TV-Series
Description
Gareki is a fifteen-year-old boy who serves as a central character. He is a handsome young man with spiky black hair, sharp blue eyes, and a lean, toned build. His typical outfit consists of a black shirt, maroon trousers, brown shoes, a hooded blue coat that extends down to his knees, and a pair of goggles.
Gareki's past is marked by hardship and betrayal. At the age of eight, he was sold into slavery, possibly by foster or adoptive parents. He was held on a slave ship where other children abused him, but this experience allowed him to realize that their captors were drugging the food, likely to turn them into monsters known as Varuga. The ship was eventually destroyed, and Gareki escaped, drifting ashore to a place called Karasuna. There, he was found by a young woman named Tsubaki, who took him into her village to live with her and her younger twin siblings, Tsubame and Yotaka, and their grandfather. It was Tsubaki who gave him the name Gareki. He lived with this family for a period, but tragedy struck when Tsubaki became involved with a man from the antagonistic organization Kafka. The man gave her nutritional supplements that she gave to the twins, which ultimately caused Yotaka to transform into a Varuga and kill Tsubaki. After these events, Gareki left the village to begin a life of crime, partly to pay for the grandfather's hospital bills without the twins knowing.
Reflecting his difficult upbringing, Gareki is highly intelligent and distrustful of others. He is blunt, often speaking informally and giving cold or curt replies. He tends to categorize people he meets into categories like scum, prey, or enemies. Despite his tough exterior, he secretly cares for others, especially women and children, and he loathes the idea of killing or causing them harm. He is uncomfortable with forming close bonds and is wary of settling down or calling any place home. This makes him react with embarrassment or even violence when shown affection, such as when he is hugged. He is used to faking smiles and putting on a "good boy" act to get what he wants. With his pride and competitive streak, he struggles to admit his own weaknesses and has a habit of bottling up his sadness, shutting himself away after traumatic events rather than showing his emotions openly.
Initially, Gareki is driven by self-preservation and the goal of acquiring money, seeing Nai more as a burden or a means to an end. When he meets Nai, he agrees to help him find someone named Karoku in exchange for Nai's valuable bracelet. Their subsequent entanglement with the defense organization Circus introduces him to a new world. Gareki's primary motivation gradually shifts as he grows attached to his new companions. He eventually realizes that he wants to become stronger so he can protect others and feel that he deserves a place on the Circus ship, which he comes to see as a home. He is determined to find Karoku for Nai, even when the personal gain is minimal.
Within the story, Gareki acts as a foil to the innocent and naive Nai, often acting as a reluctant protector and guide to the harsher realities of the world. His practical skills and street smarts are frequently essential to the group's success during missions and encounters with the antagonist group Kafka. His journey is one of learning to trust and accept help, moving from a solitary existence to becoming a valued member of a team.
Gareki's key relationships are central to his development. His bond with Nai is the most significant; while he initially saw Nai as prey, he becomes fiercely protective of him. He admits that meeting Nai changed his life for the better and that Nai makes him feel relaxed, even calling him a good luck charm. His relationship with Yogi, an overly cheerful member of Circus, is initially antagonistic as Gareki resists Yogi's friendly advances, often beating him up for hugging him. However, he slowly warms up to Yogi, eventually protecting him in battle and allowing his guard down around him. Yogi is the first person to see Gareki cry. He shares a steady and mutual respect with Tsukumo, another Circus member, though he often tells her not to worry about him to spare her distress. He also has a competitive friendship with Tsubame, the twin sister of his late, adoptive family, when they reunite later in the story.
Throughout the narrative, Gareki undergoes significant development. He moves from being a distrustful thief who claims to have no friends to someone who secretly cries with happiness when told that the Circus ship is his home. After a mission makes him aware of his powerlessness to protect everyone, he makes the difficult decision to leave the ship and enroll in a training academy called Kuronomei to strengthen himself. Even while there, he remains determined to be useful to Circus. When Nai goes missing, he does not hesitate to leave the academy, showing that his priority is protecting those he cares about, even at the cost of his own goals. He eventually drops out of a combat program and is later suggested to become a "Combat Physician," someone who can both fight and provide medical care on the battlefield, a position that would allow him to protect his new family.
Gareki possesses several notable abilities, most stemming from his high intelligence and lack of formal education. He is remarkably skilled in mechanics and technology, able to deactivate bombs, create explosives from simple materials like gunpowder, hack security systems, and modify electronics. His time as a thief has also granted him excellent lock-picking skills and the ability to create effective disguises. He is a skilled shooter with a knowledge of different guns and rarely misses his target. After beginning his training at Kuronomei, his physical abilities, especially his speed and agility, increase dramatically. He is also a capable actor when the situation calls for it.
Gareki's past is marked by hardship and betrayal. At the age of eight, he was sold into slavery, possibly by foster or adoptive parents. He was held on a slave ship where other children abused him, but this experience allowed him to realize that their captors were drugging the food, likely to turn them into monsters known as Varuga. The ship was eventually destroyed, and Gareki escaped, drifting ashore to a place called Karasuna. There, he was found by a young woman named Tsubaki, who took him into her village to live with her and her younger twin siblings, Tsubame and Yotaka, and their grandfather. It was Tsubaki who gave him the name Gareki. He lived with this family for a period, but tragedy struck when Tsubaki became involved with a man from the antagonistic organization Kafka. The man gave her nutritional supplements that she gave to the twins, which ultimately caused Yotaka to transform into a Varuga and kill Tsubaki. After these events, Gareki left the village to begin a life of crime, partly to pay for the grandfather's hospital bills without the twins knowing.
Reflecting his difficult upbringing, Gareki is highly intelligent and distrustful of others. He is blunt, often speaking informally and giving cold or curt replies. He tends to categorize people he meets into categories like scum, prey, or enemies. Despite his tough exterior, he secretly cares for others, especially women and children, and he loathes the idea of killing or causing them harm. He is uncomfortable with forming close bonds and is wary of settling down or calling any place home. This makes him react with embarrassment or even violence when shown affection, such as when he is hugged. He is used to faking smiles and putting on a "good boy" act to get what he wants. With his pride and competitive streak, he struggles to admit his own weaknesses and has a habit of bottling up his sadness, shutting himself away after traumatic events rather than showing his emotions openly.
Initially, Gareki is driven by self-preservation and the goal of acquiring money, seeing Nai more as a burden or a means to an end. When he meets Nai, he agrees to help him find someone named Karoku in exchange for Nai's valuable bracelet. Their subsequent entanglement with the defense organization Circus introduces him to a new world. Gareki's primary motivation gradually shifts as he grows attached to his new companions. He eventually realizes that he wants to become stronger so he can protect others and feel that he deserves a place on the Circus ship, which he comes to see as a home. He is determined to find Karoku for Nai, even when the personal gain is minimal.
Within the story, Gareki acts as a foil to the innocent and naive Nai, often acting as a reluctant protector and guide to the harsher realities of the world. His practical skills and street smarts are frequently essential to the group's success during missions and encounters with the antagonist group Kafka. His journey is one of learning to trust and accept help, moving from a solitary existence to becoming a valued member of a team.
Gareki's key relationships are central to his development. His bond with Nai is the most significant; while he initially saw Nai as prey, he becomes fiercely protective of him. He admits that meeting Nai changed his life for the better and that Nai makes him feel relaxed, even calling him a good luck charm. His relationship with Yogi, an overly cheerful member of Circus, is initially antagonistic as Gareki resists Yogi's friendly advances, often beating him up for hugging him. However, he slowly warms up to Yogi, eventually protecting him in battle and allowing his guard down around him. Yogi is the first person to see Gareki cry. He shares a steady and mutual respect with Tsukumo, another Circus member, though he often tells her not to worry about him to spare her distress. He also has a competitive friendship with Tsubame, the twin sister of his late, adoptive family, when they reunite later in the story.
Throughout the narrative, Gareki undergoes significant development. He moves from being a distrustful thief who claims to have no friends to someone who secretly cries with happiness when told that the Circus ship is his home. After a mission makes him aware of his powerlessness to protect everyone, he makes the difficult decision to leave the ship and enroll in a training academy called Kuronomei to strengthen himself. Even while there, he remains determined to be useful to Circus. When Nai goes missing, he does not hesitate to leave the academy, showing that his priority is protecting those he cares about, even at the cost of his own goals. He eventually drops out of a combat program and is later suggested to become a "Combat Physician," someone who can both fight and provide medical care on the battlefield, a position that would allow him to protect his new family.
Gareki possesses several notable abilities, most stemming from his high intelligence and lack of formal education. He is remarkably skilled in mechanics and technology, able to deactivate bombs, create explosives from simple materials like gunpowder, hack security systems, and modify electronics. His time as a thief has also granted him excellent lock-picking skills and the ability to create effective disguises. He is a skilled shooter with a knowledge of different guns and rarely misses his target. After beginning his training at Kuronomei, his physical abilities, especially his speed and agility, increase dramatically. He is also a capable actor when the situation calls for it.