Garo (TV series)

Decades ago, a young Makai Knight named Barago lost his family to Horrors and wanted more power (shown in Kiba Side Story). Through his journey, he trained under Taiga Saejima, Golden Knight Garo. However, Barago's desire for power was great and was lured by the promise of greater power from Messiah, the Mother of all Horrors. A dark bargain was made: Barago will become Dark Knight Kiba, devour 1,000 horrors, and merge with Messiah to become a supreme being. Taiga attempted to save him but Barago went after Kouga (Taiga's son) and Taiga died protecting him. Leaving him an orphan, Kouga vowed to become stronger and succeed as the next Garo.

Barago survived his fight but was badly disfigured. To realize his ambition, he made a little girl named Kaoru into a host for Messiah. He later killed the silver knight, Dōji, for his potion to restore his looks. For the next several years, Barago disguised himself as Dr. Karune Ryuzaki, Kaoru's therapist to keep tabs on her.

Dōji's adopted son, Rei, witnessed the murder of his father and fiancée; he swore vengeance and succeeded as the next Silver Knight Zero. Because the killer resembled Garo's armor, he suspects his family's killer is Garo. In between, Kouga completed his training and succeeds as the new Garo. With his loyal butler (Gonza) and magical ring (Zaruba), Kouga goes out to protect humanity.

Kaoru Mitsuki is attempting to get recognized for her artwork when the curator turned into a Horror. Kouga appeared and slayed the horror, but she was tainted in the horror's blood. Whoever is tainted will only have 100 days to live and made themselves delicious to horrors. A knight is expected to slay the victim to spare them, but Kouga wants to save her. This starts the unlikely relationship between the two.

As a magnet to horrors, Kouga tracked Kaoru's activities to make sure she's not harmed. Originally thinking Kouga is a stalker, she realized he has been protecting her as she keeps bumping into new horrors. Kouga wanted Kaoru close to him as possible; she took advantage of his words and stayed at his home when she became homeless. As the two get to know each other, they started to like each other. However, things got complicated with the arrival of Zero and Barago's machinations at play.

Under the presumption that Garo killed his family, Rei has consistently interfered and fought Kouga. Without absolute proof, Rei continued to vent his anger and tried to kill Kouga without explaining himself. To worsen things, Rei has harassed Kaoru and even tried to kill her (aware of her taint), causing the two to fight. Things would later change when the truth is revealed.

Kouga would later meet with Priest Amon, to talk about curing Kaoru. However, Amon mentioned his suspicions that Barago might be still alive. Shortly after, Kaoru learned that Kouga has been using her as horror bait. Heart broken, she ran away but suffered deep anxieties knowing she's a walking target. Not long after, Barago killed Amon but his disciple, Jabi, was blamed for his death. To make matters worse, she distrusted the Watch Dogs and stole a box of Horror Daggers from them.

The Watch Dogs (Ker, Ber, and Rose) that govern Kouga ordered him retrieve the daggers and kill Jabi, but they were friends and he wanted to give her a chance before passing judgement. Kouga refused to accept his mission and left to find Jabi, but the watch dogs in turn tasked Zero for the job. To further motivate him, they falsely assured Rei they could bring his lover back and confirmed Kouga murdered his family.

Although Kouga found Jabi, she was deeply suspicious of him as Amon clued a knight killed him. Rei arrived and had Kaoru as his hostage, but Kouga managed to get Kaoru back. He sent Jabi and Kaoru away as he fought Zero. Fueled by rage, Zero almost killed Kouga but Jabi returned to save him. Kaoru would run off after realizing she's dying, but Gonza found her and asked Kaoru to have faith in Kouga.

After Kouga recovered, he and Jabi found the watch dogs suspicious and agreed to exorcise the daggers themselves. Rei was also suspicious of the watch dogs but continued to serve them. Ker-Ber-Rose didn't trust Zero to complete the job and sent their loyal servant, Kodama, to assure the job is done. Kodama found the duo and seemingly killed Jabi. As Kouga fought Kodama, Rei arrived and helped Kouga exorcise the daggers. Unfortunately, it didn't work and it gave rise to a giant horror. It was then that Dark Knight Kiba arrived and devoured the horror. Rei now realized his family's killer was Kiba.

After Kiba vanished, Kouga refocused on curing Kaoru. He ventured into another world and fought the Grou Dragon for the cure. With the help of Rei, Kouga got the cure and saved Kaoru. However, the gate that was imbued on Kaoru was activating and she'll become a vessel for Messiah to cross over. While looking into Messiah and Kiba, their investigation reveals everything is tied to Barago and Ker-ber-rose is allied with him. Realizing their common enemy is Barago, Kouga and Rei made peace and focus their attention towards the dark knight.

Barago was ahead of everyone and kidnapped Kaoru. Garo and Zero went to find Barago but was stopped by Kodama. Desperate to save Kaoru, he exceeded the armor's time limit and became a Lost Soul Beast. In a fit of feral rage, Garo killed Kodama and Zero was forced to fight Kouga. Zero managed to retract his armor and the two pressed on to face Barago.

While heading to rescue Kaoru, Gulm (Ker-ber-rose's merged form) fought Zero while Kouga faced Barago. Messiah by now had taken over Kaoru's body and devoured Barago. She revealed the legend and myth behind the dark knight was a rumor she created to attain enough power to cross into the human world. To save Kaoru, Kouga took her body to the makai realm and Messiah's true body revealed herself. Ultimately, Zero killed Gulm and Garo defeated Messiah. Kouga and Kaoru made it back to the human realm when Kiba returned for a final showdown. Garo defeated Kiba, but at the price of Zaruba.

In the aftermath, Kaoru decided to head to Italy to further her art studies and Rei helped restore Zaruba. As a parting gift, Kaoru finish her father's incomplete art book and put a touching end for Kouga to see. The story ends with Kouga patrolling a new district; the story continues in Beast of the Demon Night.

A video game based on the series was produced by Bandai for the PlayStation 2, under the name Golden Knight Garo. Two versions were released: a 'normal' version with the game disk, instructions, and standard pamphlets, and a more expensive 'Limited Edition' version which came with a green 'Fire' recolor of the metal Zaruba ring from the "Equip and Prop Vol. 1" Garo toy.

A mobile game titled Garo: Makai no Meikyu (牙狼<GARO> -魔戒の迷宮-, Garo Makai no Meikyū, lit. "Garo: Makai Labyrinth") was released on May 27, 2016,[2] commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Garo franchise. The game includes all characters from the live action series and the anime series.

Makai Kishi Retsuden: Hagane no Houkou (魔戒騎士列伝 鋼の咆哮, Makai Kishi Retsuden Hagane no Hōkō, lit. "Makai Knight History: Roar of Steel") was released on March 31, 2007.

Garo: Ankoku Makai Kishi Hen (牙狼〈GARO〉暗黒魔戒騎士篇, lit. "Garo: Dark Makai Knight Saga") was released on October 26, 2006. The novel's new edition including one new episode was released on October 30, 2010.

Garo: Youseki no Wana (牙狼〈GARO〉妖赤の罠, Garo Yōseki no Wana, lit. "Garo: Mystic Red Trap") was released on November 27, 2010.

Garo Special: Beast of the Demon Night (牙狼〈GARO〉スペシャル 白夜の魔獣, Garo Supesharu Byakuya no Majū, lit. "Garo Special: Demon Beast of the Midnight Sun") is a two-part mini-series that premiered on Family Gekijo in December 2006.

In July 2009, Tohokushinsha Film announced that a GARO feature film will be released in the fall of 2010. Garo: Red Requiem (牙狼〈GARO〉～RED REQUIEM～) was theatrically released in Japanese theaters on October 30, 2010. The story is a sequel to the original TV series, with Keita Amemiya reprising his role as head director. Ryosei Konishi and Hironobu Kageyama reprise their roles as Kouga/Garo and voice of Zaruba, with Makoto Yokoyama returning to choreograph the action sequences as well. Red Requiem uses 3D image technology developed by the Tohokushinsha group company Omnibus Japan for its visual effects.

Kiba Gaiden (呀〈KIBA〉～暗黒騎士鎧伝～, Kiba Ankoku Kishi Gaiden, lit. "Kiba: Dark Knight Side Story"), released on September 7, 2011, is a spin-off V-Cinema featuring the story of Barago and Kiba the Dark Knight.

Garo: Makai Senki (牙狼〈GARO〉～MAKAISENKI～) is a second season of the Garo television series that premiered in select Japanese theaters on September 24, 2011, before beginning broadcast on TV Tokyo on October 6, 2011.

Garo: Soukoku no Maryu (牙狼〈GARO〉～蒼哭ノ魔竜～, Garo Sōkoku no Maryū, lit. "Garo: Demon Dragon of the Blue Cries") was released in Japanese theaters on February 23, 2013, serving as an epilogue to Makai Senki, depicting Kouga Saejima's journey to the Promised Ground to retrieve Gajari's body. Ryosei Konishi was initially the only confirmed member of the cast,[3] but Ray Fujita, Shouma Yamamoto, Ozuno Nakamura, Yukijirō Hotaru, Hironobu Kageyama, and Hiroyuki Watanabe were later confirmed to appear in the film.[4] Guest stars include Yuki Kubota as Kakashi, Anna Aoi as Meru, Tetsuya Yanagihara as Esaruto, and Keiko Matsuzaka as Judam.

A third TV series titled Garo: Yami o Terasu Mono (牙狼〈GARO〉～闇を照らす者～, lit. "Garo: The One Who Shines in the Darkness") was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 5 to September 20, 2013. The series is set in the near future, and features an entirely new story with a new Garo named Ryuga Dougai venturing into the Horror-plagued Vol City. The series also presents a brand new main cast that includes Wataru Kuriyama, Tsunenori Aoki, Junya Ikeda and fashion model Miki Nanri.[5]

In March 2013, the Garo team announced a new film titled Garo Gaiden: Tougen no Fue (牙狼外伝 桃幻の笛, Garo Gaiden Tōgen no Fue, lit. "Garo Side Story: The Tougen Flute"), which was released in Japanese theaters on July 20 of that year. Set during the time of Soukoku no Maryu, Tougen no Fue follows Makai Priestesses Jabi and Rekka as they travel to the northern forests to protect the mystical and titular flute. Yasue Sato, Mary Matsuyama, Masahiro Kuranuki, and Kanji Tsuda reprise their roles from the franchise as Makai Priestess Jabi, Makai Priestess Rekka, Makai Priest Shiguto, and Makai Knight Kengi, respectively, also appearing in the film are Kumi Takiuchi and Miku Oono.[6]

Zero: Black Blood (絶狼〈ZERO〉-BLACK BLOOD-) is a spin-off six-episode miniseries starring Ray Fujita as his character Rei Suzumura from the original TV series. Rounding out the cast are Riria as Yuna, Naoki Takeshi as Kain, and Thane Camus as Ring. Keita Amemiya serves as executive director, with Ryu Kaneda directing and Yasuko Kobayashi writing. It was broadcast on Family Gekijo in March 2014 and shown in Japanese theaters in a limited release. JAM Project performed the opening theme "ZERO-BLACK BLOOD-" and Fujita's band Dustz performs the ending "S#0 (Scene Number Zero)" (S#0(シーンナンバーゼロ), Shīn Nanbā Zero).[7][8][9][10]

A fourth Garo television series titled Garo: Makai no Hana (牙狼〈GARO〉-魔戒ノ花-, lit. "Garo: The Makai Flower") was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 4 to September 26, 2014, and takes place between Makai Senki and Yami o Terasu Mono. With the exception of Yukijiro Hotaru reprising his portrayal of Gonza, it features a new cast consisting of Masei Nakayama as Raiga Saejima, the son of Kouga and Kaoru who inherited his father's title as the Golden Knight Garo, Atomu Mizuishi as Crow the Phantom Knight, and Natsumi Ishibashi as Mayuri, a mysterious tool with mystical powers that takes the form of a young woman.[11][12]

An anime adaptation of Garo was released in October 2014, titled in Japan as Garo: Honō no Kokuin (牙狼〈GARO〉-炎の刻印-, lit. "Garo: The Carved Seal of Flames"). It is produced by Studio MAPPA and directed by Yūichirō Hayashi. Taking place in the fictional country of Valiante in the Middle Ages, head writer Yasuko Kobayashi explained that, with the exception of Zaruba, it is unrelated to any characters or stories in the rest of the Garo continuity.[12][13] The series has been licensed by Funimation as Garo: The Animation, making it the first Garo installment to see a North American release.[14]

A second series titled Garo: Guren no Tsuki (牙狼〈GARO〉-紅蓮ノ月-, lit. "Garo: The Crimson Moon"), taking place in Japan's Heian period, was announced for a 2015 release, alongside a film sequel of the first series titled Garo: Divine Flame, to coincide with the Garo tenth anniversary.[15]

A film sequel of the first series titled Garo: Divine Flame (牙狼〈GARO〉-DIVINE FLAME-) was released in Japanese theaters on May 21, 2016.[16]

A third series titled Garo: Vanishing Line (牙狼〈GARO〉-VANISHING LINE-) was broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 6, 2017, to March 30, 2018.[17]

A film sequel of the second series titled Garo: The Fleeting Cherry Blossom[18] (薄墨桜 -GARO-, Usuzumizakura -GARO-, lit. "Gray Cherry Blossoms: Garo") premiered in Japanese theaters on October 6, 2018.[19][20]

Garo: Gold Storm Sho (牙狼〈GARO〉－GOLDSTORM－翔, Garo -GOLDSTORM- Shō, lit. "Garo: Gold Storm Flight") is both a film and a television series that serve as sequels to Yami o Terasu Mono. Wataru Kuriyama and Miki Nanri reprise their roles and are joined by new cast members, among them Masahiro Inoue as the series antagonist Jinga. The film adaptation was released in Japanese theatres on March 28, 2015, while the television series was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 3 to September 18, 2015.[13][15]

Bikuu (媚空－ビクウ－, Bikū) is a film starring Sayaka Akimoto reprising her role as Bikuu from Makai no Hana. It was released in Japanese theaters on November 14, 2015.[15] Akimoto performs the ending theme "Sengetsu ~Hikari to Yami no Soba de~" (繊月～光と闇の傍で～, lit. "Crescent Moon ~Beside the Light and Darkness~").

Garo: Makai Retsuden (牙狼〈GARO〉魔戒烈伝) is an omnibus television series which features the cast of the previous live action series. It celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Garo franchise and was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 8 to June 24, 2016.[16]

Garo: Ashura (牙狼〈GARO〉-阿修羅-) is a special episode, with the Garo production team collaborating with New Japan Pro Wrestling to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Garo franchise. It features Hiroshi Tanahashi as Gouki and Togi Makabe and was broadcast on TV Tokyo on July 1, 2016.[21][22] Taking place between Makai Senki and Makai no Hana, Kaoru tells a young Raiga the story of one of the first Makai Knights to bear the Garo title: Gouki.

A brand new television series about Ray Fujita's character Rei Suzumura was originally announced as one of many new projects the Garo Project team were working on in 2015 and it was originally just known as Zero.[16] In June 2016, it was announced that the series would be titled Zero: Dragon Blood (絶狼〈ZERO〉-DRAGON BLOOD-) to be broadcast in 2017.[23] It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from January 6 to March 31, 2017.

Garo: Kami no Kiba Mezame (牙狼〈GARO〉-神ノ牙 覚醒-, lit. "Garo: Fang of God - Awakening") features Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga and is connected to Garo: Kami no Kiba. It was held between November 29 to December 3, 2017, at Space Zero in Yoyogi.

Kami no Kiba: Jinga Tensei (神ノ牙 -JINGA- 転生, lit. "Fang of God: Jinga - Reincarnation") features Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga and is connected to Kami no Kiba: Jinga. It was held between January 5 to January 14, 2019, at The Galaxy Theatre in Higashishinagawa.

Garo: Kami no Kiba (牙狼〈GARO〉-神ノ牙-, lit. "Garo: Fang of God") is a film of the series featuring Wataru Kuriyama's character Ryuga Dougai, along the main cast of Yami o Terasu Mono and Gold Storm Sho.[17] It was released in Japanese theaters on January 6, 2018.

In November 2017, series creator Keita Amemiya announced plans for a spin-off television series, titled Kami no Kiba: Jinga (神ノ牙 -JINGA-, lit. "Fang of God: Jinga"), featuring Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga was in the works.[24] In July 2018, it was announced that the series is scheduled to be broadcast in October of that year.[25] It was broadcast on Tokyo MX from October 4 to December 27, 2018.

Garo: Gekkou no Tabibito (牙狼〈GARO〉-月虹ノ旅人-, Garo Gekkō no Tabibito, lit. "Garo: Moonbow Traveler") is a film to star Masei Nakayama as Raiga Saejima serving as a sequel to the Makai no Hana television series, also including Hiroki Konishi who reprise his role as the original protagonist Kouga Saejima. After the production announcement in November 2014, it was announced in November 2018 that the film is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2019.[26] It was released in Japanese theaters on October 4, 2019.[27]

A three part mini series, P Garo Saejima Kouga was streamed on YouTube prior to the release of the film.[28]

Garo: Versus Road is a television series, which celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Garo franchise that premiered on Tokyo MX on April 2, 2020.[29] It features a brand new cast that includes Koya Matsudai, Yuhi, Tokito, Toman, Naoya Shimizu, and Shutaro Kadoshita.[30] This series is set in a world whose continuity differs from those of previous entries in the franchise.