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Basilisk (バジリスク 〜甲賀忍法帖〜, Bajirisuku ~Kōga Ninpō Chō~, literally Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls) is authored by Masaki Segawa and is based on the first of Futaro Yamada's Ninpōchō series, The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. It was given the demographic of "Seinen", meaning it was aimed at 18-30 year old male audience and not meant for children.

Background[]

Basilisk was originally published by Kodansha in the Japanese magazine "Young Magazine Uppers", with its original run being from February 2003 to July 2004. The entire manga was later produced into 5 volumes, which were translated by Del Ray Manga for release in the U.S.A and Canada. Tanoshimi translated and released the manga in the U.K, while Heyne done the same for Germany. The anime, produced in 2005 by Gonzo Studios, closely follows the manga aside from a handful of distinctions. The manga won the 2004 Kodansha Manga Award for general manga. The manga was later followed by a sequel series titled The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls which was also based on a novel by Futaro Yamada. Segawa used real images for the background of his manga, superimposing his hand-drawn characters over the top and each chapter was named after how many ninja were alive on each side.

Chapter List[]

A list of all the Basilisk volumes, as well as the chapters of the titles contained within. The story takes place in the year 1614. Two ninja clans, Iga Tsubagakure and Kouga Manjidani, battle each other to determine which grandson of Ieyasu Tokugawa will become the next shogun. The deadly competition between 10 elite ninja from each clan unleashes a centuries-old hatred that threatens to destroy all hope for peace between them.

# Japanese English
Release date ISBN Release date ISBN
1 2nd May, 2003 ISBN : 0-345-48270-0 12th May, 2006 ISBN : 978-0-345-48270-9
Chapters list :

Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 1
Deaths:

Danjou Kouga
Ogen
Shougen Kazamachi
Juubei Jimushi
Jousuke Udono

Cover of Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 1
The Iga clan and the Kouga clan have been sworn enemies for more than four hundred years. Only the Hanzo Hattori truce has kept the two families from all-out war. Now, under the order of Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa, the truce has finally been dissolved. Ten ninja from each clan must fight to the death in order to determine who will be the next Tokugawa Shogun. The surviving clan will rule for the next thousand years.

But not all the clan members are in agreement. Oboro of the Iga clan and Gennosuke of the Kouga clan have fallen deeply in love. Now these star-crossed lovers have been pitted against each other. Can their romance conquer a centuries-old rivalry? Or is their love destined to end in death?

2 16th September, 2003 ISBN : 0-345-48271-9 30th August, 2006 ISBN : 978-0-345-48271-6
Chapters list :

Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 2
Deaths:

Yashamaru
Rousai Azuki
Okoi

Cover of Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 2
The bloody battle to rule Japan has begun: the Iga and the Kouga clans are locked in a fight to the death. Driven by a centuries-old hatred, each clan will do anything to annihilate the other.

The Kouga clan is engaging in a little espionage: they've planted a shapeshifter, disguised as an Iga ninja, in the Iga palace. And the Iga clan turns to its last, best hope, their new leader, Oboro - the only one who can defeat the Kouga's formidable leader, Gennosuke. But is she willing to kill the man she loves? As the war grows more desperate, will true love be the next casualty?

3 20th January, 2004 ISBN : 0-345-48272-7 29th November, 2006 ISBN : 978-0-345-48272-3
Chapters list :

Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 3
Deaths:

Nenki Mino
Hotarubi
Jingorou Amayo
Gyoubu Kasumi

Cover of Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 3
Thanks to the machinations of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the age-old truce between the Kouga and the Iga clans is no more - and now a fight to the death will decide who will reign supreme.

Oboro has blinded herself in order to avoid having to kill Gennosuke, her lover - and her rival. Meanwhile, Gennosuke has urged the Iga clan to join him on a journey to Sunpu to find out the real motive behind Ieyasu Tokugawa's orders to fight. But the Iga has other plans.

The hirsute Nenki and the butterfly-wielding Hotarubi rush to assassinate Gennosuke, while Tenzen has sinister intentions for a defenseless Oboro. The epic battle of blood and betrayal continues!

4 20th January, 2004 ISBN : 0-345-49046-0 28th Febuary, 2007 ISBN : 978-0-345-49046-9
Chapters list :

Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 4
Deaths:

Hyouma Muroga
Koshirou Chikuma

Cover of Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 4
The titanic battle between the clans rages on. Akeginu and the blinded Oboro of the Iga clan encounter a powerful aristocrat named Ofuku, who will do whatever it takes to make her godson, Takechiyo, the next Shogun. If Ofuku and her troops join forces with the Iga, will the Kouga still have a chance at victory?

Meanwhile, the Kouga leader Gennosuke Kouga, also blinded, and his comrades - including the shapeshifter Saemon and the deadly seductress Kagerou - embark on a long journey to Sunpu to find out exactly why the truce was dissolved. They will face the fury of the calculating Tenzen and the whirlwind-wielding Koshirou. In the end, who will survive this bloody game of deception and politics?

5 9th August, 2004 ISBN : 0-345-49047-9 25th June, 2007 ISBN : 978-0-345-49047-6
Chapters list :

Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 5
Deaths:

Akeginu
Saemon Kisaragi
Kagerou
Tenzen Yakushiji
Oboro
Gennosuke Kouga

Cover of Basilisk: Kouga Ninja Scrolls, Volume 5
With only three ninja remaining on each side, the battle between the Iga and the Kouga clans is nearing its bloody end. Believing he has slain Tenzen, shape-shifter Saemon Kisaragi morphs into Tenzen's body and infiltrates Iga territory. But what Saemon doesn't know is that Tenzen is an immortal ninja, and that he has his own plan to dispose of Saemon and the Kouga clan.

Meanwhile, Oboro, leader of the Iga clan, has sworn that she will die rather than fight against her lover, Gennosuke. Every death brings these two star-crossed lovers closer to confronting each other on the battlefield at last!

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