Kōji Ueda | Makoto Bessho | September 4, 1998 |
| 11 | "Invasion" Transliteration: "Shinkō" (Japanese: 侵攻) | Akihiko Nishiyama | Masashi Sogo | Junji Nishimura | September 11, 1998 |
| 12 | "Black Howling" Transliteration: "Kuroki Hōkō" (Japanese: 黒き咆哮) | Shunji Yoshida | Masashi Sogo | Junji Nishimura | September 18, 1998 |
| 13 | "With the Heart of a Friend" Transliteration: "Tomo no Kokoro to Tomoni" (Japanese: 友の心とともに) | Teruo Satō | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | September 25, 1998 |
| 14 | "The Temple of Moonlight" Transliteration: "Tsukikage Shinden" (Japanese: 月影神殿) | Naoki Hishikawa | Hisashi Tokimura | Naoyuki Yoshinaga | October 2, 1998 |
| 15 | "Ghost" Transliteration: "Bōrei" (Japanese: 亡霊) | Akihiko Nishiyama | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | October 9, 1998 |
| 16 | "An Attacker From the Past" Transliteration: "Kako kara no Shūgeki-sha" (Japanese: 過去からの襲撃者) | Teruo Satō | Masashi Sogo | Junji Nishimura | October 16, 1998 |
| 17 | "Crimson" Transliteration: "Guren" (Japanese: 紅蓮) | Makoto Bessho | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | October 23, 1998 |
| 18 | "The Seventh Dawn" Transliteration: "Dainana no Akatsuki" (Japanese: 第七の暁) | Makoto Bessho | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | October 30, 1998 |
| 19 | "Fang, 2nd Generation" Transliteration: "Kiba, Ni-dai" (Japanese: 牙、二代) | Akihiko Nishiyama | Masashi Sogo | Naoyuki Yoshinaga | November 6, 1998 |
| 20 | "Darkness and Death" Transliteration: "Yami to Shi to" (Japanese: 闇と死と) | Shunji Yoshida | Masashi Sogo | Junji Nishimura | November 13, 1998 |
| 21 | "Cannon" Transliteration: "Kamine –Kanon–" (Japanese: 神音 –カノン–) | Teruo Satō | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | November 20, 1998 |
| 22 | "Older Sister, Younger Brother" Transliteration: "Ane, Otōto" (Japanese: あね、おとうと) | Naoki Hishikawa | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | November 27, 1998 |
| 23 | "Prepare Yourself" Transliteration: "Kakugo o Kimero" (Japanese: 覚悟を決めろ) | Yoshinari Suzuki | Masashi Sogo | Junji Nishimura | December 4, 1998 |
| 24 | "Fist of God" Transliteration: "Kami no Kobushi" (Japanese: 神の拳) | Akihiko Nishimura | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | December 11, 1998 |
| 25 | "Ying-style Demon" Transliteration: "Kageryū no Ma To" (Japanese: 陰流の魔徒) | Shunji Yoshida | Masashi Sogo | Junji Nishimura | December 18, 1998 |
| 26 | "Path of a Sevaar" Transliteration: "Shūren Tōshi [Sevāru] e no Michi" (Japanese: 修練闘士[セヴァール]への道) | Teruo Satō | Masashi Sogo | Tsukasa Sunaga | December 25, 1998 |
Reception
Anime News Network praised the series' Japanese and English voice acting, saying they did a good job capturing the light-hearted tone of the series. However, they felt the series stuck to the conventions of the martial arts genre with the plot focusing on fight scenes and the elaborate named moves being shouted aloud as they "powered up". As such, they thought that Shadow Skill appeals primarily to fans of the genre, but it was unlikely to appeal to viewers outside that fanbase.[26] THEM Anime Reviews described the OVA series as "well executed" and "fun to watch". But they advised that Shadow Skill would mainly appeal to fans of the martial arts genre and that it lacked the story development and characterization needed to truly become a great anime.[27]
Notes
- ^ The 4 original volumes were later reissued by Kodansha in 3 aizōban editions retitled as:
- ^ Episode 1 of OVA series was released in North America and the United Kingdom under the title Shadow Skill: The Origin as a prequel of Shadow Skill: The Movie.
- ^ Shadow Skill: The Movie is a compilation movie of OVAs 2 to 4 that was released exclusively in North America and the United Kingdom.
- ^ Shadow Skill: Eigi aired on TV Tokyo on Thursday 25:15, effectively Friday at 1:15 a.m. JST.[23]
References
- ^ a b c ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ ｐｈａｎｔｏｍ ｏｆ ｓｈａｄｅ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ a b ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ ｂｌａｃｋ ｈｏｗｌｉｎｇ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ a b c ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ ｂｌａｃｋ ｗｉｎｇ (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ a b c ANN staff (March 11, 2014). "Shadow Skill Manga Ends After 24 Years". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
- ^ a b c ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ "Contents". Afternoon Season Zōkan (in Japanese). No. 1 issue. Kodansha. Table of contents. Archived from the original on March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
次号シーズン増刊NO.2〈WINTER〉は -2000年-2月10日(木)発売予定!!
- ^ a b ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 25, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ アフタヌーン増刊2002年14号詳細情報. manganetto.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ a b ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（３） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ アフタヌーン2003年4号詳細情報. manganetto.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 4, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ a b ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（５） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ a b ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（６） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ a b c ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（１１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ アフタヌーン No.5 5月号 2014年03月24日（月）発売 (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（４） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（７） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（８） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（９） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ ＳＨＡＤＯＷ ＳＫＩＬＬ（１０） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on December 10, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
- ^ Oppliger, John (August 11, 2000). "Ask John: What Happened to Shadow Skill?". AnimeNation. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ^ Oppliger, John (October 19, 2011). "Manga Announces Shadow Skill DVD". AnimeNation. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ^ Oppliger, John (November 3, 2003). "New Shadow Skill OAV in Production". AnimeNation. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
- ^ アニメ番組表 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 3, 1998. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ a b c d SHADOW SKILL ～影技～ (1998) - allcinema. www.allcinema.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on November 25, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ^ ANN staff (June 27, 2005). "ADV to Release Shadow Skill TV?". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
- ^ a b Martin, Theron (November 15, 2005). "Review: Shadow Skill - Eigi". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ Jason, Bustard (2003–2004). "THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - Shadow Skill". THEM Anime Reviews. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
External links
- Shadow Skill (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia