is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Syun Matsuena. Matsuena first published a manga titled Tatakae! Ryōzanpaku Shijō Saikyō no Deshi, which ran in Shogakukan's Shōnen Sunday Super from 1999 to 2002. Shijō Saikyō no Deshi Ken'ichi is a remake of the series, and was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from April 2002 to September 2014, with its chapters collected in sixty-one tankōbon volumes. A 50-episode anime television series adaptation produced by TMS Entertainment aired on TV Tokyo from October 2006 to September 2007. Brain's Base produced an 11-episode original video animation (OVA) series released between March 2012 and May 2014. The anime television series was licensed in North America by Funimation in 2008, but the rights to the series expired in 2018. It was re-licensed by Discotek Media in 2020. As of February 2012, the Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple manga had over 12 million copies in circulation. Plot The story focuses on Kenichi Shirahama, a 15-year-old high school student and a long-time victim of bullying. At the beginning of the story, he befriends transfer student Miu Fūrinji; and desires to become stronger, he follows her to Ryōzanpaku, a dojo housing several masters of diverse martial arts, led by her grandfather Hayato Fūrinji. After learning basics from Miu, Kenichi overcomes a high-ranking member of the school's karate club and becomes a target for all the delinquents in the school. While initially training to protect himself, Kenichi eventually becomes a full disciple of Ryōzanpaku and becomes enamored of Miu. Subsequently, Kenichi's daily routine is divided between training under the six masters of Ryōzanpaku, and his fights against the members of 'Ragnarok', a gang of bullies trying alternately to recruit or to vanquish him. After Ragnarok is disbanded, Kenichi and Miu are targeted by Yomi, a group of disciples personally trained by a master of an organization rivaling Ryōzanpaku, Yami. While the masters of Ryōzanpaku and their allies follow the principle of always sparing their opponents' lives (Katsujin-ken), the members of Yami believe that any means of defeating an opponent is valid, including murder (Satsujin-ken). In the struggle between the two factions, Kenichi, Miu, and their allies fight the members of Yomi, while his masters confront the members of Yami. The conflict between the two factions culminates with the final battle to stop Yami's main objective, which is to usher in a new era of chaos and warfare in