Kengan Ashura (ケンガンアシュラ) is a Japanese manga series written by Yabako Sandrovich and illustrated by Daromeon. It was serialized on Shogakukan's Ura Sunday website from April 2012 to August 2018, with its chapters collected in 27 tankōbon volumes. A sequel, titled Kengan Omega, began in January 2019.
It was adapted into an original net animation (ONA) series. The first 12-episode part premiered in July 2019 on Netflix; the second 12-episode part premiered in October of that same year. A second season premiered in September 2023 with a 12-episode first part; the second 16-episode part premiered in August 2024.
Contents
Summary
Since the Edo period of Japan, gladiator arenas have existed in various forms around the world. In these arenas, wealthy business owners and merchants hire gladiators to fight in unarmed combat where the winner takes all, called Kengan matches. Yamashita Kazuo, an average Japanese salaryman for Nogi Group witnesses a street fight in an alley between two mysterious fighters. One of the fighters, Tokita "Ashura" Ohma is scouted out by the Nogi Group CEO, Nogi Hideki, due to defeating their previous fighter in the street fight. Kazuo is roped into managing Ohma who joins these arenas only to devastate his opponents. His spectacular ability to crush his enemies catches the attention of big business owners, leading to his inclusion in the Kengan Annihilation Tournament under the invitation of Hideki. This tournament is held by the biggest CEOs in Japan and the winner gets the seat of Kengan Association chairman, a position which holds immense power and prestige. As the tournament unfolds Ohma tests his strength while struggling with his mysterious past coming back to haunt him as Kazuo struggles with managing Ohma and figuring out the true intentions as to why he was invited to this tournament.
Characters
Ohma Tokita (十鬼蛇 王馬, Tokita Ōma)
Voiced by: Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Japanese); Kaiji Tang (English)
A fighter in his late 20s, he defeats another combatant in a dark alley, catching the attention of the Nogi Group, which recruits him as its representative for the Kengan Association. Kazuo Yamashita becomes his caretaker as they navigate the Kengan matches and later the Kengan Annihilation Tournament. Known as "Ashura" in the fighting circuit, he employs the Niko Style, a martial art taught by his late master Tokita Niko. The style incorporates four katas: Adamantine, Flame, Redirection, and Water.
Kazuo Yamashita (山下 一夫, Yamashita Kazuo)
Voiced by: Chō (Japanese); Keith Silverstein (English)
A 56-year old salaryman of the Nogi Group. After a fateful encounter with Ohma Tokita, he was reassigned to be Ohma's caretaker by order of the Nogi Group's CEO. Skittish and meek, something awakens inside of him as he ventures deeper into the Kengan matches, as well as his bond with Ohma. Later made President of the Yamashita Trading Co., a shell company of the Nogi Group.
Hideki Nogi (乃木 英樹, Nogi Hideki)
Voiced by: Jouji Nakata (Japanese); Michael C. Pizzuto (English)
CEO of the Nogi Group. He challenges the Kengan Association for the position of Chairman, resulting in the creation of the Annihilation Tournament with a stipulation that, if the Nogi Group fails to win, the company is dissolved and taken by the Kengan Association. He forms the shell company Yamashita Trading Co., with Kazuo Yamashita as its President and Ohma Tokita as its representative fighter. He also formed a 2nd shell company SF Cold Storage with Lihito as both its President and fighter.
Kaede Akiyama (秋山 楓, Akiyama Kaede)
Voiced by: Yumi Uchiyama (Japanese); Erika Harlacher (English)
Media
Manga
Written by Yabako Sandrovich and illustrated by Daromeon, Kengan Ashura was serialized in Shogakukan's online platform Ura Sunday and in the MangaONE app from April 18, 2012, to August 9, 2018. Shogakukan collected its chapters in 27 tankōbon volumes, released from December 18, 2012, to February 19, 2019.
A sequel, titled Kengan Omega (ケンガンオメガ), began its serialization on Ura Sunday and MangaONE on January 17, 2019. The sequel is set two years after the events of the original series. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on February 19, 2019. As of September 11, 2026, 34 volumes have been released.
Both series are licensed digitally in North America by Comikey.
Anime
Ura Sunday opened a fan poll in January 2015 to let fans decide which of their series should receive an anime adaptation. In May 2015, it was announced that Kengan Ashura had won the poll with 2.3 million out of 9 million total votes, and would be adapted into an anime. Two years later, in December 2017 it was announced that the anime was still being planned, and that it would be a television series. The staff and release window for the series were announced in March 2018. The series was directed by Seiji Kishi and written by Makoto Uezu, with animation by Larx Entertainment. Kazuaki Morita provided character designs for the anime, while Yasuharu Takanashi composed the series' music. The world premiere of the series took place at Anime Expo on July 7, 2018. The series premiered in Japan at Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills on January 27, 2019. The series premiered on July 31, 2019. The opening theme is "King & Ashley" by My First Story, while the ending theme is "Born This Way" by BAD HOP. Netflix streamed the anime. The second part of the series, also consisting of 12 episodes, premiered on Netflix on October 31, 2019.
On March 24, 2022, it was announced that the anime is receiving a sequel. The editor of Kengan Omega manga has confirmed on Twitter that the anime continuation would adapt the original manga's story "until the end of the original (the end of the tournament)!". It was later revealed to be a second season, whose first part, consisting of 12 episodes, premiered on September 21, 2023; the second part, consisting of 16 episodes, premiered on August 15, 2024. For the first part, SiM performed the opening theme "Red", while Band-Maid performed the ending theme "Shambles". For the second part, Hey-Smith performed the opening theme "Feel My Pain", while Jin Dogg performed the ending theme song "Nani?!".
Other media
A drama CD was bundled with the special edition of volume 0 on January 8, 2016.
In July 2020, a crossover art by Daromeon and Keisuke Itagaki, featuring Ohma Tokita and Baki Hanma from Baki the Grappler, was drawn to promote both series availability on Netflix. In March 2024, Netflix announced a crossover anime of both series, titled Baki Hanma vs. Kengan Ashura, which premiered on June 6 of the same year.
Sandrovich launched another manga series, titled How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, which is set in the same universe as Kengan Ashura. In another manga series by Sandrovich, Star: Strike It Rich, the author stated that the work is set in the same universe.
Reception
By December 2017, the manga had over 1.5 million copies in circulation.