Movie
Description
Kannabi-no-mikoto, often referred to simply as Kanna, is a central figure in the narrative of Air, representing the origin of the story's core conflict. She is introduced as the last surviving member of an ancient, winged race, living in Japan during the Heian period, specifically a thousand years before the main storyline takes place. Her name carries significant weight; Kannabi is an honorific meaning "princess," and no-mikoto is a title for a heavenly or worshipped being, indicating her divine status. However, the name Kanna itself was given to her by her mother with the poignant meaning "there is no god," reflecting a wish for her daughter to escape a life of worship and isolation.
In terms of appearance, Kanna is depicted as an exceptionally beautiful young girl of sixteen. She has long, flowing hair in shades of purple or deep blue, often tied with red ribbons that hold small bells known as "响无铃" or "non-ringing bells". Her eyes are a striking ice-blue, and she has fair skin. Her most defining physical trait is her large, white, and lustrous wings, which are the mark of her race. Kanna usually keeps these wings hidden beneath her clothing, as she wishes to appear as a common girl rather than a divine being. Her attire typically consists of a thick, pink kimono, though she wears a lighter tan or green one during her escape.
Kanna's personality is a blend of her divine heritage and her sheltered upbringing. Because she was isolated from the outside world for most of her life, being moved from shrine to shrine, she is naive and lacks common knowledge about everyday life. This manifests as a charming, childlike demeanor. She has a spirited and proud side, sometimes displaying the arrogance expected of a princess, yet she possesses a gentle and kind heart, even forbidding her guardian Ryuya from killing the soldiers who are pursuing them. This combination of pride and innocence gives her a subtly tsundere-like character. She can be clumsy, as shown by her persistent but unsuccessful attempts to learn juggling from her servant Uraha, and she has a hearty appetite. Despite her youth and naivety, Kanna demonstrates great courage and a strong capacity for self-sacrifice when facing serious situations.
Her primary motivation is a deep, longing desire to see her mother, who is also a winged being and has been imprisoned in a remote, cursed mountain. This longing drives her to escape from the shrine where she is held. Kanna is weary of her existence as a worshipped prisoner, a deity feared and confined by humans who are both awed and terrified of her race's immense power. Her journey is therefore a quest for family, freedom, and a normal life, a stark contrast to her destiny as a divine tool.
In the story, Kanna's role is the tragic origin point for the curse that plagues the characters in the modern era. Believing her mother is alive, she escapes her shrine with the help of her guard, Ryuya, and her attendant, Uraha. Their journey to find her mother serves as the backdrop for Summer arc, where Kanna's relationships with her two companions deepen. She grows close to Ryuya, developing feelings for him that go beyond seeing him as just a protector. Uraha acts as a caring older sister figure, teaching her games and trying to provide her with moments of simple joy.
Kanna's development is tragically cut short. When they finally reach her mother, they are attacked. Her mother is mortally wounded, and in her grief, Kanna touches her, unknowingly inheriting a terrible curse that has plagued the winged race for generations. This curse ensures that she, and anyone she becomes emotionally attached to, will fall into misfortune and illness. To protect Ryuya and Uraha from the pursuing army, Kanna finally spreads her wings and takes to the sky. In a selfless act of sacrifice, she creates a protective barrier around her friends and draws the enemy's fire. As she flies, Buddhist monks cast a spell upon her, cursing her soul to an eternity of loneliness and suffering, bound to a tragic dream from which she cannot wake. Her body is struck by arrows and she vanishes, leaving only her lingering curse and her imprisoned soul.
Kanna possesses the notable abilities of her winged race. Primarily, she can fly, though she has been forbidden from doing so for most of her life. This flight is not merely physical; she can soar to great heights. She also has immense divine powers, including the ability to generate powerful protective barriers and control the wind. As a winged being, her race carries the collective memories and dreams of the Earth itself, passed down through generations. This profound connection to all of history is a heavy burden, and the sadness contained in these memories contributes to the curse that plagues her bloodline. Her ultimate power is her self-sacrifice, using her divine strength not for herself, but to shield the two people who showed her kindness and a glimpse of a world beyond her prison. The outcome of her sacrifice leads to her soul being sealed in the sky, beginning a cycle of reincarnation where each of her descendants, or souls bound to her fate like Misuzu, lives a short and sorrowful life, never finding true happiness.
In terms of appearance, Kanna is depicted as an exceptionally beautiful young girl of sixteen. She has long, flowing hair in shades of purple or deep blue, often tied with red ribbons that hold small bells known as "响无铃" or "non-ringing bells". Her eyes are a striking ice-blue, and she has fair skin. Her most defining physical trait is her large, white, and lustrous wings, which are the mark of her race. Kanna usually keeps these wings hidden beneath her clothing, as she wishes to appear as a common girl rather than a divine being. Her attire typically consists of a thick, pink kimono, though she wears a lighter tan or green one during her escape.
Kanna's personality is a blend of her divine heritage and her sheltered upbringing. Because she was isolated from the outside world for most of her life, being moved from shrine to shrine, she is naive and lacks common knowledge about everyday life. This manifests as a charming, childlike demeanor. She has a spirited and proud side, sometimes displaying the arrogance expected of a princess, yet she possesses a gentle and kind heart, even forbidding her guardian Ryuya from killing the soldiers who are pursuing them. This combination of pride and innocence gives her a subtly tsundere-like character. She can be clumsy, as shown by her persistent but unsuccessful attempts to learn juggling from her servant Uraha, and she has a hearty appetite. Despite her youth and naivety, Kanna demonstrates great courage and a strong capacity for self-sacrifice when facing serious situations.
Her primary motivation is a deep, longing desire to see her mother, who is also a winged being and has been imprisoned in a remote, cursed mountain. This longing drives her to escape from the shrine where she is held. Kanna is weary of her existence as a worshipped prisoner, a deity feared and confined by humans who are both awed and terrified of her race's immense power. Her journey is therefore a quest for family, freedom, and a normal life, a stark contrast to her destiny as a divine tool.
In the story, Kanna's role is the tragic origin point for the curse that plagues the characters in the modern era. Believing her mother is alive, she escapes her shrine with the help of her guard, Ryuya, and her attendant, Uraha. Their journey to find her mother serves as the backdrop for Summer arc, where Kanna's relationships with her two companions deepen. She grows close to Ryuya, developing feelings for him that go beyond seeing him as just a protector. Uraha acts as a caring older sister figure, teaching her games and trying to provide her with moments of simple joy.
Kanna's development is tragically cut short. When they finally reach her mother, they are attacked. Her mother is mortally wounded, and in her grief, Kanna touches her, unknowingly inheriting a terrible curse that has plagued the winged race for generations. This curse ensures that she, and anyone she becomes emotionally attached to, will fall into misfortune and illness. To protect Ryuya and Uraha from the pursuing army, Kanna finally spreads her wings and takes to the sky. In a selfless act of sacrifice, she creates a protective barrier around her friends and draws the enemy's fire. As she flies, Buddhist monks cast a spell upon her, cursing her soul to an eternity of loneliness and suffering, bound to a tragic dream from which she cannot wake. Her body is struck by arrows and she vanishes, leaving only her lingering curse and her imprisoned soul.
Kanna possesses the notable abilities of her winged race. Primarily, she can fly, though she has been forbidden from doing so for most of her life. This flight is not merely physical; she can soar to great heights. She also has immense divine powers, including the ability to generate powerful protective barriers and control the wind. As a winged being, her race carries the collective memories and dreams of the Earth itself, passed down through generations. This profound connection to all of history is a heavy burden, and the sadness contained in these memories contributes to the curse that plagues her bloodline. Her ultimate power is her self-sacrifice, using her divine strength not for herself, but to shield the two people who showed her kindness and a glimpse of a world beyond her prison. The outcome of her sacrifice leads to her soul being sealed in the sky, beginning a cycle of reincarnation where each of her descendants, or souls bound to her fate like Misuzu, lives a short and sorrowful life, never finding true happiness.