Kamiya Kaoru
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Kamiya Kaoru (神谷 薫 Kamiya Kaoru), known in Western-order (Kaoru Kamiya) in the English anime, is a fictional character in the anime and manga Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X. Her Japanese seiyū is Miki Fujitani and her English voice actors are Dorothy Elias-Fahn in the TV series and Katherine Catmull in the OVAs.
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[edit] Character
The primary instructor of the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū fighting style developed by her late father, Kamiya Koshijirou, Kaoru inherited a small dojo from her father after he was killed during the Seinan War (also called the Satsuma Rebellion) and operates it by herself. This is quite a feat, considering that she's only seventeen (by East Asian age reckoning.) At the beginning of the manga, she has no students and she is likely to lose the dojo until Kenshin comes along and helps her out.
Naturally, she is independent, possessive, compassionate, courageous, feisty, strong-willed, and a great fighter to boot- with only the occasional mood swing. According to the manga, she has enough skill to be considered a national-level champ in kendo. Despite her skill, she usually stays on the sidelines in the manga. Kaoru is also known for her terrible cooking and her ability to see the good in others.
Though she is short tempered and possessive, Kaoru is incredibly selfless. She took in a 10 year old pickpocket, a 19 year old street fighter, and a wandering vagabond who used to kill for a living without thinking twice over their pasts. She began the 'kenshin gumi' out of willingness to help others. She is considered naiive to be so trusting, but she has the maturity to handle the consequences. Kaoru's beliefs are held strongly and proudly, almost stubbornly, particularly her beliefs in the sword.
Kamiya Kaoru adheres to her father's ideal of "Katsujin-ken" or "Swords that give life," which teaches that swordsmanship should be used not to kill, but to protect. This belief is a slap in the face to many swordsmen, who advocate that a sword is for "mastery and death," and nothing more. Himura Kenshin, however, feels that her beliefs should, in fact, become reality: "If this one had a wish, it would only be that her lie become the truth of this world."
In the original, "pilot" issue of Rurouni: Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, first published in 1992, Kaoru is the sister of Takani Megumi and Myojin Yahiko. As the unrefined brainchild of artist Nobuhiro Watsuki, many of the story's details have changed during the transition to serialized, mainstream manga.
[edit] Plot
The series starts with a confrontation between her and Himura Kenshin, and, after some initial scuffles, lets him stay as a guest. She falls in love with him right from the beginning, and continued to do so even after learning of his past crimes. She gets jealous whenever another girl is also interested in Kenshin, such as Takani Megumi. Kaoru slowly gains his trust, and soon gains his love. They eventually marry, and have a son named Himura Kenji.
In Rurouni Kenshin: Seisohen/Samurai X: Reflection, Kenshin and Kaoru marry, but he decides to wander again, returning to her every couple of years because he still feels the need to help others, so Kaoru allows him to go, promising to welcome him home with a smile and their child. The fans have very mixed opinions on this, considering that Seisouhen took out some key elements of the plot and the story. This does not happen in the manga (this happens in the OVA (Samurai X) and is not considered canon). In the original manga, Rurouni Kenshin ends on a happy note, with the main characters reuniting for a picnic. Kenshin and Kaoru are alive and healthy and deeply in love, parenting Kenji in his toddler years. Kenshin appears very happy, and there is no sign of him wanting to leave again. Everybody from the Kenshin Gumi, plus Aoshi and Misao, are present except Sanosuke, who sends a letter saying he's currently in Mongolia, but will return soon.
[edit] Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu Style
The Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu Style translated from Japanese means roughly, "Revitalized Heart", also known as 'The Sword that Protects.' The primary weapon of a practitioner is a wooden bokken, though Yahiko and Yutaro use a bamboo shinai instead. A bokken is generally considered to be a more advanced weapon in kendo practices and can deal more severe damage, hence the bokken is likely reserved only for masters of the Kasshin Ryu style or for those who are considered advanced in their studies.
There are two moves of the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu style revealed in the manga- these are the succession techniques, or "ougi"- which is the move one must master to become a master of the style. Kaoru teaches the style's succession techniques to Yahiko during the beginning to middle of the never animated Jinchuu arc.
Hadome: This is the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu Style's defensive succession technique. If the user of this technique is attacked, they perform the Hadome by crossing their arms over their head (and possibly other places as well, but this is the most common form and the only one shown in the manga) and catching the blade with the back of their hands. This allows the user to maintain their grip on their sword while catching the opponents blade at the same time. Kaoru rarely uses this technique however, because it requires that the timing be perfectly right or else the attacker will be given a fatal opening. However, if properly used, it can be chained into the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu offensive ougi and thusly ensure an instant win.
Hawatari: This is the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryu Style's offensive succession technique. It is a counter-attack and can only be performed after a successful use of the Hadome technique. From the Hadome position, the defender will twist his/her wrists, thusly stripping the weapon of their attacker away from their wrists and possibly throwing them to the ground. Since the defender will still have their grip on their own weapon they can almost instantaneously follow up with an attack of their own and therefore deliver the final blow on their now defenseless opponent. Kaoru and Yahiko are the only ones ever seen to use the attack.
[edit] Trivia
- In Japanese, Kaoru means "fragrance or scent," and Kamiya means "God Valley." Her surname "Kamiya" comes from the Kamiya district in (present day) Nagaoka.
- Kaoru's Drama CD voice actor, Tomo Sakurai, does the voice for Misao in the anime series.
| Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) |
|---|
| Characters |
| Himura Kenshin | Kamiya Kaoru | Sagara Sanosuke | Myōjin Yahiko | Takani Megumi | Shinomori Aoshi| Makimachi Misao| Minor characters |
| Terms and Historical references |
| Samurai | Shinsengumi | Battousai | Meiji period | Saitō Hajime | Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu | Ishin Shishi | Three great nobles |
