Manga Urotsukidōji was first serialized in four special editions of the erotic manga magazine
Manga Erotopia from 25 July 1985 to 24 July 1986. It was later released into six
tankōbon volumes from 1 December 1986 to 1 April 1987. It was later released into six volumes from 1 September 2002 to 15 October 2003. On 12 December 2014 English-language hentai publisher
Fakku announced plans to launch a
Kickstarter campaign to publish a remastered edition of the manga, which would include color pages and chapters omitted from the previous English versions. The campaign was launched on 20 June 2016. The campaign met its goal, and the first of four volumes was released on 8 December 2016.
Anime There are four main arcs in the original
Urotsukidōji saga, along with an unfinished fifth arc that has so far only been released in Japan and Germany, as well as a complete remake of the first chapter.
Series overview Legend of the Overfiend (1987–1989) • (21 January 1987) Penthouse: Volume 3 • (21 March 1988) Penthouse: Volume 44 • (10 April 1989) Penthouse: Volume 58 The first series was released as part of an anthology video series distributed by JAVN (Japan Audio Visual Network). The anthology series was part of the international
Penthouse Magazine brand and featured international and domestic pornographic movies (such as
The Devil in Miss Jones,
Behind the Green Door and
The Opening of Misty Beethoven to name a few). The first three-volume series within the larger Penthouse series was named , known outside Japan as
Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend. These three episodes were adapted from the original
manga but skip over much of the comedic sub-stories and subplots and instead shift the focus to the apocalypse and the battle between Suikakuju and Jyaku. The three OVAs were later edited into a theatrical film. The removal of certain
explicit material resulted in the film being given a rating from Japan's
Film Classification and Rating Organization. Shochiku-Fuji distributed the film to theaters while
Shochiku Home Video distributed the film to VHS with the tagline .
Legend of the Over-Fiend was shown at the
Toronto Festival of Festivals on 16 September 1989. A critic credited as "Suze." wrote in
Variety the film was a "sci-fi-horror schlock extravaganza verging on porno. Films like this are why the word misogynist was invented." The theatrical film was released in North America on VHS on 11 August 1993 by
Central Park Media under the "Anime 18" label - it was their first title to be released with the label and it was rated NC-17. The film was also released in the UK and Australia, with additional cuts being made by the
BBFC and
OFLC. ; Plot Planet Earth is not all it seems. It is revealed that humans are not alone and that there are unseen realms running parallel to our own: the realms of the Demons (
Makai) and the Man-Beasts (
Jyujinkai). To further that, there is a 3000-year-old legend that foretells the coming of the Overfiend (
Chōjin)—a being of unimaginable power that will unite all three realms into a land of eternity. The story follows the exploits of the protagonists—man-beast Jyaku Amano, his nymphomaniac sister Megumi and their companion Kuroko—as their 300-year search for the Overfiend takes them to a high school in
Osaka, Japan. Their discoveries led them to two students: shy, lecherous Tatsuo Nagumo and school idol Akemi Ito. But as the film plunges deeper into the dark and gruesome, Jyaku discovers that the Legend of the Overfiend is not what it seems and that the future of the three realms may be strikingly different from what he is led to believe. ; DVD releases •
Perfect Collection (
Anime 18)—2:26:06 •
Special DVD Edition (
Manga Entertainment)—1:42:55 •
Movie Edition (
Kitty Media)—1:45:20 The
Perfect Collection from
Anime 18 is the only English-friendly uncut version of the first OVA available outside Japan. Other versions such as the one on the "Hell on Earth" boxed set and the Australian Madman release with both
Legend of the Overfiend and
Legend of the Demon Womb have been cut for 45 minutes in total, which included a total of 24 minutes of sexually oriented scenes. The U.S. DVD releases are now out-of-print. The
Movie Edition, licensed by
Kitty Media in 2010 and released in 2011, is the first time any of the anime has been released on
Blu-ray, though it is reformatted for widescreen (the DVD version released alongside it retains the original aspect ratio). On January 20, 2025, it was announced that
Discotek Media will be rereleasing it on Blu-ray in 2025. The anime received an extensive restoration.
Legend of the Demon Womb (1990–1991) • "A Prayer for the Resurrection of the Lord of Chaos" (1 December 1990) • "Battle at Shinjuku Skyscrapers" (10 April 1991) The second OVA series was named , known outside Japan as
Urotsukidoji II: Legend of the Demon Womb. This series was not based on the manga, but elements from it were used, with Negumo's cousin Takeaki taking on a character similar to the character of Saburo in the manga and Münchhausen II taking after the character of Suikakuju. The second part of the saga created an ongoing controversy among
Urotsukidōji fans as to where it fits into the saga as a whole. One main theory is that the two chapters happen between "Birth of the Overfiend" and "Curse of the Overfiend" of the first OVA. Another main theory is that since the characters and tone are fairly unfaithful to the first three OVAs, it ought not to be considered part of the
canon in the first place. The two OVAs were again later recut into a theatrical version; however, whereas the original two OVA episodes in this case censored sexual acts with blurring throughout, the movie edit was fully uncensored and even featured additional scenes with new animation and effects added to improve existing scenes. No material was taken out in the process—the time difference arising due to redundant credits and recaps—so the movie is to be considered the most complete version. ; Plot Unbeknownst to Jyaku and Megumi, in 1944, the Nazis attempted to summon the Overfiend's nemesis: the Lord of Chaos (Kyō-Ō). Top scientist Dr. Münchhausen and his son invented a perverse death-rape machine to summon the Lord of Chaos—but the machine overloaded; and helped to destroy half of
Berlin—leaving Münchhausen II alive, but psychologically scarred. During his adolescence, Münchhausen II discovers his father's journal and tries to uncover the secrets of the
Jyujinkai and the
Makai. He finally succeeds and reawakens Kohoki—a demon banished to hell for eternity—into the human realm and the two form an infamous partnership. Cut to the present day and Münchhausen II is trying to fulfill his father's work—to summon the Lord of Chaos—but to make sure it will work this time, he needs a human sacrifice. And it just so happens Tatsuo's cousin Takeaki Kiryu is on the next plane to Osaka... ; DVD releases •
Perfect Collection (
Anime 18)—1:37:33 •
Urotsukidoji II: Legend of the Demon Womb (
Anime 18)—1:26:51 •
Special DVD Edition (
Manga Entertainment)—1:23:32 The
Perfect Collection from
Anime 18 is the only uncut version of the second
Urotsukidōji OVA available outside Japan—however, even the Japanese version was censored, and this censoring was carried over. As mentioned above, this was rectified for the movie version which is uncensored and contains more original material than the OVAs. Anime 18's DVD release is uncut though others (such as Manga UK's) have again been censored with cuts made. Both Japanese and English-language tracks are included on Anime 18's DVD of the movie, but there are no subtitles. Like the
Perfect Collection, it is not region-coded. Other versions such as the one on the "Hell on Earth" boxed set and the Australian Madman release with both
Legend of the Overfiend and
Legend of the Demon Womb have been cut for 14 minutes in total, which included a total of 7 minutes of sexually oriented scenes. The U.S. releases are also now out-of-print.
Return of the Overfiend (1992–1993) • "Birth of the True Overfiend" (1 October 1992) • "The Mystery of Caesar's Palace" (21 January 1993) • "The Collapse of Caesar's Palace" (21 May 1993) • "Journey to an Unknown World" (21 August 1993) The third OVA series was named , known outside Japan as
Urotsukidoji III: Return of the Overfiend. This is where the saga begins to focus less on the remaining central characters and introduces other secondary characters, none of whom are present in the manga. In some cases, the four parts were edited for Western audiences into a pair of films. ; Plot Twenty years have passed and the Chojin has been prematurely born. He summons Jyaku Amano to protect him and to help to discover what has happened, sending Jyaku forth to search for the evil born in the east. Unfortunately, a new race called the Makemono (Demon-Beasts) have arisen following the apocalypse, ruled over by the fanatical cyborg Caesar and his mysterious comrade "Faust". It is apparent they are the cause behind these events and intend to resurrect the Kyō-Ō. Jyaku, along with the Makemono Buju and Caesar's traitorous daughter Alector, need to stop the two dictators from ruling the land of eternity. The question is, who will succeed?
Inferno Road (1993–1995) • "The Secret Garden" (21 December 1993) • "The Long Road to God" (21 March 1994) • "The End of the Journey" (20 May 1995) The fourth OVA series was named , known outside Japan as
Urotsukidoji IV: Inferno Road. It was banned outright in many countries (including U.K.), but was edited again for Western audiences into a single movie. Continuing straight after the climax of
Return of the Overfiend, Jyaku and the survivors head for Osaka to help the Overfiend after his climactic battle. On the way they find a kingdom where children rule over adults (OVAs 1 and 2). Jyaku's problems are furthered when an old nemesis shows up at the wrong time (OVA 3). The third OVA in this series, "The End of the Journey", stands alone plot-wise (wrapping up the story arc from
Urotsukidoji: Return of the Overfiend, on which the first two OVA have no bearing), and was originally intended to be a theatrical release. NOTE:
Inferno Road was originally intended to have another ending, which was fully completed but ultimately discarded. This ending was to have revealed that the apparent Chōjin as seen at the start of
Urotsukidoji: Return of the Overfiend was not in fact the real Chōjin, but yet another Makai. This alternate ending was to have set up the abandoned
The Final Chapter.
The Final Chapter (1996) • "The Final Act – Part 1" (28 December 1996) The fifth OVA series was named , also known as
Urotsukidoji: The Final Chapter. Only one episode of this was partially completed, the released version containing numerous examples of animation that is missing
in-between frames. ; Plot A century after the merging of the three worlds, the real Chōjin is born and creates a new
hermaphroditic race to wipe out all remaining life on Earth. Akemi reawakens in a hospital, along with Jyaku, who had barely survived a recent confrontation with the Chōjin (whose form constantly mutates between male and female). Destroyer God Tatsuo also reappears (after supposedly being killed by Kyō-Ō in
Urotsukidoji: Return of the Overfiend) and continues his ravaging of Earth. Still in love with Tatsuo, Akemi runs out to find him. Meanwhile, Jyaku is confronted by some of the Chōjin's new 'children', and engages them in battle. However, his efforts prove almost futile, as they are constantly regenerated by the Chojin. Akemi eventually finds Tatsuo, still in his God form, and pleads with him. He clutches her in his hand (similarly to the end of the first episode) and prepares to kill her. However, she is rescued at the last minute by Jyaku, although she condemns him for doing so. By the end of the series, Amano Jyaku becomes dissillusioned with the Chōjin and declares war on it.
New Saga (2002 remake) • "The Urotsuki: Part I" (3 May 2002) • "The Urotsuki: Part II" (9 August 2002) • "The Urotsuki: Part III" (19 November 2002) This series was named , also known as
Urotsukidōji: New Saga in the west, and was released in North America on 9 March 2004. This three-disc collection is a retelling of the first episode in
The Legend of the Overfiend. It has the same basic plot as
Birth of the Overfiend, the main differences being that Ozaki is now one of the main characters, and the story focuses more on him, while Nagumo is now a supporting character. Furthermore, Megumi is completely absent, Akemi is a clairvoyant leader of a biker gang, Nikki is
gender swapped and the queen of Makai is given a more active role. ==New
Urotsukidoji manga==