User:St. Jimmy Jammy/Itsuki Minami

Itsuki Minami (南 樹) is the primary protagonist of the manga and anime Air Gear.

Character outline & personality
Known as Ikki (イッキ) by his friends or more, he lives with the Noyamano family which is composed of four girls. His own parents are dead, but since his parents were good friends with the parents of the girls, he lives with them. He is in his second year of junior high. Initially the leader of the youth gang the East Side Gunz, after an incident with a Storm Rider team called the Skull Saders, he gets very passionate about AT's and even sets up his own AT team, Kogarasumaru (小烏丸) with his friends.

Ikki is considered a very talented Storm Rider by his peers, and is known to practice heavily in Mt. Shinonome, a small mountain he has frequently visited since he was a child. His love for AT stems from his strong desire to fly, and is often always looking towards the sky. As said by Rika Noyamano, he is "loved by the wind".

Ikki is often characterized as a crow. To add to the above, Simca nicknames him "Crow-kun". He is able to see the "Wing Road" and people often consider him to be the best candidate to become the next Sky King. His natural talent has led him to have a massive ego, often saying that the rest of the world, even his team, are mere mortals compared to him. During the Kogarasumaru's fight with the virtual Sleeping Forest team, referencing the popular manga series Death Note, Ikki claims that he will reach the god-like status that Light Yagami, or Kira, failed to achieve, although this is almost certainly a joke.

Ikki can be very perverted at times, and often stupid. But he often thinks things through when the time is critical. He also has shown signs of actually being quite intelligent by setting up long-shot traps during battles, perfectly calculating his opponents moves. Additionally he seems to possess a great deal of abstract thinking (such as being able to reconstruct in 3D the whole campus in his mind by only looking at the 2D blueprints.) If he is challenged he won't back down from it. He has a strong relationship with his adopted sisters and friends, and will stand to fight for them at any cost.

Note that Ikki seems to be able to somewhat understand Sora's dogs in chapter 44.

Kū
"Kū" is a crow that lives on Ikki's head. He is Ikki's alter ego. Kū plays a minor, but humorous role such as jumping out of Ikki's head at the wrong moments, and making cameos explaining certain situations (even though the other characters can't understand him). He is also used as a censor for the nudity in the anime adaptation.

History
When Ikki was little, he was taken in by the Noyamano family, and looked after. (Even Rika states he was a handful) Ikki always said that he was chasing rainbows, but never actually reaching them, trying to be sure no one else would have them. That's why he always swung his fists, so he could shine brighter than anyone else. Once, he climbed to the top of the Tokyo Tower, with Ringo watching in terror from the ground. At the top while being rescued by helicopter, Ikki actually bit the arm of the soldier trying to rescue him. As Ikki fell he was rescued by a giant bird, which resembled a crow. This "crow" was quite alike Hogitou, the forty year old crow with his seven scars, introduced earlier, it was accompanied by some crows that look like Kuu. Ever since that incident, everyone said he was a "child of the wind."

Character introduction
The anime and manga of Air Gear offer different takes on Ikki's introduction to AT's.

Anime
Ikki is at home, apparently after being beaten up by someone using AT's (later revealed to be the Skull Sader's team leader). He watches the AT videos the sisters have, and idolizes a pink-haired girl(Simca) who is highly skilled in AT's that he watches from time to time. Eventually one night, he sneaked in a room of the house that had "keep out" stickers all over it. He discovers that the sisters he lives with are in fact AT users themselves, seeing their emblem "Sleeping Forest" along the way. He takes a pair of AT's for himself and takes them for a test drive, eventually leading to a fight with the Skull Saders. With help from the Noyamano sisters, he defeats the Saders and his venture into the world of AT starts from there.

Manga
Ikki is introduced in roughly the same way, except this time, instead of finding the AT's, they are given to him. Right after being beat up by the Skull Saders, the Noyamano sisters surprise him from outside his window; they take him for a ride and lets him experience how it's like to "fly" with AT's. He then wakes up the next morning; he initially thought it was a dream, until finding a bag with AT's in them. He then battles the Saders, infiltrating their turf; with Sleeping Forest's help, he manages to defeat the Saders.

Synopsis
After his almost impossible victories against many superior classed opponents, many see Ikki as the tentative successor to the title of Wind King.

He is able to see the "Wing Road" and is prophesied by Simca to be the Sky King. So strong is her belief in his destiny that she places all of Genesis under his command. This gives Ikki command of over 375 high level AT users as well as five of the eight 'Kings'. However, this also puts him in direct conflict with Sleeping Forest, which is led by Ringo.

Ikki was hospitalized for some time supposedly due to an injury received during the Devil's Thirty Three challenge against Yoshitsune, but in reality Ikki's leg had already been healed and it was just a ploy so that he could be protected and trained within the safety of the hospital. But because of the multiple attempts at the Devils Thirty Three he now holds the record after he flew 35.09m, breaking Takeuchi Sora's record in the Devil's Thirty Three of 34.2m. During his stay at the hospital he spent most of his time training with Sora. His training mostly consisted of perverted games such as counting panties while running on his hands. As silly as they seemed they were actually to help Ikki's body become more suitable for the wind regalia, Bagrahm. Sora even taught Ikki how to project the wind and how to control it as a potent weapon.

The results of training were shown when Ikki fought Ringo. When Ikki fought her with the new Bagrahm cores, his power was boosted so high he actually broke the cores (although this is due to a switch made by Hako with her version of the Bagrahm). The battle ends in a draw.

To search for his "real wings" Ikki leaves the Noyamano house along with Akito, promising to come back when he finds them. They find themselves invited to stay inside the Tool Toul To headquarters where they meet Rune, 2nd in Command of Tool Toul To. During their stay there, Hako, who had stolen Kururu's Bagrahm prototype, visits Ikki and offers to be his tuner. Shortly after she is rejected, Rune takes back the True Bagram cores, which Hako stole. As soon as he takes it, he has his hand cut off by a stranger, who breaks through the fortified glass of the headquarters window. The stranger easily handles Rune and Agito, before running off with both the wind regalia core and Hako.

After this, Ine and Rune reveal that Trophaeum Tower is actually inside the Tool Toul Too base, and they take an elevator inside the Tower, despite hesitation on Agito's part. Agito soon realizes its a trap by Ine, and he and Ikki meet Kilik and the other Sleeping Forest Members. The Trophaeum Tower is actually not a tower at all, but a large geothermal mine shaft (with the "top" of the tower actually being the bottom of the shaft. The entrance is hidden by the large clock tower that Tool Tou Too uses as their base.) Once inside Ikki is set up against the Sleeping Forest team, being revealed to be all Gravity Children (denoted by the cross-shaped marks on their pupils). Ikki learns the reason behind Sleeping Forest's control of the AT world is that they feel the regalia are too destructive to be let loose on the world. Meanwhile, Nike who had stolen the rebuilt cores, delivers them to Sora who installs them on his newly acquired bionic legs. Sora's power and control with the cores is enough to allow him to destroy a helicopter. Sano and Spitfire attempt to stop the two twins until Sora teams up with Nike. The two then promptly kill Sano and Spitfire, igniting a betrayal that would shake the AT world.

The news of Sora's betrayal hits Ikki hard and he decides to quit AT. Kururu Sumeragi tries to comfort him but even she can't stop his shredded heart. Feeling as if he'll never "fly" again Ikki accidentally rode a bike off the road while racing with Kururu Sumeragi only to be saved by Kazu who had been training since Sora's betrayal so he would be able to use Spitfire's regalia. He saves Ikki and reveals that Spitfire had left a message to everyone before he died. Ikki & Kazu call everyone they know, ex-members of Behemoth and every team they beat to come and watch the video.

During the video, Spitfire calls Ikki out, asking him if his wings are broken, and then explains to him the way that Genesis had been running up until the Behemoth match. Spitfire explains that over time, Simca, and himself became disillusioned by Sora's "dream" and forgot why they had even started riding. When Ikki rode Agito's fang to jump start the Wing Road, he was able to bring back the feeling that had been missing. It was then that Spitfire began going behind the Sora Brother's backs when it came to matters concerning his involvement with Genesis.

In response, Ikki asks everyone he's faced over the start of his A-T career, minus the Skull Saders, who were all in attendance, to give him a wake up call. Spitfire's message concludes by asking Ikki if his wings are truly broken. With Ikki's return to A-T, the old man, one of two who run the portable Glam Slum A-T shop (and principal of Ikki's school), deemed the Wing Road too constricting for Ikki. Bestowing a new title and a road more appropriate for Ikki, the Storm King of the Hurricane Road. After the wake up call, Ikki started training under the supervision of Spitfire's video record; during the Spitfire's special training Kururu was kidnapped. Ikki fearing that she was taken by Sora went berserk and destroyed the car in which Kururu was, when he was about to punch the driver Kururu stops Ikki and tells him that that man is her father. After apologizing for destroying the car Ikki and friends find that Kururu's father is the leader of White Wolf Clan and that the team was created in order to save a company from bankruptcy.

Then Kogarasumaru was chosen to battle against the White Wolf Clan. They had changed their strategy from trying to score points to trying to inflict as much damage as possible to the White Wolf Clan, which was all a hoax by Kogarasumaru. Instead, they have switched to continuous waves of teamwork, and were making a huge comeback against the White Wolf Clan, but Kururu and members of Tool Toul To have arrived to help.

During the beginning of the third set, White Wolf Clan started a counter attack thanks to the upgrades they received from Tool Toul To. While fighting, Ikki realized that in order to fight properly he needs the Storm Regalia and asks Kururu to help him create his regalia. Kogarasumaru lost the match, but apparently they needed to lose in order to realize their true potential. After the match Ikki and co. tried to escape from signing the contract, but Kururu's dad decided that his team was going to retire and destroyed the contract. Ikki and the rest of the team are now in training and trying desperately to overcome their weak points before time runs out. However a new group of opponents now come into the picture who are supposedly related to Genesis, also revealing Aeon Clock is still alive and also some of the abilities Gravity children possess via Orca.

At present, once the flame regalia had been stolen, Ikki spots Kazu getting conned in a fake religion which Ikki was currently engaged in as a lead member in order to make money. Angered by Kazu's lack of spirit he challenges Kazu to a Storm Rider match. Both of them battled in hopes of surpassing each other with their respective roads.

In the battle between Ikki and Kazu, Kazu finally unleashes some of his abilities to try and defeat Ikki he first uses the TIME technique that Aeon clock is famous for. It is shown that the secret to the TIME technique is a fast combo of punches to nerve points in the body an obvious speed-type move. Ikki then regains movement after being taunted by Kazu he then unleashes a trick similar to that of Sora's used to kill Spitfire. After seeing this Kazu recognizes Ikki and sees how serious he has become which is what he wanted. Kazu is then seen using his mastery of the trick After Burner which Black burn comments he could not do at camp no matter how many times he tried. Kazu is then thrown against the wall by a wall of air which Ikki then manipulates into the trick Pile Tornado which is a tornado shaped funnel of wind that directly attacks the target, Kazu tries to deflect the attack with a TIME trick which he succeeds but Ikki then uses Limited Express where he rides the inner walls of the tornado and slams into his target. This attack finishes Kazu.

After the battle, Ine Makigai tells Rune that she is going to America to talk to someone to help Kururu make the Storm Regalia. You then see Black Burn confront the leader of the Yakuza and explains Ikki and Kazu s personality s and separate roads. Ikki and Kazu are found camping in the forest while Ikki explains how Spitfire wanted to leave Kazu his spirit and not just the Regalia which Ikki calls some shoes.

We then Join Sora as he is being tuned by Hako. Aeon Clock walks in and you see Sora's Biometrical legs for the first time as he is asked by Aeon clock if Kilik ripped out his tendons and Sora responds by saying he would never be that injured by an unskilled person like Kilik and says he ripped them out for the purpose of the Sky Regalia. You then see a conversation between Sora and what looks like a captain of a battleship talking about the comparison between humans and ants and how he with the best technology will rule the world. In the next seen you see a battleship under attack by an extremely fast enemy which turns out to be Nike. Nike then paints Enter Dream in blood on the ships wall as Sora and Aeon Clock walk into a room where the Battle Ship captain Colonel Thunder is being controlled by instruments put directly into his skull. Sora Comments about how he is lucky to be able to still live in a world of dreams. The last scene is with Nike on the Communication pole hanging and beating shipmates.

Kilik is undergoing high pressure training as he yells at Om to keep increasing the pressure or he will be nothing more than a slip of paper under Sora's winds. Ringo is practising a trick which leaves large dragging rips in the side of the Tropheums walls. Next Ringo is seen with Kanon talking about the new specifications on the thorn regalia. Ringo then becomes angry about Kanon trying to kiss her and he explains how gravity children should not need tuners but since the regalia that sleeping forests use are Sub-Regalias which are copies of the original eight and they do not possess the power to keep up with the kings, Kanon also says that if Ringo would have let him tune her once before Ikki and Ringo's battle the Thorns would have ripped the wind apart.

We then see Makigai Meeting Jonna in America with Senator John Omaha (who looks a lot like Barack Obama). Kilik and Ringo then are seen after Kilik's workout where he is so dehydrated that his muscle is like stone. Ringo then asks what Kilik will do after defeating Sora and he does not respond as he leaves the room.

Later Agitio and Ikki are taking a bath when they are informed they have yet to register for the Gram Scale Tournament, which Buccha asked Ikki to do so which he forgot. They then hurry to Tool Toul To headquarters as Kururu tells Ikki the Storm Regalia will be ready soon. As Ikki reaches the Registration panel it rejects his Memory Stick as not being the leader's. With registrations officially over and Kogarasumaru unable to enter, the team members take their anger out on Ikki. However, it is revealed later that there is still a way to enter the Gram Scale Tournament even with the registrations closed: They will need permission to use another teams "SEED" to enter. Ikki was advised by Simca to look up an "old friend" for this. As it turns out, the "friend" she spoke of agrees to hand them the Seed, on the conditon that they battle his team. He promptly has Kogarasumaru subdued with poison gas and hooks them up to his virtual server. It is within the net they will do battle, with the virtual data of the original Sleeping Forest, known as INORGANIC NET. The opposing leader is revealed as Falko, an original member of the old Sleeping Forest. He dangles Kogarasumaru the prize: The Seed as well as the antidote to the gas they just inhaled, will be theirs if they defeat Inorganic Net within thirty minutes. As the data has not been updated, the virtual team members do not recognise any of Ikki's team, nor have they been kept up to the actual person's current level of skill (In Falko's case it reverts back to his days of prime). The data of Inorganic Net has amusingly retained everything that made up the old Sleeping Forest, right down to their personalities. The virtual Sora and Kilik expressed their reluctance to fight due to what they believed was a pointless battle, but were quickly galvanised into action with Ikki's solution: groping Rika's breasts.

Skills & abilities
In the beginning, Ikki is quite a skilled rider, and is able to learn how to use Air Trecks really quickly. Most people have noticed how swiftly like a bird Ikki can move at high speeds. With the additional training from Sora, he is able to use the Wing Regalia in his AT's. According to most people, he also possesses two passive traits known as 'Trick Pass' and 'Hawk Eye', both considered attributes necessary for a candidate to be Sky King. During Kogarasumaru's battle with The White Wolfe Clan, Hako estimates his AT level to be 78 (Still second to Agito who was last read as level 99) But during the recent battle between Ikki and Kazu, Ikki demonstrates amazing destructive power using the wind as a weapon as Sora had taught him.

Tricks
Ikki accelerates his AT while standing in a stationary position and uses the rip start as momentum to attack his opponent with a high speed dropkick to the face.
 * Spinning Wallride Overbank 1800°
 * UPPER SOUL 23Roll
 * Method Air to Spin That Grab Moonride
 * Backward Cross Ridefall Upper Fang: "TWINCAM"
 * Roof Gap To Disaster One Foot "Air line"
 * Pile Tornado
 * Wheel Spin Drop

This technique is basically Ikki's version of Buccha's Overbank 1800. Ikki puts his own style to the move by alternating skating backwards while traveling up the wall at a wider arc.
 * Ikki 1800 Wall Ride

A move combining the momentum from a wall jump and executing a "Soul Grind" on any vertical rail surface nearby, Ikki uses so much forward momentum that he literally corkscrews up the entire rail. He uses this move on the school flagpole during the challenge against Buccha in chapter 19. Considered an S class move by Spitfire.
 * Æther 23Roll

A move in which the rider jumps at full strength and applies power to his rotational axis shifting his center of gravity back allowing the rider to jump farther than normal. Ikki used this move in the battle with Sable Tiger leader Natsumi Iriya in chapter 38.
 * Method Air to Spin That Grab: Moonride

A double team move used by Ikki and Agito. Ikki executes a 360 degree spin while holding Agito and then Agito executes a flying hook kick using the force from the spin.
 * Backward Cross Ridefall: Upper Fang "Twincam"

Ikki throws a punch at his opponent, misses purposely, and uses the momentum to start spinning around on his ATs, producing a great amount of centrifugal force which is transferred into an extremely powerful punch. Ikki used this trick to knock Bandou Mitsuru out in chapter 73.
 * God of Wind: AT Typhoon

A double team move used by Ikki and Agito. Agito launches one of his fangs which Ikki then uses the Wing Road to ride on, turning the fang into wings and allowing Ikki to fly over large distances. Doing this also increases the fangs power. This move is first used to defeat Akira and win the "Parts War" against Behemoth in chapter 74, although that time Akito was the one who launched a Leviathan Fang because Agito did not have the Regalia or number of steps necessary to use a fang (In the anime, Agito instead asks to be granted the power to perform the trick himself).
 * Fang Ride (Fang Road - from Agito + Wind Road)

Used during the fight against Black Crow in Chapter 83 to stop an electromagnetic illusion. Ikki jumps from a roof and grinds along a power line.
 * Roof Gap to Disaster: One-Foot "Air Line"

Using his hand to give some "wind" to Bagram, Ikki can use wind characterized as uncountable Grimm Reapers that attack his opponent. The devastation is comparable to that of a tornado. First used in chapter 138 to overwhelm Ringo Noyamano.
 * Moonstruck Numberless Grappler  (Wind Road)

A defensive trick using the Hurricane Road. While manipulating the air's surface, Ikki creates a massive burst of wind for defense and throwing his opponent off their feet. He then kicks it to send a twister in his opponent's direction, it's funnel vaccuuming and trapping them within it's vortex. First used in chapter 203 to attack Kazuma, who blocks it using Oh! Time.
 * Pile Tornado  (Hurricane Road)

An offensive trick used in combination after Pile Tornado. Itsuki rides the winds within, greatly boosting his mobility. This allows him a quick attack at unexpectedly high speeds. First used in chapter 203 to attack Kazuma.
 * Limited Express  (Hurricane Road)

Reception
Anime News Network describes Ikki as "..indistinguishable from hundreds of other cocksure, hard fightin', rough but basically a good-hearted shounen hero.." A reviewer for AnimeOnDVD said Ikki was "..the one character I really don't care for, [but] his supposed natural gift and ability to simply pull off amazing moves that even some seasoned folks can't do just pushes him beyond believability.."

Trivia

 * Ikki is said to be able to beat anyone in a street fight (i.e. on the ground)
 * Ikki's favorite wrestler is Antonio Inoki
 * Ikki likes to shout "Osu!" during a battle.
 * Ikki's last name, 'Minami', is the same as that of the enigmatic figure who created the Gravity Children, referred to as 'Uncle Minami' by some. As of Trick: 295, the enigmatic man revealed himself as Rinta Minami.
 * A reccuring plot point in the series is that Ikki's A-T's always need maintanance due to his amazing skills as a rider.
 * It is a possibility that Ikki is a Gravity Child or a Brain Charger as he was also given to Rika, when she was about 8, by Uncle Minami.