Legal Drug

Legal Drug
Genre	Comedy, Supernatural, Mystery
Manga
Written by	Clamp
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten

Legal Drug (合法 ドラッグ, Gōhō Doraggu) is a manga series by Clamp. It is published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten and it is published in English by Tokyopop who have currently released 3 volumes(10/05). The series is also known as Lawful Drug.

The series is currently on hold, as the magazine it was serialized in ceased its publication. What has been released so far is only 1/5 of the intended story. At the 2006 Anime Expo, Clamp director Ageha Ohkawa has explicitly stated that "Clamp will be resuming it in the near future."

1/28/07, TokyoPop posted a reference to a Volume 4, however the manga has not currently been restarted in Japan (a/o 26 Feb 2007) and certainly no 4th tankoubon has been published in Japan. The May issue of Anime Insider claims CLAMP plans to pick it up again sometime in 2007.

Plot

The story begins with Kazahaya Kudo collapsed in the snow one night and on the verge of death. He is rescued by a mysterious young man, Rikuo Himura, who takes him back to a pharmacy named the Green Drugstore.

Kazahaya, apparently running from his past, finds work at the Green Drugstore alongside Rikuo, feeling indebted to the store's owner, Kakei, whom he thanks for his current accommodation and job. Whilst their day job is quite simple, both Kazahaya and Rikuo are persuaded and, in some cases, practically forced by Kakei to take on rather strange extra jobs outside the store which make use of their supernatural powers.

Characters

Kazahaya Kudo

The main protagonist of the series. Above all else, Kazahaya does not want to die - a fact which seems to be linked to a girl from his past named Kei, who has strongly been hinted to be his twin sister. In his thoughts, he has indicated that he and Kei lived a secluded life, effectively trapped on a single property where no other children lived, and also indicates that neither he nor Kei ever finished their schooling even at the elementary level.

At the very start of the series, Kazahaya is found lying in the snow, having apparently run away from his former home and very nearly freezing to death, before being found by Rikuo, who brings him back to the Green Drugstore. Since then, he has always been trying to earn money so that he might live alone, which is the main reason why he accepts the 'extra' jobs offered by Kakei. He has a supernatural power which is something like psychometry in that he can see the "memories" of things or persons when he touches them; he may also possess some empathic ability as he seems capable of absorbing emotions as well as memories, and on at least one occasion has channeled the present visual perspective of another person (Rikuo).

While at times he may seem rather helpless, or at least hopelessly naive, he has many skills and abilities which make him highly capable in certain tasks. Specifically, some of his behaviors and abilities seem remarkably similar to a cat, including a heightened sense of smell and vision, several demonstrations of cat-like agility and speed, and his tendency to look like an angry kitten when upset.

Kazahaya is noted to be 17 at the start of the series, and is smaller, slimmer and has a much more feminine appearance than Rikuo, to the point that he can be accurately described as "pretty". He gets emotional easily, and frequently plays into Rikuo's hands when teased due to his quick temper.

Rikuo Himura

The second protagonist of the series, Rikuo is Kazahaya's current co-worker and roommate, as well as the one who found Kazahaya lying nearly dead in the snow. Similarly to Kazahaya, his mysterious past is also centered on a woman, this one named Tsukiko, who has been hinted at being family, though at present the exact nature of their relationship remains unknown. He often comes across as being cold and insensitive, and takes great pleasure in teasing Kazahaya. However, in spite of his nature, he is always the one who comes to Kazahaya's rescue when certain jobs go wrong. He has powers similar to telekinesis, as he can break things like cups, locks and branches.

Kazahaya claims that he and Rikuo are the same age, meaning Rikuo is also 17. Of the two protagonists, Rikuo is much calmer and quieter, and in appearance is taller and more masculine - high-school girls appear to come to the store often specifically to ask Rikuo where some random item is as an excuse to talk to the handsome boy. An interesting quirk about Rikuo is that he likes sweet things such as chocolate, which is considered unusual and un-masculine in Japanese society.

Kakei

The owner of the Green Drugstore, Kakei is the one who sends the two boys out on missions, usually without telling them everything first. He seems to know exactly how things will turn out due to his power of precognition, however it has been noted that this power cannot be used on someone more powerful than himself, as in the case of his failures to find Tsukiko for Rikuo.

Kakei is a very beautiful person and has a gentle, kindly air about him. However, he is also very mysterious, and his expression often changes quickly from gentle and kindly to eerie and maybe even dangerous. He is also noted to have a cruel, and even sadistic side to his nature, although this side of his personality is mostly actualized in almost-subtle teasing.

It turns out that the reason he opened the Drugstore is in order to protect Kazahaya and everyone he cares about.

Saiga

Saiga is often seen hanging around in the Green drugstore - usually napping, smoking, or both. He also always wears a pair of dark sunglasses which he never seems to take off. Whilst it is unknown whether he has any supernatural powers like the rest of the cast, it was mentioned that he is extremely good at finding things, and is currently working on helping Rikuo find Tsukiko. He notably has a more than questionable relationship with Kakei, as well as a flirtatious nature which is frequently directed at Kazahaya. He is also particularly skilled in 'domestic' areas, such as sewing and making food.

Minor Characters

Kei Kudo

Kei is Kazahaya's sister and not much is known about her, although Kazahaya mentioned that she has "cat-like" qualities. The reason Kazahaya left her is unclarified and his only explanation is a guilty "But if we had stayed together, it would have been either you or me."

Tsukiko

Tsukiko is a woman from Rikuo's past who has gone missing. Her relationship with Rikuo is unknown, however, he is determined to find her and is certain that she is still alive.

Satoru Nayuki

Satoru is a student at an all-boy private school. He is Vice President on the student-body government and was a victim of rape.

Shounen-ai

There is controversy between fans of this series as to whether CLAMP intended for the characters' relationship to be shounen-ai or platonic, due to the fact there may have been implications and situations that suggest it. CLAMP has stated that the series is not meant to be shounen-ai. However, this statement is more likely to refer to the overall, intended genre of the series. As can be seen with many other series by CLAMP , shounen-ai is featured more as an underlying tone than a centralised theme.

It should also be noted that much of the promotional material featured for the series includes homoerotic themed artwork, usually featuring suggestive poses and bondage, as well as thinly veiled, almost comedic hints at the nature of the two protagonists' relationship in the English publications by Tokyopop.

Crossover with other CLAMP works

In the second volume of Legal Drug, Kazahaya purchases clothes from "The Piffle Princess". In Angelic Layer, this was a store selling Angelic Layer merchandise and where people could practice fighting with their Angels. In Suki, the Piffle Princess appears as Caffeo Piffle Princes, a café frequented by the main characters. The Piffle Princess also appears in other CLAMP works, including: Chobits, xxxHolic, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, and Cardcaptor Sakura.

In the world in which Legal Drug occurs, the Piffle Princess appears to be a popular clothing store. A dress from the Piffle Princess is given to a student at Ohto High (桜都; おうと) also known as "barf high"(ゲロ高)(謳吐-meaning vomit), Hinata Asahi from Suki; Hinata, her teacher Shirou Asou, and Outo High all appear in Suki as well.

The Atashi character from Chobits also appears, such as on a clock in the Green Drugstore.

Rikuo and Kazahaya have both appeared in xxxHolic; Watanuki is sent out to purchase a hangover remedy and enters the drugstore where the two work. He sees ghostly images around them (Tsukiko and Kei) and observes that there is some strong bond between the two. Furthermore, the High Moon Urn Yūko Ichihara has obtained in volume 5 from the "anything store" is actually the same vase retrieved by Kazahaya and Rikuou in volume 2 of Legal Drug. It can be also noted that in volume 2, Kazahaya walks through the space between a telephone pole and a wall, as does Watanuki in xxxHolic. So far, characters from xxxHolic have not appeared in Legal Drug.