Garōden (餓狼伝) is a Japanese martial arts novel series written by Baku Yumemakura. The series' first part consists of 13 novels, released from July 1985 to March 2003. The second part, Shin Garōden, started in December 2006, with five volumes released by October 2020. A manga series adaptation by Jirō Taniguchi was published from 1989 to 1990. A second manga series adaptation by Keisuke Itagaki was published from 1996 to 2010, before entering on indefinite hiatus. A prequel manga series by Itagaki, titled Garōden Boy, was published in 2004. A manga adaptation of Shin Garōden, by Masami Nobe, was published from 2013 to 2014. A feature film was released in January 1995. Two video games based on Itagaki's manga adaptation were released for the PlayStation 2; Garōden Breakblow in 2005, and Garōden Breakblow Fist or Twist in 2007. An original net animation (ONA) adaptation, titled Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf, premiered worldwide on Netflix in May 2024.

Plot

Fighting expert Bunshichi Tanba enjoys defeating TV fighting champions and celebrities on the street until he stumbles into the underground wrestling club known as FAW (Federation of Amateur Wrestling). There, he is defeated by a wrestling world underdog and forces himself to improve before he seeks a rematch. Years later he returns better than ever and his fights attract the attention of the two "monsters" of the fighting world that are constantly in competition with each other, Makoto "the great" Tatsumi, owner of the FAW and with a power and charisma unrivaled in the ring, and "the demon of karate" Shozan Matsuo, owner of the best Karate schools in Japan and with a power and speed that is almost godlike. Both will try to recruit Tanba to their own side and Tanba will experience a fighting world like he has never seen, with friends and rivals everywhere, he must step up to the many challenges that are awaiting him.

Characters

Media

Novel

Written by Baku Yumemakura, the first volume of Garōden was released on July 20, 1985. The first part finished with the 13th volume, released on March 4, 2003. The first novel of the second part, titled Shin Garōden (新・餓狼伝), was released on December 12, 2006. As of October 16, 2020, five volumes have been released.

Manga

A manga series adaptation by Jiro Taniguchi was published in Asahi Sonorama's Shishiō magazine from 1989 to 1990, and collected in a single volume released on June 30, 1990. Another manga series adaptation by Keisuke Itagaki started in the August 1996 issue of Schola (publisher)'s manga magazine Monthly Comic Birz. Schola collected its chapters in five volumes, released from December 1996 to February 1999. Monthly Comic Birz ceased publication after the May 1999 issue, and the series was transferred to Kodansha's Young Magazine Uppers in 1999. the magazine ceased publication in 2004, and the manga was transferred to Kodansha's Evening on February 8, 2004. Its last chapter in the magazine was published on October 12, 2010, and the series was put on indefinite hiatus. Kodansha released 25 volumes from August 6, 1999, to December 12, 2010. Akita Shoten started republishing the series on April 7, 2011; for this event, the first two chapters were published in Weekly Shōnen Champion on March 31 and April 7 of the same year. 26 volumes were released until August 8, 2012.

Related manga

A prequel manga series by Itakagi, titled Garōden Boy (餓狼伝 BOY), was serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine from January 14 to July 7, 2004; two volumes were released by Kodansha on July 15 and August 26 of the same year. Akita Shoten re-released both volumes on September 17, 2012. A manga adaptation of Shin Garōden by Masami Nobe, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion from February 14, 2013, to May 29, 2014. Akita Shoten released six volumes from June 7, 2013, to July 8, 2014.

Film

A feature film adaptation directed by Masato Sasaki premiered on January 25, 1995.

Video games

Two video games based on Keisuke Itagaki's manga adaptation, published by Entertainment Software Publishing (ESP), were released for the PlayStation 2. The first game, Garōden Breakdown, was released on November 17, 2005, and the second, Garōden: Breakblow – Fist or Twist, was released on March 15, 2007.

Original net animation

An original net animation (ONA) adaptation, titled Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf, animated by NAZ and produced by Netflix, premiered worldwide on the platform on May 23, 2024. It is directed by Atsushi Ikariya, with Daisuke Mataga serving as assistant director, and Sadayuki Murai as script writer. Ikariya is also designing the characters with Momoko Kawai. The music is composed by Takeshi Ueda. Ueda, credited as his music project AA=, performed the opening theme song "Fight & Pride", and the ending theme song "Cry Boy".

Reception

Volume 20 of the manga ranked ninth in the May 9–15, 2007 Japanese comic ranking. Volume 23 ranked 15th in the April 19–26, 2009 ranking, selling 41,216 copies.