Kirika Kure

Kirika Kure
Japanese Name	呉キリカ (Kure Kirika)
Voiced by	Japanese (Magia Record):Yuka Iguchi

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"Never! I refuse to go back to the way I was!" - Kirika Kure, chapter 4 of Oriko Magica.

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

Age: 14
Height: 148cm
Eye colour: Yellow
Hair colour: Dark Gray
Origins: Mitakihara City

Other

Soul gem: Yellow diamond (belt closure on back waist)
Weapon: Sickle Claws
Wish: To change into a "different" Kirika.
Ability: Slowdown (To slow down her enemies perception of her which leads her to be faster than them)
Witch form: Latria
Japanese pronoun: watashi (私)
Known relatives: Her mother, seen in a panel in Noisy Citrine.
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 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. 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.

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]". This led Kirika to make her wish: to change into a different her, so she could befriend Oriko.

More of Kirika's backstory, post-making her wish but pre-befriend Oriko, is explored in Noisy Citrine.

Kirika in Oriko Magica

Kirika's first appearance is at the end of chapter 2, where she is seen talking to Oriko on her cell phone. Oriko asks her to do something, and Kirika says that she would never turn down one of her requests. She asks that her friend give her a little time to do it, though, as she is covered in blood and wants to clean up.

While in Oriko's father's rose garden, the two prepare to have tea. Kirika names all the different kinds of roses she sees in an attempt to impress Oriko, but is told that it was Oriko's father, Hisaomi Mikuni, who liked roses. Kirika says there's no point knowing anything that doesn't pertain to her friend, causing Oriko to comment that such thinking would make Kirika an ignorant child.

A witch attacks them, and as Kirika fights it, Oriko prepares the tea. Kirika comments about the witch daring to try to come between herself and Oriko. Kirika ends up smashing their table and ruining it, so the two just sit together after the battle, Kirika resting in Oriko's lap.

Later, she loses something important: a stuffed toy she wears on her hip that was a gift from Oriko. Mami finds and returns the toy to Kirika, who claims that Mami is her "savior." As thanks, Kirika treats Mami to a crepe. When Mami asks about the present, and makes the mistake of asking if Kirika likes the person who gave it to her. Kirika's attitude changes swiftly. She says that Mami throws such words around too easily, and that real love is "an infinity of limitations" While saying this, Kirika is suddenly surrounded and attacked by a witch. Mami resolves to save Kirika, but Kirika is fine. She says that she devoted herself to "her," meaning Oriko, and is willing to even kill her savior for that cause. When she transforms and attacks her, Mami realizes that this is the black magical girl responsible for the recent murders of the other magical girls in the city. Kirika confirms this. Mami defends herself as best she can, but Kirika is too fast to shoot or restrain with her ribbons. Eventually, Kirika wears her down until Mami is wounded on her leg. Mami manages to escape into the witch's barrier, away from Kirika, and sets a trap for her based on the deduction that Kirika's speed is actually an illusion. Kirika is actually slowing her enemies down with a spell, letting her seem faster and more agile than she really is. Mami shoots at her, but Kirika slows it down and dodges it. She didn't account for it to go off after it had past it, however, and the blow wounds her back (where her Soul Gem sits) quite deeply. Mami demands an explanation for the murders, but Kirika refuses to give one. Mami prepares to shoot Kirika through the head, but is stopped when Oriko appears and causes a huge explosion. In the confusion, Oriko saved Kirika and took her back home to be healed.

As Kirika searched for her target, she remembered her first meeting with Oriko, and how she was formerly a quiet loner who had no friends. Oriko helped Kirika collect her things that had spilled onto the ground. Kirika tracked Oriko down after that, but was too afraid and timid to call out to her, thinking that there's no way Oriko would remember her. She wished to "change [herself]", a wish that is granted by Kyubey and changes her personality quite drastically. When she tells Oriko the truth, her friend responds that what Kirika's done in unforgivable and she'll have to make it up to Oriko. Kirika agrees, even as they both realize how little time is left when Kirika's cracked soul gem is revealed.

Kirika and Oriko take over Mitakihara Middle School's broadcasting room some time later, sending out a short message to the students that tells Mami and Homura that this will be the final battle. A witch's barrier then mysteriously forms around the school.

Oriko and Kirika are confronted by Homura at the heart of the barrier world. Kirika transforms into a witch, revealing that the barrier is in fact hers. Even as a witch, she helps Oriko attack Homura, who has been joined by Mami, Yuma, and Kyoko. She is defeated by them and killed. Oriko's soul gem is close to exhaustion and before she dies, she uses a shard of Kirika's witch body, hitting Kyubey, and dies.

Afterwards, in the afterlife, Kirika meets Oriko in an illusion of the Mitakihara school corridor. Kirika notices that Oriko carries a big burden about that and offers to take half of her burden. Then Oriko joins Kirika, holding hands in what is implied to be the afterlife or another timeline since Kirika vaguely remembers Oriko or the previous events.

Kirika in Noisy Citrine

After making a contract with Kyubey and becoming a magical girl, Kirika goes to the train station to meet Oriko, feeling that she is more worthy of Oriko's time. However, after Oriko appears on the station, Kirika finds herself unable to do it, realizing that despite contracting with Kyubey and changing her personality, she still doesn't have the courage to talk to Oriko. The next day, she tries to retry her attempt at befriending Oriko, but instead runs into her ex-friend Erika on the way. Upon remembering how she was betrayed by Erika in the past, Kirika pushes her and runs away.

Kirika and Erika meet later when Erika has been possessed by a witch. Kirika stops Erika from hanging herself, but Erika lashes out against Kirika, wanting to die, believing Kirika still hates her after Erika framed her for her shoplifting. Kirika, however, saves Erika anyway and says that she has become a different Kirika, before defeating the witch. Afterwards, Kirika forgives Erika and later manages to befriend Oriko.

The ending of Noisy Citrine implies that either Oriko or Erika may be Kirika's most precious friend, but leaves it ambiguous.

Kirika in Symmetry Diamond

Kirika's role in Symmetry Diamond is more minor compared to Oriko's or Yuma's. This version of Kirika seems far more stable than Oriko Magica's Kirika, however, likely since she is not hunting magical girls, but she is still as excitable and spontaneous as before.

In Symmetry Diamond, Kirika has teamed up with Oriko to defeat Walpurgisnacht. Because Oriko's magic is being quickly consumed by her uncontrollable visions and she does not have much fighting ability, Kirika hunts down grief seeds for her.

It is revealed in chapter 2 that Kirika constantly texts Oriko during break time at school. This leads Oriko to worry when Kirika doesn't send her text messages.

Kirika is knocked out by Sasa after being surprised by her "impossible" magic. She later reappears to save Oriko from being killed by Sasa and subsequently destroys Sasa's facade, before helping Oriko to bring down Sasa and her witches. She helps Oriko find Yuma a new family in the epilogue.

Kirika in The Last Agate

Kirika shares a cake with Oriko. They are last seen preparing to go up against Walpurgisnacht.

Kirika in Sadness Prayer

Sadness Prayer explains how Kirika's "befriending" of Oriko really went; Kirika ambushed Oriko after she fought a witch, and the two duelled. Oriko then outsmarted Kirika in an attack, but didn't end up killing her, much to Kirika's surprise. The two then teamed up to find a way to defeat Kriemhild Gretchen.

Later, Kirika kills Oriko's school friend Komaki over a grief seed, without really knowing who she really was. Afterwards, she goes into a panic, fearing Oriko's retribution, but Oriko forgives her.

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 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.

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.
Some fans have noted similarities between Kirika and Touhou Project character Renko Usami.
Unlike other girls Kirika's soulgem 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

Noisy Citrine, which focuses on Kirika, revealed that her soul gem is citrine-colored, thus the title.
When images of Kirika first surfaced, many fans thought she was Sayaka.
Kirika and Oriko are exactly 121 days and 3 hours apart in age. Kirika is the younger of the two.
In the manga, she is 16 years old (having been born in 1995 and dying in 2011). She was later retconned to being 14 in Magia Record.
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.