Death Analysis: Misogi Kumagawa (Medaka Box)

 



"I want to beat them. Even though I'm not cool, or strong, or just, or beautiful, or cute, or pretty, I want to beat the cool, strong, just, beautiful, cute, and pretty people. Even though I wasn't blessed with talent, even though I'm stupid and have a bad personality, have bad grades, am misguided and am a good for nothing, I want to beat the talented, smart, likeable, overachieving people. I want to beat those with friends when I can't have friends. I want to beat the people who work hard when I can't work hard. I want to beat the the victorious people when I can't win. I want to beat the happy people when I'm miserable. Even if I'm hated, even if I'm despised, even if I'm useless, I want to prove that I'm better than the main characters!"

Written by Nisio Isin and illustrated by Akira Akatsuki in 2009, Medaka Box was one of the many Shonen Jump manga of its time, narrating the occurrences of Medaka Kurokami, the perfect student council president of Hakoniwa Academy, and the various challenges that she faced across. She will have to face during her stay on the podium together with her childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, having in mind only one mission, to help others no matter the time, place or situation.

At first glance it might seem that the franchise could be generic, but the twists behind it have shown me otherwise all the time. One of my favorite series from all time for lots of things behind, such as the concepts threated and characters who developed of not so conventional ways.

Being the most beloved character of his entire series, with thousands and thousands of votes for fan favorite character, thanks to his underdog premise that was something particular at the time, Misogi Kumagawa was the one who, in short, saved the franchise from a decline due to its weak start, providing one of the most interesting arcs in the entire manga, the Minus Arc. Being so much, that he got his own spin-off series under the name of "Good Looser Kumagawa", divided into an anime episode, a mini series of extra chapters of the manga and 2 light novels.

Out of all the Medaka Box reps, I feel like he would be the one to try or have an episode of, outside his decent popularity, appealing attitude and character and animation potential, his kit is what has likely made him so infamous in the versus community. User of one of the most powerful abilities ever done, All Fiction.

Background


Everything about Kumagawa is an absolute mystery. Known as the minus that crawls from chaos, his past has been given to us very briefly, as he was one of multiple children who attended a checkup at the Hakoniwa Hospital for the Abnormal. He first meets Medaka Kurokami, telling her about one of his ideologies regarding humans being born without purpose. Moments later arriving with Hitomi Hitoyoshi for the checkup, but subjecting her to letting him go with two conditions that involved being irresponsible in her workplace or in the area of ​​taking care of her child, clearly choosing the latter above all.

Time later for inexplicable reasons, he was chosen as president of Hakobune High School with 0% approval, with his council at his side, Misogi would take on the mission of destroying the world not so literally, but in some way or another to create his paradise. which caught Medaka's attention after being attacked by Akune Kouki, one of his lackeys. Later finding herself with the gloomy scene of Kumagawa tearing off Ajimu Najimi's face, seeking to confirm a "true feeling" with her, provoking Medaka's anger who, after a battle in when she awakened her war god mode, would defeat Kumagawa who even then, never managed to change his mind, but finding a mission in life, and that is to defeat the absurdly powerful goddess, Ajimu Najimi.

Between school and the school he was expelled from, he would finally find a place in which he would take the presidency again after defeating a tyrant under the name of Jakago, this is nothing more and nothing less than the Suisou academy. Where he would establish a friends-hate  relationship with Saki Sukinasaki, another Minus visionary of the bunch. Being subjected to some situations with users of abnormalities or minuses, being guided from time to time by Ajimu Najimi so that in one way or another he would know the taste of something that has marked him since then, a victory among a lot of defeats. He at this point was the Good Loser.

Facing off with Saki and finally putting a checkmate erasing her memories of that academy. Misogi would transfer to Hakoniwa in search of taking its power to continue his dream of destroying the world and facing his greatest nemesis once again, Medaka. But of course not without first having the help of a group of Minus and Shiranui Hansode called class -13.

After multiple clashes, Kumagawa was finally defeated by fair means and reformed in a certain way by Medaka and the others at last. Becoming vice president and helping as much as possible against situations that arise, potentially betraying or not others when he pleases, laughing and moving forward despite adversity, still looking for a victory to be proud of.

Abilities and Equipment

Screws


Misogi's main weapons of choice. A bunch of screws that seemingly appear out of thin air to impale people in a way to tell a message of "Screw Them". He can summon them anytime anywhere he wants.

Minus Physiology


In Hakoniwa Academy, there's exactly 3 types of students. Normals (Regular People), Specials (Have a certain talent) and Abnormals (People with superpowers and unnatural luck) homever, there's a variation from the laters known as Minus.

Given abnormalities come from personality, this explains Minus' harmful and twisted nature and feelings. Misogi is far from normal as he has shown multiple times, showing specific stuff via the side he's categorized.

Kumagawa's most terrifying Minus and one of the most broken abilities in verse. All Fiction allows to turn everything into nothing, make everything as if never happened. And when I mean everything, I really mean it. This was a gift from Ajimu Najimi, originally having as base "Hundred Gauntlets", an ability to switch cause and effect, Misogi developed into something could take both away. It is to note he doesn't even needs to use his hands, just with a thought is fine. It also seemingly twists the space around him sometimes.

April Fiction


After almost dying once by work of Iihiko Shishime and after Anshin'in-san's death, Misogi was given two main skills as Ajimu's last gift. Hundred Gautlets, a casuality ability, and Unskilled, an ability to not use abilities for around 3 minutes, by mixing them Misogi created "April Fiction", which is able to make things as they never existed for 3 minutes.

Non Fiction


All Fiction's last evolution. Which allows him to essentially return things he has already erased.

Book Maker


Misogi's original Minus. The manifestation of one of his biggest wishes to make strong people to take a bite of what feels to be a Minus. Creating a screw with a "-" head instead of the regular "+", he stabs his opponents with it, seemingly not making much damage but instead, "sealing them". Reducing their skill, intelect, strenght and soul/feelings to the user's own, also removing their abilities.
After some time, he also improved on making a extension of his ability. Called Leg Eating Forest, which essentially turns the battlefield into a bunch of Book Maker screws.

Imagination Manifestation


In Akune's words, Kumagawa is able to "Impose" in others the image of something he imagines, his own fantasy. 

4th Wall Awareness


Coming from a meta fictional manga, Misogi can actually break the 4th wall, being aware of being a manga character like Ajimu and Medaka. 

Feats:

Overall:


"「Do you think it's cool not to smile? If you go through life like that though, you wouldn't notice. You can't be close to being a Minus like that. Even if things don't go the way you want them to. Even if you lose. Even if you don't win. Even if you look like an idiot. Even if you're walked on. Even if you're kicked. Even if you're sad. Even if you're bitter. Even if you're tired of it all. Even if it hurts. Even if it's hard. Even if you're weak. Even if you aren't right. Even if you're humble. Through all of that, we Minus always laugh.」"

Strenght

Speed

Durability

Weaknesses

Scaling

Medaka Kurokami

Like cats and dogs, like water and oil, this two are absolute polar opposites when it comes to everything yet as electric charges they attract. Medaka and Misogi have fought since forever and they're incredibly matched despite Kumagawa always resulting in loosing.

Medaka has a bunch of feats in her regular basis. Which include most notably:

Zenkichi Hitoyoshi


They're in a strange situation of half rivalry and half friendship. But they have encountered and faced multiple times, defeating each other just almost same times. 

Hitoyoshi has some notable scaling and some feats such as:

Summary

Advantages in a DB

  • One of the most broken abilities to ever exist in all-fiction
  • Has a interesting moveset that can make for lots of situations (Screws, different All Fiction usages depending the context or who he's facing and even a background changing)
  • Really really good banter potential given his comedic personality yet also surprisingly pretty deep traits.
  • One of the most original and unique characters to ever appear in the Shonen Jump.
  • Owns a complete set of high quality sprites. And an alright-ish 3D model from J-Stars.
  • Best Medaka Box character
  • Voiced by Megumi Ogata.

Disadvantages in a DB

  • Is the definition and embodiment of a looser. Somehow everything goes wrong to him.
  • Has only one anime episode (And will not get a S3/His arc animated)
  • Can die rather easily all the time.
  • Has no that much of a good ideas in general.
In general where would Kumagawa should be placed in stats?

This is a weird question given he's a hax based character. But if we went through the overall.

Strenght and Durability: Multi City Block (Matching Medaka and Zenkichi)

Through hax: Universal+ (Erased the concept of color from the universe, stated to be able to turn "the world" into nothing. Sealed a copy of Ajimu with Book Maker, who was part of the big bang)

Speed: Relativistic+ to possibly Speed of Light (Engaged a fight with Medaka who's able to casually move at Sub-Light speed and with her Altered God Mode's Kurokami Phantom at the speed of light). Possibly Faster than Light (Blitzed an exact copy of Ajimu who should be comparable to Iihiko, who dodged Medaka's Final Kurokami Phantom which surpassed her before versions that saved speed. Due the inconsistency as the latter being the fastest feat in verse, could be an outlier)

His time erasing could also give him a pseudo teleport and likely erase his limits in that side, but is just up to consideration.

Suggested Opponents

Tomura Shigaraki

  • Shonen Jump Villains that want to destroy society as we know it.
  • Geeks
  • Context of academies with super powers.
  • Leaders of a team conformed by incredibly twisted people.
  • Have a hatred towards someoene couldn't help them, casually being the supposed symbols of hope and peace.
  • Guided by high authorities who gave them a overpowered skill that start with "All"

Accelerator

  • Anime anti-heroes with a popularity enough to gain spin-off series.
  • Context of academies with super powers.
  • After being defeated by the main character, changed their mindset for good.
  • Overpowered abilities
  • The Strongest and #1 Esper against The Weakest Man in the World.
  • They get paired in MUGEN a lot and have some debates around.

Giorno Giovanna

  • Teens with a dream they wanna achieve badly.
  • Overpowered Acasuality abilities (Main point from the multiple debates)












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