Asakura Anna


 * For other articles that share the title of "Anna the Itako", see Anna the Itako.

Asakura Anna (麻倉アンナ), née Kyōyama (恐山), is a fictional character in the Shaman King manga and anime series. She is the fiancée—and later wife—of Asakura Yoh and is a second-generation itako.

Appearance
Anna has medium-length blonde hair and amber eyes (black in the 2001 anime series). She is almost always seen wearing a red bandana; the bandana is usually worn on her head, but she starts wearing the bandana around her neck like a scarf and sports a pair of black sunglasses after departing for the Patch Village in America. Anna wears a jet black mini dress and around her neck area, she wears a blue rosary necklace used for her itako rituals. She wears wooden sandals with red straps, and around her right wrist she wears a blue bead bracelet.

At approximately 17/18 years of age, Anna wore a long, black hooded coat with indie print in the sleeves and the bottom, a rosary was rolled that she wore as a bracelet in her right wrist, her hair was also longer, mid back.

At the age of 21, Anna has let her hair grow long, almost knee length, and keeps it in place with a white band instead of her red bandana. Instead of her black dress, she now wears a long dress with white, red and purple rippled heart shapes.

Personality
Aggressive and decisive, Anna is a pragmatic person who appears cold and harsh. However, she has shown that she genuinely cares for those important to her, and is truly in love with Yoh. She is extremely dedicated to being "The Ultimate Shaman Queen" and the wife to Yoh, the first friend that she ever had. She firmly believes that Yoh is destined to become the Shaman King, and believes her duty as his fiancée is training him extensively for it.

Anna loves Yoh, despite how badly she treats him - she told Oyamada Manta that, and again to Silva. She became openly upset when it seemed Yoh would be killed by Tokageroh. Anna can be extremely possessive of Yoh, beating him up once when she thought that the Oracle Bell he brought home was another woman's pager. On several occasions, Anna shows little or no concern for Yoh when Yoh is participating in a battle, the reason behind this was later revealed to be because she truly loved Yoh and trusted him to succeed.

On the night before Yoh left to America for the Shaman Fight, she asked Yoh if she could sleep with him, and Yoh said yes. Only Amidamaru and Ren know about this. Also, when asked by Yohken in Hell, "Yoh do you have children too?" Yoh than replied, "No...well how can I say that?" hinting that he and Anna had slept together.

Anna and Asakura Hao seem to have a very odd relationship of their own. Anna disliked Hao and even slapped him once; Surprisingly, he was not angry but actually seemed amused, saying that she was truly suited to become the wife of the Shaman King.

Abilities and Powers
Anna is an itako, whose specialty is channeling spirits, and she can summon a spirit from anywhere, even from the afterlife where normal shamans cannot contact spirits. She was trained by Yoh's grandmother, also an itako. With her 1080 beads, Anna is able to enter a trance and then summon the spirits, using the beads as a medium to channel the spirit.

Since her childhood, Anna also possesses the inherent ability to read minds, known as Reishi. With the negative emotions of those around her seeping into her heart, the hatred created various kinds of oni. After Yoh saved her from the Oh-Oni, she began to trust Yoh and so eventually lost this ability.

Anna is unusually strong physically, something that most people do not suspect from her slim appearance. She has demonstrated several times that she is not afraid to use violence to subdue anyone, even those she cares about, making her "right hand slap" and "phantom left hand slap (幻の左)" (or "Legendary Left") somewhat infamous among Anna's group of friends, especially Oyamada Manta and Tamamura Tamao.

Anna's spiritual strength is so immense that she was able to seal and control Asakura Hao's two Shikigami Zenki and Goki, just by reading how to within a few seconds. She was also the only person able to significantly damage Hao in battle by reflecting his curses back at him.

Shamanic Spells and Techniques

 * Itako-Style Integration: Spirit Channeling (イタコ式憑依術 クチヨセ): A variation of Soul Integration. After summoning a spirit, Anna wraps her rosary beads around it and then forces it into another person.
 * Demon Subjugation (降魔調伏): A technique from the Chō-Senjiryakketsu, Anna wraps her rosary beads around Zenki and Goki and forces them back into their paper talismans.
 * Okyō (御経, Okei): This is a prayer used by Anna to banish spirits to heaven or hell - Which realm they end up in is based entirely on who or what she is using the prayer on. Yoh even used this prayer against the Silver Arms, but it didn't affect them because - as Silva put it - those who don't understand the language used or the greater meaning are unaffected.

"I AM GOD, FLAWLESSLY BORN, LEADER OF MEN, SAVIOR OF WORLDS! I AM THE THE LAW, FLAWLESSLY KEPT, POWERFUL SCRIPT, HARSHLY ENFORCED! I AM A SOUL, FLAWLESSLY SAVED, NOWHERE TO GO, OUT OF MY PLACE!" - The Incantation


 * Furyoku Nullification: A high-level ability that prevents Over Souls and other Furyoku-based techniques from making contact with the user, rendering them useless.
 * Curse Reversal (呪詛返し): This technique allows Anna to send the effects of a Furyoku attack back at the caster. She is skilled enough to reflect a spell from Asakura Hao.

Spirits

 * See More: Zenki and Goki

Zenki and Goki are a pair of oni that were turned into shikigami through Onmyōdō. The two were previously owned by Asakura Hao during his first life and were bound within the Chō-Senjiryakketsu. When Tamamura Tamao accidentally broke the seal binding the two shikigami, Anna quickly learned how to subjugate them and began using them together as her own Guardian Ghosts.

Past
Originating from Aomori, Japan, Anna was abandoned as a little girl because she was born with the ability to unwillingly see into other people's minds. She was found and raised by Asakura Kino. Kino trained Anna to be an itako, which Anna mastered despite being fully sighted. Because of this, Kino and her husband arranged a marriage between Anna and Asakura Yoh in order to keep the family bloodline strong.

Before meeting Yoh, Anna was incapable of controlling her Reishi and could not help but pick up the negative emotions of other people every time she was around them. Because of this, she began to hate others, which would involuntarily manifest itself as an oni. Thus she tried to avoid going out as much as possible, usually confining herself to her room.

Anna and Yoh met when they were 10 years old in the year 1995 at Mt. Osore. Yoh was traveling with Matamune to visit Kino, but then he saw Anna on the stop after going out of a store to run after Matamune. He ran into an oni on his way home, and if Matamune had not arrive in time, Yoh would have been hurt. The oni itself actually came from her. Yoh eventually learned that Anna does not release the oni intentionally; it comes out of its own will. Anna seems to have gotten used to the oni, saying that it will not return unless it destroys something. The second time, a Naka-Oni attacked Yoh, who tried to fight the creature just to protect the people from destruction. Seeing Yoh's determination, Anna was able to subconsciously call back the oni.

They arrived home after the oni ordeal, and Yoh made a promise to her that they would go to the temple shrine, and that he would free Anna from the oni. Anna agreed reluctantly, fearing the worst possible outcome. When they arrived at the temple, other people's loud thoughts and emotions overwhelmed Anna and she summoned the Naka-Oni once more. Matamune knocked it down and went to Yoh, who was supporting Anna who seemed to have a hard time breathing, as the oni was using a lot of her spiritual power.

By absorbing the power of the other onis nearby, the Naka-Oni grew into an Oh-Oni, which was more powerful and could talk. The Oh-Oni kidnapped Anna and took her to Mount Osore, to help it absorb the power of the lurking spirits. Meanwhile, Anna slipped into a trance after her power was forcefully drawn out of her. Fearing that she could die of exhaustion or loss of Furyoku, Yoh decided that this had to end once and for all. Using Matamune's necklace as a medium, the cat's life was sacrificed to manifest into an Over Soul in form of a sword (looking similar to the final form of the merged Harusame and Futunomitama).

During the fight, Anna was finally able to overcome the oni's control as her growing love for Yoh overcame her hatred. Yoh was able to beat the oni, freeing her from the curse. From there on, as gratitude, she constantly trained him to become a better and stronger shaman, and almost never gave him any reprieve.

Coming to Tokyo
Anna is first seen carrying a bag entering Yoh's hospital room. She reveals her identity as Yoh's fiancée and her intention to train Yoh so that he will be strong enough for the upcoming Shaman Fight. When Yoh refuses, she forces him to see things her way when she notes how difficult it was for him to defeat Tao Ren and cites his recent injuries as proof. Yoh leaves to go to the bathroom and explains to Manta why he is so scared of Anna. Anna reveals that the Shaman Fight will be in Tokyo this time and proceeds to torture Yoh all summer. She also begins attending Shinra Private Academy, where Yoh also must endure her training regimen and remains scared of his wits at her constant presence.

During Yoh's battle with Tao Jun and Lee Pyron, Anna demonstrates her skills as an itako when she decides the battle has gone on long enough and summons Pyron's master, Shamon. When a rickety old man is summoned, she worries about Yoh, but the master quickly surprises everyone by easily defeating Pyron. The gang watches Pyron and Jun leave as friends.

When Tokageroh possesses Yoh, Anna is seen crying for the first time when she worries that Tokageroh may actually kill Yoh. However, when the ghost thanks Yoh, Anna goes back to her scary self and increases Yoh's training. When Umemiya Ryunosuke gets up the next morning, Anna announces that Ryu is a shaman. She also summons Mosuke, into Ryu's body to reforge Harusame, and says that Ryu's debt is settled.

Shaman Fights in Tokyo
When the Destiny Star comes Anna would explain what it means and triples Yoh's training. Anna goes home while Yoh is doing his test and forces Manta to cook. She explains why Yoh could be Shaman King and why she loves Yoh so dearly. When Yoh comes home he has a pager(in reality an Oracle Bell) and a hair on his body. Anna beats Yoh senseless since she thinks they are from another woman. Yoh tries overselling to show Anna what he has learned but realizes he has no more Furyoku and all he has to show for it is Amidamaru in a rather explicit position. Anna beats him more and the beeper rings giving Yoh his first match, against some guy named Usui Horokeu.

Anna goes shopping when Yoh is training for his first match. She tells him to go inside because she is tired from shopping and she has something to do. The rest of the time flies by and the day of the battle arrives. Anna gives Yoh a new battle outfit and Yoh complains how it looks like the one he wore while he was four years old. Anna reveals that she had seen it personally as Yoh should not embarrass the Asakura Family while fighting in the tournament and is ready to bust their heads in. Yoh, however, quickly change opinions and now likes the costume. Horohoro then calls from above drops sixty stories and makes fun of the costume. Anna punches Horohoro in the mouth and reveals that she is Yoh's fiancée. The battle begins and for awhile Yoh is losing. Later Horohoro reveals his dream and Yoh considers forfeiting. Anna smacks him back to normal and the battle resumes. Anna then watches Yoh win and they all head home.

When the next match is announced Yoh, Anna, and Manta go to Yokohama for the match at the Foreigners Cemetery. Silva of the Ten Patch Officiants appears and makes fun of Anna for a bit. Silva and Anna leave to go do something while Yoh waits for the fight. Anna and Silva go to a restaurant and they talk for a bit. Silva explains that a shaman killed another during a different fight and that is Yoh's opponent today. Anna is unmoved by it and continues eating. Silva then tells Anna that the shaman is a necromancer. Anna is now worried and knows exactly what these kinds of shamans can do in a cemetery like this one. Anna leaves refusing to forfeit the match. Anna goes to town and buys a raincoat. When she goes to the match location she rescues Manta but watches Yoh lose.

When Faust uses his twenty-two-ton skeleton, both Anna and Silva rushes in to save Yoh but Tao Ren suddenly appears on his horse and defeats it. He excuses his actions by saying that he could not let his next opponent die like that.

Anna then watches Yoh lose Manta at the hospital and travels with him to the Asakura Family Inn in Izumo was Yoh wants more training from his grandfather. Anna later appears and stops Tamamura Tamao from killing Manta and Ryu. They head to the Yomi hole and wait for Yoh's return. Yoh comes out and is exactly the same. Anna asks why Yoh is not half dead which Yoh says it does not matter.

Anna shows up a bit later on Yohmei's request bringing Amidamaru and Harusame. Anna watches Yoh easily defeat the Shikigami Yohmei uses. they head back to Tokyo the next day. Anna does not go to Yoh's final match saying there is is no point in stopping fights between men. Anna asks Tamao to go grocery shop and relax. Anna knows Yoh tied with Ren since she used Ponchi and Conchi to watch the entire fight. The next day people show up at Yoh's door for a party which they happily oblige.

The night before Yoh leaves for the second round Anna alongside with Tamao prepares a meal for Yoh, but as he spends time with Manta, he never arrives home to eat, and when he finally comes home Anna is apparently half asleep. However, Anna goes to Yoh and delivers him his new battle uniform, plus a package sent by Yohmei. As she is about to leave she talks about Yoh being away for a long time and ask if she could sleep with him just for that one night, to which Yoh says yes. Yoh leaves next day and Anna is left alone for a while.

Travel Through America
She gets a ride to America by asking Manta to help her get there. She brings the Ultra Senji Ryakettsu, Tamao, and her newly acquired Shikigami (which were said to be difficult to catch although she does this with great ease.). As soon as she arrives she is attacked by Hao who is very interested in her. She is then shown to be a little frightened when he closes in on her only for her to retaliate with her Phantom left. Which had sent him flying When she finds Yoh she tells him passionately which to everyone's surprise he responds with the same level of intensity. She then teaches Yoh's team the Ultra Senji Ryakettsu. Later within the month time span, they both are told of Asakura Hao.

Shaman Fights Second Round
Anna during the month timeskip has taught Yoh's Team Funbari Onsen the Ultra Senji Ryakettsu. She has also been shown performing several abilities that would increase Yoh's chances of winning. She has developed a more serene and caring attitude as she is seen comforting Tamao when they witnessed Iron Maiden Jeanne kills off Team "Niles". She has also improved her slap as when she hits Yoh after he quits the shaman fight a murderous sound is heard and Yoh is then seen laying in his own pool of blood. Her bravery has also been shown to increase as instead of showing distress when attacked by Hao.

Funbari no Uta
Anna and Yoh get married after finishing middle school, and their wedding anniversary is March 20.

Anna gives birth to a boy named Asakura Hana. She and Yoh begin traveling the world with their infant son, but while in the Middle East they were killed and ended up in Hao's realm in the Great Spirit. There, Anna forces Hao to revive all three of them through blackmail. Hao does so while implanting onis into Hana to act as a fail-safe to prevent him from dying again. Sometime after this, Hana is given to Tamao to be raised under her care, and after Anna and Yoh have been away for a long time, Hana comes to believe Tamao is his real mother. Anna was briefly seen in the Funbari no Uta walking with an adult Asakura Yoh, from the Funbari Hill station back to the Inn.

When the five elemental warriors discuss their final encounter with Hao, Anna and Yoh finally arrive. Yoh reveals that they have been away to fulfill their promise to his brother about making the world a better place. As they return to the Funbari Inn, Anna and Yoh sit down at the shrine for their dead friends and pray, until the party starts.

After the party, when the program from the Shaman fight has arrived, Anna is back to her old frightening self. She walks into the group lying drunk and sleeping all over the room and questions how long they are going to laze around like that. She says that their battle has not yet ended and that they should remember that the next Shaman Fights are only half a millennium away. When Yoh, lying in front of her, says that it was so far ahead in time that even the Oh-Oni would laugh at her she stomps on his face and calls him naïve. Anna presents the "Shaman Fights in Tokyo 2000 Official Program" for the group. As the group muses over who could have written it, Yoh gets up and asks Anna directly while tending to his sore cheek. She says that the next fight may be five centuries away but she still wants one of the Asakura descendants to take the Shaman King crown, and orders Yoh to start reading it. She gives Yoh an evil glare and says that he dare not forget the promise he made her.

Shaman King Flowers
She is mainly only mentioned and appears only once in a flashback as the protagonist is her son, Asakura Hana.

When in his deathbed, Yohmei tasks Tamao to protect Hana from the branch Asakura Family, saying that she didn't have to worry about Anna or Yoh, likely because they were already more than capable of protecting themselves even if Yoh and by extension, Anna would also be targeted.

Anna is mentioned to be the one to bring the Hana-Gumi Waitresses for the Inn to attract customers and is likely the one, along with Tamao, to punish them if they don't obey.

Anime/Manga Difference
The story of Yoh and Anna's past is not completely covered in the 2001 anime series but has been released as two drama CD's. In the manga series, Yoh explains that Anna was selected as his fiancée as a way to maintain the Asakura bloodline, by having Yoh conceive his offspring with Anna, as the Shaman population has recently been decreasing. In the manga series as well as the 2021 anime, it is implied that Yoh and Anna had slept together, while the first anime makes no mention of it.

The origins of the 1080 beads are quite different in the manga series and 2001 anime. In the manga series, the 1080 beads were forged from the corpse of the Oh-Oni that was released during the New Year's Festival on the night that Yoh and Anna met, while in the 2001 Anime series, it was forged by an Unnamed Asakura, containing the spirits of all 1080 members of the Asakura clan.

In the English dub of the 2001 anime, Anna says "I can read your mind!", hinting that she did not lose her Reishi ability. This might, however, also be untrue as the English dub of the 2001 anime is known to contain many canonical errors.

Trivia

 * Anna's former surname, Kyōyama, comes from an alternate pronunciation of Mt. Osore, where she was abandoned as a child.
 * In an interview, Takei admitted that Anna is something like a personal mascot or good luck charm to him.