Kai Doh Maru

The battle for the Capital City of Kyo rages as warring political factions vie for power against hereditary rulers. After the murder of her parents at the hands of her seditious uncle, a young girl, Princess Kintoki, flees to the mountains. She is named Kai Doh Maru by the local villagers. Rescued by Lord Raiko, the Captain of 'The Four Knights' - honorable defenders who protect the peace of the city, she is raised within their group as a boy-warrior. Living among the Knights, she learns the practices of martial arts and develops into a skillful samurai, becoming a permanent member of the team. Now, as a young woman of seventeen, she begins to discover new feelings of passion and love for Raiko... but she also discovers that these new emotions cause a storm of jealousy and rage in another woman linked to her past. Pitted against the Knights is the Oheyama gang, led by the icy Princess Ohni and her crazed assassin Ibaragi.

Set in feudal Japan's Heian Era (794 to 1185 AD), the animation team created a unique color scheme reminiscent of Japanese artwork from the period focusing on the seasons, virtues, and elements of the Earth as they related to spirits of nature. Kai Doh Maru mysteriously opens in stark black & white, then resolves into a breathtaking and skillfully produced watercolor palate of luminous and soft pastel imagery. As the drama unfolds, deep, full colorization is used to highlight key scenes. If you play close attention, you can witness seasonal transformation of plants and trees as well as see how the film changes in appearance as time progresses through the tonality of the colors. Detailed 3D modeling of temples, gardens and landscapes take the viewer into another world, back in time, a distant past world of lavish luxury, political intrigue and bloody conflict. 'The artistic look and feel of this film separates it from all other anime productions. Its unique creative approach takes anime into a whole new dimension that we know fans of Japanese animation and art films will certainly appreciate', says Marvin Gleicher, Manga CEO.