Rg Veda 1 LD Sony NTSC J/- 45 SRLW 1391 CLV 6000 Yen
Rg Veda 2 LD Sony NTSC J/- 45 SRLW 1392 CLV 6000 Yen
Rg Veda 1 LD US Manga NTSC J/E 45 CLV
Rg Veda 2 LD US Manga NTSC J/E 45 CLV
Rg Veda CDROM HMV PC/Mac J/E 90 US$19.99
Rg Veda 1 VCD (*) J/C 45 DV-10000019
Rg Veda 2 VCD (*) J/C 45 DV-10000020
(*) Retailer as indicated on the back of the vcd cover is a Taiwanese VCD company called, "ShinChauShie Co. Ltd." It also contains copyright information for Sony. I cannot tell if this is a legitimate copy.
MANGA
The manga of Rg Veda was running in Wings monthly magazine until the end
of the series. The final (10) volume of the series was released at the
beginning of May, 1996.
Title Publisher ISBN Year Price
========== ========== ============= ==== =======
Rg Veda 1 Shinshokan 4-403-61218-0 1990 490 Yen
Rg Veda 2 Shinshokan 4-403-61230-X 1990 490 Yen
Rg Veda 3 Shinshokan 4-403-61244-X 1990 490 Yen
Rg Veda 4 Shinshokan 4-403-61265-2 1991 490 Yen
Rg Veda 5 Shinshokan 4-403-61276-8 1992 490 Yen
Rg Veda 6 Shinshokan 4-403-61295-4 1992 490 Yen
Rg Veda 7 Shinshokan 4-403-61312-8 1993 490 Yen
Rg Veda 8 Shinshokan 4-403-61350-0 1994 490 Yen
Rg Veda 9 Shinshokan 4-403-61387-X 1995 490 Yen
Rg Veda 10 Shinshokan 4-403-61416-7 1996 520 Yen
ART BOOK
Hiten Muma is the only art book released so far on Rg Veda. It is a set
of 2 A4 sized books. The first one is hardcover, 70 pages, with 56 pages
of color illustrations and 6 pages of B&W illustrations. The second one
is softcover, 47 pages, including a short manga, a 4-page comments on the
illustrations and background information on characters.
Title Publisher ISBN Year Price
========== ========== ============= ==== ========
Hiten Muma Shinshokan 4-403-61260-1 1991 3200 Yen
MUSIC
3 CDs have been released based on earlier progression of the manga or the
The above diagrams show the power structure of Tenkai before and after the
Holy War. Before the Holy War, the Emperor's right-hand man was
Ashura-Ou. He had his own warriors known as the Twelve Warlords.
Ashura-Ou was also the leader of the Shitennou. But since the death of
Ashura-Ou, the Shitennou were directly under the Emperor, with
Bishamon-ten as the head of the Shitennou. The Shitennou have their own
armies. The Bushinshou were under the control of the Shitennou of their
respective cardinal points. The rest of the warlords are of lower ranks.
Each of the Bushinshou has his/her own clan. They are known as the god
clans. There are also humans which do not belong to any god clans. The
people belonging to the god clans, as well as the above warlords can have
incredibly long life span. For example, 300 years is only the time for
such people to grow from childhood to adulthood.
Q9: Why do the leaders of a god clan have the same name as his/her clan
name?
The leaders (kings or queens) of a god clan are not born with such names.
They all had their own childhood names, e.g. Yasha-Ou's childhood name was
Yama. When they are chosen to be the next king or queen, they inherit
the clan names from the previous leader. So for the same example, when
Yama was chosen by the previous Yasha-Ou (his father) to be the next king,
Yama then became the new Yasha-Ou. Since "Yasha" is the name of the clan
and the word "Ou" means king/queen (in Japanese, "ou" works for both a
male leader or a female leader), "Yasha-Ou" means "King (Queen, or merely
leader) of Yasha". These kings/queens are sometimes considered immortal in
this way because their titles are carried on for generations although
individual leaders live and die.
Q10: Where is Ashura-jou?
Ashura-jou appears to reside underneath the water surrounding Zenmi-jou
and resembles the shadow of the latter. In fact, the 'water' that
encloses Ashura-jou is a special form of Kekkai which only allows people
of the Ashura clan or those with special permission to enter. Therefore,
the castle actually resides in another dimension. Its entrance is located
in the lowest level of Zenmi-jou. It looks like a big circular disk with
the markings of Ashura-jou. It has the carvings of a three-headed human
with six hands spreading out in different directions, each holding a
sphere with a special sanskrit character on it. Each character represents
a different desirable "quality" of a human.
Q11: Why was Ashura-Ou, the strongest warrior in Tenkai, defeated by
Taishaku-ten?
Shashi, Ashura-Ou's wife, was not satisfied being only the wife of the
Guardian God of War. Therefore, the ambitious queen of Ashura-Ou betrayed
her own people by telling Taishaku-ten the weakness of the Ashura clan, so
that Taishaku-ten, after becoming the Emperor, would make her the Empress.
Refer to the SPOILER QUESTION section for related questions.
Q12: Who are Shashi and Kara?
Kara is Shashi's elder twin sister. Both of them were chosen to be the
Miko of the Ashura clan. Shashi later became the wife of Ashura-Ou and was
carrying the child of Ashura-Ou when she betrayed the Ashura clan to
Taishaku-ten 300 years ago. She was made the Empress of Tenkai by
Taishaku-ten and bore him his heir, Tenou, the twin brother of Ashura,
who was Ashura-Ou's heir.
Kara, on the other hand, tried to kill herself because she was unable to
stop Shashi from betraying her clan. But she was brought back to life by
the illusionary powers of Ashura-Ou. She fled to Kusumabura, the
underground city in the west, at the defeat of the Ashura clan. She
sheltered herself under the care of Kumara-ten, the king of Kusumabura,
whose clan was almost wiped out by Taishaku-ten's army. The jewel on
Kara's forehead was the key to the rebirth of Shura-Tou. Also see SPOILER
section for related questions.
Q13: Is Ashura a girl or a boy?
Ashura is neither a girl or a boy, although the appearance of kid-Ashura
resembles that of a girl and adult-Ashura (or Black Ashura)looks like a
male teenager. This has been misleading since the English-subtitled OVA
refers to Ashura as a she. Please also see SPOILER QUESTIONS for an
explanation.
Q14: Why did Shashi want to kill baby Ashura?
Shashi betrayed the Ashura clan because she was not satisfied for only
being the wife of the Guardian God of War. Her ambition is to become the
Empress of Tenkai, bear the Emperor a son, and later on help her son to
become the next Emperor. She wants power. She would use her own hands to
destroy anything in her way. Baby Ashura was an obstacle to her, so she
wanted to kill the baby. The manga shows scenes where Shashi puts her
hands around baby Ashura's neck and tries to kill it. But it never
explains why she did not succeed killing it.
Q15: What kind of relationship is there between Souma and Kendappa-Ou?
Souma was saved by Kendappa-Ou after her escape from Taishaku-ten's army.
Since then, Kendappa-Ou sheltered and befriended her. Souma and
Kendappa-Ou have developed a special relationship which seems to be a
little more than mere close friends. Although its nature is not clearly
described, Souma has admitted that Kendappa-Ou is the most important and
respected person in her life, and Kendappa-Ou has also admitted that she
loves Souma at the end of the manga.
Q16: What is the legend of Yama-Tou?
The old legend told in the Yasha clan is that once upon a time, when the
clan was in danger, there came a person with black wings from the sky, who
gave the sword to the clan, saying only the strongest person in the clan
could inherit it. Since then, the Yama-Tou was the symbol of the strongest
person in Yasha clan.
The Yama-Tou, unsheathed, glows with a white light as if the moon itself. In battle, anything that touches even the slightest of that white light will be disintegrated.
Q17: What is the connection between Shura-Tou and Yama-Tou?
The Shura-Tou and the Yama-Tou form a pair. Their ability to resonance to each other's presence enables one to locate the other. That is why when
the Yama-Tou's owner, Yasha-Ou, was captured by Aizenmyou-Ou inside the Ice
Castle, Ashura found where Yasha-Ou was with the help of Shura-Tou.
Q18: Who are the parents and relatives of Ryuu-Ou?
Ryuu-Ou's childhood name was Naga. His mother was the previous leader of
Ryuu clan. She was once the strongest Bushinshou of Tenkai. After
Taishaku-ten took over Tenkai, she continued to serve the new emperor. She
died trying to save a human girl. At her death, Naga's grandfather who
was the Ryuu-Ou before Naga's mother, took over the rule again since Naga
was still too young to become king. Naga also had two elder cousins --
Seiryuu and Byakuryuu, who helped Naga's mother took care of Naga when she
was in battle with the demons. Naga's father never appeared in the main
pages of the manga, but he did show up in the funny side story at the back
of volume 5. He was a very skillful cook who could make delicious meals
out of the Mazoku captured by his wife.
Q19: What is the bond between Karura-Ou and her bird Garuda?
Every person belonging to the Karura clan has his or her own bird.
Karura-Ou's bird is called Garuda. The bird and its master are paired
with the closest bond such that when the master is sick, his/her bird
would show signs of fatigue as well. Therefore if the master dies,
his/her bird also dies, and vice versa.
Q20: What happened to the Eastern general? There were only 3 generals but
they were always referred to as the Shitennou.
Jikoku-ten, the Eastern general, was killed in the Holy War by Taishaku-ten. Jikoku-ten was the husband of the former Kendappa-Ou, thus the father of the current Kendappa-Ou. Also see SPOILER QUESTION section for another
similar question.
Q21: Who is Hanranya? Why does she cover her face with a piece of cloth
all the time?
Hanranya is a seer who serves Taishaku-ten loyally. Her power is over a
water mirror. She is the younger of the two twin sisters, of which Kuyou
the stargazer is the elder. It is told in volume 9 that she has long
coveted the same power that her sister possesses. However, there could
only be one stargazer at one time. Thus she blinds herself with a
burning stick in order to gain the prophetic power she wants. That is why she covers her face with a piece of cloth to conceal her wounds.
Q22: How many people are secretly admiring or are in love with Yasha-Ou?
Three. The first one mentioned was Gigei the dancer. She fell in love
with him on the first sight at Kisshou-ten's Star Festival six years ago.
The second person was the former Kendappa-Ou, the present Kendappa-Ou's
mother. Although she was married, she couldn't help herself but to fall
in love (one-sided) with the young Yasha-Ou. She cried every night because of this until the day she died. The third one was Zouchou-ten's wife. It was mentioned in the funny stories at the back of volume 6 of the manga. Byakuryuu said to Yasha-Ou tha
t he heard that Zouchou-ten's wife was was once one of Yasha-Ou's fans, before she was married to Zouchou-ten.
SPOILER QUESTIONS
Q1: What is the real meaning of Kuyou's Prophecy?
Kuyou's two versions of the Prophecy were delivered to two different
persons. Even though their contents differ slightly, we can still picture
the sequence of events easily. The following is what is combined from the
two Prophecies and is the true interpretation/implication of the Prophecy:
There would come a time when Taishaku-ten would rebel against Tentei (this
happened 300 years ago). At the death of Ashura-Ou and Tentei,
Taishaku-ten would take over the kingdom, which would begin an era of
evil. The Six Stars would start to gather around Ashura-Ou's child, an
infant being brought up by Yasha-Ou, who would end up having his whole
clan massacred. Until the day that Ashura's Seal is fully broken,
"Ashura" would have two distinct characters -- a lovely and cute "Ashura"
which Yasha-Ou and almost everyone who knew Ashura would love and care,
and an "Ashura" who only loves killing and destruction. Kujaku, the
mysterious character who would occasionally drop hints and directions to
the Six Stars, could be exempted from Kuyou's prophecy because the one who
has the blood of a Hoshimi, has a fate that could not be seen by another
Hoshimi. When all of the Six Stars die, Ashura would fully resurrect into
the real Ashura -- God of Destruction. Ashura would destroy all that are considered evil, which would bring about the "Break" or the Subversion of Heaven.
Q2: What happened to the Eastern General, Jikoku-ten?
Although the previous Eastern General was killed during the Holy War by
Taishaku-ten, the present Kendappa-Ou, who was then the young daughter of
Jikoku-ten and the former Kendappa-Ou, succeeded as the new Jikoku-ten at
the death of her father. Only Taishaku-ten and Bishamon-ten knew of this
succession. Kendappa-Ou was also the Eastern Bushinshou at the same time.
This was revealed in volume 9 of the manga.
Q3: Do Bishamon-ten and Kisshou-ten love each other?
Yes. They do love each other. Bishamon-ten's love for Kisshou-ten was
revealed at the beginning of volume 9. Bishamon-ten and Hanranya were
having a dialogue. He mentioned that he was totally influenced by
Taishaku-ten's power and strength and that he had made up his mind to
serve him even though he could never see the person he loved smile again
-- and the background picture shows Kisshou-ten. As for Kisshou-ten's
love for her husband, it could be seen from her anxious look on her face
when the Shitennou were fighting with Yasha-Ou and crew. Their love could
also be seen from the conversation between them at the death scene of
Bishamon-ten in volume 10.
Q4: Why does Kendappa-Ou serve Taishaku-ten so loyally when she let Souma
go against Taishaku-ten?
Kendappa-Ou admires strong people. Since her father's death during the
Holy War, she has decided that Taishaku-ten was the strongest one in
Tenkai, and that she would serve him loyally because of his strength and
power. She respects Souma's decision on fighting against the emperor and
doesn't want to stop her although she knows that Souma would not succeed
in defeating Taishaku-ten.
Q5: Is Kujaku really a Mazoku? Is he the person who gave Yama-Tou to
the Yasha clan according to the legend? Where do his purple eyes and
black wings come from?
Kujaku is the forbidden son of the previous Emperor and the previous
Emperor's sister, Sonsei-Ou, who was also the Hoshimi before Kuyou.
Therefore, Kujaku carries the blood of Hoshimi. This is why sometimes he
is seen holding the stargazing wand and why he can perform the rite of
succession of Shura-Tou.
Yes. Kujaku travelled back in time to give Yama-Tou to the Yasha clan. He
had long predicted that the full awakening of Ashura would bring about
disaster, and that only Yama-Tou would have a chance to stop Ashura.
It is not explained how he exactly got his purple eyes which is the
characteristics of the Mazoku. It may be related to the fact that his
royal parents were siblings, which made Kujaku the forbidden son and was
disgraced by the mark of Daten, which indicates that he is even lower class
than the Mazoku. As for the black wings, it is shown towards the end of
the manga, that they grew on Kujaku's back when the mark of Daten appeared
on his forehead. Black wings and purple eyes seem to indicate a Mazoku,
but no, he is not a Mazoku.
Q6: Who is "Black Ashura"?
"Black Ashura" can be regarded as the "real" Ashura -- the god of
destruction. Ashura possesses two distinct characters, the tender "kid"
Ashura, and the brutal "black" Ashura. At the beginning, "black Ashura"
appears momentarily -- <1> during Yasha's breaking of the kekkai inside
the Forest of Maya thus waking up Ashura, <2> when Yasha finds out that
Kuyou was killed in her training place, <3> inside the underground city
where the Shura-Tou was broken from the seal, <4> after Kujaku performed the
Shura-Tou succession ceremony on Ashura, <5> during the resonance of the
Shura-Tou when revealing members of the Six Stars, etc -- and afterwards,
"kid" Ashura would take back the body again. After the gathering of the Six
Stars in Zenmi-jou, "black Ashura" takes over Ashura's body completely and
to turn into the original Ashura -- the god of destruction.
Q7: What part do Shashi and Kara play in the being of the real Ashura?
The jewel on each of their foreheads is a seal for the awakening of
Ashura. First, Kara's jewel breaks the seal of Shura-Tou, which holds the
key to finding the Six Stars for the awakening of real Ashura. Second,
Shashi's jewel, when placed into the back side of Shura-Tou, breaks the
seal of Ashura, who is then transformed into the God of Destruction.
Q8: Why did Ashura kill Ryuu-Ou?
When Ashura kills Ryuu-Ou, Ashura is not the Ashura whom Ryuu-Ou once
knew anymore. The death of the Six Stars would ensure the full awakening
of the God of Destruction. This is the third seal on Ashura. Thus, the
death of Ryuu-Ou, is necessary for the real Ashura to resurrect. So
Ashura kills Ryuu-Ou.
Q9: What was Ashura-Ou's crime?
Ashura-Ou's crime was his wish for the birth of his child (Ashura) in
order to continue the bloodline and his wish to change fate. However, he
knew that his child would become the God of Destruction. He tried to
change fate because he asked for Taishaku-ten's help to kill his child if
Ashura fully resurrected into the Real Ashura. His wish was the cause of
Taishaku-ten's rebellion against the previous Tentei, who turned Tenkai
into an era of chaos. See also Q10.
Q10: What was Taishaku-ten's "most treasured thing"?
Taishaku-ten's "most treasured thing" and his sole reason for living was
his promise made to Ashura-Ou -- to never allow Ashura from turning into
the Real Ashura, or, if he failed, to kill Ashura. In return, Ashura gave
Taishaku-ten his "most treasured thing" -- himself.
Q11: Why and how was Ashura-Ou defeated?
It was Ashura-Ou's will to die in the hands of Taishaku-ten. Ashura-Ou
has asked for Taishaku-ten's help to prevent the full awakening of his
child. Therefore, Taishaku-ten needed to be emperor and had power over
everyone so that he could manipulate the world in his hand. In order to
be able to kill the Real Ashura, Taishaku-ten had to demonstrate Ashura-Ou
that he did have enough power. To prove this, Ashura-Ou asked
Taishaku-ten to use all his power to kill him, otherwise he wouldn't be
able to defeat the Real Ashura. Taishaku-ten had no choice, but gathered
all his strength and power, thrust his weapon through Ashura-Ou's body,
and killed him.
Q12: How did Taishaku-ten and Kujaku get the mark of Daten?
As explained earlier, the mark of Daten represents a being who has
committed something even worse than a Mazoku and has fallen from his/her
original standing (e.g. high royalty/rank). After Taishaku-ten killed
Ashura-Ou, he consumed Ashura-Ou's flesh on the instructions of Ashura-Ou.
The mark of daten then appeared on Taishaku-ten's forehead; signifying
that Taishaku-ten had fallen from grace since he is now committed to his
promise to change the fate of the world and changing the pattern of the
stars. At the consumption of Ashura-Ou's flesh, Taishaku-ten gains
Ashura-Ou's illusionary power and knowledge.
Kujaku got his mark of Daten at birth -- a mark signifying his parent's
incest (brother and sister love).
Q13: Why is Ashura neither a boy nor a girl?
This is Ashura-Ou's punishment for trying to change fate. Ashura-Ou's
wish was to save his bloodline, which turned him against fate. By
punishing Ashura-Ou's only child with a sexless character, Ashura-Ou's
wish would not come true.
8. INTERNET RESOURCES
The following information is known to me as of this current version of the
FAQ. Any information on resources not listed here are most welcomed.
HOMEPAGES
Homepages containing info, scripts, images, etc, dedicated to Rg Veda:
Email kujaku@lycosmail.com if you wish your Rg Veda homepage be added in.
