TV-Series
Description
Jirou Hitoyoshi is the central protagonist, a young man in his early twenties who operates as a field agent for the Superhuman Bureau. His origin is deeply unusual, as he was discovered as a newborn in Hiroshima by Dr. Magotake Hitoyoshi, who adopted and raised him. The shadow of a monster was seen following the infant, and his birth is intrinsically linked to the energy of an atomic bomb that, in the alternate history of the story, did not explode over the city. This event fundamentally shapes his very being, as he is later implied to be an anthropomorphic personification of a nuclear explosion, or a kaiju from another dimension.
On the surface, Jirou presents a calm and sometimes cold impression, but this masks a deeply warm-hearted and peace-loving personality. His core motivation is a profound love for justice and a sincere desire to protect superhumans, whom he has always admired. He believes that all superhumans, whether heroes or villains, deserve protection, a conviction that stems from a childhood incident where he was saved by a hero known as the Heavenly Palace Knight. This event left a deep impression, making him an idealistic and earnest ally of justice who is willing to break the rules to do what he believes is right. He takes his role extremely seriously, almost to the point of being married to the job. Despite his dedication, there is a notable contradiction in his worldview: while he cares for superhumans, he initially exhibits a strongly hostile attitude toward monsters, viewing them as inherently evil.
Though he considers himself an ordinary human, Jirou possesses a hidden and destructive superhuman ability. His left arm is always wrapped in bandages, with a large wristwatch worn over the sleeve. Concealed within are three pillar-like objects he calls Lock One, Lock Two, and Lock Three. By releasing these locks, he can generate and control massive, destructive crimson flames. This power comes at a terrible cost; when all three locks are opened, Jirou loses control of himself, his eyes transform into demonic shapes, and he goes berserk as a monstrous being engulfed in flames. For much of the story, only his childhood friend, Emi Kino, can reseal the locks and revert him to normal. This power is tied directly to his traumatic past, as the Heavenly Palace Knight he idolized was killed in an incident caused by Jirou's own runaway abilities.
Jirou's key relationships profoundly influence his journey. He shares a deep bond with Emi Kino, his childhood friend and lover during the events of Shinka 41, and she is the only one who can control his berserk state. His adopted father, Dr. Magotake Hitoyoshi, is a brilliant scientist who works for the Bureau, but their relationship is strained by dark secrets regarding the organization's true purpose. He is also a mentor figure to Kikko Hoshino, a magical girl he recruits, though he remains largely oblivious to her romantic feelings for him.
Over the course of the narrative, Jirou undergoes significant development. His idealistic belief in the Superhuman Bureau is shattered when he discovers it does not exist to protect superhumans but rather to monitor and control them, often serving a government agenda that exploits and experiments on them. This betrayal leads him to leave the Bureau and become a fugitive vigilante, wearing a frayed red muffler over black clothes, a look that evokes a classic sentai hero. By the year Shinka 46, he is on the run from his former colleagues, having gathered his own group of allies, including the android detective Raito Shiba and the electrical superhuman Judas, to save superhumans on his own terms. By this time, he has learned to control the power of his left arm without going berserk, thanks to the sacrifice of the alien Daishi Akita, who fused himself with Jirou to act as a power regulator.
In the end, Jirou's character arc culminates in a final, desperate plan to restore the public's perception of superhumans. Believing that the world's fear of superhumans is the root of the problem, he decides to become the worst monster himself, turning society against him. He fully unleashes his power, becoming a nuclear energy being and opening a door to another world. This act erases superhumans from the main timeline, leading to a world resembling real-life history, where science and nuclear power develop without the presence of superhumans or monsters. In his final moments, he fades away, but his friends believe he has not truly died. Instead, he has become an abstract, omnipresent spirit that represents the very concept of a superhuman, waiting to one day answer the call of someone who yearns for justice again.
On the surface, Jirou presents a calm and sometimes cold impression, but this masks a deeply warm-hearted and peace-loving personality. His core motivation is a profound love for justice and a sincere desire to protect superhumans, whom he has always admired. He believes that all superhumans, whether heroes or villains, deserve protection, a conviction that stems from a childhood incident where he was saved by a hero known as the Heavenly Palace Knight. This event left a deep impression, making him an idealistic and earnest ally of justice who is willing to break the rules to do what he believes is right. He takes his role extremely seriously, almost to the point of being married to the job. Despite his dedication, there is a notable contradiction in his worldview: while he cares for superhumans, he initially exhibits a strongly hostile attitude toward monsters, viewing them as inherently evil.
Though he considers himself an ordinary human, Jirou possesses a hidden and destructive superhuman ability. His left arm is always wrapped in bandages, with a large wristwatch worn over the sleeve. Concealed within are three pillar-like objects he calls Lock One, Lock Two, and Lock Three. By releasing these locks, he can generate and control massive, destructive crimson flames. This power comes at a terrible cost; when all three locks are opened, Jirou loses control of himself, his eyes transform into demonic shapes, and he goes berserk as a monstrous being engulfed in flames. For much of the story, only his childhood friend, Emi Kino, can reseal the locks and revert him to normal. This power is tied directly to his traumatic past, as the Heavenly Palace Knight he idolized was killed in an incident caused by Jirou's own runaway abilities.
Jirou's key relationships profoundly influence his journey. He shares a deep bond with Emi Kino, his childhood friend and lover during the events of Shinka 41, and she is the only one who can control his berserk state. His adopted father, Dr. Magotake Hitoyoshi, is a brilliant scientist who works for the Bureau, but their relationship is strained by dark secrets regarding the organization's true purpose. He is also a mentor figure to Kikko Hoshino, a magical girl he recruits, though he remains largely oblivious to her romantic feelings for him.
Over the course of the narrative, Jirou undergoes significant development. His idealistic belief in the Superhuman Bureau is shattered when he discovers it does not exist to protect superhumans but rather to monitor and control them, often serving a government agenda that exploits and experiments on them. This betrayal leads him to leave the Bureau and become a fugitive vigilante, wearing a frayed red muffler over black clothes, a look that evokes a classic sentai hero. By the year Shinka 46, he is on the run from his former colleagues, having gathered his own group of allies, including the android detective Raito Shiba and the electrical superhuman Judas, to save superhumans on his own terms. By this time, he has learned to control the power of his left arm without going berserk, thanks to the sacrifice of the alien Daishi Akita, who fused himself with Jirou to act as a power regulator.
In the end, Jirou's character arc culminates in a final, desperate plan to restore the public's perception of superhumans. Believing that the world's fear of superhumans is the root of the problem, he decides to become the worst monster himself, turning society against him. He fully unleashes his power, becoming a nuclear energy being and opening a door to another world. This act erases superhumans from the main timeline, leading to a world resembling real-life history, where science and nuclear power develop without the presence of superhumans or monsters. In his final moments, he fades away, but his friends believe he has not truly died. Instead, he has become an abstract, omnipresent spirit that represents the very concept of a superhuman, waiting to one day answer the call of someone who yearns for justice again.