History Manga / KenganAshura

''Kengan Ashura'' is a manga series written by Yabako Sandrovich and drawn by Daromeon,[[note]]One might recognize his art from ''Ketchup Ninja''[[/note]] beginning publication in 2012 it runs in ''Ura Sunday'', a {{Shounen}} Magazine, published by Shogakukan. In 2019, it began the second part of it's story, under the name ''Kengan Omega.''

* PowerCopying: Takayuki Chiba has the ability to copy fighting techniques through observation similar to Comicbook/{{Taskmaster}}. Like Taskmaster, he can only copy techniques and not physical traits. Unlike Taskmaster, he requires two hours of analysis in order to perfect techniques rather than being able to instantly master them immediately. Agito has a similar ability to "evolve" and adopt the skills of his enemies as he fights them. [[spoiler: by the time he fights Gaolang, Agito has gained so many attack options from his copying that the time taken to choose the optimal one has started slowing him down and become a major weakness he needs training to offset.]]

** Kuroki Gensai initially appears to be someone to fill out the tournament brackets, but as the fights continue it becomes clear the man is no joke. While his fighting style can only be described as basic, his incredible mastery of the fundamentals of martial arts can only be described as sublime, with numerous characters noting how he's ''extremely'' difficult to hit, and much harder to even cripple. [[spoiler: He also has more connections to what's going on behind the scenes than his initial appearance hinted at, and he takes on Rhito as an apprentice despite, in his own words, considering himself "green".]]

* KickTheDog: To show how evil Raian is, he [[spoiler: murders Mokichi during their match, despite being able to non-fatally incapacitate him easily]]. Most of the other competitors find this distasteful, even Raian's own Kure Clan. [[spoiler: Mokichi is later revealed to have survived, but this doesn't underscore how evil Raian was during their bout.]]

* MadeOfIron: Anyone with huge muscles. Shout out goes to Julius Reinhold.
** Both Niko and Ohma when using the Adamantine Kata of the Niko Style.

* MusclesAreMeaningful: Considering even the leanest of fighters are still very defined muscularly, this is played quite straight in general. However it is played completely straight and exemplified by [[TheBrute Julius Reinhold]]. A literal walking mass of pure dense musculature, Julius [[NoSell completely tanked]] Sawada's strongest attack using ''only'' his trapezius muscle.

* PowerCopying: Takayuki Chiba has the ability to copy fighting techniques through observation similar to Comicbook/{{Taskmaster}}. Like Taskmaster, he can only copy techniques and not physical traits. Unlike Taskmaster, he requires two hours of analysis in order to perfect techniques rather than being able to instantly master them immediately.

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Even though the series [[ArtisticLicenseBiology borders on what is pheasibly possibly in real life]], the majority of characters have trained like crazy to attain superhuman abilities.

* AudienceSurrogate: Kazuo is an underachieving salesman who is immersed as a fighter manager into a secret society where powerful businessmen organize fighting matches to settle their market disputes. Kazuo is constantly thinking about the ludicrousness of all but still admiring such a different world from his usual pathetic life, and the ridiculously strong fighters who are the very opposite of his weak self.

* TookALevelInBadass: Kazuo started as weakling who bowed down to almost anyone, but after spending some time in the world of the Kengan matches and around Ohma specifically he eventually became desensitized to the everyday happenings of his new life. Kazuo also began displaying impressive analytical skills when the Annihilation Tournament kicked off- [[spoiler: all five of the fighters he thought would win in the preliminaries did, in fact, win, and it was not a guess. Note: this was a room filled with 123 fighters, and he picked the five people he could tell were the strongest.]]

* TookALevelInBadass: Kazuo start as weakling who bow down to almost anyone, but after spending some time in the Kengan matches world and around Ohma specifically he stars to change, becoming desensitized to the everyday happenings of his businessman life. Along with this, Kazuo begins displaying impressive analytical skills when the Annihilation Tournament kicks off- [[spoiler: all five of the fighters he thought would win in the preliminaries did, in fact, win, and it was not a guess. Note: this was a room filled with 123 fighters, and he picked the five people he could tell were the strongest.]]
** [[spoiler: Later, he manages to get the highest number and thus priority to choose his fighter's slot. He does this by being able to clearly see the numbers in an incredibly fast rotating slot machine. He doesn't even realize what he's done, and thinks the machine had a bug.]]
** This trend continues and eventually escalates to the point of being a RunningGag: at one point, Kazuo not only hit Julius Reinhold in the side of the head with a can (''by accident'', no less), he also dodges a bullet-speed fast assassin thread from one of the Annihilation Tournament infiltrators.

* TakeThat: In chapter 84, as part of Karo Yoshinari's introduction to the ring, one of his feats mentioned is sinking a ship belonging to the environmentalist group "Sea Chepherd" and capturing [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed Paul Manson]], an "international terrorist." This is a reference to the real-life Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and its founder, Paul Watson. Let's just say that the ''SSCS'' and Japan have some bad blood between them and [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment leave it at that]].

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The tournament infiltrators are stopped by Metsudo, who completely outsmarts them and manages to allow the tournament to continue unimpeded. Gensai wins the tournament for his company in a massive upset, taking down Ohma in the finals at the cost of shattering his arm. However, Gensai's handler (and the winner of the tournament) Takakaze decides to step down from his position, seeing it as both too much of a responsibility and too cruel to take Nogi's hard-fought dream away from him. Just about all the competitors come out of it better in some way- either with renewed motivation to become even stronger, or with bonds to help them become better people. Unfortunately, a combination of abuse of the “Advance” technique and his injuries ultimately result in Ohma passing away after the tournament concludes. Everyone mourns his passing as a talented fighter who was taken in his prime, especially his father figure Kazuo. Yet, with the lessons he’s gained in seeing Ohma live his short life to the fullest, Kazuo refuses to let anyone boss him around, and he decides to start up his own company. However, there are still a lot of plotlines left unconcluded, and the story hints that, somehow, Ohma may have been revived. ]]

''Kengan Ashura'' is a manga series written by Yabako Sandrovich and drawn by Daromeon,[[note]]One might recognize his art from ''Ketchup Ninja''[[/note]] beginning publication in 2012 it runs in ''Ura Sunday'', a {{Shounen}} Magazine, published by Shogakukan.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The tournament infiltrators are stopped by Gensai, who wins the tournament for his company in a massive upset. Just about all the competitors come out of it better in some way- either with renewed motivation to become even stronger, or with bonds to help them become better people. Unfortunately, a combination of abuse of the “Advance” technique and his injuries ultimately result in Ohma passing away after the tournament concludes. Everyone mourns his passing as a talented fighter who was taken in his prime, especially his father figure Kazuo. Yet, with the lessons he’s gained in seeing Ohma live his short life to the fullest, Kazuo refuses to let anyone boss him around, and he decides to start up his own company. However, there are still a lot of plotlines left unconcluded, and the story hints that, somehow, Ohma may have been revived. ]]

When Yamashita Kazuo, a 56 year old underachieving salesman, stumbles across the mysterious young Tokita Ohma easily taking down a formidable looking muscle fortress, his world gets set to be turned on its head.

The following day Kazuo is summoned by the Nogi Group’s CEO, Nogi Hideki, who introduces him to the world of the Kengan matches, a place where wealthy business owners, corporation leaders and merchants hire gladiators to fight in unarmed combat where the winner takes all. With Kazuo being reacquainted with Ohma, the latter of whom has become the Nogi Group's latest fighter, the two's journey into the Kengan world begins.

''Kengan Ashura'' is a manga series written by Sandrovich Yabako and drawn by Daromeon,[[note]]One might recognize his art from ''Ketchup Ninja''[[/note]] beginning publication in 2012 it runs in ''Ura Sunday'', a {{Shounen}} Magazine, published by Shogakukan.

* {{Acrofatic}}: Kono Haruo, Karo Yoshinari.

* {{Crossover}}: With ''VideoGame/StreetFighter'' in two of the extra chapters.

* ArrogantKungFuGuy: Ohma is extremely arrogant and provokes all of his opponents, although it isn’t unprovoked as many of his opponents are of the same braggart clause. Despite this, Ohma is often a lot less aggressive to those who support him, especially his manager.

* TheHeroDies: [[spoiler: You read that right. After overexerting himself against Gensai, among all the other injuries he's gotten over the course of the tournament, he dies rather peacefully when the tournament ends.]]

* BadassGrandpa: The chairman of the Kengan Association, Chairman Katahara, is noted to give off waves of energy like a volcano to the point where even fighters were affected despite him being in his late nineties.

* SharedUniverse: ''Dumbell nan Kilo Moteru?'', the mangaka's episodic weight lifting manga, is connected to this series. It features many character cameos from ''Kengan'', even those from characters who have already died in the story, and one of the leading girls is related to the Soryuin household.

Compare to ''Manga/BakiTheGrappler''. ''Kengan Ashura'' shares some similarities to the early beginnings of Baki and both protagonists are similar in design and personality.

* Adorkable: The authors physically act out many of the panels to make sure they flow right, as well as to show the correct stances to be taken during a fight. This process is shown during the Chapter 95.5 Omake, with real pictures of writer Sandrovich Yabako and editor Kobayashi to reinforce this.

* TheFettered: Sekibayashi Jun. As a renowned pro wrestler, Sekibayashi has ''unshakeable'' pride in his code of wrestling. Put simply, he will take everything that is thrown at him, without ever dodging or blocking, before turning the tables and attaining victory, so he can put on a good show for the audience. Because of this, against strong opponents, Sekibayashi [[HowMuchMoreCanHeTake willingly tanks insane amounts of damage]] before going on to crush his opponents.

* SharedUniverse: ''Dumbell nan Kilo Moteru?'', the mangaka's episodic weight lifting manga, is connected to th is series. It features many character cameos from ''Kengan'', even those from characters who have already died in the story, and one of the leading girls is related to the Soryuin household.

* StealthPrequel: ''Dumbell nan Kilo Moteru?'', the mangaka's episodic weight lifting manga, serves as one. It features many character cameos from ''Kengan'', even those from characters who have already died in the story, and one of the leading girls is related to the Soryuin household.

* {{Acrofatic}}: Kono Haruo.