TV-Series
Description
Haruna is one of the main characters in the anime Is This a Zombie? of the Dead. She is a girl from another dimension who possesses magical abilities and is known as a Masou Shoujo, which translates to a magical garment girl. Her arrival in the protagonist Ayumu Aikawa's life sets the primary comedic and action-driven plot of the series into motion.
In terms of background, Haruna comes from a world imbued with magical essence. When she first appears, she is in the middle of fighting a monster known as a Megalo. During this encounter, she attempts to erase Ayumu's memories, but a mishap occurs. Because Ayumu is a zombie resurrected by the necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe, the magic backfires, and Haruna inadvertently transfers all of her magical powers to him. This event forces her to become a freeloader in Ayumu's home while she waits for her abilities to return. In the meantime, she commandeers Ayumu to act as a substitute Masou Shoujo, forcing him to fight monsters in her place using her own magical chainsaw.
Personality wise, Haruna is energetic, loud, and fiercely proud. She frequently declares herself a genius, though her actions often contradict this claim. She has a strong affinity for fried eggs, demonstrating remarkable culinary skill specifically in their preparation, and has been known to fill an entire bento box with nothing but fried eggs. Despite her self-proclaimed intelligence, she has a tendency to forget important details, such as the names of people she meets, though she does remember faces. This absent-mindedness is usually played for comedic effect, highlighting her focus on things she personally finds engaging versus mundane tasks.
Haruna's motivations are largely driven by her desire to regain her lost magical powers and return to her role as a Masou Shoujo. She is determined to defeat the Megalos, the monsters that plague her world and have begun to appear in Ayumu's. While she is initially frustrated by her reliance on Ayumu, she uses him as a tool to continue her mission, directing him in battle while she remains technically powerless. Her role in the story is that of the catalyst; her magic transforms Ayumu from a simple zombie into a combat-capable protagonist, and her presence forces the other supernatural housemates, including the vampire ninja Seraphim, into awkward domestic coexistence.
Her key relationships are central to the narrative. Her primary relationship is with Ayumu. Although she bullies him relentlessly, calls him a coward and a pervert, and treats him like a servant, a deeper emotional bond develops over time. The narrative implies that she harbors romantic feelings for him, which manifest as jealousy. For instance, she reacts with visible distress when Ayumu kisses another girl, and she becomes upset at the thought of him being intimate with someone else. Despite her harsh exterior, she shows genuine concern for his welfare during dangerous situations. She is often described as fitting the tsundere archetype, acting hostile to hide her growing affection.
She also has a significant dynamic with Eucliwood Hellscythe, the silent necromancer who resurrected Ayumu. Yuu is the one who inadvertently holds Haruna's stolen magic, and the two share a strange housemate relationship. This dynamic undergoes a notable shift in the second season when a device causes Haruna to absorb Eucliwood's magic power. As a result, Haruna begins to suffer from the same curse as Eucliwood, where speaking or expressing emotion causes her intense pain. This forces Haruna into silence and makes her communicate through written signs, creating a significant role reversal and showcasing a different, more subdued side to her character. During this period, Eucliwood becomes talkative and cheerful, contrasting sharply with Haruna's forced quietness.
Regarding her development, while Haruna remains largely static and defined by her tsundere personality and love of fried eggs, there are subtle changes. Early in the series, she rarely admits to caring about others. However, as the story progresses, particularly in the episodes involving the King of the Night, her protective instincts for Ayumu and the others become more apparent, even if she still refuses to admit it openly. Her experience of taking on Eucliwood's curse also demonstrates her capacity to endure hardship for the sake of others, as she suffers in silence to allow Eucliwood a temporary reprieve.
Finally, Haruna possesses notable abilities even when stripped of her primary magic. Her primary weapon is Mystletainn, a magical pink chainsaw that is her signature tool of combat. The chainsaw is powerful enough to cut through monsters and seems to have a will of its own, as it can communicate with her. She is highly proficient in using it for combat, capable of executing attacks like the Mystletainn Kick, which is actually a chainsaw slash rather than a kick. Even without her full magical power, she retains her knowledge of the Megalos and her combat experience, which makes her a valuable strategist, even if Ayumu is forced to do the actual fighting.
In terms of background, Haruna comes from a world imbued with magical essence. When she first appears, she is in the middle of fighting a monster known as a Megalo. During this encounter, she attempts to erase Ayumu's memories, but a mishap occurs. Because Ayumu is a zombie resurrected by the necromancer Eucliwood Hellscythe, the magic backfires, and Haruna inadvertently transfers all of her magical powers to him. This event forces her to become a freeloader in Ayumu's home while she waits for her abilities to return. In the meantime, she commandeers Ayumu to act as a substitute Masou Shoujo, forcing him to fight monsters in her place using her own magical chainsaw.
Personality wise, Haruna is energetic, loud, and fiercely proud. She frequently declares herself a genius, though her actions often contradict this claim. She has a strong affinity for fried eggs, demonstrating remarkable culinary skill specifically in their preparation, and has been known to fill an entire bento box with nothing but fried eggs. Despite her self-proclaimed intelligence, she has a tendency to forget important details, such as the names of people she meets, though she does remember faces. This absent-mindedness is usually played for comedic effect, highlighting her focus on things she personally finds engaging versus mundane tasks.
Haruna's motivations are largely driven by her desire to regain her lost magical powers and return to her role as a Masou Shoujo. She is determined to defeat the Megalos, the monsters that plague her world and have begun to appear in Ayumu's. While she is initially frustrated by her reliance on Ayumu, she uses him as a tool to continue her mission, directing him in battle while she remains technically powerless. Her role in the story is that of the catalyst; her magic transforms Ayumu from a simple zombie into a combat-capable protagonist, and her presence forces the other supernatural housemates, including the vampire ninja Seraphim, into awkward domestic coexistence.
Her key relationships are central to the narrative. Her primary relationship is with Ayumu. Although she bullies him relentlessly, calls him a coward and a pervert, and treats him like a servant, a deeper emotional bond develops over time. The narrative implies that she harbors romantic feelings for him, which manifest as jealousy. For instance, she reacts with visible distress when Ayumu kisses another girl, and she becomes upset at the thought of him being intimate with someone else. Despite her harsh exterior, she shows genuine concern for his welfare during dangerous situations. She is often described as fitting the tsundere archetype, acting hostile to hide her growing affection.
She also has a significant dynamic with Eucliwood Hellscythe, the silent necromancer who resurrected Ayumu. Yuu is the one who inadvertently holds Haruna's stolen magic, and the two share a strange housemate relationship. This dynamic undergoes a notable shift in the second season when a device causes Haruna to absorb Eucliwood's magic power. As a result, Haruna begins to suffer from the same curse as Eucliwood, where speaking or expressing emotion causes her intense pain. This forces Haruna into silence and makes her communicate through written signs, creating a significant role reversal and showcasing a different, more subdued side to her character. During this period, Eucliwood becomes talkative and cheerful, contrasting sharply with Haruna's forced quietness.
Regarding her development, while Haruna remains largely static and defined by her tsundere personality and love of fried eggs, there are subtle changes. Early in the series, she rarely admits to caring about others. However, as the story progresses, particularly in the episodes involving the King of the Night, her protective instincts for Ayumu and the others become more apparent, even if she still refuses to admit it openly. Her experience of taking on Eucliwood's curse also demonstrates her capacity to endure hardship for the sake of others, as she suffers in silence to allow Eucliwood a temporary reprieve.
Finally, Haruna possesses notable abilities even when stripped of her primary magic. Her primary weapon is Mystletainn, a magical pink chainsaw that is her signature tool of combat. The chainsaw is powerful enough to cut through monsters and seems to have a will of its own, as it can communicate with her. She is highly proficient in using it for combat, capable of executing attacks like the Mystletainn Kick, which is actually a chainsaw slash rather than a kick. Even without her full magical power, she retains her knowledge of the Megalos and her combat experience, which makes her a valuable strategist, even if Ayumu is forced to do the actual fighting.