| Sword Gai | |
 Cover of the first manga volume | |
| ソードガイ (Sōdo Gai) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Dark fantasy[1] |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Toshiki Inoue |
| Illustrated by |
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| Published by | Hero's Inc. |
| Magazine | Monthly Hero's |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | 2012 –2015 |
| Volumes | 6 |
| Manga | |
| Sword Gai Evolve | |
| Written by | Toshiki Inoue |
| Illustrated by |
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| Published by | Hero's Inc. |
| Magazine | Monthly Hero's |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | 2016 –2019 |
| Volumes | 7 |
| Original net animation | |
| Sword Gai: The Animation | |
| Directed by |
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| Written by | Toshiki Inoue |
| Music by | Kotaro Nakagawa |
| Studio | LandQ Studios |
| Licensed by |
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| Released |
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| Runtime | 22 minutes |
| Episodes | 24 |
 Anime and manga portal | |
Sword Gai (Japanese:ソードガイ,Hepburn:Sōdo Gai) is a Japanesemanga series written byToshiki Inoue with original character design byKeita Amemiya and scenario by Wosamu Kine. The first twelve episodes ("Part I") of ananime adaptation titledSword Gai: The Animation were released onNetflix worldwide on March 23, 2018.[2] Part II was released on July 30, 2018.[3][4]
Gai is a young man who is an apprentice to the blacksmith Amon, who found him as a newborn with the legendary katana Shiryū, revealed to be one of many cursed weapons found worldwide that turn their wielder, who is known as a Chrysalis, into a thrall who embodies their murderous impulses. On the night Amon found Gai, the katana had sent one of its keepers on one such murderous spree with it, during which he confronted Gai’s parents. After killing Gai’s father, Gai’s mother, who was pregnant with him, used Shiryū to kill the attacker and committed suicide rather than be consumed herself by the weapon’s bloodlust. After Gai loses his right arm when a ceremony to subdue Shiryū goes wrong, Amon forges it into a prosthetic limb for Gai. What makes matters worse is a Chrysalis will gradually lose their humanity until finally transforming into armored monsters called Busoma, making them that much harder to stop. Becoming a Chrysalis with the ability to fuse with his weapon, Gai attempts to retain his humanity while fighting the Busoma, whose drive to seek combat threatens to exterminate humanity.
It began serialization in Hero's Inc.'sseinen manga magazineHero's in 2012 and has been collected into sixtankōbon volumes. A sequel series, titledSword Gai Evolve (ソードガイ エヴォルヴ,Sōdo Gai Evolve), was released in 2016 and ended in 2019.
Ananime adaptation originally developed by DLE and Fields was scheduled to air in April 2016,[7] but it was delayed indefinitely untilNetflix streamed the series worldwide on March 23, 2018.[8][9] Tomohito Naka directed the series while Takahiro Ikezoe served as the chief director, Inoue himself wrote the scripts,Atsuko Nakajima designed the characters, Toshiki Kameyama was the sound designer, and Kotaro Nakagawa composed the music.Sword Gai: The Animation was animated by LandQ Studios.[10] The opening theme song is "Sadame Goto" (サダメゴト,What is Predestined) byYūto Uemura.[6]Sentai Filmworks will release the series onhome video.[11]
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
Shoshidai, an organization tasked with collecting cursed weaponry, dispatches two of its agents to retrieve the legendary Demon Sword Zsoltgewinn. | |||
| 2 | "Episode 2" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
An abandoned baby boy is adopted and named Gai by swordsmith Amon. He becomes an apprentice, later losing his arm in a ritual gone horribly wrong. | |||
| 3 | "Episode 3" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
After acquiring the Azoth Sword, Miki is ambushed by Marcus and Miura. Amon forges a prosthetic arm out of the sword Shiryu to replace Gai's lost limb. | |||
| 4 | "Episode 4" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
With his soul possessed by a demonic spear, Tatsumi transforms into a monstrous entity called a Busoma. Miki takes Marcus to Shoshidai headquarters. | |||
| 5 | "Episode 5" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
The Shoshidai reawaken their most powerful Chrysalis, Seiya Ichijo. After Gai's powers partially awaken, his mind reverts to that of an infant. | |||
| 6 | "Episode 6" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
Ichijo attempts to test Gai's potential as a Chrysalis but is interrupted by a member of the Gabi, a group that has long fought Busoma. | |||
| 7 | "Episode 7" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
With Gai in tow, Ichijo heads to Shoshidai headquarters before stopping to meet his lover, Kei. A mysterious sword appears before gamer Midoriko. | |||
| 8 | "Episode 8" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
A wealthy widow hires a search vessel to find the lost treasure of pirate Throlla, who reportedly also kept a mythical weapon known as Gallon's Hammer. | |||
| 9 | "Episode 9" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
Miki and Marcus are sent on a covert mission by the Shoshidai to infiltrate and retrieve an ancient weapon of the fairy world: the legendary Halberd. | |||
| 10 | "Episode 10" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
A depressed Sayaka questions Amon about Gai's motives. Meanwhile, Ichijo reveals to Gai how he came to harness the power of the Chakram. | |||
| 11 | "Episode 11" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
After Gai is safely brought to Shoshidai headquarters, Ichijo is ordered by Kagami to cold sleep due to his rapidly progressing change into a Busoma. | |||
| 12 | "Episode 12" | March 23, 2018 (2018-3-23) | |
Shoshidai's new weapons are no match against the demonic powers of Zsoltgewinn, pitting Ichijo and Gai against Miura in a fierce battle. | |||
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | "Episode 1" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
With the long-fought battle against Miura's Zsoltgewinn coming to a dramatic end, Gai must now fulfill a promise he made with Ichijo. | |||
| 14 | "Episode 2" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
Although content with his missions for Shoshidai and relationship with his girlfriend, Marcus senses something is not right after his date with Aya. | |||
| 15 | "Episode 3" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
With a Busoma running rampant outside Shoshidai headquarters, Kagami reawakens three Chyrsalises from cold sleep to neutralize the hostile threat. | |||
| 16 | "Episode 4" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
Himiko, leader of the Gabi, locates the Busoma responsible for her comrade Soin's death. Kagami is ordered to stand down against Marcus' Azoth. | |||
| 17 | "Episode 5" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
Under the care of the Gabi, Gai dedicates himself to meditation and receives a new prosthetic arm. A bullied kid seeks help from an unlikely source. | |||
| 18 | "Episode 6" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
Shin undergoes a risky procedure to rid his body of the core alma. Kuromaru takes a liking to Gai after Gai rescues him from attack. | |||
| 19 | "Episode 7" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
Shoshidai sends three Chrysalises to kill Miura's Zsoltgewinn, but Kyoka begs them to use their prototype vaccine on her father to save him instead. | |||
| 20 | "Episode 8" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
The true reason for the Shosidai-sponsored hospitalization of Rie and the others is revealed. Shin and Ogata ask Kuromaru to take them to meet Gai. | |||
| 21 | "Episode 9" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
Shin makes a grim discovery at the hospital where Rie resides. Meanwhile, both Yasuko and Arnys pay a visit to Isse who has left the Shoshidai. | |||
| 22 | "Episode 10" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
With his resentment towards Gai intensifying, Shin resolves to devote himself to combating the Busoma as a Chyrsalis. | |||
| 23 | "Episode 11" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
Gai's awakening unleashes chaos into the world. Busoma Zsoltegewinn in Miura's human form appears before Arnon and Kigetsu. | |||
| 24 | "Episode 12" | July 30, 2018 (2018-7-30) | |
With the all-powerful Grimms looking on, Gai and Shin face-off in a ferocious battle, wielding their respective Shiryus against one another. | |||
