Strike the Blood (ストライク・ザ・ブラッド Sutoraiku za Buraddo?), also known in short form as SutoBura (ストブラ?), is a Japanese light novel series by Gakuto Mikumo with illustrations by Manyako. A manga adaptation began serialization in June 2012 in ASCII Media Works’s Dengeki Daioh. A 24-episode television anime adaptation by Silver Link and Connect aired between October 4, 2013 and March 28, 2014 in Japan.
PLOT
The story follows the adventures of Kojou Akatsuki, a vampire in high school who is a bit reluctant to show his powers, and Yukina Himeragi, a teenage Sword Shaman apprentice who is sent to observe him. It takes place in the Demon District in Itogami City, a man-made island off the coast of Japan that has a freely mingling monster populace. Kojou is suspected of being a Fourth Progenitor, a powerful vampire that could potentially disrupt the balance of power among the ruling three Progenitors. Kojou and Yukina befriend various monster students, some of whom are attracted to Kojou, and whose situations drive his libido that provides the source of much of his power.
Characters
Main Characters
Kojou Akatsuki (暁 古城 Akatsuki Kojō?)
Kojou was a normal 16 year old high school student 3 months prior to the beginning of the story, until becoming the 4th progenitor after his predecessor, Avrora Florestina inserted her spirit into his body as the result of a wish. He claims to remember nothing of the incident. When aroused, his blood lust takes over and the only way to satisfy it is to drink his own blood, usually from the nosebleeds he experiences. As a vampire, Kojou possesses superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, and durability, but has far greater power than that of a normal vampire due to his status as a progenitor. He has also inherited Avrora’s twelve familiars. Due to never having drank human blood, Kojou at first has no control over his powerful familiars, but after drinking an individual’s blood, one familiar will acknowledge him as its master. By drinking the blood of others who have familiars, he is able to gain control over their familiar. By volume 9, he is able to control 6 of the familiars. Kojou is also lacking the 6th, 10th and 12th familiars, the 12th being in Nagisa and the 6th and 10th still have their human bodies. In Strike the Blood EX, he has two daughters (in the future), Reina from Yukina, and Moegi from Asagi.
Yukina Himeragi (姫柊 雪菜 Himeragi Yukina?)
A 14 year old middle-school Sword Shaman from the Lion-King organization, Yukina was sent to observe the 4th progenitor and was told to kill him if he becomes a threat. At first, Kojou tries to trick her into thinking he’s the wrong person, but his strength is revealed when he intervenes in a fight between her and another vampire. She is constantly following him everywhere he goes and as a result has become very close to him, even allowing him to suck her blood in order for him to gain control over his familiars. Unbeknownst to her, she was actually sent for this very purpose; with the organization intending for her to be his first blood partner, and even his mate. Like many others, she was supposedly sold to the Lion-King organization by her parents. By the end of the first arc, she seems to have developed feelings for Kojō. In Strike the Blood EX, she is presumed to be married with Kojou and they have a daughter named Reina.
Asagi Aiba (藍羽 浅葱 Aiba Asagi?)
Asagi is Kojou’s friend and classmate. She’s 16 years old. She is an expert programmer and works for the Manmade Island Management Corporation. She has a crush on Kojou and she kissed him in the end of Episode 9. Despite knowing that the island is deeply connected to supernatural personalities and creatures, she had no idea that her friends are among them until Kojou and Yukina finally revealed their true identities to her in Volume 7. She is nicknamed Cyber Empress. In Strike the Blood EX, she and Kojou have a daughter named Moegi.
Motoki Yaze (矢瀬 基樹 Yaze Motoki?)
Kojou and Asagi’s classmate. He’s 16 years old. Motoki is also a member of the Lion-King organization and the real observer of Kojō, the 4th progenitor. He is also Asagi’s childhood friend and therefore often encourages her pursuit of Kojou. He’s currently going after Koyomi Shizuka and has told Kojou and Asagi that she’s his girlfriend, despite having not held her hand according to Natsuki. He is an Esper who have the ability to manipulate special sound waves, but needs certain drugs or enhancers to strengthen his ability.
Nagisa Akatsuki (暁 凪沙 Akatsuki Nagisa?)
Nagisa is Kojou’s 14 year old sister. She is usually chatty with people she likes, including Yukina, who happens to be her classmate. She is the only main character who knows nothing about the supernatural incidents as the others conceal such information to protect her. Four years ago, she almost died after being caught up in an attack by demons, with the result that she is traumatized whenever she sees one.
Sayaka Kirasaka (煌坂 紗矢華 Kirasaka Sayaka?)
A 16 year old War Dancer (specializing in hexes and assassinations) from the Lion-King and Yukina’s former roommate. She is highly over-protective towards Yukina and dislikes all men – Yukina tells Kojou that she used to screen her calls because she couldn’t stand having a male voice talk to her. At first, she despises Kojou for being close to Yukina, but after she offers her blood to him (to awaken his second familiar) Sayaka begins to develop feelings for him. Like Yukina, Lion-King actually arranged the meeting between Sayaka and Kojou, intending for her to become his blood partner as well.
Saikai Academy
Natsuki Minamiya (南宮 那月 Minamiya Natsuki?)
Natsuki is Kojō’s English teacher and an attack mage. Despite claiming to be 26 years old, she has the appearance of a grade school girl. She is usually seen wearing a gothic lolita dress. She is one of the few people who know that Kojō is the 4th progenitor. She is high ranking mage and is called “The Witch of the Void”. It is later revealed that she is actually the guard of the magical prison barrier that houses the most dangerous supernatural criminals; her actual body is sealed deep within the prison, while the teacher and mage everyone interacts with is actually an illusion. Kojō, Aiba, and Yaze usually call her “Natsuki-chan” despite her repeated demands to address her as “sensei.”
Kanon Kanase (叶瀬 夏音 Kanase Kanon?)
A shy white-haired 15 year old middle-school girl who is Nagisa’s friend. She is the illegitimate daughter of the king of Aldegyr and was raised away from the royal court. Kanon is La Folia’s biological aunt, explaining the similarity in their appearance. After he was dismissed from his position as court mage of Aldegyr, Kensei Kanase, her maternal uncle, adopted Kanon with the intention of using her in his Angel Faux experiment.
Rin Tsukishima (築島 倫 Tsukishima Rin?)
Kojō’s classmate and Asagi’s friend. She’s 16 years old.
Misaki Sasasaki (笹崎 岬 Sasasaki Misaki?)
Nagisa’s homeroom teacher.
Lion King Organization
Koyomi Shizuka (閑 古詠 Shizuka Koyomi?)
The 3rd leader of the organization who ordered Yukina’s mission. She appears as a senior school student who wears glasses.
The Warlord’s Empire
Dimitrie Vatler (ディミトリエ・ヴァトラー Dimitorie Vuatorā?)
Also known as “Lord Ardeal”, he is a pure-blood vampire who is a direct descendant of the First Progenitor. He is in love with the previous Fourth Progenitor, Avrora and becomes interested in Kojō after her death. He becomes the Ambassador in the Embassy of the Warlord’s Dominion after the Nalakuvera incident.
Others
Avrora Florestina (アヴローラ・フロレスティーナ Avurōra Furoresutīna?)
The previous Fourth Progenitor, a young girl who passed her title to Kojō after her death. She had another entity sealed in her who gained control of her body and would use her power for its own nefarious goals. During the ensuing fight, Akatsuki gained the temporary allegiance of several of the twelve kenjuus through bribes and upstanding display of character deemed worthy by the noble beasts. With their powers at his command and the Fourth herself fighting her mind war of dominance, they were able to prevail but the evil could not be destroyed as long as it dwells in the Fourth ‘s body. At this point, Akatsuki assumes incorrectly that the Fourth plans to seal herself away once again to sleep away the eternity, forever entombing herself and the evil she carries within. At this point, he offers to sleep by her side so she would never be alone in her timeless sleep. However, the Fourth used her blood compulsion to command her servant to end her life and destroy the evil in her. Thus Akatsuki was forced to destroy her heart while powerless to disobey her orders and was granted her powers as she died and his memories were altered as well by the Fourth so he does not have to suffer the pain of killing her. A portion of her soul is inside of Nagisa.
Rudolf Eustach (ルードルフ・オイスタッハ Rūdorufu Oisutahha?)
A combat deacon of Lotharingia who comes to Itogami City to retrieve the right arm of a saint from the West European Church. He initially controls Astarte until his defeat at the hands of Kojō and Yukina.
Astarte (アスタルテ Asutarute?)
A homunculus that controls a Familiar. She currently serves Natsuki as a maid. She expresses little emotion and has no particular likes or dislikes. She is not talkative and always says “Accept” in a dull, robotic tone whenever her master commands her.
Christoph Gardos (クリストフ・ガルドシュ Kurisutofu Garudoshu?)
The leader of the Black Death Emperor Faction and a former soldier of the Warlord’s Dominion.
Mogwai (モグワイ Moguwai?)
Asagi’s virtual partner who assists in her hacking missions.
La Folia Rihavein (ラ・フォリア・リハヴァイン Ra Foria Rihavuain?)
The princess of Aldegyr. She is pursued by Magnus Craft who want the blood of the Aldegyr royal family. She later becomes Kojō’s third blood partner to activate his third familiar to save Kanon.
Kensei Kanase (叶瀬 賢生 Kanase Kensei?)
The leader of Magnus Craft. He is Kanon’s adopted father whose younger sister is also Kanon’s biological mother (making him her uncle). He was a former royal court mage at the palace of Aldegyr. He had plans to make Kanon into a weapon to defeat the Fourth Progenitor. After the Angel Faux incident, he was held at the Island Management Corporation for observation.
Beatrice Basler (ベアトリス・バスラー Beatorisu Basurā?)
An employee of Magnus Craft. She wields a spear containing the Familiar “Jabra”.
Lowe Kirishima (ロウ・キリシマ Rou Kirishima?)
An employee of Magnus Craft. He can morph into a beast.
Yuuma Tokoyogi (仙都木 優麻 Tokoyogi Yūma?)
Kojō’s childhood friend who used to play basketball with him. She is Aya’s daughter and is known as the “Blue Witch”.
Aya Tokoyogi (仙都木 阿夜 Tokoyogi Aya?)
Yuuma’s mother and the Witch of Notaria. She is imprisoned within Itogami Demon District’s prison barrier. She created a clone of herself in Yuuma and programmed her as a key to free her.
Mimori Akatsuki (暁 深森 Akatsuki Mimori?)
Kojou’s mother. She is the head researcher of MAR’s medical department and a magic physician.
Kou Amatsuka (天塚 汞 Amatsuka Kō?)
A homunculus alchemist who is Nina Adelard’s apprentice. He wishes to become human by reviving Wiseman to restore his body.
Nina Adelard (ニーナ・アデラード Nīna Aderādo?)
An alchemist with a voluptuous figure who is Kou’s master.
Reina Akatsuki (暁 零菜 Akatsuki Reina?)
The daughter of Yukina and Kojou in Strike the Blood EX. She is identical in appearance as her mother (in youth), except with a bigger bust and wields a golden lance as her familiar. She also inherited her father’s abilities as a vampire and the tendency to get nosebleeds when she gets excited. She has the same eyes as her father. She is also a half sister of Moegi.
Moegi Akatsuki (暁 萌葱 Akatsuki Moegi?)
The daughter of Asagi and Kojou in Strike the Blood EX. She bears a similar resemblance to her mother. She is also Reina’s half sister.
ANIMANIAC 