TV-Series
Description
Arase Kouzaburou is a detective serving in the third Materials Compiling Group of the Shinjuku Police's community safety division. His outward appearance is that of a young man with short black hair, brown skin, and a lean, athletic build. Typically dressed in a black shirt with nice trousers, he occasionally wears a grey jacket. Beneath this unassuming exterior, however, is a large yakuza-style tattoo covering most of his back, depicting a tiger over flowers and flowing water, a permanent marker of his past life.
Arase is not a typical police officer. He is a former yakuza who, for reasons that remain largely mysterious, left the underworld to join the police force. This unusual background has given him a unique and pragmatic, often brutal, perspective on law enforcement. His personality is defined by a deep-seated, almost instinctual reliance on violence. Colleagues and adversaries alike have compared him to a wild animal or a carnivore, noting that violence comes to him as naturally as breathing. Despite this ferocity, he often presents a calm, quiet, and even politely smiling exterior, particularly when working alongside his partner. He is at his most alive when fighting or giving chase, his demeanor shifting to something wild and bright-eyed that starkly contrasts with his usual relaxed state.
Within the structure of the police department, Arase plays a crucial role as the primary field operative and enforcer for the third Materials Compiling Group. This unit is tasked with investigating bizarre, often supernatural cases that are deemed too strange for public consumption. He acts as the bad cop to his partner, Tsubaki Iwanome's, good cop routine. While Iwanome uses a friendly, Columbo-like facade to gather information, Arase serves as the stolid, dangerous shadow. His interventions are sudden and physically forceful, and he can exude an intense warning with just a glance, making him highly effective at intimidating suspects and extracting confessions.
His primary motivation stems from a self-aware understanding of his own nature. He refers to himself as a scumbag, someone who believes any problem can be solved with violence. Having left the yakuza, he seems to have channeled his violent inclinations into a role where it can be directed against other criminals, whom he holds in low regard. He has a particular disdain for lowlifes and troublemakers, a view likely hardened by his own past experiences on both sides of the law. Before the series begins, he single-handedly attacked and dismantled a semi-organized gang known as the Sons of the Styx, beating its members within an inch of their lives, an act that left a deep impression on both the gang's informant, Takumi Kuruya, and its escaped leader, Kuon Higuro.
In the story, Arase serves as a formidable obstacle and a foil to the protagonist, Polka Shinoyama, and his allies. His encounter with Misaki Sakimiya showcases his combative nature but also reveals his tactical vulnerabilities when confronted with unconventional thinking. He is one of the first authority figures to recognize Polka as a person of interest due to his immense strength and involvement in unusual incidents. His role is not just as an enforcer but also as a tool for exposition, as his confrontations force other characters, like Takumi, to reveal their pasts and motivations.
Arase's key relationships are primarily professional. His partnership with Tsubaki Iwanome is central to his role. The two function as an effective team, with Iwanome as the brains and Arase as the brawn. He respects Iwanome's judgment but is not afraid to offer blunt criticism, especially when he believes his partner is becoming emotionally compromised. His relationship with the criminal underworld is antagonistic; he is a known and feared figure due to his past actions and his current role. He also has connections to higher-ups in the police department, such as Danjo Tozawa, who has chewed him out in the past for his illegal cover operations.
Arase shows subtle development over the course of the series. While he remains a violence-oriented character, his integration into the police force, and particularly into the third Materials Compiling Group, gives his actions a sense of purpose beyond simple brawling. He becomes increasingly involved in larger, more complex conspiracies, moving from acting as a simple thug-catcher to a detective dealing with organized supernatural threats. He acknowledges that the problems he and Iwanome face are no longer just one person's burden, showing a growing sense of team loyalty and responsibility.
Regarding his notable abilities, Arase possesses immense physical strength and is a highly skilled brawler. His time in the yakuza and his natural aptitude for fighting have made him a terrifying hand-to-hand combatant, capable of taking down multiple armed opponents with ease. He has a high tolerance for pain and a willingness to use brutal, no-holds-barred tactics. His primary asset in a world of supernatural beings, however, is not a magical power but his sheer, indomitable will and his ability to sense the danger and killer instinct in others, referring to it as their "smell." This instinct allows him to identify genuine threats that others might overlook, making him the police's most effective response to potential supernatural threats in Shinjuku.
Arase is not a typical police officer. He is a former yakuza who, for reasons that remain largely mysterious, left the underworld to join the police force. This unusual background has given him a unique and pragmatic, often brutal, perspective on law enforcement. His personality is defined by a deep-seated, almost instinctual reliance on violence. Colleagues and adversaries alike have compared him to a wild animal or a carnivore, noting that violence comes to him as naturally as breathing. Despite this ferocity, he often presents a calm, quiet, and even politely smiling exterior, particularly when working alongside his partner. He is at his most alive when fighting or giving chase, his demeanor shifting to something wild and bright-eyed that starkly contrasts with his usual relaxed state.
Within the structure of the police department, Arase plays a crucial role as the primary field operative and enforcer for the third Materials Compiling Group. This unit is tasked with investigating bizarre, often supernatural cases that are deemed too strange for public consumption. He acts as the bad cop to his partner, Tsubaki Iwanome's, good cop routine. While Iwanome uses a friendly, Columbo-like facade to gather information, Arase serves as the stolid, dangerous shadow. His interventions are sudden and physically forceful, and he can exude an intense warning with just a glance, making him highly effective at intimidating suspects and extracting confessions.
His primary motivation stems from a self-aware understanding of his own nature. He refers to himself as a scumbag, someone who believes any problem can be solved with violence. Having left the yakuza, he seems to have channeled his violent inclinations into a role where it can be directed against other criminals, whom he holds in low regard. He has a particular disdain for lowlifes and troublemakers, a view likely hardened by his own past experiences on both sides of the law. Before the series begins, he single-handedly attacked and dismantled a semi-organized gang known as the Sons of the Styx, beating its members within an inch of their lives, an act that left a deep impression on both the gang's informant, Takumi Kuruya, and its escaped leader, Kuon Higuro.
In the story, Arase serves as a formidable obstacle and a foil to the protagonist, Polka Shinoyama, and his allies. His encounter with Misaki Sakimiya showcases his combative nature but also reveals his tactical vulnerabilities when confronted with unconventional thinking. He is one of the first authority figures to recognize Polka as a person of interest due to his immense strength and involvement in unusual incidents. His role is not just as an enforcer but also as a tool for exposition, as his confrontations force other characters, like Takumi, to reveal their pasts and motivations.
Arase's key relationships are primarily professional. His partnership with Tsubaki Iwanome is central to his role. The two function as an effective team, with Iwanome as the brains and Arase as the brawn. He respects Iwanome's judgment but is not afraid to offer blunt criticism, especially when he believes his partner is becoming emotionally compromised. His relationship with the criminal underworld is antagonistic; he is a known and feared figure due to his past actions and his current role. He also has connections to higher-ups in the police department, such as Danjo Tozawa, who has chewed him out in the past for his illegal cover operations.
Arase shows subtle development over the course of the series. While he remains a violence-oriented character, his integration into the police force, and particularly into the third Materials Compiling Group, gives his actions a sense of purpose beyond simple brawling. He becomes increasingly involved in larger, more complex conspiracies, moving from acting as a simple thug-catcher to a detective dealing with organized supernatural threats. He acknowledges that the problems he and Iwanome face are no longer just one person's burden, showing a growing sense of team loyalty and responsibility.
Regarding his notable abilities, Arase possesses immense physical strength and is a highly skilled brawler. His time in the yakuza and his natural aptitude for fighting have made him a terrifying hand-to-hand combatant, capable of taking down multiple armed opponents with ease. He has a high tolerance for pain and a willingness to use brutal, no-holds-barred tactics. His primary asset in a world of supernatural beings, however, is not a magical power but his sheer, indomitable will and his ability to sense the danger and killer instinct in others, referring to it as their "smell." This instinct allows him to identify genuine threats that others might overlook, making him the police's most effective response to potential supernatural threats in Shinjuku.