Zenki...
Years ago, in the age of video tape, I picked up the VHS version of Zenki...
Zenki is pure formula, see the monster - kill the monster - and a new monster every episode. Zenki even features a transformation scene reminiscent of such classics as Thundercats and He-man. But, amazingly, it's actually quite good. I used to have all six subtitled VHS volumes. Eventually, I did repurchase Zenki on DVD. I gave Zenki a 4 out of 5. The Zenki Music Collection 3 CD has 17 tracks and I liked one one track for a total of 5.8% which works out to a rating of 1 out of 4. At this point, I'm nt sure of which track I liked as I decided to not keep the CD.
Volume 1
Long ago, there was a demon lord whose life had been bound to a mountain dwelling monk. He was Zenki, the great and powerful. Under the control of the monk, Enno Ozuno, Zenki battled the forces of darkness before they were sealed for all time. Now, 1200 years and 55 generations later, the most powerful of all demon lords is needed once more! With the coming of the malevolent god Karma, evil forces are at work in the world, and the one person who can stand against them is a high school girl! Chiaki is the latest descendant of the legendary Enno Ozuno, and heir to the control of the mighty Zenki. When Karma's minions show up at her family's shrine to steal one of the deadly Seeds of Possession (they're like walnuts, only EVIL) sealed inside, Chialki is thrown into a life or death duel to meet her destiny! She must resurrect the all-powerful demon lord Zenki! Problem: Zenki seems to be a bit less powerful than advertised. In fact, without Chiaki to give him his power, he's down right wimpy. And if Chiaki can figure out how to turn this obnoxious little kid into the mighty demon lord, there's no guarantee Zenki won't be as dangerous as the monsters he's called upon to fight!
Volume 2
The race to unleash the Seeds of Possession continues as Gohra arrives in Shikigami-cho for this attempt. This time around, a Seed is in the legendary "Jar of Desires", a valuable piece of pottery for which Master Jukai would do almost anything to possess. But when a greedy collector buys the jar before he can, the Seed hiding inside finds a willing host for it to do its mischief. The collector wants as much gold as he can get, and the Possession Beast within him is only too glad to oblige. What happens next is enough to make King Midas himself run for his life! Later, the ever-hungry Zenki is starting to eat Chiaki and her grandma into starvation, and even sealing off the refrigerator won't stop the bratty little demon lord. Before anyone can stop him, he's off to make a raid on Chiaki's school's cafeteria. But Zenki isn't the only one making a surprise visit to the school, and soon the sinister Guren has the principal under a Seed's control. Now the demon lord faces a creature with an appetite even bigger than his own, and everybody's on the menu! Watch for a real surprise from Zenki (and we're not just talking about the fact that he wears a dress in this episode)!
Volume 3
One is a lonely young boy, who only wants to make some friends. The other is a high school track star, obsessed with improving his record. Together, they will become the latest pawns in Karma's scheme to subjugate the Earth and once again, only Chiaki and Zenki can stop her. Hiroshi's a quiet, young boy, whose mother never seems to have enough time for him. While he sits alone and makes prank phone calls to keep busy, Hiroshi dreams of finding some friends to play with. When Anju discovers his loneliness, she grants him the power to make all the friends he's ever wanted. As people all over Shikigami-cho begin to vanish mysteriously, Hiroshi's mother turns to the Enno Shrine for help. Later, Chiaki's friend, Ake, finds a new boyfriend - frustrated track star Shunichi. But their budding relationship may be cut short when he falls under Gohra's control. Soon, Shikigami-cho is buzzing with rumors of a fleet-footed devil racing down the streets at night. As Ako becomes suspicious of Shunichi's new "coach", Saki and Jukai sense a dark power gathering in the village. Soon, Shunichi's desires manifest full force - but will Chiaki and Zenki be able to stop him without killing him?
Volume 4
Karma's invasion of the Earth is not going as easily as she'd planned... but things are about to change. As the cosmic forces of the universe start to tip in her favor, she sends Guren to attack Chiaki and Zenki. For the first time, Zenki's power may not be enough to repel the forces of darkness. Back on Earth, Chiaki and a reluctant Zenki take a well-deserved vacation at a new resort after receiving an invitation from an old friend, Nami. Unfortunately, her vacation is literally blown to hell when Zenki smells a Seed of Possession inside the hotel! And when a mysterious monk wearing sunglasses shows up, the stage is set for a major turning point in the war between Light and Darkness. When the guests begin disappearing, Chiaki, Nami, and their mysterious new ally find themselves battling Karma's minion, Guren. But even Zenki's power can't protect them against a monster that can drain the life from its victims! Can Chiaki find a new weapon before her short-lived monster-fighting career comes to an end?
Volume 5
The war between the evil Karma and the Enno shrine is heating up, and no one's safe anymore. When Chiaki visits a schoolmate's kennel to see his new puppies, Gohra attacks the Enno shrine, himself! And with Chiaki away, Saki and Jukai must protect the shrine on their own. But when Chiaki's friend is consumed by a Seed of Possession, the battle moves to two fronts! Later, a scholar comes to the Enno shrine seeking any historical information they might have regarding a group of samurai. However, his research uncovers more than he ever bargained for when he accidentally breaks the seal on a very unusual Seed of Possession. Now Chiaki and Zenki will have to combat a double possession, because someone else's personality is still linked to the Possession Beast - and this Beast may be more than any of them can handle! Will the power locked within Zenki be enough to stop this new threat?
Volume 6
New Year's is approaching! Everyone in Shikigami-cho is getting excited about the annual celebration, and Chiaki and the other shrine keepers in town are rushing to get their temples in shape for the anticipated crowds. But order is disrupted as Anju strikes again with another fiendish plan. A pre-holiday snow storm seems unusually severe, and when the grand-daughter of one of Jukai's friends gets lost in the storm, the materialistic old monk volunteers to look for her. But the storm becomes even deadlier when they come face-to-face with a "Snow Woman" right out of mythology! And just when Chiaki needs Zenki the most he's frozen solid in a block of ice! In the next episode, the village's New Year's celebration seems to be going well. Tourists are visiting the shrine to make their prayers and wishes for a good new year. But then evil Gohra has opened up his shrine on the outskirts of town, and crowds of visitors start vanishing mysteriously. Soon Chiaki and Zenki are battling the latest Possession Beast. But this time, Zenki's tremendous strength and ferocity is not enough against such a monstrosity. It's up to Chiaki and her new ally, Sohma, to save everyone from this evil threat in a life or death battle with Gohra himself!
Zenki is pure formula, see the monster - kill the monster - and a new monster every episode. Zenki even features a transformation scene reminiscent of such classics as Thundercats and He-man. But, amazingly, it's actually quite good. I used to have all six subtitled VHS volumes. Eventually, I did repurchase Zenki on DVD. I gave Zenki a 4 out of 5. The Zenki Music Collection 3 CD has 17 tracks and I liked one one track for a total of 5.8% which works out to a rating of 1 out of 4. At this point, I'm nt sure of which track I liked as I decided to not keep the CD.
