Kurozuka (黒塚) is a Japanese novel written by Baku Yumemakura. A manga adaptation was illustrated by Takashi Noguchi [ja] and it was serialized in the seinen manga magazine Oh Super Jump starting in 2003 by Shueisha and ended in December 2006. An anime adaptation by Madhouse was announced by Japanese anime television network Animax in May 2008[2] and ran between October and December 2008, spanning a total of 12 episodes.
Plot
The series begins in 12th century Japan and centers on Kuro, a character based loosely on the legendary Japanese swordsman Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Kuro and his servant, Benkei, meet a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kuromitsu while on the run from Kuro's elder brother, who seeks his life. Kuromitsu and Kuro fall in love, but he soon discovers that she harbors a terrible secret: she is a vampiric immortal. Following an attack by his pursuers, Kuro is badly injured and must imbibe Kuromitsu's blood to save his own life. Kuro is then betrayed and attacked by Benkei, who has been subverted by a shadowy organization called the Red Army, and Kuro's head is severed, which interferes with his transformation into a fully immortal being.
Kuro loses consciousness and wakes up centuries later in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian Japan with his memories of the past century missing. The surviving citizens have fallen under constant oppression by the Red Army, and Kuro is quickly found and recruited by an underground revolutionary movement called Haniwa. The remaining episodes follow Kuro's fight with the Red Army and its host of elite warriors, who have been hunting Kuromitsu for her blood, believing it contains the secret to eternal life; focusing on Kuro's quest to find his inexplicably lost love.
In the first few episodes, the story shows Kuro's memories of travelling through the centuries with Kuromitsu with gaps in the recollection indicating lapses in his memory. The recollections show the past up until Kuromitsu goes missing.
The starting plot for the series is probably inspired by Kurozuka, a 1939 Japanese dance-drama, which features a man-eating ogress named Kuromitsu,[3] as well as the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
Kurozuka was originally developed as a novel by Baku Yumemakura and it was first published by Shueisha on August 25, 2000.[4] Shueisha republished it in bunkoban format on February 20, 2003,[5] and in digital format on November 1, 2013.[6]
Manga
The Kurozuka manga was adapted from the original novel by author Baku Yumemakura and was illustrated by Takashi Noguchi. Serialized in Shueisha's Oh Super Jump,[7] the series spanned ten volumes. The first was released on January 6, 2003 and the last on December 4, 2006.[8][9]
Kuro and Benkei, fleeing pursuers, seek refuge in the forest home of Kuromitsu. When Kuro falls ill, Benkei leaves to seek medicine. The pursuers attack Kuro and Kuromitsu, mortally wounding Kuro. Kuromitsu offers Kuro eternal life.
2
"The Tomb of Karma" Transliteration: "Innen-zuka" (Japanese: 因縁塚)
Yūji Kumasawa
Kengo Kaji
October 14, 2008 (2008-10-14)
A corrupt wandering samurai attacks Kuro and Kuromitsu in the town near her home and beheads Kuro. Kuromitsu kills the samurai and attaches Kuro's head to the samurai's body. In flashback, Kuro drinks Kuromitsu's blood, but before his transformation can complete, they are attacked by an enemy who has been hunting Kuromitsu for the secret to her immortality. Kuro is beheaded by Benkei, whom the enemy had recruited to be their new leader.
Without any memory of how he got there, Kuro awakens in the forest in a post-apocalyptic world. Upon entering a crumbled city of Asuka in search of Kuromitsu, he meets Haniwa resistance member Karuta. The Red Imperial Army attacks the club fronting for the Haniwa HQ. Kuro attacks the Red Imperial Army when he recognizes their emblem as the same as those who hunted Kuromitsu.
Kuro recovers from the fight with the Red Imperial Army at Rai's apartment. Rai takes Kuro to Izana, who claims he can reunite Kuro with Kuromitsu if Kuro joins the Haniwa rebels against the Red Imperial Army.
The Haniwa take Kuro to meet the rebel leader, Saniwa. She promises to reunite him with Kuromitsu. The Red Imperial Army seeks Kuromitsu's blood to breed an army of enhanced soldiers.
Kuro and the Haniwa travel to the underground village of Kagura, but discover the residents slaughtered and Kuromitsu gone.
8
"The Ghost-Weep Vine" Transliteration: "Kikoku-tsuta" (Japanese: 鬼哭蔦)
Shinichi Masaki
Kengo Kaji
November 25, 2008 (2008-11-25)
The Red Imperial sorceress Kagetsu tortures Saniwa to learn the whereabouts of Kuromitsu. Kuromitsu appears, kills Kagetsu, tells Kuro to go to the Red Imperial HQ, and disappears again. Saniwa dies.
9
"Running the Gauntlet" Transliteration: "Sōfūka" (Japanese: 走風火)
Kuro and the Haniwa travel to the Red Imperial HQ in Tokyo. Karuta dies.
10
"The Castle of Mirage" Transliteration: "Genei-jou" (Japanese: 幻影城)
Masato Kitagawa
Kengo Kaji
December 9, 2008 (2008-12-09)
Kuro and Rai are captured by the Red Imperial Army. Kuon is revealed to be, among other things, a Red Imperial agent who infiltrated the Haniwa at Kuromitsu's command.
11
"The Unending War" Transliteration: "Ikusa Rinne" (Japanese: 戦輪廻)
Yasushi Muroya
Kengo Kaji
December 16, 2008 (2008-12-16)
Hasegawa plans to remove Kuro's head for his experiments. Kuro kills Hasegawa. Kuon kills Rai, then tells Kuro that Kuromitsu planned to use his body as Kuro's perfect new body. Kuro kills Kuon.
12
"The Black Tomb" Transliteration: "Kuro no Tsuka" (Japanese: 黒の塚)
Tetsurō Araki
Tsutomu Shirado
December 23, 2008 (2008-12-23)
Kuro confronts the Red Emperor, who is revealed to be Benkei, and kills him. Kuromitsu beheads Kuro and places his head on a new body. Kuro awakens in the forest, having lost his memory, and begins again his search for Kuromitsu.
