Shaman King (2001)


 * For other articles using this title, see Shaman King.

Shaman King is an anime adaptation of Hiroyuki Takei's manga of same name. The anime is directed by Mizushima Seiji at animation studio Xebec. The series aired from July 2001 to September 2002 for a total of 64 episodes.

4Kids Entertainment obtained foreign television and home video distribution rights to the Shaman King anime on May 15, 2003. Fox Box began airing Shaman King in the United States on August 30, 2003.

The anime series, while originally faithful to the manga, eventually deviated from the storyline as the manga was still being serialized. As a result, the later episodes are completely unrelated to the manga, with a separate and definite conclusion created for the series.

Plot
In the world of Shaman King, people with the ability to communicate and fight with spirits are collectively known as Shamans. The series is centered around Asakura Yoh, a laid-back, easygoing character who is heir to the powerful shamanic Asakura Family, as he enters the Shaman Tournament, a semi-millennial event that draws shamans from around the world to compete for the chance to become the Shaman King and the wielder of the omnipotent Great Spirit. In the process, Yoh befriends and makes rivals of other characters, and gradually learns of the true nature of the Shaman Tournament, and his connection to Asakura Hao, the favorite to win.

Staff

 * Original Work: Hiroyuki Takei
 * Direction: Seiji Mizushima
 * Series Composition: Katsuhiko Koide
 * Character Design: Akio Takami
 * Music: Toshiyuki Oomori
 * Animation Work: Xebec

Music

 * Opening Theme: "Over Soul" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep. 1-34)
 * Opening Theme 2: "Northern Lights" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep. 35-63)
 * Ending Theme: "Trust You" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep. 1-34)
 * Ending Theme 2: "Omokage" by Megumi Hayashibara (ep. 35-63)
 * Ending Theme 3: "Tamashii Kasanete" by Yuuko Satou (ep. 64)

Episodes

 * Main article: List of Shaman King episodes

Trivia

 * The anime series has been translated into several languages including Bulgarian, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, and Spanish (European and Latin American).
 * The Latin American, Spanish, Greek, and Brazilian openings basically have the same intro as the Japanese one but their theme is different.
 * The Italian and Romanian versions are very rare.
 * In the Greek dub, the title was "Shaman Prince" (Σαμάνος Πρίγκηπας) instead.