Kaoru Maki

Kaoru Maki
Japanese Name	巻 カオル (Maki Kaoru)
Weapon	Football boots, short staff with circular top

"I'm gonna be in Japan's Top 10 one day!" - Kaoru Maki, Chapter 1.

Kaoru Maki (巻 カオル, Maki Kaoru) is a major character in Puella Magi Kazumi Magica: The Innocent Malice.

An athletic football (soccer) player, she lives with her two friends, Kazumi and Umika while their parents are working overseas. She acts as an older sister figure, taking good care of things. She is a Puella Magi, and is a member of the Pleiades Saints. She wished for a strong, healthy body that would always let her play football.

Personality

Kaoru is the brawn of the three, though it's unknown how she acts within the Pleiades. She is strong-willed. Even though she wants to become a great football player she merely wished for a strong body so she could always play, as she wants to do it with her own ability.

History

This section may contain major spoilers for the Kazumi Magica manga!

Please refrain from reading if you haven't read the latest chapter yet.

Kaoru's final attack, Palla Di Cannone

Kaoru has so far only appeared in Kazumi Magica.

Her first appearance was at the mall where Kazumi was being traded for a bomb. With few seconds left until detonation, she attempted to save the day by sending the bomb flying to the ceiling with a powerful kick: however, the bomb was a mere dud. After getting reacquainted with Kazumi, she and Umika led her to their house. While she was out, Kazumi met and fought the police detective from earlier, arriving just after the end of the battle.

The next day, she explains to Kazumi how Umika's writer's blocks work and how to handle her reactions, and later she and Umika showed their own powers to Kazumi. They fight against another pseudo-witch, which is briefly seen with a mysterious Puella Magi.

Later they fight a "real" witch, but due to a mistake by Kazumi, she is nearly devoured by the witch. She is saved at the last second by Umika's barrier, but the witch ends up fleeing with both of them inside. Kazumi meets the remaining Pleiades, and they engage in a mad rush to save the two before Umika's barrier collapses. They arrive just in time to save them both.

While they celebrate their victory, they are attacked by the mysterious Puella Magi from earlier, Yuuri. She kidnaps Kazumi, and orders them to go to the Asunaro Dome if they want Kazumi back. They head there, but due to a force barrier, they can do nothing but watch as Kazumi is implanted with an Evil Nut.

However, Kazumi is able to free herself, and engages Yuuri. However, over the course of the battle, Yuuri becomes a witch. Along with the other Pleaides, Kaoru is trapped on a cross in the witch's barrier, and is enveloped in thorny vines.

The magical girls are then shown a vision of the witch's past as Airi. After that, Kazumi falls under the influence of the Evil Nut and breaks free. However, she is unwilling to fight the witch and even attempts to change her back. Saki then shoots the witch, freeing Kaoru and the other Saints. They then attack the witch as they explain to Kazumi that they have no choice but to kill her. Kaoru is seen crying during this sequence. Finally Kazumi delivers the final blow, saying she wishes to share this burden with her friends. Later, Kaoru and Umika walk home with Kazumi. Kazumi then tells them to go on ahead, as she wishes to be alone.

Still later, Kaoru is seen with Saki, Satomi, and Mirai confronting a magical girl named Sumire Akane (it's unclear if Umika or Nico are also present). Sumire recognizes Kaoru from soccer training (revealing her last name, Maki). Kaoru apologizes and uses a spell called Tocco del Mare (English: Touch of the Sea), causing Sumire to scream. We then see her untransformed, holding out her Soul Gem.

Kaoru appears along with the other Pleiades Saints to help Kazumi and Nico against Ayase and Luca Souju. Kaoru says they'll be taking the Soujus' gems. Saki tells Kaoru not to do it in front of Kazumi, but Nico says Kazumi already saw her doing it. Kaoru says that their gems are at their limit and pulls out both Ayase and Luca's gems with the spell Tocco del Mare. Kazumi angrily asks the others why they're taking the Soul Gems of other magical girls, saying that she said earlier she would bear the burden with her friends. Against Saki's objections, Umika says she'll tell Kazumi the truth about the Pleiades Saints, but is interrupted by Nico's Soul Gem glowing. As she falls over, a witch appears.

As Nico's Soul Gem cracks, we see background text of her thinking that that she'll die without a trace, and she wants everyone to remember. She thinks she doesn't want to kill anyone anymore. The runes coming out of her Soul Gem read "We have no future as long as he's around." The Pleiades are shocked to discover Nico has become a witch. Repeatedly shouting "Cut", the witch turns her hands into a single pair of scissors. Kaoru transforms and blocks the attack using Capitano Potenza ("Captain Power"), which encases her arms in a black metallic substance. The witch fires projectiles from its body. Kaoru turns to the others and tells them not to stand there. Umika encases herself, Kazumi, and Satomi in a barrier. Saki pushes Mirai in, but Mirai flips out and uses her attack La Bestia ("The Beasts"), causing an army of teddy-bears to appear and chew on the witch. Mirai leaps into the air, turns her wand into a giant sword, and cuts both the bear and the witch in half. The witch dies, yelling "Cut" one last time. She drops a Grief Seed (which notably looks different than Nico's Soul Gem).

Kazumi takes the hand of Nico's body and finds it's cold. As she shouts Nico's name, a voice says "You called?" Everyone is shocked to see another Nico standing behind them. Jubey, a disturbing grin on his face, says that the body was Nico's "spare" and "compensation for Nico's contract". Kaoru asks why Nico didn't tell them. Nico says that to deceive an enemy, you have to deceive your allies. Kaoru punches her, then gives her a hug. Nico then says they should cut to the chase. Kaoru tells Saki Kazumi can handle it.

The scene switches to Mirai's teddy bear museum, "Angelica Bears". Mirai says that in Japanese it's called "Ashitaba" (literally "tomorrow's leaf") and says that Kazumi came up with the name. As they walk inside, they step onto a magic circle. Umika holds out her ring, suddenly transporting them all somewhere else. Umika tells Kazumi that the museum was born from them meeting with her. The walk up to a giant door, which opens into a giant room filled with girls floating in tanks. The middle of the room contains a pile of Soul Gems. Umika explains that after they take Soul Gems, they put the empty shells of the magical girls into "the Freezer". Kazumi says that Ayase was right, and asks why they're doing this. Jubey says that it's their response to the magical girl system, which is full of contradictions: Rejection.

Powers, Weapons & Abilities

Kaoru applies her football skills in battle. She mainly attacks by striking her foe with mighty kicks. While teaming with Kazumi and Umika, her job is to stun the opponent with her kicks to provide the others with an opening. It is currently unknown how she fights along with the other Pleiades. Her most powerful attack is Palla di Cannone (English: Cannonball), an extremely powerful football kick, driving a ball onto the target with amazing strength.

Kaoru's weapon is a staff that can split into two, creating a ball of energy. She seems to rarely use it.

Kaoru can also change parts of her body into a durable, metallic substance via an attack called Capitano Potenza (Captain Power). In this state, she can withstand attacks that would otherwise fatally wound her.

Trivia

• In every color image to date that she has appeared in, Kaoru is seen winking or with one eye half-closed.
• Kaoru's last name was unrevealed until Chapter 7.
• Kaoru suffered an injury that ended her soccer career. However, the source of her despair is the girl who injured her was bullied for what she did and tried to commit suicide.

Speculation

• The note that Kaoru and Umika leave to Kazumi states that they're out dating, but there are no boys around them. Some believe this to be evidence of a romantic relationship between Umika and Kaoru.

Gallery

• KaoruMakiColorProfile.png

  Kaoru in color, from the first volume of Kazumi Magica.

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  One of her usual kicks.

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  Kaoru's weapons.

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  Kaoru's weapon before it split into two.

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  Capitano Potenza

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  Art by Takashi Tensugi of Kazumi, Umika and Kaoru.

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