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"Yushiro"
Voiced by: Nobuyuki Hiyama (Japanese), Chris Patton (English)
"Yushiro" is a priest able to communicate with, and summon, the God of Destruction, Gasaraki — a god of war capable of wiping out an entire society. His soul is also known to have undergone reincarnation since ancient times. Because of this, many people in the course of history have attempted either to use him, or to take him into their possession for power.
The anime focuses on the contemporary "Yushiro;" a 16 year-old teenager named Yushiro Gowa born in 1998 A.C., while the manga and drama CDs revealed the stories of the past incarnations of "Yushiro."
In General
- Apocalypse Maiden: Male example. Whenever Yushiro is reincarnated in a particular time period, it is his fate to summon The Gasaraki either with Miharu or by himself.
Yushiro Gowa (Contemporary Incarnation)
- Beyond the Impossible: Yushiro frequently does things with a TA that are considered both suicidal and impossible.
- Combat Pragmatist: Whenever he pilots his TA, though some of it is induced by psychic power.
- Dead Person Impersonation. The protagonist Yushiro was raised under the identity of the real, and long-dead, "Yushiro Gowa" who died 8 years prior to where the story begins.
- Improbable Age: Yushiro is 16; justified in that he is still a civilian, and that the TA squadron he's assigned to wasn't meant to serve in combat at all. This is also lampshaded during episode 6, when Yushiro disappears:
- Ataka: Just how many teenage boys in SSDF uniforms do you think are here anyways?Kaburagi: Um...actually i've been mistaken for one...a few times...
- Normally, I Would Be Dead Now: Yushiro miraculously avoids being pulverized by an artillery bombardment.
- And even earlier he gets shot in the head by a sniper and lives, though in all fairness he was still wearing his helmet.
- Odd Name Out: Yushiro is the only one of the Gowa sons to lack the "Kiyo" (清) character in his name. Mainly because all incarnations of "Yushiro" will show signs of his Kai abilities shortly after birth, therefore the clan will name all male Kai inheritors "Yushiro."
- Screw Destiny: After regaining the memories of all his past incarnations, Yushiro (with Miharu using their mechas) performs The Gasaraki Ceremony to summon out Gasaraki and to gather the souls of all those involved; gives them the talk about them not needing to cling onto their traditions and past selves, and proceeds to save Misuzu's life from being devoured by Gasaraki.
Past Incarnations of Yushiro
Yushiro Gowa ( 05/19/1998-10/04/2006, Japan)
- Posthumous Character: Through Miharu's hack in retrieving (the contemporary) Yushiro's personal information, which was locked under heavy security, the contemporary Yushiro and Miharu came to know of his existence. Which leads them out of their way to search for and force the awakening of their past memories together.
Yushiro Gowa (World War II Era, Japan)
Preda (1450s, France)
- Big Brother Instinct: As the Kai who awakens his past memories first, he does all he can to let his little sister Faye (Miharu) live a happy life, and if possible, prevent her from awakening her memories. Sadly, Phantom found her, and it all goes downhill for the both of them.
- Hotblooded: This incarnation of Yushiro is the closest he can get to the classic hero archetype.
Yushiro Watanabe (Heian Period, Japan)
Yushiro (First recollected memory, unknown East Asian location)
"Miharu"
Voiced by: Mami Kingetsu (Japanese), Monica Rial (English)
In General
- Apocalypse Maiden: Whenever Miharu is reincarnated in a particular time period, it is her fate to summon The Gasaraki either with Yushiro or by herself.
Miharu (Contemporary Incarnation)
Past Incarnations of Miharu
Harumi Gowa (World War II Era, Japan)
Faye (1450s, France)
Jeanne (1410s-1430s, France)
This incarnation of "Miharu" turns out to have been the Saint Joan of Arc mentioned in history, claiming to her king that she "received visions from the heavens" to serve her kingdom and successfully summoning her Kokai to fight enemies. However, the mounting slaughter ultimately caused her to stop fighting, whereupon she ended up caught by the enemy and put to death by being burned at the stake. This also marks Phantom's first encounter with a Kai. In this case, Miharu.Miharu Watanabe (Heian Period, Japan)
Miharu (First recollected memory, unknown East Asian location)
The Gowa Clan
- Big Fancy House: The Gowa Clan lives in a traditional Japanese mansion, so they got a shishi-odoshi naturally.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: Mainly inverted. The clan may seem like this due to their practice of Royal Inbreeding, but most members are tight knit and values teamwork. That is, until the soul of Kazukiyo is reincarnated, at which point things can go downhill fast for that generation.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Something of a deconstruction, it's revealed that most of them (except Kazukiyo) abide by some code of morality as the series goes on. I.e., upon learning that Misuzu is a Kai, Kiyotsugu refuses to disclose said knowledge to protect her from Kazukiyo. And when Kiyoharu is the one who spills the beans, Kiyotsugu is all Oh, Crap!.
- Royal Inbreeding: Due to their clan's duty to uphold their ancestors' "pure lineage" as priests/vessels to summon The Gasaraki, it is strongly implied that they've been performing this for generations. This is intended to improve the odds of "Yushiro" and "Miharu" reincarnating, particularly back into their clan.
Clan Members
Kazukiyo Gowa
Voiced by: Yuuji Takada (Japanese), Andy McAvin (English)
- Ambition Is Evil
- Generation Xerox: As the flashback shows, Kazukiyo's actions mimic those of the Watanabe clan member Tsuna. As it turns out, Kazukiyo is the reincarnation of Tsuna.
- Good Hair, Evil Hair: Kazukiyo has Slicked-Back Hair, easily identifying him as evil.
Kiyotsugu Gowa
Voiced by: Show Hayami (Japanese), Jason Douglas (English)
- For Science!: Kiyotsugu's MO.
Kiyoharu Gowa
Voiced by: Isshin Chiba (Japanese), Brett Weaver (English)
Misuzu Gowa
Voiced by: Satomi Koorogi (Japanese), Hilary Haag (English)
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Misuzu does NOT like Miharu being around Yushiro. Plus, the way she dotes on Yushiro is rather creepy given that he's her brother. Even when, well, he's not the real Yushiro.
- And for worse? When she connects with one of the mechas as the kai she is, Kazukiyo uses her jealousy of Miharu to brainwash her.
- The Ojou: The only daughter from a renowned military clan.
Daizaburo Gowa
Voiced by: Takehiro Koyama (Japanese), Ted Pfister (English)
- The Atoner: Daizaburo deeply regrets sacrificing his biological son, Yushiro, for his own ambitions. And when Misuzu awakens her own Kai abilities, he becomes even more devastated.
- Cooldown Hug: Averted; Daizaburo is about to give one to his daughter, Misuzu, to dissuade her from using her powers as a Kai — and right then, his eldest son Kazukiyo shoots him in the back, killing him.
Yukino Gowa
Voiced by: Seiko Fujiki (Japanese), Laura Chapman (English)
Yoshitake Gowa
Voiced by: Kinryū Arimoto (Japanese), John Swasey (English)
Takeharu Gowa
Voiced by: Tōru Ōkawa (Japanese), Rob Mungle (English)
Giichiro Gowa
Voiced by: Yuzuru Fujimoto (Japanese), Ralph Ehntholt (English)
Related Personnel
Sorachi
Voiced by: Yosuke Akimoto (Japanese), Phil Ross (English)
Kiyomu Yonetani
Voiced by: Tōru Ōkawa (Japanese), C. Markham Anderson (English)
Special Self Defense Force (S.S.D.F)
3rd Experimentation Company
Tamotsu Hayakawa
Voiced by: Kunihiko Yasui (Japanese), John Gremillion (English)
Takuma Tokudaiji
Voiced by: Kazuhiro Nakata (Japanese), Kevin Charles (English)
Rin Ataka
Voiced by: Minami Takayama (Japanese), Kelly Manison (English)
- Cool Big Sis
- Sexy Mentor: To Yushiro.
Kahoru Kaburagi
Voiced by: Narumi Hidaka (Japanese), Heather Bryson (English)
- Bifauxnen
- Team Mom: Lieutenant Kaburagi is a more stern example of one of these, crossing into Sergeant Rock.
Sunao Murai
Voiced by: Sakura Tange (Japanese), Jennifer K. Earhart (English)
Nozomi Takayama
Voiced by: Junichi Sugawara (Japanese), Mike Kleinhenz (English)
Jun Kitazawa
Voiced by: Andrew Klimko (English)
Takurō Suemi
Voiced by: Nobutoshi Canna (Japanese), Randy Sparks (English)
SYMBOL
Meth
Voiced by: Natsuo Tokuhiro (Japanese), Mike Kleinhenz (English)
- Parental Substitute: Councilman Meth becomes one for Miharu, Phantom even comments on it, saying that it is clouding his judgment.
Phantom F. Freezeller
Voiced by: Illich Guardiola (English)
