, also written ''Utsu no Miko'', is a Japanese

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Art ...

light novel A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a '' wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...

series written by

Keisuke Fujikawa Keisuke (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese general *, Japanese mixed martial artist *, Japanese footballer * ...

(藤川桂介) and illustrated by

Mutsumi Inomata is a Japanese illustrator and animator. Biography An anime fan, Inomata began working for Ashi Productions, working as an animator, key animation director and character designer on several anime television series. In 1982, she left the staff ...

, which was later adapted into an

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

of the same title. The story is set in the late

Asuka Period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after ...

to the

Nara Period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the c ...

, and follows the trials of the title character Utsunomiko (usually shortened to Miko), the offspring of the

kami are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...

of the

north star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...

. There are 52 ''Utsunomiko'' novels, the first published in 1984, and the last published in 1998. The ''Utsunomiko'' anime film premiered in 1989, followed by a second anime film and a 13-episode OVA starting in 1990.

Introduction

In the chaos of the

Jinshin War The was a war of succession in Japan during the Asuka period of the Yamato state. It broke out in 672 following the death of Emperor Tenji. The name refers to the ''jinshin'' (壬申) or ninth year of the sixty-year Jikkan Jūnishi calendrica ...

of 672, a child with a small horn in his forehead was born. The child's mother condemned him as an oni and cast him away. An elderly shūgenja woman claimed the child and named him Utsunomiko, or 'Divine Child of the Heavens', telling Miko that his horn symbolizes the union of heaven and earth. Miko matured in the wilderness learning the ways of

Shugendō is a highly syncretic religion, a body of ascetic practices that originated in the Nara Period of Japan having evolved during the 7th century from an amalgamation of beliefs, philosophies, doctrines and ritual systems drawn from local ...

, and soon started venturing into villages out of curiosity. He found that the common people of the villages live in poverty and suffering, and began using his spiritual powers to help them. But his anger at the self-serving rulers and their petty power-struggles grew until he came into open conflict with the Imperial Court, setting Miko down a long path as a champion of the oppressed.

Story arcs

* Chronicle of Earth (地上編 – Chijō-hen) – 10 volumes * Chronicle of Heaven (天上編 – Tenjō-hen) – 10 volumes (Miko faces the rulers of the Heavenly plane and seeks his father) * Uncanny Dream Chronicle (妖夢編 – Yōmu-hen) – 10 volumes * Chronicle of Purgatory (煉獄編 – Rengoku-hen) – 10 volumes * Chronicle of Dawn (黎明編 – Reimei-hen) – 8 volumes * Gaiden Collection (拾異伝 – Shūiden) – 4 volumes

External links

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Utsunomiko Data
Kadokawa Dwango franchises 1984 fantasy novels 1984 Japanese novels 1989 anime films 1990 anime films 1990 anime OVAs Anime films based on light novels Fantasy anime and manga Fantasy novel series Japanese serial novels Light novels Japanese fantasy novels Nippon Animation films Japanese-language films Japanese novels adapted into films Historical fantasy novels Toei Animation films Buddhist novels {{anime-film-stub