Kirika Kure
This section may contain major spoilers!
Please refrain from reading if you are not yet familiar with all the latest media released."Never! I refuse to go back to the way I was!" - Kirika Kure, chapter 4 of Oriko Magica.
Kirika Kure | |
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Japanese Name | 呉 キリカ (Kure Kirika) |
Character Designer Primary Artist |
Mura Kuroe |
Voiced by | Japanese (Magia Record):Yuka Iguchi |
Kirika Kure (呉 キリカ Kure Kirika) is one of the main original characters in Puella Magi Oriko Magica. She tends to be the secondary protagonist of Oriko Magica installments, though she was the main protagonist of the extra episode Noisy Citrine in Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Extra Story. Kirika also appears in Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer and is a playable character in Puella Magi Madoka Magica Online and Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record, with the later having her first animated and voice acted appearance.
General Info
Physical Features | |
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Age | 14 |
Eye colour | Yellow |
Hair colour | Brown or Black |
Height | 148cm |
Magic | |
Soul Gem | Purple diamond (belt closure on back waist) |
Weapon | Sickle Claws |
Witch Form | Latria |
Powers and Abilities | Slowdown (To slow down her targets, causing them to perceive her as moving extremely fast) |
Wish | To keep changing until she is suitable for Oriko. |
Other | |
Japanese pronoun | watashi (私) |
Known relatives | Unnamed mother |
Origins | Mitakihara City |
School | Mitakihara Middle School, 8th grade |
Personality
Kirika is a rather eccentric, rash girl who is incredibly dedicated to her best friend, Oriko Mikuni. When it comes to Oriko, Kirika is willing to do anything she asks of, even killing magical girls, or becoming a witch to help her gain an edge in battle. Kirika is entirely dedicated to Oriko, as well as protective; even so, she is kind to Oriko, and often acts similar to a puppy dog in Oriko's presence.
To people other than Oriko, Kirika tends to be quieter and even moody. She also has bouts of childishness, such as commenting on how hungry and bored she is when in the middle of fighting with Mami Tomoe.
Kirika is also somewhat unstable at times, occasionally laughing madly. However, the Kirika seen in the alternate timeline in Symmetry Diamond and The Last Agate appears to be more stable. The reason is unknown; it's possibly because she isn't hunting magical girls in that timeline.
Kirika is also very touchy and serious on the subject of love, claiming that people who use terms like "crush" don't understand what "true" love is. Kirika also hates being called a child, unless the person in question is her dear Oriko.
In the past, before she met Oriko, Kirika was antisocial and quiet, even timid. She looked down on others as a way of making her feel better about herself. Kirika, however, was awed by Oriko when the girl helped her once. Kirika then became attached to Oriko, wanting to get to know her, but was afraid that Oriko wouldn't remember her, since no one would remember "someone like [Kirika]". So Kirika made her wish to "become a different [Kirika]", leading to her gaining her current personality.
Noisy Citrine further reveals that Kirika used to be a cheerful and happy child, before being betrayed by her friend Erika Mamiya. Kirika then became unhappy and started avoiding others, and so they drifted away from her.
Story
Backstory
Kirika's home-life is unknown, though it is implied she was on poor terms with her mother before making her wish. Her mother appears to be alive.
Kirika used to be a happy, cheerful girl. She had a best friend, Erika Mamiya, and the two were as close as sisters. However, Erika's parents got a divorce and so she and her mother were to move away from Mitakihara City. Kirika went to buy her a toy as a gift, but along the way to deliver it, she caught Erika shoplifting from a book store. Erika then gave Kirika the bag and ran off, leaving Kirika to be framed for the shoplifting. After Erika and her mother then moved away without saying a word, Kirika became distant and antisocial, avoiding others, with others drifting away from her in return. She skipped school regularly, and had no real friends.
During her years at Mitakihara Middle School, Kirika had an accident at a shopping mall where she dropped all her things, and went to pick them up while others in the line complained and told her to hurry up. Oriko then appeared, helping Kirika by picking up all of her things for her, and left almost as quickly as she appeared. Kirika, however, was awed by Oriko, and so tried to meet her again, but became disheartened, as Oriko surely would not remember "someone like [Kirika]".
Shortly afterward, she met Kyubey, who offered to give her the ability to change herself. However, she was unwilling to make the contract, and perceived her own wish as silly. Kyubey continued following her for some time, before Kirika, while telling him to go away, had a second chance encounter with Oriko and embarrassed herself. When Oriko quickly forgave her, she tried to talk more, but realized from her peers and uniform Oriko was a Shirome student and therefore out of Kirika's league. After Kyubey asked her if she wanted her background changed, Kirika thought of a proper wish: she wished to keep changing until she would be suitable for Oriko.
Kirika in Oriko Magica and Sadness Prayer
Warning, this section contains spoilers. |
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Kirika in Extra Story
Warning, this section contains spoilers. |
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Kirika in Magia Record
See Kirika Kure in Magia Record
Powers and Abilities
Kirika's weapons are long, curved claws worn on her wrists and hands. There are three blades on each hand usually, though she can manifest more and have five on each hand. With these, she is able to slice open her opponents with separate cuts, as well as tear apart restraining magic like Mami's ribbons. She can also lengthen the claws into long, razor-edged whips. She is a very skilled close-range fighter, and often uses her feet in combat.
She also has the ability to slow her enemies down, giving the illusion of her having exceptional acrobatic agility and speed. Kirika's ability can also be used on herself, as she shows when she slows down her own transformation into a witch. It's notable that when she first met Oriko she was gathering her fallen belongings while being told by bystanders to "hurry up"; it's possible her powers were derived from this event, as she wished to change her personality in order to befriend Oriko. It is also possible that it derives from Kirika's belief that one only has a limited time with the people they love, given that it causes events to last longer.
Noisy Citrine revealed that she has named two of her attacks. "Stepping Fang" is an attack in which Kirika releases her claws and throws them, in order to hit targets she cannot reach herself in time. "Vampire Fang" is a powered-up version of her normal attack, able to split a witch in half with one hit.
Observations
- Kirika commented in Oriko Magica that she often skipped school, which could explain her absence in Madoka Magica outside of meta reasons.
- Kirika is seen reading yuri manga in Noisy Citrine.
- Unlike other girls, Kirika's soul gem is seen tucked into the folds of her casual skirt instead of being worn as a ring.
Etymology
- Her first name is written in katakana and has no particular meaning. When written in kanji, it can be read many different ways, ex. "fog fire" or "fog perfume".
- Her last name is written with kanji meaning "give" or "do something for", referring to her devotion to Oriko and willingness to follow her commands.
Trivia
- Kirika and Oriko are exactly 121 days and 3 hours apart in age. Kirika is the younger of the two.
- In the original manga, she is noted to have been born in 1996.
- Kirika is the first serial killer in the franchise, sharing a trait in common with Suzune Amano. Both characters are also doing the bidding of someone else, although the latter is unaware of this most of the time.
- Her gorging on sugar may be due to her power (slowing things down and speeding them up) which would mess up her metabolism.
- According to Magia Archive Kirika's magical girl outfit is designed to resemble a tuxedo, in contrast to Oriko's which is based on a wedding dress.
- Her hair has undergone a color change throughout the years with it bouncing between brown and black. Her hair color seems to be finalized sometime before the release of Sadness Prayer, as her hair color stayed black after its release.
Gallery
Official art
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Puella Magi Oriko Magica cover, volume 2
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Puella Magi Oriko Magica: Sadness Prayer cover, volume 2
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Kirika and Oriko in their school uniforms
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Extra from Sadness Prayer
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Alternate volume 2 cover
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Alternate Extra Story cover
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Extra Story Gamers bonus
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Kirika concept art
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Bonus at the end of the original manga
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Bonus at the end of Sadness Prayer volume 1.
Art by the artist
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A rough sketch of rejected Magia Record art
Manga pages
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Sadness Prayer, volume 1 colour page
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Kirika's magical girl form, from Sadness Prayer
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Kirika's casual outfit in Symmetry Diamond
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Kirika dressed in school uniform
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Kirika's weapons
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Kirika's weapons, expanded to have five claws
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Kirika using a spell that slows down her enemies
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Kirika as a child with her friend, Erika
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Kirika fighting a witch in Noisy Citrine
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A younger Kirika, depressed due to Erika's betrayal
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Chibi of Kirika and Kyubey, from Noisy Citrine chapter 1.
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Chibi of Kirika using Vampire Fang, from Noisy Citrine chapter 2.
Madoka Magica Online
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Kirika's closeup from Madoka Magica Online
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Equipment based on Kirika
Magia Record
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Kirika's Magia Record profile
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Character talk sprite
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In-Battle sprite
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Doppel sprite