Genre Action, SupernaturalThe story begins when high school student Kazuki Muto (武藤カズキ Mutō Kazuki) is killed one night saving a mysterious girl from a monster, only to wake up in his school dorm, believing it to have been a dream. However, he soon finds out that dream wasn't a dream at all when a giant serpentine monster attacks him and his sister. Tokiko Tsumura (津村斗貴子 Tsumura Tokiko), the girl he saved, explains that the monster is a homunculus. Kazuki had been attacked and killed by it when rescuing Tokiko. However she, feeling responsible for him, revived him by placing a Kakugane medallion in his chest, serving as a replacement heart.
The Kakugane, as Tokiko explains, is an alchemical (alchemistic) device that, when activated, takes a certain form based on the Kakugane's user, forming a unique Buso Renkin. The Buso Renkin is the only thing that can destroy a homunculus monster. Using this, Kazuki creates his own Buso Renkin, taking the form of a giant lance, later named 'Sunlight Heart'. Along with Tokiko and her own Buso Renkin (the Valkyrie Skirt, an execution scythe), Kazuki joins the fight against the homunculi and their master.
CHARACTERS
Kazuki Muto
Kazuki Muto (武藤カズキ Mutō Kazuki) is a 16-year-old boy who attends Ginsei Private Academy with his younger sister Mahiro. After becoming involved in Tokiko Tsumura's fight and subsequently being killed and revived by a Kakugane, he is told to return to his ordinary life, but instead insists upon assisting Tokiko in her battles. Kazuki is very enthusiastic, friendly and caring for his friends and sister Mahiro; he tends to put himself in difficult situations in order to assist or protect others. Although he has an unusual way of showing it, he does have strong feelings for Tokiko Tsumura. Kazuki has been called a hypocrite on a number of occasions (almost every time by Papillion): such instances being Kazuki's trying to stop Koushaku Chouno from becoming a homunculus and having to destroy him, becoming (albeit against his will) a Victor and thus giving up his humanity and (in "Buso Renkin After") trying to apologize to Tokiko for wanting to touch her scar.
The Kakugane Tokiko used to revive Kazuki turned out to be Black Kakugane III disguised as a normal Kakugane, which transformed him into a Victor. He is then pursued by the 'Muto-assassination team', as well as his former commander, Captain Bravo. During his assassination, he was dubbed 'Victor III' by the Alchemy Warriors. Afterwards he was given his freedom as he had promised to destroy himself if he could not find a cure for the Victor transformation before six weeks (the amount of time it takes the Black Kakugane to permanently change him into his Victor form). In the end, he sacrifices himself when he sends himself and Victor to the moon with Sunlight Heart +. In Buso Renkin Period, however, he returns to Earth successfully with help from Victor's Buso Renkin, Fatal Attraction. As soon as he returned to Earth, he and Papillon settled their scores, with Kazuki claiming victory. After this, he returns to a normal life with Tokiko, Mahiro and his friends (despite his image being used as part of a fast-food promotion under the name "Hypocrite Boy").
His Buso Renkin is Sunlight Heart (+) (サンライト・ハート Sanraito Hāto). It first was believed to be Kakugane LXX, but Kazuki came to discover he was actually in possession of the Black Kakugane III, with the actual Kakugane LXX being in the possession of Dr. Butterfly. Seeing as the Kakugane doubles as his heart, his Buso Renkin plays a unique and critical role in Kazuki's survival. Once invoked, his Buso Renkin, Sunlight Heart, takes the form of a spear-lance with a large decorative cloth attached. He was told his personality fit as a spear so his Kakugane took that form. [1] The cloth is turned into an energy force when it resonates with Kazuki's willpower. The cloth's energy can be used as propulsive kinetic energy for forward charging, or, dissipating the gravitational forces of a fall. This ability is the origin of its name as the light it radiates shines like the rays of the sun.
As the story progresses, Sunlight Heart changes into Sunlight Heart +, with a smaller, sleeker design. This new streamlined version, at first glance, seems inadequate as a lance due to its decreased reach and size. However, Sunlight Heart +'s true properties reveal themselves as being able to vastly increase its reach and power; responding to Kazuki's willpower to unleash its self-contained energy, disassembling into, and arranging its core components in the most efficient formations. To this extent, it activates its alchemic powers in the same manner as the original Sunlight Heart. Though lacking the cloth, it can generate propulsive forces from the point at the end of the handle (which is shaped like the original Sunlight Heart, though much smaller) which opens to release kinetic energy. It can also fire off blasts of internal energy.
Sunlight Heart + is last seen in "Buso Renkin Period," when it was destroyed by Papillon's Buso Renkin, Near-Death Happiness, with only the original spear's head remaining; however since it is seen that Buso Renkin regenerate as time passes, Sunlight Heart would've been repaired. Unlike most of the other Kakugane; which were collected and hidden away when the Alchemist Warriors suspended operations, Kazuki was allowed to keep his since he cannot survive without it.Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese), Steve Staley (English)
Kazuki adopts the habit of naming certain attacks. His most frequently used are:
- Sunlight Slasher: formerly named the "Jousting Slasher," is a straight charge attack under the propulsion of cloth's energy at full capacity.
- Sunlight Flasher: formerly the "Jousting Flasher," uses a burst of bright light from the cloth to blind the enemy.
- Sunlight Crasher: formerly the "Jousting Crasher," is his strongest attack, which wraps the cloth around the lance and uses its energy force to increase the overall speed and destructive force of the charge.
Watsuki Nobuhiro states that Kazuki's initial design and personality was based on Makimachi Misao from Rurouni Kenshin, adding that his hair tips are reminiscent of Misao's hairstyle.
Tokiko Tsumura
Tokiko Tsumura (津村斗貴子 Tsumura Tokiko) is a 17-year-old alchemy warrior that was assigned to take care of a homunculus problem in Kazuki's town Ginsei City. When Kazuki tried to save her from a homunculus she felt a sense of attachment to him and revived him with a Kakugane, intending to make sure that he never gets killed again. Tokiko is very dedicated to her job, claiming that she hates all homunculi, and quit going to school in order to be more efficient. This hatred comes from the trauma she suffered as a little girl, when all the people in her school were killed or eaten by homunculi. The incident also left her with a horizontal scar running across the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks. As such, she is serious almost all the time, which leads to some awkward situations between her, Kazuki, and his friends. Though her scar could have been easily removed by the power of alchemy, Tokiko had decided to keep it as a reminder of her desire to kill all homunculi. She is later assigned to be a student at Kazuki's school by Captain Bravo. She eventually falls in love with Kazuki and stays with him at the end of the series. Her famous catchphrase when battling is "I'll splatter your guts!" True to her words, the Valkyrie Skirt has torn many enemies apart. At the end of the series, she is forced to give up her Kakugane when the Alchemist Warriors suspended operations, but Kazuki assures her that the one he uses as his heart will be enough for the both of them. In "Buso Renkin After", we find out her image is being used as part of a fast-food promotion under the name "Gut-Splatter Girl".
Her Buso Renkin is Kakugane XLIV, Valkyrie Skirt (ヴァルキリー・スカート Varukirī Sukāto). This takes the form of four scythe-like blades that attach to her thighs and are controlled via synaptic nerve impulses through her skin. She is capable of using them a number of ways, from attacking numerous enemies at once to using them to boost her jumps and cushion her landings. She has also used them to traverse difficult terrain and even skate across walls and ceilings. The name comes from how in stand-by mode the blades fold up, and in her school outfit, her skirt resembles that of a Valkyrie. Unfortunately, the weapon is ill-equipped to fight enemies of great physical power or endurance. To make up for these deficiencies, Tokiko uses strategy and agility.
As a note in her character profile, Watsuki states she was a feminized version of Kenshin Himura's design as the Hitokiri Battousai.
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