Brynhildr in the Darkness

Brynhildr in the Darkness
Cover of the first manga volume.
極黒のブリュンヒルデ (Gokukoku no Buryunhirude)
Genre	Action, Harem, Horror, Science fiction, Romance, Tragedy
Manga
Written by	Lynn Okamoto
Published by	Shueisha
Magazine	Weekly Young Jump
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	January 2012 – present
Volumes	9
Anime television series
Directed by	Kenichi Imaizumi
Written by	Yukinori Kitajima
Music by	Nao Tokisawa
Studio	Arms
Original network	Tokyo MX, ytv, CTV, BS11, AT-X
Original run	April 6, 2014 – present
Episodes	13

Brynhildr in the Darkness (極黒のブリュンヒルデ, Gokukoku no Buryunhirude, lit. "Extreme-Black Brynhildr") is a science fiction Japanese manga series by Lynn Okamoto that began serialization in Shueisha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Young Jump in January 2012. A television anime adaptation by Arms started airing on April 6, 2014.

Plot

The original manga revolves around high school boy Ryōta Murakami, who cannot forget his female childhood friend whom he let die in an accident. Feeling that he must fulfill their promise of proving the existence of aliens, he has continuously looked up at the starry sky as a member of the astronomy club. One day, a girl named Kuroha Neko who looks exactly like his childhood friend appears as a transfer student. She displays supernatural strength when saving Ryōta from a foreseen accident. It turns out that Kuroha is a magic user that has run away from an alien research lab. From then on Ryōta supports these magic users, hoping to live normal lives regardless of being pursued. How will Ryōta's life change now?

Characters

Astronomy Club

Ryouta Murakami (村上 良太, Murakami Ryōta)

Voiced by: Ryōta Ōsaka

The main protagonist with high intellect and a photographic memory. Ryouta has sights to be a researcher at NASA due to a promise he made with his beloved childhood friend Kuroneko. He is president of the astronomy club. After meeting the magic users, he decides to provide shelter to them at an old abandoned observatory despite knowing that their pursuers have orders to kill whoever comes in contact with them, usually coming with plans to have their location concealed while looking for ways to provide the medicine, a drug "Death Suppressants" (DR623G), they need to keep living while helping them to live their lives as normal as possible.

Kuroha Neko (黒羽 寧子, Neko Kuroha)

Voiced by: Risa Taneda

Kuroha is the female protagonist in the series and a B-rank magic user with the ability of telekinesis, to destroy inorganic matter as far as 12 meters. She has a striking resemblance to Ryouta's supposedly deceased childhood friend Kuroneko (クロネコ) and later proven that both are one and the same (a birth mark with the shape of three dots on her upper left breast). Her research no. is 7620. Like Ryouta, she aims to be a NASA researcher to find out how many constellations there are in total. Once she uses her powers, part of her memories are lost, thus Ryouta refrains from having her use them as much as possible. Joining the club, as its vice-president. She loves to sing, but does not do it in front of others without getting flustered. She has feelings for Ryouta.

When Kuroha remembers who she really is she gains full access to her S-ranked power, which allows her to teleport, as well as her ultimate ability, to create Micro Black Holes.

Kana Tachibana (橘 佳奈, Tachibana Kana)

Voiced by: Aya Suzaki

A non-standard magic user and B-ranked who had an accident while being harnessed. Her body is paralyzed aside from her left hand. Kana uses a keyboard which synthesizes her voice to communicate with the outside world. Kazumi states that Kana could move if she wanted to, but she refrains from doing so for unknown reasons. Kana poses as a mascot for the club. She is initially rude to Ryouta and the others, but she eventually warms up to them. She has to have her food in a liquid form to eat. Her magic is the ability to see the near future of someone who is about to die, and Ryouta makes use of this to prepare in advance against those who pose a threat to Kuroha and the others.

Pushing the 3rd button on her harness she loses her foresight ability, but gains the ability to move at invisible speed.

Kazumi Schlierenzauer (カズミ=シュリーレンツァウアー, Kazumi Shurīrentsauā)

Voiced by: M.A.O

An AB-rank magic user specialized in computer hacking and gathering intel, and breaking encryption keys in mere seconds. Kazumi is half-German. Her research no. is 2670. Like Kuroha, Kazumi is a high school student who joins the same class and club as Ryouta and Kuroha. Kazumi tends to do pervert things. She always gets pissed when someone compares her chest size. Following the act of falsely confessing to Ryouta to avoid her impending death inform by Mizuka, Kazumi certainly prove her feelings for Ryouta afterwards, and desire to bear a child with him, as living proof of her existence. She kiss Ryota Murakami two times, one is accident in chapter 65 and one is intimate in chapter 66. Is named after Austrian ski jumper Gregor Schlierenzauer.

Kotori Takatori (鷹鳥 小鳥, Takatori Kotori)

Voiced by: Azusa Tadokoro

Another B-rank magic user specialized in having things instantly switch places through teleportation. Her research no. is 1107. Kotori is a cheerful type; but is also a klutz, has good cooking skills, and registers for the club. She was friends with another magic user named Chie who died before they can celebrate their birthdays together. The Vingulf is after Kotori, apparently being a person that could potentially destroy the world. Her real name is Rena.

She has two hidden abilities: one is dispelling magic a entity called the "Grane" which prevents all powers of other magic users, and second is "Ain Soph Aur" aka "The Light That Rules Over Life" which can only be used when the consciouness inside her harness is released, is a light that is capable of fusing the cells of all living things together at the same time once it fully covers the entire planet destroying all life.

Research Lab

Chisato Ichijiku (九 千怜, Ichijiku Chisato)

Voiced by: Hiroki Tōchi

The chief professor in charge of the magic user experiment. It is told the Vingulf organization unearthed aliens 100 years ago but never made it a public discovery, instead they began their top-secret alien technology research over it ever since. He eventually learns how a high school boy is supporting the magic users, but has yet to identify it's Ryouta. Chisato is Rena's older brother who had died. He implanted the "Grane" into Kotori's harness, hoping to revive the Rena that he knew.

Black Suit (黒服, Kurofuku)

A staff member at the research lab. He has an unknown backstory, but he used to feel really carefree for the magic users, like Yuki. Chisato acknowledges him for his brilliance. He gets fired when having a last chance to capture the fugitive B-rank magic users with Mizuka's foresight, but fail, and then got assassinated.

Yuki Tsuchiya (土屋 邑貴, Tsuchiya Yuki)

A newly appointed employee placed to work at the Vingulf research lab. Not suitable for the job however, she finds sympathy with the aliens and magic users.

Witches

Mako "Valkyria" Fujisaki (藤崎 真子, Fujisaki Mako)

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto

The main antagonist. One of the strongest hybrid magic users ever known with the S-rank. She is Chisato's side-kick and the next-generation magic user with a very complex harness. Her power capability is very large, with 8 different types. She has ability to kill anyone in her sight within just seconds by dismembered them, she also has ability to teleport. She has a sociopathic personality. Her strongest power is to create anti-matter which is capable of destroying a whole wide-range area. She has deep feelings towards Chisato. Mako is also Kuroha's older sister.

Nanami Tomitsu (斗光 奈波, Tokō Nanami)

Voiced by: Manami Numakura

A unique AA+ rank magic user. She is soft-spoken, and has a taste in sugar. Her research no. is 5210. Her ability is scanning and modifying people's memories. Ryouta's observant skills impresses her. Having to become friends with Kuroha and the club, she unfortunately melts from her harness, but implanted her conscious within Ryouta's memory. It is also said in the manga that she has a hidden ability.

Mizuka (瑞香, Mizuka)

The AAA-ranked strongest magic user, codename: Skadi. With foresight ability to see in a dream; similar to Kana, but with 100% exact accuracy. Her body experienced massive loses, and longer able to move or hear as well. She bonds with Yuki. In a dream, she gives Kazumi options rather which future she wishes to choose. Using the last of her power, she melts the moment she informs the lab of Kotori's whereabouts. Possibly, Ryouta manage to interfere with Mizuka's prediction and saved the girls.

Kikako (キカコ, Kikako)

An AA+ rank magic user titled as the bombardment unit. Her research no. is 5010. She's a mere weapon that assassinates her targets with a strong beam fired from her mouth. Kotori ties her own hands to a pole and then switches positions with Kikako, who is later taken back to the lab. Despite Black Suit's assurances that, having succeeded in her mission, she will be spared, she is warned that harsh punishment awaits her; she is violently interrogated regarding her encounter with Kotori.

Freya (フレイヤー, Freya)

A rank AAA magic user. She possesses the power of technopathy and computer hacking, similar to Kazumi, and is said to be the most powerful in that regard. Chisato gave Freya a room full of video games in exchange of her cooperation. She is now under support of Yuki. Freya briefly engages in a battle with Kazumi.

Saori (沙織, Saori)

An AA-rank hybrid magic user with two types of magic, being able to slice anything within a 3 meter radius, and being able to manipulate time by one minute, although it will cause her to hang up immediately. Her research no. is 6001. Failed to kill Kuroha, her harness melts her body.

Hexenjagd

Miki (三木, Miki)

A member of Hexenjagd, a group resisting Vingulf. Miki initially speaks to Ryouta via the device that Kuroha gives him. She first appears with the objective of capturing Kotori, in order to confront Chisato and destroy the "Grane" inside Kotori. Miki wears a nun's hood with a short dress and stockings. She announces that all of the magic users must die. When Ryouta protests, Miki explains the truth about witches - that their soul now resides inside the alien within their "harness" and that the drugs merely feeds the life form, allowing it to grow until it eventually hatches and devours their human body. Telling them that they sympathize with their plight.

Offering the ingredients to create the medicine as an award (this is what Mizuka was talking about when she told Kazumi that they already had access to them). Kazumi agrees, but promises that she will give them the formula for the drug after they destroy the "Grane", and that Miki will try to spare Kotori's life if possible.

Akane (茜, Akane)

A former Vingulf researcher who got wounded during Kuroha's escaping attempt. She gave Kuroha a package and entrusted her the following mission: "Save the world from utter destruction". The package contains: a letter, alien's fertilized egg, and a communication device. Kuroha gave the alien sample and the communication device to Ryouta.

Others

Kogorou Hashiratani (柱谷 小五郎, Hashiratani Kogorō)

Ryouta's uncle. Working as a scientist whom Ryouta entrusts to reproduce the medicine needed for the magic users. He dislikes taking long distances; rejecting invitations that includes going oversea, and prefers to stay in his own town. He refuses to belive in supernatural phenomena until Kana's foresight was proven. Then he gets fascinated in examining an alien's fertilized egg that Ryouta had him look up on. Kogorou went to the same college with Chisato.

Hatsuna Wakabayashi (若林 初菜, Wakabayashi Hatsuna)

She is a fellow magic user with a straightforward attitude that possesses the power of regeneration, with the capability of restoring her body, or the body of others, from otherwise fatal injuries. Hatsuna is also a supporting character for Ryouta and the others. Her regeneration is so effortlessly potent that not even being reduced to just her feet is enough to kill her, to which she expands her energy. She the first kiss of Ryota Murakami for saving him for falling in high places.

Kitsuka Hatta (八田 結花, Hatta Kitsuka)

A middle-school student who lives next door to Ryouta that he tutors. She has a crush on Ryouta.

Media

Manga

The Gokukoku no Brynhildr manga is written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. It began serialization in Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump on January 2012. The first tankōbon volume was released on May 18, 2012; nine volumes have been released as of April 18, 2014.

Anime

An anime adaptation was announced on November 11, 2013. The anime is directed by Kenichi Imazumi at studio Arms, with Yukinori Kitajima acting as head writer and Hiroaki Kurasu as chief animation director and character designer. The series premiered on April 6, 2014 on Tokyo MX and later on ytv, CTV, BS11 and AT-X.

External links

• Manga official website Template:Ja icon
• Anime official website Template:Ja icon
• Gokukoku no Brynhildr (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Brynhildr in the Darkness (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia