List of Kanokon characters

The following is a list of characters from the series Kanokon. The characters appear in multi-media formats each done by a separate artist. The first format released was a light novel series where Koin provided the illustrations. The second format was a manga adaptation which was also released in North America, Rin Yamaki gave the characters a new look with her artwork. The third medium was in the form of a visual novel for PlayStation 2 with artwork done by 5pb.. The final media format done was a Anime, and OVA series which was written by Masashi Suzuki. Kanokon follows the story of Kouta, a high school freshman who gets the attention of another student named Chizuru. She falls deeply in love with him, and soon he finds out that she is actually not a human but a fox spirit called a Kitsune. As the story progresses, a rival named Nozumu comes along intending in making Kouta hers. It is not long before Kouta realizes that his school, and classmates hide numerous secrets. Some characters support his developing relationship with Chizuru while others want to destroy it, and the school he attends.

Main characters

Kouta Oyamada (小山田 耕太, Oyamada Kōta)

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto^[1] (Japanese); Mona Marshall (English)

Kouta is the protagonist of the story. He used to live with his grandfather before moving from the country to the city for his first year of high school, and on his first day of school discovers that Chizuru Minamoto a second-year girl is actually a kitsune.^[2][3] To complicate matters, she falls in love with and vigorously pursues him committing "disgraceful acts" with him in public. Because of this, Kouta has had the nickname "Great Erotic King" (エロス大王, Erosu DaiŌ, "King of Eros" in the English anime) placed upon him by other students in the school. He is initially reluctant to engage in the "intimate" acts Chizuru desires, but does so later on in the series citing her inspiration. Kouta's true bond with Chizuru is shown when they fuse into a powerful being that gives Kouta black fox ears with tails. According to Chizuru's brother Tayura, this possession can only happen if a human and a yōkai share a deep emotional bond with each other.^[4] In chapter 15 of the manga series it is shown that he can fuse, and enter Chizuru's spirit even though the two are separated. It is here that Kouta proposes to Chizuru which she happily accepts.^[5] The series ends with him saving Chizuru who had been kidnapped by a faction of Kudzu Leaf, and in the process learns that he possibly the reincarnation of Susanoo-no-Mikoto which he later denies. Soon after he saves her Kouta is shocked when Chizuru gives birth as a result of an unusual rescue.^[6]

Chizuru Minamoto (源 千鶴, Minamoto Chizuru)

Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi^[1] (Japanese); Dorothy Elias-Fahn^[7] (English)

Chizuru is second-year female student at Kouta's school. On the outside she appears to be a well endowed teenage girl, but she is in fact a powerful kitsune. When she changes form, her black hair turns blonde, and she gains fox ears and a tail. While it is implied by her brother Tayura that she is 400 years old, it is later revealed that her age may be in the thousands. She has no recollection of her past from before she met her foster mother Tamamo, but over time remembers some things she had forgotten about herself. From the start of the series she has fallen in love with a human named Kouta, and is constantly hanging around him. She very much wants to enter into a "relationship of sin" with him and is very forthright in her almost constant sexual suggestions and actions. In the manga, Chizuru has realized that Kouta is turning into a yōkai like herself by fusing with her. She had forgot that there lies within her a great power saying to Kouta that she "isn't a normal fox Yōkai" She acknowledges, and is worried when Kouta gains a portion of the Eight Dragons power which resides in her. By the end of the series she is kidnapped where she learns the truth about Yamata no Orochi, like Kouta though she denies it. Kouta saves her in a sexual way by giving her the energy to help fight against Minori. The left over energy is then used to give the couple a half human daughter.^[6]

Nozomu Ezomori (犹守 望, Ezomori Nozomu)

Voiced by: Miyū Takeuchi^[1] (Japanese); May Kao (English)

Nozomu is a first-year female transfer student at Kouta's school who first appears in the third volume of the novels. She has short light ash blonde hair and is in fact a 200-year-old wolf spirit who lives by herself in an expensive but empty penthouse apartment, where she always sleeps naked on the floor. She has an older brother named Saku who took her in, but after Saku attacks Kouta she decides to go against her brother by following her own path.^[8] Despite her seemingly detached and emotionless manner, she falls in love with Kouta at first sight and is thus Chizuru's rival for Kouta's affections. She frequently insults Chizuru by calling her a "Horny Beast," saying that Chizuru "smells obscene" or that her breasts are flabby. Kouta tells her that he is in love with Chizuru at the end of the fourth manga volume, but Nozomu responds by stating that she will his mistress instead.^[9] While she has small breasts, Nozomu also frequently tries to become intimate with Kouta. Some examples of this include asking him to lick her tailbone, and requests for him to massage her breasts.^[10]

Supporting characters

Tayura Minamoto (源 たゆら, Minamoto Tayura)

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga^[1] (Japanese); Ethan Murray (English)

Tayura is Chizuru's younger brother and Kouta's classmate. Like his sister, he is also a fox spirit but was adopted into her family. He frequently teases Chizuru about her age which results in her getting visibly annoyed. Initially Tayura was jealous of the relationship between his sister and Kouta prompting Chizuru to say that he is suffering from a sister complex. He ends up falling in love with Akane but whenever he tries to get closer to her, he is given the cold shoulder. He has stated that he is okay with her coldness, and the two gradually warm up. By the end of the series to his joy, Akane is seen wearing the ring Tayura got her as a Christmas gift.

Akane Asahina (朝比奈 あかね, Asahina Akane)

Voiced by: Chiwa Saitō^[1] (Japanese); Camilla Debry (English)

Akane is the bespectacled class representative of Kouta's class. Due to her position as class representative she has a high sense of regulations, and therefore disagrees with how ardently Chizuru pursues Kouta while at school. She is on good terms with Kouta, and worries about his relationship with Chizuru citing her as a bad example. In the manga series it is hinted that she has a crush on him, blushing when it comes to thinking of him in "cute" cosplay. When it comes to Tayura, she is at first very cold to him but the two grow closer which results in Yuuki playfully teasing her. Later in the series, Akane feels left out as she feels like her friends are keeping secrets from her having witnessed multiple things she couldn't explain. Yukihana indirectly lets her know what is going on to which leads her to accept the secrets. It is also hinted that Akane has a perverted mind which she denies, but is noticed by Nozomu who calls her a pervert in one of the OVA anime episodes.

Ren Nanao (七々尾 蓮, Nanao Ren) and Ai Nanao (七々尾 藍, Nanao Ai)

Voiced by: Mai Kadowaki (Ren) and Tamaki Nakanishi (Ai)^[1]

Ren and Ai are twin sisters who are first-year students at Kouta's school who are introduced in the fifth volume of the novels. The girls are nearly identical except for their slightly different hair styles. They are spirit hunters who live at a very poor temple and are frequently seen doing things that homeless people would do; they make stew out of trash and roadside weeds or eat discarded bread crusts. They use chains when attacking and are also seen in the anime ineffectively using explosives. They were given the task of assassinating Chizuru, but did not go through with it since she was still "only a kid", but more importantly, she treated them to a meal, which they considered a godsend. As they warm up to Chizuru they start referring to her as "Mama" and Kouta as "Papa".

Omi Kiriyama (桐山 臣, Kiriyama Omi)

Voiced by: Takashi Kondō^[1] (Japanese); Bryce Papenbrook (English)

Omi is a second year student at Kouta's school who is in fact a sickle weasel with the power to control the wind. Omi was once the bitter enemy of the Minamoto siblings. In the fourth volume of the novels, he becomes the leader of the gang of delinquents at his school. He hates the friendship between Kouta and his friends and does not speak much. In the anime, he hurts Kouta, who took a blow meant for Chizuru. Since he is not permitted to harm humans, this act has serious consequences for him. He likes Mio.

Mio Osakabe (長ヶ部 澪, Osakabe Mio)

Voiced by: Yui Itsuki (drama CD), Miyu Matsuki^[1] (Japanese); Elivia Gaitan (English)

Mio is a second year student with a shy nature who hangs around with Omi. Due to her short stature, she is often mistaken for a grade school student and has even received multiple confessions from grade school students. She is in fact a half frog spirit and can heal quickly. While she did not have a name originally, Omi named her from a combination of his own given name and his home town's name. She likes Omi but becomes incredibly embarrassed when anyone refers to her relationship with him.

Ryuusei Kumada (熊田 流星, Kumada Ryūsei)

Voiced by: Kenji Nomura (drama CD), Kenta Miyake^[1] (Japanese); Andres Alexis (English)

Ryusei is a third-year student who has a distinct cross-wound over his left eye and was the leader of the school delinquents before Omi took over. He is, in fact, a bear spirit. In the fourth volume, he graduates from high school, but soon changes his name to Suisei Kumada (熊田 彗星, Kumada Suisei) and restarts high school as a first-year student.

Yuuki Sasamori (佐々森 ユウキ, Sasamori Yūki)

Voiced by: Saori Seto^[1] (Japanese); Lara Cody (English)

Yuuki's first appearance is in the second chapter of the manga series. She is best friends with Kiriko, and the two are classmates of Kouta whom she refers to as the "Letch King". In the OVA of the anime adaptation Yuuki is shown to be interested in film making, and buys a video camera. Unlike her friend she is shown to have a more wild side. Some examples include in the manga where she grabs Chizuru's breasts in order to show them off to Kouta, and in the OVA where she films Nozomu naked. She is also friends with Akane whom she teases for having a dirty mind. Yuuki is also on the student body often reflecting their stance on things.^[11]

Kiriko Takana (高菜 キリコ, Takana Kiriko)

Voiced by: Ui Miyazaki (drama CD)

Kiriko also first appears in the second chapter, and is best friends with Yuuki whom she refers to as "Yooks". Kiriko comes from a well off family, and has expensive gadgets which she uses a lot. She appears to dislike Kouta for being too perverted, and thinks all men in general are "beasts".^[11] Kiriko gets top marks in school even though she doesn't study.

Kudzu Leaf

Iku Sahara (砂原 幾, Sahara Iku)

Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya^[1] (Japanese); Karen Strassman (English)

Iku is a social studies teacher and is Kouta's homeroom teacher. She is in fact possessed by a powerful yōkai named Okata (御方) who is head of the Sahara family, and leader of Kudzu Leaf. Okata is also in charge of the school Kouta attends, and oversees the spirits at school. In the manga series Iku is aware that she is possessed by Okata, and lets her take hold when needed by releasing a seal she has in her hair.^[12] Okata's powers in both the manga/anime adaptations is shown to be the manipulation of sand. She is shown to be able to conceal people by using it as well as the ability to set up magical barriers. In the anime adaptation it is shown that she can also put the students to sleep in the school when dangerous situations come along. The true form Okata who possesses Iku is that of an old woman who has survived for thousands of years.

Minori Mitama (三珠 美乃里, Mitama Minori)

Voiced by: Kumiko Nishihara

Minori is the main antagonist of the story, she makes her first appearance in volume three of the novels referring to herself as Kouta's younger sister. Her servant is a yōkai named Nue (鵺) who makes her first appearance in volume three of the novels. As her name indicated, she is a nue, but also has a pair of raven wings for flight.

Saku Ezomori (犹守 朔, Ezomori Saku)

Voiced by: Yūto Kazama^[1] (Japanese); Grant George (English)

Saku is Nozomu's older brother who makes his first appearance in the second volume of the novels when he drops her off in the city. Like his sister, he is a wolf spirit. He usually drives a motorcycle around town and later reveals that he is in love with Chizuru. He puts a cursed bracelet on Kouta to stop him from doing anything perverted with Chizuru. The bracelet is taken off a few days later when Kouta and Chizuru use their fused form to defeat him. It is later revealed that he was testing Chizuru and Kouta when he reports that their connection is real to an unidentified pair of people who appear to be Minori and Nue.

Miya Mitama (三珠 未弥, Mitama Miya)

Takao Yatsuka (八束 たかお, Yatsuka Takao)

Voiced by: Takashi Matsuyama^[1] (Japanese); Dan Woren (English)

Takao is the gym teacher at Kouta's school who has a scary face. Like Iku, he too oversees the spirits at school. He is very wise and gets along with Yukihana.

Yōkai/Gods

Tamamo (玉藻)

Voiced by: Naomi Shindō^[1] (Japanese); Mari Devon (English)

Tamamo makes her first appearance in volume three of the novels, and in volume five of the manga series. Kouta soon finds out that she is in fact Tamamo-no-Mae, a powerful nine-tailed fox spirit. She is also revealed to be Chizuru's mother, though not blood related. She is the manager of Tama no Yu (玉ノ湯) which is a hot spring hotel deep in the snowy mountains. When business is slow, she manages a beachside restaurant named Tama no Ya (Tama's shop). Yukihana helps her run the hotel, and the shop. She gets along well with Kouta, though she sometimes meddles in his relationship with Chizuru. It is revealed in the manga that she fell in love with Yasunari Abe, the hero from the children's book "The Legend of the Nine-tailed Fox". Rather than killing her as the story implies, he takes her for his bride. As such she encourages Kouta's relationship with her daughter even though he is a human. She also knows about Yamata no Orochi, the dragon that was sleeping inside of Chizuru. Manga artist Rin Yamaki decided to give Tamamo more of a youthful appearance in order to emphasize her similarities with Chizuru.

Yukihana (雪花) / Hanadai Yukino (雪野 花代, Yukino Hanadai)

Voiced by: Risa Hayamizu^[1] (Japanese); Tara Platt (English)

Yukihana is a yuki-onna who made her first appearance in volume three of the novels, and in volume five of the manga series. She is a ninja who works under Tamamo at the Tama no Yu hot springs resort, and at her beachside restaurant Tama no Ya. In volume seven of the novels, she becomes a teacher for the handicapped at Kouta's school. While working as a teacher, she goes by the alias Hanadai Yukino. If anyone calls her using the name Yukihana, she says that she is not that person. In the manga series she uses the alias to briefly become a school nurse. She can manipulate snow and wind to create blizzards. This is shown in the manga to hide a wandering Yōkai from human sight, and in the anime adaptation as a way to test Kouta's relationship with Chizuru. The name Yukihana means "snowflake", Yuki being the Japanese word for snow.

Yamata no Orochi (八岐の大蛇)

In the manga series, Yamata is the eight headed dragon which is sealed inside of Chizuru as she is the reincarnation of Kushinadahime. Yamata first makes an appearance at the end of the fourth manga volume as five tails that Chizuru can not control. She acknowledges to Kouta that she had forgotten this part about herself knowing that she wasn't an average fox yōkai.^[13] Tamamo is able to temporary seal the dragons until Chizuru masters their power which she able to do with Kouta's help.^[14][15] Yamata makes a later appearance in the seventh manga volume this time with six tails, and asks Kouta to call upon the last two dragons so they can devour the world. This is again put a stop to by Chizuru, but she is unable to prevent another tail from sprouting in a later battle.^[16] Towards the end of the series Kouta is informed by Okata that he is the key to awakening the final dragon, but when this happens Chizuru's soul will be destroyed. When he fuses with Chizuru for the final time Kouta meets with seven girls who look like Chizuru who call themselves the Yamata Squad. They tell Kouta that they are the part of the dragon's power which obeys Kushinadahime, and inform him on how to save Chizuru. In the end when asked why they would help him, the Yamata Squad inform Kouta that Kushinadahime is satisfied knowing she found the reincarnation of Susanoo-no-Mikoto. The squad also inform Chizuru that through her "she is loved".

Kai (海)

Kai is the son of the sea god Toyotama-hiko, and first appears in the eighth manga volume. When Kouta, and Chizuru first encounter him they find that he is lost trying to find a sea god school that a traveler told him about. He wants to attend so that he can win his father's love and respect. Kai eventually finds his way to Kunpo High School, but is told by Okata that there is no such sea god school. Finding he had been tricked, he goes to help Kouta break up an argument between his father and Tamamo. Kouta gives him the encouragement to stand up to his father putting an end to the fight. Grateful for helping him, Kai later helps Kouta rescue Chizuru at the end of the manga series. Kai also rescued a white Hare of Inaba named Shizuka, ever since then she has been devoted to him.

Kodama

Kodama is a small forest spirit that lives in an old tree by the old school building.^[17] The old school is built next to the current school Kouta attends so as a result she gets visited by other Yōkai. Kodama is always willing to give advice, and has the ability to fortune tell.^[18] She also has the ability to possess others which she does for Akane to help Tayura with his love life. This proves to be unsuccessful though when Kouta becomes involved. Chizuru ends the possession by knowing Kodama likes the sound of echos.^[19]

Reception

The characters of Kanokon have received both praise and criticism from publications dedicated to anime, and manga. Kouta's character was criticized by THEM anime reviews for the artwork in the anime adaptation. His facial appearance was described as being featureless, and unlike the manga too young looking.^[20] Theron Martin from Anime News Network said that Kouta's youthful appearance in the anime makes Chizuru's advances appear like borderline shotacon.^[21] Chizuru's character was ranked #10 in a list of top 10 sexiest female anime/manga characters for her affection towards Kouta in public. Like Kouta however, her appearance was criticized by THEM Anime reviews for lacking facial features in the anime adaptation.^[20][22] Travis Bruno from Capsule Computers gave Chizuru's manga appearance a good review, saying that she is designed well with "clear cut differences" between her human and fox forms.^[23] Nozomu's appearance in the anime was mentioned in a review by Chris Beveridge from the Fandom Post. He stated that the addition of Nozomu without a doubt adds more competition to things, going on to say that unlike Chizuru Nozomu competes with Chizuru on more of a quiet side which adds to her appeal.^[24]

References

External links

• Kanokon character profiles at 5pb. visual novel official website. (Japanese)
• Kanokon character profiles (archive) at anime official website. (Japanese)