Asura Cryin'

Asura Cryin'
The first light novel cover of Asura Cryin'.
アスラクライン (Asura Kurain)
Genre	Fantasy, Mecha, Action, Romance
Light novel
Written by	Gakuto Mikumo
Illustrated by	Nao Watanuki
Published by	ASCII Media Works
Demographic	Male
Imprint	Dengeki Bunko
Original run	July 25, 2005 – February 10, 2010
Volumes	14
Manga
Written by	Gakuto Mikumo
Illustrated by	Ryō Akizuki
Published by	ASCII Media Works
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Dengeki Daioh
Original run	September 27, 2008 – September 27, 2010
Volumes	3
Anime television series
Directed by	Keizō Kusakawa
Studio	Seven Arcs
Network	AT-X
Original run	April 2, 2009 – June 25, 2009
Episodes	13
Anime television series
Asura Cryin' 2
Directed by	Keizō Kusakawa
Studio	Seven Arcs
Network	AT-X
Original run	October 1, 2009 – December 24, 2009
Episodes	13

Asura Cryin' (アスラクライン Asura Kurain) is a Japanese light novel series by Gakuto Mikumo, with illustrations by Nao Watanuki. The novel series began on July 10, 2005, with fourteen volumes currently published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation by Ryō Akizuki premiered in ASCII Media Works' shōnen manga magazine Dengeki Daioh on September 27, 2008, and an anime adaptation began airing in Japan in April 2009.^[1][2]

Plot

The story is a semi-serious school action story revolving around Tomoharu Natsume. He is haunted by the ghost of his childhood friend, Misao Minakami, who died in an airplane accident three years earlier, which Tomoharu barely survived. On entering high school, Tomoharu takes the opportunity to live on his own and moves into Meiou-tei, a dormitory, where he starts enjoying a carefree high school life (also, his mother has recently remarried and doesn't want him interfering in her newlywed life). His life changes when a beautiful girl named Shuri Kurosaki appears with a mysterious trunk which she claims Tomoharu's brother, Naotaka Natsume, asked her to deliver to him. Things become complicated when Kanade Takatsuki, a girl dressed like a shrine maiden, appears seeking the trunk in Tomoharu's possession. It is revealed that the trunk hides secrets about the world they live in.

Characters

Science Club / Third Student Council President / Royal Dark Society

• Tomoharu Natsume (夏目 智春 Natsume Tomoharu), voiced by Miyu Irino, is the main protagonist of the series, often called "Tomo" by his closest friends. He controls Kurogane and became an Asura Cryin after he made a contract with Kanade Takatsuki which gave birth to Persephone. He confesses that he is in love with Kanade, but after the restriction of Misao he is unable to choose between her or Kanade because he loves both equally, but so the three agree that he doesn't have to.
• Misao Minakami (水無神 操緒 Minakami Misao), voiced by Haruka Tomatsu, is Tomoharu's childhood friend, and the primary female heroine of the series. She appears with Tomoharu as a projection/ghost-like image, and is later discovered to be the "Burial Doll" of Tomoharu's Asura Machina: Kurogane. She loves Tomo more than anything and would do anything for him.
• Kanade Takatsuki (嵩月 奏 Takatsuki Kanade), voiced by Ai Nonaka, is the second female heroine of the series. She is a demon which becomes a friend of Tomoharu Natsume. She seems to have feelings for Tomoharu. Later on in the series she and Tomoharu make a contract making Tomoharu an Asura Cryin and giving birth to Persephone, their child, owl.
• Ania Fortuna (アニア·フォルチュナ·ソメシェル·ミク·クラウゼンブルヒ Ania Foruchuna Somesheru Miku Kurauzenburuhi), voiced by Sayuri Yahagi, is a young, genius blonde-haired demon who recently transferred to Tomoharu's school and was placed into his care to protect her from a demon hunter. She is also known as a Luck Demon, due to her ability to give or take other people's luck.
• Shuri Kurosaki (黒崎 朱浬 Kurosaki Shuri), voiced by Rie Tanaka, is Tomo, Misao, and Kanade's senpai. She was also involved in the plane crash, and nearly died.
• Takuma Higuchi (樋口 琢磨 Higuchi Takuma), voiced by Hiro Shimono, is a good friend of Tomoharu's.
• Tokiya Kagayaki (炫 塔貴也 Kagayaki Tokiya), voiced by Shinji Kawada, is Aki and Toru's childhood friend and the main antagonist of season 2.
• Tohru Kitsutaka (橘高 冬琉 Kitsutaka Tōru), voiced by Yuko Kaida, is the president of the Third Student Council, which was founded by members of the "Royal Dark Society".

First Student Council / Holy Guards

• Reishiro Saeki (佐伯 玲士郎 Saeki Reishirō), voiced by Shotaro Morikubo, is the head of the First Student Council on campus.
• Aine Shizuma (志津間 哀音 Shizuma Aine), voiced by Satomi Satō, is Reiko and Reishirou's cousin. Like Misao, she is a spirit/projection and the burial doll of Reishiro's Asura Machina.
• Reiko Saeki (佐伯 玲子 Saeki Reiko), voiced by Kimiko Koyama, is Reishirou's younger sister and class president of Tomoharu's class.

Second Student Council / Pilgrim Union

• Rikka Kurasawa (倉澤 六夏 Kurasawa Rikka), voiced by Eri Kitamura, is the president of the Second Student Council, which supervises committees in the school.
• Shuu Mahiwa (真日和 秀 Mahiwa Shū), voiced by Junji Majima, is the treasurer of the Second Student Council, and also Rikka's manservant.

Kantou Student Union

• You Susugihara (雪原 瑶 Susugihara Yō), voiced by Sayori Ishizuka, is Shirogane's former handler. You is called "GD's Destra".
• Aki Kitsutaka (橘高 秋希 Kitsutaka Aki), voiced by Hiromi Hirata, is Toru's sister and the former burial doll of Kurogane.
• Haruna Chiyohara (千代原 はる奈 Chiyohara Haruna), voiced by Reiko Takagi, is the handler of Aenka and the members of GD. She uses the old style of the Japanese language.
• Kyoumu Satomi (里見 恭武 Satomi Kyōmu), voiced by Yoshinori Fujita, is the handler of Bismuth.

Tomoharu's relatives

• Naotaka Natsume (夏目 直貴 Natsume Naotaka), voiced by Miyu Irino, is Tomoharu's older brother.
• Kazuha Sonomiya (苑宮 和葉 Sonomiya Kazuha) is Tomoharu's stepsister. Kazuha is haunted by a ghost whose name is Saika (咲華). Although Tomoharu thinks she does not like him, which contributed to his decision to move into Meiou-tei and live on his own, she does in fact like him, but is too shy to speak easily to him.

Kanade's relatives

• President of Takatsuki-gumi (嵩月組社長 Takatsuki-gumi Shachō), voiced by Eizou Tsuda, is Kanade's father, and the president of a large organization known as the Demon Association.
• Uzumasa Shioizumi (潮泉 太秦 Shioizumi Uzumasa), voiced by Akihiko Ishizumi, is Kanade's grandfather and a lover of scrollwork. He is also the owner of the Meiou-tei.
• Ritsu Shioizumi (潮泉 律都 Shioizumi Ritsu), voiced by Yōko Hikasa, is Kanade's cousin and a college student.

Others

• An Oohara (大原 杏 Ōhara An), voiced by Aki Toyosaki, is one of Tomoharu's few close friends, who calls Tomoharu by the nickname Tomo.
• Yukari Kurosaki (黒崎 紫浬 Kurosaki Yukari), voiced by Rie Tanaka, is Shuri's younger twin sister.
• Hiwako Torishima (鳳島 氷羽子 Torishima Hiwako), voiced by Ao Takahashi, is Tokiya's contracting demon, nicknamed "Kori Hime (Ice Princess)" from her looks and character. Hiwako uses an ice naginata named "Hyou-ou" when she fights.
• Takaya Kagakagari (加賀篝 隆也 Kagakagari Takaya), voiced by Kazuya Nakai, is the main antagonist of season 1. He is a famous guitarist, demon hunter, and lingerie thief, and is known as the "Lingerier of Hamelin (ハーメルンの下着男 Hāmerun no Shitagi Otoko)".

Terminology

General

• First World: One of the alternate worlds in the series, which the main characters used to live in. It is destroyed after the failure of the Black Hole accident, which spurs the reiteration of the second world. The main characters from the second world have frequent flashbacks, using the first world as a basis.
• Second World: The setting where the story takes place, and the second iteration of the world, created to replace the first world that was destroyed. After Tomoharu from the second world saves the first world from its inevitable destruction, he returns to save the second world from destruction as well.
• Third World: The world Tokiya wants to create by destroying the second world. Using Hagane, Hisui, Bismuth, Rhodonite, and Asura Cryin's power, he successively makes the Central Vortex go out of control to create the third world.
• Science Club (科學部): The Science Club is set up by Natsume Naotaka. It is under the management of the Third Student Council. The current members are Tomoharu, Kanade, Takuma, Shuri, and Tokiya.
• Guardian Dragoon (GD) (武装生徒指導員(ガーディアンドラグーン) Gādiandoragūn): The strongest front-line commanders of the Kantou Student Union. Only the strongest handlers are given the title. You Susugihara is the leader, called the Destra.
• Ruins (遺跡 Iseki): Relics of the first world. The history of the first world is usually rewritten by the second world's history, but some traces remain.
• Widget (殺人人形(ウィジェット) wijetto): A mechanical doll used by the Second Student Council. It has enormous power despite its size.
• Gadget (機巧偶人(ガジェット) kikō gūjin (gajetto)): A quasi-sensory input/output device in the shape of an ugly koala. It is remote controlled by Tokiya, using his brain waves.
• Superstring gravity reactor (超弦重力炉 chōgen jūryokuro): It is officially the power plant which uses energy obtained from the manmade micro black hole, but it is actually the gate to the other worlds.
• Central Vortex (中央渦界域(セントラル·ボーテックス) Sentoraru bōtekkusu): A superstring gravity reactor that makes travel between worlds possible. Naotaka (Tomoharu from the first world), makes preparations to destroy it, to stop the destruction of the first world, although the plan fails when Naotaka is killed by Tokiya. Tomoharu from the second world eventually stops the destruction of the first world by using his new Asura Machina, Kurogane Kai.

Demons

• Demon (悪魔 Akuma): Humans from another world and their descendants, or those who acquired supernatural powers after the distortion of the world.
• The Four Demon Families: Kashima (華島), Torishima (鳳島), Kazatoki (風斎), and Takatsuki (嵩月) are the strongest demon families. They are also called "Kachoufuugetsu" (花鳥風月 Kachōfūgetsu), from their surnames.
• Hizaika (非在化 hizaika): Demons which are essentially unnatural beings in the world. Due to an immunological reaction to the world they grow weaker every time they use demonic power and eventually cease to exist.
• Contractor (契約者 (コントラクタ) keiyakusha (kontorakuta)): A person who sets a contract with a demon.
• Daughter (使い魔 (ドウター) tsukaima (dōtā)): The familiar that materializes from the feelings the demon has for the contractor when they form a contract. It changes shape depending on the feelings of the contractor for the daughter.
• Lost child (はぐれ眷属 Hagure dōtā): A daughter larva which has been deserted by its contractor.
• Luck Eaters: A form of demon that balances luck around the world. They take a person's luck by biting them and bestow luck by kissing them. They also can change the probability of a particular event occurring.

Asura Machina

• Asura Machina (機巧魔神(アスラ·マキーナ) kikō majin (asura makīna)): A machine that has a human sacrifice, referred to as a burial doll. The human that controls the machine is known as a handler, and is often closely related to the burial doll. They were created by humans making a contract with demons to allow travel between worlds possible and therefore protect their world the Gods abandoned.
• Burial Doll (副葬処女(べリアル·ドール) fukusō shōjo (beriaru dōru)): Burial Dolls (fukusō shōjo, lit. "burial maidens") are the human sacrifices required to operate the Asura Machina, and placed in its core. The Asura Machina will draw from this person's essence as it continues to fulfill the will of its handler. As more of her soul is carved out this way, she will gradually lose and eventually be devoid of emotion, at which point she will be obliterated.
• Projection Body (射影体 Shaeitai): The term used for the astral projection that the burial dolls use to enter in contact with their handlers. It is usually visible only to handlers and individuals with supernatural abilities such as demons, but if the Asura Machina is installed with a stabilizer the projection body will be seen even by normal humans.
• Handler (演操者(ハンドラー) ensousha (handorā)): The human user of an Asura Machina. When summoned, the Asura Machina usually appears from the handler's shadow. Every handler is required to say a special chant when summoning their Asura Machina. In the novels it is still unknown at this point if the handler will die if their Asura Machina's burial doll expires or is destroyed, but in the anime, once a burial doll is either killed or consumed, the handler becomes an ex-handler.
• Ex-Handler (元演操者 (エクス・ハンドラー) moto ensousha (ekusu handorā)): Handlers that have ended a contract with an Asura Machina by depleting the life energy of a burial doll completely. They then receive a stigma (commonly known as "The cursed sinner's stigma") somewhere on their body to signify that they had a contract with Asura Machina.
• Asura Cryin' (魔神相剋者 (アスラ·クライン) Asura Kurain): A person who has both a daughter, contracting demon and an Asura Machina in his or her possession. They are considered very dangerous, due to their power. In the anime there are only three named Asura Cryin'; Kagakagari, Tokiya, and Tomoharu, although it is implied that there have been others before the events of the anime.
• Energy circulation: The power exchange between an Asura Machina and a daughter. The energy being circulated between the two can significantly power up either the Asura Machina or the daughter, and strengthen the Asura Machina's innate magical abilities and increase the size and regenerative abilities of the daughter.
• Combination: The combination was revealed in the final battle. Instead of exchanging power between the Asura Machina and daughter, the Asura Cryin' calls on the full power of their contracted demon and daughter. The daughter will then physically merge with the Asura Machina, changing its appearance and increasing its power several times over. Like energy circulation, combination appears to draw the additional power directly from the demon who made the contract.
• Castas Machina (機巧護衛機(カスタス・マキーナ) kikō goeiki (kasutasu makīna)): An autonomous machine used for guarding the ruins. It is seen guarding the Ruins of la Croix, but does not attack unless provoked. Ritsu Shioizumi was seen sending one for patrol after the destruction of the first world.
• Stabilizer (安定装置(スタビライザ) antei sōchi (sutabiraiza)): A stabilizer reinforces the connection between the burial doll and her handler. It enables the burial doll's projection body to be seen by anyone.
• Igniter (点火装置(イグナイター) tenka sōchi (igunaitā)): A power booster which can only be used by an Asura Cryin'. It allows for control of a causality, meaning that a person using it can choose how any action or event will play out.
• Burial Doll Splitter (副葬処女分離器(ベリアル・ドール・スプリッタ) fukusō shōjo bunriki (beriaru dōru supuritta)): It is used to separate the burial doll from the Asura Machina. Kurogane is able to separate a burial doll from her Asura Machina, though it is dangerous unless it is the same kind of asura machina.
• Extractor: An extractor is a large, silver case with a single handle, one of which is given to Tomoharu by Shuri. Each case is in fact the "avatar" of a certain Asura Machina in that particular world, and in order to make a complete contract with an Asura Machina, a person needs to open the extractor of that machine.

Media

Anime

The anime first premiered on April 2, 2009. The opening theme used for the first season is "Spiral" by Angela, and the ending theme is "Link", also by Angela. The single for the two songs was released on May 13, 2009. A second season aired on October 1, 2009, again using opening and ending themes by Angela. The opening theme of the second season is "Alternative", and the ending theme is "Kanata no delight".

References

1. "Dengeki Online news about the Asura Cryin' anime adaptation" (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. Retrieved 2008-10-05.
2. "Second Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu TV Anime Green-Lit". Anime News Network. 2009-02-05. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-05.

External links

• Asura Cryin' at ASCII Media Works (Japanese)
• Anime official website (Japanese)
• Asura Cryin' (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Asura Cryin' 2 (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia