Shadow Skill

• Type — manga • Title — Phantom of Shade / Black Howling / Black Wing • Author — Megumu Okada • Publisher — * Takeshobo (1992–1996) • Fujimi Shobo (1997–1999) • Kodansha (1999 – current) • Magazine — * Comic Gamma • Monthly Dragon Jr. • First — 1992 • Last — 1998 • Volumes — * 4 (original) • 3 (reissue)

• Type — manga • Author — Megumu Okada • Publisher — Kodansha • Imprint — KC Deluxe • Magazine — * Afternoon Season Zōkan • (February 10, 2000 – October 10, 2002) • Monthly Afternoon • (February 25, 2003 – March 24, 2014) • First — February 10, 2000 • Last — March 24, 2014 • Volumes — 11

• Type — manga • Title — Shadow Skill Dawn • Author — Megumu Okada • Publisher — Tokuma Shoten • Magazine — Comic Ryū • First — April 24, 2026

• Type — ova • Director — * Hiroshi Negishi (#1) • Yasuhiro Kuroda (#2–4) • Writer — Mayori Sekijima • Music — Toshiro Yabuki • Studio — Zero-G Room • First — October 25, 1995 • Last — November 21, 1996 • Runtime — * 45 minutes (#1) • 30 minutes (#2–4) • Episodes — 4

• Type — film • Title — Shadow Skill: The Movie • Director — Yasuhiro Kuroda • Producer — Laurence Guinness • Writer — Kaoru Mfaume • Music — Toshiro Yabuki • Studio — Zero-G Room • Released — October 28, 1997 • Runtime — 85 minutes

• Type — tv series • Title — Shadow Skill: Eigi • Director — Tsukasa Sunaga • Producer — * Shinjiro Yokoyama • Masahiro Toyosumi • Writer — Masashi Sogo • Music — Ozamu Tezuka • Studio — Studio Deen • Network — TV Tokyo • First — July 3, 1998 • Last — December 25, 1998 • Episodes — 26

• Type — ova • Title — Shadow Skill — Kurdan Style: The Secret of the Lethal Martial Art • Director — Kazuya Ichikawa • Writer — Kurasumi Sunayama • Music — Hidenori Chiwata • Studio — Tandm • Released — October 2, 2004 • Runtime — 60 minutes

• Portal — yes Shadow Skill (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Megumu Okada. The series has been adapted into four original video animations released from 1995 to 1996 and an anime adaptation produced by Studio Deen aired on TV Tokyo in 1998. In North America, the OVAs have been released by Manga Entertainment and the anime television series was distributed by ADV Films.

Shadow Skill takes place in the warrior kingdom of Kuruda, where Elle Ragu has recently become the 59th Sevaar, a title awarded to their most elite warriors. She often leaves a trail of destruction when she fights and along with a drinking habit. Elle is constantly followed by debts and throughout the series takes on jobs to work off these debts. One of these such jobs leads her to the Green Octopus Inn on an island outside the city, which eventually becomes the protagonists' base of operation. Throughout the series, Elle travels along with her adopted younger brother Gau Ban, who is studying Elle's fighting skills so that one day he could become the greatest Sevaar in Kuruda. Also in Elle and Gau's life is Faulink Maya (Faulee), a Sui Rame talisman sorceress, and Kyuo Liu, a Septia beast-catcher and grandniece of Eva Stroll, the king of Kuruda. Warriors in Kuruda fight using the Kurudan-style combining kill methods, ADV dub: 'annihilation techniques' which has two general divisions: bright skills, which emphasize punches and throws, and shadow skills, which focus on kicks and the user's footwork.

The Shadow Skill manga series was originally created by Megumu Okada as a self-published doujinshi. In 1992, it was picked up by Takeshobo for serialization in its magazine Comic Gamma. The magazine ceased publication in 1996; four tankōbon volumes collecting the manga's chapters were released during that time, between January 14, 1993, and August 2, 1996. Shadow Skill was carried over by publisher Fujimi Shobo in its magazine Monthly Dragon Jr. from 1997 to 1998; under the subtitle "The Ashliana Saga", another four volumes were released by that publisher between June 15 and December 15, 1998. In 1999, Kodansha gained the rights to Shadow Skill and released the existing chapters in three volumes from November 23, 1999, to June 22, 2000. The following year, Okada began regularly publishing new chapters in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Afternoon Season Zōkan on February 10, 2000. The magazine ceased publication after its 14th issue on October 10, 2002, and the series moved to Monthly Afternoon on February 25, 2003. Okada took a hiatus from the manga in December 2005, but resumed in July 2009, submitting new chapters every other month, until finishing the series on March 24, 2014. Kodansha collected its chapters in 11 tankōbon volumes, released from September 21, 2001, to May 23, 2014. In total, Kodansha released the entire Shadow Skill series in three volumes, and an additional 11 tankōbon volumes. A new manga series titled Shadow Skill Dawn began serialization on Tokuma Shoten's Comic Ryū website since April 24, 2026.

There have been a number of anime productions based on the Shadow Skill manga. It was first adapted into an original video animation (OVA) by Zero-G Room and released in Japan on October 25, 1995. Three additional OVA episodes were produced and released from September 21 to November 21, 1996. The first volume was officially numbered "volume 2.5" in Japan due to its chronological place among the four episodes. All four OVAs were licensed in North America and the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment. The latter three episodes were compiled and released in English-speaking regions as Shadow Skill: The Movie, while the first OVA was later released as Shadow Skill: The Origin. A cel shaded, CGI animation OVA titled Shadow Skill — Kurdan Style: The Secret of the Lethal Martial Art was produced by Tandm and released in Japan on October 2, 2004.

A 26-episode television series titled Shadow Skill: Eigi was produced by Studio Deen and aired on TV Tokyo from July 3 to December 25, 1998. The opening theme is "Born Legend" by Kasumi. The ending themes are "Last Quarter" by Princess Purin, and "For My Pride" by Spirit Level. ADV Films licensed the series in the United States.