Akito Tenkawa

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Akito Tenkawa

Akito Tenkawa (天河明人 Tenkawa Akito) is the main character of the anime series Martian Successor Nadesico.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Akito was born on Mars as the child of two researchers. His parents were killed in an explosion (which is later revealed to have been caused caused by their employer, Nergal). He is also one of the sole survivors of the initial Jovian invasion of Mars when he inadvertently boson jumped to the Earth during the invasion.

He is fired from his job as a chef for suffering panic attacks when the Jovians attack Earth, and he stumbles upon his childhood friend, Yurika Misumaru, although he doesn't remember her, who was on the way to Nergal owned ND-001 Nadesico to serve as its captain. He follows because he remembers who Yurika was and thinks she might know what happened to his parents. He is enlisted as a cook for the Nadesico because he happened to be there, and also becomes a temporary pilot when Gai Daigoji, the official Aestevalis pilot, breaks his leg, as Akito received the necessary control implant while living on Mars. It seems that Akito never came to terms with Gai's death, as it would mean accepting his own mortality.

After escaping from the UEAF, the Earth's defense force, the Nadesico went to Mars to investigate Nergal facilities. Akito juggles his responsibilities in the kitchen with those of being a combat pilot, while developing a romantic relationship with the ship's communications officer, Megumi Reinard. Once the ship returns to Earth, Akito struggles with his conflicting feelings for Megumi and Yurika.

It is discovered that Akito, Yurika, and Inez Fressange, the Nadesico's science/medical officer, have the ability to control boson jumping, which allows instantaneous travel through space-time. As natives of Mars, they have had their DNA reengineered by microscopic nanites that are used to make the planet hospitable. Thus, only "Martians" and their descendants can control the process.

After the war, Akito and Yurika became a couple, and the two started living together, along with Ruri. Akito officially became a cook and opened up his own ramen restaurant, with Yurika and Ruri helping out, and living a "happy-comfy-life". Later, he proposed to Yurika (whom accepted). However, her father refused to accept the it because he is worried that Akito might not be able to provide for his daughter in the future. The argument was ended in a ramen contest; if Akito could make a ramen that Mr.Misumaru thinks is delicious, he will accept their marriage. Akito made plain, ordinary ramen and won.

Shortly after his marriage to Yurika, the two supposedly died in a shuttle accident on their way to their honeymoon. In reality they were kidnapped by a group known as the Martian Successors and taken to one of their bases. The reason is because they wanted to study and control all the Class-A Jumpers. During their captivity, Akito was experimented upon, which not only resulted in the loss of his humanity, but his sensations, such as taste (a horrible fate for a cook). Later, he was rescued along with Lapis Lazuli during a rescue operation conducted by Nergal, however, Yurika could not be rescued in time.

Originally, Akito refused to work with Nergal again, however, the two would come to a compromise; Nergal will provide Akito with all intelligence on the Martian Successors, including their base of operations, and in exchange, Akito will attack and steal information from them, with hopes that the information can lead to the location of Yurika.

To become stronger, Akito asks Tsukiomi Genichirou to train him as a warrior and as a pilot. After his training, Nagare Akatsuki presents him with Nergal's newest prototype Aestivalis; the "Black Selena", the Super Aestivalis that was created as part of the One-Man, One-Ship Project, a next generation Aestivalis that was created using the combination of Earth along with Jovian technology, with its own internal power source as well as the ability to Boson Jump across the solar system at will. Nergal also presents Akito's new base of operations, the corvette Eucharis (also the result of the One-Man, One-Ship Project), along with its operator, Lapis Lazuli. Seeing Ruri in Lapis, he takes her in as his partner. With experiments conducted upon Lapis which destroyed her ability to feel emotions, it ended up joining Akito and Lapis, as one would supplement the other's missing senses.

With this, Akito and Lapis would conduct lightning quick raids and attack and destroy base after base used by the Martian Successor. Due to the Eucharis and Black Selena's ability to Boson Jump anywhere in the solar system, rumors begins to spread of a "Black Ghost".

Akito would later discover the location where Yurika is being held, however, he is unable to rescue her in time. It is during this time that Akito finally encounters his old friends again on the Nadesico, whom were shocked to discover that he was still alive. Akito would later meet Ruri again at his and Yurika's "graves", but rejects Ruri's attempts to talk to him and become a part of her life again, as he shows her the results of the experiments conducted upon him, and views that the Akito Tenkawa that she once knew is dead. Akito left giving her his secret ramen recipe, because he can never again cook it for her.

Later, Akito helps in the final destruction of the Martian Successors, and personally kills their leader, Haruki Kusakabe in vengeance. Despite finally saving and awakening his wife, Akito and Lapis disappeared afterwards, with Ruri promising that she will find him.