Shion no Ō

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Shion no Ō
Shion no Ō logo.
しおんの王
Genre	Drama, Mystery
Manga
Author	Katori Masaru
Illustrator	Jiro Ando
Publisher	Kodansha
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Afternoon
Original run	March 25, 2004
Volumes	8
TV anime
Director	Toshifumi Kawase
Studio	Studio Deen
Network	Fuji TV
Original run	October 13, 2007 – March 22, 2008
Episodes	22
Game
Publisher	Mainichi Communications
Genre	Adventure, Shogi
Rating	CERO: A
Platform	Nintendo DS
Released	April 10, 2008

Shion no Ō (しおんの王, Shion no Ō^? lit. Shion's King), subtitled The Flowers of Hard Blood, is the title of an ongoing Japanese mystery manga written by Katori Masaru and illustrated by Jiro Ando. It is published by Kodansha in the seinen manga magazine Afternoon, and has been collected in eight bound volumes as of May 2008.^[1] It has been adapted as an ongoing anime television series by Studio Deen, which began airing in Japan on October 13, 2007.^[2] A video game for the Nintendo DS will be released on April 10, 2008 by Mainichi Communications.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Characters 3 Media 3.1 Manga 3.2 Anime 3.2.1 Episodes 3.3 Video game 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Plot

Shion no Ō centers around a young junior-high school girl named Shion Yasuoka who witnesses the murder of her parents as a child. At the time of the murder, the killer takes the king piece from her father's shogi board (a Japanese strategy board game similar to chess). This leads her to believe that the murderer may be a shogi player. The shock of the incident renders Shion unable to speak, forcing her to communicate by writing on a pad. After being adopted by her neighbors, the Yasuoka family (where the husband is also a shogi player), Shion takes up the game herself, both for the love of the game and to possibly learn who killed her parents.

[edit] Characters

Shion Yasuoka (安岡 紫音, Yasuoka Shion^?)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi

Shion is the main protagonist of the story. When she was five years old, Shion's parents were slaughtered in their own home, though the murderer was never found. Shion, being a young girl at the time, was tramuatized by bearing witness to the aftermath and since then has not spoken one word. To communicate, she writes down everything via notes. At the murder scene, Shion found a king shogi piece and later comes to suspect that the culprit plays the game.

When the story begins, Shion is eleven and is in junior-high school. She loves sweets, though chocolate is her favorite. Due to her foster father's influence, Shion eventually starts to play shogi which she hopes will give her clues about the murder of her parents.

Makoto Hani (羽仁 真, Hani Makoto^?)

Voiced by: Hozumi Gōda

Makoto is a professional shogi player and is referred to by many as Meijin (名人, Meijin^?), the highest and most prestigious professional shogi rank in Japan (similar to a chess Grandmaster). A keen and perceptive man who abandoned his brother after their mother's death to become a professional player himself.

Satoru Hani (羽仁 悟, Hani Satoru^?)

Voiced by: Masaya Matsukaze

Satoru is Makoto's younger brother and works as a businessman. Aside from that, he is also a gifted shogi player himself, who dreams to one day defeat his brother in an official match. His girlfriend was working with Shion's dead parents, and mysteriously died one day after them.

Ayumi Saitō (斉藤 歩, Saitō Ayumi^?)

Voiced by: Romi Paku

Ayumi is a fifteen-year-old male shogi player. Due to his sickly mother, he had to leave high school to take care of her and pay for her hospital bills. When playing shogi, he pretends to be a girl in order to earn money for competing; due to the male league taking two years to qualify. In the anime, after episode sixteen, he plays as a boy.

Saori Nikaidō (二階堂 沙織, Nikaidō Saori^?)

Voiced by: Risa Mizuno

Saori is a female shogi player and apprentice to Makoto. She is eighteen years old, and a fan of Shion. As befitting the daughter of a high-class family, her type of shougi is usually dignified. She deeply seeks recognition from Makoto, who she looks up to.^[3]

Shinji Yasuoka (安岡 信次, Yasuoka Shinji^?)

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto

Shinji is Shion's foster father and is a professional shogi player. His rank is 8 dan.

Sachiko Yasuoka (安岡 幸子, Yasuoka Sachiko ^?)

Voiced by: Mariko Kouda

Sachiko is Shion's foster mother. A strict but caring woman who ever supports her daughter and husband, despite not always agreeing with them.

Osamu Kamizono (神園 修, Kamizono Osamu^?)

Voiced by: Ryusei Nakao

A secluded 9-dan shogi player. Despite his grumpy exterior earning him the nickname "demon," Kamizono seems to have a kind spirit, as he not only accepted Ayumi as his appentice, even after discovering his secret, but also lent some money to Shinji when he decided to adopt Shion.

[edit] Media

[edit] Manga

The manga of Shion no Ō is written by Katori Masaru and illustrated by Jiro Ando. It started serialization on March 25, 2004 in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Afternoon published by Kodansha.^[1] As of May 2008, it has been collected in eight bound volumes, with the series ongoing.

#	Release date	ISBN
1	October 22, 2004	ISBN 978-4-06-314360-7
2	May 23, 2005	ISBN 978-4-06-314378-2
3	January 23, 2006	ISBN 978-4-06-314403-1
4	July 21, 2006	ISBN 978-4-06-314418-5
5	May 23, 2007	ISBN 978-4-06-314445-1
6	October 23, 2007	ISBN 978-4-06-314472-7
7	January 23, 2008	ISBN 978-4-06-314485-7
8	May 23, 2008	ISBN 978-4-06-314505-2

[edit] Anime

The anime adaptation of Shion no Ō, produced by Studio Deen, started airing in Japan on October 13, 2007 on the Fuji TV television network.^[2]

[edit] Episodes

#	Title	Original air date[4]
01	"Shion's Path" "Shion no Michi" (しおんの道)	October 13, 2007
Eight years after witnessing her parents' death, Shion qualifies herself as a professional shogi player. However, her precocious career starts to draw unwanted attention.
02	"Secrets" "Himitsu" (秘密)	October 20, 2007
Shion is saved in the nick of time from a dangerous stalker. However, her drama continues as she receives a threatening letter before an important match.
03	"The Sound of Shogi Pieces" "Koma Oto" (駒音)	October 27, 2007
A little relief comes to Shion when the man who attacked her six months before is finally arrested. She also recognizes Ayumi as the boy who saved her at that time.
04	"Demon Hand" "Oni Te" (鬼手)	November 03, 2007
Shion has another fiery match against Ayumi, while the police discovers that the man who killed her parents started to move again.
05	"Courageous Move" "Yūki no Itte" (勇気の一手)	November 10, 2007
Shion is hospitalized after having a glimpse of the night when she lost her parents. Meanwhile, Nikaido and Ayumi have their first duel.
06	"Provocation" "Chōhatsu" (挑発)	November 17, 2007
After Shion recovers, she goes on a trip with her family. Upon returning, she and Nikaido receive a sudden request from Hani-Meijin's younger brother, Satoru.
07	"Playing Pieces" "Asobi Koma" (遊び駒)	November 24, 2007
Shion and Nikaido have their first match as a demonstration of their abilities to Satoru, who wants to create an all new, unrestricted shogi tournament.
08	"The Door to Dreams" "Yume e no Tobira" (夢への扉)	December 1, 2007
Shion visits Ayumi's mother at the hospital, and later, she and Ayumi start to make plans for the upcoming tournament.
09	"Master & Apprentice" "Shitei" (師弟)	December 8, 2007
Nikaido has a tough match in the tournament against Kamizono who also happens to be Ayumi's master. Kamizono however, is not at the best of his health.
10	"Good Luck Charm" "Omajinai" (おまじない)	December 15, 2007
Shion's next opponent is a young prodigy who polished his skills in online matches, and learned from an anonymous source a way to leave her mind unstable.
11	"Doubt" "Giwaku" (疑惑)	December 22, 2007
Shion received a threatening call from the murderer, and Hisatani gets himself in trouble when the police finds out that it was made from his cell phone.
12	"Fox's Prediction" "Kitsune no Yomi" (狐の読み)	January 12, 2008
Shion, Ayumi and Nikaido prepare themselves as each one has a strong enemy to face in order to gain a place in the finals.
13	"Duality" "Hyōriittai" (表裏一体)	January 19, 2008
During Shion's match with Satoru, she starts to get a glimpse of his hostility towards her.
14	"Timbre of a Challenge" "Chōsen no Fu" (挑戦の譜)	January 26, 2008
Nikaido discovers Ayumi's secret, but decides to not expose him. Later the tournament's remaining contestants decide their opponents in the finals.
15	"Time's Answer" "Toki no Kotae" (時の答え)	February 2, 2008
Shion's first opponent in the finals is none other than her foster father. During the long match, she eagerly looks for a way to defeat him, while he reminisces about the time when she became his apprentice.
16	"Watching From Heaven" "Tengan" (天眼)	February 9, 2008
Ayumi is devastated with the death of his mother, and looks for a reason to continue playing shogi before his match with Satoru.
17	"Mind Reading" "Dokushinjutsu" (読心)	February 16, 2008
Shion's got a chance to play against Satoru once more in the tournament's semi-finals, but during the match, he questions her about the night her parents were murdered, which brings up some memories she had long forgotten.
18	"Halted Time" "Todomatta Jikan" (止まった時間)	February 23, 2008
Shion and Satoru's match continues, while Hani-Meijin introduces Ayumi as his disciple.
19	"Recalling Move" "Yomigaeru itte" (甦る一手)	March 1, 2008
Sataru and Ayumi meet up and from the evidence figure out who the murderer is but are unsure of motive. In the mean time, the police are looking up Satoru after what he said to Shion after their match.
20	"Demon Killer" "Oni Koroshi" (鬼殺し)	March 8, 2008
Shion starts remembering more things about the murder incident. Hani-Meijin and Shion play where they had left off 8 years ago.
21	"The True Criminal" "Shinhannin" (真犯人)	March 15, 2008
Purposely goaded by Hani-Meijin, Shion fully remembers the incident. Meanwhile new evidence is found.
22	"Towards Tomorrow" "Ashita e" (明日へ)	March 22, 2008

[edit] Video game

An adventure video game based on the series will be released by Mainichi Communications for the Nintendo DS on April 10, 2008.^[5]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official anime website (Japanese)
• Shion no Ō (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia