Devil Hunter Yohko (Mamono Hunter Yohko) is an anime OVA produced by Madhouse and released in six episodes from 1990 to 1995. It follows the life of a boy-crazy sixteen-year-old schoolgirl named Yohko Mano... who also happens to banish demons from the Earth as a Magical Girl Warrior in her spare time.
For centuries, the Mano family has worked as a tribe of demon slayers. Yohko's grandmother, Madoka, served as the 107th Devil Hunter; Yohko's mother, Sayoko, would have become the 108th, but a Devil Hunter must remain a virgin until she comes of age to take on the responsibility. Sayoko's pregnancy meant the Devil Hunter lineage would continue with Yohko, who sits on the cusp of her fated birthday and still has her virginity. With only days before gaining the power of the Devil Hunters, Yohko could follow in her mother's footsteps — and the demons infiltrating her school would love to help her break the lineage once again...
ADV Films released all five episodes of the series (and a music video special) in the United States; the first OVA doubled as ADV's very first anime release. The OVA soon became a Gateway Series for numerous anime fans of the early 1990s; since it ended up more successful in the States than in Japan, the producers made the last Yohko episode with the foreign market in mind. Eventually, an English dub was released in 1996.
There were three games that were released only in Japan: Mamono Hunter Yōko: Dai 7 no Keishōi, for the Sega Megadrive, and Mamono Hunter Yōko: Makai kara no Tenkōse and Mamono Hunter Yōko: Tooki Yobigoe for the PC Engine CD.
Do not confuse this series with Demon Fighter Kocho, a similar tale which takes place at Heian University.
Devil Hunter Yohko contains examples of:
- Action Girl: If the show's title doesn't make it clear enough, see the badass, Magical Girl, and Magical Girl Warrior entries below.
- Adjective Noun Fred: Look at the title.
- All Women Are Lustful
- Yohko's mother, Sayoko, became pregnant with her at age 15 because she slept around. Which is why the Devil Hunter power couldn't be passed onto her. Adulthood has done nothing to curb her libido, as she continues to engage in casual sex with different men and encourages Yohko to do the same. Going so far as to toss her a pack of condoms on the way to school.
- Yohko's school principal is into students.
- All Your Colors Combined: In Devil Hunter Yohko 6, the Monster of the Week's Time Stands Still only effects either Yohko or Ayako (Color-Coded for Your Convenience); this happens when they team up to defeat the monster.
- And the Adventure Continues: Episode 5 ends with Yohko turning in her ring, thinking that devils will no longer come to Earth since Tokima has been defeated. But her grandmother tells her that another demon nemesis of their family still exists and Yohko will one day have to fight him. Azusa then runs in to report that a demon is attacking a construction site, forcing Yohko to go fight it.
- Episode 6 ends with Yohko and Ayako saying goodbye and promising to meet again.
- Art Shift: None of the episodes have a consistent art style, and none of them really look like Gaku Miyao's original designs either.
- Back from the Dead: Yohko's ancestor, Haruka, brings her back to life via time travel.
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Bullshit. As the series progresses, Yohko gets battered, bruised, Impaled with Extreme Prejudice and, eventually, comes Back from the Dead.
- Beta Baddie: Ayako.
- The Blade Always Lands Pointy End In: Averted and played straight in the first episode.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: This frequently happens with Chikako and Azusa. Chikako gets brainwashed in the very first episode, though quickly cured. Azusa gets possessed by Tokima in episode 5, which winds up having tragic consequences. Also is the reason Osamu tries to seduce Yohko in the first episode.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: This one's a doozy:Yohko: (reciting) "Dark powers whose black deeds escape even the light of the moon...""Behold now the radiance of the power of love!""I am the Scourge of Evil..." (regular clothing shreds)"The 108th generation of Devil Hunter... Yohko!" (Devil Hunter attire materializes)Yohko: (makes fist, winks) "Coming at you!"
- Cartwright Curse: Yohko's still single because demonkind keeps killing her would-be boyfriends to ensure she never has children. Thereby, preventing her from being able to pass on the Devil Hunter power.
- Clothing Damage: Justified since Yohko and the demons she faces use bladed weapons.
- Combat Stilettos: Yohko battles demons in high heels.
- Covers Always Lie: If you go by the cover art, you'd think Yohko was spindly, whereas the in-series art depicts her as having a semi-athletic tone and figure. This is especially apparent during the many close-ups of her legs; particularly around her thighs and calves.
- Cute Clumsy Girl: Azusa's a bit of a klutz, mainly because she's an apprentice Devil Hunter and a Genki Girl.
- Dark Magical Girl: Ayako.
- Dangerous 16th Birthday: For demonkind, once the girls of The Mano Clan come of age. Because...
- Demon Slaying ...is their family business; the powers are passed down from mother to daughter at age 16.
- Demoted to Extra: Chikako and Sayoko are a lot less prominent in the last two episodes.
- Disappeared Dad: We never see (or hear about/from) Yohko's father during the entire series. This isn't because he's important to the story; in fact, it's the opposite. It's because Sayoko was a teen mother who slept around a lot (and still does).
- "Do It Yourself" Theme Tune: Yohko's VA, Aya Hisakawa, sings all of the OVA's ending songs.
- Evil Twin: Ayako, Yohko's identical cousin from Devil Hunter Yohko 6.
- Even the Girls Want Her: Reiko. In her first appearance, both Yohko and Chi comment on how hot she is.
- Evil Is Petty: Ayako steals two guys that Yohko is crushing on just to get under her skin.
- Exploitation Film: Has definite elements of it. Quite a bit of the action sees Yohko gratuitously losing her clothes or getting molested.
- Faking the Dead: Madoka pretends to be fatally injured to get Yohko to take up her ring and become the 108th Devil Hunter.
- Femme Fatalons: Tokima uses his talons to great effect in the fifth OVA by killing Yohko.
- Filler / Four Is Death: The producers refused to make an actual fourth OVA episode; instead, they put together a number of music videos as a special release in lieu of an actual episode. Since the episode never had an actual number in Japan (it was released as "Super Music Clip"), ADV came up with the title Devil Hunter Yohko 4-EVER as a way of working the number four into the series.
- Following in Relative's Footsteps: Zigzagged with Yohko and her mother Sayoko. The women of the Mano Family all receive the Devil Hunter power by retaining their virginity until they turn 16. Sayoko was supposed to become the 108th in the family line, but refused by giving up her virginity at age 15, which is how she became pregnant with Yohko. So Madoka (the 107th) couldn't retire until Yohko reached her 16th birthday and accepted the Devil Hunter power in Sayoko's place.
- Heroic Bastard: Yohko's parents were not married (and Yohko has no idea who her father is). Doesn't stop her from inheriting the Devil Hunter's mantle.
- His Name Really Is "Barkeep": It turns out Asuza #2's name is really Asuza.
- Hotter and Sexier: Inverted; the OVAs became less focused on sexy fanservice and more on the story as they progressed.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Yohko kills Reiko this way at the end of their duel, in the first episode. Then, in the fifth OVA, Tokima uses her Femme Fatalons to return the favor.
- Innocent Fanservice Girl: Madoka. Thankfully, it happened only when she was temporarily de-aged.
- Invocation: As seen in the By the Power of Grayskull! entry.
- I Want Grandkids: Once the Devil Hunter power has been successfully passed on to Yohko, Madoka encourages her to start dating in the hopes of Yohko having kids of her own in order to continue the bloodline.
- I Was Quite the Looker: Madoka. Turns out she wasn't kidding.
- Jumped at the Call: Azusa didn't bother to wait. She showed up on Yohko's doorstep when she saw Chikako's ad in the paper. Literally.
- Kamehame Hadoken: Yohko can channel magic in this fashion, by using her hair clips.
- Let's Get Dangerous!: Yohko when she first receives her ring. Complete with Theme Music Power-Up.
- Love Hotel: There's a pink one with a skylight in OVA episode 1.
- Magical Girl: The most badass one you'll ever see. See directly below.
- Magical Girl Warrior: Unlike her contemporaries, Yohko isn't afraid to get physical. She'll put the sword DOWN if she has to.
- Male Gaze: Take a drink every time the camera focuses on Yohko's exposed breasts. Or her legs.
- Mystical 108: Yohko is the 108th Devil Hunter, which is notable as this is a series steeped in Asian mysticism.
- Near-Rape Experience: In the first OAV, Osamu gets demonically possessed and Yohko is placed under a spell in an attempt to rob her of her virginity before the Devil Hunter power can be passed on to her. Madoka tear asses through Tokyo to prevent it from happening.
- Never Mess with Granny: Madoka, who doubles as a Badass Biker.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Nice job leading your family's greatest enemy right to the seal on its powers, Yohko.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Madoka never misses an opportunity to remind her daughter Sayoko that she never became a Devil Hunter because she lost her virginity at fifteen. This often starts fights between the two.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Since the demons couldn't prevent Yohko from becoming the next Devil Hunter, they've resorted to the next best thing: killing all her love interests so she'll never be able to have children.
- Put on a Bus: Azusa is absent in the last episode, having gone to visit her parents.
- Really Gets Around: Sayoko was this way as a teen, and continues to sleep around as an adult. Which is the reason she never became a Devil Hunter. Not that she cared.
- Refusal of the Call: Sayoko. She'd rather date and engage in casual sex than protect the world from demonkind.
- Role Called: It's about Yohko, and she's a Devil Hunter.
- Sidekick: Azusa, to Yohko.
- Skewed Priorities: See Refusal of the Call.
- Tamer and Chaster: The first OVA had scenes that bordered on softcore porn, like a Brainwashed and Crazy Osamu's Attempted Rape of Yohko. However, the OVA after that one were Lighter and Softer to make it more appealing to younger audiences.
- Teen Pregnancy: Sayoko got pregnant with Yohko when she was fifteen.
- Time Paradox: It would have been averted if, during the episode 5 climax, Yohko's ring summoned the previous generations of Devil Hunters instead of Haruka's.
- Transformation Trinket: The Mano family ring.
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: Osamu Wakabayashi.
- Vicariously Ambitious: Yohko's great aunt failed to become the 107th Devil Hunter, so she trained her granddaughter to steal the title of 108th Devil Hunter from Yohko.
- Virgin Power: Played straight and subverted. All the girls in the Mano family must remain virgins until they become Devil Hunters — but once they gain the Devil Hunter power, they're free to fool around (and Madoka wants great-grandkids!).
- Virgin Tension: Already covered in the Near-Rape Experience entry.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Ryuichi seems to be the only one of Yohko's love interests who doesn't die, but he gets nothing more than a token mention at the end of episode 5.
- Osamu disappears after the 1st episode too.
- Osamu is especially curious since he was Yohko's only other friend and actually had a crush on her.
- Hideki, Yohko's first crush. He literally disappears after Yohko defeats Reiko.
- Osamu disappears after the 1st episode too.
- Who You Gonna Call?: Yohko's best friend, Chikako Ogawa, appoints herself as her manager and tries to promote Yohko as a professional demon slayer.
