Garo

**Garo** (牙狼〈GARO〉（ガロ）, *Garo*?) is the first installment of the *Garo* franchise. Produced by Tohokushinsha Film, it was broadcast from October 7, 2005 to March 31, 2006 on TV Tokyo, with a total of 25 episodes (26, if counting the gaiden that aired after the series' end).

The series focuses on the life of Kouga Saezima, who holds the title of "Garo", a golden knight who hunts and cuts down demons who lurk in the darkness of the world known as Horrors.

## Production

The series was created by character designer and chief director, Keita Amemiya. It was produced by Amemiya's BUDDY ZOO group. The cast of the series is Yukijiro Hotaru, Hiroki Konishi, Ray Fujita and Masaki Kyomoto and guest stars are Toru Minegishi and Itsuji Itao.

The opening themes of the series were sang by JAM Project and the ending themes by Masaki Kyomoto. The planning of the series was done by Omnibus Japan, Keita Amemiya and Tohokushinsha. In 2004, Amemiya and Tohokushinsha teamed up to create the anime series, *Tweeny Witches*.

## Plot

"Where there is light, shadows lurk and fear reigns. Yet, by the blade of knights, mankind was given hope."
―Narrator**[src]**
A woman named Kaoru Mitsuki dreams of her young self reading her favorite picture book, drawn by her father, which tells the story of the Golden Knight. She suddenly sees monsters approaching her but the Golden Knight appears and kills them. Kaoru wakes up and goes to her psychological councilor, Karune Ryuzaki, to peace her mind. Later, Kaoru went to a museum to show her paintings but the gallery owner is revealed to be a monster like the others she saw at her dream. But a young man with a white coat named Kouga Saezima appears and transforms into Garo, the Golden Knight that was in hers picture book and destroys the monster.

## Characters

### Allies

* Zaruba
* Silva
* Kaoru Mitsuki
* Gonza Kurahashi
* Taiga Saezima
* Amon
* Jabi
* Yuji Mitsuki
* Karin Mitsuki
* Douji
* Shizuka
* Asami Shinohara
* Koichi Kato
* Osamu Yagi
* Old Woman Tamu
* Grou Dragon

### Villains & Horrors

* Messiah (24, 25)

* Gulm
	+ Keiru
	+ Beru
	+ Rose
* Kodama
* Angrey (1)
* Ishtarb (2)
* Morax (3)
* Pazuzu (4)
* Lunarken (5)
* Utoque (6)
* Moloch (8, 21)
* Humpty (9)
* Asmodai (10)
* Dantarian (11)
* Noul (12)
* Vuel (13)
* Gargoyle (15)
* Haru (17)
* 12-piece Fusion Giant Horror (19)
* Bonafaltz (21)

## Episodes

*Main article: Garo Episodes*
1. Picture Book (絵本, *Ehon*?)
2. Yin Self (陰我, *Inga*?)
3. Clock (時計, *Tokei*?)
4. Dinner (晩餐, *Bansan*?)
5. Moonlight (月光, *Gekkō*?)
6. Beauty (美貌, *Bibō*?)
7. Silver Fang (銀牙, *Ginga*?)
8. Ring (指輪, *Yubiwa*?)
9. Ordeal (試練, *Shiren*?)
10. Puppet (人形, *Ningyō*?)
11. Game (遊戯, *Yūgi*?)
12. Taiga (大河, *Taiga*?)
13. Promise (約束, *Yakusoku*?)
14. Nightmare (悪夢, *Akumu*?)
15. Statue (偶像, *Gūzō*?)
16. Red Sake (赤酒, *Akasake*?)
17. Aquarium (水槽, *Suisō*?)
18. World Charm (界符, *Kaifu*?)
19. Black Flame (黒炎, *Kokuen*?)
20. Life (生命, *Inochi*?)
21. Magic Bullet (魔弾, *Madan*?)
22. Engraving (刻印, *Kokuin*?)
23. Heart Destruction (心滅, *Shinmetsu*?)
24. Girl (少女, *Shōjo*?)
25. Heroic Spirits (英霊, *Eirei*?)
26. Garo Gaiden: Smile (GARO 外伝 笑顔, *Garo Gaiden Egao*?)

## Cast

* Kouga Saezima (冴島鋼牙, *Saejima Kōga*?): Hiroki Konishi (小西大樹, *Konishi Hiroki*?)
	+ Kouga Saezima (child): Ryusei Sawahata (澤畠流星, *Sawahata Ryūsei*?)
* Rei Suzumura (涼邑零, *Suzumura Rei*?): Ray Fujita (藤田玲, *Fujita Rei*?)
* Kaoru Mitsuki (御月カオル, *Mitsuki Kaoru*?): Mika Hijii (肘井美佳, *Hijii Mika*?)
	+ Kaoru Mitsuki (child): Kanami Katchi (甲地夏波, *Katchi Kanami*?)
* Gonza Kurahashi (倉橋ゴンザ, *Kurahashi Gonza*?): Yukijiro Hotaru (螢雪次朗, *Hotaru Yukijirō*?)
* Karune Ryuzaki (龍崎駈音, *Ryūzaki Karune*?): Masaki Kyomoto (京本政樹, *Kyōmoto Masaki*?)
* Keiru (ケイル, *Keiru*?): Keaki Watanabe (渡辺けあき, *Watanabe Keaki*?)
* Beru (ベル, *Beru*?): Anri Okamoto (岡本杏理, *Okamoto Anri*?)
* Rose (ローズ, *Rōzu*?): Yukina Kashiwa (柏幸奈, *Kashiwa Yukina*?)
* Kodama (コダマ, *Kodama*?): Mark Musashi (マーク武蔵, *Māku Musashi*?)

### Guest cast

* Asami Shinohara (篠原亜佐美, *Shinohara Asami*?, 2, 4, 8, 10): Mina Fukui (福井未菜, *Fukui Mina*?)
* Koichi Kato (加藤浩一, *Katō Kōichi*?, 2, 4): Yu Tokui (徳井優, *Tokui Yū*?)
* Yuji Mitsuki (御月由児, *Mitsuki Yūji*?, 9, 25): Katsuyuki Murai (村井克行, *Murai Katsuyuki*?)
* Karin Mitsuki (御月かりん, *Mitsuki Karin*?, 9, 25): Asako Kobayashi (小林麻子, *Kobayashi Asako*?)
* Osamu Yagi (八木修, *Yagi Osamu*?, 9): Ryota Tsuchiya (土屋良太, *Tsuchiya Ryōta*?)
* Taiga Saezima (冴島大河, *Saejima Taiga*?, 12, 16): Hiroyuki Watanabe (渡辺裕之, *Watanabe Hiroyuki*?)
* Douji (道寺, *Dōji*?, 14): Toru Shinagawa (品川徹, *Shinagawa Tōru*?)
* Shizuka (静香, *Shizuka*?, 14, 24): Arisa (有紗, *Arisa*?)
* Amon (阿門, *Amon*?, 16, 18): Akaji Maro (麿赤児, *Maro Akaji*?)
* Jabi (邪美, *Jabi*?, 16, 18, 19): Yasue Sato (佐藤康恵, *Satō Yasue*?)
* Barago (バラゴ, *Barago*?, 23, 24): Kenichi Kobayashi (小林健一, *Kobayashi Ken'ichi*?)
* Gulm (ガルム, *Garumu*?, 23-25): Kimika Yoshino (吉野公佳, *Yoshino Kimika*?)
* Messiah (メシア, *Meshia*?, 24, 25): Sho Nishino (西野翔, *Nishino Shō*?)

### Voice actors

* Madou Ring Zaruba (魔導輪ザルバ, *Madōrin Zaruba*?): Hironobu Kageyama (影山ヒロノブ, *Kageyama Hironobu*?)
* Madou Necklace Silva (魔導具シルヴァ, *Madōgu Shiruva*?): Ai Orikasa (折笠愛, *Orikasa Ai*?)
* Keiru (ケイル, *Keiru*?): Fumiko Inoue (井上富美子, *Inoue Fumiko*?)
* Beru (ベル, *Beru*?): Machiko Kawana (川名真知子, *Kawana Machiko*?)
* Rose (ローズ, *Rōzu*?): Akemi Sato (佐藤朱, *Satō Akemi*?)

### Suit actors

* Golden Knight Garo (黄金騎士・牙狼, *Ōgon Kishi Garo*?): Masaki Onishi (大西雅樹, *Ōnishi Masaki*?)
* Silver Fanged Knight Zero (銀牙騎士・絶狼, *Ginga Kishi Zero*?): Mark Musashi (マーク武蔵, *Māku Musashi*?)
* Dark Knight Kiba (暗黒騎士・呀, *Ankoku Kishi Kiba*?): Hiroshi Maeda (前田浩, *Maeda Hiroshi*?)
* Demon-Beast Armored Kodama (魔獣装甲コダマ, *Majū Sōkō Kodama*?): Tomohiko Akiyama (秋山智彦, *Akiyama Tomohiko*?)
* Beast Gulm (獣化ガルム, *Jūka Garumu*?): Mina Yatsushiro (八代峯奈, *Yatsushiro Mina*?)
* Horrors (ホラー, *Horā*?): Akira Ohashi (大橋明, *Ōhashi Akira*?)

## Songs

Opening theme
* "THEME OF GARO"
	+ Composition: TRY FORCE, JAM Project
	+ Episodes: 1-13
* "Garo ~SAVIOR IN THE DARK~"
	+ Lyrics & Composition: Hironobu Kageyama
	+ Arrangement: Kenichi Sudo
	+ Artist: JAM Project
	+ Episodes: 14-23

Ending theme
* "Garo ~Boku ga Ai o Tsutaete Yuku~" (牙狼（GARO）〜僕が愛を伝えてゆく〜, *Garo ~Boku ga Ai o Tsutaete Yuku~*?)
	+ Lyrics & Composition: Masaki Kyomoto
	+ Arrangement: Harukichi Yamamoto
	+ Artist: Masaki Kyomoto, Garo Project (22)
	+ Episodes: 1-13, 22
* "Boku wa Madakoi o Shite wa Ikenai" (僕はまだ恋をしてはいけない, *Boku wa Madakoi o shite wa Ikenai*?)
	+ Lyrics & Composition: Masaki Kyomoto
	+ Arrangement: Harukichi Yamamoto
	+ Artist: Masaki Kyomoto, Garo Project (23, 24)
	+ Episodes: 14-21, 23, 24

Insert theme
* "Akai Bara" (赤いバラ, *Akai Bara*?)
	+ Artist: Garo Project

Image theme
* "Fencer of GOLD"
	+ Composition: Masami Okui, Hiroshi Kitadani
	+ Artist: JAM Project

## Video game

*Main article: Golden Knight Garo*
On April 20, 2006, a game version of the series titled *Golden Knight Garo*, was released for PlayStation 2.

## Video software

In 2006, all the episodes were released on DVD on seven volumes by Bandai Visual. On October 27, 2010, a DVD-BOX was released along with the special episode of the series.

## Notes

* The series is sometimes referred to as ***Golden Knight Garo*** (黄金騎士・牙狼, *Ōgon Kishi Garo*?).
* "Garo" can be translated as "Fanged Wolf".

## External links

* *Garo* at Wikipedia
* *GARO* at TV Tokyo
* GARO PROJECT
* GARO - Silver Glossary
* GARO PROJECT - SOUKOKU NO MARYU Official Site
* *Garo's* channel on YouTube

 Films/Spin-offs
 Anime
 Other media