Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato

  1. Home
  2. Wiki
Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato
Promotional image for Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato
天空戦記 シュラト
(Tenkū Senki Shurato)
GenreAction, fantasy, mythic
Created byTodoroki Mihara[a]
Manga
Written byHiroshi Kawamoto
Published byShōnen Gahōsha
MagazineShōnen King
Original runJanuary 1988 – May 1988
Volumes2 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byMizuho Nishikubo
Produced byHeita Ezu (TV Tokyo)
Michio Shimizu (TV Tokyo)
Masakatsu Kozuru (Sotsu Agency)
Motoki Ueda (Tatsunoko)
Written by
Music byHiroya Watanabe
StudioTatsunoko
Original networkTXN (TV Tokyo)
Original run April 6, 1989 – January 18, 1990
Episodes38[1]
Original video animation
Dark Genesis
Directed byYoshihisa Matsumoto
Produced byIppei Kuri
Written byMayori Sekijima
Mizuho Nishikubo
Satoru Akahori
Music byHiroya Watanabe
StudioTatsunoko Production
Released August 16, 1991 – March 16, 1992
Episodes6
Further information
Novel series
Written bySatoru Akahori
Illustrated byMatsuri Okada
Sho Sawada
Published byKadokawa Shoten
ImprintKadokawa Sneaker Bunko
Original runDecember 1989 – June 1991
Volumes7 (List of volumes)
Novel series
Dark Genesis
Written byMayori Sekijima
Illustrated byMatsuri Okada
Published byEnix
ImprintEnix Bunko
Original runNovember 1991 – March 1992
Volumes2 (List of volumes)

Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato (Japanese: 天空戦記 シュラト, Hepburn: Tenkū Senki Shurato; lit. "Shurato of the Heaven Wars", occasionally spelled in the Siddhaṃ script on the logo and related merchandise), is a Japanese media franchise[b] by Todoroki Mihara.[a][2] A manga series by Hiroshi Kawamoto was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's Shōnen King in 1988, with its nine chapters collected in two tankōbon volumes. It was followed by an anime series by Tatsunoko which ran for 38 episodes on TV Tokyo from April 6, 1989, to January 18, 1990, and also received a 6-episode OVA follow-up series named Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato: Dark Genesis (天空戦記 シュラト 創世への暗闘, Tenkū Senki Shurato: Sōsei e no Antō; lit. "Shurato of the Heaven Wars: The Secret Feud of Creation"), that ran from August 16, 1991, to March 16, 1992.[3]

Set in a parallel world called "Tenkūkai", which exists alongside Earth, evil forces known as the Asura Gods threaten to overcome the forces of good, causing the magical leader of this realm to transport warriors from Earth to their world. It's loosely based on Hindu and Buddhist mythology.

Plot

[edit]

The plot revolves around two boys, Shurato Hidaka and Gai Kuroki, lifelong best friends who are polar opposites of each other in appearance and personality. While fighting each other in a martial arts tournament, they are suddenly encased in a beam of light and transported to a parallel world, Tenkūkai, where modern technology does not exist and instead the people rely on Sohma, a form of spiritual energy.

Shurato discovers he is actually the reincarnation of an ancient king of the same name, who once ruled this world, and one of the "Hachibushu", a group of eight legendary warriors with large quantities of Sohma, and was brought here along with Gai to fight the Asura Gods, a legion of destructive warriors. However, for unknown reasons, Gai attempts to kill Shurato repeatedly, confusing Shurato as the real Gai is a pacifist and the most compassionate person he knows.

Things quickly go wrong when Shurato and another of the Hachibushu, Ten-ō Hyūga, are framed for the petrification of Lady Vishnu, a powerful divinity and the leader of the people of Tenkūkai. The actual culprit, Vishnu's highest advisor and Asura spy Indrah, and the corrupted Gai manage to convince the remainder of the Hachibushu, as well as all of Tenkūkai's warriors and soldiers, that Shurato and Hyūga are evil and must be killed.

Although at first reluctant to get involved, Shurato eventually resolves to aid Hyūga in uncovering the conspiracy and cure Vishnu. They are accompanied by the young Tenkūkai spirit priestess Lakshu, and two others of the Hachibushu, Ryū-ō Ryōma and Karura-ō Reiga. Along the way, they engage in battle with the other four of the Hachibushu, sinister Asura agents in league with Indrah, and the majority of Tenkūkai's population.

Characters

[edit]
Main article: List of Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato characters
Shurato Hidaka (日高秋亜人, Hidaka Shurato)
(also Shura-Oh Shurato (修羅王シュラト, Shura-ō Shurato))
The titular main protagonist of the series, Shurato, is a hot-headed, reckless, and impatient 16-year-old. He is depicted as having low tolerance and understanding of Tenkūkai's laws and inner workings, but is strong and pure-hearted. Like Gai, he is a martial arts master, and eventually becomes the most powerful of the Hachibushu and their de facto leader. His shakti and armor are both modeled after the lion, and his weapon is a vajra.
Gai Kuroki (黒木凱, Kuroki Gai)
(also Yasha-Oh Gai (夜叉王ガイ, Yasha-ō Gai))
A primary character and one of the main antagonists of the show, Gai was Shurato's best friend on Earth, but became his greatest enemy in Tenkūkai when he was put in a spell by Indrah. Unlike Shurato, he is cool, collected, and highly intelligent. He was a martial arts master, depicted as Shurato's equal, even though he was also a pacifist. His shakti and armor are both modeled after the wolf, and his weapon is a longsword.
Lakshu of Hōraisan (蓬莱山のラクシュ, Hōraisan no Rakushu)
Based on the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, Lakshu is a young native of Tenkūkai and a fledgling spirit priestess. She is the first person to find Shurato after he is teleported to Tenkūkai, attempting to wake him up with a kiss. She then accompanies Shurato and Hyūga on their journey, and becomes a major asset to the team when her latent Sohma powers manifest.

Media

[edit]

TV anime and OVA

[edit]

The TV series premiered on TV Tokyo, where it ran for 38 episodes from April 6, 1989, to January 1990. It was dubbed and broadcast in Brazil[4], France,[5] Spain, Venezuela, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and China. The 6-episode OVA series began release on August 16, 1991, and ended on March 16, 1992.[3]

In April 2024, in celebration of the anime's 35th anniversary,[6][7] Tatsunoko announced a remaster of the series for release on streaming services.[8] Om November 22, 2024, the official X (Formerly Twitter) account announced that the entire series would be released on Blu-ray, under the title of "MEMORY BOX".[9]

Theme songs

[edit]
Opening theme
"Shining Soul" by Satoko Shimizu (epi. 01–25)
"Truth" by Satoko Shimizu (epi. 26–38)
"Keep Your Pure Love" by Satoko Shimizu (OVA 1–6)
Ending theme
"Sabaku no Meizu (Desert Labyrinth)" by Satoko Shimizu (epi. 01–25)
"Caravan" by Satoko Shimizu (epi. 26–38)
"Garasu no Shōnen (Glass Boy)" by Satoko Shimizu (OVA 1–6)

Manga and novels

[edit]

The manga series was done by Hiroshi Kawamoto based on Ammonite Team's drafts; it was serialized in Shōnen Gahōsha's Shōnen King from January to May 1988, and then collected into 2 tankōbon volumes in 1989 and 1990. The manga was released in Italy in 2024 by Sprea Comics.[10][11][12] Black Box Boutique released the series in France.[13] Shurato also spurred two novel series written by Satoru Akahori and Mayori Sekijima, and drama CDs.

Manga volumes

[edit]
No. Japanese release date Japanese ISBN
1 December 19894-78-594636-9
  • Chapters 1 to 4
2 July 19904-78-594644-X
  • Chapters 5 to 9

Novels

[edit]
No. Title Release date ISBN
1Shuya Tensei (修夜転生)December 1989[14]4-90-052721-1
2Maha Airo (魔破隘路)March 1990[15]4-90-052730-0
3Senki Kaiko (戦鬼邂逅)May 1990[16]4-90-052732-7
4Fubatsu Taiga (不抜大我)August 1990[17]4-90-052743-2
5Kugai Hoko (苦界彷徨)December 1990[18]4-90-052754-8
6Setsuma Aishi (刹魔哀史)March 1991[19]4-90-052758-0
7Neppu Doto (熱風怒涛)June 1991[20]4-90-052760-2

Dark Genesis

[edit]
No. Title Release date ISBN
1Tenkū Senki Shurato: Sōsei e no Antō (Jō) (天空戦記シュラト 創世への暗闘〈上〉)November 1991[21]4-90-052781-5
2Tenkū Senki Shurato: Sōsei e no Antō (Ge) (天空戦記シュラト 創世への暗闘〈下〉)March 1992[22]4-90-052793-9

Mechanical designers

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Todoroki Mihara (美原轟) is a pseudonym for the collective contributions of the Tatsunoko Production animation staff.
  2. ^ Although the manga series was the first media material of the franchise released, Shurato was planned by Tatsunoko with the intention of being a multimedia franchise.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Tatsunoko Pro". Tatsunoko.co.jp. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  2. ^ "AT-X anime".
  3. ^ a b "天空戦記シュラト 創世への暗闘". タツノコプロ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  4. ^ Neto, Carlírio. "Divindades, aventura e ação: isto é Shurato!". Netoin!. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  5. ^ "Planète Jeunesse - Shurato". www.planete-jeunesse.com. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  6. ^ "2024年4月6日は #天空戦記シュラト が放送開始してから35周年🎉 35周年を記念してリマスター化決定!さらに映像は順次各種プラットフォームでの配信を準備中👊". X (Formerly Twitter). April 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "アニメ『天空戦記シュラト』リマスター化決定。各種配信プラットフォームで順次配信予定 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com". ファミ通.com (in Japanese). 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  8. ^ "'Shurato' será relançado no streaming em versão remasterizada". JBox (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  9. ^ "✨TV放送35周年記念✨ 天空戦記シュラト Blu-ray MEMORIAL BOX 2025年2月26日(水) 発売決定‼️ ＼". X (formerly Twitter) (in Japanese). November 22, 2024. Archived from the original on 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  10. ^ "Manga Cult n.4 | SPREA.IT". Sprea Editori (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  11. ^ "Manga Cult n.5 | SPREA.IT". Sprea Editori (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  12. ^ "Manga Cult n.6 | SPREA.IT". Sprea Editori (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  13. ^ Y-Proximité. "Shurato - Tenkai Itan - ONE SHOT". www.blackbonesboutique.com (in French). Retrieved 2025-10-12.
  14. ^ 小説天空戦記シュラト: 修夜転生 (エニックス文庫 14) [Novel: Heavenly War Chronicles Shurato: Shuya Tensei (Enix Bunko 14)]. ASIN 4900527211.
  15. ^ 小説天空戦記シュラト (2) (エニックス文庫 17) [Novel: Heavenly War Chronicles Shurato (2) (Enix Bunko 17)]. ASIN 4900527300.
  16. ^ 小説天空戦記シュラト (3) (エニックス文庫 18) [Novel: Heavenly War Chronicles Shurato (3) (Enix Bunko 18)]. ASIN 4900527327.
  17. ^ 小説天空戦記シュラト (4) (エニックス文庫 22). ASIN 4900527432.
  18. ^ 小説天空戦記シュラト (5) (エニックス文庫 30). ASIN 4900527548.
  19. ^ 小説天空戦記シュラト (6) (エニックス文庫 31). March 1991. ASIN 4900527580.
  20. ^ 笑説天空戦記シュラト: 熱風怒濤. ASIN 4900527602.
  21. ^ 創世への暗闘: 天空戦記シュラト (上). ASIN 4900527815.
  22. ^ 創世への暗闘: 天空戦記シュラト (下). ASIN 4900527939.
[edit]