Garo: Honoo no Kokuin

**Garo: Honoo no Kokuin** (牙狼〈GARO〉-炎の刻印-, *Garo -Honō no Kokuin-*?, lit. **The Carved Seal of Flames**) is the first animated entry of the *Garo* series and it premiered on October 3, 2014.

It features a new cast of characters who are mostly unrelated to the characters in the *tokusatsu* continuity. *Garo: Honoo no Kokuin* was licensed for streaming in North America by Funimation.

A film sequel of the series titled *Garo: Divine Flame* was released in spring of 2016.

## Production

On October 3, 2014, Funimation announced that it had acquired the rights to simulcast the anime. During a promotional event in Tokyo on November 23, 2014, the production staff at Mappa announced a second season was in development in 2015 as part of a celebration of the Garo franchise's 10th anniversary.

## Plot

*Garo: Honoo no Kokuin* is set in the fictitious Valiante Kingdom (ヴァリアンテ国, *Variante-koku*?), which resembles Spain during the Spanish Inquisition. After the king, under the influence of his advisor Mendoza, launches a witch hunt that endangers both Makai Knights and Makai Alchemists, a Makai Alchemist named Anna is burned at the stake while giving birth to Leon Luis, who is spirited off by his Makai Knight father to be trained to inherit the title of Golden Knight Garo.

Years later, after Valiante is now plagued with Horrors as Mendoza, revealed to be an excommunicated Makai Alchemist, uses them to assert his authority after usurping the throne, the king's son Prince Alfonso seeks out the assistance of Garo to reclaim the throne. The fully grown Leon returns to the land of his birth at this time to avenge his mother. Both he and Alfonso meet and learn that they are in fact maternal cousins whose grandfather was the previous Garo.

Though Leon was relieved of the Garo title after Mendoza's assumed death for misconduct, Alfonso contends with the surviving Horrors in his kingdom. After casting away his drive for revenge and deciding to become a protector instead, Leon reclaims his armor and title, and joins forces with his friends to search after Mendoza once it is confirmed that he is still alive.

## Characters

### Allies

* Zaruba
* Jiruba
* Ema Guzman
* Fernando San Valiante
* Esmeralda
* Garcia
* Ximena Coronado
* Garm
* Anna Luis
* Gael
* Previous Garo
* Lara

### Villains & Horrors

* Mendoza
* Octavia

* Hanamushi (1)
* Metaclim (1)
* Ezol (2)
* Onbla (3)
* Bandora (4)
* Jemitre (5)
* Almar (6)
* Despera (7)
* Moneta (8)
* Anfel (9)
* Blood Moon (11-12)
* Aboradura (14)
* Convexo (14)
* Medicruz (16)
* Grand Magus (17)
* Mandura (18)
* Arabel (19)
* Resume (20)
* Gemellus (21)
* Anima (21-24)

## Episodes

1. Hell Fire (業火-HELL FIRE-, *Gōka -HELL FIRE-*?)
2. Divine Flame (刻印-DIVINE FLAME-, *Kokuin -DIVINE FLAME-*?)
3. Zaruba (契約-ZARUBA-, *Keiyaku -ZARUBA-*?)
4. Bloodville (儀式-BLOODVILLE-, *Gishiki -BLOODVILLE-*?)
5. Gaia (堅陣-GAIA-, *Kenjin -GAIA-*?)
6. Black Knight (騎士-BLACK KNIGHT-, *Kishi -BLACK KNIGHT-*?)
7. Sorrow Beast (人狼-SORROW BEAST-, *Jinrō -SORROW BEAST-*?)
8. Full Monty (全裸-FULL MONTY-, *Zenra -FULL MONTY-*?)
9. New Hope (師弟-NEW HOPE-, *Shitei -NEW HOPE-*?)
10. Fallen Blood (破戒-FALLEN BLOOD-, *Hakai -FALLEN BLOOD-*?)
11. Shadow Slasher (絶影-SHADOW SLASHER-, *Zetsuei -SHADOW SLASHER-*?)
12. Blood Moon (暁月-BLOOD MOON-, *Gyōgetsu -BLOOD MOON-*?)
13. Daybreak (饗応-DAYBREAK-, *Kyōō -DAYBREAK-*?)
14. Burning Ashes (彷徨-BURNING ASHES-, *Hōkō -BURNING ASHES-*?)
15. Geste (武勲-GESTE-, *Bukun -GESTE-*?)
16. Project G (職人-PROJECT G-, *Shokunin -PROJECT G-*?)
17. Cure (医術-CURE-, *Ijutsu -CURE-*?)
18. Snow Fall (雪夜-SNOW FALL-, *Yukiyo -SNOW FALL-*?)
19. Scar Flame (幻炎-SCAR FLAME-, *Gen'en -SCAR FLAME-*?)
20. Tempest (黒翼-TEMPEST-, *Kokuyoku -TEMPEST-*?)
21. Double Dealer (侍女-DOUBLE DEALER-, *Jijo -DOUBLE DEALER-*?)
22. Knights (父子-KNIGHTS-, *Fushi -KNIGHTS-*?)
23. Dreadly Focus (結界-DREADLY FOCUS-, *Kekkai -DREADLY FOCUS-*?)
24. Doom (月食-DOOM-, *Gesshoku -DOOM-*?)
25. Chiastolite (光芒-CHIASTOLITE-, *Kōbō -CHIASTOLITE-*?)
26. Home (ホーム-HOME-, *Hōmu -HOME-*?)

**Movies**

1. *Garo: Divine Flame* (劇場版 牙狼〈GARO〉‐DIVINE FLAME‐, *Garo -DIVINE FLAME-*?)

## Cast

* Leon Luis (レオン・ルイス, *Reon Ruisu*?): Daisuke Namikawa (浪川 大輔, *Namikawa Daisuke*?)
* German Luis (ヘルマン・ルイス, *Heruman Ruisu*?): Kenyu Horiuchi (堀内 賢雄, *Horiuchi Ken'yū*?)
* Alfonso San Valiante (アルフォンソ・サン・ヴァリアンテ, *Arufonso San Variante*?): Katsuhiko Nomura (野村勝彦, *Nomura Katsuhiko*?)
* Ema Guzman (エマ・グスマン, *Ema Gusuman*?): Romi Park (朴 璐美, *Paku Romi*?)
* Fernando San Valiante (フェルナンド・サン・ヴァリアンテ, *Ferunando San Variante*?): Kosuke Goto (後藤 浩祐, *Gotō Kōsuke*?)
* Esmeralda (エスメラルダ, *Esumeraruda*?): Natsumi Tada (多田なつみ, *Tada Natsumi*?)
* Garcia (ガルシア, *Garushia*?): Katsuhisa Hoki (宝亀克寿, *Hōki Katsuhisa*?)
* Ximena Coronado (ヒメナ・コロナード, *Himena Koronādo*?): Yumi Sudo (須藤 祐実, *Sudō Yumi*?)
* Mendoza (メンドーサ, *Mendōsa*?): Takaya Hashi (土師 孝也, *Hashi Takaya*?)
* Octavia (オクタビア, *Okutabia*?): Mari Doi (土井真理, *Doi Mari*?)
* Bernardo Dion (ベルナルド・ディオン, *Berunarudo Dion*?): Hiroshi Yanaka (家中 宏, *Yanaka Hiroshi*?)
* Rafael Banderas (ラファエロ・バンデラス, *Rafaero Banderasu*?): Hidetaka Tenjin (天神 英貴, *Tenjin Hidetaka*?)
* Garm (ガルム, *Garumu*?): Mayu Udono (鵜殿麻由, *Udono Mayu*?)
* Anna Luis (アンナ・ルイス, *Anna Ruisu*?): Eri Ozeki (大関 英里, *Ōzeki Eri*?)
* Gael (ガエル, *Gaeru*?): Chafurin (茶風林, *Chafūrin*?)
* The previous Golden Knight (先代黄金騎士, *Sendai Ōgon Kishi*?): Kazuhiro Yamaji (山路 和弘, *Yamaji Kazuhiro*?)
* Lara (ララ, *Rara*?): Madoka Aiba (逢葉まどか, *Aiba Madoka*?)
* Zaruba (ザルバ, *Zaruba*?): Hironobu Kageyama (影山 ヒロノブ, *Kageyama Hironobu*?)
* Jiruba (ジルバ, *Jiruba*?): Aya Endo (遠藤 綾, *Endō Aya*?)

## Songs

Opening theme
* "Honoo no Kokuin -Divine Flame-" (炎の刻印 -DIVINE FLAME-, *Honō no Kokuin -Divine Flame-*?)
	+ Lyrics: Masami Okui
	+ Composition: Hiroshi Kitadani
	+ Arrangement: Kenichi Sudo
	+ Artist: JAM Project
	+ Episodes: 1-12
* "B.B."
	+ Lyrics: Hironobu Kageyama
	+ Composition: Yoshiki Fukuyama, Hironobu Kageyama
	+ Arrangement: Hirofumi Miyake, Kenichi Sudo
	+ Artist: JAM Project
	+ Episodes: 13-24

Ending theme
* "CHIASTOLITE"
	+ Composition & Arrangement: Takaha Tachibana (Yosei Teikoku)
	+ Lyrics & Artist: Sayaka Sasaki
	+ Episodes: 1-12
* "FOCUS"
	+ Composition & Arrangement: R・O・N
	+ Lyrics & Artist: Showtaro Morikubo
	+ Episodes: 13-24

## Notes

* *Garo* is one of the few tokusatsu franchises to make the leap into an anime series. Most tokusatsu shows try to avoid going into anime spin-offs due to licensing problems or just general corporate hostility from the creators.
	+ A notable example of this is the manga *Kamen Rider Spirits*, despite many fans wanting it to be an anime, Toei forced the artists and authors to sign a contract not to license it to any animation studio as the Ishinomori estate would not authorize it.

## References

1. ↑ 「牙狼＜GARO＞」アニメ化決定 劇場映画、TVシリーズなど新作企画続々発表 | アニメ！アニメ！. Animeanime.jp (2013-11-24). Retrieved on 2013-11-25.
2. ↑ 人気特撮シリーズ『牙狼＜GARO＞』2014年以降の新ラインアップ発表！ - CNET Japan. Japan.cnet.com (2013-11-25). Retrieved on 2013-11-25.
3. ↑ Funimation Streams Gonna be the Twin-Tails!!, Ushinawareta Mirai o Motomete, Daitoshokan no Hitsujikai, Garo, Bahamut, Donten ni Warau, Lord Marksman & Vanadis. Anime News Network (2014-10-03).
4. ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-11-23/garo-anime-film-teaser-story-visual-title-spring-release-unveiled/.95701
5. ↑ http://www.funimation.com/blog/2014/10/03/funimation-fall-2014-simulcast-season-part-2/
6. ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-11-23/garo-gets-3-new-live-action-films-and-show-new-tv-anime-and-film-stage-musical/.81355
7. ↑ Garo Anime's Main Cast Announced. Anime News Network (2014-08-13). Retrieved on 2014-08-16.
8. ↑ 2014年秋放送予定のTVアニメ『牙狼〈GARO〉-炎の刻印-』、メインキャストが浪川大輔・堀内賢雄らに決定。9月18日... | moca. Moca-news.net. Retrieved on 2014-08-16.