Everyone knows Detective Conan. That little bespectacled genius has been solving murders for nearly 30 years, making Gosho Aoyama one of the biggest names in manga history. But long before Conan Edogawa was cracking cases, Aoyama was telling a very different kind of story—one with swords, demons, thunder gods, and a pint-sized samurai with more energy than sense. That story was Yaiba.
While Magic Kaito holds the honor of being Aoyama's very first manga series, Yaiba is his first completed work. Magic Kaito debuted in 1987, introducing the iconic phantom thief Kaito Kid, but the series has been published sporadically over the decades and remains unfinished. Yaiba, on the other hand, ran from 1988 to 1993 in Weekly Shonen Sunday and delivered a full, chaotic, and satisfying story from start to finish.
Now, with the modern anime remake Yaiba: Samurai Legend streaming for a new generation, it’s finally getting the recognition it deserves—and it's clear this wasn’t just Aoyama’s warm-up. This was his statement piece before the world of mysteries took over.
From Jungle Boy to Thunder God Slayer
Yaiba, Kenjuro and their friends Kagetora and Shonosuke are being chased by the gorillas in the wild—a daily occurrence, by the way.
Yaiba starts out wild and stays wild. Yaiba Kurogane is a loud, scrappy boy raised in the jungle by his equally eccentric samurai dad, Kenjuro. His best friends are a cowardly tiger named Kagetora and a helpful vulture named Shonosuke. After a banana-crate mishap (no joke), they find themselves in Tokyo, crashing into the life of Sayaka Mine and her father Raizo—who just happens to be an old rival of Yaiba’s dad.
Mine Sayaka and Kurogane Yaiba, as seen in the remake.
Yaiba soon accompanies Sayaka to school and immediately picks a fight with the local kendo prodigy, Takeshi Onimaru. But Onimaru finds Fujin Ken—a wind-imbued demonic sword—turns into a literal Oni, and declares war on the world. To stop him, Yaiba has to find an even cooler sword—the Raijin Ken—and along the way, he gathers a crew of weirdos, fights mythical creatures, trains under a 400-year-old Miyamoto Musashi, and even takes on a rabbit goddess from the moon.
It’s equal parts martial arts, mythological madness, and Looney Tunes-level slapstick. Imagine Dragon Ball if it took itself even less seriously, and you’ve got the basic vibe.
Shonen Chaos in Its Purest Form
Yaiba and Onimaru’s fated first meeting.
Yaiba is a time capsule from an era when shonen manga thrived on being loud, fast, and completely unhinged. The humor is classic ‘80s and ‘90s fare—over-the-top, physical, and full of wild expressions. The action? Ridiculously entertaining, with swords that control wind, lightning, and pretty much whatever else Aoyama felt like that week.
The early arcs are packed with gags and comedy, while later arcs evolve into full-on fantasy warfare, featuring magical swords, flying fortresses, and boss battles that wouldn’t feel out of place in Dragon Quest. By the halfway point, Yaiba isn’t just a loudmouth kid swinging a stick—he’s training to take down ancient threats and fulfill samurai prophecies. And the best part? It never loses its heart.
Yaiba proves his skills in kendo by beating the strongest person in the dojo.
Yaiba wants to be a true samurai—not just someone who’s strong in battle, but someone who lives with honor and spirit. That earnestness, buried under layers of banana jokes and flying tigers, is what gives the series its staying power.
But it also has Aoyama’s signature touches—quirky humor, lovable idiots, and a knack for keeping things fun even when the stakes are high. And unlike Detective Conan, where logic rules the day, Yaiba runs entirely on vibes and sword lightning.
A New Era, A New Anime
The visual for the 1993 anime.
Back in 1993, Yaiba got an anime adaptation, but it only ran for 52 episodes and wrapped up around the Kaguya arc. It was fun but didn’t make much noise outside Japan. But now, in 2024, Yaiba: Samurai Legend is here to fix that.
WIT Studio has taken the reins and is doing justice to Aoyama’s high-octane, gag-heavy world. The animation is crisp, energetic, and loaded with personality. Mob Psycho 100’s Yoshimichi Kameda handles character designs, giving everyone that nostalgic-but-fresh look. And yes, Minami Takayama (the voice of Conan Edogawa) is back—voicing Yaiba once again, just like in the original.
The show streams weekly on Netflix and Hulu, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most fun anime revivals in years.
Aoyama Before the Glasses
A special illustration made by Gosho Aoyama upon the release of the Yaiba remake.
Kaitou Kid, Conan and Yaiba have actually met in person in one of the OVA episodes of Detective Conan.
It’s easy to forget that Gosho Aoyama wasn’t always the guy who made murder fun. In fact, if your only exposure to him is through Detective Conan, Yaiba might come as a complete shock. This is Aoyama unplugged. No magnifying glasses, no murder tricks—just a loud, sword-swinging jungle kid causing chaos and chasing after demons.
But even in this high-octane fantasy world, you can spot the seeds of Aoyama's future works. Sayaka Mine, for instance, is a clear proto-Ran Mouri. The comedic timing, exaggerated expressions, and sudden tonal shifts? Pure Aoyama. And if you squint, you might even catch a bit of Kaito Kid’s flair in the theatrical villains Yaiba faces.
While Magic Kaito introduced Aoyama’s knack for blending charm and mystery, it was Yaiba that proved he could finish a long-running series with real stakes and narrative payoff. It’s the missing piece of the Aoyama puzzle.
Yaiba’s Time Has Come
Yaiba battling different kinds of beasts when he was training in the jungle.
Sure, some parts of Yaiba are dated. It was made in the late '80s and early '90s, so expect a few gender gags and tropes that haven't aged well—especially when it comes to how Sayaka and other female characters are handled. But beneath all that is a series with genuine heart and imagination.
Yaiba himself is the kind of protagonist we don’t see much of anymore. He’s not cool, he’s not clever, and he’s definitely not smooth—but he’s pure. He’s determined to live as a real samurai, not just in fighting but in honor. And that sincerity, wrapped in explosive nonsense and lightning swords, is what makes him unforgettable.
Yaiba never reached the global recognition of Detective Conan or even Magic Kaito. But it’s a crucial piece of Aoyama’s journey as a storyteller. It showed he could mix comedy, action, and heart in a way that would later define his most famous works.
Yaiba and his father blending well into the Mine family.
With Yaiba: Samurai Legend bringing the series back into the spotlight and Viz Media finally making the manga available in English, there’s never been a better time to discover (or rediscover) Yaiba. It’s not just a goofy old manga from before Conan—it’s the moment Gosho Aoyama proved he could go the distance.
So before there was the “Detective of the East”… there was the “Samurai of the Jungle.” And his name was Yaiba Kurogane.
You can learn more about Yaiba by checking out the manga, which you can purchase here at ZenPlus, shipped to you straight from Japan!
TVアニメ「真･侍伝 YAIBA」メイン OP "BLADE" by Blue Encount
『真･侍伝 YAIBA』ノンクレジットエンディング | 音羽-otoha-「pineapple tart」
Original VS Remake - Yaiba Samurai Legend Season 1 Episode 1
What do you think?
Why is Yaiba training in the jungle?
Will Onimaru return to what he was before?
Is Sayaka the love interest in the series?
Let us know in the comments or drop us a line on social media: X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook! We’d love to hear from you!
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You can watch Yaiba: Samurai Legend on Netflix and Hulu.
About the Writer
Cristy is a freelance artist and writer who has been obsessed with anime and manga since childhood. Her love for these imaginative worlds fuels her creative endeavors, and she shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
