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Raikou Shimizu is one of the main protagonists of the manga/anime series Nabari no Ou, as well as a redeemed antagonist. He is the older brother of Raimei Shimizu and the only other surviving member of their clan, as well as a member of the Kairoshu. Like his sister, he is a self-styled samurai, who punishes people for misusing ninjitsu. Initially, Raimei is attempting to hunt him down for revenge, as she believed him to have killed their entire family five years ago. In truth, it was an act of revenge for the death of their parents, and Raikou kept the truth from her because he didn't want to hurt her.
He is voiced by Junichi Sawabe in the Japanese version and J. Micheal Tatum in the English version.
Appearance[]
Raikou previously had naturally dark blonde hair (like his mother and sister), but dyed it his current salmon pink color sometime after meeting Gau. Raikou usually wears a light green/blue shirt with a high collar as well as dark blue hakama and kimono, with the top part tied around his waist. The shirt is sleeveless, exposing refined arms and a tattoo of a lightning bolt on his left shoulder and another tattoo on his right forearm, as well as arm braces, and sometimes he can be seen wearing a long sleeved shirt underneath.
While working as a Wakachi, Raikou can be seen wearing a ying yang bracelet on his right hand, a symbol of his division in the Grey Wolves. His casual clothes, when in a good mood, tend to comprise of jeans and cardigans, while when depressed, his fashion choices tend to become more outlandish, such as star patterned pants and a brightly coloured cardigan with roses and a peacock on the back. His work clothes for his surface job are samue and light-coloured jeans. He can also be seen wearing a number of different hairstyles throughout the series, such as high ponytails, low ponytails, hair down, half-up ponytails, and on one occasion, even three pigtails at once. He has a habit of tying his hair up with protective charms. Like his sister, he can be seen wearing an excessive amount of different bracelets and accessories.
In the latter volumes, he can be seen wearing matching outfits with Gau: when Raimei finds the pair after they had defected from the Grey Wolves, Raikou wears a butterfly pin over his heart, which Gau can also be seen wearing in the same spot. In the epilogue, he and Gau are wearing matching cardigans, Gau's in black and Raikou's in white.
Personality[]
Raikou is an easygoing, well-mannered person with strong beliefs who takes his responsibilities very seriously. However, he has a much more violent side as well, frequently punishing those who misuse ninjitsu. He is shown to have been this way since his teenage years, during which he murdered his own uncle and his gang as revenge for the death of his parents. It is stated and shown that he is a sadist (S-type), often picking on Gau and Yukimi. Nevertheless, he cares very deeply for the people important to him, especially his sister and Gau, willing to risk his life and reputation doing what he thinks will keep them safest and happiest, though he has a habit of acting first without asking what they think first, until he realizes the importance of communication and the strength of bonds. He is shown to be extremely protective of Gau, especially after he wakes from his coma.
Despite his outgoing personality, Raikou is also quite secretive and dismissive, and attempts to shoulder his burdens and guilt all on his own, not wanting to worry or burden anyone else with his problems. This is largely out of a belief that anyone who gets close to him gets hurt or worse, which is why he didn't tell Raimei the full truth from the beginning (i.e. he was convinced she was better off hating him). It gets to the point that, after he accidentally lands Gau in a coma, he becomes convinced that he won't wake up because he doesn't want to look at him, even though Gau practicably worships him and got himself slashed on purpose so that he and Raimei would be convinced to reconcile.
Raikou is quite kind, taking a genuine interest in Miharu's life and giving him advice, and chooses actions that protect and help the people he is close with but is forced to oppose due to his position as a wakachi. However, he is also opportunistic and somewhat selfish, his sole motivation in participating in the Alya arc is the hope of being able to use Daya to wake and save Gau, completely losing interest when he comes to the conclusion that the forbidden art could not be used to save him. This, however, is also a sign of his compassion, as he is not so selfish and cruel to knowingly use a medicine that requires human sacrifices to save someone he cares for, despite how badly he wanted Gau to wake up. Indeed, despite frequently killing others for crimes such as stealing, there is a limit to what lines he's willing to cross; when Yoite suggests that he put Gau out of his misery to stop him being a burden, Raikou is disgusted, and concludes that Yoite really is the 'angel of death' everyone says he is.