Kira Yamato - the peace protector

February 26, 2010

     

 

Kira Yamato (キラ・ヤマト^?) is a fictional character and main protagonist from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. Kira is also an important character in the sequel Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny.

Kira is a first-generation Coordinator.^[1] At the beginning of Gundam SEED, Kira lives on the neutral space colony Heliopolis to avoid the Bloody Valentine War.^[1] An expert in computer science, he assists with research and development at the Heliopolis technical college he attends.^[1][4] In both Gundam SEED and Gundam SEED Destiny, his friendship with Athrun Zala forms one of the main themes of the story.

Kira is one of the most popular characters in the Anime Grand Prix popularity polls for favorite male characters often coming in first or second between 2002 to 2005.

Lacus Clyne - the Lady Goddess

December 4, 2009

   

Lacus Clyne
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED character
Lacus Clyne in the Gundam SEED OVA
First appearance	Gundam SEED episode 7
Last appearance	Gundam SEED Destiny “Final Plus” episode
Voiced by	Rie Tanaka (Japanese) Chantal Strand (English) Jillian Michaels (English singing voice)
Profile
Age	16 [GS][1] 18 [GSD][2]
Date of birth	February 5[1]
Nationality	PLANT [GS] Orb Union [GSD]
Occupation	Leader of the Clyne Faction [GS] Co-Leader of Terminal [GSD]
Known relatives	Siegel Clyne (father)
Genetic type	Coordinator
Information
Allegiance	Clyne Faction [GS] Three Ships Alliance [GS] Terminal [GSD]
Mobile weapons	ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice [GSD]

 

 

Lacus Clyne (ラクス・クライン, Rakusu Kurain^?) is a fictional character from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. She is a popular female vocalist and becomes the co-leader of the Clyne Faction. Apart from her prominent role in the original series, Lacus is a playable character in both video games Gundam SEED Destiny: OMNI vs ZAFT II and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, she also appears in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3, Super Robot Wars Judgement, Super Robot Wars W and Super Robot Wars K as captain of the Eternal. She currently holds the record of being elected the most popular female character at Animage’s Anime Grand Prix four times: in 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2006. In the 30th Anime Grand Prix, she was ranked at 3rd place.

Her name, “Lacus” means “lake” in Latin. In Gundam SEED Destiny she’s the “White Queen” on Gilbert Durandal’s chess board. She is referred to in the title of episode eight of Gundam SEED as the “The Songstress of The Enemy Forces”.^[3]

Gundam SEED

Lacus Clyne is the daughter of PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Siegel Clyne.^[1] She is a Coordinator whose career as an idol singer has brought her enormous popularity in the PLANTs.^[1] She is engaged to Athrun Zala at one point, mainly out of political expediency. As the Bloody Valentine War goes on, Lacus meets and falls in love with the protagonist of the series Kira Yamato.

[edit] Meeting Kira Yamato

When she is dispatched on the civilian space vessel Silverwind to the ruins of Junius Seven, her vessel is attacked by an Earth Alliance Nelson-class battleship led by information by Kenav Luchini to believe that the vessel is actually a military ship. A fight breaks out, but a lifepod^[1] with Lacus on board makes it out because of the efforts of Junk Guild tech Lowe Guele in his MBF-P02 Astray Red Frame. Her lifepod is subsequently rescued by the GAT-X105 Strike and brought to the Archangel.

Even though they are technically enemies, Lacus is kind and respectful towards everybody on board the Archangel,^[1] and most of them treat her the same way. (Sai Argyle does question whether the reason she has such a lovely singing voice is due to her genetic alterations.) However, Flay Allster refuses to shake hands and scorns her kindness because she is a Coordinator.

Later, when Flay’s father’s escort is attacked by ZAFT forces, Flay drags Lacus to the bridge and says that she will kill Lacus if ZAFT does not cease their attack at once. Before anyone can react her father dies when his ship, the Montgomery, explodes. Lacus’ expression shows compassion towards Flay, despite being threatened by her. As the ZAFT forces continue their assault, Natarle Badgiruel informs them that the Archangel has Lacus on board, thus prompting them to withdraw. When Kira nearly has an emotional breakdown on one of the observation decks due to Flay’s abusive words, Lacus does her best to comfort him and learns they share a friendship with Athrun.

Kira later smuggles Lacus off the Archangel and returns her to Athrun, who once again beseeches him to join ZAFT. As before, Kira turns him down because he wants to protect his friends on board the Archangel. This saddens Lacus; she knows that Kira and Athrun are both good people and are forced to fight one another because of this war. As Athrun returns to the Vesalius with Lacus, Rau Le Creuset launches in his ZGMF-515 CGUE to begin an assault on the Archangel. Lacus quickly picks up the intercom and orders him to stop his aggression at once, due to her being a memorial representative of Junius Seven. When Athrun visits Lacus at her home in PLANTs, they discuss about Kira and she mentions to Athrun that she is “fond” of Kira.

Second meeting with Kira

Late in the war, a wounded Kira is brought to Lacus’ home by Clyne family friend Reverend Malchio. Lacus nurses Kira back to health with the help of her father and Malchio, and assures him that he’s welcome to stay as long as he wants and that he’s safe in the Clyne home. However, when Siegel Clyne receives word that the Earth Alliance base JOSH-A is about to be attacked by the bulk of ZAFT’s forces, Kira wants to return to Earth to save his friends aboard the Archangel. In response, Lacus provides Kira with a ZAFT Red uniform and helps him steal the ZGMF-X10A Freedom. Lacus also grants Kira “her strength” by means of a kiss to his cheek, showing him that he has her support and affections.

Because of her helping Kira, Lacus and her father Siegel are declared as traitors. As part of the Clyne Faction, Lacus and Siegel try to inform the people about the genocidal ambitions of Patrick Zala, and Siegel is gunned down by ZAFT soldiers under Patrick Zala’s command. While in hiding, Lacus meets with Athrun, and her views of the war help lead to his final decision concerning who he wants to fight for. Just then, soldiers of the PLANT radical faction try to assassinate her but she and Athrun are saved by members of the Clyne Faction, notably Martin DaCosta.

Three Ships Alliance

Near the end of the Bloody Valentine War, she leaves the PLANTs with her stolen support ship Eternal and joins the Orb Union-owned Kusanagi and the recently defected Archangel to form the Three Ships Alliance, a group dedicated to stopping the war. Upon seeing Kira again, she tells him about the death of her father and weeps bitterly. In the manga, when the Junk Guild vessel ReHOME joins the Three Ships Alliance as a tender ship, Lacus finally meets the man who saved Kira’s life (as well as her own), none other than Junk Guild tech, Lowe Guele.

When Kira discovers his origins as the product of the Ultimate Coordinator project and becomes depressed, Lacus comforts him by saying that meeting him has made her so happy, despite all the sadness she has endured up to this point. Lacus finally admits to Kira her love for him when she gives him a ring before the final battle at Jachin Due and tells him to come back to her safely. Kira thanks her for this and seals his promise to return with a kiss to her cheek. During the battle, Lacus tried to persuade both sides to cease firing the weapons of mass destruction, but failed.

In episode 49, Lacus reveals her ability to go into SEED mode: her pupils become dilated, like characters who go into SEED mode, after she gives a discourse about war and death, but no accompanying seed explosion is seen; the same dilation is seen in episode 50 of Gundam SEED Destiny, again with no seed explosion.

Gundam SEED Destiny

Life at Orb

At the start of Gundam SEED Destiny, Lacus is living with Kira at Reverend Malchio’s orphanage in the Marshall Islands until a disaster forces her, Kira, the Reverend, and their charges to move in with Andrew Waltfeld and Murrue Ramius at their shared mansion in Orb. Meanwhile, PLANT Supreme Council Chairman Gilbert Durandal, in need of political clout, showcases Meer Campbell as Lacus, using her to influence the populace. The real Lacus is almost killed in an assassination attempt by Coordinators from the “Coordinator special forces”,^[4] but Kira fights off the assassins with the Freedom. She, along with Murrue, Kira, Andrew, Cagalli Yula Athha, and most of the Archangel’s crew reunite hoping to stop the new war. Lacus acts as the CIC officer for the Archangel until Cagalli takes over. (Ultimately, Kira’s old friend Miriallia Haw would take over this position.)

Lacus apologizes to the crew members after managing to sneak onto Meer Campbell’s shuttle

Return to space

Lacus, along with Andrew later hijacks a shuttle to go into space, to see what the situation is at the PLANTs. They rejoin the crew of the Eternal and the Terminal factory satellite. In the Special Edition, the scene is edited so that Kira begs her to let him come along. Despite her personal feelings for Kira, she tells him he must remain on Earth to help Cagalli and the Archangel. In the original Gundam SEED Destiny, Kira made the choice of staying back himself. After the shuttle is found, Durandal declares that she is an impostor.

When Lacus and the crew of the Eternal are discovered and attacked by ZAFT again (due to an intelligence-gathering error made by Martin DaCosta), she and the ship try to deliver the newly-built Strike Freedom and Infinite Justice mobile suits to Kira and Athrun on Earth. Kira arrives in space via Cagalli’s Strike Rouge and is nearly killed when his mobile suit is severely damaged. Andy uses his ZGMF-X88S Gaia to provide Kira enough cover to retreat to the Eternal, where his new mobile suit is awaiting. Aboard, Kira and Lacus are reunited and share an emotional embrace and words of happiness at seeing each other again. Lacus then takes Kira to his new mobile suit, the Strike Freedom; once again, she wears a worried expression, much like she did when Kira wanted to pilot the Freedom to save her in Orb. After Kira saves her and the Eternal, she takes the Infinite Justice to Orb herself, giving Kira the freedom to participate in the already-heated battle in Orb. She lands on the Archangel and her words again help Athrun decide on what he wants to do concerning the second war.

Ending the confusion

Lacus reveals her presence and the fact that Meer is an impostor when Meer interrupts Cagalli’s television broadcast following the Second Battle of Onogoro. Most people are shocked, including the Joule Team and the Minerva crew, and even Durandal himself is perplexed that Lacus is in Orb. In her broadcast she also denounces Chairman Durandal’s agenda and also said she does not support Lord Djibril either. She says that the war is the responsibility of everyone for they created this type of world. After the broadcast, the world and the PLANTs argue over who is the real Lacus.

Later, Lacus and Kira reveal to the crew of the Archangel that Durandal intends to assign behavioral genes to every human being in order to render war and conflict obsolete. By doing this, no one can make a decision if their future was planned. Terminal vows to stop Durandal from implementing his radical “Destiny Plan.”

After the sudden attack on PLANT by Lord Djibril’s Requiem, Lacus goes back to space aboard the Archangel. She joins Athrun, Kira, and Meyrin Hawke in information gathering on the Moon, where they are contacted by Meer. Even though Athrun and Meyrin think it is a trap, Lacus chooses to meet Meer. Lacus tries to convince Meer to stop working for Durandal; however, they are attacked. Athrun, Kira, and Meyrin deal with the attackers, but Meer ends up dying in Lacus’ arms after taking the shot that was originally meant to kill Lacus. After a funeral on the Archangel, Lacus and the others read Meer’s diary and are visibly moved. When Durandal appears on a television broadcast, Lacus looks at him with an expression that was never before seen on her.

During the final stages of Gundam SEED Destiny, Lacus leads Terminal and the bulk of the forces that stand in the way between Durandal and the implementing of the Destiny Plan. She once again tried to convince the ZAFT forces to stand down and remind them of the principles of humanity. However, they believed she was a fake and part of Logos and attacked.

After the death of Chairman Durandal, Lacus Clyne is invited back to the PLANTs to serve as a mediator between ZAFT and the other nations. At the end of Gundam SEED Destiny “Final Plus”, she is shown walking towards the PLANT Supreme Council. It is still unclear whether she is a still just a mediator, a member of the Council, or the leader of the PLANTs (Chairwoman). The final installment of the Gundam SEED Destiny: Special Edition reveals Kira, in a ZAFT commander uniform reuniting with Lacus on PLANT. They share a familiar embrace, startling other council members.

Haro

Lacus is usually accompanied by a pink Haro (Mr. Pink, Pink-chan in the original Japanese version) given to her by Athrun Zala, who has a penchant for making small robotic contraptions (such as Kira’s Birdy). Over time Athrun made her more Haros in many different colors. Mr. Pink is usually there to keep her company when everyone else is away, and she often talks to it despite the fact that Mr. Pink has a very limited vocabulary. After the Bloody Valentine War, it held the two keys to the Freedom’s secret hangar. Haros are considered to be the mascot of Gundam, appearing in several other series in the Universal Century timeline, but Athrun’s Haros are visibly smaller than the Universal Century originals.

In Games

Lacus is a Pilot in Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 piloting the Infinite justice like Athrun. She often shows her worrying of Kira getting hurt and also encourages Kira and Athrun throughout the game. In a collection mission she is seen piloting a ball and makes references to haro.

 

 

          

Kazuki Fuuchouin of the strings

November 28, 2009

     

 

Kazuki Fuuchouin

Kazuki Fuuchouin (風鳥院花月, Fūchōin Kazuki^?) is a major supporting character and ally of the GetBackers. Formerly one of the Four Kings of the Volts, known as Kazuki of the Strings, is the last master of the Fuuchouin String Arts, a fighting style which utilizes koto strings controlled via vibrations in his fingertips. The strings are very sharp and can even tear up solid earth, bones, skin, muscles and sometimes steel based on the vibrations of the finger; the strings also have other uses such as listening in on distant conversations. The strings are stored in two bells tied to the front right strand of his hair to ease manipulation.

It is later revealed that the enemy clan, called the Kokuchouin, destroyed Kazuki’s clan. Kazuki is usually an ally of the GetBackers, due to his friendship with Ginji. He and Ban tolerate each other, but are not close.

Voiced by: Soichiro Hoshi (Japanese), Matt Hislope (English)

 

 

 

Kakashi - the copy ninja

              

 

 

Kakashi Hatake
Naruto character
Kakashi Hatake by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearance	Naruto manga chapter 3 Naruto anime episode 3
Voiced by	Japanese Kazuhiko Inoue[1] English Dave Wittenberg[2]
Profile
Age	26[3]-27[4] in Part I 29[5]-30[6] in Part II
Date of birth	September 15[6]
Ninja rank	Jonin[6]
Ninja team	Team

Kakashi Hatake (はたけ　カカシ, Hatake Kakashi^?) is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto originally planned to introduce Kakashi in the manga to the series’ titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, early on, but pushed back this meeting so that Naruto’s teammates could be better developed.^[7]

In the story, Kakashi is the leader and teacher of Team 7, consisting of the series’ primary characters, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki. He is initially portrayed as a detached and apathetic figure, but as the series progresses, his loyalty to his friends and students becomes increasingly apparent. Kakashi’s past has been extensively explored in the series, resulting in a gaiden being devoted to his past experiences. Kakashi has appeared in several pieces of Naruto media, including three of the four featured films in the series, all of the original video animations, and several video games.

Numerous anime and manga publications have praised and criticized Kakashi’s character. Although he has been noted to be an echo of similar detached shōnen characters, the duality of Kakashi’s apathetic and serious sides have been praised.^[8][9] Kakashi’s popularity has been noted by reviewers; T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews commented that the series could simply be renamed “Kakashi.”^[9] Kakashi has been highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls.^[10] Merchandise based on Kakashi has also been released, including key chains and plush dolls.^[11][12]

 

 

 

 

Sasuke - the ultimate villain

          

 

Sasuke Uchiha
Naruto character
Sasuke Uchiha by Masashi Kishimoto
First appearance	Naruto manga chapter 3 Naruto anime episode 1
Voiced by	Japanese Noriaki Sugiyama[1] English Yuri Lowenthal[2]
Profile
Age	12[3]-13[4] in Part I 16 in Part II[5]
Date of birth	July 23[4]
Notable relatives	Itachi Uchiha (brother, deceased)
Ninja rank	Genin in Part I Rogue ninja in Part II
Ninja team	Team 7 in Part I Taka in Part II

 

 

 

Sasuke Uchiha (うちは サスケ, Uchiha Sasuke^?) is a fictional character in the Naruto manga and anime series created by Masashi Kishimoto. He was created as a rival and foil to the series’ titular character, Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke’s design caused difficulties for Kishimoto as he drew the manga scenes, but he has grown to enjoy drawing him.^[6][7]

In the anime and manga, Sasuke is a member of the Uchiha clan, a highly skilled clan of ninjas allied to the village of Konohagakure. His primary motivation throughout the series is to avenge the destruction of his entire clan by killing his brother, Itachi Uchiha, a task he pursues at all costs. While he was initially cold and singularly driven by his revenge, he becomes more empathetic through his relationships with other characters, notably Naruto Uzumaki, whom he comes to consider as a rival. Sasuke has additionally appeared in several of the featured movies in the series, as well as several other media relating to the series, including several video games and OVAs.

Several anime and manga publications have provided acclaim and criticism of Sasuke’s character. While many reviewers have noted his cold and detached attitude and abilities, he has been viewed as a stereotypical “rival” in the mold of several similar characters in other shōnen manga.^[8][9] His personality has also been subject to criticism, with many finding it difficult to like or sympathize with Sasuke’s character, nevertheless, Sasuke has been highly popular with the Naruto reader base, placing high in several popularity polls.^[10][11] Merchandise based on Sasuke has also been released, including action figures and plush dolls.^[12][13]