Ao No Exorcist

     Blue Exorcist (青の祓魔師（エクソシスト） Ao no Ekusoshisuto, Ao no Exorcist) is a manga written and illustrated by Kazue Kato. The manga has been serialized in Jump Square magazine by Shueisha since April 2009, with individual chapters collected into six tankōbon volumes as of April 4, 2011. The one-shot of the manga was first featured in the September 2008 issue of Jump Square and was titled Miyamauguisu House Case (深山鶯邸事件 Miyamauguisu-tei Jiken). As of August 9, 2011, 27 chapters have been released in Japan. It was adapted into an anime television series and it will be adapted into an anime film.

     Viz Media has licensed the manga for North American production, with the first volume released in April 5, 2011 and the fifth volume scheduled for release in December 6, 2011. The North American book distributor Simon & Schuster listed the first volume of Kazue Kato's Blue Exorcist manga for release by Viz Media this April 2011.

Plot

     The story revolves around Okumura Rin, a teenager possessing abnormal strength and endurance who, along with his younger twin brother Yukio, was raised by Father Fujimoto Shiro. Soon after Yukio departs to study at the prestigious True Cross Academy, Rin learns that he is the son of Satan, the strongest of all demons. Witnessing Shiro dying to protect him, Rin ends up doing what his guardian asked him never to do: draw the demon-slaying blade Kurikara, which restrains his demonic powers, from its scabbard. From that moment on, Rin not only gains permanent demonic features like fangs, pointed ears and a tail, but also the power to ignite himself into blue flames that can destroy anything they touch.

     At Shiro's funeral, Rin has an encounter with Mephisto Pheles, who agrees with Rin's wish to become an Exorcist like his guardian to take revenge on Satan. Rin enrolls at the True Cross Academy, which is actually the Japanese branch of an international organization dedicated to protect the human realm, Assiah, from demons and other creatures from the demon realm, Gehenna. Rin takes part in a special Exorcist course, the existence of which is known only by a few. Much to his surprise, he finds that his brother Yukio is already a veteran Exorcist and will be one of his teachers.

Main Characters

Rin Okumura (奥村 燐 Okumura Rin)

     The fifteen-year-old protagonist of the story, Rin is the son of Satan born from a human woman and is the inheritor of Satan's powers. His powers were sealed at birth into the demon-slaying blade Kurikara by his guardian, Shiro Fujimoto, allowing him to live a normal human life for about 15 years. Rin became aware of his true identity after Kurikara could no longer seal the blue flames he inherited from Satan, setting off a chain of events that led to the death of Shiro at the hands of Satan, who attempted to drag Rin back to the demon realm, Gehenna. Mephisto Pheles confronted Rin after Shiro's funeral with several exorcists, giving Rin the option to kill them all or die. Rin instead demanded to become an exorcist, an idea that amused Mephisto. Rin was then enrolled personally by Mephisto into the True Cross Academy, where he has since been pursuing his goal to become a Paladin and to defeat Satan. He is currently an Esquire and attempting to gain the title of Meister as a "Knight".

     Rin can access the power he has inherited from Satan through drawing Kurikara. The sheath acts as a portal to Gehenna, which, when the blade is drawn, returns Rin to his demon form. While in his human form, Rin exhibits a number of physical traits that are signs of his demonic nature, such as sharp canines, slightly pointed ears, and a black, fur-tufted tail (which he keeps hidden in his shirt). In his demon form, Rin gains two horns as blue flames that float above his head, long elf-like ears, and his pupils turn red while his irides remain bright blue. In both forms, Rin can control incredibly destructive bright blue flames, the trademark sign of anything related to Satan. However, when he draws Kurikara, the magnitude of the flames dramatically increases and often leads to Rin being "consumed" by his own flames and losing his mind. Rin also has a Cat Sith, Kuro, who was initially Shiro's, as his familiar. Rin has been shown to have a talent for cooking, notably due to the fact that he had started cooking at a young age.

Yukio Okumura (奥村 雪男 Okumura Yukio)

     Rin's younger twin brother. When it was discovered that the woman impregnated by Satan was going to have twins, it was believed that Satan's powers would be split between them. Due to the weakness of Yukio's body, however, he did not inherit any of Satan's powers, thus being born fully human with the full extent of Satan's powers going to Rin. Yukio did, however, receive a spirit wound at birth from his brother, which allowed him to be aware of demons for as long as he can remember. Yukio secretly trained to become an Exorcist from the age of seven in order to protect Rin (through the help of Fujimoto). While both Yukio and Rin are in their first year at True Cross Academy, Yukio is already an instructor at the Exorcist cram school teaching Anti-Demon Pharmacology to Rin's class.

     It is often stated that Yukio is a genius, having already acquired the title "Meister" in both the Dragoon and Doctor class, while ordinarily most people would aim for Meister in only one class (both are still fully qualified exorcists). He is currently ranked a Middle First class exorcist. Even though he and Rin argue a lot, Yukio truly cares about his brother. Fearing Rin will be consumed by his demonic nature, Yukio often berates him for his impulsive actions and reckless attitude.

Mephisto Pheles (メフィスト・フェレス Mefisuto Feresu)

     Mephisto is the Chairman of True Cross Academy's Japanese branch. He is portrayed as a man with more money than sense but is very cheap when it comes to spending on others. After Fujimoto's death, he was ordered to kill Rin but instead accepted Rin's proposal of becoming an Exorcist and enrolled him into True Cross Academy. Mephisto is a powerful exorcist (holds a Meister in Honorary Knight, was able to subdue Amaimon while holding a berserk Rin off) and claims that he desires to "bring peace to both Assiah and Gehenna". Despite having served the True Cross for at least two centuries, elements of the Order still consider him suspicious.

     It has been heavily implied that Mephisto is the son of Satan along with his brother, the Earth King, Amaimon and in episode 5, he referred to Rin as his little brother. He possesses the unique and peculiar ability of transforming into a small dog and conjure a giant cuckoo clock and other, which could imply that his abilities are Magic. He goes by the name Johann Faust the Fifth in public, a further pun on the play Faust. Also, his name is very similar to Mephistopheles.

Ryuji Suguro (勝呂 竜士 Suguro Ryūji)

     Ryuji (nicknamed "Bon") is a stubborn and hot-tempered individual. Despite his delinquent appearance (blonde streak in his naturally black hair, piercings) and attitude, he is very hardworking and the best student in class. Ryuji is the heir to the Cursed Temple in Kyoto. Because of the destruction of the temple in the Blue Night and his anger towards his father Tatsuma Suguro, he swears he will defeat Satan (a goal he claims Rin stole from him) and rebuild his Temple. When Rin's identity was revealed, he refused to speak with him at all. After a confrontation with his father and Rin, Ryuji and his classmates helped Rin escape impending execution and he reconciled with him, claiming that he only blames Rin for not trusting his friends with his secret. Ryuji is currently an Esquire, and trying to achieve Meister in both Aria and Dragoon. 

Shiemi Moriyama (杜山 しえみ Moriyama Shiemi)

 

     Shiemi is the daughter of the woman who runs an Exorcist-only shop. She is kind and has an abiding love of gardening, but often lacks confidence in herself. Before the series, Shiemi never went out of her home and tended to the garden with her grandmother. After her grandmother died, Rin and Yukio exorcised the demon that was leeching her life force and she decided to become an Exorcist.

 

     Shiemi is close to Yukio and Rin, and on amicable terms with Ryuji, Konekomaru, and Renzo. She was devastated when she discovered Rin and Yukio hid that they were sons of Satan, taking it to mean that she was not trustworthy. However on the Kyoto mission, she reconciled with Rin when he was imprisoned and joined with his other friends to help him escape. She is also friends with Izumo despite how Izumo initially used her. Shiemi has the talent to become a Tamer and can summon a reliable Greenman spirit that can produce healing herbs and barriers. She is currently an Esquire.

 

 

Izumo Kamiki (神木 出雲 Kamiki Izumo)

 

     Izumo is easily one of the best students and she's aware of it. She has a tsundere attitude and is offensive towards everyone except her childhood friend Noriko Park, a Korean living in Japan, who was the only one in her elementary school who would talk to her. Very prideful and often difficult to talk to, Izumo does care about her fellow Esquires and was the first of Rin's classmates to accept Rin after his identity as Satan's son was revealed. Izumo's reason for becoming an exorcist is still unknown, but connected to an incident that happened when she was a child. Izumo is attempting to achieve a Meister in Tamer, and can summon two Byakko (foxes) to fight for her.

 

 

Konekomaru Miwa (三輪 子猫丸 Miwa Konekomaru)

 

     Konekomaru is a timid but brilliant individual, able to come up with complex strategies in a short window of time. He is very loyal to Ryuji and Renzou, since they grew up together at the same Temple in Kyoto. He is kind to everyone and the last to reconcile with Rin after discovering Rin's identity as Satan's son, seeing Rin's true good intentions. He is an orphan and the surviving head of the Miwa family. He plans to achieve the Meister in Aria.

 

 

Renzo Shima (志摩 廉造 Shima Renzō)

 

     Renzo is a very carefree yet fearful character. He's very loyal to Bon and Konekomaru, since both grew up with him at the Cursed Temple in Kyoto. Renzo is the second of the cast who accepts Rin after discovering his identity, finding ignoring Rin to be troublesome. He is infatuated with Izumo, obsessed with women but afraid of bugs. His hair is naturally black, but he dyed it pink (to the chagrin of his father). Renzo carries a K'rik (Khakkhara) staff to fight like his two brothers and plans to achieve the Meister in Aria.

 

 

Shura Kirigakure (霧隠 シュラ Kirigakure Shura)

 

     Shura is an Upper First Class Exorcist and Rin's mentor. She trained under the guidance of Fujimoto to obtain the title "Meister" in Knight and can draw a demon sword from a symbol above her chest when she states, "Devour the Seven Princesses, slay the Serpent". Her sword skills allow her to fight on par with upper level demons like Amaimon. Frequently chipper and obnoxious, Shura is carefree about her job, as she drinks alcohol in excess and oversleeps. She appears to harbor a dark past, as she claimed Shiro "came and rescued" her.

     Disguised under a hood as Yamada, one of Rin's classmates, Shura revealed herself when Amaimon attacked Rin, saving Rin from Amaimon's attack before taking him into custody. A Senior Inspector, Shura had orders to investigate the Japanese Branch and eliminate anything she discovered related to Satan. She also held a grudge against Shiro (who asked her to teach Rin how to use Koumaken) for "casting her aside". Shura intended to dispose of "her master's mess", Rin, after verifying that Rin was Satan's son, but Rin convinced her he would become a Paladin and prove Shiro was right to let him live.

     Shura decided to teach Rin how to control his powers in accordance with Shiro's wishes, leading to a bond akin to an older sister-younger brother relationship between them. Yukio and Shura are also familiar with each other since Shiro trained both of them. Shura nicknamed Yukio "four-eyed chicken".

One Piece

     One Piece (ワンピース Wan Pīsu) is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since August 4, 1997. One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old boy who gains elastic abilities after inadvertently eating a supernatural fruit, and his diverse crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy explores the ocean in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as the One Piece and to become the next Pirate King. On his journey, Luffy battles a wide variety of villains and makes several friends.

The individual chapters are being published in tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, with the first released on December 24, 1997, and the 63rd volume released as of August 2011. In 2010, Shueisha announced that they sold over 230 million volumes of One Piece manga so far; volume 61 set a new record for the highest initial print run of any book in Japan in history with 3.8 million copies (the previous record belonging to volume 60 with 3.4 million copies). Volume 60 is the first book to sell over two million copies in its opening week on Japan's Oricon book rankings.

     The chapters have been adapted into an original video animation (OVA) produced by Production I.G in 1998, and an anime series produced by Toei Animation, which began broadcasting in Japan in 1999. Since then, the still ongoing series has aired over 500 episodes. Additionally, Toei has developed eleven animated feature films, an OVA, and five television specials. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising such as a trading card game, and a large number of video games.

The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America by Viz Media, in the United Kingdom by Gollancz Manga, and in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The anime series has been licensed by Funimation Entertainment for an English-language release in North America, although the series was previously dubbed by 4Kids Entertainment.

     Since its release, One Piece has become the most popular manga series of all time in Japan and one of the most popular manga series worldwide. It is the highest-selling manga of all time in the history of Weekly Shōnen Jump, as well as currently being its most acclaimed manga. One Piece is currently ranked as the best-selling series of all time in manga history. It enjoys a very high readership, with more than 240 million volumes of the series sold by 2011. One Piece has received wide critical acclaim from reviewers, primarily for its art, characterization, humor and story.

Plot

     The series begins with the execution of Gol D. Roger, a man known as the King of the Pirates. Just before his death, Roger told the legend of his treasure - the One Piece - causing the Great Pirate Era (大海賊時代 Dai Kaizoku Jidai) to begin. As a result, countless pirates set out to the Grand Line to look for the treasure.

     Twenty years have passed since Roger's execution, and Monkey D. Luffy, a young pirate inspired by the pirate known as "Red-Haired" Shanks, sets off on a journey from the East Blue to succeed Roger and find the treasure. He organizes and leads a nine-member crew named the Straw Hat Pirates. Each crew member Luffy encounters eventually become his close friends, including the swordsman Roronoa Zoro, the navigator and thief Nami, the liar and cowardly sharpshooter Usopp, the womanizing chef Sanji, the doctor and anthropomorphized reindeer Tony Tony Chopper, the archaeologist and former enemy Nico Robin, the cybernetic shipwright Franky, and the musician skeleton Brook.

     The crew crosses paths with diverse villains, such as Buggy the Clown, many of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Marines, who place bounties on Luffy and Zoro's heads, and Arlong, a fishman and member of the former Sun Pirates. They encounter Baroque Works, the crime syndicate responsible for a civil war in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, along with fellow rookie pirate Blackbeard, whose dream is also to become the King of the Pirates. The crew also confronts Enel, the ruler of the floating island Skypiea. Later, the crew meets the Marine admiral Aokiji, who reveals that Robin was involved in searching for Poneglyphs, stones with markings left by an ancient civilization whom Roger himself was also able to read. The crew also encounters Cipher Pol No. 9, the intelligence agency responsible for the destruction of Robin's homeland, whose actions cause the pirates to declare war on the World Government. After an epic battle at Enies Lobby, the crew defeats CP9 - saving Robin and avenging the lives lost in the destruction - and each member receives bounties on their heads.

     Some time later, the crew prepares to sail off to the New World, the second half of the Grand Line. The crew eventually gets separated during a battle at the Sabaody Archipelago. At the same time, the Marines sentence Luffy's older brother and Roger's son Portgas D. Ace to be executed, and hold a war against a group of pirates led by Whitebeard. Luffy eventually rescues Ace, but both Whitebeard and Ace are killed in the ensuing chaos. Later, Luffy and the crew undergo rigorous training regimens, some under the tutelage of prominent figures. Two years later, the crew regroups and journeys to Fishman Island to enter the New World. At the same time, a group of fishman pirates hold a coup d'état to decide the fate of the island. However, they are drawn into a battle against the Straw Hats and the fishman Jimbei.

Setting

     The fictional world of One Piece is covered by two vast oceans, which are divided by a massive mountain range called the Red Line (赤い土の大陸 (レッドライン) Reddo Rain) The Grand Line (偉大なる航路 (グランドライン) Gurando Rain), a sea that runs perpendicular to the Red Line, further divides them into four seas: North Blue (北の海 (ノースブルー) Nōsu Burū), East Blue (東の海 (イーストブルー) Īsuto Burū), West Blue (西の海 (ウェストブルー) Uesuto Burū) and South Blue (南の海 (サウスブルー) Sausu Burū). Surrounding the Grand Line are two regions called Calm Belts (凪の帯 (カームベルト) Kāmu Beruto), which experience almost no wind and ocean currents and are breeding ground for the huge sea creatures called Sea Kings (海王類 Kai Ō Rui, renamed "Neptunians" in Viz Media's manga translation). Because of this, the Calm Belts are very effective barriers for those trying to enter the Grand Line. While marine ships, using sea-prism stone (海楼石 Kairōseki) to mask their presence, can simply pass through, most have to use the canal system of Reverse Mountain (リヴァース・マウンテン Rivāsu Maunten), a mountain at the first intersection of the Grand Line and the Red Line. Sea water from each of the four seas runs up that mountain and merges at the top to flow down a fifth canal and into the first half of the Grand Line. The second half of the Grand Line, beyond the second intersection with the Red Line, is also known as the New World (新世界 Shin Sekai).

     The currents and weather on the Grand Line's open sea are extremely unpredictable, while as in the vicinity of islands the climate is stable. What makes it even harder to navigate is the fact that normal compasses do not work there. A special compass called a Log Pose (記録指針 (ログポース) Rogu Pōsu, renamed "Grand Compass" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs) must be used. The Log Pose works by locking on to one island's magnetic field and then locking on to another island's magnetic field. The time for it to set depends on the island. This process can be bypassed by obtaining an Eternal Pose (永久指針 (エターナルポース) Etānaru Pōsu, renamed "Eternal Compass" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs), a Log Pose variation that is permanently set to a specific island and never changes. The world of One Piece is filled with anachronisms, like the transponder snails (電伝虫 Den-Den mushi), snail-like animals that can be attached to electric equipment and function as rotary phones, fax machines, surveillance cameras, and similar devices. Dials (貝 (ダイアル) Daiaru), the shells of certain sky-dwelling animals, can be used to store wind, sound, images, heat, and the like and have various applications. A {{nihongo|Devil Fruit|悪魔の実|Akuma no Mi|renamed "Cursed Fruit" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs} is a type of fruit which when eaten confers a power on the eater. There are three categories of Devil Fruit. Zoan (動物系 (ゾーン) Zōn) fruits allow the user to fully and partially transform into a specific animal. Logia (自然系 (ロギア) Rogia) fruits give control over and allow the user "to change their living body structure into the powers of nature". Paramecia (超人系 (パラミシア) Paramishia, spelled as "Paramythia" in 4Kids' and Funimation's edited dubs) is a catch-all category for fruits that give the user superhuman abilities. They are said to be incarnations of the Sea Devil himself, and as a result, Devil Fruit users cannot swim in sea water, as "they are hated by the sea". When even partially submerged in sea water, they lose all of their strength and coordination, although some abilities remain, such as Luffy still being able to stretch after being totally submerged. "Moving" water, such as rain or waves, does not have this effect.

Main Characters

Straw Hat Pirates 

     The Straw Hat Pirates (麦わらの一味 Mugiwara no Ichimi) are a pirate crew that started in East Blue. They are the main focus and heroes of the anime and manga One Piece, and are led by the main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. The "Straw Hats" are named after Luffy's signature straw hat that was given to him by Red-Haired Shanks, and are first referred to as the Straw Hat Pirates by Smoker in Alabasta. The crew sails on the Going Merry, their first official Straw Hat ship, up until the Water 7 Arc. After the Enies Lobby Arc, they obtain a new ship called the Thousand Sunny. The Straw Hats currently consist of nine members whose combined bounties equal 800,000,050.

     Following events on the Sabaody Archipelago, all nine members were separated from one another. For two years, they train in relatively isolated locations, becoming stronger for the sake of helping each other

     Monkey D. Luffy (モンキー･D･ルフィ Monkī D. Rufi) is a pirate and the main protagonist of the anime and manga, One Piece. He is the son of the Revolutionary Army's commander, Dragon, grandson of the famed Marine, Garp, and the foster brother of the late "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace and Sabo. His life long goal is to become the Pirate King by finding the legendary treasure left behind by the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. He believes that being Pirate King means one has the most freedom in the world. He has eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi.

     As the founder and captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, he is the first member that makes up the crew as well as one of its top three fighters. Luffy was one of eleven rookie pirates who had been referred to as "The Eleven Supernovas", the eleven pirates with bounties over 100,000,000 to have reached the Red Line. Luffy's current bounty is 400,000,000, as stated by the "Impostor Luffy" after the timeskip, and confirmed by one of the readings from a Pacifista. Eustass Kid also states that Luffy had taken the lead over the eleven Supernovas, implying that his bounty had raised. Later on, when the Straw Hats arrive on Fishman Island, Hody Jones also reveals Luffy's wanted poster which shows a bounty of 400,000,000.

     Luffy has a worldwide reputation for causing trouble, even among the Shichibukai and the Marines, committing crimes against - as well as actions that were deemed threatening by - the World Government.

He has gained a reputation for being 'reckless' and, in some cases, 'insane', after causing an incident in Enies Lobby, entering and escaping Impel Down, and joining the Battle of Marineford. He is therefore famous for being the only pirate to not only break into the three most important government facilities, but also escape from all of them alive.

     This, plus the fact that he punched out a Tenryubito with full knowledge of the consequences and his heritage has caused Luffy to be labeled as a "dangerous future element".

 

     Roronoa Zoro (ロロノア・ ゾロ Roronoa Zoro) is a pirate, former bounty hunter, and one of the main protagonists of One Piece. He is the first member to join the Straw Hat Pirates and to date is considered the largest threat and most dangerous member in the crew after Luffy. He is famed as a master swordsman, user of the Santoryu style, and his great strength, along with the actions of his captain, sometimes leads others to believe that he must be the true captain. He is also one of the top three fighters in the crew. His dream is to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Zoro is labeled as one of "The Eleven Supernovas", the eleven rookie pirates with bounties over 100,000,000 to have reached the Red Line, with a current bounty of 120,000,000. 

     Nami is a pirate and the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates. She is officially the third member of the crew after defeating Arlong, and the second to join. She briefly betrays the crew during the Baratie Arc and rejoins at the end of the Arlong Arc after her past and true intentions are revealed. She has a bounty of 16,000,000.

     Usopp (ウソップ Usoppu) was born in Syrup Village. He is the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates and former Captain of the Usopp Pirates. When Usopp was first introduced, he was often (comically) labeled as the "Liar" of the Straw Hat Pirates, due to the "Uso" (うそ) in his name meaning "lie" or "falsehood". He was first mentioned by Yasopp. He is the fourth member of the crew, the third to join, and, including Nami, also the third to rejoin, doing so at the end of the Post-Enies Lobby Arc. He is known with a bounty of 30,000,000 on his head by his alias and alter-ego "Sogeking". 

 

 

     Sanji is a pirate and the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates. He is the fifth member of the crew and the fourth to join. Since he was born in North Blue, he is the first Straw Hat not to originate from East Blue. He is the third strongest fighter in the crew. His dream is to find the rumoured All Blue, which is where East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue meet along with their wildlife; a chef's paradise. He has a bounty of 77,000,000. 

Tony Tony Chopper is the doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates. Chopper is a reindeer that consumed the Devil fruit, Hito Hito no Mi. He comes from Drum Island, which makes him the only member of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew who was born on the Grand Line. He is the sixth member of the crew and the fifth to join, as well as being the youngest member on board. He has a bounty of 50. 

 

 

     Nico Robin is the archaeologist of the Straw Hat Pirates. She was originally introduced as the Vice President of Baroque Works known as Miss All Sunday before joining up with the Straw Hats. She is the seventh member of the crew, the sixth to join, and (including Nami), also the second to rejoin, doing so near the end of the Enies Lobby Arc. She was also the first member to have been a former antagonist. She ate the Hana Hana no Mi. During the Post-War arc, she became involved with the Revolutionaries for two years. Her dream is to find the Rio Poneglyph which tells the True History. She has a bounty of 80,000,000. 

     Franky (フランキーFurankī) is the shipwright for the Straw Hat Pirates. He is a 36 year old cyborg from Water 7 and was introduced in the story as the leader of the Franky Family, a group of ship dismantlers. He was originally named Cutty Flam until he threw away his original name for his nickname per the request by Iceburg to hide his identity. Franky and his followers were originally introduced as antagonists of the Water 7 Arc against the Straw Hats until circumstances forced them to become allies. Per the request of the Franky Family, Franky was allowed to join the Straw Hats to fulfill his dream. He is the eighth member of the Straw Hat crew and the seventh to join Luffy's crew. He is also the second member to have been a former antagonist (the first being Nico Robin). He has a bounty of 44,000,000.

     Brook is the musician of the Straw Hat Pirates. He is a skeleton the Straw Hats found on board a ghost ship after drifting into the Florian Triangle. He is a Devil Fruit user who ate the Yomi Yomi no Mi and is an undead being brought back into a pseudo-immortal state because of its powers. He is the ninth member of the Straw Hat crew and the eighth to join Luffy's crew. He is also one of the two swordsmen onboard their current ship with the other being Zoro. He fills the role of the long awaited musician that Luffy wanted for his crew since his journey began. He has a bounty of 33,000,000. 

 

 

Amagami

     Amagami, is a Japanese dating simulation game for the PlayStation 2 and the spiritual successor to KimiKiss, both which were developed and published by Enterbrain. Amagami was released on March 19, 2009. As of November 2010 six manga adaptations have been produced: two serialized in Enterbrain's Famitsu Comic Clear, two in Hakusensha's Young Animal and Young Animal Island, one in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Maoh and one in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace. An anime adaptation titled Amagami SS aired in Japan from July 2, 2010 to December 23, 2010.

Plot

     Two years ago, Junichi Tachibana got his heart broken by a girl who stood him up on a date on Christmas Eve. Now a second-year student in high school, Junichi is wary of love because of his past and dislikes celebrating Christmas. However this Christmas, his encounter with one of six girls from his school, Haruka Morishima, Kaoru Tanamachi, Sae Nakata, Ai Nanasaki, Rihoko Sakurai, or Tsukasa Ayatsuji will finally open up his heart to love again.

Characters

Main characters

 Junichi Tachibana

     The lead male protagonist of the story. He has a hard time opening up to others due to a trauma two years ago when his date stood him up on Christmas Eve which left him heart broken. He also fears heights, as he feels uncomfortable when riding elevators.

 

 Haruka Morishima 

 

     A very popular girl in her final year, who has many fans at school. She can be described as a fickle and insecure girl with a liking for cute things, especially puppies. Her best friend is Hibiki Tsukahara and she has a younger brother named Satoshi. She is a quarter British from her mother, whose family's surname is Lovely (thus Haruka's middle name).

 

 

 Kaoru Tanamachi

 

     One of Junichi's childhood friends, she is often seen with his other friend Masayoshi. She is unpredictable as she would punch Junichi anytime. She works part-time at a family restaurant to support her single mother, who later dates another man.

 

 

Sae Nakata

     A friend and classmate of Miya's. Having studied at an all-girl's school for most of her life, Sae is incredibly shy around men. Because of that, she has a soft, quiet voice.

Ai Nanasaki

 

     A friend and classmate of Miya's. She is part of their school's girl swimming team. She has a younger brother named Ikuo and possesses a cool, calm disposition.

 

 

Rihoko Sakurai

 

     She is Junichi's childhood friend who, despite having a big appetite, avidly reads the dieting books in their school library. She is a member of the Tea Club.

 

 

 

Tsukasa Ayatsuji

 

     Junichi's class representative, who is both a hard worker and a person who is willing to take on any task that no one else will. While she acts kind and friendly, it is actually a facade that secretly hides the real her, who is manipulative and cunning.

 

Supporting characters

 Miya Tachibana

     Junichi's younger sister, who playfully calls her brother, "Nii-nii". She tends to be jealous when her brother is with another girl, with the exceptions of Sae, Ai and Rihoko, who are her close friends.

 

 

Maya Takahashi

 

     Junichi's homeroom teacher. Usually a serious teacher, she can easily get drunk when she drinks sake.

Masayoshi Umehara

 

     Junichi's best friend since childhood, who has an interest in Japanese idols. He often purchases photo books of them and shares them with Junichi. His family owns a sushi shop, which he plans to inherit.

 

 

 Kanae Itō

 

     A close friend of Rihoko's. She later wins the Miss Santa Contest during the Kibitou High School's Founder's Festival should Haruka not participate.

 

Keiko Tanaka

 

     A friend of Kaoru. A quiet girl, Kaoru and Junichi once gave her some advice about her crush with another boy.

Hibiki Tsukahara

 

     Haruka's friend who is captain of the girls' swimming team and Ai's senior. She tends to berate Haruka's playful nature.

Ruriko Yuzuki

 

     Rihoko's senior and a member of the Tea Club. Ruriko tends to worry about Rihoko's clumsiness as the future of the Tea Club will be in the latter's hands once she and Manaka graduate.

Manaka Hiba

 

     Rihoko's senior and another member of the Tea Club. Manaka has a rather quiet voice but talks with cryptic words.

Yukari Ayatsuji

 

     Tsukasa's older sister who is very nice and aloof. Yet it is these traits that Tsukasa dislikes her sister.

Risa Kamizaki

 

     A secret character in the game and anime. A shy girl, Risa has been in love with Junichi since grade school and has been secretly stalking him since. Risa is also the one responsible for what happened two years ago under the belief she was protecting Junichi.

Anime

     An anime TV series adaptation by AIC titled Amagami SS aired from July 2, 2010 to December 23, 2010 in Japan. The anime adaptation is divided into six four-episode story arcs where each arc focuses on one of the main heroines who will become Junichi's love interest along with two extra episodes that focuses on Risa Kamizaki and Miya Tachibana. Also included are two bonus OVA Short Story DVDs that were delivered to customers who ordered the first six Blu-Ray/DVDs for the first OVA and the next six Blu-Ray/DVDs for the second OVA. On May 21, 2011, Sentai Filmworks announced at Anime Central 2011 they have licensed the anime series for North America. On August 13, 2011, it was announced that Amagami SS will get a second season.

The anime has ten pieces of theme music: two opening themes and eight ending themes; each ending theme is sung by the voice actresses of the heroines of the series in their respective story arc. The first opening theme is "i Love" by azusa which ran from episode 1 to 13 and was released on July 19, 2010. The second opening theme is "Kimi no Mama de" by azusa which was used from episode 14 to 26 and was released on October 20, 2010. The first ending theme, used for episodes one through four, is "Kimi no Hitomi ni Koishiteru") by Shizuka Itō and was released on July 21, 2010. The second ending theme, used for episodes five through eight, is "Kitto Ashita wa..." by Rina Satō and was released on August 18, 2010. The third ending theme, used for episodes nine through twelve, is "Anata Shika Mienai" by Hiromi Konno and was released on September 15, 2010. The fourth ending theme, used for episodes 13 through 16, is "Koi wa Mizuiro" by Yukana and was released on October 20, 2010. The fifth ending theme, used for episodes 17 through 20, is "Koi wa Aserazu" by Ryōko Shintani and was released on November 17, 2010. The sixth ending theme, used for episodes 21 through 24, is "Nageki no Tenshi" by Kaori Nazuka and was released on December 15, 2010. The seventh ending theme, used for episode 25 is "Koi no Yukue" by Mai Kadowaki. The eighth and final ending theme, used for episode 26 is "Suteki na Aru Hi" by Kana Asumi. Both the seventh and eighth ending themes were released on January 19, 2011.