Kengan Ashura
Synopsis
Business deals are usually made through meetings and contracts; but in the world of Kengan Ashura, businesses resort to other means to make their decisions: by hiring gladiators. Yabako Sandrovich's Kengan Ashura depicts a world brimming with action, violence, and martial arts—one where powerful gladiators have fought in grand arenas since the Edo Period to settle the disputes of wealthy businesses and merchants. Ouma Tokita, who is nicknamed "The Ashura," is a fighter trying to prove himself as the strongest. Hideki Nogi, a member of the Nogi Group, hires Ouma to fight for him and makes Kazuo Yamashita, an average middle-aged man, his manager. The duo is thrown into fights facilitated by the Kengan Association. Their journey will be full of ruthless battles with other fighters aiming for the same goal. Do they have what it takes to be the best? [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Audience reception is heavily divided due to the CGI animation, with many manga fans disappointed by the adaptation's visual quality and pacing. Some viewers appreciate the core story and fight choreography despite the animation flaws, while others find the CGI too distracting to enjoy the anime. The series is considered a decent martial arts anime for viewers who can overlook the animation.
Strengths
- Exciting fight choreography (especially in the manga)
- Engaging plot with vengeance themes
- Good sound design enhancing fights
- Faithful to the manga's core story (in some opinions)
- Enjoyable for fans of the martial arts genre
Weaknesses
- Poor CGI animation quality
- Stiff character models and lack of impact in attacks
- Disorienting camera work during fights
- Reduced character development compared to the manga
- Pacing issues and skipped content from the manga
- Art style doesn't capture the manga's detail