TV-Series
Description
Kanba Takakura is the sixteen-year-old eldest brother of the Takakura family, the twin brother of Shoma and the older brother of Himari. His birth date is March 20, 1995, which within the series' universe is the same day as the Tokyo subway sarin gas attack. It is later revealed that he is not biologically related to the siblings he grew up with; rather, his birth name is Kanba Natsume, and he is the biological older twin brother of Masako Natsume and the brother of Mario Natsume. Following the death of his adoptive parents, Kenzan and Chiemi Takakura, Kanba takes on the responsibility of managing the family's finances and maintaining their household as the eldest sibling.
In terms of personality, Kanba presents a charismatic and flirtatious demeanor, which has earned him a reputation as a playboy. His many past relationships have left a trail of heartbroken former girlfriends, some of whom have even formed a club dedicated to seeing his downfall. Beneath this womanizing exterior, however, lies a far more serious, headstrong, and cold individual. He is the most direct and resolute of the three siblings, firmly believing that the ends justify the means. This pragmatic and morally flexible philosophy drives him to pursue any method, legal or otherwise, to achieve his goals without hesitation.
The core of Kanba's entire being is his profound and obsessive devotion to his younger sister, Himari, whom he considers his entire world and the meaning of his life. While he cares for his brother Shoma, his primary motivation is solely the preservation of Himari's life, an end he deems worth any cost. His love for Himari is layered and complex. While it is fundamentally a deep familial bond, the series provides hints, made more explicit in the novel adaptation, that his feelings may carry a romantic dimension that he struggles to reconcile with his role as her brother.
Kanba's role in the story is that of the proactive, often aggressive, agent who is willing to get his hands dirty. To prolong Himari's life, he becomes entangled with the sinister Sanetoshi Watase and the Kiga Group. He is manipulated into performing increasingly dangerous and illegal tasks, including acts of terrorism such as a train bombing, under the promise of receiving the expensive medicine that keeps Himari alive and later, a magical solution to her fate. This path puts him in direct conflict with his brother Shoma, whose more ethical approach creates a violent rift between the twins. His relationship with Shoma is paradoxical; they bicker and fight, but share a deep bond forged in childhood when Kanba, chosen to survive, split the symbolic fruit of fate with his starving brother, ensuring they would live or die together.
Throughout the series, Kanba's development is one of tragic escalation and final, sacrificial resolve. His willingness to sacrifice pieces of himself for Himari begins early, as he gives up part of his own life force to extend hers. This culminates in the finale when, after receiving the fruit of fate back from Shoma and Himari, he chooses to transfer his entire life force to her. He disintegrates into glass shards, disappearing so that she might live a healthy life. His journey, defined by his willingness to sacrifice everything for love, ends with his apparent death, though he and Shoma are later reborn as young children, seen walking together near their former home, accompanied by the penguin spirits. Kanba does not possess any supernatural abilities in a traditional sense. His notable traits are his cunning, his ruthless determination, and his capacity for manipulation, which he uses to navigate the criminal underworld. His greatest power, and ultimately his undoing, is the extreme, self-destructive nature of his love.
In terms of personality, Kanba presents a charismatic and flirtatious demeanor, which has earned him a reputation as a playboy. His many past relationships have left a trail of heartbroken former girlfriends, some of whom have even formed a club dedicated to seeing his downfall. Beneath this womanizing exterior, however, lies a far more serious, headstrong, and cold individual. He is the most direct and resolute of the three siblings, firmly believing that the ends justify the means. This pragmatic and morally flexible philosophy drives him to pursue any method, legal or otherwise, to achieve his goals without hesitation.
The core of Kanba's entire being is his profound and obsessive devotion to his younger sister, Himari, whom he considers his entire world and the meaning of his life. While he cares for his brother Shoma, his primary motivation is solely the preservation of Himari's life, an end he deems worth any cost. His love for Himari is layered and complex. While it is fundamentally a deep familial bond, the series provides hints, made more explicit in the novel adaptation, that his feelings may carry a romantic dimension that he struggles to reconcile with his role as her brother.
Kanba's role in the story is that of the proactive, often aggressive, agent who is willing to get his hands dirty. To prolong Himari's life, he becomes entangled with the sinister Sanetoshi Watase and the Kiga Group. He is manipulated into performing increasingly dangerous and illegal tasks, including acts of terrorism such as a train bombing, under the promise of receiving the expensive medicine that keeps Himari alive and later, a magical solution to her fate. This path puts him in direct conflict with his brother Shoma, whose more ethical approach creates a violent rift between the twins. His relationship with Shoma is paradoxical; they bicker and fight, but share a deep bond forged in childhood when Kanba, chosen to survive, split the symbolic fruit of fate with his starving brother, ensuring they would live or die together.
Throughout the series, Kanba's development is one of tragic escalation and final, sacrificial resolve. His willingness to sacrifice pieces of himself for Himari begins early, as he gives up part of his own life force to extend hers. This culminates in the finale when, after receiving the fruit of fate back from Shoma and Himari, he chooses to transfer his entire life force to her. He disintegrates into glass shards, disappearing so that she might live a healthy life. His journey, defined by his willingness to sacrifice everything for love, ends with his apparent death, though he and Shoma are later reborn as young children, seen walking together near their former home, accompanied by the penguin spirits. Kanba does not possess any supernatural abilities in a traditional sense. His notable traits are his cunning, his ruthless determination, and his capacity for manipulation, which he uses to navigate the criminal underworld. His greatest power, and ultimately his undoing, is the extreme, self-destructive nature of his love.