About “Kengan Ashura” in a few words:

Kengan Ashura is an anime series that centers around the world of underground martial arts fights where powerful business moguls hire gladiators to fight for their interests. The story follows the journey of a young fighter named Tokita Ohma, who enters the Kengan Annihilation Tournament to become the strongest fighter in the world. Along the way, he meets various allies and enemies, each with their own unique fighting style and backstory. The series is known for its intense fight scenes and complex characters.

Meet the characters from Kengan Ashura

Ohma Tokita

Ohma Tokita is this raw, untamable storm of a fighter who somehow mixes a childlike grin with an absolute hunger to break things — and people. He fights like someone who learned to punch from a thunderstorm, reckless but weirdly scientific when you squint at him long enough. There’s this weird tenderness under all the ripping throws, like he’ll apologize to a chair after he breaks it, no lie. He’s selfish and selfless in the same breath, always chasing strength but also letting people in, which makes him the most frustratingly lovable mess. Also, he’s probably the kind of guy who hoards bandages and ramen seasoning packets for reasons that change depending on the day.

Kazuo Yamashita

Kazuo Yamashita is the sorely underdressed, wildly anxious salaryman who got thrown into the Kengan ring and somehow I love that for him. He’s the literal “please let this not explode” vibe — meek, polite, forever apologizing but secretly stubborn as an iron nail when it comes to doing the right thing. He’ll give you tea and advice and then panic about whether his tie is crooked, but he holds teams together with this nervous kindness. Also he collects tiny erasers? No wait, that might be a dream I had — either way, he’s the accidental heart of the chaos.

Hideki Nogi

Hideki Nogi is a mountain of calm, the kind of quiet titan who crushes you with a smile that’s both polite and slightly terrifying. He moves slow but hits like a falling building, patient and ancient-sounding, like a guy who reads old poetry between training sessions. Don’t let the stoicism fool you — he has odd little hobbies (bonsai? heavy metal? can’t remember) that make him almost human on bad days. Also he probably hums while he fights, and that image refuses to leave my head.

Kaede Akiyama

Kaede Akiyama bursts in like a notebook full of diagrams and pink-highlighter energy, sharp, strategic, and absolutely not someone you want to underestimate. She’s businesslike and fierce but also does this terrible, adorable thing where she names all her spreadsheets, and honestly same. Loves rules but breaks them for the right person, which is chaotic in the best way — tactical with a smirk. Sometimes she’s ruthless, sometimes she’s a huge softie who cries at dog commercials, and that contradiction is peak Kaede.

Lihito

Lihito is the fast-talking, faster-moving scrapper who looks like he was raised in an alley and trained in a dojo built of lightning. Cocky and glinting, he thrives on showmanship — flashy strikes, taunts, that sort of thing — but there’s a raw, honest work ethic under all the bravado. He’s petty sometimes (like, annoyingly petty) but also weirdly loyal, which makes your brain do that cute little flip. Honestly he probably eats nothing but grilled fish and instant coffee and also might be into perfume? My memory is snack-fueled chaos.

Jun Sekibayashi

Jun Sekibayashi is this elegantly dangerous fighter — picture silk robes, a calm voice, and a technique so pure it makes you sit up straighter just thinking about it. He moves like a dancer who read ten textbooks on anatomy and then decided to rewrite the rules, clinical and beautiful at the same time. He can be cold, like “analyzing you as he breaks your arm” cold, but there’s this tiny streak of affection for underdogs that sneaks out, surprisingly. Loves classical music maybe? Or collects weird stamps? I’m fuzzy, but definitely one of those two. Also, he’s the type to make a grim joke and immediately look flustered about it, which is both unfair and adorable.

Cosmo Imai

Cosmo Imai is showbiz incarnate — loud, flamboyant, flashy footwork, and absolutely here to put on a performance. He’s tricky, playful, the kind of opponent who smiles mid-fight like he forgot what losing even meant, and then pulls off some ridiculous move. Underneath the sparkle is actual brutal skill, not just pizazz, which is the best kind of bait-and-switch. He also hoards sunglasses and probably cries during rom-coms sometimes? Okay I’m splitting personality chips here but it’s true-ish.

Setsuna Kiryū

Setsuna Kiryū is ice in human form — deadpan, precise, surgical, and gives off this “I have a hundred secrets” air that makes everyone a bit nervous. She — or he? sometimes I flip the pronouns in my head, because Setsuna’s presence messes with your assumptions — moves like a whisper and strikes like a verdict. Secretly sentimental? Maybe, sometimes she leaves flowers at random places or keeps old ticket stubs, which is very unexpected. The whole vibe is stoic assassin who might also bake cookies on Sundays, which is the best kind of incongruity. Also there’s definitely a scar story that’s dramatic and possibly exaggerated by 30% in retellings, as is tradition.