Kannazuki no Miko (lit. Priestesses of the Godless Month) is a manga series created by the duo Kaishaku. The series was serialized in fourteen chapters by Kadokawa Shoten and in Shounen Ace in 2004 and 2005, and collected in two bound volumes. The series was adapted as an anime television series broadcast in 12 episodes on TNK between October and December 2004. A drama CD was released on November 25, 2004 by Geneon based on the anime version.
The series centers on the yuri relationship of the two main characters, Himeko and Chikane, with elements of magical girl and mecha themes helping to carry the plot. An anime series that includes several characters similar to those of Kannazuki no Miko called Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora aired in Japan between January and March 2007.
Because it was one of the first yuri romances in an anime that was played as a straight romance, it's become iconic for yuri romance, especially its ED artwork, featuring the memetic miko embrace. (The pose is essentially synonymous with yuri.)
The manga and anime were originally released in English under the original Japanese title by Tokyopop and Geneon USA respectively. After Geneon USA's shutdown, distribution rights for the anime were transferred to Sentai Filmworks, who now distribute the series under the English title Destiny of the Shrine Maiden.
