GetBackers

GetBackers
Genre	BL/Shōnen/Action
Anime
Directed by	Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Keitaro Motonaga
Studio	Studio DEEN
Manga
Written by	Aoki Yuya and Ayamine Rando
Published by	Kodansha ChuangYi Tokyopop

Get Backers -奪還屋- (Japanese: ゲットバッカーズ だっかんや Gettobakkāzu Dakkan'ya) is a manga series written by Yuya Aoki and illustrated by Rando Ayamine. It was published by Kodansha and was serialized in Shonen Magazine. The series has lasted for 35 volumes and is still running in Japan; currently, the first 14 volumes have been released in English by TOKYOPOP, with Volume 15 scheduled for release on 8th August 2006.

In 2002, the series was adapted into an anime series, produced by Studio DEEN, which aired from 2002 to 2003 and ran for 49 episodes. The series has been licensed in North America by ADV Films and given a 10-volume DVD release.

Story

The manga tells the story of the pair known as the GetBackers, consisting of both Ban Midou and Ginji Amano, who "live" (for want of a better term since they are often broke and resort to sleeping in their car) in one of the seedier areas of Shinjuku in Tokyo. Ban and Ginji operate what may be described as a freelance repossession service or dakkanya. For a fee, they will recover any item stolen from, or lost by, a client. The two boast an "almost 100%" success rate.

Ban and Ginji are not ordinary human beings, however; they each possess mysterious abilities which they use to carry out their many recovery missions. Ban's powers include the "Snakebite", a skill which gives his hands a grip of 200 kilograms of force, and the "Jagan" (a Japanese term roughly meaning "evil eye"), an ability to induce minute-long hallucinations of Ban's choosing in whomever he makes direct eye contact with. Ginji, on the other hand, can generate enormous amounts of electric energy in his body for tasks such as attacking opponents or overloading electronic systems; this has earned him the moniker of "Raitei" (a Japanese term variously translated as "Thunder Emperor," "Lightning Lord," and the like).

Despite the simplicity of their job's description, Ban and Ginji's profession often thrusts them into bizarre and dangerous situations in order to obtain the objects they must find. Their targets range from everyday objects such as a video game a school kid has lost to a specific person who has been abducted by the yakuza or even a much more dangerous object which might just affect the safety of the nation (such as a vital part of a nuclear bomb). As such, the plot mostly revolves around the dangerous (yet sometimes silly) adventures they both go through, which is often complicated by connections to the pair's dark and twisted pasts, and a mysterious place called the Mugenjou (a Japanese term translated "Limitless Fortress" in the English-language release of anime and as "Infinite Castle" or "Infinity Fortress" in the English-language release of the manga).

There are numerous "acts" in the story. Each act, divided into a number of chapters, describes a different recovery task taken on by the GetBackers. As the story develops, new characters and their past relationships with Ban and Ginji are revealed, and details of a shadowy conspiracy involving the GetBackers slowly rise to the surface.

Ban drives a Subaru 360 that is constantly being towed away due to Ban's refusal (and inability) to pay parking fees coupled with his tendency to constantly "invent" parking spots. This causes the two to not only temporarily lose their car, but they often lose their money. At that point they go to the "Honky Tonk", a bar that they go to cadge free food and run up their tab. Their little car would not normally be a powerhouse, but this particular Subaru 360 has a 1200 cc engine tuned to 195 horsepower (145 kW) with nitrous. The car, in real life, only weighs 900 pounds, thus making it extremely fast. The car also features a soft top, which is used mainly to make their jobs easier. Ban drives his car like a madman, with many scenes of him sliding the car around corners, or going down the sidewalk on two wheels. He claims to have an extremely good driving technique.

The plotline of the anime is initially similar to that of the manga, but diverges sharply after the 25th episode as the anime attempted to compress the ongoing story arcs into a manageable anime arc with a reasonable ending. The second Mugenjou arc is not in any way connected to the one in the Manga, though some of the characters featured have also recently appeared in the manga.

Story Arcs

This section lists the story arcs of the manga. More information can be found in the characters' descriptions. Also, the GB duo and the Honky Tonk crew are not listed in the returning characters' section.

5. Get Back the Magical Sunflower!

In this arc, the GB duo find themselves confronting a mysterious art thief named "Clayman". Their client is an art museum curator who wants them to get back a painting rumored to be Vincent Van Gogh's "13th Sunflower". But is the art thief really the bad guy, or have the duo been fooled by their client instead? Also, an old friend of Ban returns for some twists...

• Contained in volumes: 5
• New characters: Clayman
• Returning ones: Kudo Himiko

6. The Battle to Retrieve Mugenjou's "IL"

The first major arc of the series, this story sees the Get Backers and their allies battling old friends and new enemies in Mugenjou for the device known only as IL. But what are MakubeX's true plans, and can the GB duo stop him in time?

• Contained in volumes: 5 to 11
• New characters: MakubeX, Kakei Jubei, Kagami Kyoji, Emishi Haruki, Fudou Takuma, Kakei Sakura, Teshimine Takeru, Radou Gen, Radou Ren
• Returning ones: Akabane Kurodou, Kudo Himiko, Fuyuki Shido, Fuchouin Kazuki

7. Get Back the Arms of the Goddess!

The GB duo's old friend, Clayman, gives them their new job of getting back the arms of the Venus de Milo statue, before they are re-attached to the statue in front of a worldwide live audience. But, this means that they will have to forgo Hevn's offer. Being a professional, Hevn finds her substitutes (in the form of Shido and Emishi). The 2 teams are destined to cross each other's paths. However, they will need all the help they can get, for their opponents this time possess skills which they have never seen before...

• Contained in volumes: 11 to 14
• New characters: Miroku 7, the Professor, Hera, Mouuen Ryu, Kaito
• Returning ones: Clayman, Akabane Kuroudo, Fuyuki Shido, Emishi Haruki

8. Kami no Kijitsu

When tasked to get back some wayward children, the GB duo gets involved in a card game from hell...literally! When Kazuki gets captured and their opponent turns out to be a disciple of the Witch Queen, Ban decides to look up an old lady from his past for help. But even with her assistance, can they succeed in their task of getting back the children, whom apparently have no intention of going home? Also, will the former partner of Kazuki and Jubei return to his senses, or will he perish in the battle to come?

• Contained in volumes: 14 to 18
• New characters: Maria Noches, Uryuu Toshiki, Lucifer, Sendou Rena, Kudo Yamato
• Returning ones: Fuchouin Kazuki, Kudo Himiko, Kakei Jubei, Akabane Kuroudo, Fuyuki Shido

9. Get Back the Marlin Red!

The GB duo gets to brush up their history in this arc, when their client wants them to retrieve a case of red wine known as "Marlin Red" from a sunken World War II U-boat. But why will a simple case of red wine interest the yakuza? Also, an old friend of their client, together with a mysterious lady, is eyeing the case...

• Contained in volumes: 18 and 19
• New characters: Dokubachi
• Returning ones: Maguruma Gouzou, Hishiki Ryuudou

10. Get Back the Eternal Bond!

The second major arc of the series, this story sees the GB duo and their allies taking sides in the war between the Maryuudo and the Kiryuudo. Fuyuki Shido had hired them in case Madoka is taken away from him. True enough, the Kiryuudo make off with the blind violinist; what plans do they have in store for her and Shido? Also, can the GB duo and their gang prevail against the 7 Champions of the Kiryuudo?

• Contained in volumes: 19 to 25
• New characters: Natsuki Amon, Haruki Kaoru, Agi Ryuuhou
• Returning characters: Dokubachi, Kirihito, Kagami Kyoji, Akabane Kurodou, Kudo Himiko

Characters

Template:Spoiler The following character bios consists of information from both the manga and the anime.

Japanese names are in Western order (given name, then family name).

The GetBackers

• Ban Mido (美堂蛮 Midō Ban; Seiyu: Nobutoshi Kanna, Naomi Shindou [young]) - Known variously as "The Man with the Jagan" (邪眼の男) and "The Genius of Battles", Midou Ban is the "B" in the Get Backers.

• Ginji Amano (天野銀次 Amano Ginji; Seiyu: Shotaro Morikubo, Ryoko Shiraishi [young]) - He is the partner of Ban Mido and the "G" in the Get Backers.

Previous GetBackers

• Der Kaiser (manga only) - As Ban's father, he occupies a unique place in the story. While being a major antagonist in the Voodoo Child arc and supposed last arc "Get Back the Lost Time", he is also an enemy of the Brain Trust, seeking to wrestle the control of Mugenjou from their grasp and get back his "lost time". He has made several attempts at this, both by taking control of the Beltline, as its current ruler, and by attempting to force Raitei to overload the tower's circuits by asking for too much power in a single instant then the Fortress was capable of generating (and that's a heck of a lot). In addition, he was formerly a member of the first generation of Get Backers along with Wan Paul, the two of them having a similar relationship to that of Ban and Ginji. However, after entering the upper limits of Mugenjou, the two split, for by then the Kaiser realised that the gates to Bablyon City were shut by his mother. Claiming that it's his sole responsiblity to set things right, he urged his friend to leave. As for himself, he "stayed on and became a Dark Lord whom even the monsters of the Beltline feared". (Quote from Paul) When Maria confronted him, he remarked that only one person will be able to make it to the top of Bablyon City. Der Kaiser's fighting abilities are noted as being in a place even the "Gale Emperor" cannot reach. Later, he and Paul was to engage in a brawl to determine who is the better skilled of the two. When the Kaiser launched a devastating blow at his old comrade, a certain teen took it with his palm and only suffered from a minor cut. That teen was his son, Midou Ban. Der Kaiser has been revealed to be a spectre in the latest manga chapters because he didn't leave Babylon like Paul did so long ago, his goal all along was to help his son Ban overcome the curse of the Snake. Ban defeats der Kaiser but doesn't use the power of Aesclepius to do so by remembering Ginji at the last moment. Der Kaiser tells his son how much he has grown whilst patting him on the head, and finally disappears.

Second Gen - As their title suggests, they are the second generation of the Get Backers. Upon Paul's return to Ura Shinjuku, he handed over the name of the Get Backers to 3 youths. Little of them is actually seen in the manga but their influence on Ban and Ginji can be seen in many ways.

• Ban's "Urchin Head" hairstyle is based on one of them. (In the "Early Days" arcs, his hairstyle is that of his childhood days, and bears a resemblance to his father's.)
• The duo's Subaru is also inherited from them (along with the parking fines).
• Ginji learnt his "jigsaw" analogy of their job scope from them as well.
• In the manga, a young Natsumi was prompted by them to go to the Honky Tonk to look for Ban and Ginji.

The "jigsaw" analogy is as follows (taken from the second gen's speech upon handing over to Ban and Ginji): "If you accept a job, you must then follow it to the very end, for before you put in the last piece of the jigsaw, you wouldn't know how the true picture will look like."

Given their speech, they may know some of Mugenjou's secrets, but what Paul had told them is as of now unknown.

The Honky Tonk Crew

• Hevn (Seiyu: Rio Natsuki) - Codename of the buxom and enterprising young woman who is at times an ally to the Get Backers - and sometimes at odds with them. She is a "chuukaiya" (仲介屋) or negotiator, a person who mediates jobs between high-paying clients and retrievers (such as the Getbackers or Shido). In the manga, she is most known for her excessively revealing outfits (which Ban tends to take advantage of to cop a feel) and her sly, working-woman attitude. In the anime, she is gratuitously more clothed. She's also fond of trading barbs with Himiko about her lack of figure - but in reality, Hevn respects Himiko for her spunk and professionalism and their catfights merely reflect their competitiveness as two very capable women working in the dangerous underground. It has been hinted that Hevn may know Kurusu Masaki. In book 30, she requests Akabane to transport her to the top of Bablyon Tower, after her first request of asking Akabane to transport the GB duo to the same place was turned down. (Akabane cited conflicting interests as his reason for turning down the first quest.) As Dr. Jackal left her, she wondered about the true nature of the "Lost Time", and hoped to see a man named Masaki at Bablyon Tower, if he is indeed there.

• Paul Wan (王波児, Japanese: Wan Pōru, Chinese Pinyin: Wáng Bōér; Seiyu: Yasunori Matsumoto) - Owner of the Honky Tonk cafe, Paul was once a GetBacker with the title "Gale Emperor" (疾風の王).

• Natsumi Mizuki (水城夏実 Mizuki Natsumi; Seiyu: Otoha) - A 17-year-old high school student, Natsumi was Ban and Ginji's client at the beginning of the anime who then came to work at the Honky Tonk as a part-time waitress. In the anime, she has amazing ping-pong skills and even once takes on one of the Get Backers' clients while they are busy with another case (despite her lack of skill at anything besides table tennis, shogi, and cooking. Notable here is that she chose to wear an outfit consisting of Ban's shirt and glasses, and Ginji's pants and gloves for the case.) Sort of the GetBackers' unofficial groupie, Natsumi is very devoted to Ban and Ginji, often worrying about their welfare and staying up late at the Honky Tonk to welcome them back from a mission (This is also seen in the MV of the first ending theme in the anime, although the duo were just away to get groceries on a rainy day. Also, the song is sang by Otoha, Natsumi's seiyu). In a case of real life mirroring art, in the anime, Natsumi once teamed up with Emishi on a retrival mission (the same episode where she wore the outfit mentioned above); her seiyu (Otoha) later married a comedian. In the manga, Natsumi's history and character is markedly different from the anime's. Aside from hints that she and Ginji share an almost flirtatious friendship, her past is introduced in "Birth Arc 2: Get Back the Genius Dog" of vol. 27, as one of the GetBackers' first clients. The daughter of an eminent virus researcher, Natsumi hires them to rescue her "genius" Miniature Dachshund Lucky from performing tricks at a TV station. But Lucky, apparently, has more sinister powers and mysteries under his fur and it's up to the GetBackers to get to the bottom of what turns out to be a conspiracy involving superhuman mutants, mad scientists, and HEVN - who also makes her first appearance in the series in this arc (chronologically speaking).

• Rena Sendo(manga only) (仙洞レナ Sendō Rena; Seiyu in drama CD: Chiwa Saito) - Rena was first seen in the Kami no Kijitsu arc as one of Lucifer's chosen children. As Ramiel, her power was to trap human souls in dolls. She was defeated by Himiko and subsequently became Natsumi's colleague at the Honky Tonk. Previously depressed due to the loss of her father and her sexual abuses under her teacher, Rena perks up under the advice of Paul and tries to be a good helper at the cafe, though her coffee-making skills, among others, still leave much to be desired.

The Four Kings of VOLTS

• MakubeX (Seiyu: Mitsuki Saiga) - Found in a sack as a child, only his last name, 間久部(Makube), is known (it was written on the bag). As time went on, he was discovered to be somewhat of a genius, capable of manipulating computers to do whatever he pleased. After a while, he was rechristened MakubeX, the 'x' symbolizing an unknown variable. During the 'Infinity Fortress' arc, the GetBackers are hired to retrieve the mysterious 'IL' from him. It is later discovered that IL is in fact an implosion lens, one of the most crucial parts of a nuclear weapon. At a young age, MakubeX had discovered that all actions in Infinity Fortress were in fact controlled by the 'god' of Babylon Tower, the top area of the fortress. Realizing this, MakubeX decided to give the god an edict: Turn back time to the time of the rule of Volts, or Infinity Fortress will be destroyed. MakubeX worked together with Kakei Sakura very closely to create his bomb. In the manga, it is noted that he, along with Ginji, are the "Children of Babylon City's God". He has also recently discovered his own latent special powers in the Lost Time arc. During his losing battle with Sakura, MakubeX was able to manipulate Mugenjou's virtual space at will using an "Omega Theorem" without the use of his trusty computer. It is then that MakubeX realizes how he must be a virtual program part and parcel of Mugenjou itself. Knowing this, MakubeX attempted to sacrifice himself to the Archives and erase its memory bank and AI from within - much like a computer virus. However, he was stopped by Ban, saying that Makubex's loss would serve no purpose but to further enrage Ginji/Raitei into destroying Mugenjou and everyone in it as well.

• Shido Fuyuki (冬木士度 Fuyuki Shido; Seiyu: Takanori Hoshino) - Known as the Beastmaster, Fuyuki Shido is now a rival dakkanya (retriever). He's a friend of Ginji's but hates Ban.

• Kazuki Fuuchouin (風鳥院花月 (かづき) Fūchōin Kazuki; Seiyu: Soichiro Hoshi, Yumiko Kobayashi [young] The scion of the noble Fuuchouin family and known as "Ito no Kazuki" (絃の花月, "Kazuki of the Strings"), Fuuchouin Kazuki is a frequent ally of the GB duo.

In Japan, his name is frequently romanized mostly as Kadzuki & to a lesser degree Kaduki.

• Masaki Kurusu(来栖征 Kurusu Masaki; Seiyu: Hideyuki Hori) - He is the last member of those who were known as the Four Kings during the era of VOLTS. His techniques allow him to control light, bypassing any physical defense and inflicting internal damage, thus earning him the title "the Controller of Light" (閃光の支配者). He is also able to use light to blind his opponents' senses. Kagami refers to him as the "Brain Trust's Masaki Kurusu", so it is safe to assume that he too was a resident of Babylon City and hopes to re-enter his home with the help of the three keys. In the anime, his alliance with Babylon City is stated openly; he kidnaps MakubeX on their orders and reveals that he had been spying on Raitei and Volts for Brain Trust while he was one of the Four Kings, despite having been a close friend of Teshimine Takeru, who found and raised Ginji in Mugenjou as a child. During his alliance with the Volts, however, he found happiness and when the Brain Trust decided to delete MakubeX, Masaki saved him. Masaki is also one of the bearers of the 'Stigma'. In fact, it was he who taught a young Kazuki how to suppress the power of the 'Stigma'.

The Transporters

A transporter's (運び屋 hakobiya) job in the GB universe is to ensure that an object or person makes it to its destination unhindered.

• Kurodou Akabane (赤屍蔵人 Akabane Kurodō; Seiyu: Nobuo Tobita) - Known as "Dr. Jackal", Akabane Kurudo has frequently been the GB duo's enemy, and possibly their greatest.

• Himiko Kudo (工藤卑弥呼 Kudō Himiko; Seiyu: Natsuko Kuwatani) - Known as "Lady Poison", 16-year-old Himiko used to run around with Ban and her brother Yamato as Snatchers ("ubaiya") before Yamato met a violent, mysterious death at Ban's hand. Now a freelance transporter, Himiko is amazingly very good at getting around - despite not having a valid driver's license - and has no loyalties to anybody, except, maybe, to Ban... regardless of their tempestuous history.

• Gouzou Maguruma (馬車號造 Maguruma Gouzou; Seiyu: Tadahisa Saizen) - An expert truck driver, he usually works together with the Transporters (Akabane and Himiko). Though he often works on the opposite side of the GB duo, Gouzou is strictly neutral; after the duo secured help for him after he was stung by hornets in the Marlin Red arc, he offered Ban, Himiko and Kazuki a ride in his truck to Hell's Valley in the Kiryuudo arc.

The Protectors

A protector's (護り屋 mamoriya) job in the GB universe is to protect their clients' possessions.

• Ryuudou Hishiki (菱木竜童 Hishiki Ryuudou; Seiyu: Tomoyuki Shimura) - A former professional wrestler, Hishiki doesn't really have any nifty powers or magically enhanced skills. However, he has amazingly survived everything the GetBackers have thrown at him. Whether by drowning, setting him on fire, shoving him out of a high-speed vehicle, or getting struck by a billion volts of lightning; he's as hard to keep down as a cockroach - a talent which has earned him the nickname "Undead". Hishiki is a man of few words, but what he lacks in eloquence, he makes up for with his hulking size and rock fists, as well as the distinction of possibly being the only GetBackers foe immune to Ginji's electricity. It isn't any wonder then why, of all the opponents Ban and Ginji have faced, Hishiki has the unique status as the only enemy the pair will go to whatever lengths necessary to avoid fighting. However, it must be noted that the GB duo only fought him in the earlier arcs of the series, before they reached the peak of their powers (In his last appearance in the Marlin Red arc of the manga, the duo avoided him as usual. But it's illogical to believe that the duo couldn't have beaten him again when Ban soundly defeated the vampire Captain Brandon in the same arc.)

• Miroku Seven - The Miroku 7 are 7 siblings skilled in different weapons and styles (but most of them uses either swords or knives). Their leader is Natsuhiko (夏彦; seiyu: Tomokazu Seki), their eldest brother but arguably, the most powerful member is Yukihiko (雪彦; seiyu: Akiko Kimura), the youngest brother. But what makes them devastating is the fact that the 7 shares a common vessel. When needed, any member can manifest in the vessel and engage the enemy. It is not uncommon during a fight for the siblings to take turns manifesting to fight their foes in different situations. They were first seen in the Venus de Milo arc, protecting the hands of the statue. Natsuhiko was a childhood playmate of Ban, but after Ban had killed his sister Ellis (エリス), the 7 became sworn enemies of Ban. Yukihiko, however, befriended Ginji during the Venus de Milo arc. This friendship was later put to the test in the Beltline, when Ginji and Yukihiko sought to settle the differences between Ban and the 7 (The father and an older brother and sister are called The Three Knights, bodyguards to Der Kaiser). In the Beltline, the 7's father Miroku Shimon (弥勒紫紋) was defeated by Paul while the eldest 6 were simply blown away by Ban. Despite Natsuhiko's hatred for his sister's killer, he could not match either Ban's conviction nor his strength (Ban killed Ellis in self defence; like the Kudo siblings, Ellis was set upon Ban by the shamans. Also, despite hitting Ban with almost every move he made, the fact that Ban did not seek to avoid Natsuhiko's attacks showed the gulf in the abilities of the two.) As it turned out, Ellis was not Natsuhiko's blood sister but his bethrothed 'bride'. The Miroku 7 are actually 7 facets of one single person who will only appear when Natsuhiko turns into an adult. This person's bride would then be Ellis. The single person who was to have the 7 personalities of the siblings was... Yukihiko.

The Denizens of Mugenjou

• Haruki Emishi (笑師春樹 Emishi Haruki; Seiyu: Mitsuaki Madono) - One of the followers of Volts in Infinity Fortress. He was known as the "Bloody Joker" (鮮血の道化師) because he is always trying to make jokes to amuse other people (many times unsuccessfully). Also, his skills in combat mean that he is often covered in the blood of his enemies after battles. (In fact, Fuyuki Shido once commented that if his will becomes stronger, his might is actually on par with the 4 Kings of VOLTS.) Emishi's weapon is a long whip woven from the hair of the women of his people, which he handles very well. He went under the rule of Makubex after VOLTS broke up and fought the retrievers of IL in the Infinity Fortress. He is the only living male descendant left from the ancient Western Chinese desert kingdom of Loulan (Rouran). He is also an admirer and good friend of Shido.

• Juubei Kakei (筧十兵衛 Kakei Jūbei; Seiyu: Takehito Koyasu, Romi Paku [young]) - Known as "Tobari no Juubei" (飛針の十兵衛, or "Juubei of the Flying Needles"), Kakei Jubei is a formidable ally of the GB duo. For anyone who wishes to do Fuchouin Kazuki harm, more often than not, they'll have to get past this fearless warrior first.

• Toshiki Uryuu (雨流俊樹 Uryuu Toshiki; Seiyu: Katsuyuki Konishi) - A former member of Fuuga and a friend/rival of Kazuki and Jubei. His nickname is "Hell's Knight" (地獄の騎士), given to him for his apparently ruthless streak in battles. In the anime, he appears in the second Mugenjou arc. But in the manga, he first appears in the Kami no Kijitsu arc, where he battles his former comrades. The three then renewed their friendship and fought side by side in the Kiryuudo arc. Toshiki is a user of palm strokes (Ban's nickname for him is "human massager". On a side note, Ban once kissed him on the lips to transfer his blood to him, for it was needed in a ritual at the end of the Kami no Kijitsu arc to resurrect him. Needless to say, Ban was extremely embarrassed by it). After that, he decides to go to Mugenjou and serve under MakubeX, though he prefers to work with Jubei.

• Sakura Kakei (筧朔羅 Kakei Sakura; Seiyu: Yukiko Iwai) - The older sister of Juubei Kakei, and perhaps Makubex's most loyal follower. She remained in Infinity Fortress after the breakup of Volts, where she assisted Makubex to restore order and bring the IL to fruition. Sakura fights using cloth, which she seems to control via telekinesis; although she is a skilled fighter, she does not often use her skills violently, preferring diplomacy to force. To MakubeX, Sakura is a sister-mother figure (which many fans claim borders on Oedipal, shotacon, or ephebophilia), making things difficult when he was forced to fight her in the "Get Back the Lost Time" arc (Her body was controlled by the powers of the black thread).

• Takuma Fudou (不動琢磨 Fudō Takuma; Seiyu: Masahiko Tanaka) - Also known as "Fudou the Enlightened" (サトリの不動), Fudo is a blood-lusting borderline psychopath who will steamroll over anyone getting in the way of his "throbbing desire" to see Ban dead. In fact, his need for revenge is so one-track-minded that he only accepts an invitation from MakubeX to set the IL plan in motion - on the condition that he is fitted with a robotic arm and that he gets to kill Ban. Ban and Fudou's history is vague; the only thing known is that they had encountered each other pre-GetBackers as rival thieves and that somewhere along the way, Ban had managed to rip Fudou's left arm off. It isn't an understatement to say Fudou has been obsessed with vengeance ever since, stalking Ban and Ginji through both "Early Days"/"Birth" Arcs (where Ginji manages to defeat him by calling on a bolt of lightning) and even going so far as to keep the mummified remains of his arm with him always. A formidable foe with incredible strength and battle skills, Fudou is further aided by his powers of precognition - albeit only from one to three seconds in the future. This gives him the ability to see and anticipate his opponent's moves before they strike. Fudou is described by Ban as "carrying all the worst sins of man" despite the fact he is dressed somewhat like a Christian preacher and is fond of wearing cross-symbols (like Kurusu Masaki). He also wears an eye-patch over his right eye, fuelling speculation that Fudou is a former Babylon City resident and may also have the 'Stigma'. In the anime series however, he is killed by Ban using his serpent claw, and then Ban uses his evil eye on him just for one minute before his death to satisfy his need for fighting Ban.

• Takeru Teshimine(天子峰猛 Teshimine Takeru; Seiyu: Shinichiro Miki) - Little of him is known about either his history or powers. But judging from the trend of GetBackers names reflecting the characters' abilities or attributes, it is interesting to note that Teshimine literally translates as "Emperor of the Peak". It can be safely assumed that he was the one who found Ginji shortly after he was abandoned in Mugenjou. He raised Ginji as a young boy before he disappeared. (In flashback scenes where he was shown with Ginji, Ginji's hair was still black.) He first became prominent in the Mugenjou arc (where MakubeX was making an atomic bomb). Teshimine dropped by the Honky Tonk, and left Paul a disc. The contents of the disc was later revealed in the Voodoo Child arc as a program to stop Ginji from draining Mugenjou dry when he rampages as Raitei. It's assumed that he was the ruler of Mugenjou before the era of VOLTS. Like the first-gen GB, Teshimine, too, has the 'Stigma'. He has also revealed to Ginji that his (Ginji's) mother is in Bablyon City.

• Sarai Kagenuma (翳沼沙羅衣 Kagenuma Sarai; Seiyu: Hideyuki Tanaka) - If there is a mysterious character in the manga who no one knows of, Sarai must be it. First appearing in book 34, he presents himself to Teshimine, claiming to know all the truths about Mugenjou. He convinced Takeru that he has come to stop the Voodoo King and together, the 2 men journeyed towards Bablyon City. Dressed like a monk and accompanied by a creature which looks like a snake with wings, Sarai's skills seem almost certain to revolve around magic.

• Gensui Radou (螺堂 源水 Radou Gensui; Seiyu: Masaharu Satou) - To most people, he’s just an old man running a little medicine shop on the fringes of Mugenjou with his granddaughter. But behind the frail exterior lies all the secrets of Mugenjou itself. The one who raised MakubeX and taught him all he knows about mathematics and computers, Medicine Man Gen is strongly believed to be the chief architect of Mugenjou and its core tower, Babylon City. Exiled by choice from his creation - which now seems to run on its own AI and virtual reality - Gen seems to be dealing with his guilt for helping create such a monster by assisting those (such as Kazuki and the GetBackers) who wish to unlock Mugenjou's secrets and open it up to the world.

• Ren Radou (螺堂 レン Radou Ren; Seiyu: Yumiko Nakanishi) - Radou Gen's 'granddaughter'. She, too, was adopted by Gen much like MakubeX was but she hasn't displayed any special powers. Ren likely does legwork and odd jobs for her grandfather, such as gathering all the pharmaceutical ingredients Gen needs for his medicines and mapping the sections of Mugenjou's Lower Town. Despite being of the tomboyish sort, Ren nevertheless has special affection for Kazuki, who she saved with an elixir after his first encounter with Juubei. Wanting to follow Kazuki out into the outside world after the IL mission, to her horror, Ren discovers she is physically unable to, leading her to question her own existence. In the "Get Back the Lost Time" arc, she guides Shido and Kazuki to the entrance of the Beltline.

The Voodooists/Shamans and their allies

• Kyoji Kagami (鏡形而 Kagami Kyōji; Seiyu: Takahiro Sakurai) - Known as "The Observer" and a resident of Babylon City, Kagami Kyoji may seem to be harmless, but beneath his polite manners and ready smile, the "Lord of the Looking Glass" (魔鏡の王) does not suffer fools gladly.

• Kaoru Ujiie (氏家火生留 Ujiie Kaoru; Seiyu: Satsuki Yukino) - A henchman of Masaki and Jouya's partner, Kaoru is a former member of VOLTS. Now, she serves Masaki and the Voodoo King under the moniker "Crimson (of the Cursed Kinghts) [深紅]". She's one of the few characters (along with Jouya and Sarai) who appeared first in the anime, then in the manga (though it must be noted that in the GB universe, their appearances are still roughly in the same "chronological" order). She uses flames as a primary form of attack, a skill which can be further enchanced by her partner. This partnership has existed since the time they were in VOLTS. In the anime, it is revealed that Kaoru loved Ginji and thought that she was betrayed after Ginji left Mugenjou. She wanted to be killed by the Thunder Emperor in the fight but Ginji convinces her to leave her obsession and get her fire curse off Sakura's body.

• Jouya Kanou (叶条夜 Kanou Jouya; Seiyu: Kouki Miyata) - Another of Masaki's henchmen, Jouya is Kaoru's partner and another former member of VOLTS. His skills are in the use of fans, which meant that together with Kaoru, their powers are greatly increased. Also a member of the Cursed Knights, his moniker is now "Pitch Black" (漆黒). Both Kaoru and Jouya are convinced that Masaki is doing the right thing, though they still have pangs of guilt when Shido questioned them about their loyalties.

• The Voodoo King (manga only) (呪術王 / ブードゥーキング）- Mysterious, shrouded figure to who Yohan, Masaki, Kagami, and the Cursed Knights have been reporting and taking orders from. Head of the Voodoo Clan and, presumably, the cast-out former ruler of Babylon City, the Voodoo King's intention is to collect all three "keys" - the GetBackers, Himiko, and Shido (more precisely, the Chimera which he possesses). Once all three are in his possession, the 'keys' will be used to re-open the gates of Babylon City sealed by his nemesis, the Witch Queen. The Voodoo King is usually seen playing chess and seems to know the Archive's contents enough to challenge its predictions by introducing new pawns into his plans. Though the nature of his powers is unclear, it is known that he has put Kaoru and Kanou's lives under a "hell-bound curse" (lending credence to the possibility that both died but were resurrected just like the "Voodoo Children"). Also, the Voodoo King has been shown easily subduing Shido even in his full Chimera beast form; it's safe to assume that he's a master of curses.

The Kiryuudo 7

The Kiryuudo 7 are the 7 tribe elders who answer to the leader of the Kiryuudo, Kabuto. The 7 are also noted for their speciality roles, as mentioned below.

• Dokubachi (毒蜂; Seiyu in drama CD: Honda Takako) - First encountered in the Marlin Red arc, Dokubachi resembles a female military officer. She's the sole surviour of the Hornet clan, but doesn't seem to be bitter about it when Saichou rubs in the fact on her. She's one of the more philosophical characters among the 7.

After falling for Ban's Jagan previously, Dokubachi hoped to have a rematch with the teen. She got her chance in Hell's Valley, when she stood in Ban's way. Despite releasing her "karma", she was unable to stop the GetBacker.

Her speciality is "Physician", a possible nod to the role of hornets in alternative therapy.

• Jourougumo (女郎蜘蛛) - Jourougumo is the mistress of the Spider clan. Her speciality is "Tactician" and alluding to this, she often works through conceit and disguises. She tricked Ginji twice, disguising herself as a whore and Madoka respectively. Interestingly, in her "whore" disguise, she actually told Ginji her true name, a fact which will return to haunt her in Hell's Valley.

After the GB duo and Himiko raised an uproar in "China Street" (the base of the Spider clan's operations), Jourogumo and her minions retreated to Hell's Valley. There, she suggested that the Kiryuudo 7 be pitted against the GB duo and their allies instead of using the average grunts. However, this scheme backfired when Shido's contacts took down the 7 one after another. Also, Kabuto's treachery meant that she lost everyone she cared for. Embittered, she came forward to the GB group, telling them that all hope was lost. Ginji, true to his nature, consoled her and addressing her by her true name, decided to trust her to bring them to Kabuto's inner chambers.

She was later killed and her soul absorbed by Kabuto. Fortunately, with Kabuto's destruction, she was brought back to life as a normal woman. As such, she finally profess her love for her lover, Onigumo and told Kirihito that the faithful servant was actually his father.

• Mumyouin Saichou (無明院賽蝶)
• Kamata Juurou (鎌多十郎)
• Kanade Semimaru (奏蝉丸)
• Koyanagi Suiha (湖柳水爬) - Deemed by many to be the most wicked among the 7, Suiha has the ability to communicate with seaweed. His main task is to guard the huge lake in Hell's Valley, to prevent intruders from coming in. He was defeated by Ginji who managed to convince the seaweed under his control to give up their murderous ways and help Ginji to move ahead in his quest to rescue Madoka.
• Miyama Genshuu (深山幻舟) - Leader of the Beetle clan, Genshuu was the one who wanted the Kiryuudo to return to normal humans. His speciality is "Warrior".

Kiryuudo Members

• Kirihito (霧人; Seiyu: Takewaka Takuma) - Though he appears in the anime, Kirihito plays a bigger role in the manga. His first appearance was when he and his henchmen challenged Shido while he was preparing to attend Madoka's recital. (Being a Kiryuudo, Shido, as a Maryuudo, was Kirihito's mortal enemy. Since the Kiryuudo did not exist in the anime, Kirihito is portrayed as a mob boss instead.). In the manga, though Shido wanted to kill him to protect his identity and Madoka, Ban convinced Shido to let Himiko used her Forgetness Scent on Kirihito instead. Although the scent worked, subsequently, he was to have nightmares about rats and lightning (due to Shido and Ginji).

Arrogant and a believer in technology, Kirihito is the scion of the Spider clan. But, his confidence in the might of the Kiryuudo was to slowly wane as the Kiryuudo suffered one defeat after another. Finally, with the destruction of Kabuto, he became an average person. It's also only then that he discovered that Onigumo was his father.

• Onigumo (鬼蜘蛛) - A loyal servant of the Spider clan, Onigumo is actually Kirihito's father. Due to his lowly status within the clan, he opted not to tell the young scion of his parentage; instead, he became Kirihito's bodyguard.

He defended Kirihito valiantly when the GB duo and Himiko raised an uproar in "China Street", even releasing his "karma" to battle Ban. Through the use of his Jagan, Ban defeated Onigumo without killing him.

• Hakumon (白紋; Seiyu in drama CD: Kosugi Juurouta) - One of Saichou's henchmen, Hakumon is somewhat of a comic character within the Kiryuudo. His fighting abilities can be said to be non-existent (It was by defeating him effortlessly that the GB duo managed to get information about "China Street".)

He later managed to assassinate Miyama Genshuu by using Saichou's butterflies as cover, but not without losing an arm to the Beetle clan leader.

Shikizoku

The Shikizoku are the last of the Maryuudo. They first appear in the Kiryuudo arc, where they help Shido in his attempt to rescue Madoka.

• Haruki Kaoru: (春木薫流; Seiyu in drama CD: Tanaka Rie) - Kaoru is the youngest member of the Shikizoku, but her maturity exceeds that of her peers. Her calmness and conviction of her cause is a contrast to Ryuuhou's arrogance and Amon's uncertainty.

Her Shikizoku power is "Healing".

Choosing Tanaka Rie as her seiyu may actually be an inside joke, considering Kaoru's appearance is similar to Chii from Chobits while her attitude is remiscent of Chobits' Freya and Gundam Seed's Lacus Clyne, all roles performed by Tanaka.

• Natsuki Amon: (夏木亜紋; Seiyu in drama CD: Yoshino Hiroyuki) - Amon is the most feared of the Shikizoku, for his power is "Death": he's able to kill anyone simply by draining his or her lifeforce. Also, this drain allows him to heal himself if he's hurt. Though acknowledging his powers as a Natsuki, Amon is not happy about it, as he longs for a more average life.
• Agi Ryuuhou: (秋木劉邦)

The Ura-Fuuchouin

A rival clan responsible for the massacre of Kazuki's family in order to gain absolute control of the Fuuchouin String-style school. It's headed by the Kokuchouin siblings who have taken up residence in Mugenjou's Upper Levels. They wield taboo Black Threads as their weapons.

• Yohan Kokuchouin (黒鳥院　夜半 Kokuchōin Yohan) - Kazuki's main rival as heir to the Fuuchouin School. He became its leader after the elimination of the Fuuchouin family and the exile of Kazuki to Lower Town. Like Kazuki, Yohan also carries the mark of the Stigma - but on his right eye. Recent manga chapters reveal him to be in close association - if not an actual member - with the Voodooists and the Brain Trust, allying himself with Masaki and Kagami in the liege of the mysterious Voodoo King. Also, his fighting abilities are said to be incredible as well, possibly even higher than that of Ban (But it should be noted that this comment by Kazuki was made before Ban's learning journey.).

• Yuuri Kokuchouin (黒鳥院　遊利 Kokuchōin Yūri) - berserker brother of Yohan and Maiya who much prefers using a giant 'sword hammer' in battle rather than strings. During his first fight with Ban, he owned the Get Backer, who had no answer to his speed. However, in the rematch, the first move Ban did was to drive the brute's face into the floor. He then proceeded to outclass the berserker, a nod to his incredible learning abilities.

• Maiya Kokuchouin (黒鳥院　舞矢 Kokuchōin Maiya) - only sister of Yohan and Yuuri, but is actually the (unintentionally) living half of a set of twins. (Her name means "dancing arrow", the way her twin died: shot by a stray arrow). Like Hevn, she has a seeming aversion to clothing and keeps her threads in a cowbell around her neck. During her first battle with the GetBackers, she found Ginji cute and wanted to keep him as a 'pet'. In the rematch, as a result of turning into Raitei frequently, Ginji outmatched Maiya and tried to kill her. Fortunately Ban protected her and knocked her out cold, then immediatly beat Yuuri flat as well.

• Saizou Toufuuin (東風院　祭蔵 Tōfūin Saizou) - childhood friend of Kazuki's who was studying at the Fuuchouin School with him before its fall. It's noted that Saizou's clan was also killed by the Ura-Fuuchouin, thus making his alliances with both Fuuga and the Kokuchouins highly suspect. Along with the training he learned from Fuuchouin String Style, Saizou has also managed to master the Black Threads techniques. Later, it's revealed that he was forced to join Yohan as the young scion implanted a "dark cocoon" made of black thread in his heart (This is also why Saizou did not look up Kazuki and the rest for so long, as he knew that he HAD to betray them to save himself.). His family school focuses on "strength" and his ultimate skill involves generating fire from the friction of his threads. However, that is still not a match for Kazuki, whose ultimate is to generate a vacuum from his spinning threads (much like Miroku Yukihiko's "Finite Moon"). After losing to Kazuki and explaining his plight (which includes the revelation that the members of Fuuga are trapped in the cocoon), Saizou tore his heart out, which liberated the captives. Upon his death, Kazuki drapped the flag of Fuuga over Saizou, and forgave his deeds.

Others

• Maria Noches (manga only; Seiyu in drama CD: Michiko Neya) - One of the Witch Queen's (Ban's grandmother) best disciples, Maria is an expert when it comes to magic and the occult. Outwardly, she resembles a busty lady in her late 20s. (Her bustline even beats that of Hevn's.) But, it's actually just magic on her part; she's 99 years old and looks like an ancient mummy. The Witch Queen entrusted a young Ban to her, and she took care of him for a few years. She likens Ban to the son she never had, indicating the fondness she has of him. Although Ban was rude to her, he still has respect for his former guardian. She first offers her aid to the GB duo in the Kami no Kijitsu arc. At times, she can act like a childish young lady. But this belies her true abilities. Known as the "Death Knell" to shamans (the mortal enemies of witches), her powers are not to be sniffed at. However, in the Voodoo Child arc, when she ran into difficulties during a fight, she suspects that a power greater than hers is at work; a power which belongs to her mistress's son - the man known now as Der Kaiser. In the next arc, she met up with the Kaiser....and realised that her mistress had kept some truths hidden even from her.

• Yamato Kudo (工藤邪馬人 Kudō Yamato; Seiyu: Keiji Fujiwara) - Not much is known about the elder brother of Himiko, save that it was his death at the hands of Ban Mido that led to the falling out between Ban and Himiko. As with his sister, he was a cursed child who should not have lived, although it seems he knew more about the "Voodoo Children" than his sister ever did, or does. It is speculated that Yamato had once been a resident of Mugenjou and/or was an experimental subject of the Voodooists in Babylon City and was able to escape together with the other Voodoo Child, Himiko. On his 28th birthday - when his own curse awakened - Yamato begged Ban to take his life, which Ban did and like Himiko, has never quite been able to to forgive himself for. Yamato's favorite perfume was the "acceleration perfume", in addition to a mysterious perfume Himiko found on his body after his death, the use of which was later revealed in the "Voodoo Child" arc right before Kagami kidnapped Himiko. In the Kami no Kijitsu arc, Maria slotted a card summoning him among the cards she gave to Himiko. It was then that Yamato told his sister to remember the term "Voodoo Child".

• Madoka Otowa (音羽マドカ Otowa Madoka; Seiyu: Yuki Matsuoka) - A child prodigy and extremely talented violinist. Though she is blind, she has amazing hearing abilities. She hired the GetBackers for a job once to get back her stolen Stradivarius violin. She has a seeing eye dog named Mozart who also protects her when she's in danger. Eventually, she becomes Shido's girlfriend. She was once kidnapped by Shido's enemies (the Kiryuudo, another fictional ancient clan of aboriginals who communed with insects), who wanted to use her to exchange for the Chimera.

• Clayman (Seiyu: Megumi Ogata) - An art collector (or art thief, depending on who you talk to). She is a great fan of art masterpieces and she opened a gallery where the public can view beautiful paintings that seem to have been drawn after the artists' deaths. (In the manga, it's revealed that these paintings were painted by her medium mother while possessed by the spirits of the dead artists.) Clayman sometimes gives retrieval jobs to the Get Backers (One of these jobs is to retrieve the arms of the Venus de Milo statue. Upon hearing that the arms had been found, Clayman hired the GB duo to retrieve the arms, fearing that it's true beauty would be lost if the arms were reattached to the statue).

• The Professor/The Specialist - Another character in the series whose past and objectives are largely unknown. She was first seen in the Venus de Milo arc, tagging along a leader of a major criminal cartel. She then handed out "sweets" to 4 people: Ginji, Akabane, Shido and Emishi. After eating the sweets, all 4 seemed to have had a substantial increase in their powers. (For Ginji, this arc was the first time he turned into Raitei outside of Mugenjou.) In the Kami no Kijitsu arc, she hired Akabane to assassinate Lucifer at the end. Later, she was seen with Akabane and it was revealed that she was the one who asked Akabane to hire the GB duo to 'retrieve Himiko' in the Voodoo Child arc. In appearance, she resembles a little girl, and always carries a toy bunny resembling Alice in Wonderland's White Rabbit.

Yaoi and Yuri Fanservice

There has been controversy over whether the GetBackers anime is BL (See yaoi). The most popular pairings are Ban X Ginji, Akabane X Ginji and Juubei X Kazuki. Many fans of those pairings consider this to be canon, as much of the official art for the show has Ban and Ginji in provocative situations. Due to this marketing, the series has a large following among yaoi fangirls, who also compare Akabane's twisted interest in Ginji to Yami no Matsuei and interpret his actions as Muraki-style flirting.

This point of view is subjective, and largely unsupported by canon. Subliminal hints of homosexuality/boy love are frequently ascribed to characters in anime and manga who display an affection that is "a little more than friendly," though the same could be said for friendships of opposite-gender characters. There is a long-standing cultural precedent for this: many samurai in feudal Japan expressed something that was often mistaken for homosexuality for their respect and admiration of each other on the battlefield, such as with Ban and Shido.

The manga, however, has less yaoi fanservice and includes many more incidences of heterosexual interest. Ban is seen grabbing Hevn's breasts many times through the series, and makes many lewd and often perverted comments to her and other women. On top of this, Ginji is seen numerous times being a "hopeless romantic" for the women of the Get Backers universe, often showing jealousy when other characters succeed with the women he had failed to obtain. The vast majority of yaoi in the manga is centered around Kazuki, who is frequently illustrated crossdressing, and about whom there is more than one discussion wherein another male character admits to being attracted to him or fantasizing about him as a woman. The most famous example is the hot springs incident, where the GB duo mentioned that if you used the first finger and thumb to form a C covering Kazuki's chest and crotch, he could pass for a beautiful lady. Nevertheless, infamous scenes such as Ban's mouth-to-mouth transfusion of blood into Uryuu Toshiki to save his life (Vol. 18), and a hug between Ban and Ginji (while in 12-year old Raitei form) at the finale of their second battle with each other, are used to serve as fodder to feed yaoi fans' GetBackers BL claims.

The male audience is also given their fair share of fanservice. Most of the female character designs are highly provocative, and women are often depicted in various states of undress. Some of the official art even tends to border on yuri, especially in the manga, although these are not assumed to be actual romantic pairings.

The extraneous art for the Get Backers is not to be regarded as canonical evidence, as it is fanservice intended to create appeal with a specific audience. There are very few confirmed romantic relationships in the series - het or yaoi - with the only one notable being Shido and Madoka. Many het fans, however, will also claim there are hints of potential pairings between Ban and Himiko (despite canon indicating that the two are related to each other by blood through the Witch Queen); Kagami and Himiko (Himiko's "Mirror" half is, in fact, Kagami's lover); Ginji and Natsumi (they frequently flirt in the manga, with even one instance of a nose-bleeding Ginji fantasizing about Natsumi giving him a naked massage); MakubeX and Sakura, and Kazuki and Ren (the pairing subtexts arising from their "kiss" early in the IL arc).

Groups

• VOLTS - The group led by Raitei (Ginji) who ruled Mugenjou after Teshimine Takeru disappeared. It consists of regular squads of fighters, led by the 4 Kings: Fuuchouin Kazuki, Kurusu Masaki, MakubeX and Fuyuki Shido. After Raitei was defeated by Ban, Ginji left Mugenjou and VOLTS disbanded.

• Fuuga - A group led by Fuuchouin Kazuki before he joined VOLTS. There were 2 incarnations of the group. In the first one, it consists of 3 persons: Kazuki(head), Kakei Juubei and Uryuu Toshiki. During the (first) Fuuga days, Toshiki and Juubei had a sort of rivalry between them. (Toshiki wanted Kazuki to notice him, stemming from the fact that Kazuki seems to be closer to Juubei than to him. On the other hand, Juubei, too, did not want to be outshone by Toshiki.) In the Kami no Kijitsu arc, he fought with Juubei and it was there that they ironed out their differences. Subsequently, whenever Kazuki needed help, Juubei and Toshiki will appear together to aid their leader. The second Fuuga was formed for the Queen's Cup Challenge in the Voodoo Child arc. There were 5 members: Kazuki (still as head), the Kakei siblings (Juubei and Sakura), Toshiki and Toifuuin Saizou. Saizou was an old friend of Kazuki's, dating back to the days of the first Fuuga. (However, he was not seen in flashbacks in the earlier books.) The addition of Saizou and Sakura were necessary as a group had to consists of 5 members in order to qualify for the challenge. (In fact, the GB duo had to find unlikely allies, in the form of Akabane Kuroudo, Himiko and Maria Noches to make up the numbers.)

• Three Knights - The personal bodyguards of Der Kaiser, they consist of the Miroku 7's father, brother and sister. The younger ones were easily defeated by Paul when he reverted back to his "Gale Emperor" days. But the "bearded ojisan" (as Ginji calls Shimon, the father) was able to easily defeat Paul, even when he was using the powers available in his prime. Realising that wisdom is more important than strength, Paul returned to his older self, and defeated the man.

• Cursed Knights - the duo of Kaoru Ujiie and Jouya Kanou. They currently serve under their former leader in VOLTS, Kurusu Masaki. The duo have a great fear of the Voodoo King, thus implying that they have doubts about their "new" roles.

Drama CDs

MARINE ENTERTAINMENT has done a series of drama CDs for the story arcs in the manga which are not found in the anime. Currently, the series has covered the Kami no Kijitsu, Marlin Red and the Kiryuudo arcs. Seiyuus who voiced characters in the anime return to voice their characters in the narrations. A note of interest are some of the seiyuus who voiced characters found in the manga but not in the anime. They include Tanaka Rie (Gundam Seed's Lacus Clyne), Neya Michiko (Full Metal Alchemist's Riza Hawkeye and Last Exile's Maestro Delphine) and Saito Chiwa (Last Exile's Lavie Head). Even more interestingly, in the Kiryuudo arc, 3 of the Kiryuudo are voiced by seiyu who have voiced characters in Godannar: Honda Takako, Kaida Yuko and Kosugi Juurouta.

Theme songs

Opening Theme:

1: "Yuragu Koto Nai Ai (揺らぐことない愛; Unshaken Love)" by Tamura Naomi (Episodes 1-25)

• Lyrics: Tamura Naomi
• Music: Tamura Naomi, Kawamoto Morifumi
• Arrangement: Kawamoto Morifumi

2: "Barairo no Sekai (薔薇色の世界; The Rose-Colored World)" by PIERROT (Episodes 26-49)

• Lyrics: Kirito
• Music: Aiji
• Arrangement: PIERROT & MASAHIDE SAKUMA

Ending Theme:

1: "Ichibyo No Refrain (一秒のリフレイン; One Second of Refrainment)" by Otoha (Episodes 1-13)

• Lyrics: Otoha, Doujima Kouhei
• Music: Doujima Kouhei

2: "Namida no Hurricane (涙のハリケーン; Hurricane of Tears)" by Bon-Bon Blanco (Episodes 14-25)

3: "Mr. Deja vu" by naja (Episodes 26-37)

4: "Changin' by Nona Reeves featuring YOU THE ROCK (Episodes 38-48)

5: "Yuragu Koto Nai Ai" by Tamura Naomi (Episode 49)

Besides these songs, there's an "image" song for some of the main characters. These songs are based on the personalities and other characteristics of the characters and are sung by the characters' seiyu. They can be found on the Get Backers Target G or Target B CDs.

• Ban: Evil eyes (B)
• Ginji : Born again (G)
• Kazuki: 花鈴 (Karin; "Flower Bells") (B)
• Macubex: 核-Core- (B)
• Akabane: 死の純度 (The Purity of Death) (G)
• Shido: Beast master (G)

Trivia

Seiyu who voiced the main characters in the Gundam Seed series also voiced characters in GB.

• Shindou Naomi (Cagalli and young Ban)
• Hoshi Soichiro (Kira Yamato and Fuchouin Kazuki)
• Koyasu Takehito (Mu La Flaga and Kakei Jubei)
• Tomokazu Seki (Yzak Jule and Miroku Natsuhiko)
• Hori Hideyuki (Lord Djibril and Kurusu Masaki)

Also, there is only 1 seiyu who voiced different characters in the anime and in the drama CDs (though both of his characters appear in the manga as well).

• Yoshino Hiroyuki (Shuu in the anime and Natsuki Amon in the drama CDs)

In the drama CDs, the fight between Himiko and Rena is an insider joke; Himiko is voiced by Kuwatani Natsuko while Rena is voiced by Saito Chiwa, her friend and "coopee" partner.

In the 4th ending MV sequence in the anime (song used: Changin' by NONA REEVES feat. YOU THE ROCK), if you noticed, Kazuki's picture was put at the back of the ladies' portraits; later on, in the paper doll dancing part, his doll was dancing together with the ladies'. This, of course, is part of the running gag that he's often mistaken for a lady.

The characters featured on the spines of the manga volumes have always been either Ban or Ginji, until volume 30, when Kazuki was featured instead. Also, the English version published by Tokyopop has entirely different cover art from the original Japanese version.

Pseudoscience and references in GB

The series refers to many actual persons, events and pseduoscience, albeit with a fictional twist. Although they don't have a direct impact on the main story, the background information they provide gives the series more depth than the average "action" series. Template:Spoiler

• In the "Get Back the Magical Sunflower!" arc, the titular sunflower is supposed to be the "13th Sunflower" drawn by Vincent van Gogh. In reality, he only drew 12 at once on a canvas (or 15, depending on the actual painting; see Sunflowers (paintings)).
• In the Venus de Milo arc, besides the the arms of the statue, the nose of the Sphinx is also on auction. In real life, both artifacts are considered lost.
• The Kami no Kijitsu arc has many references to Christanity and the Bible.
• The Marlin Red arc has references to World War II, along with the Axis powers' alleged research in germ warfare/the occult (a virus which turns humans into vampires is used in the manga). It's also mentioned that Romania, being on the same latitude as the Bordeaux region of France, could in theory produce good wine. On the other hand, Captain Brandon became a vampire as he wanted to assassinate Adolf Hitler himself for Hitler's ravages on Romania during the war.
• The IL (implosion lens) mentioned in the IL arc is an actual component in implosion-typed atomic weapons (e.g. Fat Man, used during Wold War II) . See High energy weapon design and Implosion for more details.
• The environment within Mugenjou is said to be a mixture of real objects and virtual reality, resulting in a "half VR dimension".

External links

• ADV Films' GetBackers website

• Happy Otaku's Get Backer's List

• JPQueen's Get Backer Doujinshis

• Listing of Drama CDs for sale