| Kurou "Minamoto no Yoshitsune" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Species | Vampire-Hybrid |
| Birthday | January 1st |
| Age | Unknown |
| Gender | Male |
| Blood Type | A |
| Professional Status | |
| Previous Affiliation | Haniwa Minamoto clan |
| Previous Occupation | Haniwa member |
| Previous Team | Haniwa |
| Partner | Kuromitsu |
| Previous Partner | Benkei |
| Personal Status | |
| Relatives | Brother, Father |
| Weapon(s) | Katana, Shakujō |
Kurō Yoshitsune Minamoto (源義経クロウ, Minamoto Yoshitsune Kurou) is a main protagonist of the Kurozuka series.
Appearance[]
Brown hair, dark eyes, skinny but fit build. Muscular in both the anime and manga, however the manga features him a little more bulky at times and more muscular. In the anime, he is fairly lean and agile. He looks to be about 6'4".
In the beginning of the manga, he wore clothes resembling a mountain priest. As the story progresses through each era, he was portrayed wearing Samurai armor, combat armor, and regular Western clothes. He currently wears a skin tight body suit to fit his agile movements.
Personality[]
History[]
At the start of the series, Kurou is on the run from his "pursuers". The pursuers are assassins from Fugiwara no Yasuhira sent by his older brother, who just recently conquered and became lord of Heike.
Anime[]
The series begins in 12th century Japan and centers on Kuro, a character based loosely on the legendary Japanese swordsman Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Kuro and his servant, Benkei, meet a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kuromitsu while on the run from Kuro's elder brother, who seeks his life. Kuromitsu and Kuro fall in love, but he soon discovers that she harbors a terrible secret: she is a vampiric immortal. Following an attack by his pursuers, Kuro is badly injured and must imbibe Kuromitsu's blood to save his own life. Kuro is then betrayed and attacked by Benkei, who has been subverted by a shadowy organization called the Red Army, and Kuro's head is severed, which interferes with his transformation into a fully immortal being.
Kuro loses consciousness and wakes up centuries later in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian Japan. The surviving citizens have fallen under constant oppression by the Red Army, and Kuro is quickly found and recruited by an underground revolutionary movement called Haniwa. The remaining episodes follow Kuro's fight with the Red Army and its host of elite warriors, who have been enhanced by samples of Kuromitsu's blood, and his quest to find his inexplicably lost love.
The starting plot for the series is probably inspired by Kurozuka, a 1939 Japanese dance-drama, which features a man-eating ogress named Kuromitsu,[2] as well as the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.
Equipment[]
A close-up of the hilt
Katana: Kurō carries around a katana which he uses as his main weapon. He either has it fastened at his hip or strapped across his back, in order to ensure a quick draw. The hilt has an unusual spiraling form, with several pieces of jewelry embedded in the wood along the way, and joining in a darker tip which also has two small strings attached to it, ending in two plume-like additions and one tiny plate. The sheath of the blade is red, and wrapped up near the guard. This guard is purple colored and has two half-circle inscriptions, which are chipped off at the corners.
Kurō revealing his hidden weapon
Shakujō: During his first appearance (where he posed as a mountain priest together with Benkei), Kurō was seen carrying around a Shakujō, or monk staff, to fit with his disguise. When he was attacked by members of the Red Army, however, he showed that the staff was actually a sword hidden within a scabbard, similar in principle to a Shikomizue. The staff hasn't been seen again after the aforementioned battle, and it is presumed to be lost, since Kurō threw away the scabbard.[1] In the manga, Kurō didn't possess a Shakujō.
Powers & Abilities[]
Master Swordsmanship Specialist: Throughout the series, Kurō has proved himself repeatedly to be a swordsmanship master of almost unbeaten level which, in combination with his vampire-hybrid status renders him arguably one of the strongest characters in the series. He could fight hordes of Red Army soldiers, even when ambushed, with seemingly no effort at all, being unable to finish the last one only because of a sever headache.[1] He has shown the ability to finish opponents using guns and other modern weapons alike easily with his sword alone. His swift movements combined with his acrobatics and swordplay render some enemies unable to even register his movements, let alone counteract them.
Enhanced Endurance: Even before gaining vampire blood, Kurō had the ability to fight even after receiving a long gash across his back. After this fight, he could stay alive long enough for Kuromitsu to mix their bloods, even after receiving numerous other wounds, doing various acrobatic stunts and being carried a long distance into the woods.[1]
Vampire Blood[]
"Awakened" Form: After going through the vampire transformation process with Kuromitsu, Kurō acquired several supernatural traits. However, because Benkei decapitated him before the process could be fully completed, Kurō's vampire powers aren't always accessible, only activating when Kurō is in great danger or experiencing strong emotions.
- Immense Speed: Kurō's movements become so fast bullets seem to almost stand still from his perspective.
- Immense Strength: In this state, Kurō has shown the ability to cut through steel without effort.
Trivia[]
- Kurō is loosely based on the legendary Japanese swordsman Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Historical references includes his surname, his brother whom is the leader of Kamakura, and the Minamoto clan taking power of the Taira clan.
- Kurō (クロウ) means "crow" or "raven"' in japanese. This is referenced at the beginning of the first episode, where Kurō crosses a raven in mid-flight before the screen freezes and returns to the actual story.
- Both of Kuro's voice actors, Mamoru Miyano and Brad Swaile, also voiced Light Yagami from Death Note.