AMINE AND MANGA

Kyon: the main protagonist of the series, Kyon is a student who unintentionally runs into Haruhi and is the only normal human in the SOS Brigade. Even though Haruhi is the title character, the story is told through Kyon's viewpoint. Through narration and dialogue he provides his insight, perspective, and opinions on events. Kyon is often annoyed by Haruhi's demands, but also thinks that a world without Haruhi would be uninteresting. Kyon is also "John Smith" from Haruhi's earlier memories, and was the one who painted the hieroglyph in the field. Very early on Yuki, Mikuru and Itsuki each, individually, revealed what they are to Kyon.

Haruhi Suzumiya is the title character and leader of the SOS Brigade, whose energetic and eccentric character proves to be the driving force for the series. She has a mind for adventure which often leads her subordinates to be swept into her plans. While being smart, beautiful and energetic Haruhi was eyed as an oddball ever since middle school: she had set all the desks from her classroom out into the hallway, painted stars on the roofs, and even painted a huge hieroglyph out on the school field. Haruhi cannot stand boredom so she comes up with various activities for the SOS Brigade, making them participate whether they like it or not. In the 6th grade Haruhi felt she was no longer special after going to a baseball game and realizing she was one in a sea of people. After that she set out to make her life interesting and unique. What Haruhi does not know is that she has an outstanding power to change the environment around her as she pleases, and by subconsciously using it she gathers Mikuru Asahina, Itsuki Koizumi, and Yuki Nagato into one place, the SOS Brigade. The story is indirect in saying how much Yuki, Mikuru and Itsuki know about each other.

Yuki Nagato: Yuki is a bibliophile humanoid interface, created by Data Integration Thought Entity, whose responsibilities involve monitoring Haruhi and the investigation of an unexplained "explosion of data" three years prior to the present story. She possesses an ability to manipulate her surrounding environment, or "data" as quoted by her. Yuki is very quiet but can speak at length when it has to do with her mission or a problem that has arisen. While she always seems to be engrossed in her reading, she comments that she is only relatively interested in them. Yuki gives hints and aid to Kyon throughout the series. She almost never shows any emotions, but there are times when she shows interest in certain things, such as programming computer games and playing them, as well as reading (in the light novel The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi it is further revealed that she may have developed an interest in writing). It is revealed in The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi novel and film that she does develop emotions. In her context, developing emotions is like accumulating error data which will cause a bug to trigger anomalous behavior. The unpleasant emotions developed throughout the series (caused by the people around her) makes her wish for a normal world, whereby she finally takes action in the 'Disappearance' episode. Yuki is well-acquainted with time travel and that Mikuru is a time traveler. Mikuru and Itsuki are aware that Yuki can do amazing things, but know far less about it than Kyon does.

Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒ, Suzumiya Haruhi) is the general name for a series of light novels written by Nagaru Tanigawa and illustrated by Noizi Ito which were subsequently adapted into other media. The story follows the title character Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school girl who can unconsciously change reality, and her strange antics with her school club, the SOS Brigade, which she founded to investigate mysterious events. Haruhi forcibly drafts her cynical classmate Kyon, who narrates the series, and similarly recruits three additional members into her club: the silent bibliophile Yuki Nagato, the shy and timid Mikuru Asahina, and the friendly "mysterious exchange student" Itsuki Koizumi. These members soon reveal themselves to Kyon as the extraordinary characters Haruhi is seeking, sent by their various organizations to observe her and hold her reality warping powers in check by maintaining the illusion of a normal life.

The first novel was published in Japan on June 6, 2003 by Kadokawa Shoten with nine individual novels published and a planned tenth as of April 1, 2007 (2007 -04-01)^[update]. The light novels have been adapted into four separate manga series, a television anime adaptation, two original net animations, an animated film and several video games. After the anime adaptation aired in 2006, publishing company Kadokawa Shoten received various offers for licensing both the novels and their various adaptations.

The novels are licensed for English language release in the United States by Little, Brown and Company, for young readers by Yen Press and the anime adaptation was licensed for North American distribution by Kadokawa Pictures USA division which then sublicensed production and distribution to Bandai Entertainment.

Soul Eater (ソウルイーター, Sōru Ītā) is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Atsushi Okubo. Set at the "Death Weapon Meister Academy," the series revolves around three teams consisting of a weapon meister and (at least one) human weapon. Trying to make the latter a "Death Scythe" and thus fit for use by the academy's headmaster, Shinigami (better known as Death), they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch, in that order; otherwise, they will have to start all over again. The manga is published by Square Enix and was first released as three separate one-shots serialized in two Gangan Powered special editions and one Gangan Wing issue between June 24 and November 26, 2003. The manga started regular serialization in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan manga magazine on May 12, 2004. The first bound volume was released by Square Enix under their Gangan Comics imprint on June 22, 2004 in Japan, and as of March 2011, nineteen volumes have been released. The manga has been licensed for distribution in North America by Yen Press. The English translated version of Soul Eater is serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus manga anthology magazine starting on July 29, 2008, and the first manga volume was released on October 27, 2009.

A single drama CD was produced on August 31, 2005 which came bundled with an art book. An anime adaptation produced by Bones first aired on TV Tokyo in Japan on April 7, 2008, and contained 51 episodes; Funimation licensed the anime series for North American distribution. An action-adventure video game by Square Enix for the Wii was released in September 2008, and an action video game for the Nintendo DS was released in October 2008. Another action game was released in January 2009 on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. Another manga series which will run alongside the main series, titled Soul Eater Not!, began serialization in Monthly Shōnen Gangan on January 12, 2011.

A millennium before the events in Slayers, one of Ruby-Eye's fragments (which was sealed in the body of Lei Magnus, a very powerful sorcerer) revived and began the Resurrection War (降魔戦争, Kōma-sensō, alternately "War of Demon Conquering") against one of the parts of Ceiphied, the Water Dragon King, also known as Aqualord Ragradia. Ultimately, the piece of Shabranigdo won, but Aqualord, using the last remnants of her power, sealed him into a block of magical ice within the Kataart Mountains. Nevertheless, Shabranigdo's lieutenants remained at liberty, sealing a part of the world within a magical barrier, through which only mazoku could pass.

There are four types of magic within the Slayers universe. Black magic spells, such as the famous Dragon Slave, call directly on the powers of the mazoku and are capable of causing enormous damage. White magic spells are of an obscure origin and are used for healing or protection. Shamanistic magic is focused on manipulation and alteration of the basic elements of the natural world (earth, wind, fire, water and spirit) and contains spell for both offense and convenience, such as Raywing, Fireball, or Elmekia Lance. Holy magic uses the power of the shinzoku, but the aforementioned barrier made its usage impossible before the death of the mazoku Hellmaster Phibrizzo. As a rule, mazoku can only be harmed by spiritual (astral) shamanistic magic, holy magic, or black magic which draws power from another mazoku with greater might than the target.

Above all other magic, however, are the immensely destructive spells drawing power from the Lord of Nightmares. The two spells of this class are the Ragna Blade, capable of cutting through any obstacle or being, and the Giga Slave, which can kill any opponent, but which could also destroy the world itself if the spell is miscast.