Gosho Aoyama's "YAIBA" large votive plaque dedicated to Sensoji Temple

A large votive plaque featuring Gosho Aoyama's manga "YAIBA," currently the subject of the much-talked-about new TV anime "Shin Samurai Den YAIBA," was dedicated at Sensoji Temple (Taito Ward, Tokyo) on August 18th, "YAIBA Day." "YAIBA" was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday from 1988 to 1993, before the serialization of "Detective Conan" began. Aoyama drew the protagonist, Blade, and other characters for this votive plaque, commenting, "It's been about 30 years since I last did this. It brings back memories. I used to draw so much back then, I can even draw Onimaru's armor from memory." Regarding the differences between the original and the original, he commented, "Blade has a gentler expression. He looks like Conan."

The large ema is made from an approximately 200-year-old tree and was carved at the Nanbu Hakuun Wood Carving Workshop in Toyama, which has been in operation since 1898, with Aoyama painting the blades of the "YAIBA" on it. Over 200 ema donated to Sensoji Temple since the mid-Edo period remain as temple treasures, and this is the first time a large ema has been donated in about 100 years, since the Taisho period. Aoyama's ema was donated alongside works by historical artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasegawa Settan, and Itsumi (Kano) Kazunobu.

Regarding the dedication of the large ema, he said, "I saw a warehouse where ema were being donated, and it was filled with great people like Katsu Kaishu, so I wondered if I was the right person for the job. I hope that the person who donates it later will think, 'A picture like this is okay.'"

The new TV anime series "Shin Samurai Den YAIBA" is currently airing and is also generating a lot of buzz, with Aoyama participating as a supervisor. When asked about the highlights of the anime, he said, "I wanted to improve the tempo, so I removed all the Showa-era gags and other things that kids today wouldn't understand." The new anime has also attracted the attention of fans by increasing the number of scenes featuring popular character Nadeshiko, who only appears in one episode of the original work, and he said with a smile, "I'm supervising all of the dialogue, so it's fine."

"YAIBA" is a swordplay action manga that was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Sunday" from 1988 to 1993. It depicts the exploits of Yaiba Kurogane, an unconventional young swordsman who trains in the jungle with his father. The story follows Tetsujin, who returns to Japan by chance and makes great strides in his new training ground in search of even greater strength. A total of 24 volumes of the manga have been released, with a total circulation of approximately 17 million copies.

The new anime will be fully supervised by the original author, Aoyama, and will be fully animated approximately 30 years after the series' conclusion. Following on from the TV anime "Yaiba: The Legend of the Brave Sword," which aired from 1993 to 1994, Minami Takayama will play the main character, Yaiba. The series will be produced by WIT STUDIO, known for "Attack on Titan" and "SPY x FAMILY." It will begin airing on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV every Saturday at 5:30 pm starting in April.