Thursday, December 4, 2008

Cardcaptor Sakura


This Magical Girl Anime series follows the daily life of a young girl named Sakura Kinomoto. When the series starts, she is a normal Japanese elementary school girl, but all that changes when she stumbles across an ancient book called The Clow. She accidently scatters the book's magical contents - the Clow Cards - all over the small town of Tomoedo, where she lives. With the help of the Beast of the Seal, Kerberos, Sakura finds herself dubbed a "Cardcaptor" whose job it is to quickly capture all the cards in order to prevent a terrible world disaster that many would consider "worse than death".

This series is easily the best of the famous Magical Girl genre of Anime. While the premise is simple, the characters and their relationships with each other are not. With CLAMP animation studios behind it, it has beautiful artwork and animation - it's one of the only shows ever where all the characters change their clothes every day! Despite each episode having the same base idea, the presentation is so varied that it never seems the least bit repetitive. The storyline has a number of very mysterious elements and twists that keep viewers good and glued to the screen. All of these things have made it one of most popular Anime series of all time.



Main Characters:

Sakura Kinomoto

Sakura is a very outgoing, energetic elementary school student who loves atheletics. When she accidently releases the magical Clow Cards from their book, it becomes her job to collect them by becoming the world's only Cardcaptor.

Tomoyo Daidouji

Tomoyo is Sakura's best friend. She is a gentle, polite girl with an incredible singing talent. Her favorite pastime is to hand-make all of Sakura's battle costumes and then video tape her beloved friend's adventures large and small.

Kero

Kero is the Guardian Beast of the magical book The Clow. It's his duty to watch over the cards... but he fell asleep on the job. When he's not helping Sakura capture the cards, his favorite pastimes are eating, sleeping, and playing video games.

Shaoran Li

Shaoran is a talented young Chinese sorcerer who is also collecting the Clow Cards and comes into the series as Sakura's rival. Despite being a very serious young man, his age shows itself in the fact that he is easily embarassed by any mention of love.


Sakura's Family and Friends:

Touya Kinomoto

Touya is Sakura's big brother. Even though he teases Sakura all the time, he actually loves his little sister very much. Like Sakura, he was also born with magical powers - including the ability to see spirits and sense the supernatural.

Fujitaka Kinomoto

Fujitaka is Sakura and Touya's devoted father. As a single parent, he is very good at cooking, sewing, and generally doing his best to fulfill the role two parents usually play. He is a professor of archeology at the University.

Nadeshiko Kinomoto

Nadeshiko was Sakura and Touya's gentle mother who passed away when she was just 27 years old. Even though she has passed on, her family still loves her very much and her spirit watches over them from Heaven.

Yukito Tsukishiro

Yukito is Touya's best friend and Sakura's crush. He is a very kind person who seems to be extremely talented at just about everything he tackles. Despite his slight size, he has a voracious appetite, often eating 3 times more than a normal person.

Chiharu Mihara

Chiharu is one of Sakura's close friends and a member of the cheerleading squad. She loves stuffed animals and is always full of energy.

Rika Sasaki

Rika is another of Sakura's close friends. She is a mature, quiet girl who has a huge crush on the class's 4th grade teacher Mr. Terada.

Naoko Yanagisawa

Naoko is the third member of Sakura's close circle of friends. She is unatheletic, but more than makes up for it in creativity and intelligence.

Takashi Yamazaki

Takashi is a boy in Sakura's class who likes to tell stories that sound very convincing, but are actually not true. This irritates his close friend, Chiharu, quite a lot, but seems to work well on Sakura and Shaoran.

Meiling Li

Meiling is Shaoran's Chinese cousin who tranfers from Hong Kong just to be with him. While being a good martial artist, Meiling lacks any real magical powers - not that she's about to let that prove that Sakura is better than her!

Kaho Mitzuki

Miss Mitzuki is at first Sakura's 5th grade math teacher and later one of her close friends. From the beginning, Sakura and Shaoron both sense a strong power around this friendly, but mysterious woman.


Magical People and Creatures:

Kerberos/Cerberus

Kerberos is the true form of Kero-chan. He only has the power to use his magic and change into this form when all the cards are collected. In this form, he is ruled by the sun and truly looks the part of Guardian Beast.

Yue

Yue is the Judge of Sakura's worthiness as Mistress of the Clow Cards. Once the judgement has passed, he is Kerberos' partner and polar opposite as the other guardian of the Cards and their owner. He is ruled by the moon and has a very stoic demeanor.

Eriol Hiiragiza

Eriol first appears as a mysterious British transfer student in Sakura's class. He quickly charms Sakura with his sophisticated ways and perfect manners, but Shaoran can't stand him. Before long it's revealed that Eriol is actually...!

Nakuru Akizuki/Ruby Moon

Nakuru first appears as a transfer student in Touya's class. She is very good at sports and dresses like a girl, but actually isn't a girl at all - she isn't even human! She is actually a supernatural being called Ruby Moon who seems to know more than a few secrets that she isn't quick to reveal.

Spinel

Spinel is a mysterious little black cat-like creature who is always in the company of Eriol and Nakuru. Usually a humorless little thing, he quickly becomes happy-drunk when fed any kind of sweets.


Minor Characters:

  • Clow Reed - The creator of the Clow Cards and the magical creatures protecting them.
  • Yoshiyuki Terada - Sakura's teacher and the object of Rika's affections.
  • Sonomi Daidouji - Tomoyo's beautiful mother who was best friends with Nadeshiko.
  • Maki Matsumoto - The owner of the toy shop in Tomoedo Town.
  • Great-Grandfather - Sakura's estranged great-grandfather who resents Mr. Kinomoto for taking away his granddaughter.
  • Wei - Shaoran and Meiling's guardian.


    The Clow Cards:

    The Clow Cards are an ancient, magical set of cards that each have their own power and personalities - some much stronger than others! This show revolves around these cards and their powers, so I thought it was important to list them for reference. In alphabetical order they are:

  • The Big - Makes anything it touches bigger.
  • The Change - Makes things switch with each other.
  • The Create - Allows imagination to come to life - literally!
  • The Dark - One of the most powerful cards - It is #1 under Yue and possesses most of his powers. Must be captured with the Light.
  • The Dash - Allows things to move faster.
  • The Dream - This one is obvious, yes?
  • The Earthy - One of the four most powerful elemental cards.
  • The Erase - Makes people disappear.
  • The Fight - Makes a warrior stronger.
  • The Firey - Another of the four most powerful elemental cards. Very aggressive.
  • The Float - Allows the user to float themselves or objects.
  • The Flower - Creates flowers. The most gentle of the cards.
  • The Fly - The most useful card to Sakura. Allows her wand or her to grow wings.
  • The Freeze - Freezes whatever it touches, including people.
  • The Glow - Produces little spots of light. Another passive card.
  • The Illusion - Reflects the image of what a person is thinking.
  • The Jump - Another very useful card to Sakura. Allows her to jump very high and out of danger.
  • The Light - Dark's sister card, it is #1 under Kerberos and inherits his powers.
  • The Little - Shrinks whatever it touches.
  • The Lock - Locks doors so no power can open them.
  • The Loop - Turns an enclosed area into a loop.
  • The Maze - Creates a maze in an area. Used mainly for plot development.
  • The Mirror - Creates a mirror image of a person complete with emotions. Has a special bond with its master or mistress.
  • The Mist - Weakens buildings it wraps around.
  • The Move - Moves sought objects out of reach.
  • The Power - Gives the user great strength. An aggressive card.
  • The Rain - Obviously, it creates rain. A rather weak card on it's own.
  • The Return - Allows the user to travel to the past, but at a great cost to their power.
  • The Sand - Creates Sand. Again, basically created just to move the plotline.
  • The Shadow - A restaining card.
  • The Shield - Creates a shield to protect the user.
  • The Shot - Allows the user to shoot fireballs. Very aggresive card.
  • The Silent - Removes sound from whatever it touches.
  • The Sleep - Puts those it touches to sleep. Very useful when a magical girl doesn't want to be seen!
  • The Snow - Creates snow, a lot of it.
  • The Song - Replicates the voice of the best singer. A very gentle card.
  • The Storm - Works like a tornado.
  • The Sweet - Turns whatever it touches disgustingly sweet.
  • The Sword - Creates a magical sword and makes the user a master swordsman.
  • The Thunder - Creates thunder, a very aggressive card.
  • The Time - Reverses, Speeds Up, or Pauses time.
  • The Twins - A set of battle cards that must be captured together.
  • The Voice - Seals people's voices.
  • The Watery - The 3rd powerful elemental card. Very aggressive.
  • The Windy - The 4th Elemental Card and Sakura's favorite. She is a gentle card who works defensively.
  • The Wood - A very gentle card that loves water and light.
  • Character

    At the start of the series, Sakura is 10 years old and living in a fictional town called Tomoeda in Japan, [1] located not far from Tokyo.[2] One day in early April, shortly after her birthday and only slightly into her fourth grade year at Tomoeda Elementary School (Reedington Middle School in Cardcaptors), young Sakura stumbles across a mysterious old book called The Clow in her father’s study.[3] Instantly upon touching the book, a confused Sakura mistakenly awakens one of the card’s guardians, Cerberus who was sleeping on the front cover where he was supposed to be guarding the Clow Cards: a deck of 19 (52 in the anime) magical cards with incredible powers. [4] Upon emerging from the book, Cerberus admits to having let the cards slip away as he slumbered, and, realizing Sakura’s magical potential, cunningly tricks her into becoming the "Cardcaptor" and duty bound to collect all of the missing cards and return them to the book where they will then be under her control.[5] What is not revealed until much later is that Cerberus, by appointing Sakura this position, was marking her as his one and only chosen candidate to become the next master of the Clow Cards and their guardians. [6] The anime version of the series presents a slightly altered chain of events in which, on the afternoon after her first day of fourth grade, Sakura hears a mysterious sound coming from her father's library in the basement. She, nervously armed with her cheerleading baton, goes downstairs and there discovers the book of the Clow with all of its cards (the anime extends the deck to contain 52 cards) still within it. In this altered version of the story, Sakura picks up the top card and reads its name aloud, "Windy". This activates the Card, summoning a large wind that blows the remaining Cards out of the house and into the distance after which Cerberus emerges and appoints her to retrieve them. This was most likely added to not only give Cerberus a more justifiable reason to send Sakura on her mission, but also to give her an easier time at completing it, as she now begins her adventure with one of the cards, Windy, already under her control, as opposed to starting with no cards at all as in the original manga.

    Personality Outline

    Sakura is an extremely energetic and cheerful character. She is very athletic, being a member of her school's cheerleading squad and an excellent runner. [7] Her "invincible spell", "Everything will surely be all right." (「絶対大丈夫だよ。」 "Zettai daijōbu da yo."?), has carried her through innumerable trials and obstacles as she masters her magical skills. She often comes across as naïve, clumsy, and clueless, but she has her perceptive moments on occasion. Her favorite foods are omelet and noodles with seafood and her favorite recipe is pancakes. Her birthday is on April 1. She hates Mathematics, loves Gym and Music, and her blood type is A.[8]

    Sakura's optimistic and trustworthy character allows her to be friendly with everybody, and the entire series focuses on the friendships she creates with people, whether strangers, loose acquaintances, or rivals. In fact, her personality is a dominating factor in her relationships, especially with Syaoran.

    Family

    Sakura lives with her older brother, Toya Kinomoto (Tori Avalon), and her father, Fujitaka Kinomoto (Aiden Avalon). The three help manage their home together, often rotating cooking and cleaning chores. Sakura's mother, Nadeshiko Kinomoto (Natasha Avalon), became seriously ill, and died when Sakura was three years old.

    Creation

    Sakura's character designs for the manga were originally developed by Mokona of Clamp. She was designed to capture the image of Mokona's then two-year-old niece Kawaji. Kawaji wore short hair in pigtails much like Sakura does in the anime and manga.

    Magic

    Sakura's most sacred and important items are most likely her sealing wand and cards, since they are her main weapons in magic. Throughout the series, Sakura's magical powers get progressively stronger. [9] This is mostly verified by Cerberus at random points in the series, as Sakura would otherwise appear to have equal expertise in each capture, when she summons Clow Cards. Throughout the Clow Card arc, Cerberus's comments seem to imply that Sakura's magic grows as she battles and captures more Cards. [10] This is also implied in the corresponding anime. In contrast of this, in the second half of the series we are reminded of Sakura’s inexperience as she often collapses after transforming the cards. [11] However, as she grows progressively proficient in changing Clow Cards into Sakura Cards, she becomes less tired and more aware of Clow Reed's presence. [12] She also remembers more details about her prophetic dreams. [13] During the last of Eriol's trials, she is able to transform several cards at once. [14] This sequence of events during the second arc is more or less true in the anime version of the series as well, with only a few changes made. The most obvious of these is that Yue (a character who, in the original version of the series is shown as becoming much closer to Sakura throughout Eriol’s trials to the point of accepting her at least as a valued friend [15]) is shown throwing her a constant stream of criticism as a reminder of Sakura’s lack of experience. Another interesting change made in the anime variation is that, by end of the series, she, subconsciously, manages to create a new Card, the nameless card (aka, HOPE in the English version: the unsealed card), which would later serve as a major plot point for the second movie.

    After Final Judgement, Clow Reed tells her that her magic seems to be drawn from the power of the stars, which may start small, but are ever-shining with their own brilliant light. However it should be noted that like Clow Reed's magic, Sakura's is a balance of sun and moon magic. [16] Eriol gave half of his powers to Sakura's father, the other half of Clow's incarnation. This made Sakura the most powerful magician in the world, even surpassing her predecessor Clow Reed. [17]

    Relationships

    Syaoran Li

    Sakura's relationship with Syaoran Li (Li Syaoran) is the most recognized relationship in the series, mostly because the second half of the series is heavily devoted to its development.

    Most significant to the development of their relationship is Syaoran's changing opinion of Sakura, mostly because of Sakura's own heart-warming personality. In the beginning of the series, Syaoran immediately considers Sakura a rival when he finds out she is the Cardcaptor and concludes her unworthy of bearing the responsibility of the Clow Cards. [18] Sakura is constantly intimidated by his glares and brash attitude both at school and while capturing Clow Cards. However Sakura never gives back any negative responses or behavior. Most of the time, despite Syaoran's aggression, she thanks him for his help and effort. This eventually becomes very confusing to Syaoran, whose gentler side soon causes him to be more humble than arrogant.

    An important turn in their relationship occurs when the Earthy reveals itself in the manga chapter entitled "The Power of the Elements", where Sakura falls into a deep crevice created by the card. [19] Running to save her, Syaoran yells out to her, calling her by her first name. [20] After being rescued by Cerberus, Sakura returns this by asking if she can start calling him "Syaoran-kun". [21] This is paralleled in the anime where, in episode 57, Tomoyo, Syaoran, Eriol, Sakura take a visit to a teddy bear museum. (The journey through the museum is accompanied by the song Ki Ni Naru Aitsu or That Girl I Can't Ignore , sung by his voice actress, Kumai Motoko). This is followed by a scene in an elevator between Syaoran and Sakura where events similar to those centered around the Earth card occur. Syaoran screams out Sakura's name here when she falls into a hole. Sakura later tells him she heard this, and asks if she can call him "Syaoran-kun" instead of the more neutral "Li-kun".

    Throughout the series, Syaoran gradually becomes more committed to caring for Sakura romantically, most especially after Yue forces him to confront his feelings early on in the second story arc, but she remains completely oblivious of his feelings. [22]Syaoran's blushes become more frequent, and there are some occasions where he would suddenly become clumsy when in her presence. [23] Sakura will either keep an innocent smile on her face or look confused and worried at Syaoran whenever he trips and falls.

    When Sakura confesses her feelings to Yukito, only to have them essentially rejected, Syaoran is there to comfort her in the park afterwards. [24] It is a very emotional period in the series, but she is able to recover, thanks to Syaoran being there to help her get her emotions out. [25]To give thanks, she spends a week making him a scarf. Similarly, in the manga, Sakura returns the favor by spending a week making him a yukata which she gives to him after he agrees to accompany her to a festival. [26] Sakura is finally made aware of Syaoran's feelings when he personally confesses them near the end of the series, after the final battle with Eriol Hiiragizawa. [27] The news comes as a complete shock to her, and it is ever present in her thoughts over the next few days. After talking to her friends about why she is upset and confused about her feelings, those feelings lead her to conclude that Syaoran is her true "number one person," and she confesses her newfound feelings as Syaoran suddenly leaves for Hong Kong (though only temporarily). The anime stretches out the suspense, with Sakura not yet answering Syaoran in the last episode of the series. Instead, her confession comes at the end of the second movie, after several failed attempts throughout the film.

    The teddy bears (seen in the above picture) are named Sakura and Syaoran, respectively, referring to a fictional tradition where if two people make teddy bears for each other and the recipients name them after their donors, the two will be a couple forever. [28] In the manga, Sakura and Syaoran name their bears after each other after she confesses her love to him. However this is slightly changed in the anime, where, Syaoran gives Sakura his bear (she asks to have it) in Episode 70, but Sakura never gives him one, having already given it to Yukito earlier in the series.[29]

    In the second movie, Syaoran returns to Japan with his cousin Meiling Li (Meilin Rae) (anime only character) who was having secret phone calls with Tomoyo Daidōji who helped plan their return. Tomoyo and Meiling attempted to organize outings for Sakura to tell Syaoran about how she feels but, rather amusingly, she gets interrupted until the end of the movie where Sakura confesses her love believing that Syaoran had forgotten his most important feeling. She begins to cry but Syaoran surprisingly replies "Me too, Sakura." The song Ashita e no Merodi plays with the sunrise clear in the background to symbolize happiness and victory. Sakura is so overjoyed by the revelation, that she recklessly leaps across a large hole in the floor to reach Syaoran. The film ends on a cliffhanger with Sakura halfway through the air, but a still image released with the film shows that she makes the leap, right into Syaoran's arms.

    Yukito Tsukishiro

    In the first half of the series, before any hint of a relationship with Syaoran, Sakura's primary romantic focus was on the older Yukito Tsukishiro. On a class trip in the fourth volume, Sakura reveals to Syaoran that her crush on Yukito began when Toya brought Yukito home on the day Yukito transferred to Toya's school. Yukito's presence always causes a significant effect on Sakura's feelings, commonly provoking her "floaty" exclamation, "Hanyaan~" (はにゃあん~). Unlike Syaoran, who is attracted to Yukito because of his power, Sakura is truly in love with Yukito.

    Sakura always does her best to impress Yukito, on rare occasions even competing with Syaoran to give the better compliment or gift. [30] She often looks forward to going to school with Yukito each day, and she is worried when he is not there. [31] Most times when her brother, Toya, is present, Sakura is often provoked to raise her voice or else act "unladylike" at Toya, which immediately elicits her embarrassment when she realizes Yukito is also there watching her.

    Late in the series, Sakura finally decides to confess her love to Yukito instead of forever skirting around the issue. [32] However, Yukito does not return the feelings, admitting that he loves her also but only in a platonic way. [33] He asks her to reevaluate her feelings towards him and suggests that she feels attached to him more because he resembles her father. Sakura agrees with Yukito after some thought, and he continues to reassure her by saying that the real "number one person" for her is still out there somewhere, and she should not give up searching for him. [34]

    After an emotional afternoon in the park, Sakura is able to get over Yukito but still remaining a close friend through the end of the series. She, in a rare perceptive moment, also realizes that Yukito's feelings have always been aimed towards her brother, Toya. [35] She accepts that fact, also, and wishes them the best.

    Interestingly, in the last book of the manga (episode 70 of the anime), Eriol reveals to Yue that when Clow chose Sakura as the future new Master of the Clow Cards and their guardians, he had expected that in the future Yukito would love Sakura more than anyone else and vice versa. [36] Yukito's feelings for Toya and Syaoran and Sakura's feelings for each other were the unforeseen occurrences, a few of the deviations from Clow's plan, that Eriol mentions to Sakura and friends at the party in Clow's mansion.

    Tomoyo Daidōji

    Though non-romantic, Sakura's close relationship with Tomoyo Daidōji (Madison Taylor) is likely the second most significant relationship in the series. Sakura and Tomoyo are best friends (and second cousins as their mothers were cousins), meeting randomly for the first time in the third grade when Sakura offered Tomoyo one of her erasers. [37] Since then, Tomoyo has been very attentive to everything that Sakura does, including finding a passion for filming her throughout her daily activities.

    Sakura holds a lot of trust in Tomoyo, often allowing her to take lots of measurements for the multitude of battle costumes and dresses that are made for her. Tomoyo is also one of the few keepers of Sakura's secret as the Cardcaptor, often accompanying Sakura in many of her adventures for filming and costume-testing opportunities. In the second half of the series, when Sakura gets a new wand and mission, Tomoyo is responsible for choreographing Sakura's new action poses.

    Tomoyo holds a special, arguably romantic, attachment to Sakura; of which Sakura is completely oblivious. In both the manga and anime, Tomoyo admits that she loves Sakura, but Sakura replies innocently, "I love you, too," in the platonic sense. (This is emphasized using manga conventions: Tomoyo declares her love against a background of flowers, while Sakura replies against a blank white background). The manga takes the scene further where Tomoyo comments that her love is more than what she is thinking it is. Sakura gives a confused look, but Tomoyo drops the topic, adding, "I'll tell you when you're older." [38]Throughout the series, Sakura never realizes this deeper attachment, simply remaining Tomoyo's best friend. Tomoyo, however, selflessly does not mind this at all and even helps Sakura most times in setting up situations with Yukito and Syaoran, as Tomoyo understands they are the ones who would make Sakura the happiest.

    Because Tomoyo lacks any magical powers, Sakura takes on a protective responsibility most times when capturing or transforming cards. If Tomoyo is ever in danger (or missing), Sakura will be the one concerned for her most, and her focus changes from that of the Card at hand to Tomoyo's safety. Fortunately, Sakura always succeeds and hugs Tomoyo warmly whenever she reunites with her. [39]


    Tuesday, November 18, 2008






    Dragon Drive Characters

    Anime/Manga Season 1

    Human

    Reiji Ozora (大空レイジ Ōzora Reiji)
    The main protagonist character. Due to his short attention span, he is renowned as a lazy quitter that never keeps any of his promises and is nicknamed 'The Tardy Champion'. Blackmailed by Maiko, he was dragged to Dragon Drive against his will, but became obsessed with the game after his first taste of victory. He has the ability to tame almost any dragon. His dragon is Chibi(Chibisuke in Japanese). Chibi gains a special sword in one of the episodes after he defeats a legendary dragon. Many conflicts happens in his journey and he gains many allies.
    Maiko Yukino (雪野麻衣子 Yukino Maiko)
    Reiji's childhood friend. She is always pushing or blackmailing Reiji to do things with her. She is tough and dislikes being patronized, often striving to prove herself as an equal to her comrades. She has a crush on Reiji that she is probably unaware of, and often gets jealous when any other girl appears to be showing signs of affection toward Reiji.
    Daisuke Hagiwara (萩原大介 Hagiwara Daisuke)
    A fellow schoolmate of Reiji and Maiko, he initially holds a grudge against Reiji for stealing Maiko's affection, but the two eventually become close friends. He thinks of Reiji as a rival, but Reiji doesn't think much of him, especially after Reiji's lucky victory over Daisuke in their first battle against one another.
    Kyoji Tachibana
    Known as the coolest kid at Reiji's school, he is an excellent Dragon Drive player who wants to challenge Reiji himself. He is impressed with Chibi's abilities. He is the Champion of A Block.
    Sayaka Towa
    The best female Dragon Drive player in the world. Her dragon is even weaker in attack power than Chibi, but her dragon's attack makes her enemies fall victim to their own power. She seems to have a crush on Reiji, which angers Maiko. She is the champion of C block.
    Hikaru Himuro
    The number one Dragon Drive player in the world, and Reiji's biggest rival. He was recruited by RI-ON as a soldier, but doesn't seem to care for anybody or anything. His true intentions are unknown, and Reiji is the only person he sees any interest in. He later defects from RI-ON to pursue Reiji with the intention of challenging him to a showdown. He is the reigning superchampion.
    Ichiro Sumishiba
    One of Reiji's rivals who works for RI-ON. Struggling to fulfill his family's high expectations, he strives to defeat Hikaru and take his place as the number one Dragon Drive player in the world. He later betrays RI-ON and joins up with Reiji's comrades to save the two worlds. He has the habit of saying to defeat his opponents in 10 minutes. He is the champion of B Block.
    Agent L
    The announcer of Dragon Drive games. Ever since Reiji's first lucky victory against Daisuke, she has been keeping a constant eye on him. Encouraging his progress, she introduces him to a special training simulation to boost his skills. Agent L has a little sister named Meguru who she wishes to see even after Meguru became a traitor to RI-ON.
    Agent S
    A mysterious member of RI-ON. Not much is known about him, except that he is close friends with Agent L, a chain smoker, and a superb computer programmer.
    Rokkaku
    A member of Reiji's team on Rikyu. He first challenges Reiji to a showdown for stealing his spot in the tournament, but quickly agrees to join his team and help him. He is a strong foe who went crazy during the last tournament, and seeks revenge on a Kouhei who took out one of his eyes. Usually a rough, uncouth drunkard, he has a strong sense of righteousness, and is greatly loyal to his comrades. He has 2 brothers: Hakkaku and Gokaku.
    Mahiru
    Yako's little brother. He blames Rokaku for his brother's death and seeks revenge, so he teams up with Kouhei to get closer to him. However, unaware to him, Kouhei is the one responsible for Yako's death.
    Miss Sue
    She is the younger of the two twins that Reiji faces. She, like her brother, was possessed by Darxs because she felt she was alone in the world. The only one that she and her brother could trust was their guardian Sally.
    Master Lyn
    He is the older of the two twins. He was also possessed by Darxs because he too felt he was alone in the world. Like sue, the only one Lin could trust was their guardian Sally.
    Sally
    The guardian of the twins. She knows that Sue and Lin were never paid attention to by their parents, even though they were bought everything they wanted. Although she follows their orders, she seeks Reiji's help to save Sue and Lin.
    Kohei Toki
    Working for RI-ON, he is the son of RI-ON's President Toki. He has been trained to fight in Dragon Drive ever since he was little, proving to be a very powerful elite and the strongest of his team. Toki seems to try to gains his father's love by doing whatever his father tells him to, though he is not fully aware of what will happen when his father has the Jinryu stone. In volume seven of the manga, he calls Reiji annoying and attempts to kill him. Later, however, it is he who nears death, is picked up by his father, and is told that he was "truly the hero."
    Mukai
    Mukai is one of the sole living members of his clan, that came under the attack of an evil dragon named "Gwonku". He is looking for his mother and trying to avenge the destruction of his clan by searching for Gwonku. He has a crush on Sayaka Towa, who uses him to get closer to the Dragonite. His team consists of himself, Sayaka, and Kyoji.
    Gokaku
    Rockaku's little brother and the true successor to Senkoukura. Trying to prove himself worthy as the true successor, he steals Chibisuke and goes on a quest of bravery. However, he fails to even release Chibisuke's true form of Senkoukura. When Reiji comes to his rescue, Gokaku finally recognizes him as the true master, no longer hindering him and later helping him. Although he acts like a spoiled brat, he only wants to help everyone, but is constantly ignored because he doesn't truly own a dragon.
    Meguru
    Agent L's younger sister and a traitor to RI-ON. She once tried to help in the plot to take over Rikyu, but she defected when she was saved by the people of Rikyu and came to realize the truth about Dragon Drive. She has made a home for herself in Rikyu, and is the chosen heir for Rikyu's leader.
    Hideaki
    A young boy transported to Rikyu by RI-ON. He's even stronger than Kohei and tricks Reiji and the others into trusting them (although Chibi took an instant dislike to him). He then betrays them and reveals he is with RI-ON. He is in love with Megeru and always wants to prove his strength. However, something isn't quite right with him.
    Shiro Kurosawa
    A young man who only appeared in Episode 19 and has a habit of ending most sentences with the suffix "-su". He was accidentally transported to Rikyuu through no fault of his own and met Eager-Striker, a dragon who became his first friend. When the group met him, he claimed he hated dragons and had locked his own partner away in a cave due to a misunderstanding between them (he thought Eager-Striker had attacked him, but Eager-Striker was trying to destroy a type of miniature dragon that drinks human blood). He and his dragon eventually become friends again, with the wish that Kurosawa would become worthy of his dragon.
    Silver
    A girl who first appeared in volume five when Reiji ended up in a dungeon while searching for a place to spend the night. She made a promise to a dragon king, Kobakukono, that she would protect his child, Kokko, but later found out that the "child" was actually a reincarnated, younger form of the king.
    Hysteric Rose
    The leader of the organization Ninety-Nine Gorgeous. She hunts for rare dragons and slaughters the rest for huge amounts of money, but also wants to protect her turf from RI-ON. Rose hunted for Kobakukono, asking him to transform in a stronger, younger body so he could fight with her.

    Dragons

    Chibisuke (チビスケ) a.k.a. The Chosen one (Senkoukura)/ Chibi a.k.a. The Chosen One ( Senkoukura)
    Light-elemental. Reiji's dragon and the long awaited savior of Rikyu. As Chibi, he appears to be the weakest dragon, but in his true form as Senkoukura, he is the most powerful of all dragons, and worshipped as a deity by some. He is also able to change his element such as dark or fire. He looks like a traditional European dragon, only upright, in his true form. His "chibi" form is a small dragon with tiny wings and fur. His strength and abilities can alter depending on Reiji's emotional state. Its signature attack is a devastating blast of energy, "Light Wave", that destroys everything in its path.
    Cholaoo/Gorao
    Earth-elemental. Maiko's lion-type dragon. Incapable of flight, and attacks via sonic roars. If amplified, its roar can destroy entire hoards of weaker dragons.
    Medina Heaven
    Light-elemental. A little unicorn-type dragon that accompanies Maiko and her friends on their quest. Maiko calls it Rinrin (Rinrin-chan in Japan). Said to bring good luck to those who see it.
    Kanper/Kanpa
    Ice-elemental dragon. Very loyal, Kanper resembles a cross between a wolf and a dragon. In the manga Kanpa can create blizzards freezing everything in the area. He belongs to Daisuke Nagiwara, and is Reiji's first opponent in Dragon Drive.
    Air Blast
    Wind-elemental. Kyoji's dragon. Very powerful against liquid dragons. He has the basic oriental wingless dragon form, although several small wings surround his head.
    Floral Fern
    Earth-elemental. Sayaka's dragon. A rather avian dragon, with the lowest attack of any dragon. However, Floral Fern fights by altering the opponents abilities.
    Kokao
    Light-elemental. Hikaru's first dragon, but its use was abandoned after its defeat to Senkoukura. Capable of creating illusions and mirages.
    Kanopus
    Dark-elemental. Hikaru's second dragon in place of Koakoh. Is said to be capable of shapechange.
    Junranshi
    Dark-elemental. One of Ichiro's many dragons. Has infrared eyesight and can hear sounds humans can't, making it an excellent tracker.
    Hayate Slash
    Wind-elemental. One of Ichiro's many dragons, and is often favored for its high speed and power.
    Thunderbolt
    Lightning-elemental. Rokaku's second dragon. Originally belonged to Yako. Has the same basic body form as Senkoukura. Like Rokaku, Thunderbolt is missing an eye. Will charge straight at enemies and taunt them. Its special attack can cripple even the Senkoukura.
    Kashiniki
    Fire-elemental. Sue's dragon.
    En-ouji
    Ice-elemental. Lin's dragon. Uses deadly white flames to incinerate everything.
    Darx
    Dark-elemental. Kohei Toki's ghost-type dragon and companion. Capable of possessing people by feeding on the darkness in their souls. The darker the soul, the stronger the possession.
    Raitonaitsunaito
    Wind-elemental. Kohei Toki's phoenix-type dragon. Extremely durable and quick, can shoot feathers at high speed and create barriers at will. In the manga, Raitonaitsunaito was a light dragon who evolved into a dark one.
    Shadow Fang
    Dark-elemental. Mukai's dragon. Has regenerative abilities.
    Guan-Coo/Gwancoo
    A large rotund evil dragon who rules over the city of Yaudim. In the anime version, he rules the city on his own and has captured Mukai's mother, holding her prisoner, until Daisuke finds her dead. In the manga, he rules Yaudim, but is actually very childish and has a close human advisor who actually handles all internal affairs, making him seem less evil. He also has a crush on Maiko, who resents his advances until she learns of the relationship he once had with the female singer who originally owned Rin-Rin.
    Guan-Coo/Gwancoo (Deadly Form)
    Dark-elemental. Guan-Coo's true form that emerges from the belly of the original. A stark contrast to his rotund form as this body is highly muscled and berserk. He transforms into this after the palace was attacked by Kohei. He risked his life to protect Maiko and Sumishiba by using his true form to shield the flower garden from Kohei's Dynamo Spark dragon's powerful beam, although neither of them saw his true form since he had hid the two in a shelter under the tombstone in the garden prior to the attack.
    Eager-Striker
    Kurosawa's dragon. His right arm is much bigger than his left and uses it as his primary means of attacking (he can fire off his claws and retract them on rope-like structures). He does not appear to have a breath weapon like other dragons.
    Crystal Gene
    Hideaki's dragon. He is purple with green crystal structures jutting out of his head and shoulders. His crystals are the main source of his attacks, being able to fire beams of energy and project strong forcefields. He is a balanced offense/defense dragon.
    Kobakukono/Kono
    Silver's dragon. He is proud and regal, and fights only for himself. When taken by Rose, he promised Silver that he would return to her if he should die. He also told her to raise his "child," Kokko. Later, it is revealed that he had no child after all, but was simply in the form of one. Kono is a bird-like dragon, although not as much as Raitonaitsunaito: his head is that of an eagle's, his body is covered in feathers, and his paws are similar to that of talons. He is also one of the only dragons that can talk.

    Manga Season 2

    Humans

    Takumi Yukino
    Maiko's little brother, and the new protagonist of Season 2. A habitual daydreamer, he prefers activities like bonsai, napping and others that are preferred by much older folk. After receiving his first set of Dragon Drive cards, he decides to give the game a try. For fear of his sister's wrath, he passes off as "Matsu Goro", but gets found out by Agent L. He vows to restore Raikoo's memory
    Kenji Koto
    One of the Dragon Drive's original competitors, he wanted revenge on "Matsu Goro" for smashing his face in (an accident on Takumi's part). However, because of his underestimating the newbie, he was defeated and lost his placing in the competition. Later, after finding out about "Matsu Goro's" true identity, he forgives Takumi for the earlier incident, and soon becomes one of his best friends.
    Hiyoshi
    A rich, charismatic Dragon Drive player who passes off as a gentle, sweet-natured boy, but is actually a bully who steals high-leveled cards in order to defeat his opponents. After getting caught red-handed by Takumi, he attempted to frame Takumi and steal his cards. However, after a showdown between the two, Hiyoshi's true nature was revealed, and he fled the building before Takumi could beat him.
    Koizumi-tenchou
    The barrel-chested storekeeper of one of the Dragon Drive outlets. After Agent L redirected Takumi to his store, he eventually took Takumi under his wing and became his mentor, teaching him how to become a powerful Dragon Drive player.
    Maria Tsukimi
    A girl with a habit of violently plucking grass when she's frustrated. After getting cruelly dumped by Taro, she swore to defeat him in Dragon Drive and make him submit to her punishment once and for all. Although powerful, she underestimated the combined strategies of Takumi and Taro, and was defeated quickly.
    Taro Otohime
    A lazy Dragon Drive player with a short attention span. Because he is often bored and takes interest in few things, he passes the time by sleeping (even in the middle of a national Dragon Drive competition). However, he is one of the top players, and is next to unbeatable. He commands a Raikoo named Anima.
    Bunroku Azuma
    A short, but impressive young man, and leader of a large gang. He loathes being belittled, and often strives to prove himself as a true man. One of the top players, he is Taro's rival, and originally planned to defeat him in the national competition. However, because Takumi forfeited his placing and left the competition, Azuma was offended and decided to hunt Takumi down and fight him.
    Neko Chihoda
    She was first found in the park by Agent A after RI-IN made it's move. She freaks out when she sees the damage that was done.
    Alisa
    A mysterious girl who makes use of special Dragon Drive boosts and anti-Dragon weaponry in order to become a powerful hunter. Originally detained by RI-IN, she was released on the condition that she find Takumi's party and eliminate them.
    Commander Araki
    The leader of RI-IN. He believes that humanity needs to evolve and become like the dragons in order to bring about the "ideal" world. He and a number of followers have already successfully evolved into a human/dragon hybrids.
    Agent L
    Still the famous announcer of the Dragon Drive game, and still unwilling to admit her age. After Takumi accidentally won a placing in the upcoming Dragon Drive National Tournament, she sent him to Koizumi-tenchou's store to train.
    Agent A
    An old man who used to work under RI-IN as a scientist, but defected when he learned of Araki's dangerous plans. He was the one who gave Takumi his first set of Dragon Drive cards, and taught the boy to understand his new dragon and the world of Rikyu.
    Agent I
    One of the agents working for RI-IN. He is considered one of the leaders appointed by Araki, and commanderes other agents to apprehend any defectors and take back the cards Agent A distributed.
    Agent S
    One of the agents working for RI-IN. Under Agent I's supervision, he continues to do what he does best by keeping track of the important data.
    Agent J
    One of the agents working for RI-IN. A hopelessly lazy slacker, he attempted to bomb a Dragon Drive center in order to make his job easier. However, Takumi and Reiji managed to foil his plan, though he did not appear to care about it.
    Agent V
    One of the defecting agents. Agent J managed to apprehend him, but he escaped in a chaotic situation involving a berserk dragon. In the aftermath of that same chaotic situation, he found and aided Takumi's group for a short while before going into hiding once more.
    Maiko Yukino
    While searching for her "missing" brother, she was called by Meguru to return to Rikyu and help defend the two worlds once more. She also helped Meguru to convince Takumi to gather all the Raikou-ou masters at Mt. Fuji to be transported to Rikyu. Although more composed and mature, she is still a tough, hardy character who cares about her brother and is unafraid to say her piece.
    Daisuke Hagiwara
    While helping Maiko look for Takumi, he too was called by Meguru to return to Rikyu and help defend the two worlds once more. He still has a heavy crush on Maiko, and showed much jealousy toward Ichiro's friendly encouragement to her.
    Ichiro Sumishiba
    He was called by Meguru to return to Rikyu and help defend the two worlds. No longer as arrogant as in his younger days, he is a thoughtful character who cares about his friends. He also appears to have a friendly relationship with Maiko, and gives her encouragement.
    Meguru
    Now the leader of Rikyu. She called Reiji, Maiko, Daisuke and Ichiro via Agent L's email to meet up with her. Because Reiji was late, Meguru only brought Maiko, Daisuke and Ichiro with her back to Rikyu. With the three of them and Hikaru's help, she managed to open a portal to allow the Raikou-ou masters on Earth to come to Rikyu as well.
    Reiji Ozora
    Still as lazy as ever, he has hardly changed since his younger days. Because he overslept and missed the meeting with Meguru, he did not go back to Rikyu straight away. Instead, Agent S managed to bring him back to Earth to help fight against RI-IN's power.
    Rokkaku
    Although no longer as drunk, he is still loud and uncouth. More powerful than before, he took it upon himself to train the Dragon Drive players from Earth and prepare them to fight against RI-ON.
    Hikaru Himuro
    Having stayed behind in Rikyu since the last world crisis, he has been training himself for his showdown with Reiji. At Meguru's request, he returned to Earth to do two things:(1) open the portal that would lead the Raikou-ou masters into Rikyu, and (2)return Chibi to Reiji.

    Dragons

    Chiwawan
    Fire-elemental. A small dog-like dragon.
    Hishagurebekko
    Wind-elemental. Kenji used his Dragon during his first match with Takumi.
    Tenrai
    Lightning-elemental. A large black wingless dragon.
    Maitowein
    Shell-elemental. A power, sword-wielding dragon which Hiyoshi uses.
    Purantomijinko
    Lightning-elemental. Small dragons that attack in groups.
    Haikadoki
    Earth-elemental.
    Little Kraken
    Water-elemental.
    Sunoragen
    Water-elemental.
    Penmarun
    Water-elemental. A penguin type dragon.
    Suikoo
    Water-elemental.
    Palight
    Light-elemental. A dragon that attacks with bright light which hypnotizes the opponent.
    Gust Attacker
    Wind-elemental. Can create wind which knocks out multipule opponents.
    Hinder
    Earth-elemental. A stealthy dragon controlled by Bunroku.
    Raizo
    Lightning-elemental. A little dragon that is close to Neko and freaks out when danger is near.
    Dokudenpa
    Lightning-elemental. A dragon that was chasing Neko, until Raikoo defeated him.
    Aruen
    Light-elemental. Koizumi-tenchou's wolf-type dragon.
    Gon
    Dark-elemental. A dragon belonging to a young unnamed raider.
    L Air Strike
    Earth-elemental. A bomb-dragon created by RI-IN that operates in packs. Used by Agent J to strike at a Dragon Drive center.
    Orca Eel/Denki-Okautsubon
    Lightning-elemental. Although weak, this eel-type dragon is highly intelligent. The one in Takumi's card set even directed its very own television broadcast in order for Takumi to alert all of Japan's Raikou-ou masters.
    RFD-103A Gladius
    Non-elemental. Created by RI-IN to aid Alisa, it is capable of flight as well as storing all of her anti-dragon weaponry.
    Canopus
    Dark-elemental. Having newly reincarnated in Rikyu, Canopus has become more powerful, capable of taking out one of RI-IN's anti-dragon missiles with a single blast.
    Clabat
    Dark-elemental. One of RI-IN's human/dragon hybrid agents that was sent to destroy the portal and prevent the Raikou-ou masters from leaving Earth.
    Chibisuke a.k.a. Senkoukura/ Chibi a.k.a. Senkoukura(Kammpreetett)
    After full recuperation in Rikyu, Chibi was returned to Reiji by Hikaru under Megeru's request. However, Chibi was initially unable to become Senkoukura, and was stuck in its much, much weaker form.
    Thunder Bolt
    Since its last upgrade, Thunder Bolt remains the supreme of might in terms of lightning power, easily disciplining the Raikou-ous while resuming their training.
    Ghorao
    Upon Maiko's return to Rikyu, the two were reunited. Ghoalaoh appears to have evolved since he was last seen in Season 1.
    Kanpa
    Upon Daisuke's return to Rikyu, the two were reunited. Kanper is probably stronger, but Daisuke's excitement over impressing Maiko caused a few slip-ups in the midst of battle.
    Hayate Slash
    Upon Ichiro's return to Rikyu, the two were reunited. Hayate Slash is stronger as well, and holds out well in battle.

    Raikou-ou (Raikou-ō): There are 99 listed Raikou-ous all over Japan, each slightly different. Some are of other elements, but most of them are lightning-elemental.

    Raikou-ou/Raikou-ou Edea
    Lightning-elemental. The main Raikou-ou that Agent A placed in Takumi's care. Raikou-ou has lost his memory of the past, which has been locked away together with his power as Raikou-ou Edea.In the end he regains his memories and powers.

    Manga Season 2: The Special Ending

    This ending follows up on twenty-seven years after Rikyu and Earth joined to become one. Despite the entirely new cast of characters, the series of Dragon Drive has been declared as "complete", and there has been no claims toward another season as of yet.

    Takuro
    The firstborn son of Takumi and Alisa. He takes after his father completely in terms of appearance as well as personality.
    Alison
    The younger sister of Takuro, and daughter of Takumi and Alisa. She takes after her mother in terms of appearance and personality, and shares a close relationship with her older brother Takuro.
    Rai-ichi
    The firstborn son of Reiji and Maiko. He takes after his father completely in terms of appearance as well as personality. In addition, he has an older brother complex that causes him to react greatly to his little sister's boyfriend.
    Mariko
    The younger sister of Rai-ichi, and daughter of Reiji and Maiko. She takes after her mother in terms of appearance, but is a little less of a tomboy than Maiko had been.
    Hagiwara-sempai
    The son of Daisuke. He takes after Daisuke in appearance, but acts more casually than his father. Good friends with Rai-ichi and Kouhei, he is also Mariko's "boyfriend", and often keeps her company.
    Kouhei
    Rai-ichi's best friend. More carefree and innocent than the Kouhei of Anime/Manga Season 1, he looks no different appearance-wise.
    Sumishiba-sempai
    The son of Ichiro. He takes after his father both appearance and personality-wise, and is rather cocky.
    Mieko
    The son of Hikaru. He takes after his father both appearance and personality-wise. Reiji and Hikaru's rivalry has also passed down to their sons, and the two continue to compete with each other.
    Isumi-san
    A look-alike of Rockaku (not stated as Rockaku's son). He is fond of Kouhei and often takes care of the younger boy.
    Agent L
    Hired back to once again announce Dragon Drive games. It is confirmed to be the original Agent L, but, surprisingly, she has not aged at all. She is also the same personality-wise. She, Agent S and Koizumi-tenchou continue to share a close relationship.
    Agent S
    Hired back to once again oversee the data and technicalities behind Dragon Drive. He's still as much a chain smoker as before. He, Agent L and Koizumi-tenchou continue to share a close relationship.
    Koizumi-tenchou
    Hired as one of the staff for the main Dragon Drive game center. He, Agent L and Agent S continue to share a close relationship.
    President Takumi Yukino
    The new leader behind Dragon Drive's relaunch. He hired back the original as well as new staff in hope of once again reviving the game and bringing the dragons back - perhaps this time without any more threats to the world's welfare.
    Dr. Reiji Ozora
    Now heading his own private veterinary clinic.

    Dragon Drive Summary

    Anime/Manga, Season 1

    One day as Reiji, Maiko, and Daisuke are training in the special training room, a strange dragon appears in the sky. Somehow this creature sucks them into the other Earth known as Rikyu. They are met by Meguru, a girl who was also transported to Rikyu, who takes them to a village. There, the elder of the village explains that RI-ON, the group behind Dragon Drive, is trying to obtain the Braveheart, also known as the Jinryusenki.

    In their attempt they use the game of Dragon Drive to train kids to be their soldiers. If they are successful they will end up destroying both Rikyu and Earth. This is where Chibi, who is actually the legendary dragon Senkoukura, the savior of Rikyu, and Reiji become important to both worlds. In order to protect the Braveheart and save both worlds, Reiji and Chibi must enter the Dragonic Heaven tournament and win, a tournament RI-ON has already sent someone to enter and win.

    Remembering that Agent L is an employee of RI-ON, and that she was the woman who helped him through his first few Dragon Drive games, Reiji is torn between which side to fight for and against. He does not believe that either Agent L or the employees of RI-ON are bad people, but he also believes the elder and Megaru are speaking the truth.

    In the end, he doesn't truly chose either side, but instead resolves to fight in order to learn the truth about RI-ON, Rikyu and Dragon Drive.

    Manga, Season 2

    Time has passed since Reiji and his friends returned to Earth during which Maiko's little brother, Takumi, has received severe warnings to never play Dragon Drive. One day when hiding from a storm he obtains his first set of Dragon Drive Cards from a strange old man he meets. After receiving his cards Takumi finds his new calling by showing strong determination and the mysterious ability to talk to dragons quickly becoming a regular at a small gaming store of Dragon Drive.

    Soon a group going by the name of RI-IN enters the scene, and all the people with the exception of the ones in the Dragon Drive gaming stores vanish, leaving dragons in their place. Left behind in this rapidly changing world, Takumi and his new friends must rally the remaining Dragon Drive players together, in hopes of restoring Earth and bringing the people back.

    Members of the original Season 1 cast have cameos - including Reiji, Maiko, Daisuke, Hikaru, Meguru, Chibisuke - offering aid to Takumi in his quest.

    With the end of Season 2, the manga series concludes with a special ending.

    Manga, Season 2: The Special Ending

    In order to save the world, Rikyu and Earth join to become one, and the dragons disappear completely to become spirits. Twenty-seven years later, the game of Dragon Drive is relaunched.

    Monday, November 17, 2008

    Monster Rancher main characters



    Monster Rancher


    Genki Sakura

    Genki is a young and energetic kid. He wins a copy of the video game and decides to play. However, once he plays, he gets sucked into the Monster Rancher world. He meets Holly and the monsters on his journey. Genki usually acts before thinking, and many fans find him annoying at times. His monster is Mocchi.

    Holly

    Holly is an intelligent girl. She has been living in the monster world for as long as she can remember, she was probably born in the monster world. She travels with a Suezo. She usually has to calm Genki down before he does something stupid. She is one of the only two main human characters, Genki is the other.

    Suezo

    Suezo is a character that seems to be put in for comic relief. He is not much of a fighter. He has ineffective moves, such as spitting and kissing. He usually gets angry and wants to fight someone, but loses miserably.

    Tiger

    Tiger used to be a thief. His band of thieves were killed by Moo. He is a sort of "dark hero." He has a good heart, however, he usually gets violent. His fighting style revolves around bestial attacks, such as clawing and biting. He appeared in Episode 5.

    Mocchi

    Mocchi is Genki's monster. He is the only monster that says his name. He doesn't say much anything else, unlike Suezo, Tiger, and Hare with full vocabularies. Mocchi is a small pink monster. He can curl into a ball and roll. He looks like a small Japanese sweet cake. Mocchi can talk, he says his name often and speaks softly because he is a baby monster. It is obvious if you listen closely to any episode, his two favorite words are "Mocchi" and "Hungry"

    Hare

    Hare (Ham in Japanese) is a flatulent humanoid rabbit that has a cute expression. He joined the cast of the anime series in Episode 6: Hare's Trick. In the anime, he always wears a red bandanna around his neck.

    Hare is very popular in Japan, especially with girls because of his cute appearance and his cute attacks, such as his Fart attack. Though some people find "Fart" crude, lots of people, especially girls find it cute and funny. The attack was generally created for humor and efficiency. In America, however, Hare's Farts were cut out. The Farts were replaced with different attacks. Fart is an attack used at medium range and very dangerous.

    Even though "Gas" seems like a joke attack, Hare's flatulence is often versatile and a useful attack. "Gas" even has uses outside of combat. He used it to save the Iron Bird. If it weren't for his smelly flatulence, the heroes would be dead. In the third season, Hare taught Tiger "Fart." Tiger used the ability to save the group. Farting is a great advantage Hare has. His farts are an instant lifesaver and can defeat enemies.

    At first, Hare was exploiting the group. In "Hare's Trick" after Hare won the tournament, he acted like their friend, but then early in the morning, he ran off with both his prize money, and Tiger's. This infuriates the group and they track him down. Hare reluctantly surrenders Tiger's money and joins them officially. Hare does not do such cruel acts again, though he does like to bother Tiger for his own personal enjoyment.

    Hare is the "brains of the bunch." He always plans the attacks. However, despite his intelligence he is also lazy. An example of his laziness is the fact that he always tries to get people to do work for him. His fighting style revolves around boxing and flatulence.

    His basic fighting strategy is punching/kicking the opponent until they are back a far amount. While they recover from their injury, he turns around. He then waits until they are close. He next uses his "Fart" attack. The "Fart" attack defeats the opponent easily, as the smell is an instant knock-out.

    Monster Rancher monsters

    Abisu

    A monster introduced in Monster Farm D.S.. It appears to resemble the Egyptian god Anubis and wields a staff with magical powers.

    Antalo

    A monster to be introduced in "Monster Farm Online". As the name implies, it resembles an antelope or deer, albeit with green fur. Most of their attacks involve grass.

    Antlan

    Antlan resembles an ant and Kuwagata (Stag Beetle) and uses ninja-like skills and attacks. They also have the ability to make certain parts of their bodies (mainly their antlers and their tails) grow in size. It appears in Monster Rancher Advance, Monster Rancher Advance 2, and Monster Rancher 4. They are mainly known in the game for doing right and living to ensure justice. Many of their designs and poses are reminiscent of Tokusatsu characters, particularly the Super Sentai.

    They even have a group of rare Antlan that formed the "Antlan Rangers" in Monster Rancher 4. If you enter Monster Rancher 4 in the Monster Rancher 4 game, you get either a Blue, Yellow, or Red Antlan Ranger and you are told it's a pandora disc.

    Ape

    A monster breed which resembles a stereotypical large ape. Their faces bear a resemblance to that of a baboon, and their body to that of a gorilla, though they have a tail (which is usually holding a banana). They appear in Monster Rancher, Monster Rancher 2, and Monster Rancher 3 (as a non-playable character). In Monster Rancher 1 after breeding an ape enter Billy Joel Greatest Hits you will get Shades, a monster with excellent stats. Monster Rancher 4's Ape monster resembles the apes from the game Ape Escape. There are only three subreeds and they resemble Pipo Monkeys, Yellowshorts Monkeys, and Redshorts Monkey from Ape Escape.

    Another subreed is Pirate Ape from Splinter Cell PS2. Apes are lazy and fairly difficult monsters to raise; they are, however, quite strong and have good life and defense. Offensively, they fight with a great many strange attacks that include disgusting bodily functions (such as farting or nose picking) in addition to slapping and bananas.

    Arrowhead

    A crustacean monster breed that largely resembles a lobster with a prominent head and a scorpion-like tail. Arrowheads have only appeared in Monster Rancher 2 and the Game Boy Advance games. They can be raised from the start usually and are a good choice for beginners. The advantages that this breed of monster had was its high defensive and life statistics. They attack with body slams and crushing attacks involving their large claws.

    Bajarl

    Bajarl are djinn-like monsters that attack with smoke and magic. They were first introduced in Monster Rancher 2, and were only obtainable after getting all the house and barn upgrades. They vanished from the series after their debut appearance until Monster Rancher EVO. Barjal monsters can go from little and small to huge and muscular as seen in the picture. Magic monsters (see below) transferred from Monster Rancher (by a process known as slating) become Bajarls, although in the franchise canon they are not related. This is most likely due to the fact that Magics are absent from Monster Rancher 2.

    One species of Bajarl called Magic Bajarl wears the same clothing as the Magic. In Monster Rancher EVO, Bajarl takes on the role of guide in the adventure section of the game. In addition to providing advice, it will transport the party to the end of the dungeon after the first run through.

    Baku

    First introduced in Monster Rancher 2, Baku were obtainable only after expanding the barn to accommodate their large size. They are known for great physical strength and size. Offensively, they rely on directly damaging physical attacks, such as body slams and the like. Bakus also have the ability to heal themselves by simply taking a nap. Other attacks that bakus are known for are barking and biting multiple of times They continue to appear in other Monster Rancher games.

    They appear to be based on a combination of hippo and dogs. Earlier designs showed them to be more tapir-like, reflecting the baku, their namesake. However the tapir-like features were eventually dropped. In Monster Rancher EVO, Baku is the monster used for the lifting trick, being repeatedly lifted by the monster you are training as part of the act. When upgraded it carries weights in its mouth.

    A rare subreed of Baku includes the HippoppoChaos, which is a Baku with the Ripper subreed.

    Beaclon

    First introduced in Monster Rancher 2, Beaclon, also spelled "Beaklon" were obtainable by having a Worm cocoon itself and metamorphose into one. They are gigantic, bipedal Hercules Beetles. Beaclons are known to not be the smartest monsters but some of the strongest. They rely on physical attacks such as tackles and slams, though they have some non-physical attacks, including sneezing, and a sucking vacuum attack. They have appeared in every Monster Rancher game since with the exception of the Game Boy Advance installations.

    Centaur

    A Centaur is a monster with the head of a bird, body of a reptilian human, and lower body of a horse. Centaurs have only appeared in Monster Rancher 2 but have resurfaced again in Monster Rancher DS 2.They can be unlocked when a B class monster goes to the Mandy desert errantry and brings back a spear. After a fight with a wild centaur, the spear is kept and can be used to create a centaur. Not much is known about them, but their skill and speed are high.

    They use their spear for most of their attacks but also have a few without its spear, like its powerful "Meteor Dive" technique.

    Color Pandora

    A caterpillar-like monster that consists of three smaller segments, each with a different facial expression (mad, happy and serious). In its original appearance it was usually constantly combined into a giant worm-like creature, while in later games (starting in Monster Rancher 3), its sections are always separated. Has high life and speed but the rest of its stats are relatively weak. They first appeared in Monster Rancher 2 and they were obtainable at the beginning. Their system of attacks are a bit of a double-edged blade, as most of their attacks involve 2 of the bodies flinging the 3rd one at the opponent, which in turn damages the Color Pandora as a whole. Other attacks require them to unite their bodes as a whole and attack as one like their "giant wheel" and "megacracker" techniques.

    A lot of their attacks are also fairly weak and don't do much damage to an opponent with high defense. In Monster Rancher EVO, Color Pandora is the monster used for the Coropen Juggle trick, being repeatedly tossed and rearranged by the monster you are training as part of the act.

    Dino

    A monster that resembles a stylized T-Rex the size of a deinonychus. They appeared in the very first Monster Rancher game and were then replaced by similar monsters called Zuum. Due to fan requests for a celebration of the 5th anniversary of the original Monster Rancher game, it was brought back in Monster Rancher 4 as a rare Zuum sub-breed (Zuum/???) that can be obtained by using a copy of the original Monster Rancher 1 game disk or almost any Xbox game.

    Disk

    A monster resembling a floating monster disk and have only appeared in Monster Rancher. Disks transferred over to Monster Rancher 2 become Nitons. Disks also have two sub breeds available when created from certain CDs. One looks like a tire, the other is a flat soccer ball {From the INXS album: KICK). Merging these two is the only way to get a pure disk monster without cheat codes.

    Doodle

    A monster species resembling a two-dimensional cartoon sketch that has only appeared in Monster Rancher and Monster Rancher Advance 2, and are presented as being born from living graffiti.They are extremely rare to obtain and have powerful but weird attacks, which include a chicken motorcycle and a large boot. This monster is based on characters from the popular Japanese Tecmo arcade game Ganbare Gincun.

    Dragon

    Dragons were first introduced in Monster Rancher, and were obtainable only by winning special tournaments. They continued to appear in every game in the franchise, but in the first 3 games, as well as both Game Boy Advance games, they are locked away at the game's beginning and cannot be raised until the player progresses through the game. In Monster Rancher 4, however they are available from the start. However, you must meet a certain skill level to regenerate a Dragon. They are semi-bipedal western dragons.

    They have a large variety of attacks, employing their wings, claws, tails, fangs, and fire breath. An attack in Monster Rancher 2 called "Dragon Combo" is one of the most deadly attacks in the game. They are extremely powerful, but have relatively short lifespans compared to other species. In Monster Rancher 4 if you have inserted a PS2 Gameshark you can get a shiny dragon called Gameprobot.

    Ducken

    Also known as Dakkung or Dukkung, they were first introduced in Monster Rancher 2, and were obtainable by eating Cup Jellies and winning a special doll in the mail. The doll could then be combined with two other monsters to create a Ducken. They have reappeared in all games since then. They are wooden multi-colored ducks with a segmented section in their torso. They are known for eccentric attacks via using parts of their body as projectiles.

    Durahan

    First introduced in Monster Rancher 2, they have appeared in every following Monster Rancher video game to date. In Monster Rancher 2, Monster rancher 3, Monster Rancher Advance, Monster Rancher Advance 2, and Monster Rancher EVO, these monsters must be unlocked before you are allowed to raise them. In Monster Rancher 4 however, they are obtainable from the start. They are humanoid monsters that are living suits of hollow armor. They are based on the Irish legends of the Dullahan ("Durahan" is the Japanese pronunciation of "Dullahan"). As befitting a suit of armor, they rely on physical attacks using swords and other bladed weapons.

    As a side note, the Durahan is the most redesigned monster in the series, taking a new appearance every time it has appeared in the games.

    Falco

    A muscle-bound but squat humanoid bird monster introduced in Monster Farm DS.

    Gaboo

    Gaboo were first introduced in Monster Rancher 2, where they were easily obtainable at the start of the game. They made no appearances further in the franchise until Monster Rancher 4, where one appeared as a boss monster, although they could not be obtained as playable characters. They are chiefly balls of yellow clay with faces. They can extend muscle-bound arms from both sides of their body that have an exceedingly long reach. They rely on physical attacks such as punching and slapping.

    According to Gaboo's description in Monster Rancher 2, "Contrary to its scary appearance, it is earnest and shy." In Monster Rancher 4, a Gaboo named Don Mudleone is the second boss where you can use three monsters at a time. He has been armed with an energy cannon, drill, and arrows, all of which come out of the "junk" on his right arm.

    Gali

    An odd type of monster, the Gali resemble an Aztec Mask with a high-collared cape, but otherwise are invisible. They are actually Magic monsters hiding their human likeness. Their appearance is similar to the Joker monsters, though only in appearance - they are inclined towards virtue and good, while the Joker leans toward evil. However, in the anime series, Gali is one of the major villains, and a Joker one of his best servants. Gali appear in Monster Rancher, Monster Rancher 2, Monster Rancher Battle Card GB, Monster Rancher Battle Card: Episode II, and Monster Rancher Advanced 2.

    If you enter the computer demo disc from the #36 of The Next Generation Magazine you get a monster named MilkyWay. Its main part is Gali And subreed is ???.

    Garu

    Garu is a small bipedal lion monster. Known for their high energy as well as their cowardly ways, these monsters are great to start off with and raise throughout the games. It was introduced in Monster Rancher Advance 2, and is also available in Monster Rancher 4 and Monster Rancher EVO. They also look somewhat like Mogwai or Moombas from Final Fantasy VIII. Their techniques are normally fire-based combined with physical moves like his fire punch and fire kick attacks. One of the Saucer Shops in Monster Rancher EVO sells a Garu/??? that looks like Yoda from the Star Wars series.

    In Monster Rancher 4 you get one at the start of the game.

    Ghost

    Ghosts, first seen in the original Monster Rancher, are playable characters, but are not available at the start of the game. The character captures the soul of a breeder's last monster that is cursed, marked by a sign resembling a skull. Given the process, ghosts are extremely rare and difficult to obtain. They assume a humanoid form, without legs, but float instead. They often are characterized by their cute appearances and oversized top hats, where they can perform magic tricks.

    As a rather fitting attribute, Ghosts often rely on speed and magic to defeat their opponents. In Monster Rancher 2 have some monsters die and build a shrine. In a couple of years you will have to build it again, and years later you will clean and find a stick. Combine it with more monsters and you will get a Ghost.

    Gitan

    Gitan first appeared in Monster Rancher 3. Their appearance resembles a small floating purple dog demon, with long ears and tail and a short spear. They use a spear when fighting, as well as the spines on the end of their tails. Some of their attacks are based on magic as well. They are known for purposely getting themselves into trouble but it never works they way they intend it to. They are available at the start in Monster Rancher 4, and Monster Rancher EVO.

    Globsto

    A deep-sea monster introduced in Monster Farm Online. It resembles some sort of Cephalapod with a giant mouth and many tentacles.

    Golem

    They were first introduced in Monster Rancher, and were obtainable at the beginning of the game. In Monster Rancher 2, they needed to be unlocked by building a barn expansion large enough to accommodate their large size. They have appeared in every Monster Rancher video game to date. They are humanoid men comprised of craggy rocks, based on the Jewish golem. They have gone through several minor changes throughout the series.

    The Monster Rancher Golem, as well as the one from the anime and merchandise, all have an Egyptian-styled face with a goatee. In Monster Rancher 2, they lost the beard and their face became more European. In Monster Rancher 3, their faces are simplistic boulders with holes for a mouth and two eyes. They return to earlier, detailed designs in Monster Rancher 4. They are known for their great physical strength and defense.

    In combining, they usually add to these qualities while reducing speed. They are excellent at basic physical attacks such as chops and punches. They can also break apart and reconstruct themselves, allowing them to launch bits and pieces of them as projectiles or rapidly spin around to become a massive tornado.

    Hare

    They were first introduced in Monster Rancher and easily available. Originally named "Ham", as a reference to hamsters, they are bipedal rabbits. According to polls in Japan, Hares are the most popular of all the Monster Rancher monsters. They have appeared in every Monster Rancher game to date except Monster Rancher Advance. Despite their popularity, they are rarely featured as basic monsters, but can be obtained easily via CDs.

    If you appraise a monster with Enter the Matrix in Monster Rancher 4 you get a subreed called Spyhare. They are humanoid rabbits with large fists and cute expressions. They are friendly, but known to be intelligent and selfish, especially when it comes to food. They specialize in high attack power, as well as high speed. Their attack style revolves around boxing, kicking, and even flatulence. Hare also appeared in the Monster Rancher anime, as one of the heroes. He always had fights with Tiger of the Wind.

    Henger

    A mysterious type of monster that was built with lost technology from an ancient civilization. They are a robotic species that can take many forms, most commonly being a humanoid, hence the name: Henge means transform in Japanese. Generally they are shown being able to transform between a humanoid form and a hovering UFO-like form. Current in-game science has no idea how it moves or what it’s made out of. Hengers have appeared in several of the Monster Rancher games and attack with technology based weapons that are attached to their bodies including lasers and drills and on some occasionally missiles and bullets.

    In the anime, the Hengers are moved by solar energy.

    Hopper

    A Hopper is a small monster resembling a sugar glider, bush baby, or lemur. These energetic monsters appeared in Monster Rancher 2 and are normally seen hopping or digging around the ranch. They rely on boxing moves, and have a lot of accuracy. This means that their moves almost always hit their opponents. Although fairly weak, they are needed to unlock Undine, Niton, and Zilla.

    Icheyo

    A monster to be introduced in Monster Farm Online. It is very similar to Panchos, even having nearly identical animations. They are small, pink, impish-creatures that disguise themselves as rabbits by hiding under a rabbit-slipper like costume.

    Jell

    Jells are blue amoeba-like creatures with solid red cores. They can will their bodies into various different shapes in combat and generally assume the form of hairless, legless humanoids from the waist up. The color varies depending on the subspecies. The Jell's appearance varied slightly for Monster Rancher 3, becoming shorter and slightly fatter, becoming less humanoid. It resembled instead a roundish blob with arms.

    A Jell attacks by forming itself into various weapons, punching with its amorphous arms, or forming itself into a blob and hitting the enemy with momentum.

    Jill

    Not to be confused with Jell, these creatures resemble a large white haired yeti-type creature. They appear as playable monsters in Monster Rancher 2, and as a regional Lord in Monster Rancher 3. In order to unlock them you must send a monster to the torles mountains expedition where they will find a footprint in a snowman shaped cave. Once you obtain the footprint send a monster on the speed erantery and they will fight an evil Jill named bighands. Once they defeat him you will get a pair of boots.

    After getting the boots use them in combining and you will have a Jill. They use attacks similar to Golem's, using kicks, slaps, and body slams. They can also have ice-based techniques like snowstorm and cold breath.

    Joker

    Joker is a Grim Reaper-like monster that floats in the air wearing a cloak and, originally, a demonic clown mask, who carries an oversize scythe as a weapon. It appears to have no body. Described in Monster Rancher EVO as "The embodiment of death". Jokers are usually one of the hardest monsters to acquire in the Monster Rancher games and can be very powerful. The Joker was introduced in Monster Rancher 2 and has appeared in every game since. In almost every game they are described as brutal, cruel, and vicious and they attack with their scythes and a variety of magical attacks.

    To get a Joker in Monster Rancher 2 go to the volcano a second time, and you will find a mask. Combine it with any two monsters and it makes a Joker.

    Kato

    A Kato is a small cat that looks very old, though it is not very strong in power, its intelligence and Skill are very high. Katos also like to drink oil and smoke. They have the power to breathe fire after they drink the oil. They also use attacks involving their long, razor-sharp claws. Katos have only appeared in Monster Rancher 2. The purebred Katos resemble Karin from Dragonball.

    Kikimo

    A small fox-like monster with three tails, to be introduced in Monster Farm Online.

    Korunu

    A monster to be introduced in Monster Farm Online. It is a large creature with the body of an ape, but the head and mane of a bison.

    Lesione

    First appearing in Monster Rancher 3, they are very popular monsters resembling a blue Plesiosaur or the Loch Ness Monster. It uses many voice-based attacks as well as a few moves using horn or body slams and even has a couple of water attacks. Many of their moves are very acrobatic. These monsters are known for being large and strong but at the same time remaining kind and gentle.

    Madillo

    They appeared in Monster Rancher 4. They look like humanoid armadillos with a shell on their back, and use their shell for most of their techniques. When rolled up into a ball, they become very deadly. For certain attacks, it can also remove its shell, and when it does this, it becomes very fast.

    Magic

    Only available in the original Monster Rancher, these monsters are virtually gods or deities in their original form. Their original name was Majin, and they resemble depictions of the corresponding creatures from Japanese legends. They hide away in Galis and Monols in order to interact with humans, being too shy to show their true form. In order to receive a Magic, the player must raise a monster to reach A Class and receive an invitation to the Fall Invitational (nee Gold Cup) where the only opponent is a Magic named Soro. The host of the tournament explains how to get one after the player defeats Soro.

    They can be taken out of hiding by combining a Gali, a Monol, and a Magic Mirror found by exploring. Magics can use all types of attacks effectively and are skilled in all areas.

    Mamuu

    A woolly mammoth monster introduced in Monster Farm Online. It has a large set of tusks as well as a pair of ram-like horns.

    Maya

    A monster that first appears in Monster Rancher EVO as the mother of a lost boy named Tico. The Mayas appearance is similar to a green panther with glowing, energy wings.

    Metalner

    Exclusive to Monster Rancher 2, these monsters resemble alien-like robots with bodies shaped like flying saucers and faces resembling kachina dolls. They are rumored to have come from outer space, and are obtainable after a few special cutscenes at night where strange lights are seen followed by a crash on the horizon. Being extraterrestrial in nature, their attacks are often whimsical and eccentric along with being mechanical in nature, making them similar to Henger. They excel at skill and intelligence attacks, but suffer low stats in other areas.

    Mocchi

    Mocchi is a monster that resembles mochi, the Japanese food made of pounded rice, and a duck. It has soft milky skin and a shell-like form of scales on its back. It's considered an extremely popular monster and first appears in Monster Rancher 2 then every game after it. It's also one of the main characters in the Monster Rancher anime series. A few of their attacks involve powerful storm of cherry blossom petals, curling into a ball then slamming into the enemy or expelling a massive beam from its mouth.

    Mock

    This monster resembles an old dying oak tree, with a sinister face. In Monster Rancher 2, Mock is unlocked by obtaining and planting some mysterious seeds. After several in-game years, a Mock will appear after you allow a monster to die. Their attacks consist mostly of shooting leaves and twigs. In Monster Rancher 4, a huge tree by the name of Mockruji is located upon your ranch. It is in fact a monster, but no known canon connections can be made.

    In the game Mockruji is your spirit tree, that powers your machines.

    It also appears that in Monster Rancher EVO, one fights a huge version of this creature as a boss in the Grabad Factory area.

    Mogi

    Mogi is a fusion between a dog and a mole; they have a drill on their heads which resembles a hat or toboggan. They appeared in Monster Rancher 3 and Monster Rancher 4. Mogis have a sense of rhythm that makes them fun as a monster, however their break dance is quite potent as an attack. Mogis have a reputation of making horribly ugly monsters when combined, such as the infamous Mocchilips (Mogi/Mocchi) of Monster Rancher 4. Some of their techniques involve the drill on their head whether it is to break the ground below his enemy or to perform a dance move.

    If you enter Spirited Away you get a Japanese priest.

    In Monster Rancher EVO, a pair of robotic Mogi are used for the Bamboo Dance trick.

    Monol

    They resemble a large, flat, rectangular wall made of stone. Their names derive from their shape, since they are based on the Monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey. They appeared in Monster Rancher, Monster Rancher 2, Monster Rancher Battle Card: Episode II, and Monster Rancher Advance 2. Strangely, they can morph their surface to resemble a face, or use as a weapon by creating spikes or tendrils. If you raise a pure Monol in Monster Rancher 1 and raise its fame to 80 and drop it to 65, it will become a Scribble.

    Combine it with another Monol and it will become a Doodle. Combine it with any other monster it will become a Sketch. A Monol is actually a Magic whose true form is hidden. They often create evil or dark monsters when combined. In Monster Rancher Evo, a Monol is one of the bosses that the characters must face to progress the story. In the anime series, a Monol was found by Genki and Holly inside of a "mystery disc" (the disc stone).

    It knows a lot about Moo, Phoenix and everything before the monsters are sealed in discs. Its principal characteristic is sleep during its stories.

    In addition, a huge Monol is one of the bosses in Monster Rancher EVO. Though the person typing this is not sure, the typist thinks that the Monol boss is encountered in the dungeon for the Campana area.

    Momo

    Momo first appeared in Monster Rancher 3. Momos bear a resemblance to chubby squirrels. They are always seen carrying a nut of some type in their paws, and are usually shown with their eyes completely closed. They replaced Katos from Monster Rancher 2.

    Naga

    They were first introduced in Monster Rancher, and were obtainable at the beginning of the game. They have continued to appear in every Monster Rancher game. Naga was also the fourth and last of the chief villains in the anime series.They are humanoid serpents with stingers on their tails. They are known for being violent and vicious.

    They have a variety of attacks, using poisonous fangs. Nagas also use Int-based attacks like their eye beam and energy shots. They are based on the mythological Naga and take their name from them.

    Niton

    The Niton is an ammonite-like monster wearing a nautilus shell and first appeared in Monster Rancher 2. Nitons could only be unlocked by raising a monster known as a Hopper and having it dig up a hot springs. This is also the method to unlock access to two other monsters, Undine and Zilla. They use their shells for some of their attacks. They also use strong electric-based techniques which they produce from their tentacles.

    Mew

    The species is also known as Nya.They were first introduced in Monster Rancher, and were obtainable only after buying a special cat doll that appeared in the shop and using it in a combination, in the 1026. In Monster Rancher 2, there's another method to unlock them besides the shop method: winning the IMA vs FIMBA Tournament (unlocking also Gali, Henger and Worm). They have appeared in every Monster Rancher game to date. They are small yellow stuffed toy cats and are one of the more popular species of monsters in the games. They are known for using tricky attacks to sap their opponent's willpower since their Intelligence stats tend to be very high.

    Mew is also known for using singing attacks. In Monster Rancher 4 enter Cowboy Bebop: Movie you can get a subreed called HipMew. If one enters a copy of Nirvana's Nevermind CD into Monster Rancher 2, they will obtain a sub-breed known as the Swimmer, which is rather comical-looking when one compares it to the CD cover.

    Octopee

    Octopee was a monster that appeared in Monster Rancher 3, as well as the two other Monster Rancher Advance games. It basically resembles an octopus with the addition of huge puppy-dog eyes. Even though they appear harmless, they can be formidable opponents if trained properly. Their attacks involve them using their tentacles or squirting ink.

    Ogyo

    Ogyos are a pink, dolphin-like fish that first appeared in Monster Rancher 3. Unlike regular fish, however, they travel by flying through the sky instead of actually swimming through water (although they are capable of doing both). They have a heart shaped wand/headpiece on their heads, and semitransparent yellow ribbons coming from the side of their heads. Ogyos use energy-based attacks like ice beams and thunder, and their best stats are usually intelligence and speed. Ogyos have been described as being slightly domineering.

    Pancho

    The Pancho is nothing more than a pumpkin with an animated, humanoid seed living inside it. It uses several rolling attacks and likes to surprise its enemies. Not surprisingly, it has very high defensive abilities since it lives inside shells or hard surfaced things. They were first introduced in Monster Rancher Explorer as a weak enemy. They were first available as unlockable characters in Monster Rancher 3 (although it was not available to breeders below B rank).

    They have appeared in every game since. Most of the time Panchos are found peeking or remaining hidden within their shell but have been known to leave them whenever they are hit hard enough or to perform certain techniques. Pancho techniques usually involve surprises as well as various items such as pea shooters, extending huge boxing gloves, and party crackers. In some games there is a treasure chest version named JackInTheCho, which has a concept like that of the Mimic monster that is a staple in many RPGs. They are known to be extremely adorable, and also come in different objects, such as a bell.

    Phoenix

    The Phoenix is a large bird that has flames engulfing its body. It’s a legendary and very powerful monster that has to be unlocked in every game it appears in. It’s always depicted as an extremely good-natured monster and is a hero in the anime series. Phoenix appears as the result from the combination of the five protagonist monsters of the series: Mocchi, Golem, Suezo, Hare and Tiger. It's also based on a creature in ancient Egyptian and Japanese mythology and is described as a sacred firebird: a symbol of fire and divinity.It appears in Monster Rancher Explorer, Monster Rancher Battle Card , Monster Rancher Battle Card: Episode II, Monster Rancher Advance 2, Monster Rancher 2, and Monster Rancher 4. In Monster Rancher 4 it is available at the end of the game.

    In Monster Rancher 2 you get it when you go to the volcano a first time, and find a fire feather. Combine it with any two monsters you get a pure Phoenix.

    Piroro

    A clown-like monster who uses its body freely to do many performances. This monster first appears in Monster Rancher EVO and is the main characters starting monster. They resemble the Black Mage from the Final Fantasy series and the Heartless from the Kingdom Hearts series. Thier attacks involve using their ribbon-like arms to attack, and they can fire ice and shockwaves amongst other attacks.

    Pixie

    They were first introduced in Monster Rancher, and were easily obtainable. They appear in every game afterwards and are a popular source of fan service. Pixie was also the first of the chief villains in the anime series, ever accompanied of its protector Big Blue (Golem/Tiger).Pixies are female humanoids that are usually presented as a red, barely clothed demoness or faerie. They are disobedient, but use a variety of magical attacks combined with speed to sap the opponent's will to fight.

    In earlier games, techniques included kiss and megaray. They are also capable of formidable long-range magics such as blasts of lightning. In Monster Rancher 2, their breasts jiggle like in the video game series Dead Or Alive, which should be more noticeable, as this game actually generates a special Pixie based on the character Kasumi from Dead or Alive. They have a subreed known as Kung Fu.

    Plant

    Plants resemble a large bulb with leaves and flowers. They are capable of attacking with pollen or their leaf like limbs. One of their techniques involve shooting seeds from their leaves as if they were bullets. They also have the ability to drain an opponents energy and use it as their own (normally to recover themselves after being injured). Plants are known for their long lifespans and high life stat in the games.

    Many plants and main bred plants are seen throughout the Monster Rancher anime, normally as baddies that were working for Moo. They have a rare subreed that looks like a mushroom.

    Psiroller

    Also called Rhinoroller, it is a monster resembling a rhino riding on a large wheel that it uses to attack. Due to this wheel, they can move in high speeds and have very quick and powerful techniques like "drift," "0 to 60," and "Mega Roller." Even though they are on this roller most of the time, there are a few times when they do get off briefly for using techniques. It first appeared in Monster Rancher Explorer and has also appeared in Monster Rancher 3, Monster Rancher Advance, Monster Rancher Advance 2 and Monster Rancher 4.

    Raiden

    The Raiden species is a creature that resembles a humanoid bird of prey as tall as a man. They are masters of the martial arts, and most of their attacks feature kicks, chops, or punches. They first appeared in Monster Rancher 3 and must be unlocked in most games they appear in. In Monster Rancher 4 Raiden plays an important part of the first fourth of the storyline; the cave found on the player's ranch is home to the a large boss Raiden. After defeating him, the player is given a feather and can breed them from there after.

    Ripper

    The Ripper is a quick, kamaitachi monster that stands upright with a sharp, powerful look. The Ripper has sharp sickles on its arms that it uses in battle. The Ripper is known to have keen accuracy and high speed which is good when it comes to fighting. Like the mythical kamaitachi, they are able to control wind and ice and combine them to create strong attacks like their "mute cutter" and "ice pillar" techniques.

    Salamander

    A monster to be introduced in Monster Farm Online. It has some relation to the Mocchi breeds, and appears to be a small rabbit or mouse-like creature covered in pink fur. According to the developers blog, they are Arctic creatures which are popular with girls and known for being pampered. Not to be confused with a sub-breed of Zuum named Salamander.

    Shigue

    A parrot-like monster to be introduced in Monster Farm Online.

    Shignil

    A monster to be introduced in Monster Farm Online. It is a bipedal, heavily armored dragon, with a notably long horn on its nose.

    Suezo

    This one-eyed monster is naughty by nature. It is a natural with the "intelligence" aspect, and can eventually learn telekinesis. It also can use other strange attacks such as kissing a Monster to reduce its Guts (Energy to use attacks, similar to MP in various RPGs), or even engulfing them to give them a huge bite.

    Many unique forms of these Suezos are in the game, including the rare Albino Suezo enemy named Poritolka (trained for Holly, found in Legend Cup) and the man-made Sueki Suezo that you can unlock by using the Monster Rancher 1 game disc to create a monster in the world of Monster Rancher 2. Sueko Suezos have exemplary stats but die after 1 in-game week. This gives them 2 purposes: fighting in all-rank tournaments and fusion resulting in a new monster with decent stats for its age.

    Every Monster Rancher game has featured Suezos since the creation of the series. It is generally considered to be the main mascot of the series, and appears on most of the game covers, and is one of the easily selectable monsters from the start of every game, although they are difficult to raise because of their selfish personalities.

    Suzurin

    Suzurins are doll-like monsters that are obviously based on bells and first appeared in Monster Rancher Explorer as a collectible bonus during levels. It was not available as an unlockable monster until Monster Rancher 3. While they don't have any outstanding stats, their Defense or Intelligence stat tend to be their best. Suzurins weren't used much (especially in Monster Rancher Advance 2) because their attacks were rather poor, and the ones that did noticeable damage had abysmal accuracy rates. They received a major upgrade in Monster Rancher 4, with many of their attacks given higher damage rates and accuracy rates.

    Tiger

    Their name is a mistranslation of Rygar, referencing another video game series Tecmo has produced and should have been translated as "Raiga", the thunder fang. Tiger is also known as the 'Blue Gale'.They were first introduced in Monster Rancher as one of the three basic species, being oriented towards speed and special attacks. They grew very popular and have appeared in every Monster Rancher video game since then. They are blue, wolf-like monsters with horns on their heads.

    Besides an array of swift physical attacks, some of their special abilities include shooting electricity from their horns and breathing ice and wind. They are typically depicted living near and around Arctic mountains, but they are also popularly kept as pets by many people. It has a subreed called white wolf if regenerated from Princess Mononoke. If you enter Dead To Rights disc you get a tiger that looks like Jake Slate's huskie, Shadow. [Can vary from disc to disc and is different with every version of Monster Rancher..]

    Undine

    Undines are water spirits that resemble mermaids made of living water. Undines have very good Intelligence, but their energy is quite low. When a Hopper is raised to B rank it digs an up a hot spring and finds a tablet that creates an Undine when combined. Undine has appeared in Monster Rancher 2. In Monster Rancher 3, Monster Rancher 4, and Monster Rancher EVO, it appeared as a sub-breed of Pixie with Lesione DNA (called Windine).

    Most of their techniques are water-based and very strong.

    Worm

    They resemble their namesake, only they have large tusks and a tail that can spout poison or a large spike. They also resemble the creatures from the Tremors franchise. In Monster Rancher 2, Worms could become large beetle-like monsters known as Beaklons. This is considered a separate breed, and it has been featured instead of Worm in Monster Rancher 3, 4, and EVO. Still, references still remain to the original Worms, such as comparing Monster Rancher 4 and EVO's Jaguarbeat (Tiger/Beaklon) with MR2's Jagd Hound (Tiger/Worm).

    If you raise it for 3 years, and enter it in a tournament, it will turn into a cocoon.

    Wracky

    Little is known about this monster. It resembles a red-haired wooden doll wielding a razor blade and appears dressed in childish clothing. They are known for their techniques that involve stabbing or slashing. They are strongly reminiscent of Chucky from the Child's Play horror movie. In fact, the player's trainer in-game is known to name your first Wracky "Charles", which is a full name for the nickname Chuckie. In Monster Rancher 2, Wrackys are said to be one of the most dangerous and violent monsters.

    Originally, they're dolls given away to you for fans when you win high grade tournaments. So these dolls become alive when your monster dies, to replace it.

    Xenon

    A powerful, humanoid monster introduced in Monster Farm DS.

    Zan

    The Zan resembles a tall, black-shelled humanoid with appendages on its back that resemble the arms of a praying mantis. It is a merciless battle machine created by ancient science. They say it's even more intelligent than humans are. It attacks using the claws extending from its back, and also makes good use of its baffling speed. In every game they are featured in they must be unlocked and are usually very hard to get as a result. In Monster Rancher EVO the Zan can be used from the beginning.

    In Monster Farm Online, they were drastically redesigned to resemble humanoid scorpions, although they retain the general shape of their original appearance, with the claws emerging from their backs.

    Zilla

    Zilla is a large monster that greatly resembles a furry, humanoid blue whale. It is exclusive to the Monster Rancher 2 and Battle Card PlayStation video games and hasn't appeared since. It is a hulking creature specializing in extreme power while sacrificing speed. It is obtained when a B class Hopper digs up a spring in the winter. Zilla can be created through combining with the Zilla Beard item, found in the beach training area.

    Their name may be a reference to Godzilla, whose original Japanese name means "gorilla whale", as Zilla resembles a cross between an ape and a humpback whale.

    Zuum

    Zuums are easily-domesticated quick-footed and dinosaur-like monsters used in place of horses in the Monster Rancher world. They are considered cousins to the popular Dinos, and love to play. Their attacks are similar to Dinos: using the tail, flames out of mouth and quick combo moves using the legs, tail or both.

    They resembled the Dino breed except for the multiple crests upon their heads and the snout, which is shaped more like a beak. Enter "GOLDGIFT" in Monster Rancher Advance 2 to get a special Zuum.