Gorgeous Shaman King Cosplay Brings Anna to Life

Hiroyuki Takei's Shaman King was one of the most popular action series out there during its [...]

By Nick Valdez

Hiroyuki Takei's Shaman King was one of the most popular action series out there during its initial run, but has taken a back seat to several others years after it came to an end. Although the franchise is in the midst of celebrating its 20th Anniversary, much of the fanfare has admittedly subsided. But dedicated fans have definitely kept the love for the series alive, and fan-favorite characters have been making their big comeback to fan circles through cosplay. The series definitely has its own collection of potentially fun characters, but many hold as special place in their heart for Anna.

Cosplay artist @noerurururu (who you can find on Twitter here) shared their take on Anna Kyohyama (and later Anna Asakura following her marriage to Yoh) to Twitter, and it's a gorgeous tribute to such an often forgotten character. Check it out:

Much of the reason behind Shaman King's lost luster can probably be attributed to the series' truncated end and sporadic revisits. Series creator Takei abruptly ended the series back in 2004 due to a mix of fatigue and feeling like his story fell into shonen traps, but later released a "Perfect Edition" for the story with an ending to the series he initially envisioned. Many fans in the United States had no idea the series received a proper ending, nor did many know there was a small side-series revealing the future of the characters.

While many fans will recognize Anna's central look as depicted in this gorgeous cosplay, she and Yoh actually got new looks with the Funbari no Uta side series. Featuring a time skip years after the end of the original series, this side series following Yoh and Anna's child as he began his own adventures. Anna was a shaman with enough power to fight alongside Yoh, and even taught him a thing or two. It's why she's so fondly remembered to this day!

Shaman King was originally created by Hiroyuki Takei for Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump in 1998, and has been collected into 32 volumes. The manga was licensed for an English language release by Viz Media, and was adapted into an anime series by Xebec. Running for 64 episodes in total, the story follows Yoh Asakura, a shaman who is a medium between the worlds of the living and the dead. He enters into the Shaman Fight, a tournament between shamans held every 500 years, in order to become to contact the Great Spirit and become the Shaman King, one who is able to reshape the world in any way they wish.

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