| Type: | manga |
| Author: | Gosho Aoyama |
| Publisher: | Shogakukan |
| Imprint: | Shōnen Sunday Comics |
| Magazine: | Weekly Shōnen Sunday |
| First: | September 7, 1988 |
| Last: | December 1, 1993 |
| Volumes: | 24 |
| Kenyū Densetsu Yaiba | |
| Type: | tv series |
| Music: | Kohei Tanaka |
| Studio: | Pastel |
| Network: | TXN (TV Tokyo, TVh) |
| First: | April 9, 1993 |
| Last: | April 1, 1994 |
| Episodes: | 52 |
| Type: | tv series |
| Yaiba: Samurai Legend | |
| Director: | Takahiro Hasui |
| Producer: | Maiko Okada |
| Studio: | Wit Studio |
| Network: | NNS (YTV, NTV) |
| First: | April 2025 |
| Last: | scheduled |
| Portal: | yes |
Yaiba (stylized as Y∀IBA) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from September 1988 to December 1993, with its chapters collected in 24 volumes. The manga has been licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media.
The story follows Yaiba Kurogane, a samurai boy raised in the forest by his father who ends up returning to city life in Japan. Yaiba encounters a rival swordsman, Takeshi Onimaru, but when the battle just so happens to end in a stalemate, a humiliated Onimaru is lured into malevolence upon stumbling across a magical katana, culminating in his plans to take over the world with an army of demons. This forces Yaiba and his allies to go on a quest to defeat the newly transformed demon lord, while also encountering several figures from Japanese history and mythology along the way.
A 52-episode anime television series adaptation by Pastel, titled Kenyū Densetsu Yaiba, aired on TV Tokyo and Television Hokkaido from April 1993 to April 1994. A second anime television series adaptation produced by Wit Studio, titled Yaiba: Samurai Legend, is set to premiere in April 2025. The second anime television series adaptation has been licensed by Viz Media.
By May 2024, the manga had over 17 million copies in circulation. In 1993, Yaiba received the 38th Shogakukan Manga Award for the category.
Yaiba Kurogane is an adventuring boy who knows how to be a samurai and little else. Yaiba lives with his father, Kenjurou, in the forest. One day, while Yaiba was eating, a troop of gorillas came to attack. Yaiba and his father escaped and hid inside a box, but they did not know that the box was full of pineapples and was going to be transported into the city. In the city, Yaiba finds out that he is a legendary warrior and has to fight the evil of a demonic looking high-school student named Takeshi Onimaru.
The people that Yaiba meets along his journey to become a true samurai encourage him, train him, or inspire him to greatness, though at heart he is still a child, and his incredible skill with a sword is matched only by his kindness towards his friends. Though he tends to leap before he looks, and his thick-headedness tends to turn potential allies into enemies, his friends soon clobber him, and salvage the situation. This unlikely group embarks on a host of incredible adventures where they meet legendary figures from Japanese history, and finally overcome impossible odds, and put everything on the line, to save the entire planet from a threat not of this world.
Written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama, Yaiba was serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from September 7, 1988, to December 1, 1993.[2] [3] Shogakukan collected its chapters in 24 volumes, released between April 18, 1989, and February 18, 1994. Shogakukan republished the series in a 10-volume edition from December 14, 2001,[4] to August 10, 2002.[5] Shogakukan released a second 24-volume edition from July 15, 2004,[6] to April 18, 2005.[7]
In October 2024, Viz Media announced at New York Comic Con that it has licensed the manga for English release in North America, with the first volume set to be released in July 2025.[8]
An 52-episode anime television series, titled, produced by Pastel, aired on TV Tokyo from April 9, 1993, to April 1, 1994. The opening and ending theme songs were performed by ; and respectively.[9]
A second anime adaptation, with supervision from Aoyama, was announced in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on May 8, 2024.[10] [11] Titled, the television series is produced by Wit Studio and directed by Takahiro Hasui, with Touko Machida writing series scripts, Yoshimichi Kameda designing the characters and serving as chief animation director, Maiko Okada serving as animation producer, and Yutaka Yamada and Yoshiaki Dewa composing the music. Minami Takayama will reprise her role as the voice of Yaiba Kurogane from the original series.[12] [13] It is set to premiere on ytv, Nippon Television and other NNS stations in April 2025.[14]
In October 2024, Viz Media announced at New York Comic Con that it has licensed the series.[8]
By May 2024, the manga had over 17 million copies in circulation.[15] In 1993, Yaiba, along Ghost Sweeper Mikami, received the 38th Shogakukan Manga Award for the category.[16]