Flame of Recca is a 42-episode anime series produced by Studio Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe. It is an adaptation of the shōnen manga series of the same name by Nobuyuki Anzai. The plot follows the protagonist Recca Hanabishi, a teenage ninja with the ability to manipulate fire and a descendant of the Hokage, a ninja clan wiped out centuries ago.
The series aired in Japan from July 19, 1997 to July 10, 1998 on Fuji Television.[1] Flame of Recca has also aired on the satellite network Animax in Japan and Asia.[2][3] Pony Canyon has released the entire series on DVD and laserdisc, while Geneon released it in two DVD boxsets on April 22 and June 24, 2004 in Japan.[4] In North America, Viz Media released the series in ten separate DVD volumes between October 26, 2004 and January 9, 2007.[5][6]
On August 10, 1999, Flame of Recca first aired on GMA7 in the Philippines dubbed in Filipino
The Flame of Recca anime series featured background music composed by Yusuke Honma. The series featured "Nanka Shiawase" (なんか幸せ, lit. "Something Happy") by The Oystars as its opening theme, and used "Love is Changing" (西田ひかる) by Hikaru Nishida and "Zutto Kimi no Soba de" (ずっと君の傍で, lit. "By Your Side Forever") by Yuki Masuda as its ending themes for episodes 1-32 and episodes 33-42 respectively.
| No. | Title | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Princess and her Ninja! Power Awakens!" "Hime to ninja mezameta chikara!!" (姫と忍者 めざめた力!!) |
19 July 1997 | |
| A boy named Recca Hanibishi is obsessed with being a ninja. After an accident, a girl named Yanagi Sakoshita heals him, and he declares her to be his princess, and pledges to be her loyal ninja. After an encounter with Kage Hōshi, he learns that he has the ability to control fire. | |||
| 2 | "Fire and Wind, the Fatal Temptation!" "Honō to fūjin kiken na yūwaku!!" (炎と風神 危険な誘惑!!) |
2 August 1997 | |
| Fūko Kirisawa is irritated by the fact that Recca became someone's ninja just because he felt like it, and accepts the Fūjin, an object that enables its user to control wind, from Kage Hōshi. The Fūjin, however, is rigged with a mind control orb that enables Kage Hōshi to manipulate Fūko's thoughts. Fūko then arranges to meet Recca on the school grounds after dark to fight with him. Recca is at a disadvantage at first, but is saved by Domon Ishijima after the latter is informed by Yanagi of what was happening. Recca eventually resorts to using his power to control fire to combat Fūko. | |||
| 3 | "The Soldier of Water! The Plane of Revenge!" "Mizu no kenshi fukushū no yaiba!!" (水の剣士 復讐の刃!!) |
9 August 1997 | |
| Recca and Domon manage to defeat Fūko and destroy the mind control orb, and they learn that Kage Hōshi cannot be killed. The next day, Tokiya Mikagami confronts Recca and states that he knows of what occurred the night before, but Recca acts oblivious. Shortly after, it is revealed that Tokiya is pursuing Recca because Kage Hōshi led him to believe that Recca may have connections to the men who murdered his sister when he was a child. He eventually confronts Recca in the park, and attacks him with Ensui, a sword that manipulates water. As Recca is about to be killed, Yanagi rushes in to try to stop the fight, and Tokiya is shocked upon seeing her because she looks just like his deceased sister. | |||
| 4 | "The Maze of Mirror and the Determined Flame" "Kagami no meikyū kesshi no kaen!!" (鏡の迷宮 決死の火炎!!) |
16 August 1997 | |
| As Yanagi appears, Tokiya withdraw from the fight and Yanagi manages to heal Recca using her powers. Feeling down because he let Yanagi saved him, Yanagi recommend they goes to the amuzement park. On the way to buying some drinks, Tokiya appears and take Yanagi to Mirror House. Recca then confronts Tokiya in order to save Yanagi, after a fierce battle, Tokiya admit defeat. It is also revealed that Kage Houshi is actually Recca's biological mother, and make them fight each other to strengthen their power. | |||
| 5 | "The Mystery of the Hokage Ninja" "Kage no ningun Hokage no nazo!!" (影の忍軍 火影の謎!!) |
20 August 1997 | |
| Recca meets a teacher that knows a lot about the Hokage Ninjas. Yanagi is kidnapped by people from Kurei's Uruha [his Death Squad], including a greatly skilled but rather innocent swordschild named Koganei. | |||
| 6 | "The Dangerous Master of Flame, Kurei!" "Kyōfu no enjutsushi Kurei!!" (恐怖の炎術士 紅麗!!) |
13 September 1997 | |
| Yanagi wakes up to find herself in a huge bedroom. She meets Koganei, who has washed her clothes and tells her he did not mean to hurt her, but that he must follow Kurei's orders. It is revealed the Kurei's 'father' has ordered the kidnapping of Yanagi, because she has the innate ability to heal and he thinks this can help him achieve immortality. Kage Houshi appears and encourages Recca to fight for Yanagi's release. Recca, Domon and Fuuko team up to go for this. They head to Kurei's mansion, but are met by a stone statue called Maria that shoots lasers at them, upon entrance. | |||
| 7 | "A Deadly Struggle, the Guardian of Stone" "Ishi no bannin shi no GAME" (石の番人 死のゲーム!!) |
27 September 1997 | |
| Recca, Domon and Fuuko realize that Maria is too fast for them but, taking advantage of the time she needs to occasionally recharge her laser, they defeat her. As they travel to the next room, the group encounters a room full of mannequins playing instruments and holding festivities. There they meet Katashira Reira(doll controller) and her doll Primera, and a battle breaks off between them and Fuuko. | |||
| 8 | "Room of the Doll! Fuko's Fatal Combat!" "Ningyō no heya! Fūko no shitō!!" (人形の部屋!風子の死闘!!) |
27 September 1997 | |
| Katashira Reira gains control of Fuuko's body and begins to attack the other two. During this, Reira uses the moment to gain control of the boys. Stuck in her control, Reira tortures Fuuko with Primera until she begins to laugh. Fuuko learns the secret of the doll controller and stops her, ultimately defeating the duo. Kage Hoshi is then seen trying to convince Tokiya to assist Recca and company. Meanwhile, Kurei gives order to let lose a dangerous character that is locked up in a cage on the second floor. | |||
| 9 | "Devil Domon! Overwhelming Power!" "Oni no Domon! Michinaru chikara!!" (鬼の土門!未知なる力!!) |
4 October 1997 | |
| The group goes up to the second floor with new friend Ganko to meet Seiko. Seiko who was locked up because he was too dangerous is now stopping our team from getting to the fourth floor where Yanagi is. Domon steps up to the challenge, and declares he'll face Seiko alone. Seiko is at first taken down, but after the use of his elemental weapon, creates a rock armor and pulverizes the group. It's then we learn that Domon is given Saturn's Ring from Kage Hoshi, and with its aid manages to defeat Seiko. As the episode closes, Tokiya makes his appearance at the mansion. | |||
| 10 | "The War of Flames! The Fight Between Hokage Descendants" "Honō no gekitotsu! Futari no Hokage!!" (炎激突!!二人の火影!!) |
11 October 1997 | |
| Fuuko, Recca, and Domon are holding up a wall when Tokiya appears and taunts them. He destroys the wall and then begins to battle with Koganei who was waiting from the group on the third floor. Tokiya engages Koganei, and allows the rest of the group to run on to the fourth floor where they meet Kurei. After getting their attention, Kurei tells Recca about their past 400 years ago and how both were sent to the present time when they were infants. | |||
| 11 | "Adamantium Blade's Five Different Forms!" "Kōgan Anki! Itsutsu no yaiba!!" (鋼金暗器!五つの刃!!) |
18 October 1997 | |
| Recca has a flashback to the past, caused by Kurei's revelation. He awakens to find that he, Fuuko, Domon and Ganko have fallen into Mokuren's lab, where plants attack. Meanwhile, Kogenai shows off the versatility of his Kōgan Anki weapon in a series of attacks against Tokiya. He disarms Tokiya, yet waits for him to retrieve his blade in an effort to show off all five forms. In the end, Tokiya uses a fake image of himself created with water to catch Kogenai off guard and win the battle. Back in the lab, the group encounters Mokuren, a psycho with the ability to manipulate plants. Recca bludgens him with stereo equipment, and when Mokuren transforms, Recca sets him on fire, winning the battle. The group heads for the elevator, where Kurei is waiting in ambush. | |||
| 12 | "Kurenai, the Flame of the Angel of Death" "Honō no Kurenai! Shi wo yobu tenshi!!" (炎の紅!死を呼ぶ天使!!) |
25 October 1997 | |
| 13 | "The Ultimate Flame! Legend of the Fire Dragons" "Kyūkyoku no honō! Densetsu no Karyū!!" (究極の炎!伝説の火竜!!) |
1 November 1997 | |
| 14 | "The Past is Brought Forward! The Truth of 400 Years Ago!" "Yomigaeru kako! Yonhyakuen no shinjitsu!!" (蘇る過去!四百年の真実!!) |
15 November 1997 | |
| 15 | "The Curse that Separates Mother and Son" "Toki no noroi! Haha to musuko!!" (時の呪い!母と息子!!) |
22 November 1997 | |
| 16 | "Determination to Fight! Recca's Challenge!" "Tatakai no ketsui! Recca no chōsen!!" (戦いの決意!烈火の挑戦!!) |
29 November 1997 | |
| 17 | "Hokage's Arrival! The Urubatousatsujin" "Hokage kenzan! Ura Butou Satsujin!!" (火影見参!!裏武闘殺陣!!) |
6 December 1997 | |
| 18 | "The Opening Battle! Mikagami's Sword" "Shura no ken! Mikagami shutsujin!!" (修羅の剣!水鏡出陣!!) |
13 December 1997 | |
| 19 | "Unexploded Iron Fist! Domon's Last Resort" "Tekken fuhatsu?! Domon no kirifuda!!" (鉄拳不発?!土門の切り札!!) |
20 December 1997 | |
| 20 | "Secret of the Maiden's Skin" "Bakuretsu!! Otome no hada no himitsu!!" (爆裂!!乙女の肌の秘密!!) |
10 January 1998 | |
| Fujimaru stripped Fuuko Kirisawa during the match and called her ugly. At the end of the match, Fuuko warned the audience if there is someone like Fujimaru, she would make their lives as a living hell. Later, Saicho apologized for Fujimaru's perverse behavior and gave a paper bandage to Fuuko's arm and give his jacket to her. | |||
| 21 | "Paper Dance! Breathing in Life!" "Kami no mai! Fukikomareta inochi!!" (紙の舞!吹き込まれた命!!) |
17 January 1998 | |
| 22 | "The Terrible Monster has Changed! Recca is in Danger!" "Hotoke no hyōhen! Mō hitotsu no kao!!" (仏の豹変!もう一つの顔!!) |
24 January 1998 | |
| 23 | "Trial of Life and Death!" "Inochigake no shiren!!" (命がけの試練!!) |
31 January 1998 | |
| 24 | "The Call from the Monster, the Warrior from Hell" "Kemono no otakebi jigoku no senshi!!" (獣の雄叫び 地獄の戦士!!) |
7 February 1998 | |
| Koganei joins the Hokage team after learning that they do not have enough members. NOTE: Fuuko and Domon were fallen by Kurei's trap. | |||
| 25 | "What an Attack! The Lightning Battle" "Shōgeki!! Denkōsekka no ketchaku!!" (衝撃!!電光石火の決着!!) |
14 February 1998 | |
| After Koganei defeats Shiju, Genjuro suggested to change the the format of Round 2 as single elimination where the loser gets eliminated and the winner keeps fighting. | |||
| 26 | "Mokuren has Returned! The Danger of the Human Tree" "Fukkatsu no Mokuren! Jimmen ju no kyōi!!" (復活の木蓮!!人面樹の驚異!!) |
21 February 1998 | |
| 27 | "The Reason for her Tear! The Girl with the Hairblade!" "Namida no wake midaregami no bishōjo!!" (涙の訳 乱れ髪の美少女!!) |
28 February 1998 | |
| 28 | "The Instantaneous Flame, the Flame of Setsuna" "Shakunetsu no gankō Setsuna no Shun En honō!!" (灼熱の眼光 刹那の瞬炎!!) |
7 March 1998 | |
| Recca faces Genjuro into a fight after defeating Meno Sakura. During the match it is revealed that Genjuro first used the illusion technique that Kurei used. At the end of the fight, Genjuro angered Setsuna, the 4th Karyu who burned him alive. | |||
| 29 | "Dangerous Lips! The Madougu of Speech!" "Ayashī no kuchibiru! Kotodama no kyōfu!!" (妖しい唇 言霊の恐怖!!) |
14 March 1998 | |
| Team Hokage faces the beautiful but deadly Uruha Sound/Oto. In the first match, Domon Ishijima faces illusionist Aki who uses the madogu Kotodama which enables the user to create illusions that only the opponent can see. The illusions include Aki stripping, a giant snake, snowy weather, flower and flames all over Domon. Mikagami tried to stop Domon's match but is prevented by Recca which led the two men having a rift. Luckily, with his mental fortitude, Domon was able to repel the Kotodama's spell and emerged victorious. Mikagami objected Recca's happiness for Domon's win because he almost let Domon die which made the conflict worse. At the end of the fight, Neon called a double bout (i.e. 2 vs. 2 Neon and Miki vs. Recca and Mikagami) | |||
| 30 | "The Seduction of the Beautiful. Dangerous Duet!" "Bijo no yūwaku, shi no nijūsō!!" (美女の誘惑 死の二重奏!!) |
21 March 1998 | |
| Team Hokage agreed to Neon's suggestion in having a double bout since if Team Hokage loses the next 2 matches, Fuuko Kirisawa will win by default and the match will end in a tie. During the fight, Recca and Mikagami had a rift because of Domon who later intervened during the match and stopped the argument but ended up losing his win against Aki. The duo worked together to win and defeated Miki. Neon then released the sealed energy from her madogu the Fukyo Waon and tried to play the last tune, the Requiem (song for the dead) | |||
| 31 | "The Cursed Flame! Kurenai's Past!!" "Noro wa reshi honō Kurenai no kako!!" (呪われし炎 「紅」の過去!!) |
28 March 1998 | |
| Recca asked Neon why was she protecting Kurei despite being a merciless killer. Neon told a story about Kurei's sad past and why Neon became a Jyuushinju. Recca tried to summon Madoka, the barrier dragon and try to save Neon despite being their enemy. | |||
| 32 | "The Invisible Enemy! A Horrible Battle" "Mienai teki kyōfuto no tatakai!!" (見えない敵 恐怖との戦い!!) |
17 April 1998 | |
| Team Hokage automatically advances to the Semi-Finals after learning that their opponent dropped from the quarter finals and faced Uruha Ma led by Magensha who defeated and killed the Jyuushinju Jisho. In the first match, Koganei faces Tsukishiro, who uses two madogus the Kaigetsu and the Oboro (Hazy Moon). Koganei figured out the Oboro's weakness by following the trail of blood and defeated Tsukishiro, but due to fatal wounds caused during the fight, Koganei lost consciousness and the match ended in a draw. | |||
| 33 | "Two Dragons! The Stolen Move!" "Nihiki no karyū!! Nusumareta waza!!" (二匹の火竜!!盗まれた技!!) |
24 April 1998 | |
| Recca faces the copycat ninja Kashamaru who wielded the madogu Nisebi (Fake Flame). During the fight, Recca was given a riddle by Rui (One of the Karyu) and was able to solve her riddle and created a fog illusion (in the forms of Gashakura, Jisho and an impersonation of Kashamaru himself) against Kashamaru. Recca emerged victorious. Tsukishiro and Kashamaru are then sent to the Majigen dimension. Recca was supposed to fight Gashakura who stated that Kashamaru applied sleeping potions to all his weapons. | |||
| 34 | "Skin Covered in Bruises! Fuko's Tough Fight!" "Gekitō Fūko!! Kizudarake no suhada!!" (激闘風子!!傷だらけの素肌!!) |
1 May 1998 | |
| Fuuko Kirisawa faces Uruha Ma's second-in-command, Gashakura. During the match, Kouran Mori interfered and set a laser in the ring's corners where Fuuko was hit twice | |||
| 35 | "Answer to a Maiden's Prayer! The True Power of Fujin" "Otome no inori mezameta Fūjin!!" (乙女の祈り 目覚めた風神!!) |
8 May 1998 | |
| The true form of Fuujin is revealed and it is a cute little fox. Later, Fuuko challenges Magensha but ended up getting sucked in the Majigen | |||
| 36 | "The Fire Dragons United! The Enemy Outside the Ring!" "Karyū gattai!! RING gai no teki!!" (火竜合体!!リング外の敵!!) |
15 May 1998 | |
| An evil presence is stalking Yanagi, and he is another Magensha who is later revealed to be a fake. | |||
| 37 | "Escape from the Oblivious Dimension! The Battle of the Other Place!" "Ma jigen dasshutsu!! Akūkan no tatakai!!" (魔次元脱出!!亜空間の戦い!!) |
22 May 1998 | |
| Fuuko, Tsukishiro and Kashamaru tried to escape from the Majigen dimension and eventually found the real Magensha and Domon won the match. In the second part of the semi-finals, Raiha, who was supposed to fight Kurei withdrew. | |||
| 38 | "Horror! The Walking Corpse" "Kyōfu!! Yomigaetta shisha no nikutai!!" (恐怖!!蘇った死者の肉体!!) |
29 May 1998 | |
| Domon faces Noroi, a ghost that haunts the Bakuju madogu. Noroi tried to invade Domon's mind and body but thanks to Domon's strong spiritual capacity, he was able to repel the Bakuju's spell and emerged victorious. And at the end of the match, Kurei appeared. | |||
| 39 | "Mikagami Battles. Desperate Ice Sword!" "Mikagami shitō!! Kesshi no Hyōmon Ken!!" (水鏡死闘!!決死の氷紋剣!!) |
12 June 1998 | |
| Mikagami battles Kai who is suspected to be the murderer of Mifuyu. Kai was able to defeat Mikagami. But despite this, Kai declared that Mikagami was the rightful heir of the Hyomon Ken (Ice Crest Sword). And before he died, Kai revealed that the murderer of Mifuyu was their sensei and Tokiya's grandfather, Meguri Kyoza (In the manga, two men hired by Kurei were the true killers and Meguri arrive too late and blamed himself for Mifuyu's death. Also, Kai stabbed himself with the Hyoma En in the manga after the match). At the same time, Recca learned that the 8 Flame Dragons were Hokage ancestors and was forced to fight them again to regain their powers. | |||
| 40 | "Trap of the Evil Woman. The God of Wind is Furious!" "Akujo no wana!! Ikari no Fūjin!!" (悪女の罠!!怒りの風神!!) |
19 June 1998 | |
| Recca faces the last Karyu in the desert, Setsuna and the old man reveals himself to be the 7th dragon, Koku. Back at the arena, Fuuko fights Mikoto, in order to avenge a little boy's father's death by her (Mikoto). During the fight, the Mikoto Fuuko was fighting was actually a robot. The real Mikoto appeared and later abused the referee who accused her of cheating because her madogu takes human form. Fuuko was eventually poisoned by the Dokumashin, a poisonous nail that contains the poisons from all over the world. Mikoto too was poisoned in order to release the Gendokugan (the antidote). Fuuko took one dose but was eventually defeated since Domon interfered. Back at the desert, Recca fights Koku and told Recca to combine the dragons just as he (Recca) fought Magensha. However, there are rules to be honored to successfully summon composite dragons. NOTE: This is the only episode in the anime where Recca is only a minor character. | |||
| 41 | "Fight Again! Recca & Kurei" "Taiketsu futatabi!! Recca to Kurei!!" (対決再び!!烈火と紅麗!!) |
3 July 1998 | |
| Koganeis' fight with the Joker begins but the Joker gives up so Kurei can fight Recca. With Recca still not back from training the others battle Kurei four on one. Recca appears just in time to save Koganei. Recca and Kurei finally begin their fight. During the fight Recca simultaneously summoned all 7 dragons in order for Resshin, the 8th dragon to appear. But it turned out to be a whammy since he came to bear witness the fight between Recca and Kurei. | |||
| 42 | "The Deadly Battle! When the Candle of Life Burns out." "Shitō!! Inochimo e tsukiru made!!" (死闘!!命燃え尽きるまで!!) |
10 July 1998 | |
| After Kurenai has been extinguished, Kurei unleashed his powerful flame, the Sacred Flame Ho-Oh (Phoenix). Resshin recalled that the Sacred Flames caused Kurei's harsh fate. It is revealed that Resshin was a spirit of Recca and Kurei's real father, Oka. During the end of the fight, Kouran Mori appeared with a puppet Kurei. Recca and Kurei faced the puppet and Resshin finally joins them to destroy the puppet. At the end, Recca emerged victorious. | |||
|
|||||