Urotsukidōji

Urotsukidōji (うろつき童子: 超神伝説) is a Japanese manga and an Original Video Animation (OVA) releases.

History
Urotsukidōji was created by Toshio Maeda, in 1986, and was a huge departure from his earlier works in that it mixed erotica with humor, and the supernatural. He was commissioned to do the series for Wani Magazine, a seinen manga magazine that deals mostly with avant garde stories. Maeda was picked because of his artistic style which paid incredible attention to detail and for his ability to tell rather good stories with complex plots, unlike most erotic mangaka at the time.

Although the manga would grow a cult following; it was the anime which became notorious. Hideki Takayama took great artistic liberties with the Urotsukidoji story, mixing elements of horror, violence, and sadistic scenes of rape not present in the original work. Maeda himself stated in an issue of Playboy Japan that he found the anime to be repugnant, cruel and sadistic, yet brilliant, he also said he admires Takayama's take on his vision.

The anime series is most famous for being the first in the tentacle rape genre, though only one scene in the first OAV actually contains any tentacle rape. Tentacle rape was not present in the Urotsukidoji manga but was featured in a series that he would publish years later called Demon Beast Invasion. Takayama was incredibly influenced by this work of Maeda's but thought that the Urotsukidoji story was stronger.

In an interview as to why Hideki Takayama chose to tell such a violent and sadistic story he said "There is nothing that arouses a stronger response in human beings than either sex or violence. A mixture of the two is very powerful indeed." Today Urotsukidōji, as well as its later sequels, are infamous, not just in Japan, but in the rest of the world as well. According to The Erotic Anime Movie Guide, it is the most recognized adult anime in the world.

Overview of the manga
Amano (the eponymous wandering kid) is a demon/human hybrid who has been banished to Earth for his great misdeeds, mostly involving the Elder and his daughter Mimi. The Elder sends Amano to the human world to find the Chōjin: the unbeatable god of the demon world who is hiding within the body of a man.

A group of reptilian demons want to find the Chōjin and use his power on behalf of the Queen of Demons. Under the leadership of Suikakaju, the Elder's rival and lover of his estranged wife, the Queen of Demons, they hatch a series of plots to try to capture the Chōjin, most of which go horribly wrong.

Amano is sent to protect the Chōjin, but after his lecherous friend Koroko and then later his nymphomaniac sister Megumi come to find him, this proves to be more difficult.

Overview of the anime
Every 3,000 years the human world (人間界 Ningenkai) is united with the demon world (魔界 Makai) and the man-beast world (獣人界 Jūjinkai) by the revival of the Super God (超神 Chōjin, known as the Overfiend in the English version). The saga follows Amano Jyaku—a man-beast—and his quest to find the real Chōjin and to ensure the safe future of all three worlds. However, he finds his beliefs put to the test when he encounters numerous demons, who plan to destroy the Chōjin and prevent the three worlds from joining.

Characters
As the Urotsukidōji saga spans over a number of years it incorporates a wide variety of characters. Below is a list of the main characters, which are split into their races:

Ningen ("Humans")

 * Tatsuo Nagumo (南雲 辰夫 Nagumo Tatsuo): The human through which the Chōjin will be reborn. He is shy and lecherous. Fated to become the Demon of Destruction who decimates the world to pave the way for the birth of his "messianic" offspring.


 * Akemi Itō (伊藤 明美 Itō Akemi): In the anime she is presented as a young, innocent, naive, and the idol at Myōjin University. In the manga she is far more sexually adventurous and obsessed with sex. She becomes Nagumo's girlfriend, and the mother of the Chōjin.


 * Takeaki Kiryū (桐生 武明 Kiryū Takeaki): An anime only character; Nagumo's cousin, whom Münchhausen uses to resurrect the Kyō-Ō. Commits a series of serial rapes and murders under the control of the German diabolist, who contorts his mind against those he loves. Falls for Megumi Amano—only to be felled by her in the battle against Münchhausen atop the Shinjuku skyscrapers.


 * Yūichi Niki (仁木 Niki Yūichi): A school nerd who loves Akemi and jealously disapproves of and hates Nagumo. Later used by Suikakujū as a shell to destroy the Chōjin, with the aid of a demonic phallus which he promptly substitutes for his own, he meets his end at the hands of Nagumo who tears out his organs. In the manga version Niki's story is much more similar to the story of Kiryu that was used as the basis for the second Urotsukidoji series.


 * Norikazu Ozaki (尾崎 則一 Ozaki Norikazu): The jock all the girls fall for in Myōjin University. A major character in the manga, though only seen in the first volume of the OAV series. Amano mistakes him for the Chōjin, which ultimately leads to his demise.

Jūjin ("Man-Beasts")
In the manga there are only two worlds: the world of demons and the world of humans. However in the anime there is a third world. The world of the ("Man-Beasts") In the manga, Amano is a half breed. Born of a human and demon. Megumi is a human who has been given powers. And The Great Elder and Lady Mimi are both considered demons. So is Koroko.


 * Amano Jyaku (天邪鬼 Amano Jāku): The anti-heroic urotsuki-dōji of the saga. He has been searching for the Chōjin for three hundred years. In the manga, he is quite an unsympathetic and lecherous character who tricks women into having sex with him by claiming his sperm has demon fighting powers. His character in the anime is much more noble. Holds to his stringent belief in the Chōjin and his Land of Eternity— until events play out in a way totally contrary to what he hoped for.


 * Megumi Amano (天野恵 Amano Megumi): Amano's highly sexed sister. She believes Nagumo to be the Chōjin from the start. In the manga she becomes Akemi's rival. She uses a brand of "sexcraft" that was later used in Maeda's La Blue Girl series. Later in the manga she falls for Niki after his transformation. In the anime, she falls in love with Takeaki.


 * The Great Elder (長老 Chōrō, Eldest): One of the wisest elders in the man-beast realm. In the manga he banishes Amano from the realm of demons for constantly fooling around with his daughter Mimi. In the anime he helps Amano discover the truth behind the legend of the Chōjin. According to his own words in the second episode of the first OVA, The Great Elder has lived in the Man-Beast world for 993 years.


 * Lady Mimi (ミミ Mimi): The elder's granddaughter and lover of Amano Jyaku. Her orgasm has the power to project visions of the future.

Majin ("Demons")

 * Suikakujū (水角獣): The rival of Amano Jyaku. The Queen of Demons thinks very highly of him. His quest is to destroy the Chōjin in order to keep the Makai ("Demon-World") intact. A lord amongst demons with a suitably noble mien— especially compared to his brethren!


 * Kohōki (虎鵬鬼): A demon who was banished to Hell for having an affair with Megumi. He later becomes Münchhausen's lackey. He is not featured in the manga.


 * Togami (栂見): In the manga, Ms. Togami is a horny teacher who gets possessed by an iguana demon. The demon then tries to seduce Akemi, until Amano manages to drive the iguana demon out. He later tricks her into having sex so that his magical sperm can protect her from the lizard demons.

In the anime it is not explained whether or not she is possessed or a demon in disguise; a demon sent to Earth to hunt out (and presumably destroy) the Chōjin. Despite her mission, she stills find time to rape Akemi, but Amano Jyaku intervenes and destroys her.


 * Yoenki: Suikakujū's sister, who attacks Amano in Osaka. In the anime she is manipulated into attacking Amano via Münchhausen II's mind control powers.

Makemono ("Demon-Beasts") (anime only)

 * Buju: A key character in the post-apocalyptic chapters of the saga. Starts off as a raping, pillaging marauder, only to find some semblance of purpose and redemption in becoming the Kyo-O's guardian on his long journey toward Osaka to confront the Chōjin.


 * Gashim: A kindhearted, elderly makemono who accompanies Buju, Himi, Amano et al. to Osaka, following his release from Caesar's captivity.


 * Ruddle: Another makemono spared from the devastating effects of Kyō-Ō's Light of Judgment at Caesar's palace. Joins Amano and the other Makemono in their journey toward Osaka.


 * Idaten: A pure-hearted makemono youth who takes the high road to Osaka with his fellows. Develops a crush on Himi—which sadly never gets to bloom beyond that....

Other characters

 * Kuroko (黒子): One of the Kuroko tribe. Holds deep respect for his boss, Amano Jyaku.


 * Münchhausen II (ミュンヒハウゼン二世): An anime only character; Following the footsteps of his father who died in the service of Adolf Hitler, he is the son of a mad German scientist, hell bent on resurrecting the Kyō-Ō and dominating the world.


 * The Overfiend (超神): The Super God. His legend reveals that every three thousand years he will be reborn into the human realm. In the anime it is to unite the three worlds into a world of peace. However in the manga there are only two worlds. But the prophecy is the same


 * The Lord of Chaos (狂王): The nemesis of the Chōjin, in the anime he is born from the congealed blood of Takeaki at the Gokumon shrine. And Münchhausen desperately wants to resurrect her to take over Earth. However in the manga it is Nikki who is chosen to be The Lord of Chaos but first he must replace his penis with that of a gods penis. In the New Urotsukidoji manga the character is born from the blood of Nikki after he is killed.


 * Mao the Sea Demon (海の魔王): The demon that Suikakujū summons from the sea to kill the Chōjin.

Anime saga
There are four main chapters in the original Urotsukidoji saga, along with an unfinished fifth chapter that has so far only been released in Japan and Germany, as well as a complete remake of the first chapter.

Chōjin Densetsu Urotsukidōji (1987-1989)

 * 1) "Birth of the Overfiend" (January 21, 1987)
 * 2) "Curse of the Overfiend" (March 21, 1988)
 * 3) "Final Inferno" (April 10, 1989)

These three episodes where adapted from the original manga but skip over much of humorous sub stories and sub plots and instead shift the focus to the apocalypse and the battle between Suikakuju and Amano.

The three OVAs were later edited into a western theatrical version known as Urotsukidōji I: Legend of the Overfiend, with much of the more explicit material being removed (continued in the UK and Australia by the BBFC and OFLC who also removed some of the more 'shocking' material). New animation was also added to help with the edits and some of the older animation was cleaned up. Despite the censorship, it still earned an NC-17 rating in the United States.

Planet Earth is not all it seems. It is revealed that humans are not alone and that there are unseen realms running parallel to our own: the realms of the Demons (Makai) and the Man-Beasts (Jyujinkai). To further that, there is a 3000-year-old legend that foretells the coming of the Overfiend (Chōjin)—a being of unimaginable power that will unite all three realms into a land of eternity.

The story follows the exploits of the protagonists—man-beast Amano Jyaku, his nympho sister Megumi and their companion Kuroko—as their 300 year search for the Overfiend takes them to a high school in Osaka, Japan. Their discoveries lead them to two students: shy, lecherous Nagumo Tatsuo and school ideal Akemi Ito. But as the film plunges deeper into the dark and macabre, Amano discovers that the Legend of the Overfiend is not what it seems and that the future of the three realms maybe strikingly different from what he is led to believe...

DVD releases

 * 1) "Perfect Collection" (Anime 18)—2:26:06
 * 2) "Special DVD Edition" (Manga Entertainment)—1:42:55

The Perfect Collection from Anime 18 is the only uncut version of the first OVA available outside Japan. Other versions such as the one on the "Hell on Earth" boxed set and the Australian Madman release with both Urotsukidōji I: Legend of the Overfiend and Urotsukidōji II: Legend of the Demon Womb have been cut for 45 minutes total, which included a total of 24 minutes of sexual-oriented scenes. The U.S. DVD releases are now out of print.

Shin Chōjin Densetsu Urotsukidōji: Mataiden (1990-1991)

 * 1) "A Prayer for the Resurrection of the Lord of Chaos" (December 1, 1990)
 * 2) "Battle at Shinjuku Skyscrapers" (April 10, 1991)

The second Urotsukidoji series was not based on the manga, but elements from it were used. With Nagumo's cousin Takeaki taking on a character similar to the character of Niki in the manga and Münchhausen II taking after the character of Suikakuju.

The second part of the saga—with an ongoing controversy among Urotsukidōji fans as to its whereabouts in the saga as a whole. One main theory is that the two chapters happen between "Birth of the Overfiend" and "Curse of the Overfiend" of the first OVA. Another main theory is that since the characters and tone are fairly unfaithful to the first three OVAs, it ought not to be considered part of the canon in the first place.

The two OVAs were again later edited into a theatrical version for western cinema, known as Urotsukidōji II: Legend of the Demon Womb, again with much of the more explicit material removed and new animation created.

Unbeknownst to Amano Jyaku and Megumi, in 1944, the Nazis attempted to summon the Overfiend's nemesis: the Lord of Chaos (Kyo-o). Top scientist Dr Münchhausen and his son invented a perverse death-rape machine to summon the Lord of Chaos—but the machine overloaded; and helped to destroy half of Berlin—leaving Münchhausen II alive, but psychologically scarred.

During his adolescence, Münchhausen II discovers his father's journal and tries to uncover the secrets of the Jyujinkai and the Makai. He finally succeeds and reawakens Kohoki—a demon banished to hell for eternity—into the human realm and the two form an infamous partnership.

Cut to the present day and Münchhausen II is trying to fulfill his father's work—to summon the Lord of Chaos. But to make sure it'll work this time, he needs a human sacrifice. And it just so happens Nagumo's cousin Takeaki Kiryu is on the next plane to Osaka...

DVD releases

 * 1) Perfect Collection (Anime 18)—1:37:33
 * 2) Special DVD Edition (Manga Entertainment)—1:23:32

The Perfect Collection from Anime 18 is the only uncut version of the second Urotsukidōji OVA available outside Japan. Other versions such as the one on the "Hell on Earth" boxed set and the Australian Madman release with both Legend of the Overfiend and Legend of the Demon Womb have been cut for 14 minutes total, which included a total of 7 minutes of sexual-oriented scenes. The U.S. releases are also now out of print.

Chōjin Densetsu Urotsukidōji: Mirai Hen (1992-1993)

 * 1) "Birth of the True Overfiend" (October 1, 1992)
 * 2) "The Mystery of Caesar's Palace" (January 21, 1993)
 * 3) "The Collapse of Caesar's Palace" (May 21, 1993)
 * 4) "Journey to an Unknown World" (August 21, 1993)

Part three of the Urotsukidoji saga. This is where the saga begins to forget the main characters and introduces other secondary characters. None of which are present in the manga. The four parts were edited for western audiences as Urotsukidōji III: Return of the Overfiend.

At the end of "Final Inferno" we discover that the Chojin is the offspring of Nagumo and Akemi and Nagumo's horrific transformation into the Demon of Destruction - who needs to "destroy the old to make way for the new."

Twenty years have passed and the Chojin has been prematurely born. He summons Amano Jyaku to protect him and to help to discover what has happened. Unfortunately a new race called the Makemono (Demon Beasts) have risen up to destroy the Chojin—led by the fanatical cyborg Caesar and his comrade Faust. It is apparent they are the cause behind this and want to resurrect the Kyo-O.

Amano, along with the Makemono Buju and Caesar's traitorous daughter Alector, need to stop the two dictators from ruling the land of eternity. The question is, who will succeed...?

Chōjin Densetsu Urotsukidōji: Hōrō Hen (1993-1995)

 * 1) "The Secret Garden" (December 21, 1993)
 * 2) "The Long Road to God" (March 21, 1994)
 * 3) "The End of the Journey" (May 20, 1995)

Forgetting plot and characters entirely for the first two OVAs, they gained such notoriety for their gratuitous and explicit nature that they were banned outright from many countries (including Britain). They were edited again for the west under the title Urotsukidōji IV: Inferno Road.

(Urotsukidoji IV was originally to have another ending, which was fully completed but ultimately discarded. This ending was to have revealed that the apparent Chojin as seen at the start of Urotsukidoji III was not in fact the real Chojin, but yet another Makai. This alternate ending was to have set up the abandoned Urotsukidoji V.)

Continuing straight after the climax of Return of the Overfiend, Amano and the survivors head for Osaka to help the Overfiend after his climatic battle. On the way they find a kingdom where children cruelly dominate adults. Amano's problems are furthered when an old nemesis shows up at the wrong time.

The third OAV in this series "The End of the Journey" was originally intended to be a theatrical release. And is based on the final chapters of Maeda's "New Urotsukidoji."

Chōjin Densetsu Urotsukidōji: Kanketsu Hen (1996)

 * 1) "The Final" (December 28, 1996)

Known as Urotsukidōji V: The Final Chapter in the west.

Only one episode of this was partially completed, the released version containing numerous examples of animation that is missing in-between frames. The story as such concerned the arrival of the real Chojin as he/she (a hermaphrodite) makes moves to wipe out all life on Earth.

Interestingly, the setup for the show was far more heavily connected with the first two, more popular, chapters in the Urotsukidoji saga, with appearances by Nagumo and Akemi (unseen since the early episodes of Part III), and redesigned character models that more closely resembled the earlier episodes. Some of the less popular characters introduced in chapters III and IV, particularly Buju, were nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, such strategies did little to get this final saga off the ground and the story was shelved.

Urotsukidōji: The Urotsuki (2002)

 * 1) "The Urotsuki: Part I" (May 3, 2002)
 * 2) "The Urotsuki: Part II" (August 9, 2002)
 * 3) "The Urotsuki: Part III" (November 19, 2002)

Released as New Urotsukidōji: New Saga in the west on March 9, 2004.

This series is based on Maeda's "New Urotsukidoji" manga but contains far more explicit and violent scenes.

This three-disc collection is a detailed retelling of the first episode in The Legend of the Overfiend. It has the same basic plot as "Birth of the Overfiend", but is more focused on the characters and story in general.

New Urotsukidoji manga
After the popularity of the anime version of his work, Maeda sought to redo the Urotsukidoji series. Inspired by the post-apocalyptic story in the anime version, Maeda fleshed out the story and also took it into the realm of the post apocalyptic.

The Urotsuki video series and the Urotsukidoji Horror film are the only anime works which have borrowed from this series.