 Kuro Kiryu |
|---|
| |
For an idol, he's rough around the edges and a little clumsy. Skilled at sewing, he prefers action over words when faced with difficulty. While he is overflowing with both kindness and manliness, he tends to be excessively protective of his little sister. With a deep and husky singing voice, his performances are bold and dynamic.
A member of Rhythm Link's AKATSUKI. He continues to search for what kind of idol he is, trying different genres to see what suits him best. He wants to do what would be best for AKATSUKI.[2]
I am Kuro Kiryu and I belong to Rhythm Link. I work with Hasumi-no-danna and Kanzaki in a unit called AKATSUKI. It all started out coincidentally, but now I'm serious about being an idol. I might be big and scary looking, but I'm not a bad guy. If ya feel like it, then go ahead and support me. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations.[2]
KeitoHmmm, about Kiryu... Well, it may be hard to tell based on his appearance, but he is a serious and reliable man. Many people are scared of him, but he will trust anyone he has interacted with to take good care of them. Also, you may be surprised to know that he excels at sewing. He is the kind that, despite being my rival, I can treat without discrimination. One could say that Kuro Kiryu is a loyal and trustworthy man.[2]
Appearance
Kuro is a very tall young man with a good build. He has short, spiky bright red hair that is brushed back from the front, with one lock of hair left gracing his forehead. He has very light yellow-green narrow eyes. He wears two black stud earrings, two golden rings on his right ear, and one on his left.
Kuro is a very tall young man with a good build. He has short, spiky bright red hair that is brushed back from the front, with one lock of hair left gracing his forehead. He has very light yellow-green, narrow eyes. He wears the school uniform with his white shirt unbuttoned completely and a black shirt underneath. He wears a gold necklace with a gold ring on it, and a silvery metal chain on his hip. He wears two black stud earrings, two golden rings on his right ear, and one on his left.
On stage, Kuro wears AKATSUKI's uniform, which is reminiscent of traditional Japanese clothes. It includes a one-sleeved fur trimmed red and white kimono with a yellow striped sleeve. The top right side of the kimono has a decorated collar and looks like a red shirt with a yellow and black sleeve buttoned back. The outfit includes a black obi tied to the side, with red cords hanging from it. The bottom part of the kimono is red with white paint splotches, and he wears black fitted pants underneath. He wears high black boots with red laces. He also wears white athletic tape on his wrists and a black sleeve with gold trimming that goes up his forearm. He can occasionally be seen holding a purple tinted fan.
Personality
Kuro seems scary at first due to his looks and furrowed eyebrows, but he is a kind person who struggles to show it physically. He wants to protect others so they don't suffer as he did in the past. Though he used to look like he's in a bad temper often, his expressions became more loose as the year went on.
He has a big heart and tries to help those who trust him, and while he can be kind, he will not hesitate to call out his fellow unitmates or friends in case what they're doing is hurting others or is wrong. Due to this he is prone to be overly blunt. He tries to avoid serious confrontation after an event in his past.
In conclusion, he is a straightforward and caring person who's trying to free himself from guilt and help his fellow idols reach their dreams by becoming a shield for them.
Etymology
The character for "Ku" (紅) in Kuro's first name means "crimson," which resonates with his red hair. The character can also be found in AKATSUKI's name, which literally means "crimson moon." Kuro's last name consists of two characters which mean "demon/ogre" (鬼) and "dragon" (龍), befitting of his intimidating appearance and his animal motif. As he is close with Tetora Nagumo, who has "tiger" (虎) in his name, it is likely that Kuro's "dragon" is a reference to the tiger and dragon in Buddhism. In addition, their respective cards in The Four Beasts of Fistfighting reflect this.
Family
- For more information, see Kuro Kiryu/Family.
Kuro's family consists of his little sister and father. His mother passed away when he was young. Kuro adores his little sister, and has sworn to keep her safe and give her as much of a good life as he possibly can.
While he had originally planned to continue living with his family even after graduation, he moved out as ES expects their idols to live at the ES dorms. While his sister and father struggle with household chores without him, moving out has benefited his family financially as he eats quite a lot.[3]
Trivia
- Kuro's autograph consists of his full name, rendered in kanji.
- His hair colour, red with black streaks, matches Tetora Nagumo.
- He and Rinne Amagi are the tallest characters in the game.
- He is strong enough to lift a grown man and throw him a good distance. He's done this to Keito in Quarrel Festival, so that Keito would land on the mikoshi that was surrounded by the crowd. He was even able to lift up Madara in Shinsengumi, who is one of the tallest characters in the cast.
- It is likely his solo song, Crimson Soul, is a reference to his name. As stated in Etymology, Kuro's first name contains "crimson" (紅). In Chinese, the "Ki" (鬼) in his last name could mean "the spirit of a dead man, a name, a ghost, a spectre" before the introduction of Buddhism,[4] a less malignant meaning than its modern one. In other words, "Soul" in the song's name could refer to the "Ki" in his last name.
- Kuro is prone to motion sickness, which may explain his dislike of vehicles.[5]
- Sora described his color as "Warm and fluffy[6]".
- Kuro has been portrayed by four different actors in the stage plays, which is the highest amount for any character.
Commentary
Voice Actor Comments
"When I first saw the character Kuro Kiryu, I was struck not only by his appearance, which goes without saying, but also by his tagline. 'A domestic delinquent'—as I was wondering about how to portray a delinquent with a domestic side to him, I looked at his specialty column and saw 'Fighting, embroidery,' and I thought, indeed, he's a very domestic guy. Plus he's a delinquent. He's also a straightforward guy at heart, as well as the captain of the Karate Club... What a nice guy! So I put all of my efforts into bringing out the spirit of this character! I hope you will enjoy Ensemble Stars, a game where many such charming characters will make their appearance." (Enstars!)[7]
"Congratulations on the release of Ensemble Stars!!! It is no exaggeration to say that I have grown alongside Kuro as well as the rest of the academy. I believe that everyone's "place of dreams" lie ahead of them at Ensemble Square!" (Enstars!!)[8]
Voice Actor Interviews
Main Scenario Writer's Comments
"Over the new year, I received a New Year's card from the company, and this character was the one who was on it for Enstars. His visual isn't released yet so I'll keep the card contents a secret, but his outfit has a bit of fluff, so I guess it was him because it made him look like a goat...? He's scary-looking, but calm, like a mother (What?)." —Akira (Character VA Pre-release)[9]
"He's got a sanpaku-esque look, something somewhat rare in EnGirls and Enstars. That's definitely a photo locket of his little sister hanging around his neck, and his little sister has definitely gotten mad at him from it, saying "Stop, it looks like I've died!"" —Akira (Character Visual Pre-release)[10]
"This is just speculation... but every time I'd get establishment materials for a new character, there'd always be some overlap with Kuro-san (like Shu-san and his sewing skills, or Leo-san and his love for his sister). I'd get defensive, like "What's wrong with Kuro-san having that role? What problem do you got with Kuro-san?"." —Akira (Official Works, Artbook)[11]
 Kuro Kiryu
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Sub Story • Management Story • Mini Event • Intimate Event • Greeting Event • Produce Course | ||
| AKATSUKI | Keito Hasumi • Kuro Kiryu • Souma Kanzaki | |
References
- ↑ "DREAM LIVE 4th Tour Prism Star!" Character Interview and Dialogue Pamphlet
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Official Profile
- ↑ Blade & Fist - Impeccably Sewn 3
- ↑ Dr. L. Wieger, S. J. (1965). Chinese Characters: Their Origin, Etymology, History, Classification and Signification : a Thorough Study from Chinese Documents.
- ↑ Submarine - Prologue
- ↑ Cats and the Camellia Train - Chapter 11
- ↑ Enstars! Official Profile
- ↑ Commemorative Release Message
- ↑ Akira's VA Pre-release Comment
- ↑ Akira's Character Visual Pre-release Comment
- ↑ Ensemble Stars! Official Works vol. 1