Anime Profile: Kai Doh Maru

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Kai Doh Maru is a 2001 original video animation from Production I.G, set in Japan's Heian-period capital amid plague, banditry, and court intrigue. It reimagines the folk hero Kintarō as Kintoki, a girl raised in disguise as a boy to shield her from the enemies of her fallen house.

Taken in by the noble warrior Minamoto no Raikō, Kintoki is trained in the sword and joins his band of retainers, helping defend the city from the outlaws who prey on it, only to find her own past entangled with the bandits she hunts. The OVA is best known for its striking, experimental look, which renders the action in muted, sketch-like watercolor tones rather than conventional cel animation.