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Kazuma Kuwabara (桑原和真, Kuwabara Kazuma^?) is a fictional character in the popular anime and manga series YuYu Hakusho created by Yoshihiro Togashi in 1990. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Information. ... Alice, a fictional character based on a real character from the work of Lewis Carroll. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... maNga is a popular Turkish nu metal/rapcore band. ... Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Original run 1990 – 1994 No. ... Yoshihiro Togashi (冨樫 義博 Togashi Yoshihiro, born April 26, 1966 in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga author. ...

Kuwabara's seiyū is Shigeru Chiba. His English voice actors are Christopher Sabat in the FUNimation dub, Lex Lang in the Media Blasters dub, and Cliff Lazenby in the US Manga Corps dub. Voice Animage, a magazine about all things about seiyÅ«. For the retail company named Seiyu, see Seiyu Group. ... Shigeru Chiba (千葉 繁 Chiba Shigeru, born February 4, 1954) is a veteran seiyuu (voice actor) who was born in Kumamoto. ... Christopher Robin Sabat (Born April 22, 1973 in Washington, D.C.) is a voice actor, most notable for his work in the anime series Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT and the various movies and specials associated with the Dragon Ball franchise. ... FUNimation Entertainment (previously known as FUNimation Productions) is an American company formed by Gen Fukunaga in the early 1990s to produce, merchandise and distribute anime and other entertainment properties in the United States and international markets. ... Walter Alexis Lang, better known as Lex Lang, is an American voice actor, musician, singer, and co-founder of Love Planet Records. ... Media Blasters is a corporation in New York City that translates, packages, and dubs anime and live action films for home video release. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

Background

Kuwabara, as most people call him, is the second-toughest kid in Sarayashiki Junior High School and is always trying to usurp Yusuke Urameshi's position as the toughest. He leads a gang consisting of himself, Kirishima, Okubo, and Sawamura (In the English dub, Komada). He has a soft spot for kittens (including his own, Eikichi) and an iron code of honor. He develops a minor crush on Botan when he first meets her, but later harbors intense feelings on the ice apparition Yukina, but is unaware that she is Hiei's sister. Yusuke Urameshi ) is a fictional character and the major protagonist of the popular anime and manga series YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi. ... Yukina (雪菜) is a fictional character from the manga/anime series Yu Yu Hakusho. ... Hiei in Yu Yu Hakusho Hiei (飛影) is one of the four main characters in the anime and manga series YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi. ...

Kuwabara has a tough older sister named Shizuru Kuwabara. She and Yukina are the only characters known to call him by his given name. In the anime, Kazuma and Shizuru's parents never appear and are rarely, if ever, even acknowledged. His father does makes a brief appearance in the final volume of the manga to reveal that Yukina is going to be living with them and appears to be aware of the Reikai, etc. As the show progress, Kuwabara ceases to be a rival of Yusuke, although the two disagree constantly. Kuwabara and Kurama are quite cordial with each other, but Kuwabara shares no love for Hiei, and both will readily mention their hatred of the other, although in truth deep down they are friends.

Kuwabara's most unique ability is his sensitivity to Reiki, or Spirit Awareness. Kuwabara has the ability to sense when ghosts and the paranormal are around, can see spirits and other demons, and can predict motives of others. With the possible exception of Shinobu Sensui, he possesses the highest spirit awareness of any human. Kuwabara can also create a blade out of his own spirit energy (known as the Rei Ken, or Spirit Sword). Although he first needed a piece of wood as a physical entity to create it, Kuwabara was able to practice and be able to create his own after one month (six months in the English anime). During his training, Kuwabara's sword is able to extend and shrink to his whim, and he can even create two, one in each hand.

When he, Kurama, Hiei and Sensui enter Makai in the Chapter Black Saga, several demons point out that the three of them are far more powerful than they are. The manga explicitly says they are B-class class yōkai, indicating that Kuwabara is likely around A- level after his latent powers manifest. It is also alluded to a few times that he has quite possibly the highest amount of spirit awareness (or Rei kan); even Genkai mentions it to Yusuke and the others during the Chapter Black saga. Next to Sensui and Yusuke, whose power is equivalent to an S class yōkai, Kuwabara is most likely the strongest living human. He shows this many times throughout the series, mainly in the movie Poltergeist Report, where he defeats a demon lord, Majari, who uses the ability to copy his opponent's powers. He uses a single punch after tricking Majari into exhausting his energy as well as his own.

Although Kuwabara is not as strong as the rest of his teammates and has a reputation for rarely using his brain while in battle, but can be quite crafty in battle when he needs to be, and he is widely considered as the nicest of the four.

Spirit Detective Saga

He first went to Genkai's compound to ask for her help because of his increased spirit awareness. However he is accidentally entered in Genkai's tournament for an apprentice. He completes the first three tasks with ease, even completing the forest test first and without facing any enemies. During the fight in the darkness against Musashi, he gained the power of the rei ken. In the next round, he fought a disguised Rando who shrunk him and crushed him nearly to death.

Afterwards he accompanied Yusuke to defeat the four Saint Beasts. He fought Byakko and his beasts. He defeated the beasts by using his sword get longer attack to skew the four beasts. He then defeated Byakko by knocking him into the lava. After Yusuke defeated Suzaku, Kuwabara gave Yusuke part of his life energy to save Yusuke's life.

When Yukina was kidnapped, although he initially refused to join Yusuke on this mission, after being smitten by Yukina's beauty, Kuwabara changed his mind and led Yusuke to the captor's compound and helped to defeat the demons around the compound. Yusuke used his Reigun to fire Kuwabara at the Toguros which defeated them.

Dark Tournament Saga

During the Ankoku Būtsukai (Dark Tournament), Kuwabara fights more full matches than the rest of his teammates, but had the biggest losing streak, although most were due to ring outs. Near the end of the Tournament, Kuwabara and Kurama are approached by Suzuki, the former leader of Team Uratogi. Suzuki gives Kuwabara an item to help him in the finals against Team Toguro. This item was the Tameshi no Ken, or Trial Sword, which allowed him to defeat Elder Toguro. During the battle with the Younger Toguro, Kuwabara faked his own death with Toguro's aid to draw out Yusuke's potential. Kurama in his human (Shuichi Minamino) form on the cover of YuYu Hakusho Perfect File Volume 2. ...

Chapter Black Saga

During the first half of the Chapter Black Storyline, Kuwabara is unable to use his powers. He suspects that, like Suzuki told him, it was a side effect from using the Trial Sword. However, Genkai knows the truth: that Kuwabara was so spiritually aware, his own body was aware of Sensui's plan months before it happened, and underwent a transformation to prepare for it. Kuwabara accesses his power during the battle with Sea Man, Kiyoshi Mitarai, a human teenager who was gifted with the ability to create indestrucible monsters made of water. A human turned against his own kind by Sensui and the Chapter Black videotape, Mitarai planned to kill Kuwabara and his friends by drowning them in his monster. The inside of the beast is a separate dimension, one composed entirely of water, so physical strength is useless to escape from it. Kuwabara's powers awaken and he gains the power to slice through dimensional barriers with a new type of energy sword, the Jigen Tou, or Dimensional Blade. He slices through the monster and wounds Sea Man, saving his friends and his life.

This powerful sword, however, is what Sensui needs to destroy the barrier blocking Demon World's strongest denizens from entering the Human World. Sensui attacks, captures Kuwabara, and plans to have another human psychic, Gourmet, eat Kuwabara and gain his power, as Kuwabara would never slice the barrier willingly. However, Yusuke and team rescue him, and when Yusuke dies, Kuwabara follows Sensui into Demon World and slices the barrier open to pursue him (since Kuwabara, Hiei and Yoko Kurama's power had risen to A-class level at that point, Kuwabara had to open the barrier so they could all get through since A-class power would be held back by it). But the three are no match for Sensui until a newly resurrected Yusuke showed up.

Three Kings Saga

After his battle against Sensui is over, Kuwabara decides to retire from fighting permanently and focus on his schoolwork, so he can live the type of life he was meant to, after realizing that he cannot keep fighting yōkai for the rest of his life.

At the end of the series, Kuwabara is a second year high school student at the University's prep school, called Gaikou Fuzoku High School (or Gai Tech). He has numerous female admirers, although he remains faithful to Yukina. He is also studying for his college entrance exams. His power being at A-class level or higher (his power might have grown to S-class levels had he trained with Yusuke and the others during the Three Kings Saga), it is verified by Koenma that Kuwabara is the strongest human fighter on earth.

Attacks

• Rei Ken (霊剣 Spirit Sword in the English Dub, Aura Sword in the Viz translation) is Kuwabara's signature attack, where he creates a sword made of his Reiki. Its strength depends on how much Reiki Kuwabara uses. It is first used in the Genkai Tournament when Kuwabara holds a piece of a broken sword from a special spiritual sword used by Musashi, the opponent he is fighting. It causes this weapon to emerge. After the tournament is over, Kuwabara does some training and learns how to control it at will without needing the broken sword piece. Since Kuwabara is not trained as a swordsman, he lacks the grace of Hiei's sword strikes, and swings rather clumsily. Later on, Kurama teaches Kuwabara how he can manipulate his Rei Ken with his mind, a technique which comes in handy during the Dark Tournament.

• Nobiyo Rei Ken (伸びよ霊剣 Spirit Sword Extend "Aura Sword Extend" in the Viz translation) - When Kuwabara learned how to control his sword, he developed this move as well. It allows Kuwabara to extend his Rei Ken and be able to attack enemies from a distance or increase his jumping distance by using it as a pole vault. In the English Dub Kuwabara activates it by saying "Sword get longer."

• Rei Ken Ni Tōkai Ryū (霊剣二刀流 Spirit Sword Twin Blade) is known as Double Spirit Sword in the English dub and "Double Aura Sword" in the Viz translation. During his training before the Dark Tournament under Kurama and Hiei, Kuwabara develops this technique, where he can materialize two Rei Ken at once. It is used only during the first match of the first round against Rinku, a fighting child of Team Rokuyukai (English anime).

Kuwabara's spirit flyswatter.

Tameshi No Ken (試しの剣 Sword of Trials) is known as The Trial Sword in the English Dub. Before the finals of the Dark Tournament, Suzuki, (Suzuka in the English Dub) the former leader of Team Uraotogi, gives Kuwabara a sword hilt which once belonged to his teammate Shishiwakamaru (Shishi Wakamaru in the English Dub). Kuwabara uses it during his match against Elder Toguro. It creates a tremendous drain on Kuwabara's energy, but allows him to produce a sword that is two to three times stronger than normal. It also allows Kuwabara to shift the energy into whatever shape he desired. He uses this ability against Elder Toguro, who could not be harmed because he could shift his vital organs around his body. Kuwabara turned his sword into a paddle-like weapon and smashed him all at once. This attack was named Kyodai Reikibou (巨大霊気棒, Giant Spirit Energy Staff) or Spirit Flyswatter. Image File history File links Kuwabara_spirit_flyswatter. ... Image File history File links Kuwabara_spirit_flyswatter. ...

Rei Shuriken (霊手裏剣) is a technique where Kuwabara produces small bolts of energy from his hands, similar to shuriken. It is used only against Elder Toguro in the Tournament Finals. After Toguro notices that Kuwabara doesn't know about Genkai's death, he uses molding capabilities to replay the event, but with the facts altered a bit for his personal amusement. This angers both Yusuke and Younger Toguro. In the end, Kuwabara uses this attack against Elder Toguro because he made fun of Genkai's death. Image File history File links Rei_shuriken. ... Image File history File links Rei_shuriken. ...

Jigen Tō (次元刀 Dimensional Blade) is called Dimension Sword in the English Dub. For the first half of the Chapter Black Storyline, Kuwabara does not have any of his powers. When he regains his powers, he gains this technique, although he is not able to summon it willingly. Not only is it more powerful than his normal sword, but it also allows him to slice through dimensions. He is able to dispel psychic territories (such as that of Sea Man), powerful and ancient entities (like the Ura-Otoko, a dimensional being tamed by Itsuki), or the barrier sealing off the Demon World, as well as open up direct portals to specific places (as seen in the final chapters of the manga). Image File history File links Kuwabara_Dimension_Blade. ... Image File history File links Kuwabara_Dimension_Blade. ...

Cultural references

• His name, Kuwabara, means "mulberry field." According to Chinese legend, mulberry trees cannot be struck by lightning. Saying "kuwabara" twice is supposed to ward off lightning bolts.

English version production details

• As the movies are produced by different English companies for a U.S. release, there are a few slight differences to Kuwabara in those versions.
  • In the English Dub of the YuYu Hakusho movies, Kuwabara's family name was changed to Kuwahara.
  • In the original Japanese and Funimation English dub, Kuwabara prefers to address Yusuke as Urameshi. However, in the English Dubs of the movies, he always addresses Yusuke by his given name.

Notes and references