Kai Doh Maru

Dec 19 2001 N/A 0h 45m
Action, Animation, Drama

The battle for the Capital city of Kyo rages as warring political factions vie for power against hereditary rulers. After the murder of her parents at the hands of her seditious uncle, a young girl named Kintoki flees to the mountains to lead a harsh life; she is renamed Kai Doh Maru by the local villagers. Rescued by Raiko, the Captain of 'The Four Knights' - honorable defenders who protect the peace of the city, she is raised within their group as a boy. Living among the Knights, she learns the practices of martial arts and develops into a skillful samurai, becoming a permanent member of their team. Now, as a young woman of seventeen, she begins to discover new feelings of passion and love for Raiko... but she also discovers that these new emotions cause a storm of jealousy and rage in another woman linked to her past.

Official Trailer
Plot

Set in the Shoryaku and Chotoku eras of Japan's Heian period, the animated short Kai Doh Maru is set against a background of a capital under threat from disease, outlaws, and political plots. The story reworks themes from Japanese folklore, focusing on the relationship between Sakata no Kintoki (Kintaro) and Minamoto no Raiko, one of the first military Minamoto and "monster hunter" of folklore. The story replaces the traditional image of Kintaro - a strong, ruddy-cheeked man - with that of a determined, tomboyish girl, while retaining much of the traditional character such as the carrying of an axe. Other historical figures from the period who have also become objects of folklore, such as Fujiwara no Michinaga and the rebel Taira no Masakado also make an appearance.

Written by

Nobuhisha Terado

Directed by

Kanji Wakabayashi

Cast

Dan Green, Corinne Orr, Peter Patrikios

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Japan

Production Companies

Production I.G

Languages

Awards

N/A

Trailers
Kai Doh Maru - trailer
Kai doh maru MANGA DVD trailer
Scores
# of Votes
413
Average Rating
4.9 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA