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- "No casualties or dropouts allowed. At least, not on any battlefield where I set foot!"
— Kikoru during the Secondary Selection Exam
Kikoru Shinomiya (
Kikoru is one of the main protagonists of Kaiju No. 8: B-Side, a spin-off series of Kaiju No. 8.[8][9][10][11]
Appearance[]
Kikoru is a petite and fairly short young girl with long blonde hair that is tied in twintails on the sides, decorated with two black bows, big green eyes and she possesses a rather skinny yet athletic physique.[2] Considering her overall appearance and her hair, she resembles her mother Hikari Shinomiya very much.[12]
On duty, Kikoru wears the usual combat suit of the Defense Force along with her usual arsenal.[13] With Numbers Weapon 4 as her new personal weapon, Kikoru dons a light-colored scaly suit with a long skirt. It has both of Izumo Tech's logos (the one for weapons at the end of the skirt and the regular one at the top) and the 004 insignia on the chest.[14]
Her casual attire consists of a long grey dress.[2]
When Kikoru was a child, she had slightly shorter hair with the same hair as today.[15]
Gallery[]
.PNG "Kikoru Shinomiya (young).PNG (126 KB)")
Personality[]
Kikoru appears as an arrogant and prideful girl [2] who is very confident in her ability to look down on people and humiliate those she deems inferior without a second thought.[5][16] Kikoru is also a very persistent and determined person, working hard to constantly improve herself and becoming stronger and more useful whenever she can. Even towards superior officers, she still manages to show her confidence, although in a much more polite and less arrogant way.
Despite this more evident trait, Kikoru deep down cares about her comrades and does whatever in her power to avoid casualties or injuries whenever she's on the battlefield. She is also a loyal person, showing gratitude towards Kafka Hibino for saving her, and keeping his secret. Even if it's hidden by her proud and unafraid nature, she cares for her allies well-being and goes as far as needed to ensure their safety or simply to support them.
It is revealed that Kikoru used to be very fond of her parents' work as Defense Force members, and this brought her to desire to join the Force herself. However, every since Hikari Shinomiya's death, Kikoru grew a hidden yet large sense of insecurity that brought her to push herself to get stronger and stronger, in order to keep the promise made to her mother. This, in tandem with Isao Shinomiya's overly high expectations on Kikoru, cause her to constantly feel the need to get stronger to avoid the death of anyone around her. Her relationship with her father and everything regarding her family as a whole seem to make her insecure and hesitant, easily breaking down in despair. This feelings obviously increased ever since Isao's death with her wish to get stronger growing again due to living the same trauma twice. Hidden in Kikoru's subconscious, in fact, lies her obsessive desire of being praised by her parents and grant their approval, fueling her will to become stronger in order to prove to be worthy of their praise.
Kikoru appears to be very polite and professional when speaking to higher ups and superiors, being probably used to speaking to military officers due to her upbringing.
Powers & Abilities[]
Overall Abilities: Kikoru is the daughter of two famous high-ranking former Defense Force soldiers with a prodigious talent. Despite being a first-year rookie, many of her peers and superiors acknowledged her combat prowess is second to no one, allowing her to single-handedly neutralize a horde of Yoju and their Honju all by herself, and with minimal effort.[16] Her excellent skills in combat, in tandem with her remarkable Unleashed Combat Power and tactical skills, earned Kikoru the praise of many senior officers, most of them agreeing that she will become a linchpin of the Defense Force in the future. Ever since being enlisted, her abilities earned her the privilege of wielding a personal weapon in battle, which is usually only granted to higher ranking Division members.[17] Keiji Itami states that watching her on the battlefield reminds him of her mother, former Second Division Captain Hikari Shinomiya.[12]
Kikoru shows a rare compatibility with number weapons, achieving class 5 compatibility with Numbers Weapon 4, and class 4 with Numbers Weapon 1, 2, and 7.[18]
After being granted Numbers Weapon 4 by Captain Gen Narumi,[19] Kikoru's already exceptional physical attributes evolved even further, allowing her to easily spar with Gen himself, with him also wearing a Numbers Weapon,[20] and eliminate kaiju with a Fortitude level of 7.0.[3] The suit also allows her to temporarily fight on par with a Identified Kaiju of Kaiju No. 15's caliber.[21] Kikoru can see her mother's Ghost through Kaiju No. 4's memories while wearing Numbers Weapon 4, allowing her to mimic her mother's movement and improve her combat techniques.[22] By following her mother's Ghost in battle and copying its moves, Kikoru's combat prowess reaches numbers and performances worth of a Captain-level officer.[23]
Powers[]
- Flight: While using Numbers Weapon 4, Kikoru is able to fly long distances at extreme speeds.[3]
- High Unleashed Combat Power: Despite being a rookie, Kikoru is initially able to release 46% of her combat suit's power on her first try while wearing a normal Defense Force combat suit, which Soshiro Hoshina states is platoon leader-class.[13] She further improves her strength after marksman training, capable of releasing 55%.[24] After training with Gen Narumi, Kikoru was initially able to release 84% of the suit's power while wearing Numbers Weapon 4,[25] with the number growing to 88% in a stable form,[22] and 94% at its highest.[23]
- Enhanced Strength: Kikoru's strength, when wearing her Defense Force combat suit, is enough for her to effortlessly lift a car with one arm.[2] Her physical strength is furtherly augmented when wearing Numbers Weapon 4, enabling her to crush kaiju with one attack or fight on par with stronger opponents.[22]
- Enhanced Speed: When wearing her uniform, Kikoru can run way faster than most of her peers, with them struggling to follow her pace.[16] Wearing Numbers Weapon 4, famous for being the Defense Force's fastest Numbers Weapon, Kikoru is able to move and fight faster than trained soldiers can follow and even evade powerful blitz attacks.[21]
- Enhanced Endurance: Kikoru's suit is resistant enough to prevent a shot from Kaiju No. 9 from killing her, although the shot can still tear the suit through.[15] Despite being severely injured from No. 9's powerful attacks, she is able to stand and continue fighting.[12][26] With Numbers Weapon 4, Kikoru's endurance has drastically improved since she's able to tank blows from a kaiju like No. 15, although not coming out unscathed.[21]
Abilities[]
- Axemanship Mastery: Kikoru is highly skilled at killing kaiju, so much so that she is granted her own personal weapon, a giant axe.[17] Initially trained by Soshiro Hoshina[11], Kikoru's axemanship has evolved significantly within the First Division.[27][12] After training with Gen Narumi, Kikoru's level of skill and performance in battle now resembles that of a Division Captain.[3]
Fighting Style[]
After receiving a battle axe from the Defense Force, befitting her aggressive and high-handed personality, Kikoru displayed a remarkable mastery in the Squadron Style Axe Technique (斧術, Ono-jutsu).[17] She uses this combat style for close-range battles and her proficiency gives her enough power to easily defeat durable kaiju[17] and injure kaiju as powerful as Kaiju No. 10, although drastically consuming her stamina and energy.[28]
- Number One: Falling Thunder (1式:
落 雷 , Isshiki: Rakurai): The first application of the Squadron-Style Axe Technique. By pulling the trigger on the axe she creates a shockwave that releases backward, resulting in a vicious axe chop from above.[17]
- Number Two: Water Skimmer (2式:
水 切 , Nishiki: Mizukiri): The second application of the Squadron-Style Axe Technique involves sending a shockwave forward only at the moment of the impact, for a powerful and clean cut.[17]
- Number Three: Half-Moon (3式:
半 月 , Sanshiki: Hangetsu): A brutal rotating axe chop.[17]
- Unnamed Number Four (4式 , Yonshiki) technique.
- Number Five: Twin Swallows (5式:
双 燕 , Goshiki: Sōen): A pair of cross-shaped axe slashes, resulting in a rapid blitzing attack.[23]
- Number Six: Daruma Dropper (6式:
達 磨 落 , Rokushiki: Daruma Otoshi): An attack consisting of four rotating horizontal chops, going from the head to the legs of the target.[26]- Ten Hit (十段, Jū-dan): A variation of Daruma Dropper where Kikoru lands ten slashing attacks instead of the usual four.[29]
Battles[]
- Kikoru vs Kaiju No. 9 and Revived Exam Honju (Lost): Chapter 6 - Chapter 7
- Kikoru, Soshiro Hoshina and Mina Ashiro vs Kaiju No. 10 (Won): Chapter 30 - Chapter 31
- Kikoru and Kaiju No. 8 vs Gamma (Kaiju No. 9 clone) (Won): Chapter 43 - Chapter 48
- Kikoru vs Kaiju No. 15 (Won): Chapter 76 - Chapter 85
Equipment[]
Combat Suit (formerly): Kikoru wears the usual combat suit on the battlefield.[13]
Respirator Mask: Kikoru wears a respirator mask in combat.[16]
Numbers Weapon 4 (
Numbers Weapon 1 (1, Nanbāzu Ichi-gō): In the fight with Kaiju No. 9, Gen Narumi gives weapon number 1 to Kikoru Shinomiya, allowing her to predict his attacks and assist Kafka.[30]
Battle Axes
- First Battle Axe (formerly; destroyed): A "Failed Prototype", marked AX-0112 which had been made from the uni-organ of a Honju who generated strong bioelectric potential contracting its muscle fiber, then fires the air it took in as a shockwave, after being subjugated two years prior in Shinagawa. Designed to be tough and heavy to compensate, it became heavy for those without a high released power, equipped with a trigger that, when pulled, releases a shockwave through an electric current. If released from behind it accelerates the force of the swing,while releasing it forward adds greater force.[17] The axe was destroyed during her third encounter with Kaiju No. 9.[26]
- Second Battle Axe: A second battle axe, marked AX-0113, was later given for Kikoru.[3]
Giant Sword (tentative; destroyed) After proving herself to Mina Ashiro and Soshiro Hoshina, 03 5-12066 was intended to be her Custom Weapon and Prototype crafted from the shell of a Reptilian Kaiju which emerged in Hamamatsu a year prior, with Izumo Tech producing a tough yet lightweight final product. Equipped with three thrusters on the blunt side of the blade that produces a strong and fast swing which could cut through three Crustacean-type Yoju. Although, it was an "outrageous weapon" in combat, it proved almost incapable of cutting through hardened shells without much effort, lacking decisive killing power for Kikoru's ideal weapon.
Handgun: Kikoru carries a handgun for long-ranged attacks, equipped with a torch and a laser sight.[27]
Rifle (formerly; destroyed): Before being given her signature axe, Kikoru would use a rifle.[13]
Trivia[]
- Kikoru likes to exterminate kaiju, black tea (especially Darjeeling tea), and big dogs.[1]
- Kikoru's personal weapon was supposed to be a giant sword, but the author decided an axe for a higher contrast between the rugged weapon and her character.[31]
- Kikoru ranked #5 in the first and second character popularity polls.[32]
- The Daruma Dropper technique takes its name from the japanese children game Daruma Otoshi, played by hitting a Daruma doll in five pieces with a hammer without making it fall. Kikoru's technique, in fact, cuts the target in five pieces from head to legs, similarly to Daruma dolls.
- Despite only being a regular officer, Kikoru's unleashed combat power of 94% is the highest out of any non-captain ranked officer.
- Kikoru Shinomiya appears as a skin in Fortnite.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kikoru's character profile
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Chapter 3
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Chapter 72
- ↑ Volume 7
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 4
- ↑ Chapter 34
- ↑ Chapter 39
- ↑ Chapter 5 (B-Side)
- ↑ Chapter 6 (B-Side)
- ↑ Chapter 7 (B-Side)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chapter 8 (B-Side)
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Chapter 44
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Chapter 5
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Chapter 71
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Chapter 7
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Chapter 6
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 Chapter 26
- ↑ Chapter 124
- ↑ Chapter 68
- ↑ Chapter 69
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Chapter 78
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Chapter 79
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Chapter 80
- ↑ Chapter 11
- ↑ Chapter 77
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Chapter 45
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Chapter 42
- ↑ Chapter 30
- ↑ Chapter 84
- ↑ Chapter 123
- ↑ Kikoru's weapon concept art.
- ↑ https://www.shonenjump.com/p/sp/2411/vote_kaiju-no8/index.html
