TV-Series
Description
Chotaro Banba, known to nearly everyone by his nickname Bancho, is a 16-year-old Gate Keeper operating in Japan and a classmate of fellow Gate Keepers Shun Ukiya and Ruriko Ikusawa. His background is that of a former Osakan gangster, a "gangster-turned-good" who has left his delinquent past behind. Despite this change in path, he retains a rough-and-tumble nature and is often found using his natural, non-gate-enhanced physical strength to pick fights with would-be thugs and protectors.
Bancho's personality is defined by his over-enthusiastic and highly emotional nature. He is prone to overreacting, most notably by bursting into dramatic streams of tears when overwhelmed by joy or emotion, especially in situations where he finds himself popular with girls. His entire worldview is filtered through the lens of a chivalrous samurai; he sincerely views the female members of his team as princesses and himself as their heroic protector. This mindset drives his primary motivations, which are to prove his worth as a warrior, to protect his comrades, and to be seen as a hero.
Bancho is recruited into the main Gate Keeper team not because of any displayed power, but because Shun Ukiya believes he has "the eyes of a Gate Keeper". For a significant portion of the series, he does not manifest any gate ability, relying instead on his formidable physical prowess and fighting spirit. His role in the story is that of the brawling heart of the team, providing both comedic relief through his exaggerated reactions and a grounded, physical frontline presence. His key relationships are with his teammates, whom he sees as his charges. He has a notable tendency to call fellow Gate Keeper Kaoru by the title "princess," a reflection of his samurai-and-princess ideal. The reason for this specific address is not deeply explored, but it highlights his adoring and chivalrous attitude towards her.
Bancho undergoes significant development in that he eventually unlocks his latent Gate Keeper power. His ability is the Gate of Close Combat, also referred to as the Gate of Solid Crush, and its activation color is orange. This gate manifests only after a powerful emotional trigger, specifically his intense desire to protect Kaoru from an Invader. In this moment of desperation, he successfully opens his gate and performs a powerful technique known as the Hyper Inner Circle Throw. The nature of his gate suggests a close-combat enhancement ability, which seems to complement or resonate with Kaoru's own gate powers.
Bancho's personality is defined by his over-enthusiastic and highly emotional nature. He is prone to overreacting, most notably by bursting into dramatic streams of tears when overwhelmed by joy or emotion, especially in situations where he finds himself popular with girls. His entire worldview is filtered through the lens of a chivalrous samurai; he sincerely views the female members of his team as princesses and himself as their heroic protector. This mindset drives his primary motivations, which are to prove his worth as a warrior, to protect his comrades, and to be seen as a hero.
Bancho is recruited into the main Gate Keeper team not because of any displayed power, but because Shun Ukiya believes he has "the eyes of a Gate Keeper". For a significant portion of the series, he does not manifest any gate ability, relying instead on his formidable physical prowess and fighting spirit. His role in the story is that of the brawling heart of the team, providing both comedic relief through his exaggerated reactions and a grounded, physical frontline presence. His key relationships are with his teammates, whom he sees as his charges. He has a notable tendency to call fellow Gate Keeper Kaoru by the title "princess," a reflection of his samurai-and-princess ideal. The reason for this specific address is not deeply explored, but it highlights his adoring and chivalrous attitude towards her.
Bancho undergoes significant development in that he eventually unlocks his latent Gate Keeper power. His ability is the Gate of Close Combat, also referred to as the Gate of Solid Crush, and its activation color is orange. This gate manifests only after a powerful emotional trigger, specifically his intense desire to protect Kaoru from an Invader. In this moment of desperation, he successfully opens his gate and performs a powerful technique known as the Hyper Inner Circle Throw. The nature of his gate suggests a close-combat enhancement ability, which seems to complement or resonate with Kaoru's own gate powers.