TV-Series
Description
Arashi Kishuu is a fictional character from the anime and manga series X. She is a sixteen-year-old high school student who serves as one of the Seven Seals, a group also known as the Dragons of Heaven, tasked with protecting the fate of the world. Her name means "diabolical storm". Known as the hidden maiden or hidden shrine maiden of the Ise Shrine, she is considered one of the most sacred symbols in Japan and is only permitted to leave the shrine in cases of extreme emergency.
Arashi's background is marked by tragedy. Her mother was also a priestess at the Ise Shrine who, upon discovering that her unborn child was destined to be a Dragon of Heaven, fled to try and spare her daughter from that fate. After her mother died when Arashi was seven years old, the young girl was left to live in poverty and survive on garbage for three months. It was during this time that Kaede Saijyu, the high priestess of the Ise Shrine, found her. Arashi was considering allowing herself to starve to death, not wanting to continue living. Kaede convinced her to live by speaking of her future as one of the Seven Seals and telling her that she would meet someone who would fall in love with her. Arashi decided to continue living when Kaede said she would be very sad if she died, and a relationship resembling that of a mother and daughter grew between them.
In terms of personality, Arashi presents herself as a beautiful, serene, and somewhat cold young woman who rarely loses her composure. She is stoic, quiet, polite, and not particularly skilled at socializing with others. Her difficult past forged in her a tragic and distant character, though she is genuinely kind and can show concern on occasion. Her face often appears irritated, but she is known to warm up to those she becomes close with, and can be flustered when someone knows what buttons to push.
Arashi conceals the power of the Ise Shrine within her body, its greatest treasure being a very powerful sacred sword that emerges from her left hand. This sword is described as the body of a god, with Arashi herself acting as its scabbard. She also possesses the ability to detect shikis, which are powerful spells that take human form. Like all of the Seven Seals, she can create a barrier, known as a kekkai, which in her case is shaped like a four-sided pyramid.
Arashi's role in the story is as one of the protectors summoned to Tokyo upon the return of Kamui. Her primary motivation is to fulfill her duty as a Dragon of Heaven, which is to help save the world from destruction. She is deeply dedicated to her cause and teammates, focused on saving humanity.
A key relationship in her life is with Sorata Arisugawa, a monk who falls in love with her almost immediately and declares that she is the woman for whom he is destined to give his life. While Arashi initially ignores his advances and treats him coldly, finding him annoying, she eventually shows signs of being troubled and pained by the knowledge that he will die protecting her. Over time, she falls in love with him as well. Arashi also shares a strong bond with Kaede Saijyu, who is like a mother to her, and she is the Dragon of Heaven most immediately in touch with the clairvoyant Princess Hinoto.
Arashi's character development varies across the different adaptations of X. In the anime television series, after realizing she is in love with Sorata, she switches sides and joins the Dragons of Earth in an attempt to kill Kamui. She does this to prevent Sorata from fulfilling the prophecy and dying while protecting her. At the end of the series, she survives because she promised Sorata she would continue living for him. She is last seen at the Mount Koya temple, where she sees a drawing Sorata made as a child and smiles for the only time in the entire series. In the X film, she is stabbed and killed by Fuuma after she cries over Sorata's death and he asks if she felt anything for him. In the manga, Arashi loses her power after sleeping with Sorata, as it is explained that only a virgin can be a shrine maiden. As a result of losing her virginity, she can no longer summon her sword. Hinoto, or her dark half, then traps Arashi in a dream world as punishment, which will cause her to forget her past and reawaken as a Dragon of Earth.
Arashi's background is marked by tragedy. Her mother was also a priestess at the Ise Shrine who, upon discovering that her unborn child was destined to be a Dragon of Heaven, fled to try and spare her daughter from that fate. After her mother died when Arashi was seven years old, the young girl was left to live in poverty and survive on garbage for three months. It was during this time that Kaede Saijyu, the high priestess of the Ise Shrine, found her. Arashi was considering allowing herself to starve to death, not wanting to continue living. Kaede convinced her to live by speaking of her future as one of the Seven Seals and telling her that she would meet someone who would fall in love with her. Arashi decided to continue living when Kaede said she would be very sad if she died, and a relationship resembling that of a mother and daughter grew between them.
In terms of personality, Arashi presents herself as a beautiful, serene, and somewhat cold young woman who rarely loses her composure. She is stoic, quiet, polite, and not particularly skilled at socializing with others. Her difficult past forged in her a tragic and distant character, though she is genuinely kind and can show concern on occasion. Her face often appears irritated, but she is known to warm up to those she becomes close with, and can be flustered when someone knows what buttons to push.
Arashi conceals the power of the Ise Shrine within her body, its greatest treasure being a very powerful sacred sword that emerges from her left hand. This sword is described as the body of a god, with Arashi herself acting as its scabbard. She also possesses the ability to detect shikis, which are powerful spells that take human form. Like all of the Seven Seals, she can create a barrier, known as a kekkai, which in her case is shaped like a four-sided pyramid.
Arashi's role in the story is as one of the protectors summoned to Tokyo upon the return of Kamui. Her primary motivation is to fulfill her duty as a Dragon of Heaven, which is to help save the world from destruction. She is deeply dedicated to her cause and teammates, focused on saving humanity.
A key relationship in her life is with Sorata Arisugawa, a monk who falls in love with her almost immediately and declares that she is the woman for whom he is destined to give his life. While Arashi initially ignores his advances and treats him coldly, finding him annoying, she eventually shows signs of being troubled and pained by the knowledge that he will die protecting her. Over time, she falls in love with him as well. Arashi also shares a strong bond with Kaede Saijyu, who is like a mother to her, and she is the Dragon of Heaven most immediately in touch with the clairvoyant Princess Hinoto.
Arashi's character development varies across the different adaptations of X. In the anime television series, after realizing she is in love with Sorata, she switches sides and joins the Dragons of Earth in an attempt to kill Kamui. She does this to prevent Sorata from fulfilling the prophecy and dying while protecting her. At the end of the series, she survives because she promised Sorata she would continue living for him. She is last seen at the Mount Koya temple, where she sees a drawing Sorata made as a child and smiles for the only time in the entire series. In the X film, she is stabbed and killed by Fuuma after she cries over Sorata's death and he asks if she felt anything for him. In the manga, Arashi loses her power after sleeping with Sorata, as it is explained that only a virgin can be a shrine maiden. As a result of losing her virginity, she can no longer summon her sword. Hinoto, or her dark half, then traps Arashi in a dream world as punishment, which will cause her to forget her past and reawaken as a Dragon of Earth.