Monkey D Luffy

Monkey D. Luffy
Monkey D. Luffy dari serial anime dan manga One Piece.
Nama Jepang	モンキー・D・ルフィ
Nama Romaji	Monkī D. Rufi
Nama	Monkey D. Luffy
Julukan	"Luffy si Topi Jerami" Raja Bajak Laut (Kaizoku Ou)
Pengisi suara	Mayumi Tanaka Urara Takano (OVA)
Muncul dalam	Manga orisinal
Penampilan pertama	Manga Volume #1-Chapter #1 Anime Episode #1
Spesies	Manusia
Harga	300,000,000 Berry
Buah Iblis
Gomu Gomu no Mi
Arti	Buah "Karet-Karet"
Nama	Buah Gom Gom
Tipe	Paramecia
Kekuatan	Buah ini membuat tubuh pemakannya bersifat seperti karet; lentur dan elastis. Karena sifat isolator yang dimiliki oleh karet, Luffy kebal terhadap serangan petir dan listrik.
Kategori:Karakter One Piece

Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー・D・ルフィ, Monkī Dī Rufi) adalah nama seorang bajak laut fiksi dari serial anime dan manga One Piece.

Tentang Luffy

Dia adalah kapten dari Kelompok Bajak Laut Topi Jerami, dan berasal dari Desa Fusha. Sebelumnya, kepala Luffy dihargai 30 juta berry setelah mengalahkan Arlong dan menjadi harga tertinggi di wilayah East Blue (nilai nominal untuk kriminal di East Blue adalah 10 juta berry). Kemudian dia meraih harga 100 juta berry untuk kepalanya setelah mengalahkan Crocodile, salah satu dari Sichibukai, dan naik menjadi 300 juta berry setelah peristiwa di Enies Lobby

Penampilan

Luffy mempunyai ciri khas tersendiri yaitu topi jerami (ini sebabnya dia dijuluki topi jerami) yang dia dapat saat masih kecil, dari bajak laut terkenal Shanks si rambut merah, celana pendek warna biru, sandal dan kemeja tanpa lengan berwarna merah,dan dia berambut hitam. Dia juga punya bekas luka di bawah mata kirinya yang ia buat sendiri untuk membuktikan bahwa ia sudah dewasa dan berani.

Luffy selalu menggunakan baju yang sama setiap saat, berbeda dengan Nami, Nico Robin, Sanji, bahkan Roronoa Zoro. Dia akan menggunakan baju yang berbeda untuk menyesuaikan diri dengan iklim dan cuaca (misalnya cuaca dingin di Drum Kingdom dan panas gurun di Alabasta), tapi akan kembali menggunakan baju asalnya setelah petualangannya berakhir. Fashion Luffy yang lain misalnya saat petualangan di Skypiea, Luffy membuka kancing bajunya dan mengenakan gelang. Saat pertarungan Davy Back Fight dengan kelompok Bajak Laut Foxy, Luffy mengenakan rambut Afro, sarung tinju, dan celana merah. Saat peristiwa di Enies Lobby, luffy mengenakan baju merah dan celana coklat.

Buah Gomu Gomu

Ketika Luffy masih muda, dia secara tidak sengaja memakan Buah Iblis (di versi anime, dia memakannya asal-asalan dengan marah karena merajuk pada Shanks) yaitu Buah Gomu Gomu yang ia anggap adalah makanan penutup. Buah Gomu Gomu (Gomu berarti karet) adalah salah satu dari buah iblis yang menyebabkan tubuh pengguna menjadi melar layaknya karet dan bisa memanjangkan anggota tubuhnya. Selain itu, pengguna bisa kebal terhadap serangan fisik, bahkan peluru sekalipun dan menghantarkan listrik. Kelemahannya adalah benda tajam dan mungkin juga api.

Luffy menggunakan kekuatan Buah ini sebagai ciri bertarungnya yang khas, yaitu memanjangkan lengan untuk meninju atau memanjangkan kaki untuk menendang dan bisa menggembungkan tubuh untuk pertahanan diri. Luffy mempelajari struktur tubuhnya sangat dalam, sehingga mendapat banyak variasi dari jurus "melar"nya. Terakhir, Luffy mempelajari keuntungan sebuah tubuh karet, dapat untuk memompa aliran darah dan mempercepat sistem transportasi energi, sehingga dia mendapat energi lebih banyak dari tubuhnya, dan tubuhnya juga mengeluarkan uap. Gerakan ini dia namakan sebagai Gear Second. Kelebihan dari Gear Second adalah kecepatan dan kekuatan Luffy menjadi berkali-kali lipat dari sebelumnya, tetapi hanya untuk waktu yang singkat. Dengan kecepatan yang melebihi angin dan stimulan tenaga yang berlipat ganda, bahkan ara petarung super CP9 pun kewlahan menghadapi dirinya.

Gear Third merupakan suatu teknik dengan memompakan udara ke dalam tulang karetnya sehingga akan membuat sebagian tubuhnya menjadi besar. Jurus ini berbeda dengan gomu-gomu no fusen yang hanya dapat menyimpan udara di dalam perutnya, udara yang disimpan dengan jurus ini dapat ditransferkan ke tangan dan kaki sehingga membuatnya bisa mengeluarkan jurus gomu-gomu gigan pistol & giant axe. Kelebihan dari Gear Third adalah kekuatan menjadi berkali-kali lipat melebihi kekuatan pada saat Gear Second, tetapi kecepatannya menurun drastis. Selain itu, tubuh Luffy akan menyusut menjadi kecil setelah Gear Third selesai digunakan.

Jurus-jurus Luffy

• Gomu Gomu No Pistol : Luffy Meninju sambil melenturkan 1 tangannya.
• Gomu Gomu No Rocket : Luffy mengambil ancang-ancang seperti sebuah ketapel dan menerbangkan dirinya sendiri dengan kecepatan tinggi.
• Gomu Gomu No Muchi (cambuk) : Luffy memanjangkan kakinya dan menendang dari samping.
• Gomu Gomu No Screw : Luffy memutar (mengulung-gulung) 2 tangannya dan memegang musuhnya lalu memutar balik tangannya sehingga terjadi putaran yang cepat.
• Gomu Gomu No Gatling : Seperti Pistol, tapi kali ini dia menggunakan kedua tangannya untuk meninju musuh secara berulang kali dengan kecepatan yang sangat tinggi.
• Gomu Gomu No Fusen (balon) : Luffy menghirup udara sebanyak banyaknya melalui mulut, sehingga membuat tubuhnya mengembung seperti balon.
• Gomu Gomu No Bullet : Seperti Pistol, tapi sebelumnya dia telah melenturkan tangannya ke belakang sehingga dampaknya lebih besar.
• Gomu Gomu No Bazooka : Seperti Bullet, Tapi dia menggunakan 2 tangan dan telapak tangannya terbuka.
• Gomu Gomu No Stamp : Seperti Pistol, Tapi kali ini dia melenturkan 1 kakinya untuk menendang.
• Gomu Gomu No Yari (tombak) : Luffy saling menempelkan kedua telapak kakinya untuk melakukan Gomu Gomu No Stamp.
• Gomu Gomu No Kane (lonceng) : Luffy memanjangkan kepalanya ke belakang dan membenturkan kepalanya.
• Gomu Gomu No Axe : Luffy melenturkan kakinya setinggi mungkin keatas, kemudian membiarkan kakinya kembali dan menghantam musuh yang berada dibawahnya.
• Gomu Gomu No Kazaguruma (baling-baling) : Luffy memutar (menggulung-gulung) badannya, memegang musuhnya lalu memutar balik badannya sehingga musuhnya berputar-putar dan terlempar sekaligus menghancurkan sekelilingnya. Digunakan saat menerbangkan Moo. Monster laut kelompok Arlong.
• Gomu Gomu No Tate (perisai) : Luffy menarik jarinya untuk menangkap musuh. Digunakan ketika melawan Arlong.
• Gomu Gomu No Ami (jaring) : Luffy membentuk jari-jarinya seperti jaring. Digunakan untuk menangkap Arlong ketika melawan Arlong.
• Gomu Gomu No Baku Baku : Luffy membuat mulutnya menjadi besar dan memakan lawannya. Digunakan ketika melawan Mr. 0 / Crocodile.(dinamakan baku baku karena mirip dengan wapol yang bisa membesarkan mulutnya. wapol telah memakan buah baku baku)
• Gomu Gomu No Shotgun : Luffy malakukan Gomu Gomu No Pistol kemudian membentuk gelombang dari ujung tangannya.
• Gomu Gomu No Storm : Luffy melakukan Gomu Gomu No Fusen kemudian memutar tubuhnya dan terbang ke udara dengan menghembuskan nafas kemudian melakukan Gomu Gomu No Gatling ke atas sambil berputar-putar. Digunakan ketika mengalahkan Mr. 0 / Crocodile.
• Gomu Gomu No Hanabi (kembang api) : Luffy membelit tubuhnya dengan tangan dan kakinya sendiri kemudian melepaskannya untuk menyerang.
• Gomu Gomu No Rifle : Sama seperti Pistol, tapi kali ini dia memutar tangannya sehingga tinjunya menjadi lebih bertenaga.
• Gomu Gomu No Tako Hanabi (kembang api gurita) : Luffy melakukan Gomu Gomu No Hanabi dan memantulkannya ke dinding (membabi buta).
• Gomu Gomu No Hanabi Ougon Botan (kembang api bunga peoni emas) : Luffy melakukan Gomu Gomu No Hanabi dengan lilin emas (milik Enel) yang mengeras di tangan kanannya. Digunakan saat melawan Enel untuk memecahkan Raigo milik Enel.
• Gomu Gomu No Bo / Baka (bodoh) : Luffy mengosongkan pikirannya agar gerakannya tidak dibaca lawan.Digunakan olehnya untuk melawan Mantra milik Enel.
• Gomu Gomu No Ougon Rifle (rifle emas) : Luffy melakukan Gomu Gomu No Rifle dengan lilin emas (milik Enel) yang mengeras di tangan kanannya. Digunakan saat mengalahkan Enel.
• Gomu Gomu No Mikata Robo : Luffy Menjerat tangan dan kaki musuhnya dan mengendalikan gerakannya.

Semua jurus di atas namanya akan ditambahkan kata "Jet" didepannya jika Luffy menggunakan Gear Second. Sedangkan, Jika Luffy menggunakan Gear Third semua jurus di atas namanya akan ditambahkan kata "Gigant" didepannya.

Jurus-jurus yang hanya ada dalam Gear

• Gomu Gomu No Twin Jet Pistol : Luffy menggunakan Gear Second dan melakukan Gomu Gomu No Pistol dengan 2 tangan.
• Gomu Gomu No Jet Shell : Luffy menggabungkan Gear Second dan Gear Third membesarkan badannya lalu membenturkan dirinya pada musuhnya. Digunakan ketika melawan Gecko Moria.

Kepribadian

Luffy adalah orang yang easy going dan sejak awal terlihat sama sekali tidak pintar.Sebagai seorang bajak laut Luffy bisa dikatakan sangat awam karena tidak mengetahui apapun tentang kompas dan ilmu kelautan. Selain itu dia tidak bisa berenang karena memakan Buah Gomu Gomu.

Kapten dari kelompok bajak laut topi jerami ini punya sikap yang bodoh dan konyol terhadap para anak buahnya, walaupun dia menganggap anak buahnya sebagai "seorang teman" daripada sebagai bawahan. Para anak buahnya seperti Sanji, Nami, dan Usopp kadangkala memukulinya karena kebodohan yang ia buat. Tetapi mereka sangat menghormatinya karena keteguhan hatinya sebagai seorang Kapten. Contohnya Roronoa Zoro, dia adalah teman terbaik Luffy dan yang paling mengerti Luffy (ketika peristiwa Usopp dan Aokiji) serta Robin adalah orang yang sama sekali tidak pernah mengejeknya ataupun memukulnya dan paling menghormatinya.

Luffy juga menjadi orang sumber masalah dan juga pencerah suasana di kapal. Kadang para kru direpotkan oleh ulahnya, karena ia suka bertindak seenaknya.

Luffy merasa harus memikul tanggung jawab seluruh anggota kelompok, tentunya sebagai kapten. Dia akan marah jika ada seseorang yang sampai menyakiti temannya. Misalnya dia bersumpah menghajar Crocodile karena sudah membuat Vivi menangis (walau secara tidak langsung). Setelah mengalami pertempuran dengan Aokiji, Luffy mulai merasa pentingnya melindungi sahabatnya, terlebih setelah Usopp meninggalkan kru. Ketika Robin diculik oleh CP9, Luffy dan yang lain berusaha untuk menyelamatkannya. Walaupun menjadikan World Government sebagai musuh mereka. Luffy sendiri mulai serius untuk melindungi sahabatnya, tergambar dalam jurus baru Luffy yang khusus untuk menghadapi musuhnya yang menculik Robin, Gear.

Luffy sama sekali tidak pernah membunuh musuhnya, karena bagi Luffy kehilangan harga diri karena dikalahkan akan lebih menyakitkan daripada merenggut nyawa.

Keluarga

Keluarga Luffy di penuhi misteri. Yang pertama diketahui dia adalah adik dari Portgas D. Ace, komandan divisi 2 dari kelompok bajak laut shirohige. Kemudian di Water 7, dia bertemu kakeknya yang selama ini merawatnya, Monkey D. Garp. Dan anehnya, Garp sendiri adalah seorang laksamana madya legendaris dari angkatan laut. Disini juga diceritakan tentang kebenaran ayah Luffy. Sang Kriminal terburuk di dunia, revolusioner Dragon adalah ayah Luffy dengan nama lengkap Monkey D. Dragon. Tapi yang jelas, Luffy adalah salah satu penyandang nama D. di kisah ini, juga seluruh keluarganya.

Sejarah

Ketika Garp pergi, Luffy kecil diasuh oleh Mayor Woop Slap dan Makino

Luffy dan Shanks

Ketika Luffy masih kecil, dia bertemu kelompok bajak laut yang singgah di desanya. Kelompok bajak laut tersebut dipimpin oleh Shanks dan Luffy ingin sekali bergabung dengannya. Luffy menusuk bagian bawah matanya dengan pisau sebagai tanda bahwa ia mempunyai keberanian, tetapi Shanks tetap menolaknya. Setelah Luffy bertemu dengan Higuma, Luffy diculik oleh kawanan perompak gunung dan Luffy dibawanya ke laut. Shanks menolongnya walaupun harus kehilangan sebelah tangannya. Ternyata alasan Shanks menolak Luffy adalah karena dahsyatnya lautan. Kemudian Luffy berjanji akan melebihi Shanks dan menjadi raja bajak laut lalu Shanks memberikan topi jeraminya dan berkata:

" Kuberikan topi berhargaku ini padamu, kelak kau harus mengembalikannya padaku"

Kenshin Himura

Himura Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin character
Himura Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
First appearance	Rurouni Kenshin manga chapter 1 Rurouni Kenshin anime episode 1
Voiced by	Japanese Mayo Suzukaze (anime) Megumi Ogata (drama CD) English Richard Cansino (anime, Credited as Richard Hayworth) J. Shanon Weaver (OVA)
Profile
Age	28
Date of birth	June 20, 1849
Occupation	Former hitokiri
Known relatives	Yukishiro Tomoe (late wife, deceased) Yukishiro Enishi (ex-brother-in-law) Kamiya Kaoru (wife) Himura Kenji (son)

Himura Kenshin (緋村 剣心 ,Himura Kenshin^?), known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language dub, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series, as well as the related media in the franchise. When creating Kenshin, Watsuki designed him to be the physical opposite of Hiko Seijūrō, a character that appears in Watsuki's first one-shot manga, Crescent Moon in the Warring States, and later in Rurouni Kenshin as his swordsmanship teacher.

Set in a fictional version of Japan, during the pre-Meiji period, Kenshin is a former legendary assassin known as "Hitokiri Battōsai" (人斬り抜刀斎 ^?).^[4] At the end of the Bakumatsu, he becomes a wandering samurai, now wielding a sakabatō (逆刃刀 ^?, lit. "reverse-blade sword"), a katana that has the cutting edge on the inwardly curved side of the sword, thus being nearly incapable of killing. Kenshin wanders the countryside of Japan offering protection and aid to those in need, as atonement for the murders he once committed as an assassin. In Tokyo, he meets a young woman named Kamiya Kaoru, who invites him to live in her dojo despite learning about Kenshin's past. Throughout the series, Kenshin begins to establish lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies, while dealing with his fair share of enemies, new and old. Through these encounters and relationships, Kenshin begins to find true atonement for his past enabling him to fully conquer his "Battōsai" nature. By the series' end, he has found true peace and contentment as the husband of Kaoru and the father of their son, Kenji.

Kenshin's character was well received by fans, with his holding the top spot in all reader popularity polls for the series. Critics of the series praised his personality, though some complained about his development during the original video animation (OVA) series, which differs from the manga. A variety of collectibles based around Kenshin have been created, including figurines, key chains, plushies, and replicas of his sakabatō sword.

Creation and conception

Redesign of Kenshin in the kanzenban series.

Watsuki discovered and used the story of Kawakami Gensai, a hitokiri (人斬り ^?, lit. "manslayer") executed by the Meiji Government. According to Watsuki, when he found that Kawakami maintained a duty to his dead comrades, he decided to create the title character. Since Watsuki's debut work contained a tall, black-haired man in "showy" armor, the creator wanted to make a character "completely opposite" to the debut character and the new character ended up "coming out like a girl." According to Watsuki, he used "no real motif" when creating Kenshin and placed a cross-shaped scar when "not knowing what else to do."At the end of the series, Kenshin appears with short hair. Initially, Watsuki had planned to make his hair shorter before the end, however, he found this to be similar to the character Multi from To Heart.Watsuki based most of Kenshin's abilities on a real swordsman of the Tokugawa period named Matsubayashi Henyasai, who was skilled in acrobatic techniques.During his fight against Shishio Makoto's army, Kenshin is given a new sword with a sheath made of wood. Watsuki decided to redesign the sword to make it look as the first one Kenshin had in the series, though it is more difficult to draw.

During the development of the pilot chapter of the series, Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Watsuki and his editor argued over Kenshin's speech patterns; they settled for a "slangy" pattern. For the final version of the first Romantic Story, Watsuki adjusted the dialogue; in his view, he made Kenshin sound "more as I prefer him now."Watsuki added Kenshin's trademark "oro" as a placeholder to be an expression of the English speech disfluency "huh." Watsuki notes that he was surprised at how much it caught on, and how much he ended up having Kenshin use the sound during the series.Watsuki also planned to make Kenshin older than 30 years old; his editor commented that it was strange that the main character of a manga for teenagers was so old, so he made Kenshin 28 years old.

In the first Rurouni Kenshin kanzenban, published in Japan in July 2006, Watsuki included a draft page featuring a redesign of Kenshin's character. To make his X-shaped scar more notable, Watsuki made it long enough to cross his nose. Kenshin's hair is tied in two tails, which are flowing to make him look younger, but shorter, to be less androgynous. Watsuki also added a habaki to Kenshin's sword to make it easier to draw by simplifying its structure, while also emphasizing strength.Kenshin's hitokiri look was also redesigned slightly, by making his clothes more damaged and giving him Yukishiro Tomoe's neck scarf.

In the anime adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki's designs were combined with the voice talents of Mayo Suzukaze, a female seiyū. In producing the English dub version of the series, Media Blasters considered following suit, with Mona Marshall considered as a finalist for voicing Kenshin. Richard Hayworth eventually was selected for the role, giving Kenshin's character a more masculine voice in the English adaptation. Marshall was selected instead to voice the younger Kenshin during flashback scenes. Clark Cheng, writer of the dub script, noted that localizing Kenshin's unusual speech was a difficult process. His use of "de gozaru" and "oro" were not only character trademarks that indicated Kenshin's state of mind, but important elements to the story. However, neither is directly translatable to English, and in the end the company chose to replace "de gozaru" with "that I did" and "that I am." Kenshin's signature "oro" was replaced with "huah" to simulate it being a "funny sound" that had no real meaning.

Character outline

Personality

Kenshin desires to protect every individual from danger without harming others. Formerly known as "the strongest hitokiri," Kenshin is the main target of many old enemies and people who want to gain his title, thus he avoids letting others get too close to him personally for their own protection. However, he eventually begins relying on his friends, allowing them to fight alongside him.He also has a rivalry with the ex-Shinsengumi member Saitō Hajime since the Bakumatsu. Although they become partners in the series, they both know that one day they will finish their duel. After the end of the Jinchu arc, Kenshin challenges Saitō to end the rivalry, but Saitō refuses to fight since Kenshin is different from the time they were enemies.

Throughout the series, a young woman named Kaoru develops strong romantic feelings for him, and he also comes to love her. Despite his feelings, he is constantly haunted by the wrongs committed in his past, and believes he does not deserve happiness. However, as he notes how Kaoru would feel if he dies, Kenshin decides not to leave her and regains a desire to survive.

If he is not able to protect his loved ones, he begins to shift into his "Hitokiri Battōsai" personality, and takes extreme measures in order save others, caring little for the well-being of his opponents.However, Kenshin avoids changing his personality, swearing that he will never kill, and will try to avoid the deaths of as many people as possible.

Kenshin's Japanese-language dialogue contains some unusual words and catch phrases which can cause problems in translations. Most of the time, he refers to himself with the extremely humble pronoun "sessha" (translated in the manga by Viz as "this one") and uses the formal verb "de gozaru" (conveyed by Media Blasters by phrases like "…that it is."). He also addresses most women with an honorific which is generally reserved for feudal lords. In the English anime, "Miss Kaoru" is used instead of "Kaoru-dono." When in his "Battōsai" mode, Kenshin changes from being polite to serious; one of his quotes, "de gozaru", disappears and "sessha" is replaced with the more typical brash male pronoun "ore".Throughout the series, Kenshin uses the quote "oro", which expresses surprise or dismay, based on the similar exclamation "ara" (generally considered feminine). As proper Japanese vocabulary, "oro" only exists as a word for lochia. In the English dub, "oro" has been translated into "huh". "Oro" is kept intact in the Viz manga.

Techniques

The void created by the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki and the consecutive strike

Kenshin is a practitioner of the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū (飛天御剣流 ^?, lit. "Flying Heaven Honorable Sword Style"), also referred to in the series as "Ultrasonic Sword Style", a fictional ancient sword art. Kenshin's mastery of the style enables him to exercise superhuman speed and reflexes, study and predict his opponent's movements in battle, as well as perform many powerful sword techniques.Among several of his Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū and battōjutsu skills, Kenshin can utilize Shinsoku (神速 ^?, lit. "God-speed"), which allows him to quickly overpower and dispatch opponents with his sword before they have time to react. Although most of his techniques were originally intended to have deadly effects, Kenshin fights using his sakabatō, a katana that has the cutting edge on the inwardly curved side of the sword (in contrast to a normal katana, where the outwardly curved side of the sword is sharp, while the inwardly curved side of the sword is blunt), since he desires not to kill anyone.

When Kenshin decides to continue his training to defeat Shishio Makoto, he learns the Kuzu-ryūsen (九頭龍閃 ^?, lit. "Nine-headed Dragon Strike"), which simultaneously deals nine strikes to the fundamental targets of swordsmanship, making guarding and dodging virtually impossible.The Kuzu-ryūsen, however, is a byproduct used for the initiation in learning Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki (天翔龍閃 ^?, lit. "Heavens Gliding Dragon Flash"; Viz translation - "Dragon Flight of Heaven"), a Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū battōjutsu that surpasses the speed of the Kuzu-ryūsen.The secret behind the technique lies in an additional step with the left foot which adds instantaneous acceleration and weight to the sword. In addition, if the initial strike is avoided or blocked, the force of the unusually fast slashing motion displaces the air around it, generating a vacuum in its wake and sucking the opponent in; as this happens, the body is spun around for a second strike, with the previous action adding force and momentum to the swing, making the subsequent strike far stronger. Since the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū is only suitable to a wide-framed muscular build like that of Seijūrō's, Kenshin's body deteriorates and he is unable to use it ever again by the end of the manga.

Plot overview

After finishing his job as the murderer "Hitokiri Battōsai" in the Ishin Shishi, Kenshin assumes the life of a wanderer. Ten years after the Revolution, he arrives in Tokyo where he meets Kaoru, who offers him to stay in her dojo despite her knowledge that Kenshin is the "Battōsai". Numerous events transpire from that point, and Kenshin establishes lifelong relationships with many people, including ex-enemies. When Shishio Makoto, the brutal once-successor to Kenshin's position as Chōshū's hitokiri, and masterminded a movement seeking to overthrow the Meiji Government, Kenshin leaves Tokyo to stop him. To defeat such a foe, Kenshin is forced to resume his training and mend his relationship with his teacher Hiko Seijūrō, who took care of him in his childhood. However, that training was interrupted when Kenshin decides to protect the people from Japan. After finishing his training, all Kenshin's friends reunite with him and help him to defeat Shishio and his army.

Months later, a man known as Yukishiro Enishi starts attacking all people that Kenshin meets as an act of revenge for the death of his sister Tomoe. At this moment it is discovered that Kenshin was married with Tomoe in the Bakumatsu but he accidentally killed her when a group of assasains captured Tomoe and Kenshin tried to rescue her. As Enishi finds out about Kenshin's feelings towards Kaoru, he sets out to kidnap her, doing so and leaving a professionally made decoy of Kaoru with a sword in her heart, making everyone believe that she had been murdered. Kenshin falls into severe depression and runs off to a village of wanderers to mourn. However, he breaks out of his depression and after his friends discover Kaoru is alive, the group goes to rescue her on Enishi's island. A battle between Kenshin and Enishi follows and when Kenshin wins, he and Kaoru return home.Five years later, Kenshin is married to Kaoru and has a son named Kenji. After an encounter with Yahiko, Kenshin gives his sakabatō to him as a gift for his coming-of-age.

Appearances in other media

Kenshin as seen in the OVAs

Kenshin first appears in two chapters of Rurouni, Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, the pilot chapters of the manga, in which he arrives in Tokyo and defeats several groups of villains attacking families. In these stories, Kenshin is given a similar personality to the one he has in the series but his name is unmentioned. Later, in the movie Samurai X The Motion Picture, Kenshin meets a samurai named Takimi Shigure, who tries to overthrow the Meiji Government and avenge the deaths of his family during the Bakumatsu. Kenshin encounters Shigure and defeats him in order to avoid the start of a war.

In the OVAs, Kenshin is given a more humanized design and a different personality. There are also numerous changes to his life story compared to that of the manga, including the way he received his X-shaped scar in Samurai X: Trust & Betrayal. In Samurai X: Reflection, as time passes, Kenshin becomes tortured anew by the guilt of leading a happy life after such a destructive past. He makes the decision to wander again, and Kaoru strongly supports him, promising to welcome him home with a smile and their child. Kenshin eventually becomes ravaged by an unknown disease. However, he decides to assist in the First Sino-Japanese War as he had promised the Meiji Government. After the war's end, Sanosuke discovers a gravely injured Kenshin on the shore, and arranges for Kenshin's return to Tokyo and Kaoru. The two finally meet, and Kenshin collapses into her arms as he clutches her to him. Kaoru then notices Kenshin's scar has faded away, signifying his death. Nobuhiro Watsuki, after watching the last OVA, was quite unhappy with how his story ended, saying that "Kenshin went through so much crap and deserved a happy ending."

Kenshin is a playable character in all of the Rurouni Kenshin video games, including Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars.

Tokiko Tsumura, one of the main characters of Buso Renkin, another series created by Watsuki, is based on the design of Kenshin as a hitokiri. Watsuki commented that Tokiko is the female version of the "Hitokiri Battōsai" when he drew her face.

Reception

Kenshin has been highly popular with the Rurouni Kenshin reader base, having ranked first in every Shonen Jump popularity poll of the series, always with more than double the votes of second place.Watsuki received letters from fans describing Megumi Ogata's audio theatre voice as a "good fit" for Kenshin. Watsuki said that he imagined Kenshin's voice to be "more neutral."A plethora of merchandise have been released in Kenshin's likeness including keychains, action figures,and plush dolls.Since the manga was published, non-functional and functional sakabatō have been produced for purchase by collectors and fans.

Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other media have provided praise and criticism on the character. T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews criticized that the fact that Kenshin looks super deformed in comedy scenes is not suited for the context of the character and the series.Mania.com remarks that Kenshin has a "smartass" attitude in a review of volume 8; while they noted that is a common attitude in the anime that makes him look out-of-character.Anime News Network praises Kenshin for being a character that all people enjoy to watch due to his comedy scenes.SciFi.com remarked "Kenshin's schizoid personal conflict between his ruthless-killer side and his country- bumpkin" as a perfect way to develop good stories.

The development of Kenshin in the OVA series has had negative reviews by many publications. Anime News Network also adds that in Samurai X: Reflection he continues to be his old mopey self and criticizes that he never says "oro,"while IGN cited that some moments of the relationship between Kenshin and Kaoru were depressing.However, some reviewers noted Kenshin's personality in the OVAs to be one of the most complex to ever be animated remarking the fact that he can not forget his bloody past, although having a peaceful life.

A large number of video game characters were based on the character of Kenshin such as Keiichiro Washizuka from The Last Blade^[55] and Shizumaru Hisame from the Samurai Shodown series.Kenshin's personality was also planned to be used in the character Kakashi Hatake from Naruto, but the idea was deemed as a failure.In an interview with Mayo Suzukaze, who is the seiyū for the character, she says that she started feeling similar to Kenshin after years of work as his voice, and comments that providing the voice for the character was one of her best experiences.

Ichigo Kurosaki

Ichigo Kurosaki
Bleach character
Ichigo Kurosaki by Tite Kubo
Created by	Tite Kubo
Voiced by	Japanese: Masakazu Morita Yuki Matsuoka(child) English: Johnny Yong Bosch Mona Marshall (child)
Profile
Age	15
Species	Human, Soul Reaper, Visored
Date of birth	July 15
Occupation	High school student, deputy Soul Reaper
Known relatives	Isshin Kurosaki (father) Masaki Kurosaki (mother, deceased) Yuzu Kurosaki (sister) Karin Kurosaki (sister)
Zanpakutō	Zangetsu

Ichigo Kurosaki (黒崎　一護 ,Kurosaki Ichigo^?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga franchise Bleach by mangaka Tite Kubo. He is the story's main protagonist. The series begins with Ichigo receiving Soul Reaper powers as a result of a run-in with Rukia Kuchiki, the Soul Reaper assigned to patrol his city, Karakura Town. These powers come at the cost of Rukia's own, and as a result, Ichigo concedes to work as Rukia's stand-in, fighting to protect people from evil spirits called hollows and sending good spirits, wholes, to Soul Society. In addition to the main series, Ichigo appears in many other pieces of Bleach media, including the two featured films in the series, the two original video animations, and several video games.

Ichigo's character was created to replace Rukia as the lead character from the series as Kubo noted that Rukia was unsuitable to the protagonist. Merchandise based on Ichigo's likeness has also been released, including toys, clothing, and action figures. Ichigo's character has been well received among both fans and reviewers. In Shonen Jump character popularity polls, Ichigo consistently ranks as one of the most popular characters in Bleach, and the 2007 Japanese Newtype magazine polls ranked him as one of the top 100 most-loved anime characters. Reviewers of the series have also remarked favorably on his personality, though some considered him to be a stereotypical anti-hero during the first few episodes of the series.

Creation and conception

When creating the manga series, Kubo commented that Rukia Kuchiki, the first character he created, did not seem like a lead character, so he created Ichigo to be the series protagonist. When designing Ichigo's appearance, Kubo had thought of several types attributes of the character that were never added to the story. Initial design sketches show Ichigo wearing glasses, and having dark hair and kind eyes. When designing Rukia Kuchiki, however, Kubo modified Ichigo's appearance to contrast with hers, giving Ichigo orange hair, a trademark scowl, and removing the glasses.Kubo considered Ichigo's greatest strength is that he is considerate and thoughtful as he always thinks about other people's needs. However, he also saw that as his greatest weakness since worrying about his friends puts him in danger. Kubo was asked in an interview if he had any plans to make Ichigo and Rukia a couple, but Kubo chose neither to confirm nor deny it.Kubo thinks Ichigo is very popular among fans since he looks cool. He also mentioned that as fans read more about him they discover that underneath he is warm and has a kind heart and that attracts his fans.

Character outline

Personality

Ichigo is a 15-year-old who attempts to cultivate a detached image, for which he keeps his eyebrows constantly furrowed. Ichigo has natural orange hair, a fact that annoys many bullies in his school, who constantly pick fights with him.Ichigo claims that he does not care what others think and seems to enjoy fighting the bullies. While in junior high school, Ichigo met and befriended Yasutora "Chad" Sado, a boy from another school who helped him out of a fight. Chad, although extremely strong, was often the target of beatings because he refused to fight for his own sake due to a promise he had made as a child to his grandfather. Upon discovering this, Ichigo made a pact with Chad in which they both agreed to fight and risk their lives for something the other was willing to risk their life for. Ichigo comments that thanks to Rukia his life changed, and thanks to her he is able to protect the people he cares for.

When Ichigo was nine, his mother, Masaki Kurosaki, was killed by the hollow Grand Fisher, although Ichigo did not find out the true cause of her death until early in the main Bleach storyline.Prior to learning about this, Ichigo felt guilty for his mother's death, blaming himself for wandering too close to the water and causing her to put herself in harm's way to save him. Even after that, Masaki's death continues to influence Ichigo by causing him to feel guilt for his inability to protect those close to him. Since then, Ichigo lives with his father Isshin Kurosaki and his two younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin. His father runs a small medical clinic.

Ichigo's name, written with homophone kanji, means 1 and 5 when separated as ichi (一) and go (五), the reason behind the two numbers' frequent appearances in the series, notably on the sampler hanging on his bedroom door. The word ichigo (苺／イチゴ), written in yet another way, means "strawberry" —one of his nicknames— in Japanese, and is normally only used as a girl's name; when teased about this fact, Ichigo proudly counters that his name is spelled with ichi (一) as in "first" and go (護) from "guardian". Ichigo's father once told him that his name means "he who protects." The name also means 'one's lifetime.'

Abilities

Ichigo with the spirit of Zangetsu while wielding his zanpakutō in its shikai form.

Ichigo is one of the rare living humans in the Bleach universe to possess innate spiritual powers. As he meets Rukia Kuchiki, those powers turn out to be both massive and contagious, and many of his friends begin to develop spiritual powers. Because Ichigo produces more spiritual energy than his body can contain, it leaks out constantly, preventing him from hiding it and effectively making stealth impossible when dealing with other spiritually aware beings. Though he does not possess any formal Soul Reaper rank, Ichigo's overall abilities are great enough that he can fight on the level of a Soul Reaper captain.

Ichigo's appearance while performing bankai and using his hollow mask.

Ichigo's zanpakutō is named Zangetsu (斬月 ^?, literally "cutting moon").Unlike most Soul Reapers, who can seal their zanpakutō after releasing it, Ichigo's zanpakutō is always in its shikai form. Its sealed form is that of an ordinary zanpakutō, but oversized as a result of Ichigo's uncontrolled spiritual pressure. Zangetsu's spirit takes the form of a middle-aged man, voiced by Takayuki Sugo in the Japanese anime and by Richard Epcar in the English dub.Zangetsu is portrayed as wise and calm in most matters, and fond of testing Ichigo in unusual ways, many of which have a purpose completely contrary to the stated goal. Zangetsu's special ability is the Getsuga Tenshō (月牙天衝 ^?, literally "moon-fang slices the heavens", translated in the English anime as "piercer of heaven"), a wave of spirit particles released from his blade's edge. Correspondent to the name, the wave is shaped like a crescent moon.Although he can fire it as a wave, he can keep the power of Getsuga Tenshō within his bankai, which adds to the strength of his attacks. Zangetsu's bankai, named Tensa Zangetsu (天鎖斬月 ^?, literally "heavenly chain cutting the moon") shrinks the sword down to a fully black one while his uniform also changes to an outfit similar to Zangetsu's. Ichigo's bankai is a compression of his spiritual pressure, rather than a vast expansion as is usually the case. By compressing his power, Ichigo can move at incredibly high speeds, though the form puts tremendous strain on his body.

In addition to his Soul Reaper powers, Ichigo partially becomes a hollow while reobtaining his Soul Reaper powers with the help of Kisuke Urahara.This leaves him with an arrogant inner hollow spirit that grows in strength as the series progresses and tries to take the control of his body, while ignoring any injury he has, to fight. The inner hollow takes form of Ichigo's evil alter ego and mirrors his personality. The hollow also states that he wields the instinct to kill while Ichigo instead uses logic to defeat opponents.Ichigo is taught to control his hollow by the Visoreds, allowing him to call upon his hollow powers at will and without sacrificing control by donning his hollow mask.Ichigo can initially only maintain this form for eleven seconds, but the limit and strength of it increases substantially during his fights in Hueco Mundo.

Plot overview

Ichigo meets Rukia Kuchiki in the midst of a hollow attack. After Rukia is heavily injured by the hollow, she is forced to transfer her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo so that he can kill the hollow and save their lives and his family.Though the hollow is vanquished, Ichigo absorbs almost all of Rukia's spiritual power, and she is forced to stay in the human world until they return. In the meantime, Ichigo performs her Soul Reaper duties, inadvertently exposing his friends to the spiritual world and giving them their own unique abilities.When his actions eventually attract the attention of Soul Society, Rukia is detained and taken home to be executed, and Ichigo leads an effort to save her.

Upon arriving in Soul Society, he repeatedly clashes with high-ranking Soul Reapers as he gets closer to her location. In doing so he splits their forces in two; those who wish to help Ichigo free Rukia and those determined to carry out her execution. With the assistance of his newfound allies Rukia is saved, though she quickly falls into the hands of Sōsuke Aizen.Aizen, having masterminded Rukia's execution, fulfills his plans by removing the Hōgyoku from her body. While he is unable to kill her as planned, he and his accomplices are able to flee Soul Society as the Soul Reapers reunite against him.In the aftermath, Ichigo is made a "deputy Soul Reaper" and is allowed to return home with his friends.

Aizen, through the use of the Hōgyoku, creates an army of arrancar that he sends to attack Ichigo and his friends in the human world. When they are unable to deal with the arrancar threat, Soul Society sends a group of Soul Reapers to help them.Although they are able to fend off the arrancar with the bolstered defenses, they are unable to prevent the abduction of Orihime Inoue. When Soul Society refuses to save her, Ichigo and his friends go to Hueco Mundo to stage their own rescue attempt.With the help of a few friendly arrancar he meets along the way, Ichigo is ultimately able to reunite with Orihime.Before they can return home, however, she is recaptured, and Ichigo sets out to get her back from Ulquiorra Schiffer, engaging him in combat.

Appearances in other media

Ichigo appears in the featured films of series; protecting a Soul Reaper named Senna in Memories of Nobody and aiding in the search for Tōshirō Hitsugaya in the The DiamondDust Rebellion.^[38][39] He also appears in both of the original video animations; fighting against a hollow called the Grand Fisher in the first one and combating the rogue Soul Reaper Baishin in the second one.^[40][41] He also is in the third movie, Bleach: Fade to Black - Kimi no Na o Yobu (I Call Your Name).^[42][43] In the Bleach video games, Ichigo is a playable character in every game, including the Heat the Soul and Blade Battlers series. In some games, his hollow form and bankai state are available as separate characters.In Rock Musical Bleach, a musical based on the Bleach series, he is played by Tatsuya Isaka.

Reception

Amongst the Bleach reader base, Ichigo has been highly popular, having always ranked within the top 5 in the Shonen Jump popularity polls for the series. He has usually taken first place, though in the most recent ranking he dropped to 3rd place.Zangetsu also ranked 3rd in the zanpakutō popularity polls. His character also appeared in the 2007 Japanese Newtype magazine polls ranked him as one of the top 100 most-loved anime characters.At the first Seiyū Awards in March 2007, Masakazu Morita won in the category "Best Rookie Actor" for his role as Ichigo Kurosaki.Ichigo's voice actor in the English adaptation, Johnny Yong Bosch, has also been praised for his voice work on Ichigo's character by Anime News Network, which favorably compared Bosch and Morita's work.Various merchandise based on Ichigo's appearance has been created, including action figures,plush toys and key-chains.Since the series was released, replica models of Ichigo's zanpakutō and bankai have been produced for purchase by collectors and fans.

Several publications for manga, anime, video games, and other related media have provided praise and criticism on Ichigo's character. Mania Entertainment reviewer Chris Beveridge commented that Ichigo's history about how he becomes a Soul Reaper in the series could be "obvious", but it is avoid by how Ichigo tries to avoid his role. Additionally, he commented that Ichigo does not have "awkward moments" when fighting with hollows or handling his zanpakutō, making him a more normal person.Anime News Network commented that Ichigo's initial rebellious actions make him almost a stereotypical anti-hero, but note that he is soon revealed to be a more complex character with a sad past.IGN praised Ichigo's climactic fight against Byakuya Kuchiki as one of the best fights in the Bleach series,and later gave additional praise to both the design and voice acting for Ichigo's inner hollow.Wizarduniverse.com considered Ichigo the best hero from 2007, commenting that he does not try to be a hero as he just fights in order to protect his friends or to return a debt.In the SPJA Industry Awards, Ichigo ranked as the third best male character.