lead=yes is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yokusaru Shibata. It was serialized in Hakusensha's Seinen manga magazine Young Animal from 1996 to 2006, with its chapters collected in 28 volumes. The story focuses on Maki Aikawa, an ex-gymnast turned street fighter.
A 27-episode anime television series adaptation animated by Toei Animation was broadcast on Nippon Television from April to October 2003. Originally licensed in North America by Geneon USA (in partnership with Toei), the series saw only partial DVD releases before poor sales canceled the deal. It later became available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
Plot
Beneath Tokyo's everyday rhythms lies a hidden world of street fighters pushing their limits through brutal combat. Among them is Maki Aikawa, a 16-year-old former gymnast who channels her acrobatic prowess into underground fighting. For Maki, only the adrenaline of battle makes her feel truly alive. Her extraordinary athleticism and power earn her the moniker "Air Master" as she dominates opponent after opponent. Her skills eventually draw her into the Fukamichi Rankings—an elite league featuring 44 of the world's most dangerous fighters.
The Rankings serve dual purposes: a proving ground for warriors seeking to test their limits, and a global spectacle with corporate backing, where victors earn prize money. For Maki, it represents the ultimate challenge—a chance to chase the exhilaration of combat while facing the world's most formidable fighters.
Characters
- Aikawa Maki
- Maki, a former gymnast trained by her late mother, combines acrobatics with powerful strikes in combat. She adapts quickly to opponents' techniques and fights with relentless determination. Preferring street fights for thrill over glory, she lives apart from her estranged father. Though physically imposing, she remains reserved among friends while displaying occasional naivety toward admirers. Romantic advances—especially from Julietta Sakamoto—briefly unsettle her. Her signature moves include the "Air Spin Driver", "Air Cutter", and later "Air Flow".
- Takigawa Yū
- Yuu is a friend of Maki and shares some of Renge's interests. An admirer of the singer Uzumi Mika, she practices karate and harbors feelings for Shinnosuke, occasionally clashing with Michiru over him.
- Kawamoto Michiru
- Michiru, another friend of Maki, develops feelings for Shinnosuke but reacts with dismay when he confesses his affection for Maki. An admirer of the model Nono Rakuko, she forms a close partnership with Yuu, with the two rarely seen separately.
- Nakanotani Mina
- Mina is a shy private school student and one of Maki's friends, notable for her large bust which causes her embarrassment. She has an obsessive crush on Maki, expressed through physical advances including a kiss and an incident of unconscious sleep sex, earning teasing from friends. Despite this, she has admirers including Reiishi Mishima and members of Kinjirou's gang. She enjoys Belgian chocolate cake and has been a longtime fan of Nanjou Remon's novels.
- Inui Renge
- Renge, the shortest member of the group, exhibits an insatiable appetite while remaining thin, though occasionally shown with a distended belly after overeating. She embodies an excitable, childlike personality often prone to whining, though frequently serves as an enthusiastic supporter. Her character possesses supposed psychic abilities and later adopts a constant feline companion. The portrayal received criticism from some fans regarding her vocal mannerisms.
- Saeki Shiro
- Shiro, Maki's estranged father, was 15 when she was born, making him approximately 31 upon introduction. A four-time professional fighting champion, he operates a and raises Maki's half-sister, Miori. After losing a match to Sakamoto, the two eventually reconcile and form a friendship.
- Saeki Miori
- Miori, Maki's younger half-sister, inherits some martial arts skill from their father but lacks Maki's acrobatic prowess. Initially hostile, she ambushes Maki during their first meeting. Though younger, she matches Renge in height. Later, she moves in with Maki and develops admiration for Sanpagita Kai.
- Sakiyama Kaori
- Kaori develops an obsessive rivalry with Maki while pursuing modeling. Though initially unskilled, she becomes a capable fighter through sheer determination. Loud and theatrical, she fights with berserker-like endurance until incapacitated. A recurring gag involves characters dramatically using her full name. When enraged, her appearance evokes Devilman. She suffers partial deafness from a high school assault.
- Sakamoto Jurietta
- Sakamoto, a ghostwriter obsessed with Maki (calling her "My Jenny"), relentlessly pursues her despite her disgust. Known for fighting hands-free with brutal kicks, his legendary endurance lets him battle through severe injuries. He ranks seventh in the Fukamichi Rankings after one-kicking Nobuhiko. Ironically, while ignoring admirers like singer Uzumi Mika and model Nono Rakuko, he fixates on unwilling Maki.
- Kitaeda Kinjirō
- Kinjiro leads the "League of Black-suited Gentlemen", claiming to hate women yet making an exception for Maki. His powerful punches can fell a bear, and he employs an afterimage technique to bait opponents. Ranked ninth in Fukamichi's rankings, he had his first kiss taken by subordinate Nagato during a fight.
- Sanpagīta Kai
- Though not part of Maki's initial street-fighting circuit, she becomes one of her toughest opponents. Trained by her brother Lucha Master, Kai shares Maki's acrobatic style and faces her in a women's wrestling tournament, developing an obsessive rivalry. Ranked ninth in the Fukamichi Rankings after defeating Shun Yashiki, she later falls to tenth after losing to Kinjiro Kitaeda. Her signature techniques include the learned "Izakaya Bomber" and her original "Ultimate Sky Screwbomb".
- Tokita Shinnosuke
- Shinnosuke initially challenges Maki before briefly joining her group, displaying apparent romantic interest in her. Trained since age five with a staff that converts into a sansetsukon, he demonstrates some kung fu knowledge. He gains an advantage over Reiichi in combat until Tsukio intervenes with his "Jack Hammer Punch".
- Rucha Masutā
- Lucha Master, a masked Mexican-style wrestler, serves as Maki's first major opponent and one of only three fighters matching her aerial combat skills. The older brother of Sampaguita Kai, he ranks twenty-first in the Fukamichi Rankings.
- Taketsugu Tsukio
- Tsukio, a construction worker with a jackhammer-like punch (though slower than most street fighters), becomes an early opponent. Overshadowed by Lucha Master's sudden arrival, he harbors lingering frustration. He holds twenty-second place in the Fukamichi Rankings.
- Mishima Reiichi
- Reiichi, Tsukio's clumsy companion, fights moderately well but excels only on a bicycle, wielding it like an extension of himself. Obsessed with Mina Nakanotani, he briefly defends her from Kinjiro's gang before being overpowered and relinquishing leadership to stronger fighters.
- 深道
- Fukamichi organizes the street-fighting tournament and its ranking system, vetting participants while broadcasting fights globally. Though non-combatant, he displays exceptional strength and speed. His brother Nobuhiko competes using weaponized fireworks. A food critic in his spare time, Fukamichi ultimately reveals his rankings were designed to assemble warriors capable of defeating Eternal, the top-ranked fighter.
- Yashiki Shun
- Shun Yashiki, Tsukio's cousin, initially ranked ninth in the Fukamichi Tournament before losing to Kai. A ki manipulator, his signature "osmotic punch" uses life energy to induce internal pressure, forcibly expelling fluids from opponents. This draining technique has limited uses before requiring rest. He later teaches it to Kaori Sakiyama.
- Minaguchi Yuki
- Yuki, ranked fourth and titled "The Strongest Woman" in the Fukamichi Rankings, specializes in counterattacks and hand-based cutting/stabbing techniques. The second fighter to defeat Maki, she maintains a calm demeanor despite her evident love of combat. Her fate is implied to be fatal after Eternal knocks her unconscious during the tournament's collapse, leaving her unable to escape the crumbling arena.
- Konishi Yoshinori
- Yoshinori, the Fukamichi Rankings' third-place fighter, specializes in grappling and submission holds, considering himself a perfected martial artist. He dominates Shiro Saeki in a submission match and eventually defeats Sakamoto in combat.
- Byōbō
- Eternal, the top-ranked fighter in the Fukamichi Rankings, is an enigmatic, seemingly immortal warrior accompanied by a medium who communicates with past "Eternals". His overwhelming strength allows him to demolish buildings with single strikes. Though he easily defeats both Maki and Yuki individually, their combined efforts ultimately overcome him. His fate remains ambiguous after the arena's collapse—either perishing in the wreckage or escaping unseen.
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Yokusaru Shibata,
Air Master was serialized in
Hakusensha's
Seinen manga magazine
Young Animal from 1996 to 2006.
The chapters were collected in 28 volumes released from July 29, 1997, to May 29, 2006.
Anime
A 27-episode
anime television series adaptation, produced by Nippon Television, VAP and
Toei Animation, was broadcast on Nippon TV from April 2 to October 1, 2003.
The series was directed by
Daisuke Nishio, with
Michiko Yokote handling series composition, Yoshihiko Umakoshi designing the characters and
Yoshihisa Hirano composing the music.
The opening theme is 烈の瞬, performed by
Japaharinet, and the ending theme is "Rolling1000toon", performed by Maximum the Hormone.
VAP collected its episodes onto nine DVDs, released from July 24, 2003, and March 24, 2004; each DVD contained three episodes and a bonus
yonkoma by manga author Yokusaru Shibata.
In 2004, Geneon Entertainment signed an agreement with Toei Company to distribute the series in North America.
Episodes
Reception
Erica Friedman reviewed the anime and manga for Okazu. She called the manga "a few shounen Yuri series," calling Aikawa Maki is a "great heroine" with Maki's friend, Mina having a crush on her. She criticized the manga's art for being "distractingly ugly" even as she praised the characters as great.
She described the anime as "great" despite the fact that the art is "ugly," arguing that there is a "nice handful of yuri to hold onto" in characters like Mina's love for Maki. She also praised Sakiyama Kaori as "totally psychotic, violent and strange," while also admirable and lovable, and the music score even as she noted the amount of fan service in the series.
See also
-
81diver, another manga series by the same author
-
Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider, another manga series by the same author
Notes
External links
