Garo (TV series)

, sometimes referred to as , is a Japanese tokusatsu television series broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 7, 2005, to March 31, 2006, lasting 25 episodes (with one additional "Overview" special, summarizing the events of episodes 1 through 13, aired before episode 14). Since 2007, the show has also been aired in other countries such as Italy (on MTV), Malaysia (on 8TV), and Spain (on ). The show's HD remastered version was broadcast on TV Tokyo starting July 8, 2016. The television series is the first installment of the "GARO" metaseries, which is composed of several installments, including a live action television series, films, TV & film specials, and anime series. The television series has been licensed for a North American release by Kraken Releasing.
Production.
The series was created and directed by Keita Amemiya "(Kamen Rider ZO", "Zeiram") with supporting direction from Makoto Yokoyama ("Power Rangers") and Kengo Kaji ("Uzumaki"). The creature designer was Yasushi Nirasawa, known for his later work as the designer of the Imagin for "Kamen Rider Den-O", as well as for his work designing the monsters of "Kamen Rider Blade" and "Kamen Rider Kabuto".
Plot.
Since the beginning, mankind's malice created a dark energy (inga) that seeps into the Makai World. It's through that world that exists parasitic and predatory demons called Horrors. Ever hungry for more inga, they cross through the human world to possess and devour people to satiate their hunger. However, a group of people created the Makai Order to fight them. Consisting of priests and knights, they are the shadows that protect humanity from the Horrors.
Prologue.
Decades ago, a young Makai Knight named Barago lost his family to Horrors and wanted more power (shown in Kiba Side Story). Through his journey, he trained under Taiga Saejima, Golden Knight Garo. However, Barago's desire for power was great and was lured by the promise of greater power from Messiah, the Mother of all Horrors. A dark bargain was made: Barago will become Dark Knight Kiba, devour 1,000 horrors, and merge with Messiah to become a supreme being. Taiga attempted to save him but Barago went after Kouga (Taiga's son) and Taiga died protecting him. Leaving him an orphan, Kouga vowed to become stronger and succeed as the next Garo.
Barago survived his fight but was badly disfigured. To realize his ambition, he made a little girl named Kaoru into a host for Messiah. He later killed the silver knight, Dōji, for his potion to restore his looks. For the next several years, Barago disguised himself as Dr. Karune Ryuzaki, Kaoru's therapist to keep tabs on her.
Dōji's adopted son, Rei, witnessed the murder of his father and fiancée; he swore vengeance and succeeded as the next Silver Knight Zero. Because the killer resembled Garo's armor, he suspects his family's killer is Garo. In between, Kouga completed his training and succeeds as the new Garo. With his loyal butler (Gonza) and magical ring (Zaruba), Kouga goes out to protect humanity.
Chapter of The Black Wolf.
Kaoru Mitsuki is attempting to get recognized for her artwork when the curator turned into a Horror. Kouga appeared and slayed the horror, but she was tainted in the horror's blood. Whoever is tainted will only have 100 days to live and made themselves delicious to horrors. A knight is expected to slay the victim to spare them, but Kouga wants to save her. This starts the unlikely relationship between the two.
As a magnet to horrors, Kouga tracked Kaoru's activities to make sure she's not harmed. Originally thinking Kouga is a stalker, she realized he has been protecting her as she keeps bumping into new horrors. Kouga wanted Kaoru close to him as possible; she took advantage of his words and stayed at his home when she became homeless. As the two get to know each other, they started to like each other. However, things got complicated with the arrival of Zero and Barago's machinations at play.
Under the presumption that Garo killed his family, Rei has consistently interfered and fought Kouga. Without absolute proof, Rei continued to vent his anger and tried to kill Kouga without explaining himself. To worsen things, Rei has harassed Kaoru and even tried to kill her (aware of her taint), causing the two to fight. Things would later change when the truth is revealed.
Kouga would later meet with Priest Amon, to talk about curing Kaoru. However, Amon mentioned his suspicions that Barago might be still alive. Shortly after, Kaoru learned that Kouga has been using her as horror bait. Heart broken, she ran away but suffered deep anxieties knowing she's a walking target. Not long after, Barago killed Amon but his disciple, Jabi, was blamed for his death. To make matters worse, she distrusted the Watch Dogs and stole a box of Horror Daggers from them.
The Watch Dogs (Ker, Ber, and Rose) that govern Kouga ordered him retrieve the daggers and kill Jabi, but they were friends and he wanted to give her a chance before passing judgement. Kouga refused to accept his mission and left to find Jabi, but the watch dogs in turn tasked Zero for the job. To further motivate him, they falsely assured Rei they could bring his lover back and confirmed Kouga murdered his family.
Although Kouga found Jabi, she was deeply suspicious of him as Amon clued a knight killed him. Rei arrived and had Kaoru as his hostage, but Kouga managed to get Kaoru back. He sent Jabi and Kaoru away as he fought Zero. Fueled by rage, Zero almost killed Kouga but Jabi returned to save him. Kaoru would run off after realizing she's dying, but Gonza found her and asked Kaoru to have faith in Kouga.
After Kouga recovered, he and Jabi found the watch dogs suspicious and agreed to exorcise the daggers themselves. Rei was also suspicious of the watch dogs but continued to serve them. Ker-Ber-Rose didn't trust Zero to complete the job and sent their loyal servant, Kodama, to assure the job is done. Kodama found the duo and seemingly killed Jabi. As Kouga fought Kodama, Rei arrived and helped Kouga exorcise the daggers. Unfortunately, it didn't work and it gave rise to a giant horror. It was then that Dark Knight Kiba arrived and devoured the horror. Rei now realized his family's killer was Kiba.
After Kiba vanished, Kouga refocused on curing Kaoru. He ventured into another world and fought the Grou Dragon for the cure. With the help of Rei, Kouga got the cure and saved Kaoru. However, the gate that was imbued on Kaoru was activating and she'll become a vessel for Messiah to cross over. While looking into Messiah and Kiba, their investigation reveals everything is tied to Barago and Ker-ber-rose is allied with him. Realizing their common enemy is Barago, Kouga and Rei made peace and focus their attention towards the dark knight.
Barago was ahead of everyone and kidnapped Kaoru. Garo and Zero went to find Barago but was stopped by Kodama. Desperate to save Kaoru, he exceeded the armor's time limit and became a "Lost Soul Beast". In a fit of feral rage, Garo killed Kodama and Zero was forced to fight Kouga. Zero managed to retract his armor and the two pressed on to face Barago.
While heading to rescue Kaoru, Gulm (Ker-ber-rose's merged form) fought Zero while Kouga faced Barago. Messiah by now had taken over Kaoru's body and devoured Barago. She revealed the legend and myth behind the dark knight was a rumor she created to attain enough power to cross into the human world. To save Kaoru, Kouga took her body to the makai realm and Messiah's true body revealed herself. Ultimately, Zero killed Gulm and Garo defeated Messiah. Kouga and Kaoru made it back to the human realm when Kiba returned for a final showdown. Garo defeated Kiba, but at the price of Zaruba.
In the aftermath, Kaoru decided to head to Italy to further her art studies and Rei helped restore Zaruba. As a parting gift, Kaoru finish her father's incomplete art book and put a touching end for Kouga to see. The story ends with Kouga patrolling a new district; the story continues in "".
Horrors.
The main antagonistic form in the series, Horrors are demons that reside in a realm known as the netherworld, and thrive on the darkness of humanity. The Horrors enter the human world through everyday objects known as Inga Gates, which are created through a mass of darkness. When the Horrors first come through, they also known as Inga Horrors, and must possess the body of the first human with inner darkness they come across. Because the Horrors feed on humans it is a Makai Knight's duty to hunt and slay the demons. Later entries in the series reveal more types of Horrors.
Sequels and spin-offs.
In all the sequels and spinoffs in the Garo series, Hironobu Kageyama continues to reprise his role as the voice of Zaruba in each entry.
Video games.
A video game based on the series was produced by Bandai for the PlayStation 2, under the name "Golden Knight Garo". Two versions were released: a 'normal' version with the game disk, instructions, and standard pamphlets, and a more expensive 'Limited Edition' version which came with a green 'Fire' recolor of the metal Zaruba ring from the "Equip and Prop Vol. 1" Garo toy.
A mobile game titled was released on May 27, 2016, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise. The game includes all characters from the live action series and the anime series.
Novels.
 was released on March 31, 2007.
 was released on October 26, 2006. The novel's new edition including one new episode was released on October 30, 2010.
 was released on November 27, 2010.
"Beast of the Demon Night".
 is a two-part mini-series that premiered on Family Gekijo in December 2006.
"Red Requiem".
In July 2009, Tohokushinsha Film announced that a "GARO" feature film will be released in the fall of 2010. was theatrically released in Japanese theaters on October 30, 2010. The story is a sequel to the original TV series, with Keita Amemiya reprising his role as head director. Ryosei Konishi and Hironobu Kageyama reprise their roles as Kouga/Garo and voice of Zaruba, with Makoto Yokoyama returning to choreograph the action sequences as well. "Red Requiem" uses 3D image technology developed by the Tohokushinsha group company Omnibus Japan for its visual effects.
"Kiba".
, released on September 7, 2011, is a spin-off V-Cinema featuring the story of Barago and Kiba the Dark Knight.
"Makai Senki".
 is a second season of the "Garo" television series that premiered in select Japanese theaters on September 24, 2011, before beginning broadcast on TV Tokyo on October 6, 2011.
"Soukoku no Maryu".
 was released in Japanese theaters on February 23, 2013, serving as an epilogue to "Makai Senki", depicting Kouga Saejima's journey to the Promised Ground to retrieve Gajari's body. Ryosei Konishi was initially the only confirmed member of the cast, but Ray Fujita, Shouma Yamamoto, Ozuno Nakamura, Yukijirō Hotaru, Hironobu Kageyama, and Hiroyuki Watanabe were later confirmed to appear in the film. Guest stars include Yuki Kubota as Kakashi, Anna Aoi as Meru, Tetsuya Yanagihara as Esaruto, and Keiko Matsuzaka as Judam.
"Yami o Terasu Mono".
A third TV series titled was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 5 to September 20, 2013. The series is set in the near future, and features an entirely new story with a new Garo named Ryuga Dougai venturing into the Horror-plagued Vol City. The series also presents a brand new main cast that includes Wataru Kuriyama, Tsunenori Aoki, Junya Ikeda and fashion model Miki Nanri.
"Tougen no Fue".
In March 2013, the "Garo" team announced a new film titled , which was released in Japanese theaters on July 20 of that year. Set during the time of "Soukoku no Maryu", "Tougen no Fue" follows Makai Priestesses Jabi and Rekka as they travel to the northern forests to protect the mystical and titular flute. Yasue Sato, Mary Matsuyama, Masahiro Kuranuki, and Kanji Tsuda reprise their roles from the franchise as Makai Priestess Jabi, Makai Priestess Rekka, Makai Priest Shiguto, and Makai Knight Kengi, respectively, also appearing in the film are Kumi Takiuchi and Miku Oono.
"Zero: Black Blood".
 is a spin-off six-episode miniseries starring Ray Fujita as his character Rei Suzumura from the original TV series. Rounding out the cast are Riria as Yuna, Naoki Takeshi as Kain, and Thane Camus as Ring. Keita Amemiya serves as executive director, with Ryu Kaneda directing and Yasuko Kobayashi writing. It was broadcast on Family Gekijo in March 2014 and shown in Japanese theaters in a limited release. JAM Project performed the opening theme "ZERO-BLACK BLOOD-" and Fujita's band Dustz performs the ending .
"Makai no Hana".
A fourth "Garo" television series titled was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 4 to September 26, 2014, and takes place between "Makai Senki" and "Yami o Terasu Mono". With the exception of Yukijiro Hotaru reprising his portrayal of Gonza, it features a new cast consisting of Masei Nakayama as Raiga Saejima, the son of Kouga and Kaoru who inherited his father's title as the Golden Knight Garo, Atomu Mizuishi as Crow the Phantom Knight, and Natsumi Ishibashi as Mayuri, a mysterious tool with mystical powers that takes the form of a young woman.
Anime series.
An anime adaptation of "Garo" was released in October 2014, titled in Japan as . It is produced by Studio MAPPA and directed by Yūichirō Hayashi. Taking place in the fictional country of Valiante in the Middle Ages, head writer Yasuko Kobayashi explained that, with the exception of Zaruba, it is unrelated to any characters or stories in the rest of the "Garo" continuity. The series has been licensed by Funimation as "Garo: The Animation", making it the first "Garo" installment to see a North American release.
A second series titled , taking place in Japan's Heian period, was announced for a 2015 release, alongside a film sequel of the first series titled "Garo: Divine Flame", to coincide with the "Garo" tenth anniversary.
A film sequel of the first series titled was released in Japanese theaters on May 21, 2016.
A third series titled was broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 6, 2017, to March 30, 2018.
A film sequel of the second series titled premiered in Japanese theaters on October 6, 2018.
"Gold Storm Sho".
 is both a film and a television series that serve as sequels to "Yami o Terasu Mono". Wataru Kuriyama and Miki Nanri reprise their roles and are joined by new cast members, among them Masahiro Inoue as the series antagonist Jinga. The film adaptation was released in Japanese theatres on March 28, 2015, while the television series was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 3 to September 18, 2015.
"Bikuu".
 is a film starring Sayaka Akimoto reprising her role as Bikuu from "Makai no Hana". It was released in Japanese theaters on November 14, 2015. Akimoto performs the ending theme .
"Makai Retsuden".
 is an omnibus television series which features the cast of the previous live action series. It celebrates the 10th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise and was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 8 to June 24, 2016.
"Ashura".
 is a special episode, with the "Garo" production team collaborating with New Japan Pro-Wrestling to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise. It features Hiroshi Tanahashi as Gouki and Togi Makabe and was broadcast on TV Tokyo on July 1, 2016. Taking place between "Makai Senki" and "Makai no Hana", Kaoru tells a young Raiga the story of one of the first Makai Knights to bear the Garo title: Gouki.
"Zero: Dragon Blood".
A brand new television series about Ray Fujita's character Rei Suzumura was originally announced as one of many new projects the "Garo" Project team were working on in 2015 and it was originally just known as "Zero". In June 2016, it was announced that the series would be titled to be broadcast in 2017. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from January 6 to March 31, 2017.
Live stage shows.
 features Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga and is connected to "Garo: Kami no Kiba". It was held between November 29 to December 3, 2017, at Space Zero in Yoyogi.
 features Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga and is connected to "Kami no Kiba: Jinga". It was held between January 5 to January 14, 2019, at The Galaxy Theatre in Higashishinagawa.
"Kami no Kiba".
 is a film of the series featuring Wataru Kuriyama's character Ryuga Dougai, along the main cast of "Yami o Terasu Mono" and "Gold Storm Sho". It was released in Japanese theaters on January 6, 2018.
"Kami no Kiba: Jinga".
In November 2017, series creator Keita Amemiya announced plans for a spin-off television series, titled , featuring Masahiro Inoue's character Jinga was in the works. In July 2018, it was announced that the series is scheduled to be broadcast in October of that year. It was broadcast on Tokyo MX from October 4 to December 27, 2018.
"Gekkou no Tabibito".
 is a film to star Masei Nakayama as Raiga Saejima serving as a sequel to the "Makai no Hana" television series, also including Hiroki Konishi who reprise his role as the original protagonist Kouga Saejima. After the production announcement in November 2014, it was announced in November 2018 that the film is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2019. It was released in Japanese theaters on October 4, 2019.
A three part mini series, "P Garo Saejima Kouga" was streamed on YouTube prior to the release of the film.
"Versus Road".
"Garo: Versus Road" is a television series, which celebrates the 15th anniversary of the "Garo" franchise that premiered on Tokyo MX on April 2, 2020. It features a brand new cast that includes Koya Matsudai, Yuhi, Tokito, Toman, Naoya Shimizu, and Shutaro Kadoshita. This series is set in a world whose continuity differs from those of previous entries in the franchise.