OVA
Description
Gennai Hiraga from the anime Read or Die is an I-Jin, an artificial human created from the DNA of the historical 18th-century samurai, inventor, and scholar of the same name. He is the first I-Jin to appear in the series and serves as a primary antagonist.
His background is rooted in the historical figure of Hiraga Gennai, an Edo-period polymath known for his work in pharmacology, Western studies, and invention. The character is a clone based on this extraordinary person, transformed into a cybernetically enhanced being. In his first major act in the story, he uses his powers to launch a devastating attack on the White House.
Personality and motivations are largely conveyed through his actions. As an I-Jin, he is driven by an agenda against the modern world, using his formidable powers to disrupt entire cities and engage in combat. He is a samurai and a warrior, which is reflected in his chosen method of fighting, wielding swords in direct combat. His role in the story is that of a powerful and destructive force that the protagonist, Yomiko Readman, must ultimately confront.
His key relationship is with Yomiko Readman, whom he faces in a final swordfight. He does not have significant positive relationships with other characters in the narrative, as his role is primarily adversarial. Gennai Hiraga’s story arc concludes with his death. During his duel with Yomiko, she manages to rupture a liquid nitrogen coolant line, causing him to freeze solid and shatter, ending his threat.
His most notable ability stems from a box called an Elekiter, which he wears and which generates a powerful green-tinted electricity. With this device, he can control electricity for a variety of destructive purposes, including unleashing lightning bolts to eradicate military helicopters and drain the entire electrical power supply of a city like New York. In close combat, this ability allows him to draw two energy swords, resembling lightsabers, directly from the Elekiter to wield as a samurai would. The electricity he generates also provides a defensive advantage in environments with metal, as it magnetically attracts bullets, effectively making him bulletproof. However, this power has a significant limitation: a metal-rich environment will draw the electricity away from his intended target, neutralising his attacks.
His background is rooted in the historical figure of Hiraga Gennai, an Edo-period polymath known for his work in pharmacology, Western studies, and invention. The character is a clone based on this extraordinary person, transformed into a cybernetically enhanced being. In his first major act in the story, he uses his powers to launch a devastating attack on the White House.
Personality and motivations are largely conveyed through his actions. As an I-Jin, he is driven by an agenda against the modern world, using his formidable powers to disrupt entire cities and engage in combat. He is a samurai and a warrior, which is reflected in his chosen method of fighting, wielding swords in direct combat. His role in the story is that of a powerful and destructive force that the protagonist, Yomiko Readman, must ultimately confront.
His key relationship is with Yomiko Readman, whom he faces in a final swordfight. He does not have significant positive relationships with other characters in the narrative, as his role is primarily adversarial. Gennai Hiraga’s story arc concludes with his death. During his duel with Yomiko, she manages to rupture a liquid nitrogen coolant line, causing him to freeze solid and shatter, ending his threat.
His most notable ability stems from a box called an Elekiter, which he wears and which generates a powerful green-tinted electricity. With this device, he can control electricity for a variety of destructive purposes, including unleashing lightning bolts to eradicate military helicopters and drain the entire electrical power supply of a city like New York. In close combat, this ability allows him to draw two energy swords, resembling lightsabers, directly from the Elekiter to wield as a samurai would. The electricity he generates also provides a defensive advantage in environments with metal, as it magnetically attracts bullets, effectively making him bulletproof. However, this power has a significant limitation: a metal-rich environment will draw the electricity away from his intended target, neutralising his attacks.