The Flaming Dragons Of Recca

When GMA 7 aired the anime show, Flame of Recca every afternoon, I used to stick in front of our television every afternoon. Even when I'm going to work, I always take an airconditoned bus it's because I know that their television if not playing a movie, they stay tuned to the Kapuso network and that is when I get to watch this show. Flame of Recca is a story of a man named Recca Hanabishi gifted to control the power of fire and his flaming dragons and his struggles to fight his half-brother named Kurei.

The story evolves around Recca Hanabishi who aims to be a great ninja and serves a loyalty to Yanagi Sakoshita, a teenage girl who can heal any kind of physical injury and which Recca also consider his princess. One day, Kage Hoshi, which was revealed later as his mother, attacked Recca with the intention to test if he can withhold the power of the flames. Recca was able to pass the test. Along the way, Recca met different characters that joined his quest to defeat their enemy named Kurei. Their group was known as Team Hokage and the other member are:

Fuko Kirisawa (Aira Kirisawa in Filipino-dubbed version) - a tomboyish teenage girl, is Recca's childhood friend who has always aspired to defeat him in battle so that he would serve her as her ninja. She initially gets irritated by the fact that Recca chose to become Yanagi's ninja just because he wanted to. For this reason, she decides to accept the aid of Kagerō, who offers to lend her Fūjin (a powerful madōgu that controls wind) in order to enable her to defeat Recca. In actuality, Kagerō implanted a stone in the Fūjin that allowed her to brainwash Fūko, but Recca manages to defeat Fūko and destroy the sphere. Fūko ends up being friends with both Yanagi and Recca after the incident, and she also keeps the Fūjin and wields it throughout the rest of the series.

Domon Ishijima (Max Domon in Filipino-dubbed version - Domon is Recca's schoolmate who is known for his prowess in physical strength and in fighting (he is referred to as Ogre by other students that he has defeated in fights). Like Fūko, has always wanted to defeat Recca, and the reason behind this is that Fūko told him that he could only challenge her if he manages to defeat Recca. He is unable to defeat Recca despite his numerous attempts, and he eventually aids the latter in defeating and rescuing Fūko when she is brainwashed by Kage Hōshi. Afterward, both he and Fūko join forces with Recca and remain allied with him throughout the rest of the series. However, he is never able to do so, and ends up befriending and joining forces with Recca. Domon wields the Dosei no Wa ("The Ring of Saturn"), a madogu which enhances his physical strength. Later in the series, he also wields the Kuchibashi Oh ("Beak King"), a super-sharp snapping claw on an extendable chain, and the Tetsugan ("Iron Ball"), which transmutes his entire body into a living iron golem for brief periods.

Tokiya Mikagami (Dylan Mikagami in Filipino-dubbed version) - second year student at Nashikiri High School, and he wields the madōgu Ensui ("Dark Water"), a sword that utilizes water to create it blade and is capable of creating and controlling all three states of water (liquid, solid and gas). He is often referred to as by his last name, though his companions have made up nicknames for him, such as "Mi-chan" or "Mī-bō". Despite the difference in his age in the anime and manga, Tokiya wanted to take Yanagi from Recca because she looks exactly like his sister, Mifuyu Mikagami, who was murdered in front of his eyes when he was young. He uses the Hyōmon Ken style which was developed specifically for the Ensui and the Hyōma En (a madogu that also controls water, but focuses more on water in its solid form). Tokiya joins forces with Recca in attempting to rescue Yanagi from Mori Kōran's mansion, and he continues to be part of their team throughout the rest of the series.

Kaoru Koganei was once a member of Kurei's Uruha, but later, he becomes a member of Recca's team in the Ura Butō Satsujin. He wields the Kōgan Anki, a puzzle-like weapon that has five different forms. In the manga, the weapon also has a mysterious sixth form: 'Mu'. He likes Yanagi.

Recca in the course of the story was able to acquire the powers of the eight flame dragons.The Flame Dragons are entities that manifest themselves in selected Hokage leaders, each dragon possessing its own unique flame abilities/techniques. Each dragon is an embodiment of the soul of a previous Hokage leader who died without being able to fulfill his/her mission.

Nadare is the first Flame Dragon with the power to produce fireballs. She is the friendliest of all the dragons and is often used by Recca along with Saiha.

Saiha is the second Flame Dragon with the power to produce a blade of fire. He is the dragon most used by Recca.

Homura is the third Flame Dragon with the power to create flame whips and enhance his master's strength.
Setsuna is the fourth Flame Dragon. He can burn anyone who looks in to his eye. He is a cruel, sadistic ninja who lives only to kill. He dislikes Recca and won't hesitate to kill him whenever opportunity arises.
Madoka is the fifth Flame Dragon with the power to create barriers. He is a chubby ninja who speaks politely, but is rather sarcastic.

Rui is the sixth Flame Dragon who has the power to create illusions. She is a beautiful kunoichi who is not afraid to use her body as an advantage in combat.

Koku is one of the creators of madōgu, and a Hokage Flame Master before Ōka. He and his rival Kaima competed to create madōgu, but he is forced to kill his rival once the latter succumbed into further madness. When he becomes the seventh Flame Dragon, he often materializes into human form, who is often portrayed as perverted but also very wise. Koku's power takes the form of a giant, concentrated laser beam.

Ōka (Obeshi) was the sixth generation leader of the Hokage clan during the Eiroku period. He is married to Kagerō and took Reina as his consort, and is the father of both Kurei and Recca. He loves both women and both of his sons equally, and his only regret is that he failed to save Princess Sakura and the Sawaki Clan from destruction. He is later killed by the soldiers of Oda Nobunaga, but his spirit lives on as the eighth Flame Dragon Resshin. Recca uses Resshin's power to save Yanagi's soul from the Tendo Jigoku.

I really love this anime!