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Legend of Himiko (火魅子伝, Himiko-Den?) is a 12-episodes anime series, manga book, and Play Station game (of the Adventure and Dating Sim sort). All three were released in early 1999. The manga and character design in both anime and game were by Itto "Oh!Great" Ogure, of Tenjho Tenge fame.
The nation of Yamatai is under threat from the overseas kingdom of Kune. In an attempt to stave off an invasion, the people of Yamatai attempt to install a Queen to rule over their kingdom, which is to be chosen by the mysterious Bokka. However, the Kune army attacks Yamatai before the selection of the Queen can be completed, and the Bokka disperse the six queen candidates across the nation. The Bokka themselves take shelter in a newborn girl named Himiko and the pendant she is wearing and transport her to modern times, where she is found by a boy named Masahiko Kutani.
Years later, an adolescent Himiko and Kutani are checking on some ruins and are suddenly spirited away to Yamatai, now under Kune rule. There they'll learn about Himiko's heritage, meet the other queen candidates, and start fighting for the freedom of Yamatai. . .
This anime/manga provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Pretty much all six queen candidates. But Imari's the only one we see actually fighting until the climactic final battle. Logically, they were more action-y in the game.
- Belly Dancer: Shino
- Christmas Cake: Implied with Fujina, since Shino calls her "old hag" and she really dislikes it.
- Compressed Adaptation: The plot of the anime is pretty confusing, since the staff had very few time to work on it.
- Cool Big Sis: Imari
- Crowning Music of Awesome: 'Fess up, you probably know about this series just because of the OP Yuko Sasaki's "Pure snow"
- Big Bad: Shikara
- Darker and Edgier: The manga, and how.
- Decoy Protagonist: Himiko, who has a small role overall compared to other girls despite being the one Trapped in Another World.
- Depending on the Writer: The manga, the anime and the video game are pretty different. ESPECIALLY the manga: it's much shorter (only one volume), much bloodier (Earth is all but wiped out at the very start!), and it gives Himiko a bigger role.
- Facial Markings: Fujina, Shikara
- Fetish Fuel Station Attendant: All the girls hit quite the bits of fetishes, but Shino is the best in these regards.
- Fiery Redhead: Imari, Kouran
- Fight Unscene: The penultimate episode suffers from these. We only see two brief part of Shino's duel with Kira, but we don't really see how it turned out. Then in the next and last episode, we see her with a small wound on her arm and have no idea how she got it.
- Hime Cut: Seika
- I Will Protect Her: Kutani, in regards to Himiko
- Lady of War: Imari, when she finally fights. She can put that Cool Sword of hers to a good use when she bothers to.
- Meganekko: Tadami
- Miko: Seika is pretty much your Shinto priestess in a Japanese Fantasy Counterpart.
- Money, Dear Boy: Tadami is very stingy sometimes
- Mr. Exposition: Seika, the one who handles the info due to her Crystal Ball and Psychic Powers.
- Names to Know In Anime: Tomokazu Seki (Kutani), Omi Minami (Kyou), Yuko Mizutani (Imari), Akiko Hiramatsu (Shino), Atsuko Tanaka (Fujina), Etsuko Kozakura (Tadami), Toshiyuki Morikawa (Shikara)
- Obviously Evil: Shikara
- Orphan's Plot Trinket: Himiko's pendant
- Tall, Dark and Bishoujo: Fujina
- Team Pet: Kyou
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Tadami and Kouran
- Trapped in Another World: Kutani and Himiko. More exactly, Himiko was trapped in our world, and when she's brought back to Yamatai Kutani is the one who's trapped in hers.
- Twelve-Episode Anime
- Viewer Gender Confusion: Kira
- Villainous Breakdown: Shikara suffers from one of these in the last few episodes.
- White-Haired Pretty Girl: Fujina