In less technical contexts, the term is also used to describe something blessed with unusual happiness, as in "fairy tale ending" (ahappy ending)or "fairy taleromance" (though not all fairy tales end happily). Colloquially, a "fairy tale" or "fairy story" can also mean any far-fetched story ortall tale; it's used especially of any story that not only isn't true, but couldn't possibly be true.
A fairy tale (pronounced /ˈfeəriˌteɪl/) is a type of short story that typically features folkloricfantasy characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls,dwarves, giants, mermaids, or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies. The stories may nonetheless be distinguished from other folk narratives such as legends (which generally involve belief in the veracity of the events described) and explicitly moral tales, including beast fables.
In cultures where demons and witches are perceived as real, fairy tales may merge into legends, where the narrative is perceived both by teller and hearers as being grounded in historical truth. However, unlike legends and epics, they usually do not contain more than superficial references to religion and actual places, people, and events; they take place once upon a time rather than in actual times.
Fairy tales are found in oral and in literary form. The history of the fairy tale is particularly difficult to trace because only the literary forms can survive. Still, the evidence of literary works at least indicates that fairy tales have existed for thousands of years, although not perhaps recognized as a genre; the name "fairy tale" was first ascribed to them by Madame d'Aulnoy in the late 17th century. Many of today's fairy tales have evolved from centuries-old stories that have appeared, with variations, in multiple cultures around the world.[4] Fairy tales, and works derived from fairy tales, are still written today.
The older fairy tales were intended for an audience of adults, as well as children, but they were associated with children as early as the writings of theprécieuses; the Brothers Grimm titled their collection Children's and Household Tales, and the link with children has only grown stronger with time.
Folklorists have classified fairy tales in various ways. The Aarne-Thompson classification system and the morphological analysis of Vladimir Propp are among the most notable. Other folklorists have interpreted the tales' significance, but no school has been definitively established for the meaning of the tales.
Although the fairy tale is a distinct genre within the larger category of folktale, the definition that marks a work as a fairy tale is a source of considerable dispute.[8] One universally agreed-upon matter is that fairy tales do not require fairies. (The term itself comes from the translation of Madame D'Aulnoy'sconte de fées, first used in her collection in 1697.)[9] Common parlance conflates fairy tales with beast fables and other folktales, and scholars differ on the degree to which the presence of fairies and/or similarly mythical beings (e.g., elves, goblins, trolls, giants) should be taken as a differentiator.Vladimir Propp, in his Morphology of the Folktale, criticized the common distinction between "fairy tales" and "animal tales" on the grounds that many tales contained both fantastic elements and animals.[10] Nevertheless, to select works for his analysis, Propp used all Russian folktales classified as a folk lore Aarne-Thompson 300-749 – in a cataloguing system that made such a distinction – to gain a clear set of tales.[11] His own analysis identified fairy tales by their plot elements, but that in itself has been criticized, as the analysis does not lend itself easily to tales that do not involve a quest, and furthermore, the same plot elements are found in non-fairy tale works.
“
Were I asked, what is a fairytale? I should reply, Read Undine: that is a fairytale ... of all fairytales I know, I think Undine the most beautiful. (George MacDonald, The Fantastic Imagination)
”
As Stith Thompson points out, talking animals and the presence of magic seem to be more common to the fairy tale than fairies themselves.However, the mere presence of animals that talk does not make a tale a fairy tale, especially when the animal is clearly a mask on a human face, as infables.
In his essay "On Fairy-Stories", J. R. R. Tolkien agreed with the exclusion of "fairies" from the definition, defining fairy tales as stories about the adventures of men in Faërie, the land of fairies, fairytale princes and princesses, dwarves, elves, and not only other magical species but many other marvels. However, the same essay excludes tales that are often considered fairy tales, citing as an example The Monkey's Heart, which Andrew Lang included in The Lilac Fairy Book.
Steven Swann Jones identified the presence of magic as the feature by which fairy tales can be distinguished from other sorts of folktales.Davidson and Chaudri identify "transformation" as the key feature of the genre.From a psychological point of view,Jean Chiriacargued for the necessity of thefantasticin these narratives.
In terms of aesthetic values, Italo Calvino cited the fairy tale as a prime example of "quickness" in literature, because of the economy and concision of the tales.
The Shichibukai (七武海Shichibukai, literally meaning "Seven Military Seas"), the full title being Oka Shichibukai (王下七武海Ōka Shichibukai, literally meaning "Royal Seven Military Seas"),
are seven (though this number fluctuates throughout the series)
powerful and well-known pirates who have allied themselves with the World Goverment.
The Shichibukai is an organization of seven pirates turned privateers
in the service of the World Government. Although they work for the
World Government, the Shichibukai do not care about or respect the
Government (excluding Bartholomew Kuma, who was transformed into their
puppet) or even other Shichibukai, and are often considered by the
Marines to be no different from any other pirate. On the other hand,
they are known as "government dogs" and are despised by other pirates,
but are still feared and respected for their infamous reputation and
strength before, and even after they become Shichibukai.
The Shichibukai seem to be a mixture of the more chaotic Yonko and the more orderly Marines. The majority of the Shichibukai are composed of New World veterans; those who have met the Yonko or even confronted them.
There is an enormous range in the bounties between the members
due to differences in circumstances under which they were recruited,
with Doflamingo, who has a former bounty of former 340,000,000,
and Blackbeard, with no former bounty at all. It should be noted that
these are their former bounties, and doesn't represent the current
threat they could achieve as active pirates. Jinbe, for example, after
his resignation his bounty jumped to over 400,000,000. Another example is Sir Crocodile, who was imprisoned in Level 6 of Impel Down, while Luffy with a bounty of 300,000,000 at the time put him only at Level 5.
The terms that the Shichibukai are on with each other is best
described as very unstable. They have very little (if any) respect for
each other and will for the most part not accept help from one another,
apparently from a firm sense of pride. During the battle meeting for the
Shichibukai where only two members are absent (Hancock and Jinbe), it
is even stated that the very notion of them working together as a team
is entirely unthinkable. However, Kuma and Doflamingo don't disregard
the notion of teaming up with another Shichibukai: Kuma offered Moriah
help defeating the Straw Hats and Doflamingo offered Crocodile a chance
to team up. Both offers were refused due to pride.
During Boa Hancock's visit at Impel Down's Level Six, Jinbe
stated that he didn't know much about her, possibly suggesting that only
some of the Shichibukai are familiar with each other or even have
personally met all the other members. Despite this, as of chapter 575,
all of the Shichibukai (including former) fought at the war between the Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines.
Most of the Shichibukai have a jaded attitude of the world, as
their vast amounts of experience have disillusioned them. Crocodile and
Moriah both disregard Luffy's arrogant behavior, saying that he is too
inexperienced to know what the world is truly like; Mihawk behaved in a
similar fashion in his duel with Zoro, though he hopes that he'll be
successful. Doflamingo believes that there is no true justice in the
world, and that both the Marines and Pirates are foolish if they think
that they are upholding it. Hancock, through her horrid experience as a
slave, considers all men of the world to be scum, outside of Luffy, with
whom she is in love (and anyone who Luffy is on good terms with);
Rayleigh, who is her "benefactor"; and Fisher Tiger, who was responsible for freeing her from slavery.
A pirate may choose to join the Shichibukai if a space becomes vacant
(which means that at least one Shichibukai must resign or be expelled
from the group, the former being Jinbe's case and the latter being
Crocodile's case). However, in order for one to become a Shichibukai
once this position opens up, one must be able to show their strength
against other pirates
while choosing to pledge loyalty to the World Government (this
ironically encourages pirates to gain infamy to become a Shichibukai) by
making a pact with the Gorosei.
If the pirate in question can be used as intimidation, the position may
be offered to them, if no other pirate has accepted the position or
proven to be more of an asset to the World Government. As expected, most
members were already notorious pirates with high bounties, but even
relatively unknowns can be admitted if they accomplish a feat to prove
their strength. Blackbeard's victory over Portgas D. Ace is one example of this.
They do not offer open opposition to the rule of the World
Government, but are not guaranteed to follow its orders either. They are
only allowed to attack other pirates and must also pay the Government a
tenth of their loot,
though this rule is not usually followed at the very least. Each member
of the Shichibukai must also have strong intimidation skills and a
fearsome representation to put off others becoming a pirate and make
them fear them.In addition, given the dialogue between Bartholomew Kuma and the Gorosei,
it can be assumed that once someone becomes a member of the Shichibukai
they must be undefeated to maintain their position, or at least are not
allowed to have a widely known loss that affects their reputation.
Some of the members do various tasks for the government, such as
taking over new islands for the World Government (described as
"liberating") and guarding nations, but their ultimate purpose is to
keep other pirates in check. Most importantly, the Shichibukai serve to
help keep the balance of The Three Great Powers.
Theoretically, the Shichibukai are allies of the government, and
in war time would fight alongside the Marines. Still, many Marine
officers (for example Vice-Admiral Smoker, Admiral Kizaru and Fleet Admiral Sengoku)
dislike them and think of the Shichibukai as any other pirate. Several
high-ranking Marines expressed surprise that even two of the Shichibukai
actually bothered to show up when summoned for the meeting about
Crocodile's removal, and they were very shocked when a third arrived.
Tellingly, of the others besides Kuma that showed up, Doflamingo came
out of sheer boredom (passing the time before the meeting by nearly
forcing two marines to duel each other), and Mihawk came only to hear
about the pirates being discussed in the meeting. When they are not
under orders of the World Government, they have no commitment to aid the
efforts of the Marines.
Most of the Shichibukai appear to show general apathy towards the World
Government and in some cases even hostility. During the battle with
Whitebeard, Moriah stated he doesn't care who wins and Boa Hancock
openly attacked both Marines and pirates.
In exchange for these services, the Shichibukai are pardoned for their former actions and any existing bounties are rescinded.
As the Shichibukai are no longer outlaws, they can make money
through legitimate business, as well as bounty hunting. Some, however,
are content to simply float around the sea on their ships. The
government does not seem to mind, and the Shichibukai are granted a
great deal of autonomy in how they operate, at least thus far. Other
benefits include access to resources normally out of bounds to normal
citizens and pirates, such as the use of Kairoseki equipment.
Boa Hancock, in particular, has a treaty that acts as a restraining order for all ships that come near Amazon Lily. Jinbe and his entire crew were given a pardon for their captain, Fisher Tiger's attack against the World Nobles,
and their status as slaves nullified. Donquixote Doflamingo also
managed to operate the Human Auctioning House with the government fully
ignoring it before passing it to Disco.
Crocodile, abused the privilege of being no longer monitored so closely to build himself a large and powerful covert organization, and Blackbeard took advantage of the access the rank grants him to get into facilities that would otherwise have been unreachable to a pirate.
Even if they violate the law, the World Government and Marines may choose not to take any notice. Doflamingo used to own the Human Auctioning House before giving it to Disco.
Crocodile seemed to have gone unsupervised for an extremely long period
of time, as he had created a large, malevolent organization that the
World Government seemed to be completely unaware of. Because of the risk
involved with maintaining the three great powers, the Government
tolerates the illegal activities of any Shichibukai and attempts to
protect them if possible (or at least maintain their fame).
That is not to say they would not dismiss a Shichibukai for such
actions. There are several Shichibukai who have been dismissed from
their positions for several reasons. Crocodile's actions in Alabasta
left the World Government with few options other than his dismissal,
although in fact Luffy dealt with him (and his bounty was raised for
that).
Moriah's defeat was met with horror by the World Government as
they had only just replaced Crocodile's loss. Fearing what would happen
if another fell, the World Government attempted to cover up his defeat
by killing all of the survivors of Thriller Bark
before word got out. Even though Kuma (the one sent to deal with the
problem) chose to go against the command of the Gorosei, Moriah was able
to retain his status for a time, later answering the call to fight Whitebeard.
After the war, the government finally deemed Moriah to be too weak to
continue as a Shichibukai, and decided to strip him of his status and
eliminate him, under the cover-up of Moriah dying in the war so as to
preserve the Shichibukai's reputation of strength.
Jinbe has forfeited his position as Shichibukai for his refusal
to assist in the war against Whitebeard and was incarcerated in Level 6
of Impel Down. After Monkey D. Luffy helped him escape, he assisted the
young pirate in breaking free from Impel Down and traveling to
Marineford and sided with Whitebeard's faction during the battle
choosing to abdicate his position permanently and again became a willing
enemy of both the Marines and the World Government.
Blackbeard only wanted to be a Shichibukai so as to be able to reach Impel Down
in order to free Level 6 prisoners and create a stronger crew. As soon
as he achieved this goal, he was no longer interested, and resigned from
his Shichibukai title.
Dismissal from the Shichibukai holds not only one's loss of
title, but in cases also the breakdown of possible politics linked to
the Shichibukai. As Boa Hancock was warned, while she obeyed the World
Government, her peoples' treaty with the World Government would be
respected. However, if she did not heed the call of the World
Government, then the treaty with her home island of Amazon Lily would be made void. Smoker
has hinted that Hancock and her people will suffer repercussions for
helping Luffy during the war, however throughout the war events related
to her were often interpreted incorrectly by the Marines and others,
thus her status as a Shichibukai seems to not have been brought into
question.
The Shichibukai seem to have only limited knowledge of each other, such as Jinbe never meeting Hancock before her visit to Impel Down.
However, some others, such as Doflamingo and Crocodile, converse as
though they are familiar with each other. In fact, Doflamingo is
knowledgeable of Kuma's participation in the Pacifista program, yet does not know of his past relationship with the Revolutionaries.
During these interactions, most of them are hostile, such as Jinbe and
Crocodile snarling at each other over matters with Whitebeard. At times,
however, they might be benign, such as Kuma offering to help Moriah in
fighting against the Straw Hat Pirates, though the latter angrily refused.
The Shichibukai are a group of seven of the strongest pirates in the world and
one of the Three Great Powers, the others being the Yonko and the Marines.
In terms of power, the exact relationship between the
Shichibukai, Marine Headquarters and Yonko is unknown. However,
considering that these organizations are stated to be in balance and the
fact that the loss of Crocodile
threatened said balance, the most reasonable conclusion is that each
organization is approximately equivalent in strength. At least two of
the Shichibukai (Gekko Moriah and Dracule Mihawk) are said to have been rivals of Yonko members Kaido and Shanks, respectively. Bartholomew Kuma has also allowed himself to become part of the Pacifista project. The strength of at least one Shichibukai, Boa Hancock, has been acknowledged by Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself.
This, in addition to the fact that losing a single member of the
Shichibukai can throw off the balance of the world powers and cause
distress to the World Government, indicates the extreme power each
individual has. The strength of a Shichibukai is so great, that should
they be imprisoned for any reason, they would be sentenced to Level 6 of
Impel Down, the lowest and most secure level of the prison (as both Crocodile and Jinbe were sentenced).
Because of their deal with the World Government, the Shichibukai are considered "Government Dogs" by other pirates.
At the same time, they are also feared by them because all of the
Shichibukai are insanely strong, each capable of destroying an average
pirate crew on their own with no effort as seen with Mihawk and
Crocodile. They have such a fierce reputation that even other powerful
and famous pirates are unnerved by them as seen with the captain of the
Kid Pirates, Eustass Kid, actually seemed heavily disturbed when he witnessed the arrival of a Pacifista cyborg (mistaking it for the real Kuma)
on the Sabaody Archipelago, close to where his crew were, despite the
fact that his bounty was higher than Kuma's former bounty, demonstrating
how their strength is even greater than that implied by their frozen
bounties in the eyes of others.
Each member has some ability or power, the majority of which are
Devil Fruit. These abilities can often times vary depending on the
Shichibukai's theme. Some of their abilities appear to conflict with
each other: for example, Blackbeard's power involves drawing people to
him, while Kuma's involves rejecting people away from him; and
Doflamingo's power allows him to control the motion of other people to
his will, while Hancock immobilizes them by turning them into stone. In
the case of Crocodile and Jinbe, this opposition also extends to the
environment where their abilities reach their full zenith (i.e. being a
Fishman, Jinbe's fighting abilities are at their peak in the deep and
open sea, while Crocodile, having consumed the Suna Suna no Mi, favors the dry desert).
In relationship to each other, it is not entirely known how they
compare in strength. However, during the Whitebeard war several members
and former members fight each other and none manage to defeat or
significantly harm each other in any fight. Although while most appeared
evenly matched Moriah was outfought by Jinbe, and adding to his defeat
by Luffy, was deemed too weak to continue to be a Shichibukai and
Doflamingo was ordered to kill him along with a group of Pacifista.
For many years, Mihawk dueled his rival swordsman Red-Haired Shanks
in great battles that shook the Grand Line. Mihawk joined the ranks of
the Shichibukai at a currently unknown point in time.
Moriah and his rival, Kaido, also fought at some point and while
Moriah escaped with his life, his crew was no more. Moriah would also
join the ranks of the Shichibukai. Ten years ago, he set up an
organization called Thriller Bark recruiting Dr. Hogback into his ranks. While Thriller Bark sailed around in the Florian Triangle
they began to amass an army of zombies using Moriah's powers. While
fulfilling his duties of controlling pirates, they also took Marines and
civilian ships. However the World Government, though appearing to know
of his actions, allowed this to go on.
After acquiring his bounty of 250,000,000, Jinbe was recruited some eight years before the start of the series, following the death of Fisher Tiger and the breaking up of the Sun Pirates into smaller groups like the one Arlong led to the East Blue.
His recruitment was an attempt to strengthen the bonds between the
species, and it allowed the members of the Sun Pirates who did not want
to become pirates in the first place to return to Fishman Island, and
given a pardon for Tiger's attack on Mariejois.
Crocodile set up his Baroque Works organization four years prior, recruiting the criminal Nico Robin into his ranks. For the next four years, Crocodile would work to make the kingdom of Alabasta
view him as a hero while he secretly gained power to bring down the
royal family of Alabasta and take control of a weapon known as Pluton.
Sometime after escaping slavery, Boa Hancock went on a single pirate campaign so great that, combined with the existing fearsome reputation of the Kuja Pirates,
she was visited by the World Government with an offer. Hancock made a
treaty with the World Government that protected her people from them in
exchange for becoming a Shichibukai.
Two years ago, when Portgas D. Ace was gaining fame as the captain of the Spade Pirates, he was invited to join the Shichibukai, meaning there was an opening for him, but he refused.
Interest in the Rising Swordsman
The first Shichibukai to appear was Mihawk, having hunted down Don Krieg
and his men from the Grand Line. He followed Krieg in a small
coffin-like ship as he destroyed Krieg's entire armada. His excuse was
that they woke him up from a nap.
When he sliced up Krieg's last remaining ship, Zoro of the Straw Hat Pirates
challenged him his title of "World's Greatest Swordsman". He told
Mihawk he was the swordsman he was looking for in his travels. Mihawk
accepted his challenge, using a knife smaller than a pocket knife to
fight. Without any apparent effort, he was able to block and repel all
of Zoro's attacks and stabbed him in the chest.
Mihawk gives Zoro a near-fatal strike.
Zoro realized the gap between their abilities and surrendered, asking
to be finished off properly. Mihawk honored him by drawing his sword
and with one slash, broke two of his swords and ended the fight. Mihawk
explained to Luffy he held back to leave the young swordsman injured but
alive so they can fight again some day. Mihawk told Zoro to become
strong and live, to one day surpass him.
After the Straw Hats raided the Human Auction House, Doflamingo told Disco,
a worker there, that he could have the organization as the future was
becoming much clearer; the Shichibukai were to fight against the Whitebeard Pirates. Kuma arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago while an attempt to bring the Straw Hats to justice for their actions was being made. He interfered with Kizaru's battle with them as they were about to be defeated and instead of Kizaru bringing them in, Kuma "wiped" out the crew one by one by sending them away to other islands, scattering the crew. He interrupts the battle between Rayleigh and Kizaru and whispers into his ear.
He revealed himself to be an officer of the Revolutionary Army,
who came to Sabaody Archipelago to save Luffy and his crew from being
killed. The Dark King questions Kuma's motives, who responds by saying
that he can choose whether to believe him or not. Kizaru demands to know
what he told Rayleigh but he refused and then left.
Luffy arrived at Amazon Lily a few days later. The Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock who was arriving home was stopped by the Marines demanding an answer to the call of the Whitebeard War. She turned the crew to stone with her Mero Mero no Mi. She told Vice Admiral Momonga
that she refuses to acknowledge the Marines demands and left for her
home. When she arrived home from her raids she was greeted with a large
celebration of her people welcoming their empress home. During her
bathing session, Luffy, having given the Kuja
warriors on the island the slip while they attempted to kill him, fell
into her bath. He witnessed something familiar on her back and she
attempted to turn him into stone. Luffy not phased by her a bit,
attempted to run away and got caught.
Afterwards Hancock held a public execution to punish him for
intruding on the sacred isle. She had her younger sisters fight him, but
they were defeated with Luffy covering the mark on Sandersonia's back
since they would rather die than let anyone see it. Hancock ordered her
audience to evacuate as she broke into tears of shame. Taken aback by
Luffy's surprising selflessness and hearing of him striking a World Noble,
Hancock divulged her painful past to him showing the slave mark on her
back. She befriended Luffy and even fell in love with him. Upon Luffy
learning of Ace's fate, he asked her to take him to Impel Down where he
was being held. She agreed, answering the call of the Shichibukai to
gather at Marineford. Before going to Marineford, she requested to pay a
visit to Impel Down and see Ace. She sneaked Luffy on board the Marine
ship venturing to Impel Down.
Jinbe
refused to aid the Marines against Whitebeard, who was a man he
respected and also friend of Ace. Because of this he was imprisoned in
Impel Down along with Ace and his status as a Shichibukai revoked until
he chose to cooperate. Meanwhile, the Shichibukai Bartholomew Kuma,
Gecko Moriah, Blackbeard, Doflamingo, and Mihawk all met in at a dinner
apparently held at Mariejois. Meanwhile, Hancock and Luffy arrived at
Impel Down with Hancock sneaking Luffy in under her robe.
After Luffy snuck away, Hancock was taken to see Ace, yet also
encountered Jinbe in the same cell. Another cell in the same floor held
Crocodile, who was taunting both pirates for their defiance and to
reaffirm the power of the world. After delivering an enigmatic message
regarding Luffy's arrival, Hancock departed to make her way to the other
Shichibukai, hoping that Luffy will be safe from harm.
Jinbe, Luffy, and Crocodile breaking free.
Luffy broke into Level 6 of Impel Down and freed both Crocodile
and Jinbe, both of who were imprisoned there, as they would be valuable
assets in his breakout of Impel Down and his attack against Marineford to save Ace. As they made it to Level 4, Blackbeard stole a Marine ship with his crew and infiltrated Impel Down for reasons of his own.
After a short battle with Luffy, Blackbeard and his crew were severely poisoned by the Devil Fruit ability of Impel Down's Chief Warden, Magellan.
At the same time, Crocodile and Jinbe left to Level 3 along with Luffy.
Crocodile and Jinbe made it outside of Impel Down, trying to take
control of a Marine ship.
They managed to conquer the battleship, and along with 239 other prisoners, they managed to enter the Gates of Justice and fled Impel Down, approaching Marineford. At the same time, Blackbeard and his crew were saved from poison, thanks to death row prisoner Shiliew, who was recruited into the crew in the process. 3 hours prior to the execution of Portgas D. Ace, only five of the Shichibukai were present: Bartholomew Kuma, Boa Hancock, Donquixote Doflamingo, Gekko Moriah and Dracule Mihawk.
Whitebeard Pirates vs. The Royal Shichibukai
After Sengoku revealed that Ace's father is none other than Pirate King Gol D. Roger,
the Whitebeard Pirates and their 43 New World pirate allies have
arrived. At the same time, the Gates of Justice opened, allowing Jinbe
and Crocodile to leave the Tarai currents and prepare to join the war,
along with their comrades.
Mihawk made the first move among the five Shichibukai by sending a massive slashing shock wave at the Moby Dick, Whitebeard's flagship, to test out their differences in abilities, but Jozu intercepted it with his diamond body.
The five Shichibukai survey the war unfolding before them.
When Oars Jr.
appeared, Moriah declared that he wanted his corpse, and Doflamingo
made a remark at how the battle was about to get interesting. The
Shichibukai then began their assault. With the combined efforts of Bartholomew Kuma, Donquixote Doflamingo and Gekko Moriah, Oars Jr. was wounded and collapsed.
During Oars Jr.'s rampage, some pirates were able to penetrate the lines of defense. Boa Hancock
defended herself from oncoming pirates by turning them into stone with
her Devil Fruit abilities and shattering them. She also managed to get
some of the Marines in the crossfire, which made them question whether
or not she was going to betray them. She simply stated that she does not
define herself as an ally of the World Government but she has agreed to
fighting along with them against the Whitebeard Pirates.
Luffy's arrival in Marineford prompts comments from the
Shichibukai with Moriah showing anger, Mihawk and Doflamingo showing
amusement, Kuma remaining silent, and Hancock blushing and being
relieved that Luffy managed to get out of Impel Down. Jinbe then
declares directly to Sengoku that he abdicates his position. Crocodile
attempts to kill Whitebeard, but is stopped by Luffy. Kuma also fired a
mouth laser at Luffy and Ivankov, but it is dodged. Moriah uses his
powers to raise an army of zombies and sends them after Luffy, but Jinbe
purifies the zombies with a blast of sea water. When Sengoku reveals
Luffy's heritage of being Dragon's son to the public, Moriah is shocked,
Mihawk and Jinbe are not surprised, Hancock remains blushing, Kuma
stays silent, and Doflamingo laughs.
Jinbe using Fishman Karate on Moriah.
Moriah and Jinbe proceed to fight, Moriah claiming he'll take Jinbe's
shadow and augmenting himself with shadows. Jinbe, however, evades
Moriah's attacks with ease and deals him a severe blow with Samegawara
Seiken. Hancock then attacks and threatens Commodore Smoker for pinning
Luffy to the ground and declares Luffy as her beloved. Meanwhile,
Ivankov deals with Kuma, though Doflamingo says it's useless to talk to
Kuma as the Kuma Ivankov knew is already dead.
Hancock proceeds to give Luffy the keys to Ace's handcuffs (which
she obtained through unknown means), and when he hugs her, she
collapses, mistaking the hug for marriage. She then attacks Smoker when
he goes after Luffy, breaking his jutte and effectively initiating a
battle between them, with Hancock not worrying about any of the
consequences. Meanwhile, as Luffy confronts Kuma along with Ivankov,
Doflamingo tells the story of Kuma being slowly modified into a
Pacifista by Dr. Vegapunk, until the final modification (of the head)
turned him into little more than a puppet of the World Government.
It is also revealed that the "Tyrant" Kuma hated the World
Government and only agreed to become a weaponized human under some sort
of deal; the first completed Pacifista Kuma is known as PX-0. Kuma then
proceeds to attack Luffy, Ivankov, and Ivankov's men and Ivankov decides
to pound Kuma's fear into him, using a dropkick and powerful winks to
temporarily knock Kuma to the ground. Ivankov then tells the others to
go on.
Mihawk goes all out as he attacks Luffy.
Meanwhile, Crocodile and Mr. 1 began making their way back to Whitebeard when Jozu
charges at Crocodile and slams into him with his diamond forearm.
Crocodile is launched back, but before Jozu can attack again, Doflamingo
stops his movement, suggesting to Crocodile that they team up. As Luffy
continues his charge to Ace, Mihawk appears and unsheathes his sword,
stating that he will not hold back against him. Right after that, Mihawk
attacks Luffy, stating that he was within "range." Luffy tries to
escape because he has no time to fight strong guys like him. Luffy
realizes he can't fight him, because if he gets close to him, Mihawk
will just cut him. Seeing he is unable to continue, Marco, commander of
Whitebeard Pirates 1st Division, tells Vista the Flower Sword, commander
of Whitebeard's 5th Division, to help him out. Vista, also a swordsman,
manages to hold Mihawk back, so Luffy breaks away.
Doflamingo clashing with Crocodile.
As Whitebeard is stabbed by a deceived Squard,
Moriah and Doflamingo look excited, Jinbe looks shocked, and Mihawk
looks indifferent. Crocodile, shocked to see that Whitebeard got struck
so easily, wonders how Whitebeard could be so weak. Later, Crocodile
strikes down the executioners who tried to kill Ace, due to him being
unable to accept the smug looks in the Government's faces. This results
in Doflamingo getting jealous that Crocodile would choose Whitebeard and
the two clash.
When Luffy is injured by Aokiji, Hancock attempted to jump in to avenge him, but Marco struck first. Later, when Luffy is blocked by a Pacifista,
Hancock stood in between. As the Pacifista recognized her as a comrade,
it ceased its attack. However, when it told her to move, she broke its
head and proceeds to annihilate the rest, in order to prevent them from
giving Luffy chase. At the same time, Jinbe has decided to fight to the
death on behalf of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Crocodile protects Luffy from Mihawk.
Mihawk attempted to attack Luffy again, but Mr. 1 intervened. Mihawk
easily defeated Mr. 1, who is then saved by Crocodile. Crocodile and
Mihawk clash with each other. Meanwhile, Boa Hancock crushed more
Pacifistas, causing Sentomaru to question her allegiance.
After Ace died, and Luffy suffered a mental breakdown, Hancock
stated that she was extremely worried. As Whitebeard kept suffering
damage, Doflamingo made a sudden claim that things keeps getting
interesting, as the Blackbeard Pirates returned to the battlefield, with
several legendary criminals from Impel Down as new recruits.
Blackbeard revealed his sole reason for wanting the title of
Shichibukai: to have access to Impel Down, which normal pirates find
impossible, in order to recruit powerful prisoners to increase his crew
strength exponentially. After this goal is achieved, he resigned from
his postion, having no further use for it, much to Sengoku's fury and
the terror of the Marines. Blackbeard is then attacked by Whitebeard,
but then retaliates with his crew and assaults Whitebeard with bullets
and blades, ultimately killing him.
Blackbeard welding his original power in his right hand and Whitebeard's in his left.
After witnessing Whitebeard's death, all those still active in the war then witnessed Blackbeard then proceeds to absorb the Gura Gura no Mi's
power from his former captain's corpse, through unknown means hidden
under a black cloth. When Blackbeard emerges with his power of darkness
and earthquake, he announces worldwide that it is now his era, and
entered into combat against Sengoku and Monkey D. Garp.
Jinbe continues to carry an unconscious Luffy to safety, to which
results him being injured by Akainu, but is saved by Crocodile, and
then is seen being carried by Buggy to Trafalgar Law's submarine. When the Red Hair Pirates
arrived to end the war, Mihawk departed as he agreed to war against
Whitebeard, not his comrade Shanks. Hancock took over a Marine ship to
chase after the submarine, under the claim that she wanted Luffy's head.
Blackbeard and his crew left, as they got what they wanted.
Full Moon o Sagashite (満月をさがしてFuru Mūn o Sagashite?
, literally "Searching for the Full Moon") is a Japaneseshōjomanga by Arina Tanemura. According to the furigana, the kanji満月 in the title are read furu mūn ("full moon") and not mangetsu or mitsuki, the Japanese words for the full moon. In North America, the series is published as Full Moon. although the full title is given on the front cover.
magazine Ribon from January 2002 to June 2004 and collected in seven tankōbon volumes. The manga is published in North America in English by Viz Media. The series was adapted as an anime television series produced by Nihon Ad Systems, which ended before the manga was completed, plus an OVA distributed with an issue of Ribon. The series was broadcast on TV Tokyo, where it enjoyed high ratings,[citation needed] and is also licensed in North America by Viz Media.12-year-old orphan Mitsuki Koyama is a talented singer who dreams of becoming a pop idol, but she is afflicted with sarcoma, which is curable only through a surgery that could ruin her vocal cords, and destroy her ability to sing. The tumor in her throat already affects her ability to breathe well and sing loudly. On top of that, her grandmother hates music, and is completely opposed to Mitsuki's wish to audition. Mitsuki’s dreams seem impossible to achieve, until one day she is visited by two shinigami, whom only she could see. The shinigami, Takuto and Meroko, inadvertently tip Mitsuki off that she has only one year left to live.
Mitsuki then realizes she cannot wait any longer to fulfill her dream, so she runs away from home and the shinigami, to try to audition for a singing competition. However, the shinigami stop her before she is able to audition. She moves Takuto, the male shinigami, to agree to a compromise: If Mitsuki promises to go quietly when her year is up, he would help her become a singer, so she could leave the world with no regrets. Takuto gives her the ability to transform into a completely healthy 16-year-old, so that she could meet the age requirements of the audition, and sing without hindrance.
Despite heavy competition, Mitsuki wins over the judges with her excellent voice and her enthusiasm for singing, sealing a contract with Seed Records. To conceal her true identity, she chooses the stage name "Fullmoon" ("Fullmoon," a single word, which is a name, in contrast to "Full Moon" such as in the series title, which refers to the actual moon).
Mitsuki had decided to become a singer two years before, when she was 10 years old. She had made a promise with Eichi Sakurai, a 16-year-old boy she met at her orphanage, that the next time they met, they would both be closer to their dreams. Eichi wanted to become an astronomer and Mitsuki wanted to become a singer. Shortly after, Eichi was adopted and emigrated to America before Mitsuki could express her feelings for him. Mitsuki hopes that by becoming a famous idol, Eichi would be able to hear her sing and realize her feelings for him.
Because the manga continued to be written after the anime series completed, the plots of the manga and anime take different paths after the point of Mitsuki's first singing audition. The two stories share common themes, but events develop differently as the series advances, and some of the characters in the anime have different histories and personalities from their manga counterparts.
For example, in the manga, Mitsuki is never allowed to go to school, while in the anime, Mitsuki attends middle school regularly, and many episodes involve her interactions with classmate friends.
Also, in the anime, Mitsuki tries to convince Oshige and Wakaoji that Fullmoon is her "older sister." However, by episode 19, Mitsuki decides to end the charade, admitting to Oshige and Wakaoji that Mitsuki and Fullmoon are one and the same, and that she changes via Takuto's and Meroko's magic. She proves this by performing a transformation in front of them (much to their astonishment), and Wakaoji and Oshige become friends with Takuto and Meroko for the rest of the series. By contrast, in the manga, no human other than Mitsuki knows about the shinigami in detail. Oshige and Wakaoji eventually deduce Mitsuki is also Fullmoon, but they never know specifically how that was accomplished. In only one frame do they mention a time when Mitsuki told them of shinigami, and Wakaoji says simply, "I believe her."
Mitsuki's love for Eichi plays a lead role in her quest to be a singer. She wishes to be a singer because she thinks her songs will reach America, where Eichi lives, and will recognize her. However, in the manga, Takuto finds out that Eichi died in a plane crash the day of his departure and Mitsuki knew all along and pretended that he was still alive. In the anime, she goes to America to meet a doctor who might treat her illness and uses the chance to track down Eichi's adoptive family, who tell her that Eichi died in a car accident two months after moving. In both versions, she becomes emotionless and blames herself for his death. In the anime, she is so depressed that she gives up singing, refuses to eat and sleep, stares at a photo of her and him, and considers suicide. In the manga, she continues with singing but does so so that she can exhaust herself to death and "go to the world Eichi is at". At the end of both versions, with the help of her friends, she realizes that Eichi would have wanted her to live and fulfill her dreams, so she continues singing and fulfills her promise to him.
In the manga, Takuto is more blunt about his feelings for Mitsuki, even forcibly kissing her and trying to force himself on her. Mitsuki becomes more aware of her feelings for him earlier and even goes on a date with him. At the end, he awakens from a coma (he wasn't really dead) and reunites with Mitsuki three years later. While in the anime, he holds back his feelings for her and doesn't confess until her final concert. At the end, he is granted a second chance to live and has no memories until Mitsuki calls for him and seems to realize who she is.
In the manga, Meroko still has feelings for Izumi, who is more open about his love for her. Izumi is also more amusing and teasing than is cold and cynical self in the anime. Meroko accepts that she loves Izumi and they become partners again in the manga, while their relationship is left uncertain in the anime.
In the manga, Mitsuki is cured of her illness by her frequent transformations, which lessened her cancer, after she agrees to take the surgery. In the anime, Mitsuki takes the surgery after her final concert and it successfully allows her to keep her voice.
A 12-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a pop singer, but who has a tumor in her vocal cords which restricts her ability to sing. She grew up in an orphanage, and then later went to live with her strict grandmother, Fuzuki, who forbade her from singing. When Mitsuki learns that she'll die if her vocal cords aren't removed, she refuses the surgery, saying she is more afraid of never singing again than she is of dying. With Takuto's help, she transforms into Fullmoon (フルムーンFurumūn?), a 16-year-old pop idol, completely free of cancer and able to sing. As Fullmoon, she is discovered by Seed Records during an audition, and in both the manga and anime she is depicted as releasing several hit singles. The anime ending theme songs are all supposedly sung by Fullmoon. Mitsuki chooses the stage name Fullmoon because mitsuki means "full moon" in Japanese, and because her childhood friend, Eichi Sakurai, wants to become an astronomer, and the name reminds her of him. Mitsuki decided to become a singer when she was ten years old, because she made a promise with Eichi that they would fulfill their dreams the next time they met.
Mitsuki desires to become a singer because she wants to tell Eichi that she loves him. However, the shinigami eventually discover Eichi is dead. In the manga, they realize Mitsuki knew this all along; in the anime, Mitsuki learns of his death during a trip to America. Both the manga and anime revolve around Mitsuki dealing with Eichi's death, as well as her eventual feelings for Takuto.
Mitsuki is portrayed as an assertive young girl whose personality has matured far beyond her chronological age, and who, in spite of terrible circumstances, stays optimistic and determined. She smiles, even when she harbors pain inside herself. Eichi observes this, comparing Mitsuki to the moon: "The other side of the moon has craters made by meteors...the moon shines while hiding all its wounds" (chapter 3). This trait is also noted by Takuto. Although she always smiles, deep down she is suffering largely due to her desire to see Eichi (as well as her grief over his death). She blames herself for his death because he would not have gotten on the plane if she had confessed to him. Her grief causes her to withdraw from everyone and even considers suicide just so that "she can go to the world Eichi is at".
Halfway through the series, Mitsuki realizes that she loves Takuto but feels guilty for it because she is afraid of forgetting Eichi. With the help of Meroko, she decides that she loves them both and is able to confess to Takuto, as well as accept that Eichi would have wanted to her to be happy. By the end of the series, she is cured of her illness and is able to pursue a singing career and relationship with Takuto, but keeps Eichi in a special place in her heart. Mitsuki's corkscrew hairstyle was inspired by Ai Kago of the group Morning Musume.[2] Mitsuki herself is modeled on one of Arina Tanemura's assistants, Airi Teito.[3]
Mitsuki's childhood friend and first love. In the anime, he is six years older than her; in the manga, he is four years older. After his parents died, Eichi lived with his grandfather. When he died as well, Eichi moved to the orphanage where he met Mitsuki. They became fast friends, and he eventually fell in love with her, confessing his feelings just before moving to America. Mitsuki was heartbroken when he left, as she could not yet confess her true feelings to him. Part of the reason she wanted to become a singer was to find him. In the manga, Eichi dies when his flight to America crashes (which Mitsuki learns immediately); in the anime, Eichi dies in a car accident a few months after moving (which Mitsuki doesn't find out until her trip to America, two years later). In the manga, Takuto's first assignment was taking Eichi's soul, but Eichi refused to depart the world and instead stays near Mitsuki as a spirit, which gives her the power to see shinigami. He stays with her until the end of the manga, when he leaves after seeing that she is now happy and wants to live on, and no longer needs his presence. As he disappears, he smiles lovingly at her while crying.
Mitsuki's grandmother. She initially hates music because she believes that it has stolen everyone she has loved. She becomes angry when Mitsuki sings in her house. After Mitsuki runs away from home to become Fullmoon, disappearing from her life, Grandma Fuzuki constantly worries about her, gradually accepts the fact that she cannot keep Mitsuki from music, and the two reconcile. In the manga, as a young woman Fuzuki was best friends with Moe Rikyou (the human who became Meroko), and they both fell in love with a violinist, Seijuro Koga. He chose Fuzuki as his fiancée, but Fuzuki refused the engagement out of loyalty to Moe. When Fuzuki announced this to Seijuro, she gave him a final kiss, but Moe, already hearing of their engagement, misread the scene, ran off, and committed suicide in despair. Fuzuki later married another man and had Hazuki, who became Mitsuki's mother. Seijuro married another woman, who gave birth to Aoi Koga--Mitsuki's father. At the end of the manga, Fuzuki reunites with Seijuro (both are by then widowed), and they attend Mitsuki's concert together--strongly implying they are finally a pair. In the anime, Fuzuki was engaged to a man who wanted to become a famous pianist. He became obsessed with practicing the piano, and when she suggested he should relax a bit, he said she did not understand and left Japan, breaking Fuzuki's heart.
Fuzuki's maid. She acts silly at times, but cares deeply for both Fuzuki and Mitsuki. Tanaka is skilled at cooking, cleaning, shopping, and appears to take pride in her abilities as a maid. She is also something of a snoop and often eavesdrops on conversations. In the anime, Tanaka is shown as loving music and she has a radio with headphones so that she can listen without Fuzuki knowing; Mitsuki sometimes uses this to blackmail Tanaka. Tanaka also has a crush on Wakaoji and is jealous of Oshige, mistaking her to be Wakaoji's fiancée. In one episode, she challenges Oshige to a contest to see which of the two would make a better bride. Although Tanaka wins all events, she concedes the contest when she sees Wakaoji and Oshige laughing together, believing the two are in love (which is actually true in the manga, but not in the anime).
Mitsuki's doctor. He played keyboard in the band ROUTE:L along with Mitsuki's father, Aoi Koga, and Takuto Kira, but he quit after Aoi's death. Fans called him the "Prince of ROUTE:L" becausewakaōji means "young prince" in Japanese. In the manga, Wakaoji performed the surgery on Takuto to remove the tumor in his vocal cords and witnessed Takuto's suicide. Mitsuki learns that Wakaoji loved her mother because of a letter he thought she had written him, but Wakaoji falls in love with Oshige when he discovers the letter was from her. In a side story, he asks Oshige to marry him and she accepts. In an episode of the anime, Mitsuki asks him to go out with her and he says yes. He cares for Mitsuki because she looks like her mother.
Fullmoon's 28-year-old manager, and a former avid fangirl of ROUTE:L, especially Wakaoji. She started out as an unsuccessful idol singer, under the stage name Yuina Hanakazari (花飾 結菜Hanakazari Yuina?), before moving into management. In the manga, she has an affair with her boss out of loneliness despite his being married. She truly loves Wakaoji, having been smitten with him since his days in Route:L, but she feels she is too old and unworthy of true love with a man. To cope with this despair, as well as with the pressures of her job, she often loses herself in a bottle ofsake. (In reality, Arina Tanemura says Masami is a heavy drinker because Tanemura's editors like to drink, and Oshige's name is a hybrid of the editors' names.) At the end of the manga, Wakaoji discovers Masami is the one who composed the mysterious love letter, making her the one he really loved all that time, and so asks her to marry him.
Madoka Wakamatsu (若松 円Wakamatsu Madoka?) Voiced by: Kana (Japanese), Carol-Anne Day (English)
Madoka Wakamatsu is the stage name of Chisato Kurebayashi (暮林 千暁Kurebayashi Chisato?). Madoka is Fullmoon's rival in the music industry, who at the same time befriends 12-year-old Mitsuki. While talented, she is constantly upstaged by Fullmoon because she initially lacks the heart Mitsuki gives her songs. In addition, she is insecure because she had plastic surgery to make herself beautiful as a celebrity and was disowned by her family as a result. Madoka has a small pig called Gu-chan (ぐっちゃん?), who worships her. Although she sometimes takes out her anger on Gu-chan, she is genuinely fond of him. In the manga, Madoka is shown as having pride as well as ambition: she refuses to cheat to win over Fullmoon, even once resigning a commercial offer to Fullmoon when she realizes that Fullmoon would have won if Madoka hadn't inadvertently stolen her lyrics. In the anime, Madoka is not above using underhanded tactics to best Fullmoon and does so several times, although she eventually changes her ways--particularly after learning some humility the hard way. In both versions, Madoka cares very much about Mitsuki/Fullmoon by the end of the story. At the end of the anime (episode 52), Madoka brings Mitsuki flowers following her surgery, and at the end of the manga, Madoka cries when thinking about Fullmoon having cancer: "Why? Why does it have to be her?" (chapter 29).
Mitsuki's dead father, and former guitarist and songwriter for the band ROUTE:L. He acted as a father figure for the orphaned Takuto. In the manga, he died in an accident while driving Hazuki to the hospital to give birth to Mitsuki; in the anime, he died when Mitsuki was one year old.
In the manga, Aoi is shown as a laid-back, cool-tempered man. Arina Tanemura states that "He loves wearing Buddhist priest work clothes!" Aoi was very close to his bandmates and friends, Keiichi Wakaoji and Takuto Kira. He asked Takuto to name his daughter, and Takuto decided on Mitsuki (vol. 4, bonus manga, Totsugeki Dokodoko). He is only briefly seen in the anime, including a scene where he gives a music box to Hazuki when she named their daughter Mitsuki.
The lead singer of the duo OZ, who befriends Mitsuki (as Fullmoon) because she was the first person in the music industry to genuinely smile as she spoke to him. He cherishes her friendship and takes it upon himself to find a stalker hurting people close to her. Nachi and Madoka fall in love, though Gu-chan is jealous of him. When Madoka finds he has an old photo of her with her unattractive childhood fiancé, Soichiro Shido (紫堂 総一郎Shidō Sōichirō?), she assumes Nachi is Soichiro's friend, pretending to love her to get revenge for her rejection of Soichiro. Madoka apologizes to Soichiro's mother and asks to break off the engagement because she loves Nachi, only to discover Soichiro is Nachi, after having plastic surgery to become an idol in hopes of making her love him. In the end, they remain engaged and a happy couple. Nachi does not appear in the anime.
Hikari was Takuto's girlfriend while he was alive. Takuto discovered that she was cheating on him and the two were on the verge of breaking up when Takuto attempted suicide and went into a coma, after which Hikari realized that she still loved him. She later sees Takuto (visible to humans while he was about to go on a date with Mitsuki) and attempts to revive their relationship, which causes problems between Takuto and Mitsuki. Hikari only appears in the manga.
Shinigami
The shinigami are the spirits of humans that committed suicide, who are then punished with the task of collecting souls. If a shinigami fully remembers his or her past life before becoming a fullshinigami, he or she disappears and becomes a ghost. In the manga, Mitsuki is the only human who knows about the shinigami (other than Grandma Fuzuki, who befriends Meroko in her "plushie doll" form, but does not know she's a shinigami, nor realizes Meroko is a friend from many years ago). However, in the anime, when Mitsuki admits to Oshige and Wakaoji her double-identity, she also admits the existence of Takuto and Meroko, as well as their supernatural powers. Oshige and Wakaoji befriend Takuto and Meroko, and frequently interact with them when they're in doll form.
Takuto is Meroko's partner and trainee, and they are assigned to take Mitsuki's soul. His shinigami costume is a cat outfit plus a backpack with wings, without which, as a trainee shinigami, he cannot fly. Takuto is capable of transforming into a anthropomorphic cat plushie. Moved by Mitsuki's plight, he transforms her into the 16-year-old Fullmoon. Takuto falls in love with Mitsuki as the story goes on. As the series progresses, he remembers his past as Takuto Kira (吉良托人Kira Takuto?), the lead singer of ROUTE:L, the band that both Mitsuki's father and her doctor were in. After a malignant tumor in his throat took his voice, he attempted suicide by jumping from the top floor of the hospital, witnessed by Dr. Wakaoji. He remained in a coma for the next two years. In the manga, a twelve year-old Takuto named Mitsuki before she was born, and later met her at the orphanage when she was four years old. At the end of the series, Takuto saves Mitsuki's life, violating fate and his duty as a shinigami. At the end of the manga, he is seen as a human again in the hospital, having lost three months of memories. Three years later, he reunites with Mitsuki during her concert. Mitsuki jumps off stage mid-song and confesses her feelings to him. They kiss amid cheers from the concert crowd. In the anime, the circumstances of Takuto's death are changed: he is in a motorbike accident and dies rather than remaining in a coma. After being given a second chance at life, Takuto has no memory of his former lives as human or shinigami, but still carries the cat charm Mitsuki gave him. In the final scene, Meroko (now an angel) leads Mitsuki to Takuto. Mitsuki calls out to him, and he recognizes her.
Meroko is a rabbit shinigami with long ears, capable of transforming into an anthropomorphic bunny stuffed toy. Her shinigami costume in the manga is black; whereas, in the anime it is red. Meroko is particularly insecure in relationships. At one point she laments, "I've finally run away from love... but when I fell in love and lost it, I realized that there's no place to run anywhere, anymore. Do I have to repeat this forever? Is this my punishment?" (bonus story in manga volume 3, A Kiss for Meroko). This insecurity gives her jealousy towards Mitsuki. Meroko is Takuto's partner and has an unrequited infatuation with him. Her jealousy in the manga causes her to act out almost violently against Mitsuki. In the anime, she is more passive; however, the anime depicts her love for Takuto as being much deeper and more permanent than the manga. Meroko is Izumi's former partner; in the manga, it is Izumi who selects her unique costume. Both the manga and the anime reveal a previous relationship between Izumi and Meroko and allude to it as being unhealthy but mutual. Eventually Izumi ends the relationship and partnership; Meroko is forced to train Takuto as a replacement. The anime does not address Meroko's past, while the manga does: As a human, Meroko was named Moe Rikyo (里匡萌Rikyō Moe?), and was the best friend of Mitsuki's grandmother, Fuzuki. Fuzuki was in an arranged engagement to another man, but both she and Moe fell in love with Seijuro Koga, a handsome violinist. However, Seijuro returned only Fuzuki's affections and arranged things so the two could be engaged. Fuzuki's loutish ex-fiancé was passed on to Moe, who, shocked by the new arrangements, sought out Fuzuki to verify the truth. At the same time, Fuzuki broke off her relationship with Seijuro and was giving him a final kiss when Moe arrived. The upset Moe ran away; soon afterwards, her new fiancé attempted to rape her. Feeling betrayed by her friend, Moe committed suicide. In the manga, Meroko learns Seijuro is Mitsuki's grandfather and assumes Mitsuki is the descendant of Fuzuki's betrayal. In a rage, Meroko tries to take Mitsuki's soul with a whip, but Takuto intervenes. It is later revealed that Fuzuki did not marry Seijuro but later married another man, with whom she raised Hazuki Kouyama, Mitsuki's mother; Seijuro married another woman, and their child was Aoi Kago, Mitsuki's father.
Meroko eventually makes amends in the manga both by befriending Fuzuki in her rabbit form and by appearing silently as Moe, allowing Fuzuki a chance to explain and apologize although shinigami law prevents her from replying.
The manga ends with Meroko and Izumi reconciling their relationship as well as becoming shinigami partners once more. In the anime, Meroko is exiled from the shinigami and resolves to become a ghost in order to save Takuto; in reward for this kindness, she is made into an angel and given Takuto's soul to deliver a second chance.
Izumi is a cold and distant shinigami assigned to the Pediatrics Ward. He can transform into an anthropomorphic dog plushie, but rarely does so because it takes a lot of energy and he says it is embarrassing. He likes to call other characters by nicknames.
In the anime, Izumi's background is not mentioned and he is portrayed as a cold-hearted antagonist. He makes several attempts to steal Mitsuki's soul, and although he claims to love Meroko, he frequently does things to hurt her. He also implies that he was responsible for Takuto and Meroko being assigned to Mitsuki in the hopes it would cause Takuto to remember his past life as a human and turn him into a ghost. The anime portrays Izumi's sole motivation as the need to regain Meroko and cause Takuto pain in the process.
The manga illustrates Izumi as mischievous but not sadistic, and over the course of the series, he also befriends Mitsuki and the others. Izumi's background in the manga is elaborate: In his human life, he was a boy named Lio Izumi (泉利緒Izumi Rio?) whose mother was abusive; it is implied that the young Izumi looked much like his late father, thus invoking his mother's rage. In a desperate attempt to see his mother smile again, six-year old Izumi ran onto the train tracks - but though he saw his mother smile as he was hit, Izumi woke up again as a shinigami, dissatisfied. In the manga, it is stated that Izumi retained all of his memories after death, a very unusual feat for a new shinigami. Eventually, Mitsuki helps him realize that he had wanted his mother to call him back from the tracks. At the end of the manga, Izumi and Meroko team up once again and become sweethearts.
Jonathan is the shinigami who becomes Izumi's partner after Meroko leaves. He wears a top hat and often speaks rather odd phrases in English. Throughout the series, he appears subservient to Izumi, while conducting covert operations including revealing to Mitsuki that the shinigami already knew that Eichi was dead and becoming a fanatic who tries to harm Fullmoon and her friends. In the manga, it is eventually revealed that he is really Sheldan (シェルダン部長Sherudan-buchō?), the head of the pediatrics ward. He attempts to take Mitsuki's life, but is stopped by Takuto, Meroko, and Izumi. He was the second shinigami to be born, and shows great affection towards Mystere. In the final chapter, he uses up all his powers to heal Takuto's throat and give him his voice back, and disappears along with Mystere. In the anime adaptation, Jonathan's role is minor, acting only as Izumi's sidekick and a source of annoyance.
In an author's freetalk in the manga, Tanemura mentions that one day at work, she drew a picture of what she thought Peeves from Harry Potter looked like. She showed it to her assistants, who laughed and said it did not look anything like Peeves. Tanemura decided not to waste it, and used the sketch as the design of Jonathan in ghost form.[4]
Also called Mystere (ミスティアMisutia?), the Death Master was the first human soul to descend to the Underworld and is the crowned queen of the Underworld. After discovering she could take the souls of humans, she encountered a dying young girl who asked her if she was a shinigami, which convinced her that she was one. Fragile and sentimental, she is believed to be the most powerfulshinigami. When Meroko enters her room to erase Mitsuki's name from the rolls of the dead, Mystere gives her the keys to free Takuto, and later she listens with a smile to Mitsuki's final performance as Fullmoon. At the end of the manga, when Mystere and Sheldan disappear after using up their power healing Takuto's throat, they seem to show great affection for each other, and Mystere says that unlike the last time she died, she has no regrets about it. In the anime, there is no backstory to her, and she appears briefly near the end, forgiving Takuto and Meroko, forbearing Mitsuki's and Takuto's deaths, and granting Meroko the status of an angel.
