Buso Renkin

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Busou Renkin

武装錬金 (Busō Renkin)
Genre	Shōnen, Adventure, Comedy, Action, Supernatural
Manga
Authored by	Nobuhiro Watsuki
Publisher	Shueisha Glénat Viz Media Tokyopop
Serialized in	Shonen Jump Arena Komik
Original run	2003 – 2006
No. of volumes	10^[1]
TV anime
Directed by	Takao Kato
Studio	XEBEC
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	October 5, 2006 – March 29, 2007
No. of episodes	26 (Current 26)

Buso Renkin (武装錬金, Busō Renkin^?, literally "Arms Alchemy") is a manga series written and drawn by Nobuhiro Watsuki, the creator of Rurouni Kenshin.

Buso Renkin was serialized in the weekly Japanese manga anthology Shonen Jump, with ten tankōbon volumes in total published in Japan. The series has been licensed by VIZ Media for US release and has been adapted into an anime by XEBEC, which finished its run in Japan with a total of 26 episodes. There are also two drama CDs as well as a novel based on the series.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 Story
2 Alchemy
3 Characters
4 Publishing history
5 Episodes
6 Anime theme songs
7 Trivia
8 References
9 External links
10 Japanese editions
11 VIZ manga

[edit] Story

The story begins when high school student Kazuki Muto (武藤カズキ, Mutō Kazuki^?) is killed one night saving a mysterious girl from a monster, only to wake up and find it was only a dream. However, he soon finds out how real that dream was when a giant serpentine monster attacks him and his sister. Tokiko Tsumura (津村斗貴子, Tsumura Tokiko^?), the girl from his dream, explains that the monster is a homunculus. Kazuki had been attacked and killed by it when rescuing Tokiko, however the girl revived him by placing a kakugane medal in his chest.

The kakugane, Tokiko explains, is an alchemical device that when activated can give him the power to fight the homunculus monster. Using this, Kazuki creates his own buso renkin, an alchemical weapon in the form of a huge lance. Along with Tokiko and her own buso renkin, Kazuki joins the fight against the homunculus and their master.

[edit] Alchemy

In the world of Buso Renkin, there are two types of alchemy besides the historical one: buso renkin (weapon alchemy) and homunculus.

A kakugane

Buso renkin are weapons formed by the alchemically-created kakugane, based on the user's will to fight. The shape the buso renkin takes reflects the user's personality. Buso Renkin are the only weapons known to be able to kill a homunculus. Kakuganes are developed in the process of creating the Philosopher's stone, the ultimate goal of the Alchemy Warriors around the planet. Kakuganes will generate a weapon that reflects the user's battle style, a user will always have the same type of buso renkin regardless of the Kakugane number, though there will be cosmetic differences (note, this may only be due to the previous user of the kakugane's 'imprint', as shown on two separate occasions.) In total, there are only 100 Kakuganes, from I (1) to C (100). After the Victor Incident, Kakuganes were scattered around the world; currently, there are 25 known Kakuganes that are used in Japan.

[edit] Black Kakugane

A black kakugane

Black Kakugane I-III are the first results of the Alchemy Warriors. However, they were unstable, and upon insertion of Black Kakugane I (1) to replace his heart, Warrior Victor went berserk. The same thing would happened to Kazuki 100 years later when his Black Kakugane III (disguised as Kakugane LXX) awoke. Black Kakuganes give their users glowing green hair, red eyes, and tanned skin, with the ability to use 'Energy Drain, a 'vital body function' which absorbs people's power; it's possible to kill a person by draining their energy. As it is a vital body function (like breathing) it is impossible to stop or shut it off. Black Kakugane users also have the ability to evolve. While in stage 1, a user can transform from normal human to his/her 'Victor' form. After 6 weeks, a user evolves into stage 2, when he/she is permanently transformed into a 'Victor' form, while in stage 3, the tanned skin turns into a dark red, and the power of energy drain greatly increases. The user can also gather up corpses of creatures the user drained energy from and make a larger copy of himself.

[edit] White Kakugane

A white kakugane

Developed by Alexandria, a White Kakugane is the exact opposite of a Black Kakugane, it holds the ability to nullify a Black Kakugane's power, restoring a person with a Black Kakugane to normal.

Kazuki's Kakugane that Tokiko took back from Alexandria was a 'test model' that was disguised as a normal kakugane, however, it proved to be unstable when it was in close proximity with a Black Kakugane; in this case, Victor's Black Kakugane I. Alexandria then developed another kakugane based off Black Kakugane II, moving past the test stage. This Kakugane was used in an unsuccessful attempt to restore Victor to normal; a Black Kakugane user in stage 3 can only be restored to stage 2 via one White Kakugane, and so on.

Papillon was able to make a White Kakugane based on his own knowledge and the things Dr. Butterfly and Alexandria left behind. Using them, he was able to develop a White Kakugane out of scratch, and used it to change Kazuki back to normal in Buso Renkin Period. His devices were then used to create another White Kakugane to restore Victor back to normal. Other than the converted Kakugane II, all White Kakuganes produced are not numbered. It is possible to have more than one White Kakugane in a person's body, as shown by Victor, who has two White Kakuganes in his body by the end of the story.

[edit] Homunculus

A homunculus is created when an embryo-like creation from a plant, animal, or even a human is placed inside a human. The embryo then takes control of the body, giving it abilities that mimic the natural talents of the embryo's origin.

Animal-type and Plant-type homunculi possess strength relative to their animal or plant base as well as retaining their sentience (they have the intelligence and reasoning of a human, but consider themselves to be an animal or plant). To activate their abilities, they have to 'transform', usually resulting in a large version of it's base(an Eagle-type homunculus would become a giant eagle, for example). Often the homunculi's creator would have to brainwash them into following their creator with blind loyalty, though a few have been known to do so by their own choice.

Human-type homunculi do not change form, but merely gain the strength and regenerative powers of a homunculus while retaining their human form and mind, or at least a humanoid shape(As the embryo for a human homunculus almost always comes from the human him/herself). Human-type homunculi have one distinct advantage over Animal or Plant-types; they have the ability to use Buso Renkin(only humans can use Buso Renkins).

Most homuculi have the urge to eat other humans, but in episode 25 Papillon tells Victoria that eating humans doesn't whet his appetite. Victoria explains that homunculi eat humans because they desire to regain the aspects of humanity that they gave up. She then tells Papillon that because he no longer has any connection to humanity (or rather, that he no longer desires to be human), he has become something other than human or homunculus, but rather a "superhuman".

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of characters in Buso Renkin

[edit] Publishing history

Buso Renkin ended in the Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump 2005 No. 21/22. The 10th and final tankōbon volume was released on 4 April 2006, possibly due to relatively poor fan response, especially when contrasting to the late Rurouni Kenshin, the author's most famous work.

VIZ Media has released the first official volume in English on August 1, 2006.

In Japan on October 4, 2006, the Buso Renkin manga was adapted into an anime series. It runs on TV Tokyo.

The July 2006 issue of Shonen Jump U.S. featured a 53 page preview of the manga, ie. the first chapter, with the first 5 pages in color. The US version of Rurouni Kenshin Volume 28 (the final volume) contained a sneak preview of Buso Renkin

[edit] Episodes

No.	Episode Title	^[2] Airdate

1	"A New Life" "Atarashii inochi" (新しい命)	10/04/2006
2	"The True Form of the Homunculus" "HOMUNKURUSU no shoutai" (ホムンクルスの正体)	10/11/2006
3	"You Became A Little Stronger" "Kimi ha sukoshi tsuyoku natta" (キミは少し強くなった)	10/18/2006
4	"Another New Life" "Mou hitotsu no atarashii inochi" (もう一つの新しい命)	10/25/2006
5	"For the Sake of the Person Who Must Be Protected" "Mamoru beki hito no tame ni" (守るべき人のために)	11/01/2006
6	"Butterfly of Black Death" "Kokushi no chō" (黒死の蝶)	11/08/2006
7	"If You Suspect Yourself of Hypocrisy" "Moshi kimi ga gizen to utagau no nara" (もし君が偽善と疑うのなら)	11/15/2006
8	"Night In the School Dormitory" "Kishukusha no yoru" (寄宿舎の夜)	11/22/2006
9	"The Hayasaka Siblings" "Hayasaka kyōdai" (早坂姉弟)	11/29/2006
10	"You and I Get Along Pretty Well" "Kimi to ore ha aishou ga ii" (君と俺は相性がいい)	12/06/2006
11	"'Til Death Do Us Part" "Shi ga futari o wakatsu made" (死が二人を別つまで)	12/13/2006
12	"Carnival" "KAANIBARU" (カーニバル)	12/20/2006
13	"Signs Of Death" "Shi no taidou" (死の胎動)	12/27/2006
14	"Who Are You?" "Kimi ha dare da?" (キミは誰だ?)	12/27/2006
15	"Interim Existence" "Chuukan no sonzai" (中間の存在)	1/10/2007
16	"New Power" "Arata naru chikara" (新たなる力)	1/17/2007
17	"When the Night Ends" "Yoru ga ake tara" (夜が明けたら)	1/24/2007
18	"The Escape" "Touhikou" (逃避行)	1/31/2007
19	"If Only You Can Protect" "Kimi sae mamorere ba" (君さえ守れれば)	2/7/2007
20	"With Mind and Power" "Omoi to chikara o kome te" (想いと力を込めて)	2/14/2007
21	"Gone Into Flame"	2/21/2007
22	"A Vital Decision" "Ketsudan o yousu" (決断を要す)	2/28/2007
23	"Boy Meets Battle Girl"	3/7/2007
24	"When You Die, I Will Die Too" "Kimi ga shinu toki ga watashi ga shinu toki" (キミが死ぬ時が私が死ぬ時)	3/14/2007
25	"Irreplaceable" "Kawari nado i nai" (代わりなどいない)	3/21/2007
26	"Period" "PIRIODO" (ピリオド)	3/28/2007

[edit] Anime theme songs

Opening Theme
"Makka Na Chikai" by Yoshiki Fukuyama (episodes 1 - 26)

Ending Themes
"Hoshi Akari" by Jyukai (episodes 1 -14)
"Itoshiki Sekai" by Aya Kagami (episodes 15-25)
"Hoshi Akari" by Jyukai (episode 26)

[edit] Trivia

Kazuki is playable in the Nintendo DS game Jump Superstars. Tokiko, Papillon, and Captain Bravo also appear in the game as help characters. They all appear again in the sequel, Jump Ultimate Stars.
When Kazuki draws a picture of what Papillon Mask is supposed to look like, the resulting artwork resembles that of Hirohiko Araki, the creator of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure another Shonen Jump title.
In volume two of the manga and the sixth episode of the anime, while bedridden from a homunculus infecting her, Tokiko is wrapped in bandages by Kazuki's sister in a way that makes her resemble Shishio Makoto, a major villain from the author's earlier work Rurouni Kenshin.
Some of LXE's Buso Renkins were based upon fairy tales and folk tales. Kinjou's Peaky Gulliver is based on Gulliver's Travels, Jinnai's Noisy Hamelin is based on the Pied Piper of Hamelin, while Dr.Butterfly's Alice in Wonderland is based upon Alice in Wonderland.
An odd snail makes at least four appearances in each volume. In Vol. 1, it appears on a t-shirt and as a computer decoration. In Vol. 2 it appears on Kazuki's boxers. In Vol. 3, it appears on the TV "technical difficulties" screen and at "Freak Burger" as a toy.
The name of Shusui Hayasaka's Buso Renkin is Sword Samurai X, after the name of the English OVA title for Rurouni Kenshin. Watsuki had previously stated that he loved the title, and had originally planned to use it in his previous series, Gun Blaze West.
When Mahiro turns on the TV in episode 10, the screen shows John Doe, the main character from Watsuki's one-shot Embalming. This cameo only exists in the anime because Embalming had not been created during the time of the manga.
The type of a Buso Renkin is based on the user regardless of the specific kakugane used to form it. However, for each kakugane, the resulting Buso Renkin is slightly different, generally called "Another Type". For example, when Kazuki used Tokiko's kakugane, he created a different-looking Sunlight Heart.
When Jinnai attacked Ginsei High's Dorm. he used a device similar to a Game Boy Advance SP to track Kakugane LII (52).
A game based on the anime has been set for PS2. Another game called "Valyrie Skirt" has also been developed for the PSP. http://asame2.web.infoseek.co.jp/vskirt.html
When Kazuki receives his poor grades in episode 15, he says "Oro, oro". This phrase was often used by Himura Kenshin.
The appearance of Mamoru Sakimori in his coat and hat resembles the same clothing that Grégoire de Fronsac and Mani wore in Le Pacte Des Loups.
In episode 7 the pig in the corner by the crowd of students when Tokiko is being introduced to the classmates is Watsuki Nobuhiro, the creator of Busou Renkin. It is also voiced by Watsuki Nobuhiro himself.
Okakura is heard singing the opening theme to Buso Renkin in episode 23 on his way to karaoke.
Papillon's mask greatly resembles that of a female villain in Space Adventure Cobra.