Episode 15

EPISODE 15

美しきバラの舞!華麗なる蔵馬 (Utsukushiki Bara no Mai!  Kakerei-naru Kurama)

Beautiful Dance of the Rose! The Elegant Kurama

First Broadcast: January 23, 1993

Equivalent Manga Chapter(s): second half of chapter 34 (WSJ #34, 1991, August 12), chapter 35 (WSJ #35, 1991, August 19)

Summary: The gang escapes the Gate of Betrayal by trusting in Hiei. Kurama fights the Holy Beast Genbu, whose rock-based regenerative powers give him trouble.  But Kurama finds and destroys Genbu’s nucleus, killing him.

Anime/manga differences after the jump.

Differences from the Manga

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• The episode starts with a repeat of the whole “Gate of Betrayal” explanation, which we got at the end of the last episode too.

• After Hiei flips up the switch to the Gate of Betrayal and saves the group, in the anime a big rock falls on him from…somewhere.  He avoids it.

• While Botan contacts Yusuke with the compact device, in the anime Kuwabara tries to get her attention and impress her with what a good job he’s doing.  A Devil City goon tries to attack Botan, but she hits him with a bat.

• After that there’s a scene with Koenma, who’s trying to find info on the Four Beasts.  We get to see him interact with what is by now pretty much Jorge Saotome, who now not only has his standard appearance and voice, but is also finally portrayed as Koenma’s single ogre assistant, instead of just one among many ogres.  We see the first of the pair’s odd relationship, with Jorge calling Koenma irresponsible for sending the group out without actually knowing anything about their enemies, while Koenma asks if Jorge would rather go instead.  Later Koenma comments on how pretty Kurama’s Rose Whip attack is.

• In the anime Genbu claims to be the strongest of the Four Beasts.

• We actually get to see Genbu’s nucleus flying around and glowing in the anime.  In the manga we never even see it before Kurama catches it.1

• At the end of the anime episode we get to see Byakko in shadow.