Kannazuki no Miko

Anime Review

Kannazuki no Miko

Genre Romance, Mecha, Yuri

Plot

Kannazuki no Miko is the story of Himeko and Chikane, the reincarnations of the Solar and Lunar Miko, respectively. They are two high school girls going to the prestigious Ototachibana Academy of Mahoroba, Japan. When an ancient evil rises once more, the girls are plunged into destiny as their long-sealed personas awaken to defend the world against the eight Orochi, who are the eight heads of Yamata no Orochi of Japanese folklore. When the Orochi awaken, it is the first day of October (called kannazuki, lit. "the godless month," in the traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar), which just happens to be Himeko and Chikane's birthday. The first Orochi who tries to kill the Miko is Sōma Ōgami, the boy in love with Himeko. However, after a blinding flash of light brings him to his senses, he rejects his fate and vows to defend Himeko against the other Orochi. The Miko must awaken Ame no Murakumo in order to combat the threat while Sōma repels the Orochi efforts to kill them.

The manga goes into more detail on the relationship between Himeko and Chikane. In the end, Himeko chooses to be incarcerated forever in the shrine with Chikane. At the end, it also shows that a number of years later two twin girls are born and are actually Himeko and Chikane, with the memories and feelings for one another intact.

In the anime, Himeko's memory of Chikane is taken away after Chikane sacrifices herself for Himeko and is incarcerated in the shrine. Though Chikane is ultimately reincarnated and their feelings for each other are intact, they are without past memories of one another.

Main Characeters

Miko

Himeko Kurusugawa (来栖川 姫子, Kurusugawa Himeko^?)

The Solar Priestess Himeko is a very shy, innocent 16-year-old girl, and that receives most of the anime's attention. She has known Chikane for many years without knowing Chikane's affections towards her. At first, Himeko has affections for Sōma Ōgami, who is her childhood friend. When the two date, their relationship puts Chikane's heart into turmoil. She starts off considering Chikane a very close friend although the two very rarely meet outside of secrecy. Himeko is an amateur photographer of some skill- a hobby she developed thanks to the support she receives from Chikane Himemiya. Himeko is initially a shy and timid girl, uncertain of her own worth and abilities. This is mainly because she was orphaned at an early age in an unknown manner. She was initially adopted by abusive relatives before being moved to other relatives. At school, Himeko seems to have only one friend, her dorm roommate Makoto. After the destruction of the dorms when Himeko comes to live with Chikane, she soon gains the enmity of Chikane's female fans at school- a fact she does not deal with well. Despite her timidity, Himeko gradually starts to display great determination and courage. Himeko carries the solar symbol on her chest. In the last few episodes she finally realizes and accepts her feelings towards Chikane. Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya (Japanese), Stephanie Sheh (English)

Chikane Himemiya (姫宮 千歌音, Himemiya Chikane^?)

The Lunar Priestess; in sharp contrast with Himeko, Chikane is a very commanding girl of the same age. She has a very noble and elegant aura, lives in a large mansion with many maids, and is considered to be of the highest standing at their school; she has a considerable fan following of both genders and is the frequent target of love confessions. She is a member of the prestigious kyūdō (Japanese archery) club and frequently uses the bow as her weapon of preference during confrontations with the Orochi, thus to defeat the other Orochi she uses the Orochi mark as a target. Later events show that she is also skilled in the use of the tantō. Her combat skills are somewhat reminiscent of those taught to the brides of samurai; possibly another indication of Chikane's family's high standing. Chikane is also exceptionally skilled in the areas of tennis and, more significantly, the piano; she apparently enjoys playing for Himeko, who enjoys listening to her perform. Many at school believe she has a relationship with Sōma, though this is proven to be untrue. She has been in love with Himeko since they first met, although she does not reveal it until much later. She eventually appears to "turn evil", vanquishing all but two of the other Orochi heads and assuming their place after attacking and sexually assaulting Himeko in an effort to force Himeko to be malevolent to Chikane. The truth behind her actions is more complex than at first meets the eye. Chikane carries the lunar symbol on her back. Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)

Orochi

Sōma Ōgami (大神 ソウマ, Ōgami Sōma^?)

The Seventh Neck (七の首, Nana no kubi^?), he is the only Orochi who was able to resist becoming completely evil. Sōma is the lone protector of Himeko and Chikane for most of the series and later plays a part in bringing the Orochi down. He has a very high social standing at their school, comparable to Chikane's, and most of their fellow students believe they are dating, though in truth they rarely interact until the Orochi events. Like Chikane, he is in love with Himeko and is extremely protective of her, fighting to keep her safe from Orochi until he is overwhelmed by the Orochi curse and put out of action, though he is later rescued by his brother Tsubasa. Sōma's mecha, Take no Yamikazuchi, is a humanoid robot that possesses more varied attacks than most of the other mecha, which it conceals within its own body. In personal combat, Sōma initially uses his own body and sometimes his motorcycle. Later on, he adopts the sword and fighting-style of his brother Tsubasa, significantly increasing his power. He carries the mark of Orochi on his forehead. His mech is similar to that of Gundam and attack is similar to Big O. Voiced by: Junji Majima (Japanese), Steve Staley (English)

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