Onmyō Taisenki

is a Japanese mixed-media project developed by and Bandai. A manga series, scripted by Yoshihiko Tomizawa and illustrated by Hiroyuki KaidÃÂ, was serialized in Shueisha's V Jump magazine from November 2003 to December 2005, with its chapters collected in three tankÃÂbon volumes. A 52-episode anime television series produced by Sunrise, NAS, and TV Tokyo, was broadcast from September 2004 to September 2005. Three video games were also released: one for Game Boy Advance in 2004 and two for the PlayStation 2 in 2005.

Plot

Riku Tachibana is a 12-year-old boy who lives near Tokyo. Never having met his parents, he lives an ordinary life with his adoptive grandfather. His grandfather had taught him a series of strange hand movements, which Riku did not know the purpose of until the day his grandfather is attacked near his shrine. But it is not an ordinary attacker. The attacker is a , strange monsters with human owners. Riku comes to the scene and that's where he first gets in contact with his , the device he uses to call and make a with Kogenta of the Byakko, his shikigami and, from that day on, best friend. The shikigami needs, for special attacks, a special series of , one of which happens to be the strange hand movements Riku's grandfather always taught him.

As Riku's grandfather decides to leave the house for a journey, the 10-year-old boy and the 10-year-old girl rent rooms in Riku's house. The 17-year-old man, Masaomi, who teaches Riku the secrets of OnmyÃÂdÃÂ (such as the use of TÃÂjinfu, for example), drops by eventually. The three of them have "contracts" with shikigami. The main events of the series are related to the menace of the , a powerful Japanese financial group related to the OnmyÃÂdÃÂ; attempting to open the four , and freeing , a boy who was born with the power to control , and had been imprisoned for thousands of years.

Characters

Riku was born in the Heian Era of Japan as Youmei. His mother sent him into the future, where he was taken up by SÃÂtarÃÂ Tachibana, to avoid dying in the Chi-RyÃÂ« raid on the Ten-Ryuu shrine. At the start of the series, he is shy and easily scared. But when he receives the Ten-RyÃÂ« TÃÂjin drive containing Kogenta, Kogenta helps him to become a lot braver and stronger. He has no memory of his time in the Heian era until he goes to Naraku to reunite with Kogenta after losing him by YÃÂ«ma and Rangetsu. In Naraku, he sees his memory play in front of him, and learns of his past life. He is the head of the Ten-RyÃÂ«.

The shikigami of Riku Tachibana. Kogenta is a member of the Byakko (White Tiger) family of shikigami (leading many to the conclusion that Riku is Ten-RyÃÂ«'s Head). He is typically cocky, arrogant, and quick to anger. At first he cannot believe that he is "stuck with someone as dimwitted" as Riku, but eventually comes to terms with this and tries to improve Riku's character. He is the first Shikigami to become a DaikÃÂjin, but he considers it an unfair advantage because, in his words, "I cannot remember how I beat them and by the time I come to, the fight's already over." Later, Kogenta and Riku learned that Kogenta was the one who killed Riku's parents, but Kogenta could not remember as he became a Daikoujin the moment his contract was formed. However, Riku forgives Kogenta. In the finale, Kogenta willingly lets Riku terminate their contract, but in reality the contract still lingers, as Kogenta's spirit is seen over the shrine

The first real member of the Ten-RyÃÂ« that Riku and Kogenta meet. Teru is broke, and nearly always in debt to someplace (a hot spring hotel, a beach bar, and others). He is always happy to receive free food (on account of him being unable to buy his own), and always travels as "Training" as he calls it, normally leaving as soon as someone tells him the rent for wherever he is staying. He even develops a crush on Nazuna, who shows him the literal meaning of "crush". He considers Souma a rival (as both love Nazuna), and only enters the Fukumaden as leader of the YÃÂkai Extermination Squad formed by Chi-RyÃÂ«.

Media

Manga

A manga series, written by Yoshihiko Tomizawa and illustrated by Hiroyuki KaidÃÂ, was serialized in Shueisha's V Jump from November 19, 2003, to December 17, 2005. Shueisha collected its chapters in three tankÃÂbon volumes, released from October 4, 2004, to March 3, 2006.

Anime

A 52-episode anime television series, produced by Sunrise, NAS, and TV Tokyo, was broadcast on TV Tokyo from September 30, 2004, to September 29, 2005.

Episode list

Video games

was released the Game Boy Advance on December 9, 2004.

was released for the PlayStation 2 on March 31, 2005; the game required the EyeToy accessory.

was released for the PlayStation 2 on June 23, 2005.