Marvelously Mental Mavericks
or
Those Incredibly Cool Guys of Anime
"I think I'm cute. I know I'm sexy. I've got the looks that drive the girls wild. I've got the moves that really move them. I send chills up and down their spines." -- Shawn Michaels
Isn't it nice when a medium recognizes that sex appeal works on women too?
Behold! The sexiest voiced, scripted, and sketched men in anime . . .
By the by, these guys are also the very best at what they do.
Whether a leading man or an erstwhile foe turned comrade-in-arms, these guys exemplify what COOL is.
Spike * Kaji * Togusa *Jubei * Kenshin
* Amon * Batou * Seijuro * Yushiro * Ryo
Tamahome * D * Saito
* Ayato * Daryoon * Isamu * Chichiri * Mendou
Spike Spiegel
COWBOY BEBOP
2071
Age: 27 years old
Birthplace: Mars
Birthday: June 27, 2044
Blood type: O
Employment: Bounty Hunter
Seiyuu: Kouichi YamaderaSpike Spiegel is the stunningly handsome lead in the ultra sleek, super jazzy Cowboy Bebop. He calls himself an old-fashioned cowboy, which in 2071 means he's a bounty hunter. He and his partner, Jet Black, search out bad guys with high price tags on their heads to pay for the maintenance of the mecha, the costly jump gates, and for food. He doesn't go after every bounty, because to his mind he can afford to discriminate. Jet, however, would say differently.
The Bebop is Jet's ship, but Spike's air-to-surface craft is a snazzy red deal called the Swordfish II. He's had this banged up, pushing the envelope bird for over ten years. He's gotten a lot of use out of his mecha, traveling throughout our solar system's wildest locales. ER, like Tijuana, Earth-side.
He's a man with a dark past, which he works to keep buried. But the past can never be forgotten or ignored, especially by someone in the bounty hunting business. Especially by someone who must maintain the ruse of being dead to stay alive. Especially by someone who once gave up everything for love.
Spike is an expert in martial arts with a love of Bruce Lee and is more than proficient in the use of firearms. He tends to use a high caliber pistol, a beast called a Jericho 941 Custom, but he also enjoys using his feet and hands. He is an amazing pilot, able to speed through hyperspace before the jumpgate closes on him and excellent in a straight dogfight. His skill as a pilot is no doubt tied to his skill as a hand-to-hand specialist.
He is a marksman without peer -- which doesn't mean he never gets his, ER, hat handed to him in more than a few fights. He loses to Vicious almost every time. The sparkle of his eye and a blade thrown at an unprotected area gets him past Tongpu.
So, if he's so skilled in combat and so cool under pressure, then why the heck doesn't he win every time, right? Because he's not Superman and if he were we'd hate him about as much as we do indeed hate Superman. That's why most of us will always go with a Batman (this is strictly a DC analogy!!) over a Superman. He's human. He has a dark side. He's cunning. Hey! Maybe Spike should be called the Dark Knight!
Jet: "You shouldn't play. You're eyes are too good for this.
They'll kick us out if you win too much."
Spike: "Then don't bring me here."And don't think you can cheat this guy at gambling. He has a cybernetic eye, which enhances his visual acuity. So his eye-hand coordination is exceptional. He's good a billiards and cards and he knows all the cons in the book, which means he's also a good street performer and a thief with a ready hand.
He's a charmer with the ability to attract an attached female with a smile and lighthearted banter. Watch out or he may steal your heart.
Ed receives a e-mail message and hunts around for Faye, who is in the bathroom, smoking. Ed, of course, has balanced the computer on her head.
Ed: "Faye-Faye! Puff, puff! Faye-Faye! Smoke, smoke. Faye-Faye."
Faye: "Hey you, can you stop saying my name twice like that?"
Ed: "Faye-Faye, a weird mail came, came. NA NA NA NA"
Faye: "... and I woulda been done if I had a little more time ..." Faye tries to read
the screen with Ed moving from side to side. "I can't read it." She grabs Ed's face to keep her from moving. ''Hello, boy. I'll invite you to a wonderful party ...' Wait, this is ... Listen, keep the fact that this mail came a secret from Spike."
Ed: "Secret? Why? Why secret?"
Faye: "If we don't that idiot ..."
A bruised and bandaged Spike comes up behind her.
Spike: "... will run off to meet him?"
Ed: "It's a secret, secret mail!"
Spike reads over Faye's shoulder. "Space Land? Pretty considerate of him to hold the party there."
Faye: "You're gonna go like that? Well, it would be perfect if it were a masquerade."
Spike: "Maybe this one really will be the end of me ... Just kidding. Would you come rescue me if I said that?"
Faye: "Baka." (idiot, fool, etc.)
Ed: "Baka, baka, baka!"More on Cowboy Bebop & Faye Valentine.
Ryouji Kaji
Neon Genesis Evangelion
(Shinseiki Evangelion)2015
Age: 30 years old
Birthplace: Tokyo
Birthday: June 17
Blood type: A
Education: University of Tokyo II
Employment: Spy
Seiyuu: Kouichi YamaderaKaji is the pony-tailed god who first appears in Episode Eight with the Second Child, Asuka. His first name sounds like the English word, rogue, and that's exactly what he is. Simply put, Ryouji Kaji is an incurable flirt, a scamp, and a scoundrel. (Who's scruffy-looking?)
But it's all a ruse to hide the intelligence and cunning of the man behind the beautiful mask. Because Kaji is a secret agent. Although he works for the Special Investigations Branch of NERV, he also works "part-time" for Japan's Department of the Interior. And he does, er, triple duty for SEELE.
He is one of the most dangerous men in NERV, because he's smart and patient and thoughtful.
And he's also good with the ladies, a regular onna starships. (sorry, Mr. Lady-Killer)
Kaji: "The intercept system is finally completed and they're not going to have a party? NERV is such a strict organization."
Maya: "That's because Commander Ikari is who he is."
Kaji: "And are you a prude, too?"
Maya: "Are you being serious, Mr. Kaji? I'll have to report this to Major Katsuragi and Dr. Akagi."
Kaji: (Touching her chin, he leans in to kiss her) "Not if your mouth is covered by mine ..." (He ceases his seduction when Misato enters)
Misato: (stands before them with hands on hips)"So, how's it going?"
Kaji: "Well, it's going, I guess."
Maya: "Um, I have work to do. Excuse me." (Maya leaves)
Misato: "Far be it from me to pass judgment on your private life, but under these circumstances should you be hitting on girls in this organization?"
Kaji: "Who's under whom isn't your concern. Or would you prefer that I hit on you, Katsuragi?"More on Evangelion & Misato Katsuragi.
Togusa
GHOST IN THE SHELL
2030
Age: 27
Birthplace: Japan
Employment: Special Agent, Public Security Section 9
Seiyuu: Kouichi Yamadera
Togusa is the gorgeous youngster on a team of exceptionally knowledgeable ex-miliary and computer experts. A former police detective at the Metropolitan Police Department, he was hand-picked by the tactical commander of Section 9, Major Motoko Kusanagi, because he was an honest cop and a family man, who could add a different perspective to the squad of relative loners.
From the GitS directed by Mamoru Oshii.
Kusanagi: "Evidence? I just have a whisper ...a whisper from my ghost. By the way, are you still using that revolver? Afraid both guns in a two-man team'll jam up?"
Togusa: "I like the Mateba."
Kusanagi: "Since I depend on you as back-up, I think stopping power is more important that personal preference. Especially since it's my ass on the line. Use the Zastaber instead."
Togusa: "Major, I've been meaning to ask you, why'd you ask for a guy like me to be transferred in from the police?"
Kusanagi: "Because you're a guy like you.. An honest cop with a clean record. And you've got a regular family. With the exception of your cyber-net implants, your brain is real. No matter how powerful we may be fighting-wise, a system where all the parts react the same way is a system with a fatal flaw. Like an individual, like an organization, over specialization leads to death."
This perspective is never more evident as it is on the episode subtitled, Full-Auto Capitalism, when Section 9 must intercept a hired assassin out to neutralize the so-called "Hermit Wizard of Wall Street." In this episode, Togusa displays an uncanny amount of knowledge about the target.
Batou: "And I'm surprised you know so much about him. You dabbling in the market?"
Togusa: "No, I just happened to catch him on a show called 'Mansions of the World' once, that's all."
Batou: "Geez, you family men."Later in the episode, once the culprit has been captured and the mystery concerning the millionaire computer and finances expert is solved, Togusa is punished for knowing the trivial bit of information gained from TV, not from a more sophisticated means.
Batou: "Speaking of which, you seem to know a lot about Yokose, don't you? Maybe we can leave the clean-up to you, then."
Kusanagi: "Good idea."
Togusa: "Eh?"The family man angle is stressed in his character in the manga, the films, and in the TV series. In the manga and films, he is the father of a little girl and he frets about the future of this technologically rich, but ethically deficient world.
Batou: “Hanging out with someone else’s family just isn’t my thing.”
In Stand Alone Complex, he still has the daughter, but also a bouncing baby boy -- easy to tell their sex, as she wears pink and he wears blue. He is a proud father, though fairly in attentive, as he is often preoccupied with his work. In one scene when he is in hospital and talking to Batou about the closing of the case that nearly killed him, you can see his son in a stroller in the background, as if he's babysitting. According to the tachikomas, Togusa spends a lot of time doting on his little boy.
Batou's Tachikoma: "Togusa always carried around a picture of his son, making a fuss over which parts resemble his."
He is adept at investigative work and is usually the one sent in as the undercover agent, likely because of his low-cyberization and his youth. It was Togusa who figured out that the minister's braincase was swapped, that Interceptors were being used secretly on the police, who the Laughing Man is and the details of the Murai Vaccine. And his investigative acumen lives on the 2nd Gig, especially in dealing with the Individual Eleven. He is often asked to do interrogations of the milder sort, to see to the paper work, and to meet with potential sources of information.
A man in suit enters with small old fashioned robot, a metal cube with basic metal stick-like legs and two metal stick-like arms with a pincer at the end of one arm and a small camera on the other.
Man in Brown suit: "Hello, we’ve been expecting you. Iwasaki, Meditech’s Representative Director."
Togusa: "Good to meet you. Togusa, Public Security Section 9."
He sticks out his hand for a handshake, but the man in the suit stops him.
Man in Brown suit: "No, Mr. Iwasaki is over there. I’m his secretary android."
Togusa looks shocked and confused at the little robot that is a man with a cyborg body.
Togusa: "Ah, sorry about that."
Iwasaki: "Na, don’t you fret about it. It happens all the time. Folks just can’t seem to wrap their heads ‘round these Jameson-types. My wife and kids are always mad at him, sayin’ my taste in prosthetics is mess up. It’s just one of those masculine quirks, y’know?" [Laughs, alone.] "Sorry. Anyway, ya’ll have something you want me to verify, right? Hey!"
Android: "Yes, sir?"
Togusa [hands report to the secretary android]: "This is it."
Android: "Yes, sir."
The android kneels before Iwasaki.
Iwasaki: "Let’s see… Yep, this is a statement of delivery fro us, all right. Funny, though… We don’t do the coordination work from here. Anyway, if there’s anything you wanna look into, feel free to poke around."
Togusa looks freaked out. Kusanagi mildly surprised.
In GitS:SAC, he's very clean-cut, despite the hair, in a suit with a black T-neck, which goes well with his well-mannered, thoughtful personality. His GitS:SAC character is a totally different animal from his rough-speaking, muscle-shirt wearing manga self. But no matter the medium, whether paper, celluloid, or digital, Togusa has a distinct inferiority complex. He's just an ex-cop, not ex-military, and he is just as likely to have the major jumping down his throat for a SNAFU.
Togusa: "Major, I hit pay dirt. Like we thought, they hired a hitman. Codename, Fem. She's a combat cyborg affiliated with the South Seas Mafia and is wanted internationally. I dug through the bank accounts and got confirmation there too. Looks like the guys at the Chinese Restaurant were just there to distract the investigators."
Kusanagi: "Okay, I'll read the rest of your report. Hop in a chopper and get over here, too!"
Togusa: "Roger." [Sighs in relief] "Guess I made the right call."He's one of my favorites, because he's the most likely to get killed doing his job. He's a lot more mortal than his comrades-in-arms.
Outside his hospital room, the doctor speaks to his wife.
Doctor: "I think he's out of danger. His blood pressure has stabilized, too." [She bows formally, thanking him.] "...But if there proves to be any lingering physical damage or after effects from his injuries after he regains consciousness, you should be prepared to accept some degree of prosthetic work."
More on Ghost In The Shell. Read about Major Kusanagi.
Jubei Kibagami
NINJA SCROLL
(Juubei Ninpuucho)Tokugawa Era, 17th Century
Age: 20-something
Birthplace: Feudal Japan
Employment: Ninja for Hire
Seiyuu: Kouichi YamaderaJubei is perhaps the least complicated of the guys on the list. He's a ninja for hire, a masterless samurai, but only to people he deems worthy. He's not going to get rich that way, but that's probably why he is his own master. He lives by his code of honor.
Jubei's complete backstory has never been fleshed out, but I can't help thinking that he is more ronin than ninja. Though ninja have a code of discipline and honor, Jubei's personality is far from Kagero's or the ninja of the Koga clan. He's a really good guy!
Though he has been poisoned and is doomed to die, he would not take advantage of Kagero when she offered him her body as a kind of anti-poison toxin. She may have wanted him, but she was desperately afraid that he would actually go through with it. All he does is hold her, quell her fears, make her feel loved and safe.
He's kind of a Prince Charming in feudal Japan, only his Beauty sleeps after they kiss.
When the Yamashiro clan turned on him, believing he had betrayed them, Jubei begged them to remember their friendship. He knew his one skill above all others was his lightning fast speed. He knew that he could defend himself.
And in the end, he was forced to take their lives. That's why he's masterless. And for their needless deaths, he decapitated the true traitor, Himuro Gemma.
Gemma would show up again in his life, to be the one to take from him his friend and his true love, Kagero.
Dakuan: "Well.... I'm glad you came along, you're just who I wanted to see."
Sakuro: "I'm glad to hear that."
Dakuan:"Of course. Without your help I couldn't sink such a tremendous ship. ...Like this!"
She blows out the candle.
Sakuro: "Ruin you plans?"
Jubei (lights the candle he's holding in his hand): "Not at all!"Read about Kagero.
Kenshin Himura
RUROUNI KENSHIN
(SAMURAI X)Best Known As: Hitokiri Battousai, the Battousai, Battousai the Manslayer
Meiji Japan
Age: 28 years old
Birthplace: Japan
Birthday: June 20, 1851
Blood type: AB
Employment: Manslayer, Protector
Abilities: Master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu
Weapon of Choice: Sakabatou (reverse blade katana)
Seiyuu: Mayo SuzukazeSeijuro: “I don’t know what’s so good about the blockhead,
but my stupid apprentice is very popular.”While Jubei may be the least complicated of the men on this list, Kenshin is the purest, his heart is simple. His master says of him, without accusation, that he is almost a simpleton. As a boy, he left his master to join Takasugi and Katsura, the leader of the Choshu Clan, in their plans to topple the long-lived Tokugawa Shogunate. He went because the sword of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu had to be wielded in defense of the people of the world, for the protection of the weak.
Seijuro: “What! You’re leaving?”
Kenshin: “Yes!”
Seijuro: “You idiot! Don’t worry about the outside world!
Just work diligently in your training!”
Kenshin: “Even as we stand here now, many people are becoming
involved in the chaos and are dying! Isn’t protecting people from the
pain of the times a teaching of the Hiten Mitsurugi school?”
Seijuro: “And you’re saying that you’re going to protect people? You’re so arrogant!”
Kenshin: “Master!”
Seijuro: “You’re the one who doesn’t understand! Listen, the Hiten Mitsurugi School, due to its strength, will guarantee victory for the side it allies with in a conflict! Do you understand?”
Kenshin: “I don’t! Right before my eyes, people are in pain and are saddened! No matter what the reason, I can’t abandon them!”He did not understand the power of his style. He did not understand that in choosing one side, his sword would decide the winner. He did not understand that he would be little more than an assassin.
The Shinsengumi gather around the bloodied corpses of comrades.
Okita: "His bones were cut, weren't they?"
Swordsman: "Yes, it's obviously a Jigen Technique Swordsman."
Saito: "No, you're wrong. The assassin probably swept Soudou's first attack. If he had received the blow from a Jigen swordsman, he might have had his sword cut in two, but ..."
Okita: "The level of skill is higher."
Saito: "Remarkably so. Had I known a swordsman of this caliber was out there, I would have accompanied these men myself."
Swordsman: "Who could have done this?"
Saito: "A ghastly man, that much is certain."
With an Imperialist victory, he left his comrades on a mission to redeem himself. Because he refuses to kill, he became a wanderer, wielding his reverse-bladed sword in defense of the weak and downtrodden. He left his comrades with a cross-shaped scar on his face and a long-lasting notoriety. People challenge him for the title he does not want, but cannot forfeit to another. He is Hitokiri Battousai, the legendary manslayer.
Kenshin: "Pain from wounds can be tolerated with determination and spirit. That is obvious and vital to anyone who is placed in the line of battle."
When he is asked by Okubo to stand against the chaos of Shishio Makoto, he is sorely tested in strength, stamina, and skill. At one point, he must face Aoshi Shinomori and Sojiro Seta, one after the other, in order to face Shishio. Both men are highly skilled and want to kill him. But Kenshin has the oath that redeems his life, the oath never to kill again, so he is, in truth, at the disadvantage. Ultimately, he must show them the path to redemption as well, before he can defeat them.
But fighting two opponents who are just about equal to him in skill -- though not experience -- weakens him terribly for the final battle with Shishio. And it is Sano and two of his rival/companions, Saito and Aoshi, who fight with Shishio to buy time for Kenshin's recovery. Kenshin inspires loyalty and the brings out friendship and courage in others. Nothing less from the Battousai!
Kenshin: "As Hitokiri Battousai I have committed so many crimes that I cannot possibly repent for them. That is why I had secretly believed that it did not matter when I died or was killed. However, now, even if I am formally punished and restrained I will never lose the will to live."
According to Houji, Shishio's right hand man, defeating Kenshin is equal to taking over Japan.
Seijuro: "Well, well, look at how faithful the followers of my idiot apprentice are."
Misao: "How can you be so relaxed?"
Seijuro: "Even if he is an idiot, he's the apprentice of Hiko Seijuro. There's no way that he would die off easily.His fighter's spirit is an awesome thing to see. He stands again to face Shishio, the leaves, all nature, resonate with his swordsman's spirit.
Houji: "Is the Battousai immortal? No, calm down. Lacerations and burns from Homuradama, concussive damage from Guren Kaina, a body on the verge of death, and an obvious difference in power -- even though he still has his ultimate attack, Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki -- it is doubtful that he can use that attack to its full advantage. But these chills in my spine, this uncertainty, this fear! We can't underestimate him, we can't underestimate him! Himura Battousai surpasses all human logic."
In order to do battle with Shishio and his minions without turning into a cold-blooded killer, Kenshin returned for the final lesson from his master.
Seijuro: “If you acquire the final secret your strength will match mine, but don’t let it go to your head. This era is not so simple that you can put everything on your own shoulders and be the only sacrifice. And, at the same time, one person’s happiness isn’t that simple either. If you should fall as a sacrifice, one girl who came to Kyoto with the one wish to see you will definitely face misfortune. Remember that. No matter how strong you become, you are just a human being. There is no need for you to become either the Buddha or a murderer."
From his shishou, he learns Amakakeru Ryu no Hiremeki.
He is also Himura Kenshin the wanderer. He now resides in Tokyo at a local dojo with a bunch of misfits who insist on calling their group the Kenshin Gumi. When he's with Kaoru, Yahiko, Megumi, Sanosuke, Ayame, Suzume, and Dr. Genzai, he employs an unusual speech pattern, "gozaru" (translated as 'that is') as a sentence-ender and "oro".
When he speaks in earnest to those who challenge him, he loses the innocent speech pattern and speaks in a cold, rude no-nonsense manner.
"Back then in Kyoto everyone needed an attack that could defeat any foe in one strike. Saito, Gatotsu is your attack, which does this. But even with the Gatotsu, if you're going to show it to me four times, I'll easily think of a few ways to fight back. Next strike, your head will fly."
Read more about Kenshin, Shishio, the pain of the times, and the women in Kenshin's life.
Amon
WITCH HUNTER ROBIN
Near Future
Age: 25
Birthplace: Japan
Employment: Special Agent, STN-J
Seiyuu: Takewaka Takuma
Cool, detached, and intelligent + tall, dark, and handsome = Amon.
He'll never win the title of Mr. Congeniality, but he does know how to get the job done with a lack of excess chit-chat.
Speculation on his lack of powers:
It’s logical that the tactical commander of an elite squad would be intelligent and would anticipate the actions of his enemies as well as his colleagues. It is also logical to believe that if Amon manifested powers based on his genetic history that he would sublimate that the truth of it, because he must believe in what he does. He has to, for his own sake, because he has to have contemplated the ethical questions of hunting witches that may or may not use their powers for wrongdoing. He is a just man, although not necessarily fair-minded or righteous. The cause was thing for him until innocent craft-using Robin happened into the STN-J. He could never use his power because it would be contrary to the cause.
Moreover, having to control himself would keep him safe from being hunted. Once used, how could one say for certain that the use of the power would not become an addiction? Amon is a control freak, which means that kind of a loss of control could not be allowed. If he manifested any signs, he would never reveal them to anyone else – out of belief and fear.
Zaizen must have something on Amon to enable him to control his subordinate, to talk down to him, to beat him into submission. Perhaps what Zaizen knows has something to do with Amon’s hidden powers. If the orbo, which Amon never leaves behind, can stifle the power in the enemy, then it can also stifle that power in the wearer.
Amon is enigmatic, determined, and cagey, but he is not a manipulator.
More on Witch Hunter Robin.
Batou
GHOST IN THE SHELL
2030
Age: 38+
Birthplace: Japan
Employment: Special Agent, Public Security Section 9
Seiyuu: Akio Otsuka
Batou: “Now that’s the face of a man who just got screwed over.” [of Aramaki walking from Internal Affairs.]
Batou is a cyborg with the big heart and the dark past. His character in the films, the TV series, and the manga remains fairly consistent – the biggest difference is his lack of a sense of humor in the films and the basset hound. He’s smarter than he looks or likes to let on. He’s intimidating, but a good man and, although he accuses Togusa of being soft-hearted, he’s fairly sentimental. He uses one Tachikoma/Fuchikoma in particular and likes to give the AI light tank natural oil, but all the Tachikomas/Fuchikomas like him and speak of him with AI-evolved affection.
Although I like him best in GitS:SAC, his leading man role comes in GitS 2: Innocence. In the year 2032, just three years after Kusanagi merges with the Puppet Master to inhabit the vastness of the Net, Batou and Togusa are called on to investigate the murders of high-ranking officials who were done in by their gynoids or sexaroids, if you will. The world is more cybernetically altered and simple humans like Togusa are in the minority. Batou comes to question is own humanity.
Batou: “Chief, why not let us give up on this dull-ass investigation, grab Nanao and make him talk? Section 9’s specialties are playing rough and cyber warfare. We have the manpower and resources, so let’s let them handle the routine snooping
He knows his stuff.
Batou of Nanao=A: “One shot, point blank range. Our boy uses a silencer too.”
Togusa: “What the hell is going on? Wasn’t the idea to have the SIU land this guy and close the curtain on the Laughing Man case?”
Batou: “Hey, don’t ask me. Maybe this is another cover-up.”
Togusa: “Maybe, but look at his face.”
Batou: “Yeah. The son of a bitch is smiling. [Nanao=A has a nutty-looking smile on his face as if he just experienced a great joke.]More on Ghost In The Shell. Read about Major Kusanagi.
Yushiro Gowa
GASARAKI
Near Future
Age: 17
Birthplace: Japan
Employment: scion of an ancient clan, civilian TA pilot
Seiyuu: Naoyuki HinoyamaiYushiro: "Are you may mother?"
Yukino: "Well …."
Yushiro: "You aren’t, are you? Then who is? Please answer me."Yushiro is the fourth son of Daizaburo Gowa, but he wasn’t born so. The child who bore his name died eight years ago on the Stage of Stone, dancing the Noh dance of the Gasara. The real Yushiro died in front of his father, his mother, and his brothers, unable to control the power that was brought down upon him through the motion of his ancient dance, "The Fluttering of the Gasara".
Sorachi: “Dancing is your purpose in life. There is no need for any other memories.”
Yushiro: “If I were dead, there would be no need for memories at all. I want to know who I am.”This Yushiro was born the same year as the real Yushiro Gowa, but he became who he is now shortly after the original’s death. His earliest memories are of dancing on the Stage of Stone in Kinashi, which was once the home of the Gowa mansion, before it was moved 80 years ago to where it stands now in Gowa City. Ever since he was little, this Yushiro danced as Master Sorachi taught him in his lessons. He dances because he is a kai, one who can command the gift of the Gasaraki, the kugai.
Master Sorachi: "Eight years..."
Kazukiyo: "Sorachi Kengyou, will Yushiro be able to accurately perform the ancient dance?"
Master Sorachi: "There is no need for concern."
Kazukiyo: "I should hope not."
Master Sorachi: "The Dance of the Gasara grants the kai his identity as a kai. You are well aware of this."
Kazukiyo: "That's right. That's how it needs to be... Just remember this. If this dance fails, then one of the puppeteers you call the kugutsu will be lost forever."
Master Sorachi: "Yushiro...."Like his predecessor, this Yushiro is a test subject for the Gowa Corporation. Because he is a kai, he can naturally interact with the Mile One, an adaptive artificial muscle tissue used in the Type 17 Tactical Armor Raiden. He is a civilian captain for the TA Experimentation Company and he is their best pilot. His interaction with the Mile One enhances the TAs and the abilities of the other pilots, driving them to surpass their known capabilities.
Kaburagi: "Signs of an ability phase shift taking place. ... Response rate has increased dramatically. The TA's AI cannot keep up."
Tokudaiji: "Our MPU cannot keep up with the response speed of Focus One."
Hayakawa: "You mean the A2 system is functioning as if it's predicting our orders?"
Tokudaiji: "I can't believe it. Focus One has exceeded the limits of the autonomous control system. It's operating strictly by virtue of its independent motor reflex abilities."Because he is a Gowa -- and the Gowa seem to run half of the known world -- few of his fellow TA officers trust him at first. Strange things seem to happen when Yushiro is around. And someone from Gowa Corp. always seems to be lurking in the shadows, analyzing everything that happens.
Takeharu Gowa: "I've been instructed to accompany you to the multinational force headquarters. I'm Lieutenant Gowa from HQ, sir."
Hayakawa: "Gowa?"
Takeharu Gowa: "I'm his cousin."
Kitazawa: "Another Gowa at our service, even out here."Sure, it would drive you nuts watching this seventeen-year-old civilian do some freaky dance in a combat situation. You'd probably go ballistic when the boy, dressed in military garb, went running after a girl in hostile territory. And worst of all, he never has anything to say in his defense, but for an apology.
Murai: "Before Captain Gowa was like sand that crumbles away, showing little resistance. But now he's like a delicate and transparent crystal glass."
Takayama: "He's someone who comes across as fragile, about to break apart. Seems like Captain Gowa's heart isn't with us right now."
Kitazawa: "I wonder why he did those crazy things. Didn't he realize what kind of danger he was putting us in?"
Kaburagi: "It was a mistake from the start to have a civilian with us."
But then, they aren't a kai. How could he explain his reaction to the TAs or the Shrine Hill or the Stage of Stone or to his sister or to Miharu, when his first thoughts belong to another boy?
Yushiro is a test subject, yes, but he is not a mere tool. Unlike Miharu, he chooses to fight in Belgistan with the TA Company in order to learn more about himself and his unique abilities. He's aware that he's different. He's aware that he is not truly welcome in the Gowa family. He's aware that he has a strong connection with Miharu and Misuzu. He's aware that the TAs experience Phase Shifts only through him. The point is, he is very much aware of the incongruities and he wants to figure out the puzzles on his own, without the convenient lie of the name Yushiro Gowa.
Captain Kitazawa: “...I suppose I was envious. Captain Gowa was the only one among us doing what he wanted to do. … I came across as being harsh on him. Didn’t I? I was just spinning my wheels against him."
Lt. Murai: “Everyone was spinning their wheels dealing with Captain Gowa.”
Captain Kitazawa: “I’ve been thinking all this time. You know, if it was Captain Gowa, he would go.”
Lt. Murai: “Why do you say that?”
Captain Kitazawa: “I don’t know. That’s just the impression I get thinking about it. I figure he’s the type who wouldn’t run away from something like this. I wonder if I’ll be able to keep myself together to the end.”All of them come to respect him. There is something about Yushiro that coaxes the desire to hold and protect as much as to admire and defend. His fellow officers are often astounded by what he can do, by his quiet confidence, by his humility, and by his honest nature.
Ataka: “Okay, let’s do it. This is my cute little baby brother’s request after all.”
Yushiro has an admirer in his little sister, Misuzu, who is quietly jealous of Miharu and of Captain Ataka And why not? This Yushiro is not actually her brother, so she is free to have a crush on him. Misuzu sees herself as Ophelia to Yushiro’s Hamlet. Yushiro, however, thinks of her only as his sister, as he thinks of Daizaburo as his father, and Kazukiyo and the other two as his brothers. Even when he learns the truth, he refuses to relinquish that bond created over the last eight years. At one point, he calls Misuzu to hear her voice, to ask her not worry, and to apologize for making her worry about him.
Misuzu: “Yushiro-oniisama wa Yushiro-oniisama desu. That is the one eternal truth for me!”
Kazukiyo: "You've matched all the expectations I've had for you. You are truly worthy of being my brother."Misuzu, Daizaburo, and Master Sorachi are the only ones in the Gowa household who care about him above the interests of the experiments. Misuzu defies her mother and eldest brother repeatedly to be with Yushiro. Daizaburo also defies Kazukiyo, who is the head of the Gowa, first protecting Yushiro from further experimentation in Hokkaido and later when he helps Yushiro and Miharu escape to Kyoto.
Kazukiyo: “I knew you’d come.”
Yushiro: “The ambitions of the kugutsu... A lot of people have died because of those ambitions.”
Kazukiyo:“… That’s right. You are a kai, the inheritors of history.”
Yushiro: "I’ve seen countless deaths. I’ve seen how hearts, thirsting for limitless power, bring about so much suffering and sorrow. And we’ve thrived all the while utterly disregarding such sadness.”
Kazukiyo:“Absolute emptiness enshrouds death. The lives of humans are the after images that connect emptiness to emptiness. Even sadness is but an echo, part of the mirage, originating from the emptiness.”
Yushiro: "Mirages? Does that justify disregarding them?”
Kazukiyo:“Can sadness overcome time? No matter how deep the sadness, it is no more permanent than tears in the rain.”
Yushiro: "Sadness is timeless!”
Kazukiyo slaps his impertinent brother: “The will that moves this world has no concern for the individual. All that originates from the will is complete disinterest. That is why … That is why I am able to move this world!”
Yushiro: “I would rather remain a small person humbled by sorrow than to become a disinterested god.”
Kazukiyo: “As you wish. I do have one more thing to say to you, Yushiro. Within the next forty-one hours, elements of the US armed forces are going to attack this information nerve center with TAs. When that happens, the TA Experimentation Company will be there to face them.
Yushiro: “The TA company?”Yushiro has another family in the members of the TA company. When Yushiro is in trouble he calls on Ataka for help. And when Japan is on the brink of war with the United States, Yushiro chooses to stay with them instead of going home.
Kazukiyo: "Is Yushiro inside?"
Ataka: "What if he is?"
Kazukiyo: "So, he is inside."
Kaburagi: "Do you intend to use him as a test subject again?! Captain Gowa is injured. We will take him to the infirmary. We are not going to let you have him!"When Kazukiyo's maneuvering of the pieces on the chessboard brings about the summoning of the Gasaraki, Yushiro, Miharu, and Misuzu are offered a kind of Godhood They come to learn that a kai is nothing more than a tracking device for the lost beings of the Gasaraki to monitor those with the chosen genetic potential. The beings of the Gasaraki sought to use humans as an escape from the barrenness that they themselves created.
Yushiro: "Even if we could come to possess limitless power, we would not be led by our own will. I will live out my life, even if it is limited."
Yushiro rejects the Gasaraki and helps Misuzu to understand that she is not alone. As his eldest brother succumbs to the unknown power of the Gasaraki he so craved, Yushiro carries his little sister to safety. As the sun rises, Yushiro's other brothers, his uncle, and his friends from the TA company emerge from the wreckage created by the summoning of the Gasaraki. With Miharu at his side, Yushiro cradles an unconscious Misuzu in his arms.
Yushiro: "We're alive."
More on Gasaraki. Read more about Yushiro's big brother.
Ryo Saeba
CITY HUNTER
Modern Age (late 1980s)
Age: 30 years old (or thereabouts)
Birthplace: Shinjuku-ku, Japan
Blood type: AB
Employment: Sweeper
Seiyuu: Akira Kamiya
Ryo is a true ladies' man, only the ladies don't know it yet. Not that he isn't a tall, broad-shouldered handsome guy, because he is that. His problem is that he thinks with his lower extremities whenever a lovely young lady is within sensory perception.
Despite this, or maybe because of this, um, pent-up energy, Ryo is the best at what his does - bodyguard, special investigations, protecting the streets for humanity. His weapon of choice is an incredibly accurate Colt Python .357 Magnum Custom. Down in the basement of his apartment building is a shooting range, where Ryo has been known to shoot six bullets through the hole made by the first bullet.
Ryo is hired by a manager to safeguard the life of a 15-year-old pop idol.
Kaori: "So, he had her place bugged?"
Ryo: "Right, it was in a stuffed animal that was a gift. I thought if I whispered sweet nothings to her with him listening he would go mad with jealousy and be sure to come after me. But thanks to those steel traps you set, I couldn't get a word out."
Kaori: "But I was only thinking of Nagisa's safety."
Ryo: "Thanks to you events have taken an unexpected twist. ..."
Nagisa is on TV being interviewed, when she declares that she is engaged and shows the 'ring' that was given her. Ryo gave her a set of brass knuckles so she could protect herself.
Kaori: "Ryo!"
Ryo: "Well, I'm not sure how it happened, but it appears she actually fell for me."
Kaori: "How can you sit there saying that? How are you going to deal with this? Are you really intending to marry her or something?"
Ryo: "Everything's OK. I'll explain everything to her later."
Kaori: "Just look at her eyes. She's absolutely serious."
Ryo: "OOPS ..."He may chase after women yelling "mokkuri!" But he is truly in love with Kaori, the adopted sister of his late partner, Makimura. Because of his profession, he cannot afford to openly love her, for fear of placing her in danger.
As it is, Kaori is perhaps his greatest danger. She doesn't understand his feelings and can become insanely jealous, carrying around with her enormous mallets (up to 100 kg) to interrupt his girl-chasing.
OK, she's not the only danger. Ryo has a serious weakness, for which he has yet to learn how to compensate. He really does love women. At one point a yakuza group, which is after his card-dealing client, learns of this weakness and sets a trap to disarm him.
When he goes to the rest room a beautiful woman is waiting for him. He barely escapes and only the knowledge that he does have a client to look after keeps him from her carnal embrace. Of course one beautiful woman would not be enough of a lure for the city hunter, so the group sets up bijin everywhere.
The stimulation is just about too much for him and he gets a lust-inspired nosebleed. He manages to get around his weakness by dressing as a woman and thereby avoiding the trap altogether.
He tries only to work for women, but once in awhile he helps a guy out of pity. Initially he comes on rather strong with his female clients and they think of him as a lascivious swine. But he is a good man with a big heart and his sensitive side usually shows through by the end of the case and his female clients walk away enamored. That's because he is two people in one, a goofy, laughable freak in search of "mokkuri" and a serious, steadfast, highly dependable professional.
"I didn't know a man like him existed. I guess this world might be OK." -- The Professor
Read more about the Professor.
Seijuro Hiko
RUROUNI KENSHIN
Meiji Era
Age: 43 years old
Birthplace: Late Tokugawa Japan
Blood type:
Employment: Samurai, Protector, Teacher
Seiyuu: Shuichi IkedaKenshin: “I’m glad that medicine really worked!”
Seijuro: “Augh? Did you really think this would work? This is a placebo I slapped together for you at random.”
He's tall, dark, and handsome. He's the master of a master swordsman. He does not look his 43 years. He's a father to the fatherless and a mother to the motherless -- although he's not the most tender of a loving parent:
Kenshin: “Hiko Seijuro the 13th. His skill is without a doubt the best. But his personality is twisted. Brusque. Misanthropic. So bad-tempered that he brings up embarrassing things about a person that even the person concerned has forgotten.”
He is a good man with a good heart. Kenshin knows that his master has never broken a promise. But -- isn't there always a but? -- he tries easily of mediocrity, which means most of the people around him. He's arrogant without being overconfident. He knows swordplay. He knows the Hiten Mitsurugi Style.
He's knows human nature and he doesn't much care for what he sees. He expects brutality and cruelty and is rarely surprised when his expectations are met. During the Meiji Revolution, he walked with his jug of sake, thinking that in the past and in the future, people were sold for slaves or killed by bandits. He saw no way to save anyone. All he believed he could do was bury the corpses.
"The smell of blood is as common as the smell of white plums," said the very jaded 22-year-old swordsman.
He found slaves and slavers being killed by bandits. He killed the murderers. He found only an eight-year-old boy alive among the bodies. He left the boy there, telling him to go to a village.
On his trip back through that way, he found all the bodies buried -- the slaves, the slavers, and the bandits. The boy knelt before a cluster of stones, a monument to the three young women who sacrificed their lives to allow him to live a little longer than his eight years.
Seijuro renamed the boy, calling him Kenshin. Seijuro did what he thought he could not do. He saved someone.
“Boy, you failed to protect something very delicate. You were entrusted with those three lives. Your tiny hands will remember how heavy their bodies were, but you will carry the far heavier weight of their lives with you forever.”
He raised Kenshin as his son. He trained Kenshin as his apprentice and heir to the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.
Seijuro: “You sure are a rude chap, cutting at a simple potter suddenly like that.”
Kenshin: “Hiko Seijuro is no ordinary potter. It’s been a while, master.”
Seijuro: “Becoming an artist is the best way to avoid annoying ordinary society. Well, a true genius can do anything --.”
Kenshin: “So you are still very arrogant.”
Seijuro: “Don’t change the subject. You came here for something that is hard to talk about. I’m your master, remember? I can see through my stupid apprentice easily.”
Kenshin: “Then, I would now like to ask for the teaching of the final secret of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style left undone fifteen years ago.”
Seijuro: “I decline. You were the one who ran off back then. Besides, why now?”
Kenshin: “Please, I beg you.”
Seijuro: “It looks like you’re under pressure to do something. ... So, you are becoming Hitokiri Battousai again, due to the appearance of Shishio Makoto. To defeat Shishio without becoming the manslayer again, you have to get stronger than you are now. You’re being greedy!”
Kenshin: “Master!”
Seijuro: “I thought I taught you. A sword is a weapon, swordsmanship is learning how to murder. No matter what ideals you proclaim, those are the facts and that is the truth. Your sweet little dream and the serious reality of the era and saying that you want to protect both is just simple selfishness. At the root of this is the mistake you made fifteen years ago…."But for all his words of wisdom, Seijuro is truly an arrogant man ( I adore him!) When the Kenshin Gumi are fighting to save Kyoto and are about to face an enemy they cannot defeat, Yahiko tells Seijuro not to show up late and save the day, just to make himself look cool. But Seijuro blames his stupid apprentice for not giving him directions.
Seijuro assesses the value of a giant man by a single sword strike and speaks to him as a man and as a skilled warrior, not as a monster, or a thing to be ridiculed. As he saw something in an orphaned slave, he sees the fighting spirit of a warrior in Fuji and respects him. He uses his best maneuver to defeat the giant. Unlike his apprentice, Seijuro does not hold back in his attack. Seijuro’s best attack is Kuzu Ryu Sen, using the nine cuts at Godlike speed, making parrying or dodging impossible.
Seijuro: “All I needed was one swing of your sword! Your sword spoke volumes about you. You are not the big lug the old man thinks you are. Moreover, you are not a monster! You are a true martial artist, one of the few remaining! ... You’re a martial artist, regain your pride!”
Seijuro: “Remove your armor. With that heavy armor weighing down your body and your soul, you’ll have no chance against me. You’re sure to die with the next strike.”
Misao: “So, he's saying he’s really powerful. How conceited."
Seijuro: “You’ve been a real martial artist and loyal to a dumb master. I wish someone I know could share your faithfulness.”Seijuro orders the enemy to say quiet while he speaks and everyone thinks he’s frightening in his intensity and strength of will, but oh so kakkoii! (cool)
“Hiko didn’t overlook his sadness and his martial artist’s soul. Hiko Seijuro, what a marvelous man!”
“He’s a little irritating, but when he acts the bad-ass, I have no choice but to think he’s really cool.”
“Nothing less from a master!”
“I’m in love!”
“He’s so cool!”
Seijuro: “True.”Seijuro’s best attack is Kuzu Ryu Sen, using the nine cuts at Godlike speed, making parrying or dodging impossible.
Read more about Seijuro's relationship with Kenshin.
Tamahome
FUSHIGI YUUGI
Real Name: Sou Kishuku
Pre-Feudal (Mythical Ancient China)
Age: 17 years old
Birthplace: Hakko Village, Juso Prefecture, Konan
Birthday: June 28
Blood type: O
Employment: Celestial Warrior, Jack of all Trades
Abilities: Martial arts
Seiyuu: Hikaru MidorikawaTamahome is the leading man in the tale of an ancient power struggle between the celestial gods of the North and South of the universe. He's tall, dark, and handsome with a flair for attracting girls -- from another world -- with no more than a gaze from his lavender eyes.
He has been the breadwinner since he was twelve for his somewhat large family, because his mother died and his father was bedridden. This explains why one of his greatest concerns in life is making money.
He's hot-tempered and thoroughly able to turn a cold shoulder when he needs to protect himself, but underneath it all, he's loyal, patient, charming, and kindhearted. And he's always cool when confronted with new things.
Tamahome, whose real name is Sou Kishuku, bears on his forehead the Chinese/Japanese character for "oni," which roughly translates as ogre or demon. As one of the Seven constellations of Suzaku, he is the protector of Miaka, the Suzaku no Miko
Miaka (asleep): "Big brother! Big brother!"
Tamahome: "I'm not your big brother. ... I said I'm not your big brother."
Miaka (just awakened): "Tamahome! What's the big idea coming into someone's room without asking?"
Tamahome: "It's not like that! I just came because I thought you were feeling sad. . . . ."
Miaka: "You don't have to go out of your way for me. I'm not lonely or anything. My biggest concern right now is just finding some clean underwear."
Tamahome: "Stop trying to be so brave. When you feel like crying, you should just cry."
Miaka: "Right."
Tamahome (gives her a very unromantic, but sweet hug): "And if you need a big brother, I'll be one. On the house."
He's also the great love of said priestess of Suzaku's life. Unfortunately for everyone, Miaka's best friend Yui is also in love with him. And Yui happens to be the Seiryu no Miko Tamahome finds himself trapped between best friends who become rivals.
As an interesting cultural aside, Tamahome has every reason to refuse the nickname
Nuriko has for him. Tama-chan has a couple slang meanings that refer to a male body part or two (according to the chosen dialect).
Tamahome has another worry, Nakago.
One would think that Miaka would occupy Nakago's vengeful spirit, but no, it's Tamahome. And yes, Nakago gets a great deal of pleasure from physically teaching Tamahome that he is on the wrong side. As strange as this may sound, given another past for Nakago, Tamahome and he probably could have been good friends.
And yes, the lovely Nakago actually kisses the equally lovely Tamahome. Soi, the Seiryu Seven, who is in love with Nakago, tries to seduce Tamahome. Kissing on a bed naked together, Tamahome thinks better of sleeping with the person he believes to be Miaka. For his forbearance, Soi thinks him gallant and envies the love he shares with Miaka.
Tamahome: "I can't. We shouldn't be doing this now."
Soi as Miaka: "Why not?"
Tamahome: "You still haven't summoned Suzaku."
Soi as Miaka: "But after what Nakago did to me, I've lost the right to summon Suzaku."
Tamahome: "No, I don't believe that. I'm not sure how to say it, but we can't just abandon all hope. If we do, then it really is all over. As long as even the smallest possibility remains we have to believe, Miaka!"
D
VAMPIRE HUNTER D
VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST12,090 AD
Age: actually about 18 in the original story
Birthplace: unknown
Employment: Vampire Hunter
Seiyuu: Kaneto ShiozawaThis not-so brave new world is divided between the aristocracy and the common-born. If you are an aristocrat, you are a Vampire or of close vampire lineage. The common-born are human, without vampire- or werewolf- blemish. A human can be highborn and wealthy or destitute, but they can never be aristocrats. These aristocrats, from time to time, take a mate among the common-born and the issue of that union is called a "dhampir."
D was born of Count Dracula and a common-born woman and he is very old. The blood of Count Dracula is deemed the most noble of all aristocrats, for he is considered a god at this time, and it is fitting for D, because he is the most noble-spirited and honorable of creatures.
He is a futuristic, half-vampire hero in the style of the legendary "Man with No Name." The setting is a Western set in a technologically advanced renaissance-like world, where the sword may be quicker than the bullet. D wields a true long sword and a mutated left hand that back talks, criticizes, and repeatedly saves his master's life.
He rejects the side of him that is vampiric and in doing so, occasionally forgets that he's not completely human in his desire to complete his job. He doesn't feed, but at times the need pulls at him. His strong will and loathing of his aristocratic blood rein in his basest desires. But he can never be certain of his control. D may help others, he may interact with others, but he will always be alone. Because of his blood, he believes that he is cursed. He leads a very lonely existence.
He is a solitary figure with an elegant build, a noble bearing, and incredible physical strength. He is the ultimate hero, who rarely speaks but uses words that touch and strengthen those who depend on him. It is no wonder that women fall in love with him; he would be a hell of a catch if he stuck around after his hire was completed.
One of D's best qualities is that he never places his hire or the acquisition of payment over what he believes is right. Although he does not allow himself to fall in love, he still believes that true love is possible and in the final analysis, he fights for that possibility.
Hajime Saito
RUROUNI KENSHIN
Meiji Era
Age: years old
Birthplace: Late Tokugawa Japan
Blood type:
Employment: Samurai, Shinsengumi
Seiyuu: Hirotaka Suzuoki“You are far from me or the Battousai in both skill and experience. Compared to us, you are just a loud little fledging.” -- Hajime Saito to Sanosuke Sagara.
Crazy like a fox for adding Saito to this list of cool dudes instead of the obvious babes like Aoshi and Sano? You bet. Saito is sarcastic, caustic, shrewd, battle-hardened, and, curiously, honorable. He hates corruption. He likes his soba plain. He is married to a woman named Tokio ( who everyone thinks must be the Buddha). He has taken in an orphaned boy. He calls the major bad guy Shishio Makoto, a bandaged punk.
Though Cunning and cold-blooded, Saito lives by a strict code, Aku Soku Zan – to slay evil immediately. During the Revolution, his creed was used against the Imperialist rebels in an attempt to preserve the centuries’ old Shogunate. This desire to preserve the Tokugawa Bakufu is an odd ideal, considering that in 1867 the reigning shogun, Keiki, voluntarily abdicated his office and refused to nominate a successor. The revolution began in 1868.
Saito was the leader of the Third Squad of the Shinsengumi, a highly organized band of swordsmen who used their advanced sword techniques to oppose the Imperialists ensconced in Kyoto. According to Saito, the first rule of the Shinsengumi is to shun that which opposes the way of the samurai. This rule seems to be made more in response to the popular ideals of the Meiji Restoration (equality; everyone gets a last name) rather than what the fathers of the Revolution actually wanted.
Okita: "Saito-san, is something wrong?"
Saito: "I thought I smelled blood."
Okita (laughingly): "No, Saito-san, it is only because you have cut down so many men recently!"
Saito: "Okita? Before you speak, you should taste your words to make sure they are palatable."Those who wanted change were reacting with fear to the bullying tactics from the West and the perceived weakness of the Bakufu to deal with the West from a position of strength. The proponents of revolution came mainly from those of the middle to lower samurai rank, which was still the upper class. Most of the Japanese people had little to do with large-scale political movements.
Saito is the master of the Gatotsu. The Shinsengumi perfected the technique called Hirazuki, which is basically a parallel sword stab. If the thrust of Hirazuki misses, the wielder could move into a wide slashing attack without pausing. In this sense, Hirazuki has no blind spots. According to Saito, Hirazuki was developed by the assistant leader of the Shinsengumi, Toshizo Hijikata.
The Gatotsu is a single Hirazuki that is used in a left-handed stance. The Gatotsu as well as Hirazuki rely on the legs for the power of the thrust. Gatotsu means fang point, which plays on the idea that Saito is known as the wolf of Mibu.
Saito: “You can raise a dog with food and you can raise a human with money, but no man is able to raise a wolf of Mibu.”
The Gatotsu has a number of stances that culminate in the Zero Stance Gatotsu, which is more powerful than the other stances. No matter the stance, Saito’s Gatotsu are very powerful. Unfortunately, the stances of Gatotsu are only a variation on a single theme and therefore fairly redundant. For someone with the skill of Shishio Makoto or Kenshin, the stances offer no real opposition.
Because of the limits of the Gatotsu, Saito has developed equalizers, a physical strength on par with Sano’s, excellent hand-to-hand combat skill, and a mastery of tactics.
For the last ten years, he has lived as Goro Fujita, an assistant police inspector and spy for the Meiji government. Despite this, Aku Soku Zan still applies and he willingly metes out just punishment to the corrupt.
Saito: “As for the sake, I’d rather not.”
Shibumi: “Oh, I find it unusual that you have no tolerance.”
Saito: “No, it’s not that. I have a bad habit. …When I drink, I have an urge to slay people. So, I’ve been holding back since the Meiji Era started.”
Shibumi is a corrupt former Imperialist who has hired Saito to assassinate Kenshin. Saito follows the dictates of his creed and kills Shibumi.
When he and Kenshin are called upon by the Meiji Secretary of the Interior, Toshimichi Okubo, one of the Three Great Imperialists, Kenshin says that they can trust Okubo because Saito would have assassinated him by now because of Aku Soku Zan.
Shishio: "To think that Hajime Saito, of the Shinsengumi, would risk his life for the pathetic Meiji government. What in the world are you fighting for? Are you going to be like the Battousai and say something like sweet little justice?"
Saito: "There is only one thing I fight for in the past and in the present. That is the justice in my own heart. In other words, Aku Soku Zan!"
Shishio: "Aku Soku Zan with no reasoning behind it. You're easy to understand, unlike the Battousai.... I see. That's the way you, no, the Shinsengumi fights. You can show me how the Wolf of Mibu lives."The last time he and Kenshin fought was at Toba Fushima, 10 years ago. Despite being on opposite sides, they greatly respected each other.
Kenshin: “You had an indescribable strength within you. When you started a battle, you preferred to fight fair and square. You never hurt people close to your target…. You never resorted to petty tricks.”
Read more about Shishio and the history surrounding Rurouni Kenshin.
Ayato Kamina
RAHXEPHON
Near Future
Age: 17 years old
Birthplace: Tokyo Jupiter
Blood type:
Employment: RahXephon Pilot
Seiyuu: Hiro ShimonoSome may question why Ayato should make this list when Shinji of Neon Genesis Evangelion does not, as RahXephon is considered by some to be an Eva clone. There are similarities between the two anime TV series, but much in the same way most shounen mecha stories are the same. RahXephon doesn't carry the philosophical greatness of Eva, but it's a good tale with good characters who are not carbon copies of characters from Anno's exceptional anime. Ayato then is a stronger young man than Shinji ever was, but then he has three years of life experiences on Commander Ikari's son and given the situation that faced the fourteen-year-old, it's hard to think of him as being weak or simpering.
Ayato has his own problems. He goes from everyday lazy student with a penchant for art to finding out he's the son of an alien, that his world is not the real world, and that he has the ability to command piece of alien mecha. And suddenly, girls like him -- granted, some of them just like to tease him.
Daryoon (Darun)
HEROIC LEGEND OF ARISLAN
320 by the Palsian Calendar
Age: late teens-early twenties
Birthplace: Ekubatana
Employment: Baron Marshal of Palsian Cavalry, a general of Palsian Army
Seiyuu: Takumi YamazakiDaryoon is the gorgeous young warrior, who is dismissed by King Andragoras before the major battle between Palse and Lusitania. He is not a coward, only cautious with the lives of the men under his command. Tactically, his objection to fighting on a fogbound battlefield was spot on. But Andragoras was swayed by older warriors. And he is accused of, well, thinking too much for a warrior. Like his old friend Narsus, he lost his position for speaking out. But his uncle Vaphreze, who is Palse's greatest general, pledges him to protect and to guide the young Prince Arislan.
Daryoon does just that. Arislan relies heavily on him and not simply for his sword skill -- which his considerable. Many brave warriors gather around Arislan and Narsus is his advisor and artist. But it is Daryoon who the prince turns to when the world seems unfair and cruel; when innocent people kill themselves for religious beliefs before his young eyes. It is Daryoon he turns to when he needs assurances that he is good enough, strong enough, and brave enough to lead the people of Parse.
And when their common-born companion Gieve decides to walk another path, because of the snobbery and bigotry of the military elite, it is Daryoon who stays at Arislan's side. He serves as more than a loyal retainer, but as a friend and a big brother to the only child of Queen Tahamenay.
Daryoon: "Even in the south, the night wind can chill your bones. Shouldn't you get some sleep?"
Arislan: "Daryoon."
Daryoon: "Yes."
Arislan: "Who am I?"
Daryoon: "You shouldn't worry about that. I know who you are, Your Highness."
Arislan: "You do?"
Daryoon: "Yes. You're my lord and my finest liege. Isn't that enough, Highness?"
Arislan: "Thank you. Thank you, Daryoon."
Isamu Alva Dyson
MACROSS PLUS
2040 AD
Age: 24 years old
Birthplace: Eden
Blood type: B
Employment: Test pilot
Seiyuu: Takumi YamazakiIsamu is the cockiest pilot in the fleet. He was transferred from the war zone to New Edward's Test Flight Center on Eden, because "he's already his worst enemy." Now he's a test pilot in Project Nova for the YF-19, designed by Yang Newman. He's hot-tempered, insolent, and only grudgingly aware of military hierarchy and protocol. Two women and a sentient computer entity are in love with him. He seems transparent, but he has kept a secret for seven years that could devastate his old friend and greatest rival.
- Isamu: "Oh, you guys had bad luck with your last test pilot, huh? But now I'm here and everything will be OK. No problem."
- Yang: "All of our pilots have said the same thing until they've actually been out there.
Four of them used up their health insurance and two of them received a considerable promotion. The commendations they were buried with are guaranteed to last a lifetime."- Isamu: "Um, just who the hell are you? Why don't you let the adults take care of this one, huh? Put your pimple stuff on and go to bed. Got it?"
Yang: "A pilot, or so I am led to understand, can grasp a situation immediately, right?
And so I put this to you, why do you think I'm here?"- Isamu: "Uh? Hmm. Maybe you're . . . Millard's son?"
Shuutaro Mendou
URUSEI YATSURA
Modern Age (early to middle 1980s)
Age: 17 years old
Birthplace: Tomobiki Town, Japan
Employment: High School Honor Student
Seiyuu: Akira Kamiya
Mendou is the all too handsome heir to the Mendou Conglomerate. He's smart, sophisticated, and a little on the arrogant side -- OK a lot He attends Tomobiki High School with a bunch of crazy kids, who drag him into the strangest situations.
Most of the girls are swept off their feet by his very presence -- and the promise of trillions of dollars he'll one day inherit. Despite his good looks, his impeccable manners, and the financial and mobile power of the
richest family in Japan, he can't attract the one person he wants, Lum, the beautiful Oni-princess from outer space. She's in love with the hapless, girl-hunting Ataru Moroboshi.
- Ataru: "Hey, you! The snooty one over there!"
- Mendou: "Hmm? You mean me?"
- Ataru: "Everyone else is kissing dirt! Who else could I mean? What is that thing?!"
- Mendou: "That is one of the Mendou clan's personal heavy bombers. My name is Shuutaro Mendou. Today is my first day at Tomobiki High and, as being late on such a day would besmirch my clan's honor, I resorted to these means. Satisfied?"
Mendou is not without his imperfections. He's very proud of his Samurai heritage -- some would say conceited -- and tends to carry his katana everywhere he goes. He's also claustrophobic and afraid of the dark -- sort of. As long as women are watching him, he's all right.
Unfortunately, being near an ugly man makes the terrors of dark, cramped spaces completely unbearable for him. He thinks it's because he craves female attention. Ataru thinks it's because he's a monster of pride.
He is given a slightly higher status at times than the other guys, as in Beautiful Dreamer when he refuses to give in to the dream and Sakura-sensei credits him with having some maturity and intelligence.
In the episodes, he is often expected to be better than the others, which is unfair and often backfires on him, as when he tells Onsen-mark that if the students in his class are hiding sake, then he would dance naked. None of the kids were hiding sake, but Lum manages to find some and float through the classroom. Mendou is stripped in front of the class.
He also gets in trouble when he makes statements about morality and his strict code. Poor guy, somehow a baby (actually an alien in need of his cash) attaches himself to him and all the girls think he's the father. Poor Mendou!
When it comes to women, he is about as bad as the other seventeen-year-olds in his class, but in no way is he as girl-crazy as Ataru. Why do I say this? Because on a number of occasions he is given the opportunity to go all the way with a woman and he refuses. He doesn't even like the idea of kissing in public. He may seem like Ataru's handsomer self (for indeed they do share the same April birthday), but he upholds a strict propriety.
Mendou: "Oh! You shouldn't do that, Miss. We ... we've only just met. Oh
no! We shouldn't
rush things! Let us calm down! Calm down! Calm down! Calm down!"
Because the books are not in order at the library, the characters, historical figures, et al come alive. Mendou, who was dutifully shelving books, rescues a sexy woman in a swimsuit from one of Ataru's magazines.