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is a Japanese
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Takei. It follows the adventures of Yoh Asakura as he attempts to hone his
shaman Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
skills to become the Shaman King by winning the Shaman Fight. Takei chose shamanism as the main theme of the series because he wanted a topic that had never been attempted before in manga. The ''Shaman King'' manga was originally serialized in
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
's ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump (magazine line), Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many Action (fiction), action scenes and a fair ...
'' between June 1998 and August 2004. The individual chapters were collected and released in 32 volumes. In 2017,
Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...
acquired the rights to the series and re-launched it on 35
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also spelled as e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Al ...
volumes in 2018, also published in print from 2020 to 2021. A 64-episode
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series adaptation, produced by
NAS Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
and
Xebec A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that originated in the barbary states (Algeria), it was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a ...
, aired on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.Bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
, and aired on TV Tokyo and other channels from April 2021 to April 2022. The manga has also been reprinted in a edition, and has spawned various spin-offs and sequel manga,
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
, a trading card game, and many types of related merchandise. In North America,
Viz Media Viz Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. The company was founded in 1986 as Viz, ...
obtained the English-language license for ''Shaman King'' and published its chapters in '' Shonen Jump'' magazine from March 2003 to August 2007.
Kodansha USA Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC is a publishing company based in New York, US, and a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing company Kodansha. Established in July 1st 2008, Kodansha USA publishes books relating to Japan, Japanese culture, and man ...
re-licensed the series in 2020, and released it in both digital and physical formats. The anime series was licensed in North America by
4Kids Entertainment 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (formerly known as Leisure Concepts, Inc. and later known as 4Licensing Corporation; stylized as 4K!DS ENTERTAINMENT) was an American licensing company. The company was previously also a film and television production ...
in 2003 and aired on FoxBox. Video games were released by 4Kids Entertainment in North America and Europe. In Japan, the manga has been popular. By March 2021, it had over 38 million copies in circulation. Both the manga and anime have been featured, at various times, in "top ten" lists of their respective media. The first ''Shaman King'' anime series was very popular during its broadcast in Japan. Publications about manga and anime have praised the series.


Plot

The plot of ''Shaman King'' revolves around Yoh Asakura, a
shaman Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
, a
medium Medium may refer to: Aircraft *Medium bomber, a class of warplane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film * ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...
between the worlds of the living and the dead. Yoh seeks to become Shaman King, one able to channel the power of the
Great Spirit The Great Spirit is an omnipresent supreme life force, generally conceptualized as a supreme being or god, in the traditional religious beliefs of many, but not all, indigenous cultures in Canada and the United States. Interpretations of it v ...
to reshape the world as they wish, by winning the Shaman Fight, a tournament overseen by the Patch Tribe that occurs once every 500 years.
Anna Kyoyama is a fictional character created by manga author Hiroyuki Takei. She appears in ''Shaman King'' as a primary character, while an alternate character with the same name and similar appearance appears in ''Butsu Zone'', and ''Itako no Anna'', a one- ...
, Yoh's fiancée, soon enters the scene and prescribes a brutal training regimen to prepare him for the tournament. Thus begins the plot that will lead Yoh on a journey that will lead him to befriend Manta Oyamada and encounter other shamans: "Wooden Sword" Ryu, Tao Ren, Horohoro and Faust VIII. Yoh's group travels to America to pass the final trial for the right to participate in the Shaman Fight, joined by Lyserg Diethel while encountering a group of shamans led by Yoh's estranged twin brother Hao Asakura, the reincarnation of a powerful shaman who wishes to eradicate all humans and create a world for shamans. The group also encounter the X-Laws, a group dedicated with killing Hao, with Lyserg joining them. Yoh's team is joined by Joco McDonnell (known as Chocolove McDonnell), as they engage in a series of three-man matches. After several matches, only the teams that consist of Yoh's group, the X-Laws, and Hao's team remain. Due to Hao's level of power despite being supported by the Gandhara group in selecting Yoh, Ren, Horohoro, Lyserg, and Joco as the five legendary warriors, the teams forfeit the tournament in a gambit to stop Hao while he undergoes a process to merge with the Great Spirit while Gandhara acquires the Patch Tribe's five elemental spirits. Though Yoh and his friends defeat ten Patch tribesmen who are obligated to protect the new Shaman King, they are powerless against awaken Hao as he brings their souls and everyone they know within the Great Spirit before he commences with his goal of destroying all human life. But Yoh and his friends acquire the elemental spirits and battle Hao while joined by their friends and associates, revealing their goal is actually to ensure that Hao would not abuse his powers. It is revealed that the Great Spirit granted Hao's wish for someone to bring back his mother's spirit. With Anna's help, Hao's mother is brought to the Great Spirit. Convinced by his mother to forgive humanity for her death, Hao decides to postpone his plan to eradicate humans so he can observe how Yoh and his friends will change the world. Seven years later, Hana Asakura waits at a station for the five legendary warriors and his parents, Yoh and Anna.


Production

Before creating ''Shaman King'', Takei, an assistant of
Nobuhiro Watsuki , better known by his pen name , is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his samurai-themed series '' Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story'' (1994–1999), which has over 70 million copies in circulation, and a sequel he is cur ...
's ''
Rurouni Kenshin is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins in 1878, the 11th year of the Meiji era in Japan, and follows a former assassin of the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his work against ...
'', exchanged ideas about the series with the other assistants which included the creator of ''
One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...
'', Eiichiro Oda. As a colleague of Watsuki, he worked primarily as a manga assistant, only focusing on his own projects during his days off. He was influenced by
street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant gr ...
from
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
and rap culture, which is apparent in his manga artwork. For drawing, he used
calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...
inks and pen nibs. When illustrating, he used Copic brand color markers. He chose shamanism as the principal topic of the series because he wanted to choose a subject that had never been approached in manga before. He said he incorporated his own personality and beliefs in ''Shaman King''. He has an interest in the topic, and "choosing shamanism as the subject of this story seemed like a natural extension of that." For the title, he said he used "shaman", an English word, due to the fact that "the nuance is really great" and because he could not find a Japanese word with the accurate meaning of the word "shaman". Another reason to have shamanism as the main subject was because he could explore elements from different cultures and their relationship with the dead and the spirits. Takei created the stories after he created the characters because he believed the "stories are born because of the existence of the characters". In addition, he felt that "the most important thing o create a characteris to have originality". Through his characters he wanted to show different cultures, backgrounds and values. When asked "how do shamans of pacifistic religions ever win the Shaman Fight?" he answered that the Shaman Fight is fought using the "strength of the soul". Takei declared "the final message of ''Shaman King'' is that fighting is no good."


Media


Manga


Shueisha edition

Written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Takei, ''Shaman King'' was serialized in
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
's manga magazine ''
Weekly Shōnen Jump is a weekly Shōnen manga, ''shōnen'' manga anthology published in Japan by Shueisha under the ''Jump (magazine line), Jump'' line of magazines. The manga series within the magazine consist of many Action (fiction), action scenes and a fair ...
'' from June 30, 1998, to an abrupt and improvised end on August 30, 2004. The first 275 chapters were collected into 31 volumes, released from December 3, 1998, to October 4, 2004. The release of volume 32—intended for publication on December 3, 2004—was delayed and Shueisha reported they would only publish volume 32 if they receive evidence of demand from approximately 50,000 people. The release of the last ten chapters in format happened on January 5, 2005. A spin-off to ''Shaman King'', , published in ''
Akamaru Jump Akamaru may refer to: * Akamaru (Naruto), Kiba Inuzuka's dog in the ''Naruto'' series * Akamaru Island, an island in the Gambier Islands *'' Akamaru Jump'', a special edition of ''Shōnen Jump'' published thrice a year {{disambig ...
'' in 2003 and 2004, lasted for five chapters—all of which were included in volume 32. Taking place seven years after the end of the manga series, it features Hana Asakura, son of Yoh and Anna, and his journey with Ryu to find the Five Elemental Warriors for a reunion before the opening of the Funbari Hot Springs Inn. Takei declared it was not a decrease in the series profitability that was the reason for its cancellation, but a "fatigue" he had been through because he was no more able to follow his fans' wishes. In the author's opinion, ''Shaman King'' was being "normalized" by the desire of his readers with the introduction of typical aspects and losing its originality. In 2007, he revealed he was planning to end the series with the finale he initially envisioned, to be published in another Shueisha magazine at the end of the year or at the beginning of 2008. Eventually the entire series was reprinted in 27 volumes with the title ''Shaman King Kanzen-Ban'' (or "Perfect Edition"), concluding with the "true ending" to the series. The new series finale was also posted on the official website, in addition to the print editions. The first volume of the Perfect Edition was released on March 4, 2008 with the last (volume 27) being published on April 3, 2009. Five years after the end of the series, when the ''Shaman King Kanzen-Ban'' was finished, Takei said, "After making the readers so much for this, the last thing I wanted to do was to disappoint them". He thought the ending was a "huge responsibility". This edition served to make corrections and adjustments and, for Takei, it was something "fun," as it was different from scratch. ''Shaman King'' has also been published as part of the ''Shueisha Jump Remix'' series of magazine-style books. Sixteen volumes of ''Shaman King'' were released under the ''Shueisha Jump Remix'' series between April 1, 2011 and October 28, 2011.
Viz Media Viz Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. The company was founded in 1986 as Viz, ...
licensed the series for an English-language release in North America; the chapters initially serialized in the American '' Shonen Jump'', beginning in third issue in 2003 and ceasing its serialization in the August 2007 issue. From then, it was exclusively published through graphic novel format and Viz said it was done in order to speed up the series' publication. Volume 1 was released in August or September 2003, and volume 32 was released to conclude the series on January 4, 2011. In
Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
n region,
Madman Entertainment Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, stylized as MADMAN, is an Australian film and television production, distribution, entertainment, and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising ...
licensed and published the series between February 10, 2009 and September 10, 2011.


Kodansha edition

In December 2017,
Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...
announced the company acquired the "''Shaman King''" trademark from Shueisha in Japan and Viz Media in North America. A website opened on January 1, 2018, to announce Kodansha's celebration for the series' 20th anniversary. For this purpose, Kodansha republished the original manga in 35
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also spelled as e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Al ...
s, with new cover artwork, between May 1 and October 1, 2018. Kodansha republished these volumes in print, released every month; volumes 1–5 were published on June 17, 2020, after that, three volumes were published around the 17th of every month; volume 33 and 34 were published on April 15, 2021; the 35th and final volume was released on October 15 of that same year. In July 2020,
ComiXology Iconology Inc., d/b/a ComiXology (styled comiXology), was a cloud-based digital distribution platform for comics owned by Amazon, with over 200 million comic downloads . At its height it offered a selection of more than 100,000 comic books, g ...
and
Kodansha USA Kodansha USA Publishing, LLC is a publishing company based in New York, US, and a subsidiary of Japan's largest publishing company Kodansha. Established in July 1st 2008, Kodansha USA publishes books relating to Japan, Japanese culture, and man ...
announced that they would publish the thirty-five volumes of the new complete edition of the manga digitally starting in July 2020, however it was delayed to October of the same year. Kodansha USA also announced that they would release the series physically in twelve three-in-one omnibus edition volumes. The first volume was published on March 23, 2021, while the last was released on March 7, 2023.


Related series

A series of one-shot chapters, called "zero stories", later collected as '' Shaman King: Zero'', detailing Yoh and other characters backstories, were serialized in Shueisha's ''Jump X'' from November 10, 2011, to October 10, 2014. A sequel series, titled '' Shaman King: Flowers'', centered on Hana Asakura's development as a shaman, was serialzied in ''Jump X'' from April 10, 2012, to October 10, 2014. Another series, titled '' Shaman King: The Super Star'', was preceded by three prologue chapters published in Kodansha's ''Shōnen Magazine Edge'' on April 17, 2018, and the series started in the same magazine on May 17 of that same year. The series concluded on Kodansha's ''Magazine Pocket'' app on November 23, 2024. On November 30, 2024, it was announced that Takei is producing a final story arc, titled ''Shaman King Yard'', whose launch date will be announced at a later date.


=Spin-offs

= A spin-off manga titled '' Shaman King: Red Crimson'', by Jet Kusamura, was launched in ''Shonen Magazine Edge'' on June 15, 2018, and finished on January 17, 2020. Another spin-off by Kusamura, titled '' Shaman King: Marcos'', was serialized in ''Shōnen Magazine Edge'' from April 17, 2020, to June 17, 2022. Another spin-off, conceptualized by Kusamura and illustrated by Kyo Nuesawa, titled '' Shaman King & a Garden'', was serialized in Kodansha's ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''
Nakayoshi is a monthly Shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga List of manga magazines, magazine published by Kodansha in Japan. First issued in December 1954, it is a long-running magazine with over 60 years of manga publication history. Notable titles serialized ...
'' from December 1, 2020, to May 2, 2022. A spin-off manga, illustrated by Aya Tanaka and based on Kakeru Kobashiri's novel ''Shaman King Faust8: Eien no Eliza'', started on ''Magazine Pocket'' on July 10, 2021; its last chapter was made available online on June 25, 2022. Its chapters were collected in three volumes, released between October 15, 2021, and August 17, 2022.


Anime


First series (2001)

The episodes of the ''Shaman King'' anime series are directed by
Seiji Mizushima is a Japanese anime director who is known for such series as ''Shaman King'', ''Fullmetal Alchemist (TV series), Fullmetal Alchemist'', ''Mobile Suit Gundam 00'', ''Un-Go'', ''Concrete Revolutio'', and ''Beatless''. His first directorial film pr ...
and co-produced by
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.NAS Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
, and
Xebec A xebec ( or ), also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that originated in the barbary states (Algeria), it was used mostly for trading. Xebecs had a long overhanging bowsprit and aft-set mizzen mast. The term can also refer to a ...
. The 64 episodes were aired between July 4, 2001, and September 25, 2002, on TV Tokyo. At an early stage of anime production, Takei himself helped the anime's staff. However, he soon left the staff due to his time limitations as he was working on the manga. In September 2020, Mizushima commented that the original anime material presented in the latter half of the show was not something he did on his own accord, and it was requested from ''Shaman Kings original publisher Shueisha. The episodes were collected into 16 DVDs by King Records and released between October 30, 2001, and January 22, 2003. The DVDs were later collected and released in three box sets between August 27 and December 25, 2008. 4Kids Entertainment obtained the rights to broadcast the ''Shaman King'' anime in the United States, where it premiered on FoxBox on September 6, 2003. Three DVD compilations of the English adaptation were released by
Funimation Funimation was an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service. Launched in 2016, the service was one of the leading distributors of anime ...
, in an uncut form, between October 19, 2004, and February 22, 2005. In June 2021,
Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. History Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retr ...
announced it had re-licensed the series. A
Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of ...
set, featuring the English dubbed and edited version, was released on October 26, 2021, and another Blu-ray Disc set, featuring the original uncut version and in Japanese with English subtitles, was released on January 31, 2023.


Second series (2021)

At
Otakon Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to the Walter E. Washing ...
2015, former Madhouse president and then
MAPPA is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Nakano, Tokyo (formerly in Suginami, Tokyo). Founded in 2011 by Madhouse co-founder and producer Masao Maruyama, it has produced anime works including '' Terror in Resonance'', '' Yuri!!! on I ...
president, Masao Maruyama, expressed his desire to work on a second anime adaptation of ''Shaman King''. In February 2017, while answering a fan's question, Takei revealed on his official Twitter that he received an offer for another anime adaptation of ''Shaman King'', but he turned the offer down because he was told that the new anime would not be able to use the first anime's voice actors and soundtrack music, although Takei hoped for another chance in the future. In June 2020, a second anime television series was announced, which would adapt the 35 volumes of the new complete manga edition. The anime is produced by
Bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
and directed by Joji Furuta, with series composition by
Shōji Yonemura is a Japanese writer from Fukuoka Prefecture. He is known mainly for his work in anime and tokusatsu. After having graduated from Tokyo Zokei University, he worked as a freelance writer in Arakawa, Tokyo, Arakawa and would attend various film ...
, character designs by Satohiko Sano and music composed by Yuki Hayashi. It aired from April 1, 2021 to April 21, 2022, on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network. The series consists of 52 episodes from four Blu-ray Disc boxes, each with 13 episodes, released from August 25, 2021, to May 25, 2022.
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
acquired the streaming rights to the series for an English dub, and it premiered on August 9, 2021 on the streaming platform.


Audio

The music for the first ''Shaman King'' anime adaptation was composed by Toshiyuki Omori. Two CD soundtracks were released; the first one was on March 27, 2002, titled ''Shaman King: Vocal Collection'', and contains 14 tracks, including the first opening and ending themes in their original television lengths; the second one, ''Shaman King: Original Soundtrack'', was released on June 26 of that same year, with an additional 20 tracks and the second opening theme "Northern Lights". Six character song CDs were released on March 24, 2004, sung by the
voice actors Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...
as their respective characters. Three
drama CD Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
s have been produced for the series as well, featuring the original voice actors from the series.


Trading card game

A
collectible card game A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategy game, strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. The genre was introduced with ''Magic: The G ...
based on the ''Shaman King'' series was produced by
Tomy (trade name, trading as Takara Tomy in Asia and Tomy elsewhere) is a Japanese toy company. It was established in 1924 by Eiichirō Tomiyama as , became known for creating popular toys like the B-29 friction toy and luck-based game Pop-up Pi ...
in Japan and released in the United States by Upper Deck in 2005. Upper Deck originally planned a
mass market The term "mass market" refers to a market for goods produced on a large scale for a significant number of end consumers. The mass market differs from the niche market in that the former focuses on consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds with ...
release of the game for January 2005, however, it was later announced that
Blockbuster Video Blockbuster may refer to: Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a former video rental chain * Blockbuster (Bend, Oregon), remaining store Arts and entertainment * Blockbuster (entertainment) a very successful movie * Blockbuster (DC Comics ...
would have exclusive rights to sell the game from January 28, 2005 to February 15, 2005, after which it would be released to other retailers. In an interview with Upper Deck's Director of Brand and New Product Development, Cory Jones stated that it was the television show's underperformance and later cancellation which led to the cancellation of the trading card game. A collaboration with Bushiroad's TCG "Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress" was announced on the Japanese Bushiroad TCG Strategy Presentation 2021 Summer on May 12, 2021. ''Trial Deck'' and ''Booster Pack Vol. 1'' was released on November 5, 2021, and a ''Booster Pack Vol. 2'' was released on April 22, 2022.


Video games

Thirteen video games based on the ''Shaman King'' series have been released. The first one, ''Shaman King Chō Senji Ryakketo Funbari Hen'', was released on December 21, 2001. Although the games developed in Japan have not been released outside of that region,
Konami , commonly known as Konami, , is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and video game publisher, publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading card ...
and 4Kids Entertainment developed a series of games that were only released in North America and Europe. Characters of the ''Shaman King'' series have also made appearances in the games '' Jump Super Stars'' and '' Jump Ultimate Stars''.


Other

Two
light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from Japan usually classified as young adult fiction, generally targeting Adolescence, teens to Young adult, twenties or older. The definition is very vague, and wide-ranging. The abbr ...
s with the story by Hideki Mitsui and art by Hiroyuki Takei were released on December 25, 2001 and August 23, 2002. A fanbook titled was released on April 30, 2004. Two guidebooks were released. The first, based on the original series and entitled , was released on June 4, 2002. The second, called , for the version of the series, was released exactly seven years later. Following Kodansha's acquisition of the series, a novelization written by Kakeru Kobashiri and titled was released on November 15, 2018, and a character book was published on November 30 of that same year.


Reception


Public response

By November 2011, the original manga series of 32 volumes has sold over 26 million copies in Japan. By March 2020, the manga had over 35 million copies in circulation. By March 2021, the manga had over 38 million copies in circulation. The volumes have been ranked in listings of best-selling manga in Japan, as well as its guidebook, both ''Zero'' volumes, ''Flowers'' first four volumes, and ''The Super Star'' first volume. Volumes of the series have been ranked in listings of best-selling manga in the United States such as ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', Nielsen BookScan and
Diamond Comic Distributors Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. It transports comic books and graphic novels, as well as other popu ...
. In 2008, ''Shaman King'' was North America's 24th best manga property according to ICv2, based on sales for the entire year of 2008. The anime adaptation has also been featured several times in the Japanese TV ranking, with the last episode having a 9.5 percent television viewership rating. ''Shaman King'' was voted the sixth best anime of 2001 by ''
Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine published by Tokuma Shoten since July 1978. Notable works serialized in the magazine include Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli a ...
'' readers. In 2005, Japanese television network
TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...
conducted a "Top 100" online web poll and the ''Shaman King'' anime adaptation placed 47th. Moreover, approximately 165 million cards from the ''Shaman King'' trading card game were sold in Japan.


Critical response

Justin Freeman from
Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...
(ANN) criticized the first volume for relying too heavily on the spirits as a , stating that is what "places the series on the wrong path." On other hand, Alexander Hoffman of Comics Village declared "in this first novel, letting the relationships between Yoh, Amidamaru, and Manta flesh out is more important that developing every spiritual entity that shows up." Holly Ellingwood of Active Anime said she was fascinated by how Takei was capable of taking several myths and cultural beliefs and "blending them into the character backgrounds". Lori Henderson of Manga Life cited the fact every character, even the villains, "has a reason for fighting" and their "internal struggles" as well as the fights itself as the main reason why ''Shaman King'' is "an enjoyable title." A reviewer for '' The Star'' declared, praised the characters' development and Takei's capacity to create "new interesting ones each volume," commending "their backgrounds and unique personalities." Writing for ANN, John Jakala commented that he was struck with the "unique", "graffiti-style" visual of the series. Although labeled its art as "silly", Sheena McNeil from Sequential Start expressed that "it's smooth and nicely detailed with ''excellent'' expressions." McNeil deemed Takei did "a wonderful job of bringing shaman into the modern day but keeping it a story of fantasy". Ellingwood stated the series' "vibrant action", "imaginative plot twists and a creative world" makes it "a unique and stylish series." Mania's Eduardo Chavez said that, ''Shaman King'' can "hit all the right buttons one volume" but "it could be a complete bore" in the next. ''
School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...
''s Cathleen Baxter commented that ''Shaman King'' has "nonstop action" with "typical characters and battle styles". The storyline is "easy to follow and will hold the reader's interest." Margaret Veira of Active Anime, however, argued that the storyline gets more complex as the series progresses, while comics critic Jason Thompson commented that from volume 20 it "seemed to veer off tracks". In addition of a decline on artwork in his opinion, the numbers of fights also decreased; Thompson wrote, "their enemy ... may be unbeatable by force alone, so the plot shifts away from battles and towards unexpected betrayals, character relationships, and clever (and confusing) schemes—rather than mere fighting techniques." The last volume, especially, "may leave some readers feeling cheated," said Leroy Douresseaux from Comic Book Bin. Thompson was also disappointed by the 2004 conclusion but he wrote that the version has "a great ending", whose "transcendental climax is not too different from
Katsuhiro Otomo is a Japanese Mangaka, manga artist, screenwriter, animator, and film director. He first rose to prominence as a pioneer founder of the New Wave (manga), New Wave in the 1970s. He is best known as the creator of ''Akira (franchise), Akira'', bo ...
's '' Akira'', or for many American comics about beings with ultimate power."


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