Kaname Chidori
Encyclopedia
is a fictional character
and the female protagonist
of the light novel
, manga
, and anime
series Full Metal Panic!
. She was voiced by Satsuki Yukino
in the original Japanese
anime and by Luci Christian
in the English
dubs by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment
.
is assigned by Mithril
to protect her. While Sagara's battle intuition generally saves her from dangerous situations, she often considers his instincts irritating in the daily high school events, leading to countless comical situations. Nonetheless, she and Sousuke continue to grow closer.
Kaname's abilities also grant her an inherent knowledge (but not necessarily understanding) of advanced mathematics and science. It is no surprise that she consistently achieves top scores in these subjects at school. Her abilities as a Whispered, however, have their limitations.
Kaname is very easy to anger, especially considering Sousuke's behaviour. A majority of the stunts pulled by Sousuke will cause Kaname to go into a fit of rage and either hit Sousuke or chew him out. However, she has a soft spot for him and when he does a good job she will often cook for him or give him a compliment. She is constantly battling for Sousuke with Teletha Tessa Testarossa
, although the two usually end up either making fools of themselves or hurting him.
The character is based on Shoji Gatoh's real-life friend, whose name is also Kaname Chidori.
as its environmental High Commissioner. Her late mother's family also seems to have strained relations with the Chidori family, at least until her grandfather from that side makes amends. Because of her sensitive past, she develops a tough-lady attitude, which helps her deal with her past and survive several life-threatening situations. In the novel A Dancing Very Merry Christmas and in the Full Metal Panic! Anime Mission fan book, it is also revealed that she shares her birthday with Tessa on December 24, 1984 (Christmas Eve).
Kaname lives alone in her own apartment across from the complex which Sousuke stays at. She takes on multiple part-time jobs and sometimes invites friends to join her, which often ends with a catastrophe because of Sousuke. She begins attending Jindai High School at the age of 15 and is in her second year at the start of the storyline. She leads a normal lifestyle and is the class representative and vice president. She is quite popular at school. However, after Sousuke is transferred to her class, her life is turned upside down and she becomes involved in various Mithril operations.
Kaname's bravery and determination come to a head in the climax of the novel Continuing on My Own. Following Sousuke's defeat by the hands of Leonard Testarossa, she gives herself up to Leonard and Amalgam to save his life. As she is picked up by the Belial's giant hand, she whispers something to Sousuke before being whisked off. After being taken by Leonard, she is imprisoned by Amalgam at an island villa. In the novel Come Make My Day, Sousuke arrives at the island in order to save her, but is unable to do so as she is taken away in a helicopter.
In novel, Semaru Nick of Time, the origin of the Whispered is revealed to be caused by an accident during a Soviet experiment using an Omni-Sphere that occurred on December 24, 1984, when all the Whispered were born. Leonard Testarossa takes Kaname back to the Omni-Sphere after recovering from wounds in Come Make My Day. She is then forced to resonate with Sophia, a key Whispered, who overtakes Kaname's personality. Under Sophia's control, Kaname is shown the illusion of shooting and killing Tessa and Sousuke, and then leaves with Leonard for Merida Island, where Amalgam has built a machine to utilize the final ability.
Still under the influence of Sophia, in novel Always, Stand by Me - Part 1, Chidori feverishly assist in creating the TARTAROS, Telechrono Alternation Reactor Transfer and Response Omni-sphere, the largest and most powerful TAROS in the world. As weeks pass during construction of TARTAROS, she begins to forget of Sousuke's meaningful existence and still believes he and Tessa are no longer alive. With Sophia overtaking her personality, she constantly feels an internal resistance to her defensive fiery personality that normally dominates her as the 'real' Kaname Chidori. She even so much as allow Leonard to kiss her, however she rejects him at the last minute feeling an overwhelming 'dreadful unpleasant feeling' as if someone internally was angry at herself. In Amalgam, Chidori is no longer treated as a prisoner but a leading savior to bring forth their new 'peaceful world' using the TARTAROS which she devotedly tells them her motto I'll grant everyone's wishes. However, she is completely unaware that Sousuke is pursuing her or even aware of the very existence of Sophia camouflaged inside her.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and the female protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of the light novel
Light novel
A is a style of Japanese novel primarily targeting junior high and high school students . The term "light novel" is a wasei-eigo, or a Japanese term formed from words in the English language. Light novels are often called or for short...
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Full Metal Panic!
Full Metal Panic!
is an ongoing series of light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji. The series follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of the covert anti-terrorist private military organization known as Mithril, tasked with protecting Kaname Chidori, a spirited Japanese high school girl.Individual...
. She was voiced by Satsuki Yukino
Satsuki Yukino
Satsuki Yukino , real name Yuki Inoue , is a popular Japanese voice actress from Ōtsu, Shiga. Yukino is also a singer as part of the Hinata Girls...
in the original Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
anime and by Luci Christian
Luci Christian
Louisa Michelle Christian is an American voice actress and ADR Script Writer who is affiliated with Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...
in the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
dubs by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
.
Overview
At first glance, Kaname appears to be a normal 16-year-old high school student. Unfortunately, the discovery of her technological abilities attracts the attention of terrorist organizations. As a result, Sousuke SagaraSousuke Sagara
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. He was portrayed by Tomokazu Seki in the original anime and by Chris Patton in the English dub.-Overview:...
is assigned by Mithril
Mithril (Full Metal Panic!)
Mithril is a fictional anti-terrorist private military company in the light novel, manga and anime series Full Metal Panic!. Many of the main characters within the series are members of this organization, among them include Sousuke Sagara, Melissa Mao, Kurz Weber and Teletha Tessa...
to protect her. While Sagara's battle intuition generally saves her from dangerous situations, she often considers his instincts irritating in the daily high school events, leading to countless comical situations. Nonetheless, she and Sousuke continue to grow closer.
Kaname's abilities also grant her an inherent knowledge (but not necessarily understanding) of advanced mathematics and science. It is no surprise that she consistently achieves top scores in these subjects at school. Her abilities as a Whispered, however, have their limitations.
Kaname is very easy to anger, especially considering Sousuke's behaviour. A majority of the stunts pulled by Sousuke will cause Kaname to go into a fit of rage and either hit Sousuke or chew him out. However, she has a soft spot for him and when he does a good job she will often cook for him or give him a compliment. She is constantly battling for Sousuke with Teletha Tessa Testarossa
Teletha Tessa Testarossa
is a fictional character and the tritagonist in the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. She is portrayed by Yukana Nogami in the original anime, and by Hilary Haag in the English dub by ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment...
, although the two usually end up either making fools of themselves or hurting him.
The character is based on Shoji Gatoh's real-life friend, whose name is also Kaname Chidori.
Character history
In the light novels, it is mentioned that her father and younger sister live in New York. Her mother died of cancer roughly 4 years before the start of the series. Shortly after that Kaname ran away from home but returned the next day. Kaname's relationship with Shizu, her late mother and Ayame, her younger sister, is apparently friendly, but she is more tense towards her father, Shunya, who works for the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
as its environmental High Commissioner. Her late mother's family also seems to have strained relations with the Chidori family, at least until her grandfather from that side makes amends. Because of her sensitive past, she develops a tough-lady attitude, which helps her deal with her past and survive several life-threatening situations. In the novel A Dancing Very Merry Christmas and in the Full Metal Panic! Anime Mission fan book, it is also revealed that she shares her birthday with Tessa on December 24, 1984 (Christmas Eve).
Kaname lives alone in her own apartment across from the complex which Sousuke stays at. She takes on multiple part-time jobs and sometimes invites friends to join her, which often ends with a catastrophe because of Sousuke. She begins attending Jindai High School at the age of 15 and is in her second year at the start of the storyline. She leads a normal lifestyle and is the class representative and vice president. She is quite popular at school. However, after Sousuke is transferred to her class, her life is turned upside down and she becomes involved in various Mithril operations.
Kaname's bravery and determination come to a head in the climax of the novel Continuing on My Own. Following Sousuke's defeat by the hands of Leonard Testarossa, she gives herself up to Leonard and Amalgam to save his life. As she is picked up by the Belial's giant hand, she whispers something to Sousuke before being whisked off. After being taken by Leonard, she is imprisoned by Amalgam at an island villa. In the novel Come Make My Day, Sousuke arrives at the island in order to save her, but is unable to do so as she is taken away in a helicopter.
In novel, Semaru Nick of Time, the origin of the Whispered is revealed to be caused by an accident during a Soviet experiment using an Omni-Sphere that occurred on December 24, 1984, when all the Whispered were born. Leonard Testarossa takes Kaname back to the Omni-Sphere after recovering from wounds in Come Make My Day. She is then forced to resonate with Sophia, a key Whispered, who overtakes Kaname's personality. Under Sophia's control, Kaname is shown the illusion of shooting and killing Tessa and Sousuke, and then leaves with Leonard for Merida Island, where Amalgam has built a machine to utilize the final ability.
Still under the influence of Sophia, in novel Always, Stand by Me - Part 1, Chidori feverishly assist in creating the TARTAROS, Telechrono Alternation Reactor Transfer and Response Omni-sphere, the largest and most powerful TAROS in the world. As weeks pass during construction of TARTAROS, she begins to forget of Sousuke's meaningful existence and still believes he and Tessa are no longer alive. With Sophia overtaking her personality, she constantly feels an internal resistance to her defensive fiery personality that normally dominates her as the 'real' Kaname Chidori. She even so much as allow Leonard to kiss her, however she rejects him at the last minute feeling an overwhelming 'dreadful unpleasant feeling' as if someone internally was angry at herself. In Amalgam, Chidori is no longer treated as a prisoner but a leading savior to bring forth their new 'peaceful world' using the TARTAROS which she devotedly tells them her motto I'll grant everyone's wishes. However, she is completely unaware that Sousuke is pursuing her or even aware of the very existence of Sophia camouflaged inside her.