is a Japanese light novel series written by Akira Suzuki with illustrations by Niθ to commemorate Hobby Japan's 40th anniversary. The first volume was released by Hobby Japan on February 28, 2009, with 17 volumes currently available in Japan under their HJ Bunko imprint. There are currently three different manga adaptations based on the Hyakka Ryoran universe published. An online anthology comic was serialized on Hobby Japan's media website Hobby Channel from June 1, 2010, and sold two volumes as of June 2011; a manga adaptation illustrated by Junichi Iwasaki began serialization in the November 2010 issue of Monthly Comic Alive; and another manga adaptation by Tatara Yano began serialization in Hobby Japan's online manga magazine Comic Dangan on December 23, 2011. A spinoff manga called Hyakka Ryōran: Sengoku Maidens, illustrated by Yuri Shinano, was serialized in the March 2009 issue of Dengeki Daioh and ended in the March 2011 issue, and released three volumes as of March 2012.
A 12-episode anime adaptation produced by Arms aired on Chiba TV and other networks from October 2010 to December 2010. A second anime season aired from April to June 2013. At Anime Expo 2010, Hobby Japan announced that they are planning to release the light novels in North America in the near future.
The series is loosely based on the Sengoku period or early Edo period of Japan, despite being set in the present day.
Plot The series takes place in an alternate version of Japan called , in an alternate timeline where the Tokugawa shogunate remained active and has remained semi isolated from the rest of the world after their defeat by American forces in World War II. And the Americans have bases on Okinawa and southern great Japan. The story takes place at , an academy located at the base of Mount Fuji where children of military families train to become samurai warriors. The academy is in the middle of a power struggle between Yukimura Sanada and Matabei Goto of the Toyotomi faction and the powerful student council that rules the school, and Muneakira Yagyu, the owner of the Yagyu Dojo, and the mysterious Jubei Yagyu are dragged in the middle of the conflict.
The series features the female warriors descended from the famous historical figures from Japan's Sengoku period and early Edo period. The character Charles d'Artagnan also comes from the same age in Europe.
Characters Main characters
The heroine of the series and Muneakira's first Master Samurai, with the contractual mark on her chest. According to Hattori, when she transforms she has a power level of five million. The transformation causes her eyes to turn amber with vertical slits, and in this state she is an honorable warrior who gives respect to those who have earned it but also appears to have a sadistic side. In her normal form, she has no memories of her former life and is obsessed with Muneakira whom she has referred to as "onii-chan" (big brother) from the very first moments of their meeting. She is airheaded, innocent, and acts very much like a child, which is reinforced by the fact that she refers to herself in third-person. Her weapon is a daishō set, with an unusually colored katana. She does not need to chant a phrase in order to transform; she only transforms when she kisses Muneakira or when she experiences very strong feelings. Initially, during her transformations Muneakira would find himself bound by chains of unknown origin that were later revealed to be his powers as a General not yet being fully developed.
It's revealed that Jubei's Master Samurai state is her true self; her current personality having been created by an incomplete contract. Jubei's inner self warns Jubei that kissing Muneakira once more will complete the contract at the cost of her innocent persona. In her final battle, Jubei sacrifices herself to defeat Gisen. However, after the credits of the DVD/Blu-ray release it is shown that she returns to once again share a kiss with Muneakira.
During the second season, it's discovered that Jubei can no longer transform into a Master Samurai since the inner Jubei died as a result of her battle with Gisen. As she trains with Keiji, inner Jubei returns. Jubei is the only one of Muneakira's Master Samurai who completes the Samurai Bride contract, thus becoming a Samurai Bride.
The protagonist of the series and a childhood friend of Sen, he has the ability, unknown even to him, to create Master Samurai. This power first manifested when he and the naked girl who fell from the sky kissed. He has since gained six additional Master Samurai with one of them becoming a Samurai Bride.
A 15-year-old first year high school student with an underdeveloped body who is the leader of the Toyotomi faction. She is Muneakira's second Master Samurai, with the mark of wisdom on her left butt cheek. Her weapons are a pair of huge battle fans capable of manipulating wind and can also use them to block enemy attacks. Initially, she has almost no control over her powers when she is in her Master Samurai state, though she improves as the series progresses. She also seems to have feelings for Muneakira. In season one her transformation phrase is "Fushaku Shinmyo", which means "Self-sacrificing Dedication". During season two, she is able to transform into a Master Samurai at will. Jubei's nickname for Yukimura is .
Muneakira's childhood friend and the eldest daughter of the Tokugawa Shogunate. She seems to have feelings for Muneakira, and acts very much like a tsundere towards him. She is a self-proclaimed spoiled princess and always seeks to get her way regarding any decision she wants to make. She gets extremely jealous of any girl who tries to get close to Muneakira, and generally acts upon this jealousy by flying into a rage. Later, she reveals her true feelings to Muneakira and kisses him, thus becoming his third Master Samurai. Her weapon is a naginata decorated near the blade, and her transformation phrase is "Tenga Ryūrei", which means "Elegant Beauty". In the second season she is able to transform into a Master Samurai at will with no phrase required. Sen's attacks usually involve thunder or lightning.
Yukimura's pet monkey. She is very fond of Jubei who can speak Monkey. She gains the ability to become human when she accidentally kisses Muneakira and becomes his Fourth Master Samurai. In human form she has long blonde hair and is partially covered in fur. She changes back into a monkey when she is tired. Despite her rivalry with Kanetsugu, she is shown to care deeply for Kanetsugu to the point of sacrificing herself to protect Kanetsugu.
Kanetsugu is the self-proclaimed "Warrior of Love" and one of Yukimura's childhood friends. Yukimura humiliated her when they were both younger and Kanetsugu still carries a grudge because of it. Kanetsugu was sent by Sen's brother, Yoshihiko, to spy on Sen and Yukimura's actions. Her speech pattern is notable as she uses keigo. At one point in the series she feels that she is a liability to the dojo and decides to sneak away during the night, but ends up getting ambushed by Araki Mataemon. After he defeats her, Mataemon throws Kanetsugu into a street canal the moment Muneakira arrives looking for her. Rescuing an unconscious and critically wounded Kanetsugu, Muneakira proceeds to resuscitate her by performing CPR while crying at the thought of losing her should he fail. Muneakira's emotional state connects with Kanetsugu's dying state at a spiritual level, forming a new bond between the two of them which changes his next attempt at CPR into a contract kiss and turning Kanetsugu into Muneakira's Fifth Master Samurai. Her weapon is a decorated sledgehammer capable of knocking heavy gates and creating fissures when slammed down to the ground. Jubei's nicknames for Kanetsugu are , , and . Kanetsugu's appearance oddly resembles that of Vocaloid Hatsune Miku. Her favorite food is leek, also like Miku.
Yukimura's bodyguard and loyal samurai, she wears a fundoshi. Her favored weapon is a yari but she also uses a small tantō that she wears as a hair accessory. She seems to have a weakness for hot baths, as seen when she eagerly attempted to enter one as "punishment" from Hanzo. She possess a superhuman sense of smell. She later becomes Muneakira's sixth Master Samurai. In master samurai mode her weapon becomes a giant brush with a retractable spear head. Jubei's nickname for Matabei is .
Sen's servant and head of the Student Council police who wears a maid's outfit and glasses. It is hinted that she has deeper feelings for Sen and is a masochist, who longs for Sen's abuses. Her weapon is a double-bladed pole that can split into two individual katana, and she can shoot a number of shuriken, kunai or any throwable material from under her skirt. Her glasses allow her to detect an individual's power level and also see through any man-made material. She later becomes Muneakira's seventh Master Samurai. In master samurai she uses a holographic display in lieu of her glasses to detect an opponent's power level plus their Qi level. Her weapon is a giant scroll on her back that can split into various three-sided shurikans.
Toyotomi faction The is a faction of the academy dedicated to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate and bring a new era to Great Japan. Yukimura and Matabei are also members of this faction.
Buou Student Council
Sen's older brother, president of the Student Council, and head of the Tokugawa Shogunate. He believes that he is doing the best for his country, when in reality he is a ruthless tyrant with a tendency to use and discard people, including his own sister. Yoshihiko had a brief relationship with Charles d'Artagnan until he used her in one of his experiments to create Master Samurai by artificial means. He has also used other girls (who were, in fact, descendants of former Master Samurai) in his experiments, planning to create an army of Master Samurai since there are so few of them in existence. Realizing his feelings for d'Artagnan after she sacrifices herself to save him, he revives her by making a Master Samurai contract with her, and later teams up with Muneakira to defeat Gisen.
His other Master Samurai are able to use magic to create barriers but very little is known about them.
Nicknamed , d'Artagnan is a tall blonde woman from France who transferred to Buou Academy. She met Yoshihiko while she was doing origami, and developed a romantic relationship in him. However, she was betrayed when Yoshihiko used her as a test subject to create Master Samurai by artificial means. Despite that he has done to her, she still has feelings for Yoshihiko, as seen in the anime and novels when she dies protecting Yoshihiko from falling rubble while holding an origami samurai's helmet that Yoshihiko had given her in the past. She was later revived by Yoshihiko and becomes a true Master Samurai with the contractual mark on her left hand.
d'Artagnan's powers as a Master Samurai allow her to channel different elements. However, because her Master Samurai powers were created artificially, her body suffers great strain from using her powers. Also, her aura differs from the other Master Samurai (sans Gisen), as it is violet as opposed to the standard black. She wields twin claymores as weapons, utilizing them to create elemental-powered attacks.
Hatamoto Student Council The is a faction of Buou Academy's Student Council serving directly under Yoshihiko.
Anti-Tokugawa faction The is a faction led by Shiro Amakusa. Their main purpose is to destroy the Tokugawa Shogunate by any means possible.