The “Touken Ranbu” universe sees another chapter closed as Yaeko Ninagawa’s manga adaptation, “Touken Ranbu Gaiden – Ayakashi-tan,” has reached its conclusion. The final chapter was released on Coamix’s Comic Zenon website on January 31, 2025, initially as a paid release, with a free release scheduled for February 28, 2025.
A Spinoff’s Journey Comes to an End
Launch and Serialization
Ninagawa launched the “Touken Ranbu Gaiden – Ayakashi-tan” manga on Comic Zenon in February 2022, offering a fresh perspective within the expansive “Touken Ranbu” storyline. The first compiled book volume was published in August 2022, marking a milestone for the series.
Yaeko Ninagawa’s Contributions
Yaeko Ninagawa is a manga artist known for her adaptations of various franchises. Her previous works include the manga adaptation of “Ghost Slayers Ayashi” and, more recently, “Her Blue Sky,” which was serialized on Kadokawa’s Comic Newtype web comic site from July 2019 to January 2021.
Touken Ranbu: A Multimedia Phenomenon
The “Touken Ranbu” franchise originated as a “sword personification training game” developed by DMM Games and Nitroplus in January 2015. The game reimagines famous swords from Japanese history as bishōnen (handsome young men), quickly gaining popularity and evolving into a multimedia phenomenon.
The Legacy of Touken Ranbu
Anime Adaptations
The “Touken Ranbu” franchise has inspired numerous anime adaptations, including:
- Katsugeki: Touken Ranbu: A television anime series.
- An upcoming anime film.
- Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru: A spinoff with two anime series.
- An anime film trilogy.
- A compilation anime film.
Live-Action Adaptations
The franchise has also expanded into live-action adaptations, including two films, as well as a series of musicals and stage plays.
Manga Adaptations
In addition to “Touken Ranbu Gaiden – Ayakashi-tan,” several other manga adaptations have expanded the story and characters of the “Touken Ranbu” universe.
Recent Developments
In April 2024, the anime “Touken Ranbu Kai: Kyoden Moyuru Honnōji,” based on a stage play from the franchise, premiered. A prequel film, “Touken Ranbu Kai -Dōden Chikashi Haberau Monora-,” had a limited three-week run in Japan in August 2024. Furthermore, an anime project titled “Wanpaku! Touken Ranbu” by Sanrio was announced in January 2024.
English and Chinese Versions
Johren released the original “Touken Ranbu” game in English for browsers in April 2021 and for smartphones in August 2021. However, these versions were discontinued in August 2023.
