Jubei-chan 2
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| Jubei-chan: The Counter Attack of Siberian Yagyu | |
|---|---|
| 十兵衛ちゃん２ ～シベリア柳生の逆襲～ (Jubei-chan: The Counter Attack of Siberian Yagyu) |
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| Genre | comedy, drama, action |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Akitaro Daichi |
| Studio | Madhouse |
| Network | TV Tokyo |
| Original run | 7 January 2004 – 31 March 2004 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
Jubei-chan 2: The Counter Attack of Siberian Yagyu (十兵衛ちゃん２ ～シベリア柳生の逆襲～ Jubei-chan 2 ~Siberia Yagyuu no Gyakushuu~?) is a 13-episode anime series written and directed by Akitaro Daichi, like its prequel Jubei-chan. It is animated by the same company, Madhouse Production. Jubei-chan 2 aired in the year 2004 in Japan and has been released in North America by Geneon Entertainment.
The second series is more serious than the prequel, but still relies heavily on humor while maintaining drama. The story focuses on the same protagonist, Jiyu Nanohana, a teenaged girl who transforms into Jubei Yagyu the Second while wearing the Lovely Eyepatch, an eyepatch consisting of a polished pink heart-shaped stone.
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[edit] Plot
300 years ago, the Northern Yagyu were driven out of Japan into Siberia by the Edo Yagyu. After living several years in Siberia, they changed their name to the Siberian Yagyu. The leader of the Edo Yagyu sent Jubei Yagyu to assassinate the head of the Siberian clan, Kita Ressai. Jubei did not wish to carry out this order, but traveled to Siberia anyway. During his time there, he fell in love and had a daughter named Freesia. Some time later he caught up with Kita Ressai, the leader he had been sent to assassinate. Over Jubei's objections, Kita Ressai provoked a duel between the two while on a frozen body of water. In the heat of the battle, Kita Ressai broke through the ice, drowning Jubei Yagyu's wife and daughter along with himself. Freesia remained frozen in a glacier for 300 years, until global warming caused enough of the glacier to melt to free her.
Freesia then learns of the Lovely Eyepatch that her father left to his successor. Freesia is furious when she learns that the Lovely Eyepatch was not left to her, but rather Jiyu Nanohana. Determined to claim the Lovely Eyepatch as the daughter of Jubei Yagyu, she tracks down Jiyu Nanohana, intent on defeating Jiyu and making her suffer.
At the same time, the Siberian Yagyu learn of the appearance of Jubei Yagyu the Second and track down Jiyu Nanohana in an attempt to satisfy their 300 year old grudge against Jubei Yagyu.
Now Jiyu faces two distinct enemies: the Siberian Yagyu and Freesia Yagyu.
Freesia has not forgotten what the Siberian Yagyu did to her family, either, and is determined to defeat the Siberian Yagyu after claiming the Lovely Eyepatch as her own.
A major theme of the series is power and how differently people react to it. Jiyu doesn't want the responsibility and she's afraid to lose herself (Jiyu) for power (the form of Jubei) while Freesia doesn't understand anyone who isn't willing to have more power.
[edit] Characters
Characters (names are in western format - given name first.)
Jiyu Nanohana (Yui Horie): The reincarnation of Jubei Yagyu, referred to as Jubei Yagyu the Second. Jiyu is an optimistic and friendly 15 year old who has just started her 3rd year in high school. Even though Jiyu has tried to forget what happened during the first series, she still feels guilty over what happened to Koinosuke. While wiser than she was during the first series, she is still a bit clueless.
As in the first series, Jiyu can transform into Jubei Yagyu the Second by donning the Lovely Eyepatch.
Sai Nanohana (Keiji Fujiwara): Jiyu's father, a former ghostwriter who, at Jiyu's request, has started trying to write a novel under his own name. He still has feelings towards Mikage, even though he has accepted the fact that she is married to another man.
Ayunosuke Odago (Ayaka Saito): Koinosuke's only child, Koinosuke charged his child to carry on his task – to give the successor to Jubei Yagyu the Lovely Eyepatch – should he fail. For 300 years, Ayunosuke waited for Koinosuke to return home. Discovering the Lovely Eyepatch that Jiyu had returned to Koinosuke at the end of the first series, Ayunosuke believes that Koinosuke failed and sets out to finish Koinosuke's mission. Unlike Koinosuke, Ayunosuke is a competent ninja and healer, capable of running from Freesia while Freesia is transformed into Jubei Yagyu. Ayunosuke refuses to accept that Jiyu does not want the Lovely Eyepatch and persists in attempting to give it to Jiyu, despite Jiyu's objections. Still only a child, Ayunosuke speaks slowly.
Freesia Yagyu (Erina Nakayama): Jubei Yagyu's daughter who has spent roughly three hundred years in suspended animation inside a block of ice. She believes that she is the rightful owner of the Lovely Eyepatch and seeks to take it from Jiyu, who she views as an impostor. She intends to make Jiyu suffer in the same way she had suffered over the past 300 years. Towards this goal, she has traveled to Jiyu's home town and has joined Jiyu's school.
Like Jiyu, Freesia Yagyu can don the Spade Eyepatch and transform into what Freesia insists is the "true" Jubei Yagyu the Second.
Mikage Tsumura: A former enemy, Mikage has returned to assist Jiyu/Jubei after sensing an impending battle for Jiyu. Having seen the strain that becoming Jubei Yagyu the Second places on both Jiyu and Sai, Mikage wishes to protect Jiyu and fight her battle for her.
Kitafuro Yagyu: The most potential member of the Siberian Yagyu, Kitafuro is the son of the late leader of the clan, who was defeated by Jubei Yagyu. Kitafuro wishes for revenge and wants to defeat Jubei Yagyu the second.
Koinosuke Odago: Ayunosuke's father and Jiyu's former servant, Koinosuke still lingers in the memories of Jiyu and Ayunosuke. He sacrificed his own memories to find Jiyu, fulfilling the task set out for him by his master, the original Jubei Yagyu.
[edit] Trivia
- Episode three of the series features one of the characters reading an issue of 'Ghost Men' by Marvil Comics Group. The comic is clearly styled in the older style of the Marvel Comics group and is obviously a parody of the Ghost Rider.
