Name:
(English) Shuichi Minamino (Japanese) Shuuichi Minamino
Name:
(English) Shuichi Minamino (Japanese) Shuuichi Minamino
Alias(es): Kurama
Race: Human/spirit fox
Age: 15
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Height: 5'11"
Family: Mother, Shiori Minamino (human)
Status: C class moves up to B class as series progresses and eventually possibly A class once again, part of Yusuke's crew
Quote: We shouldn't have to die in this senseless act!
Anime: Yu Yu Hakusho
Voice: (English) John Burgmeier (tv), David Hayter aka Sean Barker (movie 1), Hideo Seaver (movie 2) (Japanese) Megumi Ogata
History and Personality: In his previous life, Shuichi was an evil, cold hearted and ruthless Kitsune thief known as Kurama the Fox Demon or Yoko Kurama (妖狐 蔵馬 Yoko Kurama, literally "Ghost Fox Kurama"), the most feared bandit in Makai (the Demon Realm). After a botched thievery in Makai in which Yoko was badly injured he escaped into an unborn embryo of a woman in the Ningenkai (Human Realm) and later was born as human child Shuichi Minamino. This is the point where his personality began to change. He received so much love and care from his human mother and this turned him into a very kind, gentle and noble young boy. Although he is still able to turn into his demon form in cases of extreme anger or other emotions, his personality doesn't change in the process. In fact, the new Yoko Kurama is not like the old one. His personality is changed forever.
Obviously, Shuichi's appearance is not like a normal boy. His very long crimson hair and wonderful emerald green eyes make him extraordinarily beautiful, to the extent that often people mistake him for a girl. His amazing beauty must be the legacy of the fox demon, given he is the mix of the fox demon's soul and a human child's body.
Kurama is certainly wise and intelligent. Wise, because he has lived over 1,000 years and its clear in all those years experience is inevitable. Intelligent, because he is a fox. Those vulpine animals are known to have a witty intellect and have a natural cunning skill. Both things combined are truly deadly. This enables him to be the brain of Team Urameshi. Understandably Kurama is also the highest ranked student in his grade. He is also very popular because of his gentle nature and compassion. Surprisingly, though he is praised by almost everyone in almost everything, Kurama is not vain or egotistical. He accepts his abilities and weaknesses calmly and logically. He is confident and knows his own abilities, but he is very relaxed about it and does not make an effort to point it out to others. This is probably part of what makes him so attractive. Kurama is also very witty, but as his jokes are generally mildly at the expense of one or more of his teammates (and use big words...) he's usually the only one who appreciates them.
Even though Kurama is a teenager (his ningen, or human, body has been around 15 years old when the series start), he does not act like one. He avoids the arcade and spends his time reading. Also, he speaks with a sophisticated language. Basically, this is because he is an ancient spirit inside a young body. Hence, his mind is the one of an adult. That also implies that he behaves different from the other teenagers. While all are in the very top of their rash to get girlfriends and such, he shows serene and calm. Again, he behaves like a calm adult surrounded by kids. That can also be a reason why he is a loner and relates between with youkai than humans of his age.
The wit and wisdom from his past 1,000+ years life (his actual age is unknown) as Yoko Kurama is what got him through life. Although Kurama is a brilliant strategist he has a bad habit of holding back during a fight while devising a strategy to use against his opponent after studying their nature, and has also on a few occasions underestimated his opponent as well.
Yoko Kurama had reached the level of an A-class apparition in his previous life, but when he was attacked by the bounty hunter that nearly killed him and forced him to Human World, he lost most, almost all of that energy. During the battle with Sensui, his anger over the death of Yusuke propels him once again to A-class levels, transforming his body to that of his former self in the process. Kurama transforms twice more during the series: once during the battle with Reverse Urashima when the Reverse Magic Box, meant to send him back to embryonic state, actually forced back into his previous form, Yoko Kurama, King of Thieves. He is then essentially the Yoko he once was, mind, body and soul. When Shishiwakamaru breaks the barrier keeping in the magic from the Box, he transforms back into Shuichi. The second time is during the finals of the Dark Tournament when he takes the potion made from the Fruit of the Past Life (Debatably from either Spirit World or Demon World, depending on whether or not you watched it in English or Japanese.) This sent him back again into his pre-human state and gave him nearly the full strength he'd had before the bounty hunter incident. Once again he is Youko through and through, the arrogance of the Spirit Fox is full play when it only peeps out occasionally with Shuichi.
The third time he transforms in the series is during the Sensui Seven arc when Yusuke takes a fatal hit on purpose and dies to evoke the emotional power needed for Kuwabara to call upon his Demension Sword and rescue himself, Hiei and Kurama from Itsuki's Dimensional Trap and give them the boost they would need to stand a chance against Sensui and close the gate between Human World and Demon World. Here when he transforms, he gains all the powers endowed to Youko Kurama, but retains the mind of Kurama, the human/demon hybrid.
He transforms several other times during that last arc of the series "Three Kings" in which he works with Lord Yomi for a brief time until Yusuke, risen from the dead as a half-demon, shakes things up. At this point, Yoko is close to the surface of Shuichi's mind, whereas he is usually more of a pseudo-personality rather than a driving force. He seems to want to live the life he lost when the bounty hunter shot him, so in moments of duress or battle, Shuichi or Kurama (who retained the A-class status after Sensui was defeated), would transform into Youko Kurama and his ruthless personality would be back. Finally, after the new Lord of Demon World is selected via a Yusuke-instituted tournament, Kurama makes the choice to reconcile with the demon within and not transform again into the King of Thieves and choosing to live in Human World.
Though Kurama can be the most compassionate and merciful in the group (he has a soft spot for demons who wish to reform or alter their lives for the better because he has done so himself) he can also be the most ruthless and cold when he feels an opponent is beyond redemption. Because of this his fighting record is an odd mix of brutal killing, minimal force, and dignified loses. It is Yoko's utter lack of compassion which makes Kurama at times reluctant, and almost afraid, to take on his true form.
As a spirit Fox Kurama's abilities included shape-shifting, casting illusions, and breaking seals and codes. Then, one day, he was trapped and almost killed by a bounty hunter contracted by Spirit World. He just barely escaped, in the form of his soul, and fled to Human World, there he hid in the embryo of a human baby he was born to a human woman, Shiori Minamino. Shiori then renamed him Shuichi Minamino. (There are various spellings of Shuichi used by Yu Yu Hakusho fans. These include, but are not limited to, Suuichi, Suichi, and Shuuichi. Shuichi is the official English dub spelling.) Kurama's original plan, upon becoming human, had been to leave his mother and return to Demon World after he got strong enough (roughly about ten years old. He retained his Yoko consciousness during his second babyhood.) He once mentions that as a child he treated his human mother with contempt. However, something happened that made him change his plans. One day, Kurama was reaching up on a high shelf when he slipped. He knocked some plates off the shelf, and they crashed to the floor and broke. He fell off the stool he was standing on and would have injured himself on the broken plates had it not been for his mother. She put her arm under his head just in time to save him. However, her arms were badly cut and she was scarred. From then on, Kurama felt very guilty about all the pain he had caused her and vowed to protect her and stay with her. Over time his personality was altered and he became gentler and humbler, and he grew to truly love his human mother more than anything else.
When Hiei seeks him out, having learned his true identity and needing the help of the legendary demon fox bandit, he readily offers his assistance, but only because he needs one of the objects Hiei wishes to steal. Yusuke is thrown by Kurama's incongruous behavior - he doesn't want to fight, he is respectful and dignified and kind, and he asks only to be allowed to use the object he stole before returning it to Spirit World. The object was called the Forlorn Hope - it was a mirror that could grant any wish in exchange for a price. Kurama needed it to save the life of his human mother. The price it would have extracted was his own life, but Yusuke intervened and the mirror granted Kurama's wish with no price. After that, Kurama along with Hiei are forced to join Yusuke and Kuwabara on Yusuke's third case and Team Urameshi was formed.
During the Dark Tournament saga, Kurama first faced Roto, from Team Rokuyokai, who threatened to end the life of his human mother if Kurama attacked. To defeat this opponent Kurama planted a Death Seed on Roto's body without him noticing and killed him with it. Kurama then faced Gama and Touya, of Team Masho. Gama magically chained Kurama's arms and legs, making him unable to move and then attacked him, but at the last moment Kurama was able to use his Rose Whip to finish Gama. Before dying, Gama sealed Kurama's yoki (demon energy) within his body. Then Kurama fought Touya and because Gama's spells were still in effect, Kurama was forced to plant a Death Seed into his own body and use it to defeat his opponent. After that Kurama became completely unconscious but since he had fainted while he was still standing, he had to face a third opponent named Bakken. Bakken inflicted heavy blows on Kurama and was about to kill him, but then two things happened, Yusuke got ready to kill Bakken with a spirit gun, and his boss ordered him to stop, pointing out that if he continued Yusuke would kill him. So he knocked Kurama out of arena and prepared himself for a fight with a very infuriated Yusuke.
Later in the tournament, Kurama was turned into his fox form when fighting Uraurashima with The Reverse Treasure Box (Reverse Magic Box in English Manga) (Idun Box in the English Dub). Originally it was supposed to turn Kurama into a baby, but instead transformed him into Yoko Kurama.
The last person Kurama faced in this tournament was Karasu. Karasu had a strange crush on Kurama, and because of that, he wanted to kill Kurama. (He says that taking away the things he likes gives him a thrill like pondering unanswerable questions.) Kurama then becomes desperate to know what caused his transformation into Yoko Kurama during his fight with Uraurashima because he knows that he cannot defeat Karasu while in his human form.
Suzuki then gives Kurama a potion that he used to make the Idun Box, telling him he is unsure of its effects in this concentrated form. After testing it, Kurama finds out that it will make him transform into Yoko, but only for fifteen minutes. Kurama takes some of the potion before his battle with Karasu, but its effect does not take place right away, and Kurama is badly injured. Finally, just before Karasu inflicts a lethal blow on Kurama, the transformation happens. Yoko is able to trap Karasu in his Ojigi Plant, and believes to have defeated him. But Karasu is still alive. Unfortunately for Kurama, the effects of the potion wear off before the fifteen minutes are up. After being almost blown to bits, Kurama decides to sacrifice himself to kill Karasu. As he releases a blood sucking plant on Karasu, he gives the last of his life energy and therefore intends to die. However, Kurama does not die. Much to his own surprise, he realizes that each time he takes the potion, the effect does not last as long because he gains some of his demon strength back, enabling him to survive. After this fight Kurama only needs to feel extreme emotions such as hatred or anger to revert back to Yoko Kurama.
During the Chapter Black saga, after Yusuke was kidnapped, Kurama fought against Yuu Kaito, a fellow student from the same private school that he attended in a word game. After Kurama's suspicions confirmed that Genkai was behind the kidnapping, Kaito revealed that although he agreed to Genkai's plan, he went after Kurama seriously to prove that just once he could beat Kurama at his own game. Kurama then fought against Shinobu Sensui "Dark Angel" and his six companions alongside Yusuke, Hiei, Kazuma Kuwabara, Genkai, and his other friends. First he encountered Tsukihito Amanuma "Game Master" and was forced to kill him during a video game competition, which left him angry afterwards. After that, he fought Sadao Makihara "Gourmet," cut his head off and confirmed that Elder Toguro was controlling his body. He effectively (and rather cruelly) incapacitated the indestructible demon by trapping him in a hallucination tree for all time.
At some point after this Shiori Minamino is re-married to Hatanaka (He's the president at a company where Shiori works). Kurama also gains a new stepbrother, coincidentally named Shuichi (whose name was changed to Kokota in the English Dub).
During the Three Kings saga, Kurama is forced to re-live his past as he's called to Yomi's side. Yomi is Yoko Kurama's old partner-in-crime. A thousand years ago, Yomi was sent on a raid, but it was a set-up. Yoko had arranged for an assassin to kill Yomi. "Life is greater than the reward" was what the assassin said after slashing Yomi across the eyes, taking away his vision, and then fleeing the scene after Yomi injured him while flinging his sword about (for by now he could not see). After a thousand years, Yomi and Kurama face each other again. Kurama is forced to become a member of Yomi's advisory when Yomi threatens to kill Kurama's human mother and stepfather, who are on their honeymoon. Kurama suggests that all three demon lords must replace their second in commands (Mukuro and Raizen have done this already by appointing Hiei and Yusuke). Kurama then goes back to the Human World and calls for a group of old friends and former opponents from the Dark Tournament; Rinku, Chu, Jin, Touya, Shishiwakamaru and Suzuki. They train under Genkai in her temple and turn into a very strong team, even stronger than Yomi's entire army. Kurama then brings his new team to Yomi. Yomi is so impressed that he removes his second in command and appoints Kurama instead. Enraged by this, he attacks Kurama and tries to kill him but Kurama turns into Yoko and kills the former general with ease.
After the death of Raizen, Yusuke comes to Yomi's territory with a proposition; a new tournament which will determine the ruler of whole Makai. Yomi accepts and the tournament begins. Kurama's team qualify easily in the preliminary round but after that they face stronger opponents and are defeated one by one. Then, Kurama fights Shigure "The Demon Surgeon." During a fierce battle he manages to defeat Shigure and destroy his Ring Sword. Unable to accept this, Shigure commits suicide. Kurama is qualified to the next round but he could not fight more due to severe injuries.
Kurama's internal struggles become more apparent during this part of the series. He holds three personalities: Kurama (with Yusuke and the others), Yoko Kurama, and Shuichi Minamino. He is now forced to choose which one he will remain as. After his fight with Shigure, he decides to give up his Yoko side and live as Shuichi Minamino from now on. With loyalty to his human mother and support of his friends, he is able to make the choice to stop living a lie. After the end of the Demon Tournament, Kurama goes back to the Human World and gets a job at his stepfather's company. He lives like a normal human being from now on alongside Yusuke, Kuwabara and his other friends.
In Yu Yu Hakusho: Poltergeist Report, it is revealed that during Kurama's previous life as Yoko Kurama, he had an old friend and partner named Kuronue. Kuronue had sacrificed his life during a robbery when he attempted to recover a pendant that was precious to him and then ordered Yoko to flee. One of the Netherworld Gods impersonated Kuronue and accused Kurama that he had betrayed him. During their second encounter, Kurama, knowing that this Kuronue was a fake because the fake did some things that the real Kuronue never did was able to use part of a bamboo plant to kill the fake Kuronue in the same way his friend had died.
Relationships: Kurama really only seems to have one friend, and ironically it is the demon he betrayed early on in the series -Hiei. In a way it makes sense that the two would become friends as they are the only demons on the team and are both trapped in the Human world. However, they can be as different as night and day. It seems that Kurama keeps Hiei in check for Spirit World, though the two really do respect one another. Kurama also seems to understand Hiei better than anyone else, though Hiei claims not to understand Kurama at all (which must be, at least in part, a lie because he's always giving running commentary on Kurama's thought process during a battle). They do, however, willingly spend time with one another outside of the job, and Hiei is always telling the others how much stronger than himself Kurama is and how amazing he is... Though I don't recall it ever being blatantly shown it is also implied that the two confide in one another and may even ask one another for advice.
Kurama both respects Yusuke and finds him amusing. He seems to consider Yusuke's strategy to be half intuition and half dumb luck. He is the voice of reason for Yusuke and the whole team and Yusuke definitely respects him ,though he probably wouldn't be caught dead asking for advice.
The only person Kurama truly loves is his human mother , Shiori, though he does seem to care for his step family as well. It is unclear why her simple act in protecting him from the glass injury moved him so much, but her life is worth more to him than him own.
Techniques: Kurama's special ability is that he can turn plants into deadly weapons by manipulating his yoki, or demon energy, into that plant. Kurama has complete control over any Human Realm plant and has some control over Demon Realm plants although Yoko Kurama has complete control over Demon Realm Plants and has more power than regular Kurama. The strength of Kurama's moves depend on how much yoki Kurama uses. This is a list of Kurama's known moves from the show.
Rose Whip: With this technique, Kurama uses his yōki to grow a rose from its seed state to its flowering state and then into a long thorny whip. With Kurama's skill the Rose Whip is truly a deadly weapon. The Rose Whip is so deadly it can cut even through steel. This weapon was first introduced during Kurama's battle against Genbu of the Four Holy Beasts. This is Kurama's most common weapon.
Rose Whiplash : Kurama uses this technique against Genbu of the Four Holy Beasts, severely slashing in multiple directions with his whip to break apart Genbu's body. This is his primary attack with his whip, particularly when he's going in for the kill.
Rose Whip Thorn Wheel: This is an offensive move, using the petals of a single flower (what kind of looks like a carnation) as flying kunai and ripping the opponents to shreds. There is also the "Wind Petal Waltz Configuration" or "Petals and Thorns" in the English dub. This is a defensive technique seen when Kurama fights against Karasu. Kurama uses it to buy time before he transforms into Yoko Kurama under the effect of the potion he took. It is essentially a whirlwind of rose petals hovering around him and if the opponent/attacker gets within a certain range the petals attack and rip them to shreds.
Seed of the Death Plant: This is a small seed which once planted on his opponent's body, Kurama can manipulate his youki and after it had enough time to take root the Shimaneki can kill the victim. This attack was only used in the Dark Tournament Saga and was first used against Roto of the Jolly Devil Six/Team Rokuyukai who threatened to kill Kurama's human mother Shiori with a messenger youkai if he attacked him. Kurama was skillfully able to plant the Shimaneki on Roto and fought Roto long enough for the seed to take root. During his match against Toya (Touya) of the Team Mashotsukai/Team Masho/Shadow Channelers with his youki sealed away from a curse brought on from his previous match Kurama was forced to place the seed in his body to use the youki in his body and was able to use the Shimaneki as a sword-like weapon to render Touya uncounsious.
Kyoketsu Shokubut (Bloodsucking Plant): A blood sucking Demon Realm plant that also was used against Karasu in the Team Toguro Match. When Yoko Kurama reverted back to Kurama and with his youki running low, Kurama deliberately placed a Shimaneki seed on Karasu's chest knowing that he would find it so it would expose his blood. Kurama indented to sacrifice himself in this kamikaze attack to kill Karasu who thought that Kurama could only control Human Realm plants. Kurama was narrowly able to survive by using this technique.
Sinning Tree: This plant was used by Kurama in the Chapter Black Saga in the fight against Gourmet aka Sadao Makihara. Knowing that Elder Toguro was now in control of Gourmet's body, Kurama placed this seed on his Rose Whip, which was planted on Gourmet's body when Kurama Decapitated him. The tree would send its victim their worst fears until they die, but since Elder Toguro was incapable of dying, it would prey on him forever.
Okunenju Root: Used during Kurama's battle against Shigure in the Three Kings Saga to show that using Yoko Kurama was not his ace card. Kurama is able to grow this tree in order to surround the fighting arena and the roots were able to render Shigure's ring sword useless. (Incidentally this act also shows how far in advance Yoko planned things. He planted the seeds for the plant while he was still living in the Makai)
Bamboo Plant: Not officially named, this plant was used in Yu Yu Hakusho: Poltergeist Report to kill a Netherworld God that had impersonated Kuronue, an old friend of Yoko Kurama.
Other than the plants he uses for his attacks Kurama also has other Plants that he has for other uses as well.
Lamp Weed: These weeds were used as markers by Kurama to help identify their way for traveling the maze-like Irma Cave (Demon Door's Cave in the English Dub) in the Chapter Black Saga. Kurama planted a few of these just before their encounter with Game master aka Tsukihito Amanuma. Koenma was later able to use these to help him move in the cave for the part of the way when he was one his way to join up with the others to see Sensui.
Trivia:
Kurama's name in the Philippines dub is Dennis. Originally he was mistaken for a girl, he was called "Denise". When the Filipino dubbers realized the mistake, "Dennis" became his real name and it was explained that he pretended to be a girl.
Like Hiei, Kurama's name comes from the Kurama Mountain, in Kyoto, Japan. It is the location of a famous Buddhist temple. Mt. Hiei stands right beside it.
Kurama's human name translates in two parts: the given (Shuichi) means "excellence first", while the surname (Minamino) means "Southern Field" and is also the name of a famous Japanese warrior. To this day, the surname is only allowed to families of nobility or higher social standing.
Kurama is the name of a rural town in the northern mountains of Kyoto City, less than one hour from the city center. Kurama town is best known for its temple Kurama-dera and its hot spring, one of the most easily accessible hot springs from Kyoto.
Kurama's image songs: "Kurayami ni Akai Bara" (Soldier of Love), "Kyou no Sayonara wa Mirai no Hajimari" (Today's Goodbye is the Start of Tomorrow), "Nightmare", "Koori no Naifu o Daite" (Embracing the Ice Knife)
Kurama's group/duet songs: "Mienai Mirai" - Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, Yukina, Keiko, Botan, and Koenma; "Wild Wind" (Yasei no Kaze no Youni) - Hiei and Kurama; "Yasashisa Wa Nemuranai" - Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara; "EYE TO EYE" - Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara; "Hikari no Naka de" - Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei; "Dark Side Stories" - Yoko Kurama & Hiei; "Boku-tachi no Kisetsu" - Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, Hiei
*additional trivia under Yoko Kurama
Why we love him: He has all of Yoko's wisdom and intelligence, with none of his attitude. Plus he's witty, gorgeous, and very graceful. But the clincher is that he's so compassionate and determined, gentle with that edge of steel underneath. All the good points of the quiet, unassuming, gentle boys and the cold, deadly, fighter. And he's got that touch of guilty, angsty, troubled past that we nurturers find so irresistable... I could just die... If this boy was real I would so be in the fanclub...
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