Karakter & Staf

Eigi: SHADOW SKILL

Karakter

Gau Ban

Utama

Gau Ban's origins differ slightly between the OAV and anime. In the anime, bandits attacked him home village when he was nine years old, slaughtering everyone, including Gau's parents. Over the next year, Gau exercised guerrilla-style attacks against the bandits for revenge. He eventually encounters Elle on the road by chance. In the OAV, Gau is ten when the attack occurs. Seeing his parents murdered in front of him, Gau snaps and attacks the bandits. He kills most of them, but then his luck runs out. Elle shows up before he himself is killed, and finishes off the remaining bandits. Since Gau is the only survivor of his village, Elle asked him, "Do you want to be strong?" and takes him with her when he answers yes. Originally, Gau only intended to follow Elle in order to steal all her money and discover the source of her powers. After some time, however, Gau came to care for Elle like an older sister. Over the years, Gau has trained side by side with Elle in an effort to become strong. With his dedication and signs of promise, he quickly catches the attention of the 57th Sevar, Scarface, who decides to help Gau improve, albeit only indirectly. Many incidents that Gau encounters are in some way or another engineered by Scarface, for the purpose of driving him to improve and become stronger. He also catches the love-interest of Kyuo Lyu, however Gau is completely oblivious to her intentions. In an ironic turn of events, Scrib Lowengren, King Iba Sutra's apprentice in Open Skills and effectively Gau's counterpart in the race to become the next Sevar, falls in love with Kyuo at first sight. A love triangle instantly develops, and so both Lowe and Gau become rivals in more ways than one. The two of them battle each other several times, Gau eventually coming out the overall victor. In respect, Lowe gives Gau his earrings, which Gau wears during his most important battles. During Solfan's initial invasion into Ashlianna, Gau is assigned by Scarface to protect Diaz Ragu, Gau's adopted older brother via Elle, and who Gau already considers to be a older brother figure to him. While this decision is tactically sound, Scarface is also testing Gau so that he will become stronger; Solfan itself desires to use the town of Blorahan, where Diaz lives, as a staging point, as well as Diaz' skills as a weapons crafter. During what later becomes known as the Lightning Battle, Gau is given the Black Wing boomerang by Diaz to use, and so creates the nickname for himself, "Black Howling". During the other fights that come, Gau successfully defeats every opponent that came his way, including G, the insane former 58th Sevar who had betrayed Kuruda and later sides with the Solfan forces. When he is forced to fight the non-human being Darkness, another test by Scarface, Gau is led very nearly to death, his neck slashed open. The test fails, however, as Gau is paralyzed by his fear of death, and Diaz Ragu intervenes on his behalf. Gau eventually defeats Darkness in the end, mastering the Shadow Gate Genesis technique Cannon in the process, but Diaz dies moments later, his 's failing health body finally succumbing to his illness. Wracked with grief and self-loathing over this, Gau slides into a deep depression, eventually coming out of it only with Elle's help. During Solfan and Ren Fuuma's assault on Kuruda, Gau trieds to fight him but is quickly overwhelmed by Ren's ferocity. During this time, imminently faced with death, Gau finally realizes what Darkness had been trying to teach him during their battle: that man's true strength comes from the purity of a heart unburdened by doubts, like a beast's. Armed with this newfound understanding, Gau overcomes Ren's attacks with ease, and defeats him. Recently in the manga, it has been revealed that Scarface is Gau's older biological brother. Their father's name is Shere Kahn, the founder of Kuruda-style Kōsappō Yin-ryū, Ren Fuuma's superior, and the one who masterminded the attempted destruction of Ashlianna. Who Gau had thought were his parent were merely the people he had been entrusted to. (Source: Wikipedia)

Akio Matsuoka

Elle Ragu

Utama

Elle Ragu is the 59th Sevar of Kuruda, a warrior kingdom with a history stretching back over 2,000 years. Though she is not the only female Sevar in history – a title roughly equivalent to a "high warrior", as an ordinary warrior is known as a Valle – she does hold the distinction of being the youngest female ever to be awarded the title of Sevar, at age 14, 3 years prior to the start of the series. Her fighting nickname, "Shadow Skill", is also the name of her martial arts style, which Elle is a master of. Kuruda-style Kōsappō (交殺法, lit. "combining kill methods", translated by ADV as "Annihilation techniques") has two general divisions: Hyōgi (炯技, "open skills" or "bright skills"), which emphasize punches and throws, and Eigi (影技, "shadow skills"), which focus on kicks and the user's footwork. In the Shadow Skill OAV, it was revealed that the Kuruda style arose centuries ago from the combat skills developed by slaves, who were often forced to fight for their lives in gladiatorial arenas. Open skills were developed by the male gladiators, focusing on their upper body strength, while Shadow skills were created by the women. Targets of scorn and rape, women's hands were often bound or otherwise denied them the use of, and so they were forced to learn to utilize their legs and smaller, lither bodies to their fullest extents in order to survive. For this reason, Shadow skills gained a more fearsome yet respected reputation than its counterpart. The color of Elle's hair is considered to be somewhat in question. In the OAV, her hair was shown as being two colors, blonde on top, but with the hair of her braid and the back of her head a different color (bright red in the movie, a darker shade of blonde in the OAV). In the anime, her hair was a uniform orange color, and can be interpreted as being either a redhead or a strawberry-blonde. Elle continues to train in the Shadow Skill style, along with her adopted younger brother, Gau Ban. Gau's parents and village had been killed by bandits; when Elle met him when he was 10, he had been spending the last year training himself and fighting against those same bandits to avenge his parents. Elle decides to take the boy in, although both of them later admitted to somewhat selfish reasons for originally doing so. Gau had wanted to use Elle in order to become strong, and Elle had wanted to see how strong a person who was raised by her can become. Elle also has an older brother, Diaz Ragu. A blacksmith and a Valle of Kuruda, Diaz' nickname was the "Black Wing", for the blackened-steel boomerangs that were his creation and trademark weapon. His skill was such that many people believed he would someday rise to become a Sevar, including several other Sevars themselves. In fact, becoming a Sevar was his dream. Elle and Diaz' parents both died from a rampaging disease when Elle was still young, and she too contracted the same illness. Diaz immediately set out on many dangerous missions in order to raise the money needed for his sister's medicine. Elle was saved, but Diaz' body was severely weakened by his ordeal, to the point that he had to give up on being a warrior, instead devoting himself to crafting his Black Wing boomerangs. Elle continues to feel guilt for this fact to this day, believing it should have been him to win this title, and not her. Though Elle is a fighter first and foremost, and so has difficulty opening up to other people except through battle, this is especially true of her older brother. Elle also has a reputation as both a heavy drinker and a brawler, often acting without considering the consequences. A running joke throughout the series is how deeply in debt she is, and how any windfalls of money she might come into, always immediately go into either paying off the damages to her surroundings, or else into debts accumulated for the same reason. Partway into the series, she gains a job as a waitress and singer at the Green Octopus Inn to help pay off her remaining debts. Another aspect of Elle's character is that she will not hesitate to challenge someone, or to accept a challenge toward her. She has gone through many battles, and so made a lot of both rivals and enemies. Because of this, there are many rumors throughout Kuruda and beyond about her, ranging from highly confidential ones about her battle with the Kishulanna swordsman Zel Zakulet, to rumors such as the one Kaila Lu Luka said about the 59th Sevar having a brain that is all muscles. As Sevar, Elle has met many enemies who would not hesitate to kill her. She was once a mortal enemy to Faurink Maya the Plasmatizer and her Sui Rem clan. The northern city of Kishulanna, too, does not hold her in the highest of regards, as it is said that Zel Zakulet died during his duel with Elle. (While this is indeed true, Elle is not directly to blame for his death. She did, however, appeal to his warrior's spirit to continue fighting until the very end, which resulted in his death.) Others consider her an enemy for being the latest (and least-experienced) Sevar, and so consider her an easier target compared to other Sevars such as Crimson and Scarface. Many think that by challenging her, they would have a better chance of claiming the title of Sevar from her. She is also often criticized for "wasting her time" by training Gau, rather than improving her own skills, though of course Elle ignores all this. (Source: Wikipedia)

Fia Arcana

Utama

Fia Arcana (also written as "Fear Arcana") is the daughter of a famed Sui Rem, a sorcerer who uses magical talismans in battle, who was also a master of Shadow Skills. When she first met Elle, Fia resented her and looked at her as a rival. However when news came that Elle had killed her father in battle, that sense of rivalry turned to rage. One of the laws of the Sui Rem states that when one's master is slain, their disciple(s) must cast off their name until the master has been avenged. Because of this, Fia changed her name to Faurink Maya ("Faury" or "Folli" for short), later gaining the nickname "Plasmatizer". Eventually, she managed to hunt down Elle and confront her. During the battle Faury attempted to kill Elle using the Nothingness Talisman, a forbidden spell known only to the Arcana family, but the mine collapsing as a result of the fight precluded this, trapping Faury under debris to where she could not escape. Surprisingly, Elle rescued her and carried her out of the mine. Faury, now beginning to have doubts as to Elle's guilt, decided to accompany her and see what kind of person Elle was. In the following years, Faury became good friends with Elle and would often act as an older sister figure. She looked at Elle as a child of light, loved by the gods, while herself as a child of darkness who envied the light. She looked out for Elle as her conscience. However on one fateful day, a rumor was heard about a village turned completely to ice. The man responsible for this was Louie Francil, a fellow disciple of her father, as well as the watcher sent by the Sui Rem society to ensure that Elle and Faury finished their fight. Elle agreed to the duel, and during their preparations, admitted to Gau that she considered Faury the most powerful opponent she has ever faced. This is where the anime and the OAV diverge. In the OAV, it was revealed that Scarface had been a witness to Faury's father and Elle's battle, and that it was not Elle who had killed him. Confronted with this, Louie revealed his true colors as the real murderer, stating that he intended for Faury and Elle to kill each other so that he alone could claim the inheritance of his master's powers and title. Having overheard this, Gau fought against Louie and managed to defeat him, blasting him off the cliff where they stood overlooking Elle and Faury, consequently aborting their own battle. In the anime version, Kyuo and Gau discovered Doga, the real watcher sent by the society, frozen in a river by Louie. Doga revealed that it was not Elle Ragu Louie Francil who had killed Faury's father. As soon as they learned this, Elle and Faury joined forces to defeat Louie. From then on, Faury's friendship with Elle became even stronger. In the manga, it was emphasized that Faury was a bad cook, and was also revealed later in the series (after the point where the anime ends) that she was also married. Her husband's name was Woaks Porelo, and it was revealed that they had married in Juliannes 4 years previous, when Faury was 15. Her reason for leaving him had been because of her father's murder, and subsequently Faury's search for Elle.

Kyuo Lyu

Utama

Kyuo was a former member of the Septia troupe Phantom, a group of trained hunters who tracked down demon-beasts, capturing and taming them for use in society. Her grandfather, Jin Stolla, was the leader of Phantom and considered to be one of the greatest Septias ever. When Phantom decided to go after the legendary demon beast, the King of the Moon, they had no idea what they were up against. The King of the Moon, whose powers of strength and regeneration were unstoppable while under the moonlight, destroyed an entire village. The Phantom unit tried to stop the beast but they were all wiped out just in one night. In the morning, Kyuo found the corpses of her teammates and buried them. (Source: Wikipedia)

Ikue Ootani

Dias Ragu

Pendukung

Dias Ragu, or more commonly known as The Black Wing, is considered as one of the strongest fighters that Ashliana has ever seen. Dias has thirsted for strength since he was boy. He earned a reputation during the war as cold blooded killing machine. He didn't care who he fought or killed. He fought side by side with Vy Low and Kai Shinks, which explains why they are such close friends. When Dias turned 16, he was on his way to becoming the 58th Sevalle when his parents contracted a rare disease and died. Later on his younger sister Elle was also infected. After losing both his parents, he would not stand by and watch his sister die. He decided to put his ambitions aside and went to fight as a mercenary so he could earn enough money to buy medicine for Elle. Eventually, he got enough money and was able to save Elle's life but fate dealt him all the wrong cards. As a result of the extra battles he fought in, his body was greatly weakened so he decided to give up his dreams of becoming a Sevalle. Due to this, he gave way to Kain Phalanx who later became the 58th Sevalle, G. Elle, feeling guilty decided that she would take her brother's place and become Sevalle. A few years later, she earned the title as the 59th Sevalle, Shadow Skill. (Source: Wikipedia)

Mitsuru Miyamoto

Vy Low

Pendukung

Umur 34

Class: High Sevalle, 57th generation Hair: Brunette Eyes: Hazel or Brown (Manga), Blue (TV series) At the age of 16, he defeated the King of Kuruda, Iba Stol (aka Hawk Eye). In doing so, he set an example that every young warrior in Kuruda is intent on emulating. In the 2000 years of Kuruda's history, he is the strongest. From the very beginning, he shows a great interest in Elle and her adopted brother Gau, acting as a sort of unofficial "uncle" to both Gau and Screb Lowengren when the two begin to cross each others' paths. Together with Dias Ragu, Kai Sink, and Kain Phalanx, they were Kuruda's most fearsome warriors during previous Soulfan wars. He is married to Faulstis, bearer of Ordo Codex and daughter of a high official in Juliannes. (Source: shadowskill.co.uk)

Scrib Lowengren

Pendukung

Seen in minor roles in Shadow Skill parts 1 and 2. He is the personal apprentice to the Kuruda King, Iba Stol -- perhaps the King's ward? Upon hearing of Gau's emerging talent, Low challenged him at least twice. One challenge ended in a draw, the other ended in Gau forgetting all his angst and releasing the full power of Shadow Skill on the older boy. Now they are good friends, and two sides of an uneven love triangle involving Kyou. (Low likes Kyou, Kyou likes Gau. At least in the TV series. The manga has a different take on things.) He wears big, red, cherry-like earrings which play a role in Gau's most crucial fight at the end of the series. (Source: Wikipedia)

Kappei Yamaguchi

Kain Phalanx

Pendukung

Kain Phalanx is the 58th Sevaar of Kuruda, and goes by the moniker of G, the seventh letter in the latin alphabet which symbolizes the strongest. (Source: Wikipedia)

Kouji Tsujitani

Kai Shinks

Pendukung

The 56th Sevaar, he is a master bladesman, wealthy businessman, and high-ranking officer of the Kurodan government. In addition to his status as a Sevaar, he is also a Raza Reme ( the only sevaar ever to do so), a master of the divine power of Souma, and is the magical representative of his home country of Kuroda at the Holy City of Juliannes. He worked with Darkness to resurrect Black Wing, recipient of Ashliana's highest honor, after Dias Ragu died in a duel in which he defeated Darkness. Despite being the closest associate of his successor Scarface, he was responsible for giving him his famous scar when they fought in a duel before Vy Low became the 57th Sevalle. (Source: Wikipedia)

Takehito Koyasu

Iba Sutra

Pendukung

The 55th Sevaar, he is a master of Open Skill, and the twin brother of Jin Stolla, the leader of Septia troupe Phantom. He was once defeated in personal combat by Vy Low, which enabled Scarface to become the second High-Sevaar after Hawk Eyes, and was also the subject of an assassination attempt by G (Kain Phalanx), the rogue 57th Sevaar, who Scarface killed in defense of the king's honor. He is the mentor of Scrib Lohengrin and guardian of his grand-niece Kyuo Luo, whom he took under his wing after her grandfather was killed when the monster kwown as the Moon King massacred the rest of their group of demon-beast-hunters. (Source: Wikipedia)