Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers Series Review
                    written by Patricia Munson-Siter
                                    
                              Presented by
                       Silver Dragon Productions
                                  and
                            Argon of Cantee
                                    
                        Copyright 1989, 1993 by
                       Silver Dragon Productions
                                  and
                         Patricia Munson-Siter
                                    
                       Credit Where Credit Is Due
   Alara Rogers was a help in translating articles on this show from
  various animation magazines. V. Perry and D.  Messerschmidt wrote a
short piece on the show for one of the APAs we all belong to that I also
 used as source material. Carol Hoeke, Elyse Grasso, and Gloria Oliver
   all helped with translations of episode titles, names, and so on.
 Several people also sent corrections and such in response to the short
article I did on this series that appeared in the October 1988 issue of
                  Celluloid Diversions.  Thanks, all!


==================
== Introduction ==
==================

When I saw the first episode of Saint Seiya a few years ago, I knew from
that first episode that the series would be very popular in America with
a large portion of the American anime fans. Time proved that my original
gut feeling was correct, Saint Seiya (or at least, the first season of
the series) is probably one of the most popular Japanese series among
American anime fans, or at least among those fans who do not
automatically ignore shows that do not have giant mecha or star Lum.
However, when I saw the first episode of Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, the
first thing that went through my mind was "Saint Seiya Rip-off."

Well, I could not have been more wrong. While Samurai Troopers is
obviously designed to appeal to the same large audience that Saint Seiya
did, it is not a "rip-off" of Seiya by any stretch of the imagination.
It does have "pretty boys in power armor," but the resemblance to Seiya
really ends there. Seiya seems to have a cast of thousands -- many of
whom the viewer never gets to know. Troopers, on the other hand, has a
cast of a couple of dozen and the viewer gets to know and care about
almost all of them. Although Seiya takes place in the modern world, the
events of the series never really seem to have any effect on the world.
Events in Troopers do have effects in the world.  Despite all the
trappings of Greek mythology, Seiya is really a very straight forward
(and very long) combat. There is little mysticism or magic, and after
the first season ends there is not even much inner conflict, the
opposing sides have become clearly black and white. Troopers, however,
is full of mysticism and the opposing sides are not quite as black and
white as the first seem, the series is full of surprises.

Personally, I find myself enjoying Yoroiden Samurai Troopers much more
than Saint Seiya. Troopers just seems to have more "meat" to it. Judging
by the sales of Samurai Troopers merchandise by mail-order houses like
Nikaku Animart -- they cannot keep Troopers merchandise in, the series
is extremely popular among American fen (although it has been almost
ignored by the American semi-pro anime magazines, probably because
Troopers is not a "mecha series" or a series with a number of
scantily-clad females as the main characters). It therefore gives me
great pleasure to present this Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers Series Review
as the first of the volume in the Anime Publications Bureau's series of
fan-produced guides to popular Japanese anime TV series and OVA series.
Already in the works for future volumes in this series are a reprint of
the first volume of the Saint Seiya Series Review that was published
last year by the now defunct C/FO and a new second volume covering the
second and third seasons of Saint Seiya.

Randall Stukey


======================================
== CHAPTER 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ==
======================================

INTRODUCTION
============

Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers (Legend of Mystic Armor: Samurai Troopers) is
a joint production of Sunrise Animation (formerly Nippon Sunrise) and
Nagoya TV, an independent TV network. The first episode aired on 30
April 88. Troopers was slotted at first for a 20-episode run, but proved
so popular in the area where it was aired that the final episodes were
pulled and re-written so the storyline could continue for a much longer
run. In addition, Sony Video is releasing the series on pre-record video
tape, five episodes to the volume, so viewers in areas not served by
Nagoya can have a chance to see the show. The TV series ran to 39
episodes and has been followed by a number of OAVs.

STORYLINE BACKGROUND
====================

Some 400 years ago, in the time of the samurai and the great civil war
in Japan (when Nobunaga Oda and his followers were struggling to unify
the country), the Earth was invaded by a demon from another dimension.
This was Arago, the ruling Lord of his own empire - who was and still is
determined to bring our planet under his sway. He appears in Japan,
where he once lived when he was human (prior to becoming a demon). At
first the samurai do poorly against him, until the arrival of a masked
warrior who is a mage as well - and this masked samurai defeats Arago,
forcing him back into his own dimension and closing the "door" Arago
created between his own dimension and our own. But the mage knows that
the door is not completely sealed - one day Arago will re-emerge and
attempt to conquer our world once more. So, from the remains of Arago's
armor, he creates nine suits of mystically-endowed samurai armor - the
"Yoroi" of the title - and awaits the day when Arago will return.
("Yoroi" usually refers to an early style of samurai armor that was the
first to use small plates of metal sewn onto a background, and generally
fell out of usage in favor of a more modern style circa 1200. (Not long
after the end of the Genpei Wars.) However, another translation of
"Yoroi" means "Mystic Armor", which seems more appropriate for this
particular series. I will occasionally use the word "Yoroi" rather than
"armor" in this article.)

In current day (or near-future -- there have not been any solid
dates/years given to the series, but the cars and other technology are
those of the present - This is important, as I've calculated the ages of
the characters when given based on 1988 being the actual time period the
events in the series take place in.) Japan, Kaos the priest/mage senses
that the day when Arago will once more manifest in our world is nearly
here. He finds five young men who are suited to wear the armor (somehow,
in the meantime Arago has appropriated four of the Yoroi) and gives it
to them. They have about a year to find out how to use their armor and
its special abilities, and make each suit their own - there is a sort of
mystic bond between each suit of armor and its wearer. As Arago gains
power and begins to open the door into our dimension, the five are all
drawn to Shinjuku, a suburb of Tokyo, and our story is ready to begin.
 
NOTE: In the following, a "straight" transliteration of the characters'
names comes first, followed in parenthesis what the name sounds like
when pronounced by most of the other voice actors.

CHARACTERS: THE GOOD GUYS
=========================

KAOS
Kaos dresses like a Shinto monk, his face hidden by his hat. He is
Arago's counterpart; in Arago's previous manifestation Kaos is the one
who defeated the demon and sent him back to his home dimension. (In
later episodes it appears that members of Kaos' clan have traditionally
been involved in preventing inhabitants of the Demon World from entering
our own dimension.) In the current situation Kaos appears to be more
spirit than solid; he may have used his considerable magical powers to
keep his spirit manifest to be ready for the next time Arago reappeared.
The demon considers him to be his major opponent. It is Kaos who gave
the Troopers their armor, and he is often found watching them, giving
them help when necessary. The full extent of his power is never
revealed. His staff, a shakujo (used normally by mendicant monks to
scare insects out of their path so they do not accidentally get stepped
on and killed), was originally a sword that was used to to destroy Arago
some 400 years ago and is a repository of vast mystic energy in its own
right. In episode 15 he is seemingly defeated and 'absorbed' by Arago,
but in his defeat he is able to create an energy bridge between Arago's
floating castle and the city of Tokyo - which the Samurai Troopers are
then able to use to ascend and take on Arago and his demon generals on
their own ground. (One source claims the initial battle between Kaos and
Arago occured 1,000 years ago. However, other sources say it was during
the Japanese "civil war" 400 years ago, and the armor worn by the
participants in flashbacks is from the civil war time period, not
earlier.)  

Height: 177cm

SANADA RIYO (RYO) 
His full title is Rekka no Ryo ("Ryo of the Blazing/Raging Fire"). Ryo
wears red armor, and he bears twin katana as his weapons. The symbol on
his armor is that of four squares set within a circle so that their
intersections form a four-pointed star. He is the leader of the
Troopers, and he also has something of a temper - at least partly
because of his "vast heart" which causes him anguish whenever others are
being hurt. He is accompanied by a huge white tiger named Byakuen. In
the new storyline he gets a new set of armor, which is formed when the
energy of his four comrades is joined with his own. At first this effect
also drains Ryo's own energy rapidly. This new, white armor is called
"Kikotei" - literal translation is "Sparkle Glitter Emperor", but my
Japanese teacher says it is a poetic way to say "sun", so it can be
refered to as the "Sun Armor". When he uses his full power, he yells "So
En Zan" (Two- Direction Flame Cut). The words used with the Kikotei
armor are "Sen Ko Zan".  Ryo is an orphan; his father was a wildlife
photographer killed by a wild animal.

Ryo is the first of the Troopers to show up in the series, and naturally
is the main protagonist.

Name Kanji: SANADA: Braid  RYO: Distant
Forehead Kanji: JIN: perfect virtue/humanity
Element: Fire
Birthday: 15 August (Leo) 1973 (14/15 years old in 1988)
Height: 165 cm (about 5'6")
Weight: 57 kg (about 125 lbs)

HASHIBA TOUMA (TOMA) 
His full title is Tenku no Toma ("Toma of the Firmament" - with the word
Firmament in this case referring to the sky/stars). He is the
intellectual of the group, and when not in combat may often be found
with his nose buried in a book. His armor is dark blue, and its symbol
is a stylized arrowhead. He is armed with a fold-down bow (shouhyaku).
When using his full power, he yells "Shinku Ha" ("Vacuum Breakthrough").
His main opponent was meant to be Oni Demon General Sh'ten, if you go by
the opening credits, but Sh'ten usually ends up fighting Ryo or all five
Troopers at the same time. Toma's parents are divorced, and his
interests include puzzles and intellectual games such as chess, go, and
shogi. He is a mathematical genius. (Some sources claim he has an IQ of
250; those of you familiar with the IQ system will know that's rather
ridiculous...)

Name Kanji: HASHIBA: Flying Sticks/brushwood (a type of weapon?) 
   TOMA: Flax, hemp
Forehead Kanji: CHI: wisdom/strategy
Element: Air
Birthday: 10 October (Libra) 1973 (14/15 in 1988) (Sports Day)
Height: 165 cm (about 5'6")
Weight: 55 kg (about 122 lbs)

DATE SEIJI (SEIJI) 
His full title is Korin no Seiji ("Seiji of the Halo/Aura"). His armor
is green and gold, and the symbol on his armor is a lightning bolt. His
weapon is a huge sword, with a shiriken as part of the guard. He also
has some ability to heal injuries when he uses his full powers. His
sword is a no-dachi, an extremely long "field sword". His battle cry is
"Rai Ko Zan", or "Thunder Lightning Thrust". As the series progresses,
it seems at times that he's gotten sweet on Nasti... His main opponent
is Darkness Demon General Anubis.  His father runs a small martial arts
dojo, and his interests revolve around swords, meditation, and "chatting
up girls".

Name Kanji: DATE: Show-off SEIJI: Conquering Warrior
Forehead Kanji: REI: courtesy
Element: Spirit
Birthday: 9 June (Gemini) 1973 (14/15 years old in 1988)
Height: 167 cm (about 5'7")
Weight: 58 kg (about 127 lbs)

SHUYU REI FUAN (SHU) 
His full title is Kongo no Shu ("Shu of the Great Strength (or
Diamond)"). He uses orange and brown armor, and the symbol on it is that
of a samurai helmet with one horn shorter than the other - just like his
own helmet. Shu is somewhat chubby, and his weapon is a short spear with
points at both ends. The haft of the spear can be seperated and used as
a three-part staff. His battle cry is "Gen Tessai" or "Rock-Steel
Crusher". His main opponent is Phantom Demon General Rajura. His family
runs a Chinese resturant in Yokohama, and his main interest is eating!

Name Kanji: Most articles do not list kanji for his name. The one that
did lists them as SHUYU: Excellent  REI: Fine, lovely  FUAN: Yellow
Forehead Kanji: GI: justice/morality/loyalty
Element: Earth
Birthday: 1 September (Virgo) 1973
Height: 164 cm (5'5")
Weight: 62 kg (about 138 lbs)
 
MOURI SHIN (SHIN) 
Full title: Suiko no Shin ("Shin of the Waters"). His armor is dark blue
and its symbol is a yin-yang sign without the dots in their 'heads'. His
weapon is a spear with a three-pronged head (it can sometimes assume the
shape of a trident). He also has "claws" on the right forearm of his
armor. Yell: "Chor Yu Ha" or "Super Flow Thrust". His main opponent is
Poison Demon General Naza.  He was raised by his mother and an older
sister who are both potters, and one of his interests is cooking (no
wonder he becomes one of Shu's best friends!)

Name Kanji: MOURI: Fur/profit SHIN: Stretching, Progress
Forehead Kanji: SHIN: sincerity/trust/faith
Element: Water
Birthday: 14 March (Pisces) 1973
Height: 164 cm (about 5'5")
Weight: 54 kg (about 122 lbs)

PROFESSOR YAGIYU 
A folklorist/researcher who is an authority on old samurai armor as well
as the period of Japanese history previous to the Civil War - that is,
the years prior to the time Nobunaga (of Time Stranger and Yotodon fame,
if you're not familiar with Japanese history) unified Japan. One of his
favorite subjects is that of Arago's attempted invasion. In the course
of his studies, he has learned of the yoroi and the Samurai Troopers,
and has been worried about the possibility of Arago's rebirth.
Additional background note: The Yagiyu clan is one of the more
well-known "han" in Japanese history. They were supporters of Tokugawa
when he became Shogun, and were one of the primary sources of the
bureaucrats ("bakufu") during the Edo Period. While they lost most of
their power following the Meiji Restoration in the late 1900s, they
still retained a good bit of their wealth - perhaps one reason why
Professor Yagiyu can afford a house large enough to seem a mansion to
normal Japanese, and not all that far from Tokyo, either! In addition,
up until about 15 years ago the Yagiyus (who were also reknowned
swordsmen) were often portrayed as heros in the old samurai epics and
the like. Only recently have they been depicted as the villains (both
Lone Wolf and Cub and the Kamui saga use members of the Yagiyu clan as
some of their bad guys).

YAGIYU NASUTEI (NASTI) 
Granddaughter of Professor Yagiyu, she is his assistant in doing
research and is very skilled with computers. In the beginning of the
series she seems to know more about what's going on than the Samurai
Troopers do. She uses her computer and the files her grandfather left on
it to locate the Troopers after they are forcibly seperated as a result
of their first major battle with Arago. While she is captured and used
as a hostage several times early in the series, by episode 12 or so
she's learned to keep well out of the way and this "problem" vanishes.
She's that rarity in anime shows - the female "sidekick" who is actually
quite useful and able to handle herself quite well

Birthday: 28 May (Gemini) 1970 (She's 17/18 in 1988)
Height: 168 cm 

YAMANO JUN (JUN) 
A young boy who is caught up in events and often ends up being the one
who gets into trouble - which in turn acts as the catalyst for the
Troopers to go to his rescue and discover more about their own powers
and abilities as a result. He is a typical animation rug-rat. On
occasion his antics on his skateboard generate moments of humor as well
as being an occasional asset to the team. We see his parents in episode
#1, but they disappear during Arago's invasion and do not reappear.

Birthday: 30 Jun (Cancer) 1979  (He's 8/9 in 1988)
Height: 118 cm

BYAKUEN 
A huge white tiger, the kanji of his name stand for "White Fire". He is
devoted to Ryo, but also spends a certain amount of time saving both
Nasti and Jun. He is as large as a small horse and Ryo, Nasti, and Jun
have all ridden him at times. There are jokes in anime fandom that he's
the smartest member of the Samurai Trooper team. In the second storyline
he acquires his own set of armor that matches that of Ryo's "Sun Yoroi".
Note that in most cases the animators have made Byakuen move and act
like a real cat...even to the movement of his ears, something a lot of
animators ignore when "doing" cats.

CHARACTERS: THE BAD GUYS
========================

ARAGO 
The chief bad-nasty of the show, Arago-sama (Lord Arago) initially
appears in our time period as a huge, spectral samurai helmet. Arago is
a demon who rules another dimensional plane (referred to as "the Demon
World") and has his eye on adding ours to his empire. He has manifested
several times before on our world, in Japan at the time of the samurai.
At that time he appeared as a human-sized (well, very large human-sized)
warrior. When he was defeated, the doorway between dimensions was
closed. Recently, he has forced the doorway open once more. This time he
brings helpers - initially, the four Demon Generals as well as his
"demon army". Later, other servants of the Demon Lord also show up to
battle our heroes. When Arago first manifests in our time period, all
technological equipment fails and dies wherever Arago's influence
touches - it seems he actually absorbs the power, not only from
technological sources but also from the humans within range. Because
technological weapons are useless against him, mystic forces are needed
to oppose him. As he gains more power, Arago manifests a solid body
instead of only the transparent, ghostly helmet he appears as in the
beginning of the series. This time his body is quite large - of a size
to successfully challenge Godzilla! A truely powerful, nasty foe for the
good guys to fight against. After his initial defeat in episode #19, he
becomes more cautious, testing his foes in an attempt to learn the full
extent of their powers before he commits himself once more. According to
an article in Animedia, over 1000 years ago Arago was once human, but
was so evil that when he died his spirit entered the demon world. Once
there, he set about conquering it, and the other demon lords who ruled
there were either subjugated (like Kenbokyou) or killed. Once he had
consolidated his rule, Arago-sama set his sights once more on Japan and
the Earth. He has also managed to bring the spirits of other evil people
into the Demon World, where they have been reborn to serve him in his
quest. Arago's ultimate goal is to break down or dissolve the "wall"
between the Demon World and our own, making the two one - with himself
as the ultimate ruler, of course!

Name Kanji: A: Flatter/flattery  RA: Thin silk, silk guaze  GO: Cream
"Birthdate" - about 1,000 years ago

SHUTEN DOUJI (Sh'ten) 
Sh'ten is the Oni Demon General ("Oni Ma Sho") and is easily the most
complicated of the characters in this show. He rapidly becomes something
more than a generic bad-nasty as the series progresses. He seems to be
both the strongest and the youngest of Arago's Demon Generals and has an
ego to match.  His compatriots don't like him very much, taking much
glee in twitting him about his various defeats at the hands of the
Samurai Troopers (not that they do much better). Also one of the more
intelligent of the cast, he develops second thoughts about his service
to Arago and starts questioning orders. He finally rebels against his
master and kneels to Kaos. At this point he, too, manifests a forehead
kanji. As a side note, he has red hair, and the first kanji of his name
means "cinnebar" or "vermillion" (his full name means "Red Sky Child" or
the equivilent - perhaps a small pun here, for it could also be
translated as "Red Top Child". As his fellow Demon Generals tend to use
it, with emphasis on the "Doiji", it could mean "red-haired kid" ("the
kid") and seems to be one of their ways of reminding him he is the most
junior of the four.) His armor is dark grey and blue, and does not seem
to have a symbol.  (None of the armor worn by the Demon Generals have
apparent symbols on them.  However, in the Rapport Deluxe special on the
show, and on the models of the characters by Chonando, Sh'ten's yoroi
symbol is given as that of a demon-horned skull with long hair. This
symbol - and those used for the other three Demon Generals - is not used
in the show.) His weapon is a scythe and chain with a clawed weight at
the other end (it's a kusari-gama, which normally is a ninja rather than
samurai weapon). Battle cry: Ko Rai Sei (Red Lightning). He was born in
or near Kyoto, and his interests are self-improvement and reading and
writing - in other words, he was a scholar as well as a warrior. The Oni
Demon General Yoroi gets its' power from "the contemplation of evil"
according to the special insert booklet in the March 1989 Animedia. His
yoroi is refered to as the "devils' armor".
World and our own, making the two one - with himself

Name Kanji: SHU: Red TEN: Sky/Top  DOU+JI: Child
Forehead Kanji: CHU: loyalty/innocence
Birthday: 5 May (Taurus) 1551 (Children's Day)
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 67 kg 

RAJIYURA (Rajura) 
The Phantom Demon General ("Gen Ma Sho" -- and the kanji for "Gen" in
this case can mean "vision/illusion" as well as "Phantom" -- considering
Rajura's abilities, both meanings can apply!), Rajura has only one eye.
His armor, which is the "spider yoroi", is dark pink and brown, and his
weapons are scythes that are normally attached to his back so they
resemble the legs of a spider. One of his attacks utilyzes an energy
field that resembles a spider's web. Further, when he first appears to
face a foe, it is often hanging upside down in the middle of his energy
web, or from the nearest tree. He can take the multiple scythes off his
back and use them as a hand weapon; and he also has both nunchuka and a
morningstar attached to the forearms of his armor -- and uses both. His
special power is projecting his own image over others, so the Troopers
attack each other -- thinking they are attacking him. He can also
project someone else's image over his own, and at least once has created
an illusion that created the false images of several of Arago's demon
army warriors. Chameleon-like, he can also fade "into" the landscape so
his opponents don't see him. His powers of illusion are somehow tied
into the fact that his left eye is sealed up by spider threads. The
symbol Chonando and the Rapport Deluxe book gives him is a stylized
spider. The kanji associated with his yoroi is that of Nin, which means
to bear pain and to endure; or to conceal oneself -- considering
Rajura's chameleon-like abilities, I think the latter is probably an
additional pun. "Rajura" literally means "Spiral Cursed (silk) Thread
(spinner)" and is the name of a type of spider in Japanese. He is the
second of the Ma Sho (Demon Generals) to become disaffected from Arago.
His battle cry means "World of Murderous Illusions". If he used his
powers for good, his illusions could soothe the human soul, giving them
visions of peace.

Name Kanji: RA: Spiral JIYU: Curse, spell RA: Thin Silk (thread)
Forehead Kanji: NIN: Bear/Endure Pain, Conceal Oneself (Endurance)
Birthday: In 1549
Height: 176 cm
Weight: 70 Kg

ANUBIS 
Darkness Demon General ("Yami Ma Sho"), Anubis has a nasty scar beneath
his left eye. He wears the "Black Jackal" yoroi.  His weapon is a huge
sword (called the "Black Wolf Sword"), another nodachi like Seiji's,
though the Darkness Demon General's is made in the style of a cavalry
saber. His armor is mostly brown and black.  He seems to be the best
teleporter of the Demon Generals.  The symbol associated with his yoroi
is a stylized wolf's head. The kanji associated with his Yoroi is Ko:
Filial Duty. When he attacks he calls "Leaping Darkness". He can see in
total darkness, and tends to prefer attacking when there is no light to
aid his enemies.  According to one source, he - or his yoroi, anyway -
is possessed by/the reincarnation of the Egyptian god Anubis. (Anubis is
the name an Egyptian jackal-headed god, one of their many gods of the
dead.)If he were to use his abilities for good, he would be "the eyes
for those who have lost their way in darkness, battling evil spirits of
the night. His greatest show of power would be for the sake of defending
others."

Name Kanji: A: Evil  NU: Servant  BI: Increasingly  
   SU: Obey/Defend (Evil Servant Who Defends??)
Forehead Kanji: KO: Filial Piety
Birthdate: in 1550
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 63 kg 

NAAZA (NAZA) 
The Poison Demon General ("Doku Ma Sho"), Naza has what can only be
described as "bug eyes", and uses multiple swords as his weapons. His
armor is green and red in color. He can control - perhaps through a type
of telekinisis - all of his six swords at the same time, while also
projecting an image with six arms.  He can also join all six swords
together in what amounts to a razor-sharp whip. Naza is known as the
Poison Demon General for good reason, as he has a full range of rather
nasty poisons in his arsenal of weapons as well as his swords. I have
the distinct impression that Naza is not quite sane.  He seems to have a
special hatred for Sh'ten - even when he's fighting Ryo, about half the
time (when he's not telling Recca how he's going to tear him apart) he's
bitching about the Oni Demon General! Battle cry: Ja Ga Ken. While his
armor is visually more insectile in appearance, it is the "Spitting
Cobra yoroi", (and the symbol associated with his yoroi is a stylized
cobra); and the poisons he uses in his attacks frequently cause
prolonged suffering in his victims. (When he tells someone "Kurushime!"
during an attack, he's saying "Suffer!") He - or at least the yoroi - is
said to be possessed by the spirit of the Asian snake god/demon, Naga.
His not- quite human appearance may stem from myths in Japan of families
who number snake-demons among their ancestors.  These snake demons, like
the kitsune (fox demons), could change into human shape and interbreed
with humans if they wanted to. Families that had "snake blood" in their
ancestory are said to often have scaly skin somewhere on their bodies,
and their eyes sometimes are not human in appearance. If he used his
power for good, the poison would heal instead of inflict pain and death.

Name Kanji: NA: What  A: Deafmute  ZA: Crush
Forehead Kanji: TEI: to serve our elders (Obedience)
Birthdate - in 1551
Height - 172 cm
Weight - 70 kg

The "forehead kanji" for Anubis and Naza switches between episode #19,
when Kaos tells Ryo which kanji are associated with which armor, and
which kanji the two actually manifest in episode #32. The ones given are
those used in episode 32.
 
The kanji for "Demon General" is "Ma Sho". "Sho" stands for "Commander,
General, Admiral" and in this context either "Commander" or "General"
would work; I selected "General" because it sounds better and has
already become common usage in fandom. The kanji "Sho" is also used in
forming the word "Shogun", if you're interested. You'll find I use the
term "Ma Sho" interchangably with "Demon General" throughout this
review.  The four Ma Sho were originally generals of various armies
during the time of the Japanese "Great Civil War", e.i., Nobunaga Oda's
unification of Japan.  They each at one time or another found themselves
fighting enemies of greater strength and thus lost battles. They each
wanted to win so badly that each in turn "sold their souls to the Devil"
so to speak, and were pulled into the Demon World where they were given
the greater strength they wanted - but only as servents of the Demon
Lord. Eventually they come to realize that they have been nothing but
tools Arago has used to achieve his goals, and realize that the "great
strength" they have been given has resulted in nothing but emptiness.
Finally they come to the conclusion that "soul" is more important than
"strength", and find themselves allied with the Troopers in opposition
to their former master.

A large part of the Demon Generals' fighting abilities rely on illusion,
but this should not lead one to think they don't have physical might as
well. It is their ability to combine their illusions with their physical
attacks which makes them so deadly. Sh'ten is the only one of the four
who does not use illusions very much. He relies more on his physcial
prowress when fighting his battles. (As a matter of fact, Sh'ten in
general seems rather out of place as one of the Demon Generals.)

ANKOKU (BLACK/DARKNESS) PRIESTS 
===============================

(Arago also calls these mystical beings "Evil Earth Spirits", but I've
chosen to use the Ankoku Priest appellation throughout this review.) The
Ankoku Priests are the spirits of evil men who have died on Earth. They
are energized by Arago's power and have no life of their own. These
spirits have become semi-autonomous parts of the Demon Lord, and act as
a channel for his energy.  They seem to be one way Arago can channel the
power he pulls from various sources, including the life energy he
absorbs from the human beings he has imprisoned. He uses them in
creating balls of energy in episodes 9 and 10. In episode 11 they play
several types of flute-like instruments, the mystic music from which
create a barrier that prevents the Samurai Troopers from being able to
call their armor. In episodes 14 they bombard Sh'ten with energy in an
effort to force the Oni Demon Genral to gain greater control over his
own abilities and power (to be used against the Samurai Troopers, of
course). In episode 16 he uses them to attack the mystic bridge Kaos has
created and which the Troopers are using to attack his floating castle.
In episode 17 -- after Sh'ten has joined the Troopers and then been
captured by his former comrades in arms -- the Ankoku Priests subject
him to various tortures in order to keep him too weak to escape. In the
rest of the series they act as channels for the power Arago is raising
to bring Earth and the Demon World together, as well as helping control
the wayward Demon Generals.  They are dressed in garb much like the
ceremonial outfits worn by the Shinto priests in Emperor Showa's
funeral.

SARANBOU 
He appears first in episode #20 as one of Arago's warriors. I have my
doubts about his humanity. This is one NASTY demon, friends! By #21 he's
come pretty close to defeating all five Samurai Troopers on his own. His
weapon is a type of pikestaff, and it seems that his main goal is to
find out more about Ryo's white/sun yoroi/mystic armor.

Name Kanji: SA: Sand  RAN: Storm  BOU: Priest (Sandstorm Priest)

KENBUKYOU 
A minor demon lord in his own right, Kenbukyou was defeated by Arago in
the past and thus must serve the Demon Lord. He first appears in episode
#22 accompanied by a huge black tiger and does his damnedest to kill
Ryo, severely wounding Byakuen in the process. His weapons are twin
katana something like Ryo's, but they are refered to as the "Swords of
Strong Passion" (truer translation is "Strong Violent Swords") and are
the second of the weapons that the Troopers must use to defeat Arago
(the first is the "Blazing Sun" or Kikotei yoroi.) It is from
Kenbukyou's tiger that Byakuen obtains the armor he wears in later
episodes - and Kenbukyou's twin katana become the weapons used by Ryo
when he wears the Sun Yoroi. The black tiger's name is Byakueno ("White
Flame King").

Name Kanji: KEN & BU together: Sword dancer 
    KYOU: Lord (Lord Sword Dancer) 

KOKUYOEN 
Also refered to as Arago's Demon Envoy, Kokuyoen is a creature that
resembles one of the rotound "frog-eyed" household gods in early Japan.
The Demon Envoy has control over water's temperature, and can turn it
into either ice or steam. He is sent after Ryo and fails.

Name Kanji: KOKU: Black  YO: Pride, Male (There are over a dozen
possible translations for this kanji, but the above seem to fit best in
this context) EN: Sun, fire, flame

KAYURA 
Seemingly Sh'ten's replacement after the Oni Demon General's defection,
she is known as the Demon Priestess (or Princess), and is an even
nastier fighter than the other Demon Generals. She seems to have been a
member of Kaos' clan and was one of those who was being trained to
defend Earth from Arago and his ilk about 400 years ago. She was
captured at the age of 5 and brain-washed by the Demon Lord; the
gold-colored chest plate she wears keeps her under Arago's thumb. When
it is destroyed in one of her battles with Ryo, her mind is freed and
she eventually joins the battle against the Demon Lord. (When Kayura
turns back to good, her voice goes up somewhat. This is a convention
adapted from Kabuki theater, where, when a good character turns to evil,
their voices become deeper and lower.) When she initially appears, she
is accompanied by the vision of wisteria blossoms and petals. Her
weapons are twin jitte - the jitte a much older cousin to the sai.
Instead of the central rod we're familiar with in the sai, this ancient
form of jitte has a slender two-edged sword blade.

Name Kanji: KA:(phonetic) YU: Play, enjoy oneself RA: Silk guaze; 
   fine-spun silk thread
Birthdate: 12 Dec 1559
Height: 158 cm
Weight: 44 kg

DARA 
One of Arago's demon commanders, Dara seems to have been one of the
original inhabitants of the Demon World who chose to submit willingly to
Arago rather than fight him. He uses the "Yoroi Sword" Arago creates out
of energy from the Korin, Kongo, and Suiko yoroi against Ryo, as well as
leading his own army against the two remaining Troopers in episodes 30 -
31.

Name Kanji: DA: Degenerate RA: Silk Gauze

BADAMON 
A sorcerer/scholar dressed as a Chinese Confucian scholar, he is one of
Arago's servents and is tasked with discovering the secret of the yoroi
and the Kikotei armor.

Name Kanji: BA: Banana DA: Steep   MON: Be in agony, be worried

GASHURA 
One of Arago's servents, Badamon sends him after Sh'ten, Nasty, and Jun
to prevent them from learning the secrets of the Kikotei armor and the
shakujo.  He is defeated by Sh'ten with the help of ghost warriors who
once served Kaos and the shakujo in a previous war with Arago.

Name Kanji: GA: Hunger  SHU: Grasp  RA: Silk Gauze

ARAGO'S DEMON ARMY 
Generic cannon fodder, these animated suits of samurai armor (which
appear to be poor duplicates of the armor worn by the Troopers and the
Demon Generals) are powered only by Arago's own energy. When they are
sliced open, there is nothing inside, except occasionally for wisps of
black smoke. There are only a few at them at first, but as Arago absorbs
more energy from our planet, the more of them he can generate.

A large number of Arago's servants seem to have an affinity for
water...Naaza loves to emerge from lakes and streams to attack his
opponents. Sarenbou takes to the sea frequently, taking Ryo with him
when he defeats the Recca trooper.  Kenbukyou emerges from a fountain
when sent into this world by Arago. And the "frog eyed" demon warrior
uses ice and steam extensively in his attacks.  Another note: most of
those who serve Arago seem to have armor that is somewhat "organic" in
shape - that is, it resembles living things of one type or another.
Three of the Ma Sho have yoroi named after living things. Both Rajura's
and Naza's are insectile in appearance. Anubis' is somewhat wolf-like.
Both Sarenbou and Kokuyoen to a certain extent resemble aquatic
creatures. (Sarenbou may also be intended to resemble a bird demon
similar to a tengu.) Dara in episodes #30 - 31 reminds me of a
bear...Sh'ten's armor is anomalous (what isn't about the Oni Demon
General?) and is much closer in appearance to that worn by the Troopers.
If he'd retract the face mask and if his body armor was the same
white-and-color color scheme as the Troopers, he'd probably fit in much
better visually with them than he does with the Demon Generals.
Kenbokyou also doesn't fit in, but then, it's made clear in episode #23
that he originally was not one of Arago's warriors, and has been forced
to serve the Demon Lord. Kayura...well, her armor is more
"cheesecake"-ish in nature than true yoroi any way you look at it...

OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION 
===========================

FOREHEAD KANJI 
Specific kanji are associated with each of the Yoroi Kaos makes from
Arago's discarded armor after Arago's initial defeat. The kanji are
transferred to the Samurai Trooper who wears the Yoroi. When the
troopers are in danger, or calling upon the full energy levels available
to them, the kanji symbols on their foreheads (which normally are
invisible) glow. This effect can also act as an "emergency signal" to
let all the other Troopers know that one or more of their number need
help. In the second storyline, each of the Troopers carry a small
crystal ball (about the size of a large marble) in which their
particular kanji glows, and which also seem to act as some sort of
mystic focus for their powers, and are instrumental in summoning the
Troopers' body armor/padding when they are in "civies". In episode 17,
while Sh'ten is being held in the dungeon of Arago's castle, he feels
such a call for help by the Troopers (they've invaded the castle and are
under strong attack by Arago's forces) and finds the strength to escape
his prison and come to their aid.

ELEMENTAL LINKS 
Each of the five Samurai Troopers is strongly linked to one of the five
elements. (Oriental mythology/beliefs add a fifth element to the
tradtional Western four of Air, Water, Fire, and Earth: That of Spirit
(some sources list it as "wood", and technically it represents the
mystery of life itself). While this theme is common to much of what we
see in animation from Japan (thus the preference for five-man teams,
each representing one of the five elements), in this series the linkage
seems to be especially strong. The naming of the elements for the
Troopers is based on four factors: Each Troopers' special powers, how
they are used, their special affinities - and the Zodiacal sign of each!
Toma is a Libra, an air sign. Seiji is a Gemini, another air sign (there
is no "spirit" element in the Western Zodiacal system. I think "air" was
the closest they could get to indicating "spirit"). Shin is a Pisces --
a water sign, of course! Shu is a Virgo, an earth sign; and Ryo is a Leo
-- a fire sign.

On the other hand, the four Demon Generals seem to be more closely
related to the four seasons than to the elements. Sh'ten -- whose most
fierce attack involves sending the clawed weight and its chain deep into
the ground, whereupon which it re-emerges multiplied by ten-fold --
seems most likely to represent spring. Kayura, when she shows up, is
definately SPRING!! with bold-face capitals and multiple underlines --
she is accompanied by visions of wisteria petals. Rajura, who appears
amid visions of searing heat that dries out and kills all plants,
represents summer -- a summer of Saharan porportions. Naza's arrival is
usually accompanied by the trees and plants around him turning brown and
losing their leaves; he is representative of fall. Finally, Anubis --
who loves to attack during blinding snowstorms and freezes waterfalls as
well as living creatures solid, and has a yoroi that somewhat resembles
a wolf (even if it is supposed to be a jackal...), is definately a
creature of winter...


==============================================
== CHAPTER 2: FIRST SEASON EPISODE SYNOPSES ==
==============================================

#1 (4/30) The Target is Tokyo
-----------------------------
It seems to be a normal, nice day in Shinjuku, a suburb of Tokyo, when a
cloud gathers overhead and casts a strangely shaped shadow on the
buildings below.  Demonic laughter resounds. In a room at a university
nearby, Nasti Yagiyu is busy with a computer, working for her
grandfather, Professor Yagiyu. Her grandfather is worried. The yoroi of
the Samurai Troopers have disappeared, which could mean that the Demon
Lord Arago -- whom he has researched for years as a folklorist -- may be
ready to manifest once again. (Unfortunately, the symbols which show up
on the computer screen are so much garbage, not a real readout even in
Japanese...) In Shinjuku's shopping district, Jun and his parents are
window-shopping when Jun almost runs into Byakuen -- and gets a wet lick
as a greeting from the huge white tiger. Then the tiger's human
companion (partner more than master), Ryo, speaks with him. Jun's
parents then pull him away, fearful for his life, as Ryo and Byakuen
continue about their business. But someone has called the police about
the appearance of the tiger, and the media arrive, too. Nasti and
Professor Yagiyu see a news broadcast about the young man and his "pet."
Professor Yagiyu identifies Ryo as a Samurai Trooper. (If they explain
how he knows about the Troopers as well as Arago and the yoroi, I've
missed it. Maybe he recognizes Byakuen?) He sends Nasti off to bring Ryo
to him. Dark clouds suddenly appear, travelling too fast to be natural.
Nasti's "Samurai" (jeep look-alike) dies, as do all the cars around her.
She steals a policeman's bike to continue her mission. A helicopter
falls from the sky, its motor quiting. (It should have been able to
auto-rotate down safely, but I suppose that wouldn't be as dramatic as a
fiery crash...) Ryo and the police surrounding them watch in horror.
Lightning strikes around them, breaking windows as people panic - and
Jun loses his parents in the crowd. Behind Ryo,a deadly-looking suit of
samurai armor materializes. It's a warrior of Arago's demon army.
Byakuen senses it and responds, giving Ryo enough warning to leap out of
the way of its first blow.  The demon soldier's scythe cuts open the
back of his shirt, and we see the red body armor he wears through the
slit. Ryo turns and challenges the warrior, discarding the rest of his
civies to display the body armor that was concealed underneath them. "I
am Recca no Ryo!" (Ryo of the Raging Fire), he declares.  The warrior
merely laughs, twirling the chain that is part of his weapon and then
striking at Ryo. Ryo's own attacks have little effect on this opponent.
Buildings and roads begin to crumble around them. Jun stumbles into the
battle zone, looking for his parents (everyone else is gone -suppose
they've all been smart enough to take cover?). Jun is nearly killed by
the warrior (wrong time, wrong place more than by deliberate intent) but
Nasti arrives in time to save him. Ryo is not doing very well at all in
his first battle, and it is the arrival of Tenku no Toma (Toma of the
Firmament/Heavens) that saves his life.  They are then joined by the
other three Troopers - Kongo no Shu (Shu of the Great Strength), Suiko
no Shin (Shin of the Waters), and Korin no Seiji (Seiji of the Halo).
(Seiji has a wonderful entrance scene as he leaps off a 10-story
building and unconcernedly falls groundward head-first as he introduces
himself.) The warrior seems unconcerned; he's quite willing to take on
all five humans by himself. Nasti is telling Jun a little about Arago
and the Samurai Troopers as the battle continues. The others have no
better luck that Ryo did in affecting Arago's warrior. Nasti yells at
them to put on their yoroi; the warrior responds by taking her and Jun
hostage. Ryo calls the Recca yoroi; and the other four are enarmored as
well. (This is the first time we'll see the rather nice stock footage of
Ryo getting into his armor. As he does so, we see bolts of silk
unrolling around him, as well as cherry (sakura) petals. Very
appropriate as both have long been considered symbolic of the samurai in
Japanese history.) The warrior laughs once more, "So you are the Samurai
Troopers!" he gloats. Ryo attacks, but the warrior parries his blows.
"You don't know how to use your yoroi yet!" the warrior taunts as he
knocks Ryo into the ground. Then he throws Jun and Nasti into a magic
"screen" where their image appears -- and demonstrates that whatever is
done to him (hitting his armor, for example) the two hostages will feel.
(He gets a perverse enjoyment out of the demonstration, too!) Ryo puts
his swords away and lets the demon warrior wrap him up in his chains,
whereupon which Ryo gets thrown against all sorts of the things...Jun
calls to him, and Ryo discovers how to power up, using his "Two-
Direction Flame Cut" to destroy his opponent. Jun and Nasti are
released, Byakuen catching them before they can be hurt. The others have
almost no chance to congratulate Ryo before nasty laughter is heard from
the roofs overhead. They look upward to see four men dressed in yoroi
somewhat like their own. The foremost tells them that Arago has just
been testing his newest foes, and introduces himself as Sh'ten, Oni
Demon General -- and sworn to Arago's service. The other three also
introduce themselves -- Darkness Demon General Anubis, Phantom Demon
General Rajura, and Poison Demon General Naza. With a warning that
they'll be back, all four teleport skyward as Arago's voice is heard.
The clouds clear somewhat, and for the first time we see Arago's Dark
Castle floating above the city.

#2 (5/7) Oni Demon General! Fierce Attack of Sh'ten 
---------------------------------------------------
Photographs from a photo-reconnaisance satellite reveal a small circle
of nothingless, where the camera refuses to pick up an image, in the
area of Shinjuku. Japanese Defense Force helicopters try and move in,
reporting the prescence of Arago's Dark Castle, but their motors shut
down when they reach Arago's area of influence. When one tries to
autorotate down, one of Arago's warriors splits its fuel tank open with
a spear, and it explodes. Technology does not work where the Demon
Lord's power holds sway, and Arago seems to actually absorb power from
such sources. Inside the castle, the Demon Generals are getting orders
from Arago. It rapidly becomes clear that Sh'ten is disliked by his
fellow Demon Generals, and Arago's selection of him as the first to go
against the Samurai Troopers is greeted with a mixture of rage,
irritation and frustration as the others argue that he is too junior for
the honor. Arago shows Sh'ten where the Troopers, Nasti and Jun are
hiding -- in the subway -- and dispatches the Oni Demon General after
them. Below, Byakuen is curious about the cats trying to find food in
the scattered garbage of an alley. Toma and Seiji watch him with some
amusement, each commenting on the emptiness of the streets. They also
introduce themselves to each other. (One gets the feeling this is the
first time most of the Troopers have met each other, as in this and the
following scene they give their complete real names and the province
they each come from to each other.) Below, Nasti is telling the three
other Troopers about her grandfather and his studies; and they also
introduce themselves to each other as well as Jun and Nasti, trying to
cheer Jun up. Above, jet aircraft attack Arago's castle, but Arago turns
their missiles around so they end up shooting down each other instead.
Further proof that it will take magic, not science, to defeat the Demon
Lord. Byakuen senses danger (both his magical and normal senses are much
more acute than those of the Troopers) and warns them -- as Sh'ten
arrives on the street above. His search does not take long as he tears
up the street above the subway to reveal their hiding place. The five
Samurai Troopers call their armor, but use the yoroi's power to set a
shield around Nasti and Jun. They then attack Sh'ten without their armor
-- and predictably, Sh'ten easily ignores their attacks and inflicts
quite a bit of damage on them. Next we get a glimpse of a man in Shinto
monk's garb, a shakujo (a special type of staff) in one hand, his face
hidden by a straw hat. The smoothness of his features belies the long
white hair (Note: In Japanese mythology, white or blond hair usually
indicates a supernatural being or spirit/ghost). This is our first view
of Kaos -- who throws down the shakujo, disrupting the yorois' shield.
The yoroi go to their owners. Sh'ten still shows no hesitation in
attacking (whether this habit of his of taking them on all at the same
time is courage, arrogance, or a mixture of both is debatable!). He and
Ryo go at each other. Sh'ten is damaged in the exchange. Ryo is knocked
unconscious, and one of his katana falls to the ground below. The other
Samurai Troopers arrive to defend Ryo, who obviously is already on his
way to being their leader. Arago has watched with amusement at Sh'ten's
success, but becomes alarmed as each Samurai Trooper begins to glow,
their energy beginning to unite. Arago intervenes -- sending down a
black tornado to kill them. All five are drawn into the funnel cloud.
Each becomes a glowing ball of energy, and they shoot away from the
tornado in five different directions, the tornado torn apart by the
result. One of the energy spheres, red-colored, lands in Fuji-san, which
erupts under the impact.

#3 (5/14) Armor Empowered (acquires rank), Secret of the Raging Fire 
          (Rekka)
--------------------------------------------------------------------          
Jun and Nasti climb out of the rubble they have taken refuge in to sleep
through the night as the city crumbles around them. Then Jun notices a
growing glow not far away -- it is one of Ryo's katana, the one he lost
in his battle with Sh'ten. Nasti grabs it up as Byakuen arrives. In
"tiger talk" he makes it obvious he wants them to follow him. Deep
inside Fuji, Ryo, in the Fire Yoroi, slumbers in the middle of a lava
pit -- then slowly begins to wake. In the audiance chamber of Arago's
castle, Sh'ten is looking at the viewscreen/magic mirror down at the
city below. The other Demon Generals arrive and twit him about the fact
he didn't really win his first battle -- Arago did it for him! (They're
already referring to their fellow Demon General as "kisama" - this does
not bode well for any hope of them acting as a team!) Arago interrupts
them angrily, as it seems the Troopers are still alive, if dormant.
Arago cannot touch their yoroi and twist them to his own use until the
present wearers are dead -- or have been converted to his side. Further,
it seems Recca no Ryo is beginning to wake. The scene on the mirror
changes, and it shows them Byakuen, Jun, and Nasti all enroute to Fuji
with Ryo's missing katana. Sh'ten is given the chance to redeem himself
by eliminating this danger to Arago's plans. Next we know, Nasti, Jun
and Byakuen (Nasti riding Byakuen, and Jun following close behind by the
expedient of standing on his skateboard and holding onto the tiger's
tail -- I will refrain from making jokes/puns here...) are attacked by
Sh'ten and members of Arago's Demon Army.  They are saved by the
intervention of Kaos who uses the shakujo to create a rift between the
them and Arago's forces. Nasti finds her jeep -- and this time the
engine starts! They leave once more. However, Sh'ten now knows where
they are going. At Fuji, Ryo painfully climbs to the lip of the
volcano's mouth, only to discover Sh'ten waiting for him. As they
battle, Byakuen delivers Ryo's second katana to him. The battle
continues, and Sh'ten makes the mistake of knocking the Fire Trooper
back into the lava. Ryo emerges, stronger than ever, having gained power
and strength from the lava's heat. In desperation, Sh'ten grabs Nasti
and Jun as hostages (despite their attempt to escape), then throws the
two into the volcano. Ryo saves them, but must discard his super-hot
armor to do so. He collapses on the lip of the volcano where he has
carried them, sans yoroi. Before he can call it back, a chain whips
around his throat and Sh'ten yanks him within range of his scythe, the
chain preventing Ryo from calling his armor. Beating him near
unconscious, Sh'ten drops Ryo back into the volcano -- but Ryo has been
playing possum. He grabs Sh'ten and the two both fall toward the lava.
Sh'ten saves himself by finding some rocks to land on, while Ryo calls
his armor in time to save his own skin. Then Ryo breaks Sh'ten's scythe
with his two katana (NEVER attack someone whose element is fire in the
middle of a volcano -- that's the center of their power!) and the Oni
Demon General falls as another eruption occurs.  Arago pulls a rather
singed Sh'ten back to the audiance chamber in disgrace, and chews him
out, to the unconcealed glee of the other Demon Generals. Ryo, watching
the volcano erupt, says they've got to find his companions -- he cannot
stand against Arago by himself. Nasti suggests that perhaps her
grandfather can help. Not knowing what else to do, and acknowledging
that Nasti's information has been most helpful, Ryo agrees...Elsewhere,
Kaos watches, both worried and approving.

#4 (5/21) Poison Demon General! Naza's Trap
-------------------------------------------
The populace of Shinjuku is under Arago's control, and are being herded
to some sort of limbo. In the audience chamber, Sh'ten is being
unmercifully taunted about his failure against Recca when Arago appears.
The Demon Lord is not sure what Recca plans, but wants the Samurai
Trooper stopped before he can get to and awaken the other Troopers. This
time, he dispatches Poison Demon General Naza to do the job. Nasti, Jun,
and Ryo are in Nasti's jeep, Byakuen running along behind (you'd think
they could rent or "borrow" a trailer or something for the poor tiger!)
are enroute to the university where Nasti's grandfather teaches, unaware
that Naza has gotten there before them. They take a detour as they go
through the area where Jun lived; long enough to visit his house -- and
discover that not only are his parents not home, but it appears no one
has been there since Arago's manifestation. Nasti and the Troopers are
his only family now. When they arrive at the university, Nasti's
grandfather does not seem terribly pleased to see them. Jun and Ryo
leave the room as Nasti and her grandfather argue. Jun picks up a
Polaroid camera. As he looks through the lens he sees glowing red eyes
in the suits of samurai armor in the cases outside the Professor's
office. Then the armor comes to life and attacks them, transforming into
warriors of Arago's army. Inside the office, Professor Yagiyu tries to
kill Nasti and Ryo must save her. Deducing that the old man has been
possessed, Ryo scares the demon out of his body by nearly killing him.
But the strain has been too much on Yagiyu's heart. He tells Nasti that
the answer to their questions is in an ancient poem/song that is in the
computer -- but he dies before he can tell her the code word to unlock
the right files (see the section on the song in the back section of this
review for more information). She goes to work to discover the code
words while Ryo watches -- and Byakuen, sensing Naza, goes hunting the
Poison Demon General.  His subsequent battle draws Ryo's attention, and
then Recca no Ryo goes against Naza. He does poorly, thanks to the Demon
General's illusions. Jun's camera, however, "sees" through the
illusions, and when he and Nasti escape the falling building Naza has
destroyed (after Nasti has unlocked the computer code words) he shows
the picture to Ryo - who then uses that knowledge to temporarily drive
off the Poison Demon General. (Note: some of the worst artwork and
animation in the series occurs in this episode. Yuck! I understand that
periodically the students at the animation schools for each studio are
allowed to animate parts of projects the studio is working on; perhaps
this episode was done as a class project?)

#5 (5/28) Resurrection! Warrior of Light (Bright Warrior)
---------------------------------------------------------
Nasti's computer has deduced that the most likely place for them to find
Seiji is Akiko Cave on the Akidoshi Plateau (once refuge and place of
meditation for various religious types, the caves are now a major
tourist attraction).  (Luckily, the information was all stored in a
lap-top portable computer rather than a main-frame or desk-top model!)
Once more, Naza has arrived first. Ryo sends Byakuen, Nasti, and Jun
into the cave for safety while he faces Naza.  During the battle, some
of the poison on Naza's blades gets into Ryo's eyes, and he is blinded.
Inside the cave, Byakuen senses Ryo's plight and goes to rescue him. Jun
wants to follow, but Nasti tells him they'll serve Ryo better if they
continue and try to find Seiji. Outside, Naza prepares to kill the
blinded Samurai Trooper. Byakuen arrives just in time to save his
partner, carrying the injured Ryo deep into the caves. Ryo bathes his
eyes in clean water to no avail. Seiji seems to be his only chance. He
calls the Recca yoroi to him, hoping its link with the Korin armor will
help lead him to Seiji.  First, though he's got to fall off the
requisite cliff...(seems he shares more with Pegasus Seiya of Saint
Seiya than just the same voice actor!) Meanwhile, Nasti and Jun have
been captured as Naza searches for Recca. Ryo locates Seiji, but Korin
is encased in a pillar of stone in which Ryo cannot reach him. Naza
arrives, and Ryo spends half his time fighting off the Poison Demon
General and the other half trying to wake Korin. He finally succeeds,
just prior to fainting from his injuries. Seiji, once awake, blows Naza
away. He, too, has come into his power. He helps Ryo to the surface, and
then Seiji demonstrates that his power includes healing as he restores
Ryo's sight. Now they have three more Troopers to find...

#6 (6/11) Angry Counterattack - Super Flow Thrust 
-------------------------------------------------
Seiji, Ryo, Jun, and Nasti are now at the bridge in the Inland Sea that
towers above the Great Whirlpool of Meimon (yes, they really exist, and
are located in the Naruto Straits between the islands of Awaji and
Shikoku. However, the whirlpool effect occurs only four times a day in
conjunction with the changing of the tides rather than all the time. And
again, they are a major tourist attraction in Japan). Seiji and Nasti
take the jeep and depart, heading for Hokkaido where they believe Shu
is. Ryo and Jun stay to try and find Shin, who if the song/poem is right
will be somewhere near the whirlpool. Ryo dives in as Jun waits on the
bridge. On one shore, Naza watches, and summons several of Arago's
warriors. He is determined not to be defeated as Sh'ten was. Above,
Arago and the other three Demon Generals watch. When they're not
taunting Sh'ten, the other two are asking Arago to be given their chance
at the Troopers. Anubis, to his great satisfaction (including a
triumphant look at Sh'ten and Rajura) is sent after Nasti and Seiji. In
the water, Ryo is attacked by Arago's warriors. At the ocean bottom,
Shin lies as if asleep, his yoroi having created a "bubble" of air
around him to keep him alive. The fish watch over him like faithful
watchdogs (including one orca [killer whale]).  Ryo calls his yoroi and
defeats his current foes. This is what Naza has been waiting for, and he
attacks. Ryo's armor has been damaged in the previous battles. Seawater
-- combined with Naza's poisons -- does not mix at all well with the
Fire armor where it has been damaged. Ryo experiences the equivilent of
short-circuiting in his armor. This is not only painful and distracting,
but weakens him in his battle against the Poison Demon General. Ryo
falls...and Naza goes looking for Shin. He finds Suiko, and is
distracted by the fishy guardians. Ryo's katana are now circling above
Shin, ringing, and wake Suiko. Shin is rather upset, especially when he
discovers Naza's poisons have killed many of "his" fish! He is also
disturbed when he finds one of Ryo's katana -- with no sign of Ryo
nearby. He uses a whirlpool attack to distract Naza, hauls the
unconscious Ryo out of the water, then returns to the sea to fight his
foe. They battle, ending up on the bridge. Meanwhile, Byakuen starts to
drag Ryo to a fire (caused by an overturned gasoline truck) with Jun
helping when he realizes what the tiger is up to (that's no ordinary
cat, that's for sure!). Shin is hurt, but Naza is distracted by Ryo,
renewed by the fire. (If lava won't hurt him, a little gasoline fire
sure won't!) He is too weak to stand up for long against Naza, but gives
Shin the time to power up and dispose of their enemy. It's the Poison
Demon General's turn to be humbled before Sh'ten and Rajura as Arago
lets him know exactly what he thinks of this failure...

#7 (6/18) Enlightenment (Opening of Eyes, Spiritual Awakening)! 
          Destruction by Thunder Lightning Thrust 
---------------------------------------------------------------          
Nasti and Seiji are almost to their destination -- Mt. Daisetsu on the
island of Hokkaido -- and are being watched by the unnaturally
intelligent eyes of several wolves. Anubis awaits them not much further
on. Nasti parks when they can drive no further; they must go on foot
from here. Nasti is rather angry when Seiji takes off, leaping to the
top of a cliff she can't climb. He laughs and goes on as she fumes and
walks up the normal (and much longer) footpath.  She notices dark clouds
scuttling in. Then she hears the howls of the wolves as they attack --
Seiji arriving in time to save her. But there are too many, and the two
end up running until they are surrounded. Anubis, who has been watching,
sends an avalanche down at them. They barely escape, Seiji carrying
Nasti to safety. They come to a Shinto shrine, a garland-vested rock
above a waterfall. Shu is somewhere inside the rock, which is refered to
as "The Seat of God" (I suspect it represents an actual Shinto Shrine in
Hokkaido). Anubis announces himself and attacks. Seiji calls the Korin
yoroi, parries Anubis' own sword and then strikes the rock. But his
nodachi has no effect on it. He has revealed Shu's location to Anubis,
however. The Darkness Demon General thrusts his own nodachi into the
rock, and it slowly disappears within. It'll keep going, he tells the
horrified Seiji and Nasti, until it works its way deep enough to
penetrate Kongo's heart...then Anubis goes at Seiji again, this time
using the claws of his yoroi against the Trooper's sword, until he
forces both Nasti and Seiji off the cliff, and watches them drop into
the waterfall.  (Seiji drops his sword and puts both arms around Nasti
as they fall -- I think that it's at this point he begins to realize she
is a girl -- and a brave one as well as something of a "brain".) The
two, unseen by Anubis, land in a cave behind the waterfall. We see Kaos'
spirit form -- the water passing through his figure -- come and speak to
Seiji as the Trooper begins to wake up. Nasti goes to distract Anubis
while Seiji meditates, trying to figure out Kaos' words. Nasti is
willing to risk her life if it will help free Shu, and Seiji begins to
admire her courage even more. Nasti sees Kaos and recognizes the
shakujo, and knows it has something to do with the Samurai Troopers and
their yoroi. Despite her calls, Kaos keeps walking and disappears into
the snowstorm. Nasti then succeeds in drawing Anubis' attention --
better than she'd planned, as he captures her, ties her to a rope and
drops her into the freezing liquid of the waterfall in an attempt to
make her tell him where Korin is. Seiji is wakened by her danger and
comes to her rescue when Anubis freezes the waterfall solid in his
frustration. In the process of destroying the ice, Seiji also learns to
use more power himself -- and as his power outflow grows accordingly,
splits open the rock Shu is imprisoned in. Anubis lands on top of the
rock, one leg on either side of the crack Seiji has made.  There is a
power surge, and Anubis' own sword comes flying out of the crack (you
should have heard some of the dirty jokes we made about this scene and
how near the nodachi came to cutting off a certain portion of the
Darkness Demon General's anatomy...), followed by Shu's emergence.
Anubis is blown back to the Demon Castle as Nasti, Seiji, and Shu head
back to Kyoto to see if they can locate the last missing Trooper, Tenku
no Toma.

#8 (6/25) Phantom Demon General! Rajura's Plan (Strategem)     
----------------------------------------------------------
The two groups of Troopers intend to meet at Tembashi, near Lake Biwa.
They must find Toma -- but the poem/song is not terribly clear on exacty
where they might find him. They interpret it as somewhere near Kyoto...
Meanwhile, it's Rajura's turn to try and stop the Troopers. They have no
hope of defeating Arago without all five of their number present; Arago
does not intend to give them the chance. (For once, Naza backs up Sh'ten
as the Oni Demon General discounts Rajura's boasting.) Ryo, Seiji, and
Jun make their destination first, and Jun enters one of the numerous
temples in the historic part of the city. Rajura materializes in front
of the youngster, and shortly Shin and Ryo are fighting the
spider-armored Demon General. He tells them he's already captured Toma,
and disappears. Seiji and Ryo race after him, and think they see Tenku
in the distance, a number of Arago's warriors holding him prisoner.
They attack -- but it is Rajura in the center of the circle, creating an
illusion that he is their friend. Then he makes Ryo and Shin think each
other is the Demon General, and the two Troopers blow each other away in
their resulting battle. Rajura barely has time to gloat when Seiji and
Shu appear.  The Phantom Demon General pulls the same trick on them.
Seiji, raising his sword, sees Shu's image reflected in his blade, and
not the Demon General his eyes tell him is there. Realizing what has
happened, he drops his blade and lets Shu blast him. Shu sees Rajura's
form turn into Seiji, and realizes to his horror that he's just knocked
his own teammate unconscious. Then he notes the prescence of the real
Rajura, and proceeds to take him out despite his illusions. Needless to
say, Arago is not pleased -- but the Troopers still have not figured out
where Toma is. That night, as they rest and recover, Ryo sees a falling
star -- and suddenly realizes that Toma's resting place is not on Earth.
"Tenku" means Firmament as in night sky, after all! But how to reach
their comrade? He seems as unreachable as Arago's dark fortress.

#9 (7/2) Rekka's Rescue of Tenku (Ryo's Rescue of Toma)
-------------------------------------------------------
The four Troopers and their two friends are camped out along the sea
shore, discussing how to get to Toma...and they can't quite figure out
how. Then Nasti wonders if Arago can get at him. This sets Ryo to
thinking. Toma may well wake up on his own given enough time, something
Arago will try to prevent. If they can force Arago's hand, perhaps they
can use the Demon Lord to assist in awakening Toma. In Arago's castle,
the Demon Lord tells his Demon Generals he has a plan to eliminate the
danger Tenku represents to them. In camp, while the others sleep Ryo
gets up and starts off with Byakuen -- but Shu is also awake and insists
on accompaning Recca. The two head for Shinjuku.  Above them, the Demon
Generals have been summoned to witness the "birth" of Arago's newest
servants, the Ankoku Priests, from the lava pits in the lowest level of
the castle. The Demon Generals are not terribly pleased by this
development. The purpose of these new servants is to draw to themselves,
refine, and shape energy -- energy that will be used to knock Tenku out
of the sky and kill him. They take over and reinforce a sky-scraper to
use as a type of cannon barrel of sorts. Meanwhile, the other Samurai
Troopers have followed Shu and Ryo, who even now are fighting Arago's
troops enroute to their destination. In Arago's audience chamber, the
Demon Generals sense the intrusion and want to go after Recca and Kongo,
but Arago tells them to hold off for a while. His Ankoku Priests are
about to send off an energy "cannon ball" and he doesn't want the
process interrupted. The Troopers watch in shock as the deadly mass
heads into orbit. Not far away, Kaos also sees it -- and uses the power
of the shakujo to make it drop into the ocean. Ryo sees that if he can
somehow "ride" the next energy bolt, he may be able to reach Toma.
Arago powers up the cannon -- and sends Sh'ten to stop Kongo and Recca.
After they've left, Arago laughs to himself and says Sh'ten may find
himself expendable. As the two Troopers break into the skyscraper, they
hear Sh'ten's laughter -- then they are fighting the Oni Demon General,
who vows not to be defeated this time! The power build-up continues. Ryo
and Shu take cover.  Sh'ten is not fast enough, and is caught in the
energy malstrom. But instead of dying, he somehow absorbs the power,
becoming super-charged. Seemingly driven berserk by the experience, he
charges after the Troopers. His powers increased tremendously, the two
are no match for the Oni Demon General. As the energy ball rises, Ryo
jumps on it -- and finds himself sinking into it like quicksand. Only
Shu emerges from the dust to meet his friends. Ryo is headed skyward --
while Arago is fascinated by Sh'ten's increase in power.

#10 (7/9) Assemble! Five Warriors 
---------------------------------
The three troopers on the ground are busy fighting Arago's army as the
Demon Lord taunts them that Ryo's actions have doomed Toma as well as
himself.  Sh'ten confronts Arago, and is severely punished for his
audacity -- then told not to presume to question his lord's orders or
actions. (It should be noted that by now Arago's helmet is noticeably
more solid.) Ryo, however, is made of stern stuff -- he breaks through
the energy sphere, dissipating it. His yoroi forms an environmental
"bubble" around him to keep him alive. But he has no way of propelling
himself -- he can't reach Toma, nor can he return to Earth.  His entry
into orbit has got him close enough to Toma that his Fire armor can
"call" to Toma's Tenku yoroi. Toma's forehead kanji glows, and Tenku
wakes up.  In his own element, Tenku has no trouble moving around and
draws Ryo to him.  Then he propels them earthward. Below, all the
Troopers' forehead kanji glow as Tenku uses his full power. In Arago's
castle, Sh'ten is on his hands and knees, felled by a tremendous
headache. He doesn't notice that something is glowing on his forehead.
The viewer, if one looks close, can make out the kanji there although it
is not truely clear yet: CHU, which stands for loyalty. All Sh'ten
knows, however, is that somehow Recca and Tenku are responsible for the
pain he is experiencing. Without waiting for orders, he calls his yoroi
(another absolutely wonderful scene -- if you have freeze-frame, watch
how the shadows grow across Sh'ten's face as the candle goes out, and
then recede as the light flickers back to life as the process is
reversed. His assuming yoroi is quite understated in contrast to that of
the Troopers, but the difference is quite effective! It may also
illustrate that the Demon Generals have had their yoroi long enough to
feel comfortable with them, not needing the "flashier" display of the
less-experienced Samurai Troopers) and goes after Ryo and Toma. The two
Troopers land -- and Sh'ten arrives on their heels. After a fierce
battle, he knocks out both Toma and Ryo -- and literally has them "on
the ropes" with his chains. Somehow, though, he just can't bring himself
to kill an enemy who can't fight back. (Another effective scene occurs
here, with Sh'ten's head "splitting in two" -- one with helmet on, one
without -- to illustrate his indecision -- that is, he's of two minds
about the matter! (Sorry...)) Toma wakes and is bewildered by Sh'ten's
hesitation. He's willing to take advantage of it, however, and draws his
bow.  Calling Sh'ten's name, when the Oni Demon General turns Toma
looses an arrow at him. But Sh'ten manages to catch the arrow, to
Tenku's disbelief. Sh'ten's helmet, however, has been shattered by the
impact of the arrow, and splits.  This reveals his face -- and Toma's
shock is compounded when he sees that the Oni Demon General is human,
not a puff of evil black smoke like those animating the other demon
warriors they've cut down. Furious, Sh'ten attacks Toma -- and Arago,
thoroughly pissed off at Sh'ten for not finishing off Ryo when he had a
chance (as well as disregarding orders) grabs the Oni Demon General
before he can connect, dragging Sh'ten back to the dark castle in
disgrace. The other Samurai Troopers arrive to see their two friends are
safe -- and Toma wonders how a human being could fight for a thing as
evil as Arago is. (NOTE: This is, of course, one of the key scenes of
the first storyline, as it shows Sh'ten [and perhaps the other Demon
Generals] has the potential to leave Arago and work for the "good guys",
as well as the Troopers realizing that all their enemies are not inhuman
monsters from the Demon World.)

#11 (7/16) Cast Down the Evil Magic Gate
----------------------------------------
While the Troopers were gone, Arago has been very busy. He has created
four "gates" around Shinjuku that allow him to draw power from his own
dimension.  The Troopers themselves are still somewhat shook up by
Toma's discovery that the Demon Generals seem to be human. When they
return to Shinjuku, they find themselves in a deserted city shrouded by
a thick fog. They all know it is a manifestation of Arago. They proceed
further into the city until they confront a wall seemingly made out of
black fog. Shu rides a mini-van into the fog, only to find himself under
attack by what appear to be living "strands" of wind energy. He is
pulled out barely in time by his teammates. Arago notices their entrance
and summons Rajura to delay the Troopers until his Lord is ready to
"receive" them. Temporarily defeated by the mystic winds, the Troopers
are nursing their wounds and discussing what to do when there is a
gale-force wind that sweeps away the fog -- revealing to their startled
eyes the prescence of the four gates Arago has created. As they look at
the gates, the five decide that it will be too dangerous to allow Nasti
and Jun to follow them through the gates. Shu opens one gate; Ryo tells
Jun and Nasti to stay behind. He actually slaps Jun when the youngster
puts up an obnoxious fuss and insists on going along. Jun runs away in
tears. Nasti, who understands why Ryo has done it, follows the child.
Ryo tells Byakuen to follow Nasti and keep her and Jun safe. The five
Troopers step through the gate. They hear Rajura's laughter and his
voice, taunting them. They go after him, only to find themselves
immediately under attack by more mystic winds. Inside the gates, we can
see them clearly enough to realize that each is an instrument-playing
Ankoku Priest entering from the other gates. The music they play is
similar to the Chinese-style dirge played by the Shinto priests during
Emperor Showa's funeral. Not only are the Troopers blown every which way
by these "living winds", but the music "jams" their communication with
their yoroi. When they call their yoroi to them in response to the
Phantom Demon General's attacks, nothing happens. So long as the music
plays they won't be able to bring their yoroi to them, Rajura tells
them. And then he strikes, catching each of the Troopers in his energy
webs despite their resistence. Meanwhile, Nasti has finally located Jun,
who has recovered and also realized the reason behind Ryo's out of
character actions. Byakuen, at Nasti's side, senses Ryo's peril and
draws their attention to the city center. Seeing the webs even from that
distance, they realize Rajura is in action. Rajura is taunting Ryo, even
offering him a place in Arago's service -- which Ryo rejects. Nasti and
Jun cross through the gate and are attacked by the winds. As soon as
they step backwards out of the gate, the winds disappear. Then Kaos'
staff appears in mid-air, floating down to Nasti's hands. The power of
the shakujo allows the three to proceed, unhampered by the evil spirits,
through the gateway. They see Rajura and Ryo fighting. Rajura throws his
morningstar at them. Nasti thrusts up the shakujo, and the bell- like
tones from its rings stop the Demon General's weapon cold. Further, it
silences the winds' music -- and the Troopers immediately call up their
armor. The power "blade" of Ryo's thrust penetrates the floor of Arago's
castle (much to the demon's shock and displeasure!) as well as blowing
away Rajura. Arago curses Ryo as the Trooper leader apologizes to Jun.
(NOTE: While the background art and the work on Rajura and the Ankoku
Priests in this episode is very nice, that done for the Troopers is BAD
- it looks like two different groups of people were responsible for this
episode. Suppose the animation school students got to animate the
Samurai Troopers this time?)

#12 (7/23) Seiji! Darkness of the Life and Death Struggle
---------------------------------------------------------
Weary and wary, the Troopers, Nasti and Jun are walking down a street
shadowed by Arago's storm clouds. Jun sees a shop selling skateboards
and remembers the last time he looked at such a store -- with his
parents, just before Arago struck. He fights away his tears and runs
ahead of the team, saying that they have to rescue his parents. Nasti
chases after him. Byakuen bristles, indicating something nasty is
enroute. The Troopers tense up, as several of Arago's demon warriors
burst through windows in the stores around them.  "Nasti!" Seiji
screams, echoed by Ryo, as both realize that she and Jun have gone on
ahead -- and are unprotected. The Troopers fight. Jun and Nasti are
facing the menace too. Byakuen rescues them from their initial attacker;
then Nasti drags Jun after her into the subway -- where they were
relatively safe the last time. More and more of the demon army
materialize around them as they run -- and they shortly discover that
Arago has invaded the subway, too. Toma and Byakuen rescue them this
time, the other Troopers on their heels. Arago has had time to adapt to
today's technology, and he activates the cars and trucks in the subway
parking lot to try and run them all down. Shin, Ryo, and Shu smash up
some cars, then Ryo takes Nasti and Jun and runs while Shin and Shu
remain behind to finish the job. But Ryo and his friends are ambushed,
Nasti and Jun running while Ryo takes on these newest foes. Descending
into the lowest level of the subway, they discover that Arago has been
here before them as he tries to run them down with subway trains. They
escape the first one themselves, but Seiji grabs and hauls them to
safety the second time -- allowing Korin to to hug Nasti rather closely
in the process, too! After the train is gone they find an airduct to
crawl down (Seiji and Nasti on hands and knees, Jun stomach-down on his
skateboard) but when they try to come up to street level find themselves
surrounded by the enemy once more. Elsewhere, the other Troopers have
all called up their yoroi and are destroying warriors of Arago's army in
wholesale lots. Seiji decides it's time to call up his own armor and
makes short work of his foes. But then a nearby building collapses on
them -- they barely escape being crushed by falling into the subway
again.  But they are not yet safe -- the voice of Darkness Demon General
Anubis, Seiji's counterpart on Arago's side, laughs at them and
challenges Seiji to combat. The two cross swords and go at it. Anubis
throws in a few illusions as well as teleporting for good measure. Seiji
finds himself losing the battle.  Nasti and Jun watch fearfully from the
refuge they have taken. Anubis connects with a "Leaping Darkness" attack
and follows up with a second one, effectively paralyzing his foe. Jun
picks up the shakujo Nasti has dropped and throws it at Anubis,
dispersing the Demon General's power discharge. Seiji is enraged when
Anubis strikes at Jun, and finds the power within himself to retaliate.
Anubis is defeated for the moment as Seiji rejoins Jun and Nasti -- who
wonder where the other Troopers have gotten to.

#13 (7/30) Mystic Armor's True Nature/Character
-----------------------------------------------
Shu, alone, is walking down the subway line when he hears other
footsteps -- it is Toma, he is relieved to see. Above, Arago is
relatively pleased as he talks to Rajura, Anubis, and Naza. He
dispatches Rajura with instructions to place doubts in Shu's mind. This
type of mental manipulation is right up the Phantom Demon General's
alley, and he leaves to carry out his orders. Below, Toma and Shu face
subway trains racing toward them on both tracks and jump upward to
escape. Shu lands on top of one train, Toma leaps up high enough to grab
a pipe in the ceiling. Shu discovers that the whole train is filled with
Arago's warriors, and is busy fighting them until the train runs
full-speed into a bunch of rubble blocking the tracks. As Shu is thrown
forward he seems to disappear from our world and time, and finds himself
in a hot, parched landscape where two samurai-led armies are fighting
each other. Shu believes he's been thrown back in time for a moment.
"Where am I?" he demands, but it is Arago who replies. Shu sees an army
approaching, then the forms of the four Demon Generals rise out of the
ground before him. Arago claims that the yoroi are all his; Kaos has
stolen that of the Troopers from him. "But you have proven strong enough
to be worthy of the yoroi," Arago tells him. "Join me, Kongo..." Then
the forms of the other four Troopers rise out of the ground as well.
"You've served me before, as have your companions. Join me once more,"
Arago argues. Shu, somewhat in shock, refuses. Then the forms of the
Troopers attack, and will not stop -- and Shu must strike them down. As
he bends over the Recca armor, wanting to know if Ryo is all right, it
turns into Rajura.  "Join Arago - or die!" the spider-armored general
tells him. Shu fights back.  At one point Rajura shows Shu a vision of
himself as a Demon General, leading one of Arago's armies to victory --
the other Troopers at his side. Rajura attacks with other unpleasant
visions as well as more physical attacks, until Shu calls up his yoroi
and strikes back with a full-power blow, forcing Rajura to retreat. But
Arago is pleased with the result -- Shu is now experiencing a massive
bout of self-doubt. And so long as he is uncertain of himself, Kongo
will be unable to call his yoroi or be much of a help to his teammates.
Below, Shu is haunted by the vision of himself as a Demon General,
tempted as well as horrified by the idea. Arago's voice taunts him,
telling him that even when fighting against Arago the destruction his
anger has caused works in Arago's favor. Rajura is very pleased with
himself -- until Arago tells him that it is Sh'ten who will follow up in
the next attack. "Why not me?!" Rajura rages. "I have been --
experimenting -- with Sh'ten. Let us see how he does this time," Arago
laughs. As the episode closes, we see a vision of Sh'ten in the lava
pits in the lowest level of the castle, screaming in pain as the Ankoku
Priests floating above the Oni Demon General lash him with a combination
of energy and lava...

#14 (8/6) Sh'ten, Spirit Torn by Inner Strife
---------------------------------------------
Deep inside the Demon Lord Arago's skyborne palace, Oni Demon General
Sh'ten is being systematically tortured by the Ankoku Priests under
Arago's direction. Arago tells him that if his plan is successful,
Sh'ten should be able to control enough power to completely destroy all
the Samurai Troopers.  The Ankoku Priests intensify their discharge --
and something inside Sh'ten snaps. He absorbs the energy discharge and
blows away lava and Priests both.  Arago's experiment has seemingly been
successful. Below, Seiji, Nasti, and Jun find a deserted amusement park.
As Jun and Byakuen run around the park, several rides start up -- Arago
has discovered them and sent his troops in response. Ryo and Shin then
arrive to help out, and they are forced to retreat into the Tokyo
subways. There they meet up with Toma and Shu; but Shu is very subdued,
most different from his normally exuberant self. Rajura's mental games
have made him doubt himself, and his reasons for being a Samurai
Trooper. He is afraid he may give in to the temptation of Arago's offer
to make him a Demon General. Then they hear distant metallic footsteps
approaching. It is Sh'ten, who has been driven somewhat berserk by the
amount of pain and energy Arago has forced him to absorb. With his
helmet gone they can all verify for themselves Toma's report that that
this Demon General is indeed human. It also gives Shu more doubts -- if
the Demon Generals are human, then Arago's words may indeed be the
truth! When the other Troopers armor up, Shu doesn't -- and when they
convince him to try, he finds his yoroi will not respond. In the battles
that commence, Sh'ten compounds Shu's problem by generally ignoring him
except when Shu attacks him; and then uses only enough stregth to knock
Shu away rather than really hurt him. Disheartened, Shu almost gives up
while Sh'ten trounces the other four Troopers. Then, as Sh'ten prepares
to dispatch Ryo (and hesitates once more before following through on his
intentions), Jun mounts Byakuen and attacks. Sh'ten merely backhands his
newest attackers, sending boy and tiger flying. Jun just has the wind
knocked out of him, but Shu realizes then that what Jun represents --
humanity as a whole -- is worth fighting for. If he just gives up, he
will have given himself over to Arago without a fight. He also remembers
-- and is reassured by -- the fact his armor/kanji is the Justice yoroi.
Confidence restored, Shu calls his yoroi and takes on Sh'ten. Sh'ten
tries to absorb this extra energy and overloads as a result, and,
wreathed in mystic flames, falls unconscious. The other Troopers rise
and join Shu, who is wondering just what to do with their fallen enemy.
Then Arago grabs Sh'ten and prepares to haul him back to his castle --
but Kaos intercepts the Demon Lord's burden, bringing Sh'ten's
unconscious form to his own arms as Arago curses his enemy.

#15 (8/13) Kaos -- Life or Death Decision 
-----------------------------------------
In a park somewhere in Shinjuku, Kaos has laid Sh'ten on the ground
while he talks to the Samurai Troopers. They are gathered around him as
both Nasti and Jun recognize Kaos' staff from previous encounters. After
he congratulates the Troopers on their successes, they ask him what to
do with Sh'ten. He tells them that the armor Sh'ten wears is yoroi, just
as that they wear is. It was intended to be worn by another Samurai
Trooper like themselves. Sh'ten is already more theirs than Arago's.
They react in shock. As Sh'ten begins to wake up, all five draw their
weapons and point them at the dazed Demon General. (The alarm with which
they view Sh'ten waking up is almost comical.)  Kaos stops them with a
gesture and sends them away as he talks to Sh'ten, telling the Demon
General that he wears a yoroi and that he was destined to be a Samurai
Trooper, not one of Arago's warriors. Yoroi? How can that be? Sh'ten
demands. "Each of the yoroi is imprinted with the sign of one of the
Confucian or Bushido virtues," Kaos tells him, and names those of the
five Troopers.  "And yours -- Look, Sh'ten Doiji!" The head of his staff
lights, and something glows on Sh'ten's forehead. He stumbles to the
pool and looks in, shocked to see the kanji for "Chu" (Loyalty) shining
between his eyes. "Now you have a decision to make, Sh'ten!" Above,
Arago is considerably pissed off, so much that when Rajura suggests
they'd be better off without Sh'ten, Arago punishes all three of the
Demon Generals before sending them off to collect his wayward servant.
The Oni Demon General is not going to be given much of a chance to make
a decision... When his three compatriots arrive, Sh'ten tries to brush
them off. They regard his hesitation and vague answers as proof of his
having become a traitor to their lord and attack. Sh'ten fights back,
but, still exhausted and damaged from his previous battles with the
Troopers, proves no match for all three of the other Demon Generals at
the same time. Then the Troopers respond. The actions of the three Demon
Generals has proved that Sh'ten has indeed become a Trooper, even if
they are still not totally sure of him. "Look, Sh'ten, the Samurai
Troopers fight for you!" Kaos tells him, and Sh'ten, half-awake, is
amazed that they would risk their lives for him when he was trying to
kill them himself only a short time ago. Then Arago intervenes, and
drags the Demon Generals and their prisoner back to the castle. Facing
Kaos, the Troopers are dispirited. The only way to rescue Sh'ten is to
get to the castle -- but they have no way to get there! Above, Sh'ten is
dragged before Arago, and defies the Demon Lord -- and tries to convince
his fellow Demon Generals to join him. They respond by taking him to the
dungeon, while Arago decides it is time he took care of Kaos. Below, the
Troopers are discussing Sh'ten's defection from Arago and subsequent
capture. One way or the other, they decide, they must find a way to
Arago's floating castle. So long as they fight him on the ground, they
cannot hope to defeat their enemy.  A short distance away, Kaos waits --
and Arago responds to the challenge.  Mystic battle is engaged as the
two old foes lock in deadly combat. Kaos makes a fateful decision. It
will take all the energy his soul-self possesses to do what needs to be
done. He gestures, and a huge towering energy pillar erupts from the
spot he stood on, its crown reaching past the Demon Lord's castle in the
sky. He has sacrified himself to create a bridge for the Troopers.
Arriving, they realize what has happened. Arago curses Kaos, then
laughs.  True, the Troopers now have a way to get to the floating castle
-- but that will put them on the Demon Lord's own ground, where he and
his minions are at their strongest. Meanwhile, the Trooper's thoughts
have borne fruit -- though the price was tremendous. What they plan will
be dangerous, but now they have the means by which they can ultimately
face down Arago himself...

#16 (8/20) Plunge into Arago's Heart
------------------------------------
Using the energy bridge Kaos has created with his own life energy, the
Troopers ascend towards Arago's castle. Ryo leaves Byakuen behind to
protect Jun and Nasti. Arago marshalls his Ankoku Priests against them,
but the pillar structure itself protects them from the attack. In fact,
the bridge itself actually responds with pure energy of its own,
dispersing the Ankoku Priests.  Arago is not unduly worried. The
Troopers will find an unfriendly reception committee awaiting them. They
discover that even the cannon fodder is harder to defeat here at the
center of Arago's power. Meanwhile, the three remaining Demon Generals
find themselves being subjected to the same tortures Sh'ten had to
endure earlier. Not as flexible as the younger man, they are finding it
a lot more difficult...Above, the Troopers call their armor and make
short work of the cannon fodder once within the protection of their
yoroi and able to channel their power through their weapons. But they
are stopped by an unexpected act as a shaft of power knocks them off
their feet. Looking up, they see the three Demon Generals, glowing with
their new found power, poised protectively along the roof of the
castle's main building. Each demonstrates to the Troopers how strong he
has become, then taunt them -- daring them to enter. Then each teleports
away. Undeterred, the Troopers force their way into the main doors --
and are swept away by a mystic whirlpool. Each wakes to face a Demon
General. Seiji faces a figure dressed in Kabuki costume (the dress of an
oni demon, to be exact) armed with a huge sword -- but the voice gives
him away; it is Anubis. As Seiji identifies him, Anubis discards the
disguise. The two fight a nasty battle. Cut to Shin and Ryo, who are
faced with battling Naza. After a few exchanges, Shin tells Ryo to find
Arago while he keeps Naza busy. He blows Ryo out of the battlezone with
a water spout, then faces the Poison Demon General himself. Finally,
Toma and Shu face Rajura. Toma fires a barrage of arrows, which is
effective in revealing where Rajura has hidden himself. Shu grabs the
Phantom Demon General and tells Toma to go on. Toma does. Recca no Ryo
meanwhile has located Arago and is joined by Tenku no Toma.  Arago
laughs and shows them a sight that horrifies them -- the people of the
city below, held in some strange limbo while Arago drains them of life
energy to power his demon army and Ankoku Priests. "Surrender or they'll
all die!" Arago tells them. "They'll die anyway -- and a lot of other
people with them - - if the Samurai Troopers quit," Toma replies
defiantly; then Arago strikes.  Elsewhere, the other Troopers are
winning their current battles, blowing themselves and their opponents
through the castle walls. Below, Sh'ten, imprisoned in the lava pit by
magical bonds, is still able to "sense" the presence of the Troopers --
and is frustrated by his own helplessness.

#17 (8/27 & 9/3 - it played twice) Tale of Mystic Armor -- Years Past
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryo has been blown out of the palace, as have the other Troopers. He
slides down the roof, barely catching himself in time. He goes back to
face Arago again, and is no more successful this time. In fact he is
knocked unconscious and lands rather solidly on the tiled roof. On the
ground Byakuen senses his master's danger; Nasti decides it is time to
go up and do what they can in support of the Troopers. Riding Byakuen,
they ascend the bridge. They are met by some nasty members of Arago's
demon army. The Troopers are still fighting the Demon Generals, and
Arago watches carefully. The signs of energy that the Troopers are
generating alarms him somewhat. It is time for the Demon Lord himself to
take a hand. He summons his Demon Generals out of their battles and
tells them that he needs to absorb their armor and their life forces in
order to defeat his enemies. If they are willing to voluntarily give
themselves to him, he will have more power available than otherwise.
Proudly, they agree (this is one of the few dignified moments the Demon
Generals are really given in this part of the series as well), and Arago
turns each of them into raw energy and "eats" them. As he does, his
gigantic spectral helmet becomes solid, and he manifests solid, armored
hands. He manages to grow even larger as he "digests" the energy his
Demon Generals have given him. (I'm fairly sure that Arago HAD to absorb
each of the Yoroi to become solid in our dimension -- for reasons that
will become clearer in episode #19.) Elsewhere, Nasti, Jun and Byakuen
have discovered the unconscious Ryo and revive him. They are joined by
the other Troopers and surrounded by the enemy. All five begin to link
for maximum effort, their forehead kanji manifesting. Arago mutters to
himself, especially when he realizes that, far below, Sh'ten is also
responding to the call, his yoroi and forehead kanji glowing. Knowing
his new comrades are in trouble, and that he is indeed now a Samurai
Trooper, Sh'ten reaches deep into himself to find the power to escape.
Above, Arago is becoming somewhat alarmed by the power the Troopers are
manifesting and intervenes, disrupting them before they can complete
their mystic link and utilize the energy that would then become
available to them. Ryo is picked up by one of the monsterous hands and
is beaten about, then knocked out -- his armor leaving him in the
process. Seiji rescues him as the other three find Arago a most
formidable foe. Jun and Nasti have been cornered elsewhere.  Defeated,
Shin and Toma are absorbed by Arago -- and the Demon Lord gains a torso.
Shu falls next, and Arago's armor is almost complete. Nasti and Jun are
rescued just in time by the arrival of Sh'ten, who destroys the cannon
fodder holding them. His forehead kanji manifests, echoed by that on
Ryo's forehead.  Seiji tries to defend Ryo, but is instead "eaten",
leaving Ryo alone -- and now once more in armor -- to fight Arago. Not
quite alone, however -- as Sh'ten arrives to give him some much-needed
backup. In a scene that is 'way to short for my biased tastes, the two
fight side by side and seem to be holding their own for a short while.
Jun is delighted, and Nasti remembers Kaos' words that it would take a
team effort to defeat the Demon Lord. Then Arago grabs Sh'ten and the
former Oni Demon General is himself absorbed. Only his jin baori (the
cloak he wears over the armor) is left, to be blown by the wind past the
horrified Ryo.

#18 (9/10) Fear of Evil Majic Ruler (Demon Lord)
------------------------------------------------
Ryo now faces Arago all by himself, his companions having all been
absorbed by Arago. Due to the fact that the Demon Lord has "eaten" their
life energy (much greater, naturally, than that of normal humans) as
well as their yoroi, Arago is somewhere near 40 feet tall rather than
being about human size as he was in past manifestations. Needless to
say, Ryo -- already tired and injured -- does not do very well against
his Godzilla-sized opponent. While at first Ryo struggles valiently
against his foe, the punishment he has already taken -- and is still
receiving -- has begun to tell. Even his strongest blows have no effect.
At one point the spirits of the Troopers manifest for a second,
momentarily paralyzing the Demon Lord and enabling Ryo to escape his
grasp.  Arago calls down lightning, and his power expands. "How am I to
fight this?" Ryo wonders. "And my friends -- they're part of him now!"
Ryo solves the immediate problem by falling off the roof -- and nearly
off the castle to the ground quite some distance below as well! But
Byakuen arrives in time to save him. It is only the tiger's great speed
now that keeps Arago's sword from killing them. Then the battle becomes
worse -- as Arago demonstrates that having absorbed the Troopers, he can
manifest in form and weapon as any of Ryo's friends. The gigantic forms
of each friend in turn attack Ryo.  He is even more shook up by this
experience than he was by any of the other attacks.  Byakuen is knocked
out by the psuedo-Shu's attack, and Ryo is nearly exhausted. He summons
up what power he has left to attack Arago, but discovers he cannot -- he
keeps seeing the faces of his friends and knows that if he destroys
Arago they, too, will die. He hears them urging them on, that Arago's
defeat is more important than what will happen to them. Ryo cannot
complete his attack despite their pleas. Gloating, Arago encases his
opponent in an energy ball and brings the disheartened Ryo up to
eye-level, preparing to turn him, too, into energy and "eat" him...is
Earth doomed to Arago's domination?

#19 (9/17) Decisive Battle! Brave/Strong Fire (Recca) Against Arago
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Arago is gloating over his victory as the episode opens. Nasti and Jun
scream at Ryo, trying to wake him up. They are only partly successful as
Ryo is absorbed. But once "inside" Arago, Ryo discovers that part of
Kaos' spirit is there, too -- and Kaos shows him how Arago nearly won
during his last manifestation. Only the intervention of the
monk/mage/warrior that Kaos was then enabled humanity to escape Arago's
rule. Kaos' shakujo-sword finished Arago off, and the Demon Lord's evil
essence left his armor to return through his dimensional gates -- which
proceeded to disintegrate behind him. But Kaos, now monk/mage only --
and the shakujo now turned into a staff -- discovered that Arago's
abandoned armor could not be destroyed. It could only be re-formed. Kaos
used his magic to make nine suits of mystically-endowed yoroi, imbedding
one of the five Confusian or one of the four bushido virtues in each
one. Somehow, Arago drew back to himself the four yoroi that used the
bushido virtues in the time that has passed since, giving them to his
four Demon Generals. The yoroi are indeed a part of Arago -- but this is
a weakness for Arago as well as the Troopers; if the Troopers are strong
enough then they can reach Arago through the armor. If they are not
strong enough, then Arago can affect them instead. As the leader of the
Troopers, it is Ryo who must join them together and find the strength to
defeat their foe. Arago gloats, figuring he's won. Ryo's spirit locates
those of his fellow Troopers, floating as if asleep inside the
deceptively quiet limbo Arago has placed them in. Ryo almost joins them
in slumber, but hears Kaos' words once more. They are human, the mage
tells him, and thus have resources Arago cannot even concieve of.
During these lectures Kaos has the disconcerting habit of switching back
and forth with Arago's form, the Demon Lord counselling Ryo to give it
all up and join his friends in the peaceful quiet. Ryo then hears his
fellow Troopers telling him to fight back, and he finds the willpower to
refuse that slumber - - and frees himself from Arago, much to the Demon
Lord's shock and surprise.  He calls the life energy of his companions
to him, and as all four join within him, his armor disappears -- to be
replaced by new, white-colored armor.  Arago, shocked, recognizes the
armor as the Kikotei or Sun yoroi, and can't figure out where it came
from. The two battle again -- and this time it is Arago who is defeated.
As things crumble around them, Nasti and Jun ride Byakuen back down the
pillar. Ryo's armor returns to normal, and Ryo faints from the overload
of power. His four friends materialize around him, and the five slowly
float groundward, the protective shields created by their yoroi keeping
them safe. Ryo wakes briefly to see his friends around him. Watching
from a rooftop, the Samurai Troopers see Arago's dark storm clouds
dissipating. (And if you watch closely, you'll see Seiji has managed to
get closest of the five to Nasti...) The narrator tells us, however,
that they have only won a battle -- not the war.


===============================================
== CHAPTER 3: SECOND SEASON EPISODE SYNOPSES ==
===============================================

#20 (9/24) Fresh Conflict
-------------------------
Ryo, in armor, is battling fiercely against warriors of Arago's demon
army.  Then a slightly-larger-than-human Arago shows up, and Ryo
discovers he is no match for the Demon Lord. Two of Arago's swords pin
him against a boulder, and Arago is driving a third at his head -- Ryo
wakes up from the nightmare screaming, much to Byakuen's distress (I
should note that I think the nightmare scene is one of the most
effectively-executed scenes in the series; one can feel Ryo's terror as
Arago starts delivering the final blow...) Where is he? He sees the
small crystal ball on the bedstead next to him, his own kanji glowing in
its depths. Getting up, he goes and opens a window, and welcomes the
clean air and quiet. Then he sees Shu and Shin below having fun.  They
tell him he's been asleep for over a week since Arago's defeat.
Dressing, he wanders elsewhere in the house, realizing that it once
belonged to Nasti's grandfather -- and thus now belongs to her. In
Shinjuku, Toma and Seiji are enjoying a quiet day on the town, now once
more crowded with people. Somewhere above them, one of Arago's gates
fades into existence, a giant form in demonic armor standing before it,
muttering about Arago and Samurai Troopers. Below, Ryo finds Nasti, who
tells him he should still be in bed. She has been doing research trying
to discover where the white armor came from. Toma and Seiji are taking a
break on the drive home when they are shocked by the appearance of
Arago's gate. The armored figure we saw before come out of the doors and
identify itself as Sarenbou, one of Arago's demon warriors. He proceeds
to beat the crap out of them, then leaves them unconscious next to the
roadway.  They arrive home rather battered and report their experience
to their companions. They agree they must face this new opponent -- but
they won't tell Ryo what is going on. He is still too weak from the
injuries he got while fighting Arago. All four go out and challenge
Sarenbou. He soon has all of them on the ropes -- and then sends an
image to challenge Ryo, telling him his companions will die if he does
not respond. Recca no Ryo of course comes to the rescue of his friends.
We return back to the other four, who as the clouds clear away from the
moon see that there is a dark shaft of shadow connecting Sarenbou to a
duplicate demon seemingly reflected against the full moon's brightness.
They realize he is a type of moon demon -- one that can use the mystic
power of the full moon to create a doppleganger of himself to fight his
battles while Sarenbou himself remains safe. The four are in agony as
Sarenbou keeps them suspended in an energy field of some kind, in too
much pain to give Ryo any type of warning except to stay away. Ryo
ignores their pleas, of course, and attacks. He does not do too much
good, until -- seemingly involuntarily, and most painfully, the other
four release part of their own energy to join with Ryo's own, and the
white armor again appears. With the increased power now available to
him, Ryo defeats Sarenbou -- or his doppleganger, anyway! Above, the
real Sarenbou watches the tremendous power display. He now has an idea
of what causes the white armor to appear, the true reason for his
activities. He returns then to Arago's dimension to report his findings.
As Ryo finishes his attack, the white armor is replaced by the red Recca
yoroi, and Ryo once more faints from power overload. Nasti arrives just
in time to see the transformation. A little ways down the road, the
other four Samurai Troopers, much the worse for wear, are also out cold.

#21 (10/1) Radiant White Armor
------------------------------
Under the sea, Sarenbou haranges a group of Arago's demon warriors,
giving them their orders. At Nasti's house all five of the Samurai
Troopers are feeling the worse for wear. Shu, at least, comes to as
Nasti enters the house with the groceries she has bought. He tears into
the food, provoking a response of "don't eat everything!" from Shin. At
the two tussle, Ryo reacts negatively -- how can they joke around like
this when it's obvious that Arago is still a very real threat? Ryo
storms outside. The others reveal as they talk that they are worried not
only about Arago but also about Ryo. The white armor has saved them
twice -- but it has nearly killed Ryo each time he called it to him, and
they still don't know anything about it! Outside, a challenge from
Sarenbou is delivered to Ryo. He decides to accept and takes off,
calling Byakuen to him - and not telling the others what he's doing. But
Jun sees the Trooper leader and Byakuen take the turnoff toward
Shinjuku, and a little later asks the others why Ryo is headed for
Tokyo. Horrified, the others follow. Ryo faces Sarenbou and is defeated.
Sarenbou begins to experiment (ugh -- tentacles yet again. This creep
definitely is not human!) and discovers that the "shadow" of the white
armor appears when energy is applied to the Recca yoroi. Sarenbou drags
Ryo undersea and fixes him in the center of a pentagram. The others
arrive and begin fighting cannon fodder. Sarenbou shoots an energy beam
through Ryo's left arm -- and above, Shin feels Recca's pain in his own
left arm. Sarenbou similarly "skewers" each of Ryo's arms and legs,
provoking painful reactions in each of the other Troopers. Then the
final beam -- this one goes right through Ryo's head. The reaction is
not what Sarenbou expects. Ryo's forehead kanji glows -- and those of
the others respond to his need. Thier life forces streak out to join
Ryo's, and the white armor appears.  Ryo soundly defeats Sarenbou. As
before, Ryo again collapses when he's done.  Worse, we see that the
energy flow has been too much for the Recca armor's katana -- the two
blades have cracked from the overload.

#22 (10/15) Kenbukyou's Challenge
---------------------------------
Deep in Shinjuku, a tall, caped figure accompanied by a huge black
armored tiger emerges from a fountain, cursing Arago as he materializes.
Back "home", Jun is playing at being a Samurai Trooper (do I need to
spell out who his hero is?) with Byakuen's help, as Nasti tries to
figure out how to heal Ryo's katana. Ryo throws a tantrum in his
frustration, and someone remarks on his "fiery temper". "Fire," muses
Nasti. "Fire -- that's it! Your armor was empowered when immersed in the
lava of Fuji. Perhaps the fires there will repair the damage!" They are
interrupted as Byakuen senses a rival -- and then is having an enormous
cat fight with a black tiger, who we recognize from the opening scene.
(The "cat fight" is great fun to watch, too -- it has the flavor of real
cats fighting without losing sight of how much these tigers would weigh
if they were real!) Then the black tiger disappears. It seems he, too,
is magic. The next day the Troopers and friends are enroute to Fuji. As
they walk up the foot trail Shu has fun pretending he's a monkey, and
Toma has his nose buried in a book, oblivious to the scenery around
them. They aren't aware that they are being watched. The Troopers find a
cave in which they see two swords surrounded by Shinto religious
symbols. The swords are guarded by a mystic shield. Successfully
breaking through by using the magic powers of their yoroi, Ryo picks up
the swords -- then batters them into the ground in frustration as he
realizes they are fakes. Laughter booms from overhead, and our heroes
realize the cave makes a perfect trap. The armored figure who looms over
them tells them he is Kenbukyou, and at Arago's orders is here to
challenge Ryo. They fight, and the black tiger -- Byakueno, who is
Kenbukyou's partner much as Byakuen is Ryo's, battles the white tiger.
Ryo once more assumes the white armor, but his swords break under the
strain, and only Byakuen throwing himself in front of Ryo and taking the
blow meant for him saves Recca's life. Kenbukyou pulls back, putting his
swords away in their sheaths which are part of Byakueno's armor. "Heal
Byakuen, and then we'll face each other again!" Kenbukyou tells Ryo, and
disappears. The menance gone, Byakuen collapses -- but this time, Ryo
doesn't!

#23 (10/22) Byakueno, Struggle Against Death (Death Wagered in Battle?)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Near Fuji, Kenbukyou remembers how he was a demon lord in his own right
in the Demon World. Then he had to fight Arago - and lost, gaining the
slash in his cape that still rents the fabric. That day, he ceased to be
a lord -- and was forced to become one of Arago's servents. A servitude
that only death can release him from. (Lovely fight sequence here, too;
and the background of what the Demon World looks like is very
interesting.) In a cabin near Fuji's slopes, Ryo, Nasti and Jun tend to
the wounded Byakuen, while Ryo feels guilty -- Byakuen was wounded
because of his own failings, Ryo believes. Outside the other four
discuss matters, and decide that they must defeat Kenbukyou themselves
and give the demon's swords to Ryo. They saw in their last battle that
Kenbukyou's swords can withstand the hugh amounts of energy Ryo is now
capable of generating. (More wonderful artwork here -- the lake glitters
golden behind them, while the light and shadows play across their faces
-- someone sure cares about what the art in these later episodes looks
like!) Toma (who at times seems to have become Ryo's best friend) goes
in to tell Ryo their decision. Ryo, upset, runs into the forest and away
from his friends, Jun on his heels as the Trooper leader breaks into
frustrated tears.  HE was the one challenged, and he should be the one
to fight this strangely honorable foe. But how can he, with his sword
blades shattered? Toma's offer was well-meaning, but it has merely
increased Ryo's current feeling of worthlessness. Kenbukyou and Byakueno
appear to reinforce their challenge, then fade into the mist. The
Troopers return home. Ryo is sleeping restlessly when Byakuen hears
Byakueno's challenging roar, and leaves. Moments later Ryo cries out for
Byakuen and wakes when there is no response. Byakuen and Byakueno have a
running battle. In the end, Byakuen pulls one of Kenbukyou's swords from
its sheath on Byakueno's back -- and gets swiped in the throat by
Byakueno's claws in the process. Ryo has arrived, and Byakuen gives him
the sword before collapsing. Kenbukyou now arrives. "Now we each have a
sword," the demon tells Ryo gently. "If you win, Recca, I will heal
Byakuen for you." The other Troopers arrive, but Ryo tells them to stay
out of it -- this is his battle. He does not do too well, and finally
the others have had enough.  Instead of having their energy
involuntarily taken from them, this time they will it to Ryo...and the
Sun Armor appears. He defeats Kenbukyou (in his power attacks,
Kenbuyou's energy takes the form of a butterfly -- a symbol of renewal
and strength in Japan. It was also the symbol of the Taira, the family
that was defeated and destroyed in the Genpei Wars...) and ends up with
both swords as his foe collapses. Ryo drops the swords and goes to
Byakuen's side as the tiger lies dying, Jun, Nasti and the others
watching helplessly.  Byakueno nuzzles his dying partner. "These young
men in armor (yoroi) need you, Byakueno," the demon whispers. "Do you
understand?" The lights in Kenbukyou's eyes go out, and his body fades
away into nothingless. Byakueno roars, then his body glows and
dissolves. Not far away, Byakuen suddenly comes back to life, to the
happiness -- and amazement -- of his friends. Kenbukyou was true to his
promise to Ryo. Byakuen has been healed.

#24 (11/5) Demon Lord's Envoy
-----------------------------
A strange meteor lands near Fuji. From it emerges yet another of Arago's
demons. (This one looks remarkably like one of the old Japanese
household gods -- and like Sarenbou, I rather doubt it's human.) At
Fuji, Ryo, in the Recca yoroi, throws his broken swords into the lava.
The molten rock fountains, and rains over Ryo, who stands unhurt by the
assault. When the lava subsides, his swords are intact. Jun and Nasti
wait above and are as pleased as Ryo is at the result. Ryo senses
something watching...but says nothing. As they drive home, the demon
appears before them. Nasti slams on the brakes. Ryo watches with
amazement as the jeep passes through the creature's form; it seems it
was an illusion. (The look on Ryo's face is priceless...) Then the
pavement fountains around them (the ground and road repair folks must
love the Troopers!) as this new enemy attacks, giving his/its name as
Kokuyoen. At home, the other four hear the news reports about the
strange meteor, and realize very quickly who/what must be behind the
phenomena. (Shu meanwhile has been moaning about Nasti and Ryo being
late..."I'm dying of starvation!" he wails.) The four go to find Ryo.
Meanwhile, Ryo has discovered that Kokuyoen's whip is an extremely
effective weapon. Then one of Toma's arrows forces the demon back.
Kokuyoen's whips, however, are like Sh'ten's chains -- they can
multiply, and shortly the Troopers are all wrapped up. Then they are
partially paralyzed by the demon's energy, coursing through the metallic
coils. Byakuen attacks, driving off the creature. Kokuyoen multiplies
itself, and there's one of him facing each of the Troopers -- who must
parry each blow or die even as painful energy bursts continue to course
through them. Byakuen intervenes again. Kokuyoen senses Byakueno's aura
around the tiger, and attacks. As the tiger fights the demon, the big
cat is engulfed in energy -- and turns into Byakueno, complete with
swords and armor! Ryo realizes that Kenbukyou saved Byakuen's life by
having his own partner merge with the white tiger, and thus also gave
his swords to the Samurai Trooper who had defeated him -- and released
him from his servitude to Arago. "Don't just stand there -- DO
something, Ryo!" his friends call. "But if I call the white armor, it'll
leave you helpless!" Ryo replies. "Defeating the enemy is more
important!" they tell him. Reluctantly, Ryo calls up the white armor --
and as each Trooper glows, their power adding to Ryos', the multiple
forms of their current foe disappear and consolidate into one. After a
fierce battle, Kokuyoen is defeated. Then lightning lances down from the
cloud-darkened sky, and one of Arago's gates appears. The doors open,
and Arago's voice rolls out, taunting them before the gate dissolves.
They realize that the only way to end the danger the Demon Lord
represents to their world is to enter the Demon World and defeat their
foe on his home ground.

#25 (11/12) Showdown! Two Suikos
--------------------------------
In the Demon World, in Arago's palace, a familiar figure walks down a
candle-lit corridor. He approaches Arago's throne room. When Arago
demands who it is, Poison Demon General Naza identifies himself and is
told to approach his Lord. It is time for the Demon Generals to enter
the fray once more. But this time they will face their foes one on one.
Further, Arago wants the Samurai Troopers brought back alive. These
humans have learned to harness an unusual amount of power, and Arago
wants to use that energy to further his own goals. Naza's assignment --
defeat Suiko no Shin. This is most agreeable to the Demon General. Naza
uses his own magic to creat a duplicate of Suiko -- an evil and, being
Naza's creation, poisonous red-colored doppleganger of Shin's yoroi,
powered by Arago's energy as well as Naza's. At home, each of the
Troopers has had a dream in which Kaos has appeared to them and told
them to seek the source of their power. Remembering where each of them
were sent after their first battle with Arago -- and where they first
came into their true initial power -- the five split up and go their own
ways. Shin heads for the Naruto Straits, where the whirlpools are, and
dives into the water. He isn't aware that Naza is watching him. Naza,
with a wave of his hand, summons several flying boats, manned with
members of Arago's Demon Army. They attack Suiko, who is trying to
figure out what Kaos meant when he said "seek out the source of your
power." Shin defeats the cannon fodder, but finds his doppleganger to be
a much tougher foe. "His armor looks just like mine!" Shin gapes.
Further, when they're in the water, he realizes that the red-colored
Suiko is poisoning the water and the fish are dying. He brings the
battle onto land. He finally realizes that the source of his power is
within himself, not a particular geographic area or element. He summons
up a full-power blast that is similar in energy level to that used by
Ryo when he's in the Sun Armor. The poisonous double is defeated. Shin,
exhausted, is unable to rise to his feet let alone fight when Naza
approaches him, and tells Suiko that Arago will be most pleased to
discover how much energy his new prisoner is capable of generating. Shin
lapses into unconciousness, and Naza slings him over his shoulders and
carries the Trooper off to the Demon World.

#26 (11/19) Korin! Reclaim the Light
------------------------------------
Seiji has returned to the Akidoshi Plateau, Kaos' words ringing in his
ears.  He rests for a few minutes beside a spring, then rescues a fawn
from wild dogs. He is shocked when the fawn appears to be even more
afraid of him than the dogs, and begins to wonder if something is wrong.
His armor was once worn by Arago...could he be becoming tainted by that
contact? In the Demon World, Arago has summoned Darkness Demon General
Anubis. He is dispatched to capture Korin. Seiji is becoming more and
more upset by the idea he may have been adversely affected by Arago's
aura through the yoroi. Anubis then arrives, and attacks. Seiji calls up
his armor and fights, but he keeps hesitating -- which causes him to
receive a lot of blows he would otherwise have avoided. Anubis taunts
him that perhaps he doesn't really want to hurt Arago's forces...perhaps
he knows which side he should be on. Seiji sends away his armor and
flees in confusion. Anubis yells after him that he can't hide forever.
Seiji takes refuge in a waterfall, where he attempts to order his
thoughts through meditation. In the caves below, Anubis concentrates --
and brings an early, hard winter to the area. Seiji is frozen inside the
waterfall, and the temperature falls low enough to freeze the wildlife
around him. Anubis' voice taunts Korin until Seiji gets angry enough to
break free.  Seiji goes to face Anubis, and Anubis eventually goads his
foe into calling his armor -- and then gets more than he bargained for
as Seiji, too, finds new power levels and blows the Darkness Demon
General away. Seiji takes off his armor and splits it in two with his
no-dachi. He watches in amazement as the armor and sword glow, and the
damage is repaired before his eyes. "Kaos told the truth. The yoroi
cannot be destroyed, only shaped into new forms," he whispers. Unseen
behind him, one of Arago's gates forms. Lightning strikes him from the
opening doors, and his armor forms around him as Arago's voice is heard.
"Well done, Korin. You have learned a truth about the yoroi. But now -
you are mine!" And Seiji is drawn into the Demon World by Arago's power.

#27 (11/26) Become Angry Kongo! Break (Defeat) the Sand Demons
--------------------------------------------------------------
Arago has summoned Rajura to the throne room. He tells the Phantom Demon
General that his comrades Anubis and Naza have succeeded in their
missions, and challenges him to do as well. Rajura's target will be
Kongo no Shu. Shu meanwhile is enroute to Hokkaido. He is not aware that
Rajura has gotten there first and is following him closely. Rajura
launches his first attack as Shu enters a construction site. The Demon
General is accompanied by two "sand demons" who appear to be earth
spirits/elementals of some type. Shu fends them off, and Rajura leaves
with a parting taunt. As Shu heads for the mountains, Rajura prepares an
unpleasant welcome. The fight is rejoined. Shu manages to defeat the two
earth elementals. But when Rajura tells him that Suiko and Korin have
already become Arago's prisoners, Shu loses all of his fight and allows
Rajura to drag him off in his wake to the Demon World. (Initially it
appears as if Shu is following Rajura willingly; perhaps he is hoping to
free his friends once he gets to the Demon World.)

#28 (12/3) Riddle of Demon Priestess Kayura's Appearance
--------------------------------------------------------
Tenku no Toma stands waist deep in the ocean, bow drawn as he uses zen
meditation techniques to free his mind and call his powers to him. He
looses an arrow, parting the clouds overhead with its energy wave. He is
content - until he hears rather nasty girlish laughter, and a storm
suddenly whips up.  Wisteria petals whip past him, and then an energy
bolt strikes. He wakes to find himself in the clouds facing a young
woman who introduces herself as Kayura, Arago's Demon Priestess. She
tells him that Suiko, Korin, and Kongo are all Arago's prisoners. Toma
reacts angrily, shooting at her; Kayura pulls her twin jitte (an early
form of sai) and counterattacks. Kayura ends up cutting off the power
keeping Toma suspended in mid-air and the Trooper falls earthward. At
the last minute he uses his power to cushion his landing. He is unaware
of a figure dressed similarly to Kaos' iternant monk's garb, including
the shakujo, but with shoulder- length red hair, watching him. In Fuji,
Ryo stands amid the lava, unaware of Kayara watching from above. He
nearly blows out the side of the vocano with his blow, but is not sure
this is what Kaos meant. As he thinks, wisteria blossoms begin to rain
around him, and Kayura taunts him. Ryo jumps upward. Before either
opponent can strike, Toma arrives and his arrows force the Demon
Priestess to jump backwards a few feet. Toma tells Ryo that Kayura
claims Arago has taken their friends prisoner. "Is that true?" Ryo
demands in disbelief. In answer, Kayura summons Seiji's nodachi and
Shin's spear. "Proof enough? Think it over -- I will see you again with
Arago's demands!" Kayura smirks before teleporting away, leaving the
weapons for them to examine. Back home, the two discuss their options,
but are interrupted by Kayura's arrival. Kayura summons a vision of what
is happening to their friends -- in continuing pain as Arago uses his
Ankoku Priests to forcibly draw energy from them. "Give in, serve Arago,
and this will cease.  Continue the fight, and they will eventually die
in agony," she tells them.  But the two Troopers will not give in.
Kayura was expecting this decision and proceeds to beat the two
Troopers, proving she is just as powerful a fighter as either of them
are. She summons a gate and is about to drag them through it when we see
the red-haired figure in Kaos' clothes once more. He raises the shakujo
and throws it. The bell-like tones of its rings seem to hurt the girl,
and the powerfield of the staff, along with Toma's energy, enables Ryo
to summon the Sun Armor. All three assume it is Kaos who has thrown the
staff, and Ryo enthusiastically destroys the gate -- but Kayura escapes.

#29 (12/10) Go! Two Warriors
----------------------------
Open to a quiet Shinto shrine where the man wearing Kaos' garb -- whom
we can tell by now (as if we hadn't already guessed last episode, neh?)
is Sh'ten -- meditates before the sanctuary. A fierce wind begins to
whip across the garden, and wisteria blossoms blow around Sh'ten. It is
Kayura, who questions who he is -- Kaos is gone and cannot return! What
is his purpose? She pulls out her jitte, and the man turns and raises
the shakujo in response. Kayura attacks, and Sh'ten either dodges or
parries each blow. Sh'ten tells her that he intends to carry on with
Kaos' mission. Kayura returns that he's not had time to learn how to
properly use the shakujo, and aims a full- power attack at her opponent.
Sh'ten demonstrates he's learned far more than the Demon Priestess gives
him credit for by first blocking the energy blast (though it takes an
obvious effort) and then transporting himself out of the combat zone,
leaving a confused Kayura behind. At Nasti's home, Ryo and Toma are
arguing about what they should do. They can't give in -- but on the
other hand, they can't afford to wait for Arago's next attack, either.
Finally they agree that they'll have to force Arago's hand by going out
into the open and trying to lure the Demon Lord's forces to attack them.
If only they knew where Kaos was... Kayura reports to Arago that Kaos'
replacement may be more dangerous than they believed -- he knows how to
use the shakujo almost as well as Kaos, although it takes him more
effort than it did his predacessor. Kayura, to the dismay of the other
Demon Generals, is sent back against Recca no Ryo and Tenku no Toma. As
the two Samurai Troopers prepare to head for Shinjuku, they hear the
sound of the shakujo's rings, and turn to see a figure coming up from
the lake toward them. His face is hidden by his hat and at first they
think it's Kaos. He takes off the hat, and they recognize him as Sh'ten,
their former enemy. He tells them that Kaos has chosen him as his
successor. He is not as skilled or as experienced as Kaos was yet, but
he'll do his best to help the Troopers defeat Arago. He won't tell them
-- or can't tell them -- what has happened to Kaos. (It's rather fun to
listen to him trying to beat around the bush on the subject when
questioned, too!) However, he cannot open a gate into Arago's world by
himself yet...it will take Arago's power to do that. Then he leaves,
after Ryo and Toma have acknowledged his friendship. The two Troopers
along with Nasti and Jun head to Shinjuku, where they are attacked by
Kayura. Byakuen demonstrates he can now control his own transformation
into Byakueno. A battle insues. Kayura is about to use another
full-power attack when Sh'ten appears on a rooftop and uses the shakujo
to take Kayura's blasts and use that energy to create an energy
pillar/bridge which sweeps Ryo, Toma and Byakuen out of our dimension.
Kayura curses, then recognizes Sh'ten as their new opponent before she
returns homeward to the Demon World herself. Jun and Nasti run up,
recognizing the bridge for what it is.

#30 (12/17) What is This Place? The Demon World?
------------------------------------------------
Jun and Nasti accuse Sh'ten of being responsible for the disappearance
of Ryo, Toma and Byakuen. He reassures them that their friends have not
been delivered directly to Arago -- they have been sent someplace safe
where they can recover before continuing their mission to defeat Arago.
(Jun's reaction to Sh'ten, and Sh'ten's answering response, is both
amusing and in character. Wonderful character bit here!) Sh'ten begins
to walk off, staff in hand, and the two follow. He tells them a little
about who he was prior to being taken into Arago's service and becoming
the Oni Demon General. (From the style of armor the pre-Arago Sh'ten was
wearing, he had to have come from a relatively poor family. The simple
armor and face-mask he is using went out of style for most samurai about
1200 to 1300, and was only worn thereafter by footsoldiers and those
samurai who could not afford the true "yoroi". That is, of course,
assuming that the artists took the time and did proper research as to
what type/style of armor was used when, rather than just paging through
a book of old Japanese armor and saying "Hey, that looks neat; let's use
that!") Then he senses danger, and warns the two to stay back. The power
of the shakujo reveals Rajura, who attacks. Sh'ten proceeds to defeat
the Phantom Demon General rather handily, knocking off Rajura's helmet
in the process. (I should note that this seems to have some
significance; while Sh'ten was becoming somewhat unsure of his role as
Demon General before Toma broke his helmet, the process accelerated
considerably once the helmet was gone. I suspect that the helmets, like
Kayura's chest plate later on, help Arago keep control of his human
servants.) He then proceeds to lecture Rajura that as a human being the
Phantom Demon General should be fighting against, not for, Arago. He
warns the Demon General that Arago is merely using the human Ma Sho as
pawns -- their dreams of power will never be realized, for Arago wants
to keep all power himself. Rajura actually sits and takes it, listening
to Sh'ten's words before the former Oni Demon General moves off, Nasti
and Jun in his wake. In a strangely peaceful, surrealistic landscape,
Toma, Ryo and Byakuen wake up admit flowers and clear streams. They feel
rested and refreshed as they have not for a long time. It is time to
find Arago's home, and carry the war to the Demon Lord himself. They see
one of Arago's gates, and go through it. (The area where they have been
is not part of the Demon World, but a seperate dimension -- perhaps a
type of buffer zone or limbo between our world and that of Arago.) They
are "greeted" by the music of the Ankoku Priests and whipped by their
winds. Consolidating into one huge face, the evil spirits demand the
reason for their presence, and warn them that Arago's wrath at their
intrusion will be enormous. One seperates out and whispers advice in
Ryo's ear before disappearing. Both Toma and Ryo reject the warning.
Before them they see the spires of Arago's castle. Within, Arago is
visiting his prisoners. The more they fight, he tells them, the more
energy they produce for his use. He draws off a goodly portion of their
power, and creates a huge sword out of it. (This sword reminds me of
some of the ceremonial weapons used in parts of ancient China and India;
it was used more for decorative uses than for any actual combat.) It
will be used by one of his demon lords to fight their comrades, and part
of each of them has been put into its magical structure. Before he
faints from the power drain and the pain, Seiji calls to Ryo. Still
distant, Recca hears his friend's pain-filled cry. He knows then that
his fellow Samurai Troopers are still alive -- and still being cruely
tortured by their foe. It only serves to harden his and Toma's resolve
to defeat Arago and his evil. Kayura delivers the yoroi sword to Dara,
the Demon Lord in charge of Arago's army. (It seems that Dara is one of
the original rulers of the Demon World and decided to serve Arago
willingly rather than fight him. He isn't human, like the Demon Generals
are.) He is to use it to defeat Recca and Tenku, she tells him. Then she
returns to her quarters in Arago's palace. Once there, she dispenses
with her armor (why is it that she has the only transformation sequence
in which she's obviously stark naked in the middle of it?!?! Other than
pure chauvinism, of course...) Now dressed in an ancient Heian style
kimono -- almost more like old Chinese court garb than what we now
consider a "true" kimono -- she welcomes her Lord inside and informs him
his orders have been carried out. Outside, Arago's Demon Army goes to
meet and surround the remaining Samurai Troopers, who immediately armor
up. As they come under attack Kayura, now alone, goes into shock as her
chest plate glows as she's getting a vision of Ryo in battle. As the
episode ends, we have two Samurai Troopers and a magic tiger fighting
against a cast of thousands...and Dara looks on with amusement.

#31 (12/24) Legendary Yoroi, Kikotei (Sun Armor)
------------------------------------------------
The demon army led by Dara continues to advance, and Recca no Ryo and
Tenku no Toma fight back against the seemingly hopeless odds. Dara
advances with the yoroi sword and takes on Ryo. In Arago's dungeon, the
three captive Troopers are losing morale fast. It's obvious to them now
that they cannot free themselves -- they will need outside help. But who
can help them? The fact that Toma and Ryo have not yet joined them here
means that those two are not yet captive; but there seemingly is no way
for Recca and Toma to get to them.  In desperation, they call out Ryo's
name. The three Demon Generals face Arago in his throne room, wanting to
get in on the action. Arago calls for Badamon, his chief mage. Badamon
talks a little about what he's discovered so far about the Kikotei
yoroi, saying they'll have use for the three Demon Generals soon enough.
Arago orders Badamon to continue his investigations. On the battlefield,
Dara begins to call on the inherent power of the yoroi sword, and Ryo
finds himself in a battle most reminescent of his earlier struggle with
Arago -- as the yoroi sword calls up images of each of the Troopers
whose power is being used. The imprisoned Troopers feel pain each time
Dara uses the yoroi sword's full power. Toma realizes that their only
hope is for Ryo to call the Kikotei armor, and without the prescence of
the shakujo which triggered the change last time, there is only one way
he knows of to do it. He steals a horse and rides off, much to Ryo's
distress, as Toma cannot take the time to explain what he's doing to his
companion. As Ryo continues to battle Dara (parts of his battle
sequences are out of his nightmare in episode #20), Toma finds a tall
hill and shoots an arrow at the wall around the main building of Arago's
palace. The arrow breaks through, and lands at the foot of the "temple"
where the other three are held captive. They recognize that this means
that Toma is nearby somewhere -- and then they feel the call of their
yoroi, and know that Ryo is there as well -- and needs their help to
bring the Kikotei yoroi into existence. Through the hole Toma has
created they send their energy. Toma sees its emergence and lets some of
his own energy join theirs, just in time for Ryo to call the sun armor
and defeat Dara. Ryo and Byakuen ride frantically toward the castle.
They find Toma in dire straits -- surrounded by demon soldiers, tied
down with chains as he struggles desperately against capture -- somewhat
similar, in fact, to the illusion of Toma Rajura cast back in episode #8
when he lured Ryo and Shin into one of his traps! Ryo rescues Toma, and
the two continue onward toward Arago's castle -- where Badamon is busy
casting spells to cause them grief.

#32 (1/14) Earth Spirit Army, Campaign of Terror
------------------------------------------------
Badamon is still busy casting spells, using the additional power of
several Ankoku Priests to help him probe into the mystery of the Kikotei
yoroi, trying to figure out how it works and how they can counter its
power. He notices that when Toma and Ryo faced Kayura, the other three
Troopers were already captured -- the shakujo initiated the change! That
means that all five of the Trooper yoroi are not necessary. Toma and Ryo
are hidden underneath a building within the outer walls of Arago's
castle, but are now lost in the maze-like structures between the inner
and outer walls, trying to avoid the demon soldiers. Badamon informs
Arago and Kayura that he has discovered that there is indeed a use for
the three demon generals -- their yoroi can combine with that of Recca
and Tenku to create the Kikotei armor. Further, they can combine the
power of the Ankoku Priests with it during the transformation, using
both Kayura's influence and a special magical powder he's created as
catalysts to force and control the change, and thus "contaminate" the
Kikotei armor and turn it evil. Elsewhere, the three Demon Generals, in
yoroi but minus the helmets (nice artwork here!), discuss matters and
are feeling somewhat abused.  Rajura remembers Sh'ten's comments to him
in episode #30 that Arago was using all of them as pawns for his own
goals, and it's obvious that the Phantom Demon General is becoming
disaffected, too. Elsewhere, Toma, Ryo and Byakuen's luck has just run
out -- they are discovered and then trapped. Arago sends the three Demon
Generals after them at the head of an army. Kayura, dangling the bag of
magic powder from one gloved finger, grins nastily as she watches them
depart. Fleeing the army, the three Demon Generals hot on their heels,
Toma and Ryo -- riding Byakuen -- find themselves facing Kayura. Fully
possessed now by Arago, his image superimposing over hers, she releases
the powder. The Demon Generals are affected, too. As Kayura applies more
of the powder, the Demon Generals fall unconscious, their yoroi
glowing...and their energy joins with Toma's in empowering the Kikotei
armor. Several Ankoku Priests also phase themselves into the Kikotei
armor, and it begins to darken. Ryo screams with the pain it causes him.
Toma, paralyzed but still conscious, watches with astonishment as Kayura
-- bent over the agonized Ryo -- is approached by the three Demon
Generals, who have awakened. Each manifests a forehead kanji and attacks
Kayura. Still weakened by the effects of the magic powder as well as
their first experience at empowering the Kikotei yoroi, they prove no
match for the Demon Priestess' counterattack, and fall. Before they pass
out, however, their forehead kanji "call" to Ryo's, along with that of
Toma's, and Ryo finds the strength from that "call" to fight off Arago's
attempt to contaminate the Kikotei armor with evil. The Ankoku Priests
flee, and the yoroi is bright white once more as Ryo strikes back at his
tormentor. His blow is so powerful that it penetrates the "wall" between
the Demon World and our own, wreaking havok back in poor Shinjuku. This
is also a sign that the wall between the two worlds is weakening slowly
as Arago's forces endeavor to join the two into one. Arago is pleased
enough by this sign that he is not terribly upset by their failure to
contaminate and control the Kikotei yoroi. Note: The artstyle in this
episode and in #33 is much different than the majority of the series. In
this case this isn't bad; the artist in these episodes rendered all the
characters -- even Byakuen -- in a somewhat more realistic manner that
reminds me a little of Zeta Gundam's art style. I like it a lot!

#33 (1/21) Search for the (Treasure) Riddle
-------------------------------------------
On our world, Jun, Nasti and Sh'ten see and hear the power surge caused
by Ryo's blow, which has caused a rip in the dimensional barrier between
the two worlds. Badamon and the Ankoku Priests are taking advantage of
this to continue their efforts to totally destroy that 'wall'.
Elsewhere, Toma, Ryo and Byakuen are asleep in a cave recovering from
their most recent battle.  Toma tells Ryo that the Demon Generals are
potential allies, and describes to him the appearance of their forehead
kanji. (Ryo was understandably incapable of noting such minor details at
the time.) Ryo is shocked, but admits it's something they should have
foreseen. "Arago'll beat them back into line by the time we meet them
again, though," he predicts. Elsewhere, the three Demon Generals are
still unconscious, and Badamon is having them dragged off to be
"re-educated". Arago is discussing matters with Kayura -- it seems he
trusts her more than he does the Demon Generals or any of his other
followers. On Earth, Sh'ten watches -- trying to control his impatience
-- as Nasti tries to dicipher some of the puzzles Kaos has left them.
Badamon has dispatched troops to deal with this danger. Sh'ten vents his
frustrations by demolishing the demon soldiers, arriving back at the
house just in time to rescue Jun and Nasti from the enemy who menaces
them there. Nasti discovers that they will find the third "element"
necessary to defeat Arago at a lake in the Yamato Plains. Badamon has
now dispatched Gashura (Who/What can only be described as a "ninja
demon") and more soldiers to destroy this threat to Arago's plans.
Meanwhile, Arago's army has arrived in Shinjuku and is happily
plundering and destroying the city and its citizens. Gashura watchs as
Nasti, Jun and Sh'ten travel to their goal (the art of the three in
Nasti's jeep is marvelous...).  When they arrive, Sh'ten uses the power
of the shakujo to part the waters, revealing a temple hidden under the
lake. The shakujo is also the key to opening the temple doors. They
descend into the temple, where they see a tapestry depicting the various
yoroi fighting demons (the same tapestry that figures in the opening
sequence of the show). Suits of ancient armor (if my book on samurai
armor is right, these suits date to pre-800 and are the persecuors of
the laminate style of armor that we refer to as "samurai armor") line
the walls. After the three pass, their eyes light up -- the lights,
however, are blue, not the red we associate with the majority of Arago's
troops. Within the heart of the temple is a small structure housing
their goal -- a necklace with what looks to be a seed pod strung on it.
A voice from the structure welcomes the bearer of the shakujo, and tells
them that the necklace is the "Jewel of Life". Then they are attacked by
Gashura and his soldiers.  Gashura takes Nasti and Jun hostage and
Sh'ten is outnumbered. They are rescued from an unexpected quarter as
the armor from the hallway, now animate, attack their enemies. Sh'ten
kills Gashura with the point of the shakujo; and the armored spirits
kneel to Sh'ten as its wielder. The voice of the temple tells them that
they had agreed to be bound here to protect the Jewel of Life.  They
have done their job well, and with a gesture and a smile Sh'ten releases
them. The spirits now free, the armor crumbles. Once outside, Sh'ten
gives the Jewel to Nasti to take care of.

#34 (1/28) Tenku, Wounded in Battle
-----------------------------------
Back home, Nasti is speculating about the Jewel, and puts it around
Jun's neck. Sh'ten, out on the patio, sees the image of Arago's palace
floating above Shinjuku, and knows there is not much time left to stop
Arago's plans.  Arago's troops continue to decimate the town while the
Demon Lord gloats.  Badamon reports to his master that Recca and Tenku
are still free, but they may be able to trick the two into assisting
Arago's plans. Ryo, Byakuen and Toma are in the maze once more, and
again are discovered -- this time while trying to take out a guard post.
They are forced into a mystic trap and find themselves transported to an
area somewhere underneath the castle. Kayura taunts the three prisoners
that soon enough they'll have company, and goes on to greet Arago's
"guests" as the Ankoku Priests continue to draw power from the Troopers,
causing them agony as they do so. On Earth, Sh'ten feels more and more
frustration at not knowing what to do to help. He asks Kaos' spirit for
guidance -- and the shakujo glows in response. Further, the Jewel of
Life hanging from Jun's neck shines brightly as well, and Sh'ten begins
to see what he is going to have to do. Ryo, Toma and Byakuen are trying
to find their way out of the lower area of the castle when they run
across Kayura, who's been waiting for them. After a short battle she
tricks Ryo into using a full-power blow against her; she jumps out of
the way and reveals a small "temple" that absorbs his energy -- channels
it to Arago and his followers who are attempting to dissolve the wall
between worlds. The "temple" actually pulls power from Recca, and Ryo
can't stop it. Toma interrupts the flow and Ryo falls, nearly
unconscious. Tenku tells Byakuen to get Ryo to safety as he begins his
own battle with Kayura. Toma is blown skyward, but recovers -- only to
find Kayura rises skyward to continue the battle. On Earth, Sh'ten uses
the combination of powers of the shakujo and the Jewel of Life to
transport himself, Jun and Nasti to the Demon World. He has his doubts
about taking the two "noncombatants" along, but something tells him they
will be vital in the battle yet to come. Byakuen has taken Ryo to a
boat; Toma floats over it protectively. He finally falls unconsious to
the deck after one of Kayura's attacks. She prepares to take them all
captive, but is thwarted by the arrival of Sh'ten and company. Kayura
views the proceedings warily as the boat heads for deeper waters.

#35 (2/4) Revive, Armored Warriors!
-----------------------------------
Toma and Ryo are both on their feet if not yet at full strength. Ryo
wants to know why Nasti and Jun are here; Sh'ten tells him that their
assistance will be necessary to win the battle against Arago -- and that
the way things are on Earth, they wouldn't have been much safer there if
he'd left them behind. Ryo tells Sh'ten and Byakuen to protect Jun and
Nasti as he and Toma go after Kayura. As the two Troopers battle the
Demon Priestess and Sh'ten and Byakuen face demon soldiers, Badamon and
Arago observe proceedings in the mystic fire in front of the Demon
Lord's throne. Badamon says they're nearly done with the three Demon
Generals (accompanied by a momentary scene change in which we see all
three of the "Ma Sho" receiving the not-so-tender attention of Ankoku
Priests as they are re-brainwashed into serving the Demon Lord). Arago
replies that he'll use them to help Kayura -- at least until he's ready
to put them to another use entirely. On the ship, Byakuen grabs a scythe
from one of the soldiers and uses it most effectively in helping Sh'ten
protect Jun and Nasti.  Then he accidentally drops it overboard when he
discovers that he can't roar and hold it in his mouth at the same time!
(He looks much as my cat does when it knocks something off the table
when it drops, too..."Did I do that?!?!") Kayura knocks Tenku out of the
sky; he is captured by Arago's soldiers and immediately tied up and
taken off. We catch a glimpse of the other three Troopers somewhere in
Arago's dungeons, seemingly in stasis of some type, seated in the dark
on a rock in a swamp or shallow pool. Sh'ten joins in the fray, telling
Ryo to go after Tenku -- he'll hold off Kayura. Kayura discovers that
Sh'ten is a much stronger, more effective fighter with the shakujo this
time than in their previous battle. Jun, Nasti and Byakuen go after Ryo,
discovering that when activated the Jewel of Life destroys Arago's demon
soldiers. Badamon warns Arago that the "San Ma Sho" (three Demon
Generals), having once manifested forehead kanji, cannot be depended on
-- they may well break free of their brainwashing once again under the
right stimulus. Arago replies that he won't need their services as "free
agents" long enough to worry about such matters. Kayura and Sh'ten are
still battling, and Kayura is losing! Sh'ten attacks, fulling intending
to brain her with the shakujo -- but it refuses to hit her, stopping
itself inches from her head -- and glowing brightly as it does so!
Elsewhere, Toma is dropped into a pool in a cavern under the castle, and
is drawn below to where the other three Troopers are. He reveals he is
not unconscious, but has been 'playing possum' in the hopes that he'd be
brought to the other three and given a chance to free them. He uses his
arrows (thrown by hand) to penetrate the shields Arago has placed around
each one before he faints. Ryo is somewhere on his heels, landing on a
platform at one end of the lake -- and finds the three Demon Generals
waiting for him. Jun, Nasti and Byakuen are right behind him. As the
three "Ma Sho" attack, Jun runs up, and the Jewel of Life glows.
Rajura's scythes crumble, and all three Demon Generals grab their heads
in profound agony as the entire cavern lights up from the Jewel's
brilliance. Kayura arrives, and the three now unconscious Demon Generals
are transported out of the battle zone. As she attacks, the water behind
Ryo glows and bubbles, and she halts her advance in momentary confusion
as the other four Troopers emerge from the water. They join Ryo on the
platform, all freed and ready to do battle with one of their
tormentors...

#36 (2/11) Decisive Battle! Kayura vs. Kikotei (Sun Armor)
----------------------------------------------------------
The five Troopers all face Kayura in the lake-filled cavern. Kayura
laughs at their threat. Shu attacks, and Kayura easily defends herself.
She calls back the Demon Generals, who have recovered from their earlier
"headaches". Shin, Shu, and Ryo go to each end of the platform (it's
shaped like a cross, with one end on shore and the other three in the
lake) to face their old enemies -- Shin against Anubis, Ryo against
Naza, and Shu facing Rajura. They fall through trap doors, leaving Seiji
and Toma to face Kayura and defend Jun and Nasti. The three Ma Sho
follow the three Troopers. Seiji attacks Kayura, his nodachi blade
striking her chest plate but not damaging it. Jun and Nasti are
surrounded by demon soldiers. Jun tries to call on the power of the
Jewel of Life but it doesn't do anything (I suspect the Life Jewel
normally needs a high level of emotion in its wielder to work; and in
this scene Jun isnt' yet scared enough to activate it). The other three
Troopers find themselves seperated, each facing a Demon General. None
are doing too well as their battles progress. Above, Sh'ten races to
join them, his mind still confused and reeling from what the shakujo's
light revealed to him when he tried to strike Kayura. She has a link to
the shakujo, stronger than his own -- and she does not serve Arago
willingly. The Demon Lord controls her, keeping her real persona captive
deep inside her soul. The chest plate is the key! When he'd drawn back,
startled, Kayura had teleported away. As he heads down the passageway
toward the cavern, the shakujo reacts to the prescence of the Troopers.
He first rescues Ryo, and together they drive Rajura away from Shu.  Shu
reacts aggressively toward Sh'ten, still thinking of him as the Oni
Demon General -- having been captive since episode #27, Kongo no Shu is
not aware that Sh'ten has taken Kaos' place and now sides against Arago.
Sh'ten finds his reaction somewhat funny as Ryo reassures Shu that
Sh'ten is on their side.  Next they find Shin, whose reaction toward the
former Demon General is much more matter-of-fact. (He remembers that one
of the reasons they attacked Arago's castle back in episode #16 was to
rescue Sh'ten...plus Sh'ten was not among their tormentors while Arago
held the "Seiji tachi" captive from episode #25 to the present.) Then
all four find their way to the cavern, where Seiji and Toma are still
fighting Kayura. The other four release their energy to Ryo, who calls
the Kikotei armor and attacks Kayura. He breaks the chest plate, and it
goes flying away. She collapses, asking in a small, dazed voice, "Who am
I?" Sh'ten prevents Ryo from killing her as the Life Jewel reacts
strongly to this development. Arago and Badamon drag Kayura away before
Sh'ten can use the shakujo to restore her memory.

#37 (2/18) Revival of Thunder Lightning Thrust
----------------------------------------------
In a run-down, deserted area of the outskirts of Arago's castle, the
Troopers have recovered from their most recent ordeal and are working
out, warming up for the battle they know they will shortly face. Sh'ten
is inside an old shrine, meditating with the shakujo. He knows there are
things going on he doesn't understand, things they must learn before
they can win. He knows at least part of Kaos' spirit still rests within
the shakujo, and hopes for its help in unravelling the puzzle he's
facing. He refuses to accompany the Troopers, saying that the shakujo --
and Kayura -- are the key; but he needs to learn more before he's ready
to go back into battle. Ryo tells him to take care of Jun and Nasti, and
the five Troopers leave to confront thier enemies.  In Kayura's
quarters, the young woman is still in a daze, slowly remembering her
past -- to her childhood. She grew up in a clan/village lead by Kaos,
brought up to respect the mage as spiritual as well as material leader.
Arago is upset -- he needs Kayura, and now she is more unreliable than
the Demon Generals. Badamon has a plan, however. The Troopers are
fighting demon soldiers and not getting very far. Several of them
complain about wasting energy on the cannon fodder that they'll need to
fight Arago. Kayura is remembering her parents -- and the fact that
Arago had them killed as his demon soldiers decimated their clan. The
five-year old Kayura was kidnapped and has been under Arago's thumb ever
since. About that time Badamon, using the power of the Ankoku Priests,
possesses her. The shakujo reacts, and Sh'ten realizes that Kayura has
come back under Arago's control. The three Ma Sho have found Sh'ten's
hiding place. Sh'ten grabs Nasti and Jun, escaping Rajura's first
attack, shoving the two behind him as he faces his former comrades.
Kayura/Badamon summons an energy ball and rides it toward the Troopers.
Her voice has turned gravelly and several octaves lower under Badamon's
possession. Sh'ten sees the ball and is able to use the shakujo to
momentarily block the Demon Generals. In an odd echo of its previous
action, Sh'ten uses the shakujo to create a rift/crevasse between
himself and the Ma Sho, similar to the one used to block the former Oni
Demon General in episode #3. He races to the Trooper's aid but arrives
too late. Even though the Kikotei armor enables Ryo to destroy the
energy ball, the resulting explosion has knocked all five Troopers out.
Sh'ten confronts Kayura, and immediately realizes that Badamon is in
possession of Kayura's body. The three Demon Generals also catch up with
him then. The shakujo glows and rises out of his hands, turns into the
helmet of the Oni Ma Sho yoroi and settles back in Sh'ten's grasp.
"Kaos, I understand. So -- once more I must become the Oni Demon
General," Sh'ten says sadly. He puts on the helmet, and the Oni Yoroi
appears, the helmet dissolving as the yoroi is complete. Now it is as
Oni Ma Sho that Sh'ten attacks Kayura.

#38 (2/25) Kayura! Knowledge is Consciousness
---------------------------------------------
The Troopers, encased in stasis fields that leave them aware of what's
going on but paralyzed, watch helplessly as Oni Ma Sho Sh'ten battles
both Kayura and the three other Demon Generals. Then five sky-borne
boats, manned by Ankoku Priests, arrive overhead. The five Troopers are
each drawn upward and into the boats, which then turn around and head
for five towers placed along the outer wall of Arago's castle complex.
The three Ma Sho join Kayura/Badamon, telling Sh'ten he cannot win.
Sh'ten points out that Arago has had nine towers built along the
perimeter of the castle wall, one for each yoroi -- including those the
Ma Sho themselves wear. "Arago is using you," Sh'ten tells them once
more. "The yoroi are useless to him without someone to wear them, to
give power to the spell he's building. What do those nine towers tell
you?" Shaken, the three deny his charge, but Kayura/Badamon laughs and
gestures. The three Ma Sho are instantly held in stasis. Sh'ten throws
his clawed weight toward Naza, hoping to free the Ma Sho, but it bounces
off the mystic sphere. The protesting Demon Generals are drawn skyward.
A second attempt by Sh'ten to free them (Rajura this time) is also
unsuccessful, and Rajura mentally apologizes to Sh'ten, admiting that he
was right -- and he should have listened to the Oni Ma Sho's earlier
arguments. Of the nine yoroi, now the only one Arago needs to complete
the spell that will bring down the barrier between the Demon World and
Earth -- and make the two into one -- is the Oni Ma Sho yoroi.
Kayura/Badamon goes about collecting it and its wearer.  Sh'ten fights
hard, but ultimately falls to the combined power of Kayura/Badamon. He,
too, is drawn into a sky-boat and taken to a tower. All nine are then
placed inside a tower, seated on field officers' chairs, frozen
helplessly into place. Each one has four Ankoku Priests in attendance,
to both keep them paralyzed and to aid drawing energy from each yoroi.
The power from the nine yoroi begins to activate the barrier-dissolving
spell.  Kayura/Badamon then goes after the Life Jewel Jun is still
wearing. In his tower, Sh'ten forces himself awake, painfully raises a
hand, and dismisses his yoroi. It turns into the shakujo, whose light
then dissolves the Ankoku Priests. He teleports out to face Kayura once
more, again calling the Oni Ma Sho yoroi to him now that he's out of the
tower. He recklessly over-loads in the resulting battle, absorbing all
the power Kayura/Badamon throws at him as well as calling on all his own
energy. Eventually knocking Kayura/Badamon momentarily senseless, he
sends the Oni yoroi to Kayura -- and its influence (which includes that
of the shakujo) finishes the job of driving Badamon out of Kayura's body
and restoring her memory. They both land. Kayura, in a totally different
voice than before, speaks his name. "It's up to you now, Kayura," Sh'ten
says, and -- the power overload having its affect -- collapses, falling
into the water below. (The Life Jewel, held by Byakuen at the moment,
glows brilliantly for a moment.) Kayura, now clad in the Oni Ma Sho
yoroi and the shakujo in hand, tells Jun and Nasti to try and free the
Troopers while she goes to face Arago. "We must not let Sh'ten's
sacrifice be in vain," she says sadly. Overhead, two black circles have
begun to intersect.  Once they become one, the Demon World and Earth
will have merged, which is what they must prevent. Jun knows which tower
Ryo was sent to, so off they go.  He finds Ryo all right, but cannot
release the spell holding Recca no Ryo. And dozens of demon warriors are
following in his wake! Arago makes an explosive entrance to fight
Kayura. As the demon soldiers arrive in the room where Ryo is held, Jun
cowers up against Recca, the Life Jewel glows -- and breaks the spell
holding all eight yoroi wearers. Their release does not stop the process
of the worlds becoming one. Once started, it no longer needs the yoroi
energy to continue. They must defeat Arago to stop his plan... (Note:
Yes, there's a good chance Sh'ten could be brought "back to life" in
future OAVs or a second series. First, the shakujo tends to absorb the
spirits of its wielders when they die. Second, the gleam of the Jewel of
Life as Sh'ten falls into the moat could indicate it was busy doing
something at the time as well. This is, after all, the Demon World,
where magic works most strongly. Add this to the fact that later in next
episode Kayura shows up with the three Ma Sho -- them in their armor,
but her in her kimono (i.e., the Oni yoroi is no where to be found)
indicates to me that if the studio wants to bring Sh'ten back to life,
they've given themselves plenty of ways to explain his return. I can
hope, anyway!)

#39 (3/4) Shine! Five Warriors (Five Warrior Team)
--------------------------------------------------
Ryo has been told by Jun and Nasti of Sh'ten's sacrifice as well as
Kayura's plan to take on Arago all by herself. He rushes off toward
Arago's castle, the disks in the sky a constant reminder of the time
constraints they are now under. Kayura battles Arago, calling into mind
the sacrifices of both Kaos and Sh'ten to give her strength. (There's a
comment in there somewhere about both their spirits giving her
advice/help through the shakujo, but I'm not sure exactly what's being
said.) She is joined by the three Ma Sho. Sh'ten's death has also
completely freed them of Arago's control. "Sh'ten was right -- you were
only using us," Rajura says bitterly. As the five Troopers make their
way to the castle, Seiji, looking in the mirror of his nodachi's
polished surface, sees the buildings of Shinjuku rather than the towers
of Arago's palace reflected thereon. "Below", the denizens of Shinjuku
can see the intricate pattern of Arago's palace and grounds "reflected"
in the sky above them, as Badamon and his Ankoku Priests arrive to start
spreading Arago's evil influence. All nine yoroi wearers now face Arago,
as Badamon drawns humans into the tower he's made to connect the two
worlds. He drains their life force to help finish the construction of
the tower, creating a bridge between the two worlds. Arago breaths fire
at Shu, who steps aside and lets Recca no Ryo take it. (I am reminded of
the old "Uncle Remus" tale about Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit..."Brer Fox,
Brer Fox, do anything to me, but don't throw me in the briar patch!")
Recca gains strength from the fire, and succeeds in driving Arago off
the castle roof and into the moat. Kayura tells him that the spell
cannot be broken until they defeat and destroy Arago in the human world.
Arago is currently climbing the tower/bridge (can you say "King Kong
clone"?). He lands in our world, thinking he has successfully left the
Troopers behind -- but then becomes aware of energy spheres that have
followed him, resolving into the Troopers as they land and confront him.
During the ensuing battle, Badamon is destroyed. Ryo calls the Kikotei
yoroi and attacks, and seemingly is defeated. But when Arago draws Ryo
toward him (seemingly to absorb the energy of the Kikotei armor), Ryo
drives himself and the yoroi into Arago, effectively paralyzing the
Demon Lord (as the other four Troopers did toward the end of the first
storyline). "Hurry! Strike now -- I can't hold him for long!" his voice
tells his comrades, the Kikotei yoroi now superimposed over Arago's
form. Crying -- certain that their actions will kill Ryo as well -- the
four remaining Troopers strike, their armor itself momentarily turning
to energy with the strength of their blows. The Jewel of Life on Jun's
necklace also glows, sending a beam of light through Arago. Arago's form
crumbles, dissolving into smoke. The beam of light from the Jewel
resolves into Ryo's form, the Kikotei armor bright in the sunlight as
the reflection of Arago's palace in the sky above disappears. Kayura --
once more wearing her kimono, shakujo in hand -- appears with the three
remaining Demon Generals and tells them that she and the Ma Sho will
remain in the Demon World. They must undo the damage Arago has done
there, and also insure that the barrier between their two worlds is kept
in place. They will also insure that Arago does not reassemble himself
there and attempt to take over both worlds again, as he did the last
time he was defeated. (Considering that all of them were born over 400
years ago, I rather imagine they'd all be rather uncomfortable trying to
fit into our current world anyway.) The Troopers rejoice, and as the
final episode ends play a brief game of impromptu baseball with the
glowing sphere of the Life Jewel as their "ball", in a replay of the
first storyline's closing credits.


==========================================
== CHAPTER 4: THE OAVs VOLUMES I AND II ==
==========================================

CHARACTERS APPEARING IN OAVs I AND II
=====================================

SHIKAISEN
An evil spirit, possibly an efreet (or "ifreet") or djinn, although at
one point he claims to have once been human. The name kanji translate
"SHI: Corpse KAI: Key SEN: Wizard -- I think that would best translate
as "Necromancer", a wizard who requires death and corpses (sometimes
animating them) in performing his magic. Shikaisen does indeed seem to
gain power from the deaths of humans around him. He has become the
partner of the Master Scientist, and together they are combining the
evil spirit's magic with science to gain power for themselves. Shikaisen
is served by several "ninja" who appear to be humans wearing
Arabic-style clothing and strange masks. One article claims that he,
like Arago, was originally human, and has gained his power by studying
demonology. He boasts that by searching for magical secrets in England
and Japan, he learned the secrets of eternal youth and life. If he was
once human, he certainly retains very little of his humanity now.

MASTER SCIENTIST
He's also referred to in one article as studying "science arriving" --
i.e., "future science" or parapsycology, according to my Japanese
teacher. He is completely amoral, doing whatever is necessary to further
his study of magic - - in this case, black magic -- in an attempt to
find its scientific laws and rules. He has become a partner to
Shikaisen's evil, so immersed in the things he is learning that the fact
that Shikaisen's goals require killing and torturing people not only
doesn't bother him, but he has ended up actually participating in the
evil.

LUNA
A young woman who resides in New York, her brother is killed by either
Shikaisen or Shikaisen's servents. She initially believes Toma is
responsible, but when she learns the truth aids the Troopers in their
efforts to track down their new enemies. She is a determined,
strong-minded young woman who, like Ryo, has something of a temper.

LUNA'S BROTHER
Luna's older and much-loved brother was a photographer who took pictures
of things Shikaisen didn't want recorded. As such, the djinn had him
killed.

MR. CHIN
In some articles referred to as Shu's uncle, and in others as a
relative, he owns a Chinese resturant in New York. The Troopers stay
with him while in the city, and he is badly injured by Shikaisen's
"ninja" when they kidnap Nasti and Jun.

VOLUME 1: GAI DEN ("Traditional Biography"): ARMORED WARRIORS CORNERED! 
          (Released 30 April 1989)
=======================================================================          

NOTE: Volume I is "Part One" of a two-part storyline. Volume II
concludes the story.

The story opens in New York City, where a rough street gang attacks a
"weird dude in armor". Viewers familiar with Yoroiden will recognize the
armor as the Korin yoroi -- and it also becomes obvious with a few
close-ups that the armor is empty. The Korin yoroi makes short work of
the gang members... Switch to Tokyo, with Ryo arriving at a hotel in
Shinjuku, where his friends are throwing him a birthday party. (This
uses some of the scenes from the second storyline's closing credits for
its inspiration. By the way, that sign in the background says "MY CITY",
not "NY CITY". MY CITY is the name of a big department store in
Shinjuku; and the sign in the animation is visible in real life as the
train pulls into Shinjuku station. The glass elevators Ryo uses are in
one of the hotels across the street from the Tokyo/Shinjuku Hilton, and
are about a five minute walk from the train station.) Seiji has not
shown up, but everyone figures he's busy elsewhere. Only Ryo seems to
notice a news broadcast from New York about a strangely armored form
that has been going about killing members of street gangs. Nasti,
however, also catches the end of the news broadcast.

Shortly thereafter Ryo is enroute to New York. He is surprised by the
prescence of Shu and Shin on the plane with him. They tell him that
Nasti also heard the news report and figured he'd do something like
this. She, Jun and Toma are already in New York and will be doing some
investigating; they're to meet them at a Chinese resturant there that
Shu knows of. In New York, Toma and Nasti are trying to find the
photographer who took the pictures of the Korin yoroi. A girl overhears
their questions and seems too interested to be up to any good. The plane
Ryo and company are on is attacked by a strange apparition. Ryo sees it
and recognizes its supernatural nature. The pilots somehow managed to
safely land the aircraft in New York harbor despite the damage the
creature has caused. Toma has tracked down the photographer only to find
him already dead, a knife protruding from his chest. Toma shows a great
lack of common sense when he pulls the killer's weapon out of the body.
The girl -- who has followed him -- sees him with the knife over the
body and assumes Toma has killed the man. She escapes before Toma can
explain things to her. The Troopers meet at the resturant -- which is
owned by Shu's uncle. The girl, who was the dead photographer's younger
sister, arrives and attacks Toma in revenge for her brother's death.
Toma evades the attack, and the girl escapes again.

Elsewhere, Seiji is experiencing nightmares, including ones where he is
battling evil demons. Unknown to him, his physical body is strung up
from a six-pointed star being pumped full of drugs as an evil-looking
man (he looks an awful lot like the djinn we've already met) speaks to
him over headphones, trying to control both Seiji and his yoroi. At the
end of what we see in Seiji's "dream", he's fighting himself...Ryo
senses his distress and wakes up, knowing that Seiji is in agony
somewhere. Toma and Shu are at a burger joint when the Korin yoroi
attacks again. They armor up and face it, shocked to discover the yoroi
they are facing is seemingly empty. The crowd cheers them, and Shu says
they're stupid not to run when they have the chance.  Shu and Toma are
holding their own until New York's finest attack, shooting up everyone
involved in the battle. The Korin yoroi sends massive amounts of energy
against the attack helicopters, and the two Samurai Troopers are also
knocked out of action by the power discharge. They collapse about the
same time Ryo and Shin arrive. During the ensuing battle Ryo momentarily
sees the spirit animating the armor -- and recognizes it as the demon
who'd attacked their plane earlier. The police attack again, and the
Korin armor levitates away out of the line of fire. Ryo shoulders a
damaged Toma, while Shin helps Shu -- and the four do their best to
disappear. Ryo finds himself in a dead-end alley as police race by the
entrance not seeing him. But then the girl who attacked Toma arrives,
blocking their escape route...

NOTES: Before anyone out there gets upset with the use of the six-
pointed star in this OAV, let me point out that in the Middle East
magicians have long used this symbol in the casting of spells and such.
In addition to the familian "Star of David" that is a symbol of the
Jewish faith, the six-pointed star is also known, among other names, as
the "Seal of Solomon" and was often used in summoning and controlling
demons, djinn and "genies". In this instance, the master magician seems
to be using the six-pointed star in this context, as the "stars" are
revealed in volume 2 to also have a central triangle inside the star,
which makes them "Seals of Solomon" rather than true "Stars of David".

VOLUME II: GAI DEN: SAVE OUR FRIEND, SAMURAI HEART 
           (Released 1 Jun 1989)
==================================================

Luna has realized during the battle that Toma was not responsible for
her brother's death; that the thing inside the Korin yoroi instead
murdered him.  She leads Ryo and Toma down into the subway system, where
they change back into civies and successfully escape the police.

But Shikaisen has decided to strike the Troopers at another spot: he
sends his "ninja" to kidnap Nasti and Jun from the resturant. Shu's
uncle is injured while trying to defend the two.

Luna bandages up Toma's injured leg as Shin and Shu finally locate their
hideout the young woman has lead their friends to. She tells them she is
determined to avenge her brother's death.

In Los Angelas, the inhabitants of Little Tokyo are involved in
celebrating a traditional holiday. The participants are unaware that the
evil Shikaisen and his partner, a scientist, are in their weird hideout
in caverns below. The two are discussing how they're using the computer
to unlock the secrets of the yoroi, and Shikaisen is using the evil side
of the armor to draw power -- from both the Korin yoroi and its wearer.
Even as they speak Seiji hoarsely screams as the device he is imprisoned
in draws more energy from him. Jun and Nasti, tied up and suspended over
a pool of water, are horrified as Seiji's torture continues. Shikaisen
wants to capture all the Troopers; with five yoroi to draw power from he
will be invincible. Above, people die as the djinn's power increases,
and he draws energy from those deaths as well as from the yoroi.

In New York the Troopers have returned to the resturant to discover the
mess Shikaisen's ninjas have left behind. Shikaisen has also left them a
message: "Come to Japan Town. Shikaisen." They must respond. Luna
insists on going, finally persuading Ryo to let her accompany them to
Los Angelas. (It's also obvious in this scene that Luna is getting
"sweet" on Ryo.)

The Troopers arrive to find devastavationn in Little Tokyo, the streets
littered with the debris of the abandoned celebration. Shikaisen senses
their arrival, Below the platform he, the scientist, and the bespelled
Seiji are on is the pool Nasti and Jun are suspended over. He uses the
pool as a crystal ball to spy on the Troopers, and Jun and Nasti
recognize their friends.  Shikaisen sends his ninja after them so the
scientist's computer can begin to analyze the power of their yoroi and
tell him how to best nuetralize their efforts against him. During the
struggle Luna cheers on Ryo, not even noticing that it's Shu who saves
her from one of the ninja (the look on Shu's face when he realizes
what's going on is priceless!) They enter a temple where they see
Shikaisen materialize, but it is a trap -- Shikaisen pulls a rope and
the floor below them collapses. The Troopers fall into the pool below,
while Luna uses her knife to anchor herself half-way up the wall. The
scientist activates a switch and electricity surges through the water.
Nasti and Jun, unnoticed inthe excitement, swing back and forth, finally
knocking out the computer's control panel. The Troopers take instant
action, freeing Jun, Nasti, and Seiji as they leap out of the water.
Nasti takes over the computer, trying to get it to tell her how to
defeat Shikaisen. Shikaisen is far from defeated, however, and the angry
Seiji armors up in an attempt to take him out. Unluckily for Seiji, the
computer knows everything about the Korin yoroi now, so Shikaisen easily
neutralizes him. Then Shikaisen uses the computer, it seems he can link
with it from a distance, and calls up five Solomon's Seals (sometimes
referred to in the Japanese anime magazines as "Five Yin- Yang Seals")
to imprison the Troopers. The scientist, released by Ryo when Recca
tried to help Seiji, holds a gun on Jun and Nasti as he activates the
program to put the Troopers under and allow Shikaisen to draw power from
and control their yoroi. Jun grabs the scientist as Nasti heads for the
computer once more. Shikaisen tries to stop them. Luna, who has realized
that Shikaisen is the one who had her brother killed, attacks the djinn
with her knife. Shikaisen parries her attack, fatally wounding the young
woman. Nasti has forced the computer to release its hold on the
Troopers, and they break the seals. Luna dies in Ryo's arms.

Angered, the five Troopers all armor up, and Ryo attacks Shikaisen. The
djinn seems to start to disintegrate, but then he begins to merge with
the computer.  The master scientist seems to be in shock as Shikaisen's
power kills him, and with the additional energy from his death,
Shikaisen's form begins to turn into that of Arago. It seems that they
have defeated but not destroyed the Demon Lord. Shikaisen has drawn
enough evil power from the five yoroi to allow Arago to begin to
manifest through him. (One of the articles says that so long as there is
evil in the world, Arago will continue to exist. Allow him to gather
enough energy and a focus -- such as an evil-hearted spirit occupying
one of the mystic yoroi -- and he will try to manifest once more. This
also shows that the Trooper's armor, made from Arago's own yoroi, does
indeed contain at least some of the Demon Lord's evil. Another article
speculates that Arago's form is a false image created by Shikaisen, who
has plucked from their minds and the yoroi the knowledge of the Demon
Lord, in an attempt to frighten the Troopers enough to give him a chance
to defeat them. The OAV doesn't make it clear if it is really Arago or a
false image...) This time Arago (or Shikaisen, anyway!) is meshed with
the computer, and the Troopers realize that he'll therefore know how to
nuetralize their powers as well.  Their only hope is the Kikotei armor,
which the computer has not had a chance to examine. With the aid of the
other four, Ryo calls up the Sun yoroi. Crying "Sen Ko Zan", he disrupts
the power flows and destroys both the materializing Arago and the
computer.

Later, the grieving Troopers, along with Jun, Nasti, and Shu's uncle
Chin, throw flowers into the water off a bridge (somehow they've gotten
to San Francisco, as it's the Golden Gate Bridge they're on...) in
memory of the brave Luna.


================================================================
== CHAPTER 5: JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY & SYMBOLISM USED IN YOROIDEN ==
================================================================

Samurai Troopers uses a lot of Japanese folklore, mythology and Oriental
mystic symbolism in its plotline. Greater familiarity with this
background can add a lot to the enjoyment of watching the series. I'm
just going to cover a few of the basics here; if you find the material
interesting I recommend you check out the "Sources" section at the very
back of this publication for the names of the books I used for my
research and their authors -- then you can do your own research!

As mentioned in my notes above about the elements the five Troopers
represent, the Oriental mystic system uses five elements, not the four
we're more used to. The fifth is "Spirit", sometimes representing Life.
(These five elements according to some sources may also be called Wood
(Spirit), Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water - with "Metal" being the
equivilent to Air in this case.) The Four Seasons were also quite
important. The combination of Elements and Seasons made the number
"nine" of utmost importance in the Oriental mystic system. (Somewhat
similar to the importance that the numbers "five" and "seven" have in
most European-based mystic systems I know of.) That's why Kaos created
nine Yoroi - to use the mystic "ki" energy generated by that special
number.

Each of the hand gestures used by both Kaos and Arago (and infrequently
by Sh'ten after he gains the shakujo) are actual gestures used in Japan
by Shinto priests and monks, Buddhist monks and priests, and various
shamanic "cults".

In addition, each of the Yoroi was made with a specific virtue, each
represented by a kanji in this case. Those yoroi made to represent the
five elements were imbibed with the five Confucian virtues - which, by
the way, are even listed in Nelson's Japanese-English Character
Dictionary under the explaination of the kanji JIN. The five Confucian
virtues are: JIN - Benevolence (Ryo's "great heart"), GI - Justice (Shu
- he's the straight-forward one - either something is right, or it
isn't) , REI - Courtesy (Seiji - he's also the most mystic; fitting as
his element is spirit), CHI - Wisdom (Toma IS the intellectual of the
five!), and SHIN - sincerity (and trust)(Shin is sometimes the most
naive and trusting of the five). The chant of "Jin-gi-rei-chi-shin" is
used as a meditation mantra by some Buddhist sects. The four Yoroi
associated with the seasons, on the other hand, were given what can be
termed the warrior or samurai virtues; they are listed in some of the
books on Bushido I've found. They are: CHU - Loyalty, NIN - Endure/bear
pain (ie without complaint), TEI - Serve elders, and KO - Filial piety.
I suspect that Arago-sama was able to pervert the last four yoroi much
more easily than that of the first five because of these virtues -- the
four warrior virtues emphasize loyalty and service to the master you've
sworn to obey even if you think your lord is in the wrong. The five
Confucian virtues, on the other hand, are based on what could be called
"moral constants" rather than the whims of one's lord. (As a matter of
fact, in one article it states that Arago has waited until current-day
to try his newest attack on our world precisely because the five
Confucian virtues are no longer actively practiced by most people today,
making it easier for the Demon Lord and his forces to enter and conquer
our world.) Of course, as the Yoroi were originally part of Arago, there
is also a certain amount of evil inherent in the mystic metal. It
becomes evident in the OAVs that even the Troopers' yoroi contains evil
power, or Shikaisen/Necromancer would not have been able to use the
Korin armor. It is the affiliation of the wearer, not the armor itself,
which decides whether the good or the evil power of the yoroi is
foremost. I suspect that the wearers of the yoroi will only gain the
full levels of their potential when they learn to harness and use both
sides of the armors' nature.

The studio also uses a lot of other, more familiar Oriental mythological
elements as well. In Japanese symbology, white or blond hair usually
represents supernatural beings or spirits -- and in this series, both
Arago and Kaos -- definitely supernatural beings and/or spirits! -- have
white hair.  So does Rajura, for that matter, and his unique abilites at
creating illusions certainly bespeak unusual powers. The wierd little
frog-eyed demon envoy in episode #24 is designed to look an awful lot
like one of the little clay Japanese household gods that you sometimes
see in museums; I've seen a picture of one in Japanese Mythology by
Juliet Piggott that looks exactly like the headpiece that creature was
wearing in the series.

What's even more interesting is looking at the faithfulness the artists
have used in creating the armor. While the yoroi themselves are not
"real" samurai armor (although their outline from a distance resembles
samurai armor) -- they're solid sheets of metal instead of individual
little plates of metal sewn onto a backing, for one thing -- the helmets
themselves are straight out of the museums. So you think some of those
helmets are too wild to be true? Check out some of the books on real
samurai armor available in English! The helmets the Troopers and their
enemies use are actually fairly modest compared to some of the real
helmets pictured in the books I used to do my research!

The use of the "three weapons" necessary to defeat Arago: the Swords of
Passion, the Blazing Sun yoroi, and the "Jewel of Life" are a direct
"steal" from the three Imperial "gifts of the goddess" -- the
comma-shaped jewel, the sword, and the mirror -- that are part of the
"mythology" of the Japanese imperial family. The three gifts were given
to the first emperor by the sun goddess Amaterasu as an indication of
her favor, and are even today part of the Imperial regalia. The "Jewel
of Life" in the TV show may be a type of seed pod -- which certainly is
indicative of life -- but also is "comma-shaped".  The Mirror of the
Imperial regalia was used to show Amaterasu her own (fiery) image; and
the white armor is the Sun Armor -- there seems to be something of a
parallel there! Further, the Kikotei yoroi can only be worn by someone
who is noble and righteous, as it is in essence the distillation of the
"prayers and wishes of the oppressed for peace" -- it it the spiritual
product of purity and nobility. Finally, the "Swords of Passion" are the
equivilent of the sword of the Imperial regalia. They are especially
effective in fighting demons.

Trying to figure out where Kaos -- and later Sh'ten, after he takes
Kaos' place -- fits in was an interesting problem, but we think we've
discovered just who and what he was. The problem is that Kaos displays
elements of both Shinto and Buddhist symbolism. He has long hair, while
Buddhist monks and priests usually shave themselves bald. The shakujo is
more representative of Buddhist and Zen Buddhist monks. He uses
Buddhist-style chants, yet the "medicine bag" he wears around his neck
is Shinto in origin. He knows how to use a sword, unusual for most
priests or monks of either sect. Research into Japanese folklore and
history revealed that there was a group of mystics who fit this type of
image, and in more ways than the visual side of things! There was a sect
of mystics known as the Shugendo who combined both Shinto and Buddhist
concepts and precepts. They were known as the "yamabushi" or "Mountain
Ascetics", and were of a militant order -- they were also sometimes
called "Mountain Warriors" and they played a major role in several of
Japan's internal conflicts. They were also said to be very power
magic-users, as much feared for their mystic abilities -- including
healing -- as respected. They dressed "plainly", in the manner of
iternent monks, and did not shave their heads. They were also said to
specialize in fighting evil spirits. Not much is known about them, as
their sect was wiped out during the Meiji Restoration.  Part of the
Restoration was a decision by those who came into power to completely
seperate Shinto and Buddhist practices (these were the militaristic,
nationalistic fanatics who would later be responsible for bringing a
hellish lot of grief to both Japan and the rest of the world). As
Buddhism was a foreign influence, it had to be seperated from the native
religion of Shintoism, and Shintoism itself had to be "purified" - and
was re-made into the very militaristic sect of Shrine or State Shinto
that became the official religion of Japan in the late 1800s and early
1900s. Because Shugendo's basis was the blending of the two religions
(along with healthy portions of straight mysticism), it had to be
destroyed. (I'm sure the fact the mystics also tended to support the
Shogun rather than the new government probably had something to do with
it, too!) The suppression of the sect was so thorough that there is very
little known about the practice of Shugendo, although of course their
public exploits, especially by their warriors, are part of Japan's
history.

In the first two OAVs, extensive use is made not only of the "Seal of
Solomon" six-pointed star, but the computer analyzing the yoroi uses the
symbolism of the I-Ching in assigning various values to what it
discovers. For example, when Shikaisen starts to turn into Arago, the
symbol that flashes on the screen is that of hexagram "Chi Chi", or
"After completion" -- which indicates a "small success". Other I Ching
symbols used in various patterns are simply too numerous to list in this
article...If you're interested, you can always pick up an I Ching book
(mine cost about $2 at a used book store!) and use your VCR's "pause"
button while you write each hexagram down...

Another interesting note: In Japan mediums and shamans -- that is, those
people believed to have direct channels of communication from the divine
and ancestral spirits to humanity -- are entirely female (I understand
there isn't even a word in the Japanese language for a male shaman).
This might cast an interesting light on Nasti's role (both function and
characterization) in the series.


===========================================
== CHAPTER 6: THE POEM/SONG OF THE YOROI ==
===========================================

This is the composition that Nasti's grandfather had found which Nasti
and Ryo used to locate the other four Samurai Troopers in episodes 4
through 10. Alara Rogers translated the article in the July 1988
ANIMEDIA that contained the following information. The notes and such
below on it are mostly hers.
  
"Makimizunara toku, haruka kimi ga tame
Natsumamu wagare o zo, fushishinobu
Hikarisaku aki, hotoshu ni seshi
Ooyuki yamano moreshi fuyu
Sora no nagare ni shin mo kogaretsutsu."

Unfortunately, this poem is so full of kanji puns and the like it is
impossible for me or any of the other translators I've shown it to to
translate and make it MEAN anything! However, I can certainly make a few
notes that will help underscore the importance of the poem to the first
storyline.

The poem is the key to discovering where each of the four missing
Troopers was located. Each of the various locations (see map elsewhere.)
was keyed into the elemental power of each of the five Yoroi. The
article also hints that it may have been Kaos who composed the song
several hundred years ago.

"Makimizunara": Naru is the same kanji as mei, the first character of
"Meimon", the whirlpool where Shin is located. "Mizu" means "water".
"Hikarisaku aki" literally means "autumn of blooming light", and "Aki"
appears in both the name of the plateau and the name of the cave Seiji
is found in.  "Hikari" is light, and is the same kanji as "Ko" - as in
Korin. "Ooyuki Yamano" = "The mountains and plains of heavy snowfall"
refer to the snowy landscape of the area of Hokkaido where Shu is
imprisoned in the rock. If it's spelled with kanji, and you take away
the kanji "no" at the the end, the result is "Daisetsu-zan", or "Mt.
Daisetsu" -- again, Shu's location. "Sora no nagare" = "the streams of
the sky". As Toma is found in space, this refers to his "hiding place"
in orbit.

As a side note, the kanji in the article mentions Kyoto (where the boys
reassemble before going to find Toma) as the capital -- I assume that's
because in Kaos' time Kyoto was the capital. Tokyo didn't become the
capital of Japan until about 1868, well after Commedore Perry's visit
with his Black Ships...


===========================
== CHAPTER 7: COMMENTARY ==
===========================

This series is rather interesting in that while the Troopers have had
their yoroi for almost a year at the beginning of the show, they still
have a lot to learn about their armor and its abilities -- as well as
their own internal power. Every time they fight a foe they learn more
about how to use their abilities and that of their armor, as well as
finding new sources of power within themselves. The armor and their
abilities are also unusual in that if one of the Troopers loses faith in
himself, then he cannot call his armor to him or use his powers. When
Ryo gains the Kikotei yoroi for the few first times, the power overload
knocks out not only him but also the other four Troopers. As time goes
on, however, his ability to handle that much power increases, and his
teammates also learn how to send their own power to him without pain. By
the end of the show, the five Troopers can call up the Kikotei yoroi
easily, as if it has become second nature. Further, as Ryo becomes
familiar with the Kikotei armor, he learns that it has its own power
attack, and the last few episodes in the series has him using it rather
than his more familiar "So En Za" - and even the way he uses the swords
in this new attack is different than that used by the Recca armor! As
each Trooper gains control of his own full power, each begins to use all
six syllables of the power attack used by each yoroi (the first three
symbols all seem to be "cho-an-do", which has something to do with
"great strength"...).

The yoroi -- the mystic armor of the title that the Troopers wear -- is
indeed mystic in nature, but as the series progresses it becomes clear
that the armor's true magic is in drawing power from its wearer and
channeling it through their weapons. So the true strength of the armor
lies not in the armor itself, but in the wearer. As time goes on, the
Troopers learn to draw and refine thier power themselves, no longer
needing the armor all the time to act -- although, like any good tool,
they can work their best when in the yoroi.  Arago can draw power from
both the wearer and the yoroi (mostly through the yoroi). Evidentally
the armor can act like a battery, storing energy generated by its wearer
until it is needed.

The Japanese consider the avoidance of direct confrontation, especially
with members of one's own group, as very important -- down to avoiding
comparisons or passing judgement on others in their prescence. The open
hostility and rivalry among the Demon Generals is pretty obnoxious even
by individualistic American standards, and I suspect that by Japanese
standards they are really inhumanly vile. The difference between this
rude behaviour by individuals who are presumably long-time colleagues,
but show few signs of group solidarity, and the Troopers, who are
strangers to each other at the beginning of the series but develop group
solidarity very quickly is quite striking and no doubt deliberate.

The artwork in this show, like Saint Seiya, is similar to the older
animated shows rather than the more realistic style used in series like
Zeta Gundam.  The character designs are very well realized. The design
for the characters are also most effective, especially that for Arago
and company. The armor manages to look effective as well as visually
pleasing; it also does a nice job of indicating visually which side the
wearer is on -- the cleaner-looking armor generally belongs to the
Troopers; that of Arago's minions is much more menacing. Sh'ten's armor,
which is much "cleaner" looking than that of the other demon generals,
is an indication of his own mental state -- he isn't as committed to
Arago and the Demon Lord's methods as the others who serve Arago are.
Another interesting artistic touch during the first storyline is that as
Arago gets stronger and stronger, his "helmet" becomes more and more
solid and less ghost-like. When we get to the Demon World, it definitely
is not Earth-like. But far from being the sort of ugly, twisted
landscape you'd expect, the Demon World in fact has an etheral beauty
all its own. The background artwork when we get to see what the Demon
World is really like is quite well done. Take your time during episodes
#30 and #31 to take a good look at the scenery behind Ryo, Toma,
Byakuen, and the Demon hordes and admire the work the artists have put
into these scenes!

The artwork and animation in the OAVs is excellent, at the level the
series reached at its best. The work the artists did with both colors
and the play of light and shadow in the OAVs is particularly
outstanding.

However, the artwork in the series can also be quite frustrating. The
artwork and animation is, unfortunately, rather mediocre in the first
episodes, but luckily this improves markedly as the series continues.
The first episodes seemed aimed at a somewhat younger audiance. There
are several episodes -- #4 and #11 come immediately to mind, but
unfortunately those aren't the only ones -- where the artwork is really
TERRIBLE. The see-saw between episodes with good artwork and those with
poor is irritating. At least episode #11 is the last that has really BAD
artwork. And a few episodes -- #19, #23, #32 and 33 come particularly to
mind -- are really well done.

There is a very haunting, surreal quality to some of the battles in the
first storyline. They tend to take place either in the vacant,
unpopulated city, or in areas of countryside which are big tourist
spots. I'm quite sure folks in Japan find it very eerie to see all the
action taking place in areas which they are not only familiar with (I've
pictures of most of the areas outside the city where the battles take
place in the various "Sights to See" tourist guide books I've got on
Japan) but which normally are wall-to-wall people. I imagine it must be
rather unsettling to see them empty.

It's also interesting to note that from the opening credits and
throughout the rest of the series the four Demon Generals seem to
consistently fight/face off with a specific Samurai Trooper. This goes
down to their various abilities "complimenting" each other...for
example, the two "big swords," Seiji and Anubis, very quickly find
themselves in frequent battle. The "pairing off" of the enemies is as
follows:

  * Anubis vs. Seiji (Darkness and Death against Life and Light)
  * Naza vs Shin (Poison/Pollution against Purity/Clear Water)
  * Shu vs Rajura (Strength/Loyalty against Cunning/Illusion) 
  * Sh'ten vs Ryo/Toma (From the opening credits, I'd say this was
  supposed to be primarily Sh'ten vs. Toma, but Sh'ten ended up fighting
  Ryo as often if not more often than Toma. Note that Sh'ten and Toma
  are also the "intellectals" of their respective groups. This balance
  is shaken by Sh'ten's defection. Sh'ten is the only Demon General who
  was willing to take on all five of the Troopers at the same time more
  than once. The other Demon Generals usually took them on one or two at
  a time. After Sh'ten's defection, Keyura takes his place as the
  servent of Arago who fights both Ryo and Toma.)

The symbols on the Trooper's yoroi are similar (and in some cases
identical to) real Japanese "mon" -- which are equivilent to medieval
European coats of arms. Those of the Ma Sho yoroi, which seem to have
been developed as an afterthought, have no similar counterparts in
Japanese heraldry.

I would dearly love to know how Sunrise originally intended to end the
series before they rewrote the ending so they could segue into the
second storyline! As it is, I think some of the inconsistencies in the
plot may be laid to the need to re-write some elements of the earlier
storyline to conform to the needs of the second. For example, the
decision to make the four Ma Sho yoroi part of a "nine-piece set" with
the five Trooper yoroi. There is no mention in the earliest parts of the
series of such an idea -- this only starts to be mentioned around
episode 13 or 14, by which time the second storyline had been decided
upon. The fact that the Ma Sho yoroi are so visually dissimilar to those
of the Troopers tend to indicate that in the beginning there may not
have been such an idea. (I could be wrong in this; certainly the
"undergear" of both Ma Sho and Troopers is practically identical except
for the color scheme.) Second, in the original story line the Ankoku
Priests are merely extensions of the Demon Lord with almost no
independent intelligence. In the second storyline this is changed and
they become the personifications of the souls of evil men who have
entered the Demon World after death -- given shape, form and substance
by Arago's will. In the first storyline there is no sign, no mention of
the glowing crystal "kanji balls" that appear in the later episodes.
Finally, I have the impression that the Kikotei yoroi was invented
solely to help act as a bridge between first and second storylines, and
that originally it was not part of the first one at all. I'm sure the
careful viewer may note other inconsistencies that may have been caused
by the need to re-write parts and information from the first storyline
so it would fit better with that being given and developed in the
second.

Some people, when material for this show started to appear, dismissed
Yoroiden as a "Seiya clone". I strongly disagree with this sentiment.
While there may be surface similarities in plotline and the armor, this
is more because both shows draw on much earlier, similarly themed shows
from the late 1960s and early 1970s - shows like Kagaku Ninja Tai
Gatchaman, Cashern, and other shows where the emphasis was on the heros
using the "strength that lies within their bodies" to combat the enemy
rather than mechanical or technological aids.  Actually, Yoroiden draws
much more -- especially in the "second storyline" of episodes 20 through
39 -- on two historical fantasies. One is live action -- it's called
Satomi Hakken Den, and was dubbed into English (the voice acting in the
English version is so bad it's hysterically funny - but in general stays
true to the original storyline) as Legend of Eight Samurai. This
includes the glowing "balls" with their associated kanji, and some other
Japanese cultural symbols and symbolism that struck me forcibly when I
had a chance to re-watch this film. The other source you might want to
watch for some symbolic, storyline, and psychological similarities on
the parts of some of the characters, is the 23-episode animated series
based on Akakage Ninja (Ninja Redshadow). Akakage is based on a bunch of
live-action Akakage movies and TV series, all of which are played for
humor (they're the type with the special effects being deliberately -- I
think -- so bad that you're rolling on the floor laughing while watching
them). The animated show, on the other hand, was played much more
seriously and is quite enjoyable even if you've never seen any of the
live-action versions. (The tone is so disparate that they could have
changed the names of the characters and Akakage's costume and the
animated series would have played quite well as an original storyline.)
There may be other shows and movies I haven't had a chance to see which
may have also influenced Yoroiden. However, while Samurai Troopers does
draw somewhat on these other sources, the series storyline and
characters are original enough that in my opinion it isn't a rip-off at
all; it's simply using some interesting elements from other sources and
utilyzing them to further its own plot.
sect was so thorough that there is very


======================================
== CHAPTER 8: SAMURAI TROOPER MUSIC ==
======================================

GUN ROU HEN (BGM #I)
Long versions of the original opening and closing credits as well as
background music. CD order #:K30X 7129

I JIN HEN (BGM #II)
Long versions of opening and closing credits from the second set of
credits, as well as TV versions of the first opening and closing songs.
And lots of background music. CD order #: K30X 7139

SEI RAN HEN (BGM #III)
Short versions of the second storyline opening and closing credits, and
more background music that wasn't on the first two BGMs. CD order #:
K30X 7150

VOCAL ALBUM
Both opening credit songs are on this album, as well as eight other
songs "inspired" by the series. Most of them are quite good! Some songs
other than the credits are used in the show, and several instrumental
pieces based on the above songs -- particularly "Wild Cat" -- are used
as background music during the series. CD order #: K32X 7146

BEST FRIENDS
Second vocal album, something more of an "image album" with each of the
songs being inspired by one of the main characters. CD order #:292A-7005

If you can only afford one album, I'd suggest I Jin Hen (BGM II) if you
like background music - this one also has both sets of credit songs --
and the first vocal album if you prefer songs. In any case, if you like
the music from the TV series, these albums are a definate "must"!! Like
most japanime-based albums, they all sport wonderful art as well; I like
the back portrait of the Ma Sho on BGM II the best out of the
lot...admittedly, the back portrait on Best Friends with all the main
characters in "civies" is also wonderfully done!

SAMURAI TROOPER CALENDAR - 1989: This calendar is of the smaller size
(about 15" x 20") and has 7 pieces of original artwork counting the
front cover. Only one of the pieces falls into the "cartoon/silly"
category, and only one piece (the Oct/Nov one) falls into what I
consider the "winceable" catagory (e.i., you wince and say "They could
have done this loads better!"). It's well worth the money to people who
want some original artwork based on the show. My main complaint is that
unlike the Seiya calendars, which tend to devote each of the six pieces
of art to an individual Bronze Saint, the Trooper calendar features
Recca no Ryo rather prominently in every piece of art...but that's a
minor quibble compared to the quality of the art as a whole!

There was also some Yoroiden artwork in the 1989 Sunrise Calendar, but I
haven't been able to find a copy of it. If any of you have a copy, I'd
love to get either color xeroxes or color photos of what the Yoroiden
piece(s) looked like!
                                           

===========================================
== CHAPTER 9: SOURCE MATERIAL IN ENGLISH ==
===========================================

Blacker, Carmen - THE CATALPA BOW: A STUDY OF SHAMANISTIC PRACTICES IN
       JAPAN - George Allen & Unwin Pub., 1986
Blofeld, John, - I CHING: THE BOOK OF CHANGES - Dutton, 1965
Bottomley & Hopson - ARMS AND ARMOR OF THE SAMURAI - THE HISTORY OF
       WEAPONTRY IN ANCIENT JAPAN - Crescent Books, 1988
Campbell, Joseph - THE MASKS OF GOD: ORIENTAL MYTHOLOGY - Penguin Books,
       1962
Collcutt, Jansen and Kumakura - CULTURAL ATLAS OF JAPAN - Facts on File,
       1988
Fodor: FODOR'S JAPAN: 1988 - Fodor's Travel Publications 
Hawley, W. M. - INTRODUCTION TO JAPANESE SWORDS - (privately printed)
       1976
Hawley and Chappelear - MON, THE JAPANESE FAMILY CREST. (privately
       printed) 1976
Hori, Ichiro - FOLK RELIGION IN JAPAN: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE -
       University of Chicago Press, 1968
James, Grace - GREEN WILLOW AND OTHER JAPANESE FAIRY TALES - Avenal
       Books, 1987
James, Grace - JAPANESE FAIRY TALES - Mayflower Books, 1979
JAPANESE RELIGION: A SURVEY BY THE AGENCY FOR CULTURAL AFFAIRS -
       Kodansha, 1984
Kublin, Hyman - JAPAN - Houghton Mifflin Company, 1969
Lewis, Peter - MARTIAL ARTS OF THE ORIENT - Gallery Books, 1986
Meyer, Milton - JAPAN: A CONCISE HISTORY - Littlefield, Adams Books,
       1976
Nitobe, Inazo - BUSHIDO: THE SOUL OF JAPAN - Tuttle, Company, 1987
Obata, Toshishiro - NAKED BLADE: A MANUAL OF SAMURAI SWORDSMANSHIP -
       Dragon Books, 1986
Ono, Sokyo - SHINTO: THE KAMI WAY - Bridgeway Books, 1976
Piggott, Juliett - JAPANESE MYTHOLOGY - Peter Bedrick Books, 1980
Random, Michael - THE MARTIAL ARTS - Peerage Books, 1985
Ratto amd Westbrook - SECRETS OF THE SAMURAI - A SURVEY OF THE MARTIAL
       ARTS OF FEUDAL JAPAN - Tuttle, Company, 1987
Singer, Kurt - MIRROR, SWORD AND JEWEL - Kodansha, 1981
Smith, Richard - ANCIENT TALES AND FOLKLORE OF JAPAN - Braken Books,
       1986
Stone, George Cameron - A GLOSSARY OF THE CONSTRUCTION, DECORATION AND
       USE OF ARMS AND ARMOR IN ALL COUNTRIES AND IN ALL TIMES - 
       Brussel, pub, 1961
Turnbull, Stephan - THE BOOK OF THE SAMURAI: THE WARRIOR CLASS OF JAPAN
       - Gallery Books, 1982
Yoshikawa, Takashi - THE KI - St. Martin's Press, 1986


                  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

                  And now a brief word from our sponsor

                             ARGON OF CANTEE
                      A Multi-Interest SF/F Fan Club
                       Celebrating 25 years in 1993
                                     
                          Are you interested in:

Science Fiction & Fantasy?           McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern?
Star Trek or Star Wars?          Lackey's Valdemar / Elvish universes?
World Building?                     Japanese Animation or Comic Books?
                      Improving Your Writing Skills?

Are you interested in more than a single area of science fiction or
fantasy? Do you like animation and Japanese manga? If so, you owe it to
yourself to find out more about Argon of Cantee! Argon is a small,
friendly, independent science fiction and fantasy group. Argon members
are interested in a variety of topics, and enjoy discussing them in
both our newsletter and APA. Our interests cover Pern, Star Trek, Star
Wars, animation of all types, and science fiction and fantasy in general.
Membership costs $15 for four issues of the club newsletter and also
allows you to participate in any of the special-interest sections run
by club members under the auspices of Argon. The clubzine, Dragonwings,
generally runs 30 to 40 pages and includes reviews, fan fiction, art,
and discussions about how to improve your writing and the process of
world building. (Many of our members are interested in either improving
their fan fiction writing or becoming professional writers.) Other
subjects include Japanese animation and manga, background articles on
science and real-world magic, and just about anything else that members
think might be interesting! Several special-interest sections run by
club members allow those interested to write interactive, persona-based
fiction as well as develop detailed backgrounds for the universes these
stories are based in. Current sections, either active or under
development, include Argon Weyr, Five Star Stories "F.E.M.C. Argon", a
Star Trek alternate universe, Elfquest, and World of Valdemar. More
information on the sections is available to members.

Argon of Cantee began its life as Argon Weyr shortly after Analog
magazine published "Weyr Search" in the late 1960's. We have been
active ever since, first as a local SF group, then becoming a
correspondence group in the mid- 1970's. While Argon is perhaps best
known as a Pern group, we have always been very active in other aspects
of fandom as well. Argon is an independent group and is not part of the
current "Organized Pern Fandom" you may have heard of.

If you are interested in joining the fun, if you'd like to correspond
with fans who have more than one area of interest (or at least don't
mind hearing about other people's interests if they are different from
yours!) then Argon of Cantee is the group you should join! Send a check
or money order for $15, payable to Dragonfire Productions, to AoC
Memberships, 4122 Tallulah, San Antonio, TX 78218-3452. Include an
extra $3 if you want a copy of the current Argon Weyr Manual (manuals
for other sections are currently under development and will probably
cost about the same). For more information, international rates, etc.
send an SASE to:

                              Argon of Cantee
                         c/o Patricia Munson-Siter
                               15 5th Street
                           Del Haven, NJ  08251
                                     
             An Argon of Cantee representative is also avail-
                  able on GEnie, send email to R.STUKEY.

                      =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
                      
                           ARGON OF CANTEE STAFF
                                
                      President: Patricia Munson-Siter
                       Vice-President: Randall Stukey
                                
                              Section Leaders
                            Cantee: Lynn Dimock
                           Elfquest: Debra Reuss
                     FEMC Argon: Patricia Munson-Siter
                        JRV Kantele: Randall Stukey
                                
                    Well of Souls APA OE: Randall Stukey
              Silver Dragon Productions: Patricia Munson-Siter

                      =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=                      

                        Special note to anime fans 
                        
      Argon of Cantee is not an "anime fan club."  It is a general
      interest SF/F club that just happens to have some interest in
      some types of Japanese Animation and manga -- generally the stuff
      that isn't very popular with "normal" anime fandom.  There's 
      little or no interest in girls-with-guns anime, Cream Lemons, etc. 
      Also, anime is just ONE of MANY interests covered in Argon of 
      Cantee newsletters, sometimes issues will go by without any anime
      articles.  Therefore, if you are looking for your standard
      male-dominated, anime is everything (and better if it has lots of
      shower scenes) club, don't even think of joining Argon of Cantee
      because it isn't such a club and NEVER will be.