World Embryo
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| World Embryo | |
|---|---|
| ワールドエンブリオ (World Embryo) |
|
| Manga | |
| Author | Daisuke Moriyama |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Serialized in | Young King OURs |
| Volumes | 4 |
World Embryo (ワールドエンブリオ?) is a manga currently being published in Japan's monthly manga magazine, Young King OURs. The manga is written and drawn by Daisuke Moriyama, creator of the popular Chrono Crusade series. So far, three volumes have been published in Japan, and though the manga has been licensed by Tokyopop, an English translation has yet to be released. However, Chuang Yi, a Singapore-Based Publisher has already released the first English volume on 23th July 2007. A second volume has been released as well. All three volumes have been released in french.
Source: http://www.chuangyi.com.sg/english.php
Contents |
[edit] Summary
A deadly virus is spreading across mankind, turning humans into gruesome monsters known as 'Kanshu'. Yet no one knows of their existence, except for the organization called 'F.L.A.G.', dedicated to hunting down Kanshu and destroying the source of the infection. Its members possess extraordinary powers, capable of unleashing righteous fury on their enemies.
One day, a cell phone message from a dead relative leads estranged youth Riku Amami unwittingly into the conflict between F.L.A.G and Kanshu - and to a mysterious cocoon that would change his life forever, for better or worse.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Riku Amami
Age: 16
Blood Type: A
Blade Name: Undecided
Weapon Type: Blade
Power: 610
Speed: 530
Dodge rate: 460
"Cage" Field Range: 3.5m
Max Radiant Force: Unknown
Absolute Limit: 194tp
[edit] Character outline
The lead of the story, Riku is a high-schooler whose lives alone with his father (who is currently away on a trip) and stepmother Shizuru. He was in love with his aunt Amane, who is Shizuru's younger sister and presumed dead two years ago in a fire. It is this attachment which sets the story in motion. His jinki is given by his friend, Takebe Youhei. It also has a trigger-like grip which turns his weapon into a chainsaw-like sword.
[edit] History
He was bullied in school for being a big liar along with his former friend Tougo, who became his enemy in middle school.
[edit] Synopsis
One day he received a message which appeared to be sent by Amane with a picture of her in front of the Kazama Hospital where the fire that claimed her happened. He goes there, in search of clues, where he is attacked by the Kanshu. He meets Rena and Yohei, who managed to save him from a few Kanshu before he gets cornered. There, he finds a cocoon, from which, later hatched the two year old toddler, Nene.
After being mortally wounded by a Kanshu. Nene used her powers and gave Riku the powers of a Kanshu. He defeated those Kanshus and became captured by the F.L.A.G. company where they would test him to find the "Source of Infection." It is said he will lose his mind in 72 hours. He escapes from the company with the help of Takao who promised to tell him everything but ends up fighting against him when he tried to kill Rena. Yohei sacarfices his life to give Riku his jinki so he would not lose his mind.
Even though Riku is now a jinki user, whenever he activities it, he also transforms to his Kanshu form, giving him an increase in speed and power and granting him the cage ability. He still remains under surveillance by F.L.A.G. to the extent where Rena became his next door neighbor.
Throughout the story, the source of the infection has appeared in front of Riku showing interest in him for unknown reasons. In his second appearance, he reveals what a Kyuuki does. He uses what is presumed teleportation and sends Riku into a crowd of people. The source of infection appears right in front of him and the crowd's cellphones start to ring. Riku attempts to destroy the cellphones to reduce the damage that could be done. The Kirishima siblings arrive to assist him. While destroying cellphones and chasing the source, Riku arrives back to the roof where Neene was. The Source of Infection leaves once the link was destroyed leaving Riku with the message for Hayato . Neene becomes surrounded by memories which causes Riku to almost lose consciousness. Rena arrives just in time where her memories were somehow seen by Riku. The memory storm stop and all is calm again.
[edit] Shizuru Amami
Riku's stepmother, although Riku treats her like an elder sister. She is constantly worried about Riku, and seems to react immediately when Riku says 'mom', which he sometimes uses to his advantage (He can convince her to get out of bed just by whispering the word).
[edit] Amane Sasamori
Shizuru's sister who is presumed dead two years ago at the Kazama hospital. The only clue to this was a large puddle of blood found at the scene comfirmed by a DNA test to be Amane's. She has an unknown relationship to the director of the hospital, but she has denied they were dating. She gave the cellphone Riku uses now as a gift the day before the fire.
At the scene of the fire. Riku was talking to the presumed spirit of Amane where she says she wishes she had told him her choice, and wished to be a part of Riku's family. She says goodbye and disappears from the world.
[edit] Neene
The presumed two year old toddler who hatched from the coccoon. It has been noted by many people that she resembles the deceased Amane. Ever since her "birth", she has been growing at a rapid rate, with an exceptional growth spurt occurring every time she uses her powers in a Kanshu fight.She seems to have certain powers, such as turning Riku into a kind of Kanshu after he suffered critical wounds in an encounter with the Kanshu and creating a giant ball of light that causes things in it to disintegrate.
Later in the story she is said to be a Kyuki, a queen Kanshu who receives the memories stolen by other "drone" Kanshu, and she grows as she absorbs more memories.
Neene looks very much like a normal human, with the extra pair of large furry "ears" on top of her head being the only exception. As she ages her speech becomes more developed. She currently considers Riku her "papa" and Rena her "mama"
[edit] F.L.A.G.
A mysterious organisation dedicated to hunting and destroying the source of the Kanshu.
[edit] Rena Arisugawa
(Statistics taken from World Embryo Vol. 1)
Age: 16
Blood Type: O
Blade Name: Shingetsu
Weapon Type: Chakram
Power: 350
Speed: 620
Dodge rate: 510
"Cage" Field Range: 1.7m
Max Radiant Force: x 120
Absolute Limit: 362tp
[edit] Character outline
Rena is, by nature, a quiet and serious person. She is very focused on her job as a Jinki User, and she has no qualms about taking the lead during anti-Kanshu operations. She also seems to have feelings for her previous partner Youhei Takebe, as shown when she breaks down upon seeing his dead body. Her Jinki is Shingetsu, a pair of chakrams. They have a trigger-like grip at the center that allow the four blades of each Shingetsu to spin, as demonstrated by Rena when she uses such a technique to destroy a Kanshu effortlessly. She becomes Riku's partner.Later it is discovered she is a lost re-bound victim.
[edit] History
Not much is known about her past except she lost someone important to her. One of her dreams showed her on a train ride and presumably a man is with her.
[edit] Synopsis
After saving Riku from the Kanshus in the hospital, she and Yohei investigate Riku after a third strange signal was found at the scene. Soon Nene was taken by a Kanshu to a construction building where Rena chased after them. After saving Nene and returning her to Riku, she and Yohei serached for Kanshus in the buildings, leaving Riku alone. After the F.L.A.G. arc where Rena was almost killed. She is partnered with Riku where she becomes his trainer.
[edit] Yohei Takebe
(Statistics taken from World Embryo Vol. 2)
Age: 18
Blood Type: O
Blade Name: Karadathi
Category: Type Blade
Power: 740
Speed: 410
Dodge rate: 370
"Cage" Field Range: 2.8m
Max Radiant Range: x200
Absolute Limit: 216tp
Yohei first met Riku in the hospital where they were both hospitalized, and the two soon became fast friends. After a long period of absence, he appears in Riku's daily life again as a powerful Jinki user; his Jinki resembles a short blade. He's usually seen with Rena, and is the more optimistic and cheerful of the two. He dies in Volume 2, after giving up his Jinki to cure Riku of the infection. His Jinki was in turn, given to him by his teacher, to save him from his wounds when he was attacked by Kanshu. He turns into a Kanshu after bequeathing his Jinki nucleus to Riku. His last wishes was for Riku to kill him before he becomes a complete Kanshu, and that he would always be remembered (as all victims that has been turned into Kanshu will be erased from the memories of their former acquaintances)
[edit] Hayato Tsukishiro
The intel officer of Yohei and Rena's team. Before he was disabled, he was Yohei's former partner. He hails from the F.L.A.G. Special Investigations Branch Office, and is wheelchair-bound. He is also a Jinki User, but his Jinki has never been seen in action.
[edit] Joe Kirishima
Brother of Clara, and former comrades of Hayato. He is a reserve Jinki user, called into active duty following Takao's rampage in the N.E.F.T. HQ. Has a standing rivalry with deceased Jinki user Yohei Takebe, and after learning he was dead, proclaims that his new rival is now Riku(whom he nicknames Rick) since Riku carries Yohei's jinki core. His Jinki is a bow.
[edit] Clara Kirishima
Sister of Joe, and former comrade of Hayato. She is a reserve Jinki user, called into active duty following Takao's rampage in the N.E.F.T. HQ. She has heterochromia. Her Jinki is a large flail(and larger than her by plenty).
[edit] Nagase (Killed by Takao in episode 2)
He seems to be a pervert, and his Jinki appears in the form of a long whip. He rescued Rena once, but took a long time to put her down, admiring the view of her panties. Despite his laid-back attitude, his skill with his Jinki is excellent and both his reaction and response time are fast. He dies in Volume 2, killed by a Jinki Hunter by the name of Takao.
[edit] Kanzaki
He appears to be a tough guy type of character, and the most senior of all the Jinki users in the manga so far. He attacked half-Kanshu Riku, refusing to see Riku as a Kanshu who can still regain his human form. His Jinki manifests in the form of a lance. He also thinks that the work of jinki is only for adults
[edit] Satomi
Her first appearance being right before Riku was taken into F.L.A.G.'s custody, she is another Jinki user, and Kanzaki's partner in battle; her Jinki is in the shape of a shinigami's scythe.
[edit] N.E.F.T.
A big company in the electronics industry, mobile phones included. They are most probably the people who finance F.L.A.G. The building itself is the permanent HQ of F.L.A.G. as well.
[edit] Sawako Tojiki
The manager of NEFT's 7th Division, Special Intel Department. Not much information has been revealed, but she is most likely in charge of the science department of F.L.A.G. and given work like the dissection of Kanshu in the course of scientific work. From Vol. 2, it can be seen that she has a sort of connection to, or at least has heard of Amane. For a human, her appearance is odd, having white eyelashes and her eyes resemble those of Jinki-users in combat.
[edit] Enemies
[edit] Jinki Hunters
[edit] Takao
He calls himself a Jinki Hunter (presumably people who hunt and kill Jinki users) and has expressed his need of Nene's power in order to defeat the "Source Of Infection". He is a mass murderer, having taken dozens, perhaps hundreds of lives since his debut as a Hunter 2 years ago. To aid him in fights against Jinki users, he uses the captured Jinki cores of past slain users to boost his power tremendously, enough to shatter Cages in a single hit. To top it off, he is highly skilled with his katana. He is in contact with a mysterious person by the name of Julie.
[edit] Julie
As of Volume 2, not much information is known about him. Suggested theories are that he has an employer-employee relationship with Takao as he is heard giving Takao orders throughout Volume 2; at least, Takao is seen acknowledging said orders through the phone.
[edit] Kanshus
A virus-like object that rides on electro-magnetic wave and infect human beings, most likely through telephone calls. A infected human dies instantly without knowing it, and the Kanshu mutates his/her body, taking over it. Anyone who knew that person is brainwashed of all memories of that person unless they are a Jinki-user. They also cannot be wounded by conventional firearms, explosives or anti-material munitions, and only can be wounded by Jinki and Jinki-users. Kanshu themselves have high physical strength and speed, and their five senses(or at least, the Kanshu equivalent of such) are much heightened. The only people who can match up physically are Jinki users when they have their Jinki activated.
The Kanshu not only infect humans directly, they also injure those close to the victims mentally; from an effect called "Lost Rebound Syndrome". People who are close to those who are infected will suffer mental shock and damage; the closer the person is to the victim, for example, a son losing his father would suffer a more serious "Lost Rebound Syndrome" than one stranger who sees another stranger get infected. The time taken for recovery would be equivalent to the time taken to recognize the person; an example would be that someone's boyfriend of two years, who was infected, would take two years to recover.
Some Kanshu are self-aware, that is, they have an independent mind, unlike their normal counterparts who operate, most likely, on a hive mentality. Examples include Kanshu(Captured) No. 20, Karasawa and Kanshu(Captured) No. 78, Riku himself.
In Chapter 31, the Source of Infection revealed to Riku that the Kanshu were like honey bees to which memories are akin to nectar, and that the Kyuuki is their queen who received the collected memories as nourishment. This hints to a more sinister nature hidden within Nene, as well as explaining her rapid growth by defeating Kanshu.
[edit] The Source of Infection
Not much is known about this character besides he is the source of Kanshus. He is presumed to be the figure that has visited Riku, though he has not admitted it himself. His first appearance had a close resemblance to a Kanshu form of Riku wearing a cloak around himself. On his second visit he changes into a man in a suit wearing a kyuuki (fox) mask. He has the power to teleport, transport, and control Kanshus. He is presumed to be very powerful to the point not even Totai can even beat him yet. An interesting note is his hairstyle, which is the same as Riku's former friend in middle school, Tougo.
His first two appearances showed that he is immaterial, but it is highly possible that he was only a projection at that time. A downside to his projection is that he needs a link to project himself at that location. Links are established through Kanshus.
[edit] Terminology
[edit] Jinki
A special power wielded by Jinki users that allow them to wound Kanshu. Their power source comes from a core, commonly called a Jinki core or nucleus. The appearance of each Jinki is unique to the person, as demonstrated when Yohei gets his Jinki from his teacher, and when he in turn gives it to Riku. As with the Kanshu, most conventional firearms and attacking humans cannot penetrate the "Cage", a force shield that covers every Jinki user; however, a powerful impact from another Jinki weapon, like Takao's usage of his(many) captured Jinki nuclei or another Kanshu can still shatter the "cage". When a user activates his or her Jinki, their five senses and physical condition will be given a boost as well; in short, they obtain superhuman senses, speed, and strength equal to a Kanshu. Jinki also act as some sort of antibody or protection against the Kanshu's ability to make ordinary people forget about them, hence the emphasis on not letting bystanders see a Jinki user perform "kensei", or the activation of their Jinki. When a Jinki user loses the nucleus, they turn into a Kanshu in a short matter of time. Takao has stated that Jinki Users are just like infected humans, although the link between Jinki, their users and Kanshu are still unknown.
