Kokuryuu Kamizake
Kokuryuu Kamizake (カミザケ コクリュウ Kamizake Kokuryū), known as Kam Kamazaki in the English dub and derived translations, is the main antagonist of Medarot Damashii. An intelligent and emotionally detached boy, he is obsessed with creating powerful Death Medarots and proving their superiority to the Medarots. As Ikki and Metabee's deep bond represent a direct rebuke to his philosophy regarding Medarots, he becomes one of their most persistent adversary, drawing up numerous schemes to harm or humiliate the duo.
Having lost his mother at a young age and seeing little contact with his father, Kokuryuu had a sheltered upbringing, with his bodyguard/chauffer Uragasumi being the closest thing he has to a real friend. Kokuryuu is highly cruel and disspassionate, being eager to brutalize other kid's Medarots (up to and including casually destroying their Medals) and forming no attachment to his Death Medarots, junking them when he sees them as no longer of use. His lonely life also has lead Kokuryuu to develop a warped view of friendship, seeing his friends as little but tools to show off the power of Death Medarots, ones that must obey him at all time. He is manipulative and opportunistic, often buying friendships through gifts of Death Medarot hardware and taking advantage of people's recent frustrations and personal failures to sell them on the concept.
He uses several Death Medarots throughout the story, although the most prominent are Blackbeetle and Grain, with Blackbeetle becoming his main "Medarot" at the end.
In the anime[edit]
-->Voice Actors: Yumi Kakazu, Caroline Lesley (EN)
Kokuryuu is the son of Shinsui Kamizake, president of Bacchus, a major investor in Death Medarot Company, which created the Death Medarots. His late mother, Mrs. Kamizake, was his primary caretaker, as his father was frequently in the US. Kokuryuu hadn't seen his father since early childhood and was very close to his mother. Unfortunately, she passed away when he was four years old, which transformed Kokuryuu into a cold-hearted boy.
As he grew up, Kokuryuu became the supervisor of Death Medarot Company's research and development division, programming the basic operating systems for all Death Medarot prototypes. He became obsessed with creating the most powerful and ruthless Death Medarot. To test the prototypes, he invited Ginkai and other kids. During this phase, Kokuryuu's main opponents were Ikki Tenryou, a skilled Medarotter who placed second in the Robattle World Tournament, and the Mystery Medarotter, and used several Death Medarots against them.
Kokuryuu later appeared with Blossomail, his Death Medarot, to attack Metabee during an official Medarot Corporation tournament, where Ikki and Ginkai were battling. When Ginkai, as a friend, asked Kokuryuu not to interfere, Kokuryuu replied that as a friend, Ginkai should obey his orders. This made Ginkai realize Kokuryuu did not understand friendship and was merely using him. Ginkai rebelled when Kokuryuu ordered Blossomail to destroy Metabee's Medal. Ginkai's Unitris was crushed by Blossomail, but the Mystery Medarotter intervened with Dorcus, causing Blossomail to cease functioning. Kokuryuu withdrew, warning Ginkai he would regret his betrayal.
After the Death Medarots were publicly released, Kokuryuu replaced Blossomail with Blackbeetle and gave Blossomail to Banshou.
Still unsatisfied, Kokuryuu continued to develop a stronger Death Medarot, planning to place Blackbeetle's improved Death Medal on Grain once it was completed, despite knowing it could cause Blackbeetle to lose her personality.
In the final episode, Kokuryuu activates Grain and orders it to destroy Metabee and the other Medarots. The fierce battle led to an incident that endangered Kokuryuu's life, but he was saved by the very Medarots he sought to destroy, including Blackbeetle, who managed to gain control over Grain's body to help him. This experience profoundly changed Kokuryuu. In the hospital, he reunited with Blackbeetle, now back in her own body. Uragasumi informed him that his father, whom he hadn't seen for years, would come to spend time with him. Kokuryuu also befriended Ikki and the other kids.
Image gallery[edit]
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Model sheet
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As a toddler
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Outfit in the ending of the final episode
Notes[edit]
- Kokuryuu is written differently in the English translation, often directly threatening and taunting the heroes and letting out self-satisfied cackles. In comparison, the Japanese script more consistently keeps him stoic and passive agressive.
- Despite being the main antagonist, Kokuryuu is an original character introduced specifically for the anime "Medarot Damashii", as the story is entirely original and not linked to any game in the franchise. Kokuryuu, however, shares a similar role to Orochi Yamikumo, as both characters serve as the final villains in the Ikki Tenryou storyline, using Grain as the ultimate adversary in their respective continuities.