Most of the main characters of Ayu-Mayu Alternative have appeared in other series in one form or another. Minor characters have also been created for this story, and a fair number of them are references to other anime series as well.
Ibuki Jun[]
伊吹 純 (いぶき じゅん)
A typical session of Ibuki Fantasy Vision.
In the world of Ayu-Mayu Alternative, Ibuki Jun, the main character, is a super-powered warrior known as a Sakimori, a being embued with mystical powers by a mythical force; his zodiac sign is the dog, and his official title is Jun of the Hound. Like before, his love for Daikuuji Ayu, along with his (highly imaginative) personal delusions, is his strongest point, and his greatest weakness. This has brought him no small amount of conflict with Tamano Mayu, whose Sakimori persona is greatly focused on Ayu as well.
Jun, an orphan who was picked up by the D-Plan, is considered a junior Sakimori within the order, and is the only one of the younger warriors to have fought against Daryusai's revolt.
After being de-powered, following Daryusai's rebellion, he worked in the PX of Chofu Base, and was permanently assigned as the resident dishwasher. Sometime soon after, he began training under G-Guy after encountering the mysterious person, who had prompted him to enter the female bathing area under the basis of "protecting Ayu and Himiko". Despite his capabilities as a Sakimori, he is ill-suited to fighting with more conventional means, easily losing to Mayu in a simulated TSF battle in a matter of seconds.
Surviving G-Guy's hellish training, his physical capabilities eventually improve to far beyond his peers' abilities, giving him confidence in himself. He also had several chances to talk to Ayu (as Himiko), giving him the drive to prove his strength to her. However, his self-confidence takes a severe dip when, after defeating Mayu in simulated TSF combat, he is berated by Himiko for his blind pursuit of a single target rather than situational awareness and concern for his own team members. It takes both Mayu and G-Guy to scold him out of his stupor, after which he becomes a much more decisive person.
He later goes on to pilot the Hinokagutsuchi alongside Ayu and Mayu, once Himiko and the Cat Sakimori leave their mortal bodies. With the memories of G-Guy's and Himiko's words pushing him on, he resolves to make proper use of his power - but with Himiko asleep once more upon the conclusion of the Hinokagutsuchi's battle, he is now back to being an ordinary person, and the same person who is always being rebuffed by Ayu whenever he tries to get close to her.
Daikuuji Ayu[]
大空寺 あゆ (だいくうじ あゆ)
In the world of Ayu-Mayu Alternative, Daikuuji Ayu's body is also the vessel of the leader of the Sakimori, Himiko (女皇, originally read as jouou), who once led a group of warriors in an enormous conflict involving all the Sakimori. Emerging victorious, she used her power to organize a system of a group of Sakimori based on the twelve animals of the zodiac, and the four mythical beasts of legend, the system that remains in use today; she represents the center of the system, represented by the mythical kirin. The current system of the Sakimori has them acting as her personal guards.
Her powers also allow her to see into the future, helping her to pick the best option available for the best outcome possible.
Ayu underwent a personality change after becoming Himiko, losing her brash and loud personality, becoming a much more silent and brooding individual. While willing to help out her fellow Sakimori in the PX, her cooking skills are, for all intents and purposes, non-existent.
It is later revealed that, during Daryusai's rebellion, the persona known as Himiko awakened in time to prevent Daryusai from annihilating Nessa, Jun, and Kenzou, and easily overpowered Daryusai's own attempt to fight back. She theorized that her own troubles in manifesting as Himiko until that day was partially attributed to the lack of detectable "negative emotions" from the BETA, as well as humanity's relative prosperity prior to the BETA's arrival.
While fair to all the Sakimori serving her, Jun's pursuit of Tamano during a mock combat exercise, ignoring teammate Onda Hina's need for support, results in her unleashing her anger upon him. She manages to reconcile with Jun later on, and with the onset of a BETA attack, follows a captured G-Guy, alongside her Sakimori, to the ruins of the Daikuuji Research Facility, where the secrets of the research her father was performing was revealed.
Himiko later realizes that the lack of Nayuta power is due to extra-dimensional effects caused by the battle between G Guy and the detonations of numerous black hole bombs done by his alien foes, and, along with the Cat Sakimori, leave to seal up the dimensional leak that has been sucking up Nayuta power.
Freed from being a vessel for a divine being, Ayu is back to her normal self, along with her loud personality. Wresting control of the Hinokagutsuchi from G Guy, Mayu, Jun, and her arrive in time to save the other Sakimori from the BETA, and barely escaped with their lives intact when the Imperial Japanese and UN forces shell their location.
At the end, the spirit of Himiko eventually falls into slumber because of her deeds, removing Nayuta power from all Sakimori. As the Sakimori no longer have any place in the Japanese military proper, Ayu decides to embark on a search for her brother, Daikuuji Gaiou, to confirm his status for herself.
Tamano Mayu[]
Tamano Mayu, when not exposed to undiluted Ibuki Jun.
玉野 まゆ (たまの まゆ)
In the world of Ayu-Mayu Alternative, Mayu is also a Sakimori; her sign is the cat, despite there being no zodiac sign of the cat within Himiko's system. She has a terrible dislike for Jun, partially because of his feelings for Ayu. Her attachment to Himiko can be said to border on obsessive, and it occasionally slips though her emotional facade.
Like Ayu, Mayu underwent a personality change, and her current restrained attitude is a far cry from her former bubbly self. When questioned, she attributed her behavior to incidences that occurred during the previous manifestations of the Cat Sakimori.
The Cat Sakimori later leaves Mayu's body to follow Himiko, and Mayu reverts to her normal, cheerful self.
G Guy[]
(ｼﾞｰｶﾞｲ)
Mysterious man with deadly eyes; he's very brash, loud, and most of all, irritatingly infallible. He is not a Sakimori; however, he is able to produce Nayuta power, despite he himself not recognizing it as such, and, according to Jun, his aura is quite overpowering. He suffers from partial memory loss, and chiefly remembers a lady with a piercing gaze.
First meeting Ibuki Jun in Chofu Base, he takes the young fighter under his wing, toughening him up with harsh physical training. The two shared a short mentor-student relationship, G Guy doing all he could to impart his own brand of reasoning on Jun, with the young Sakimori trying to keep up as best as he could.
When he is later captured by the Sakimori, he divulges his past; he once came from a different world, where he had the power to change forms, and had been engaged in a massive battle with aliens that had come to invade Earth. Defeating the aliens, he also survived their desperate attempts to be rid of him by using black hole bombs, although not without severe injuries. When he regained consciousness, he found himself under the care of the Daikuuji Research Facility, in this current world.
Volunteering to help test and refine the Hinokagutsuchi, he pilots its second machine. On the day that one of the tests was successfully completed, however, an accident regarding a new Nayuta drive underneath the base results in its destruction; both Gaiou and G Guy successfully escape the initial blast, but when G Guy knocked Gaiou out close so he could tow the reactor with the second machine out to a safe location to dispose of it, his exertion of Nayuta power causes the energy buildup in the reactor to go off again, devastating the region, and blowing Gaiou away. After that incident, he worked tirelessly to restore and ready the Hinokagutsuchi, and would lead the Sakimori to it during the BETA attack on Yokohama Base. He was, however, passed over by Ayu, and missed his chance to avenge Daikuuji Maryū and Daikuuji Gaiou.
Left behind by the Sakimori, he was last seen searching for this world's version of his one and only flame.
Shimohara Kozue[]
下原 こずえ (しもはら こずえ)
A Sakimori, her zodiac sign is the rat. She has a laid-back personality, both in and out of combat, and refers to Nessa as her senior, as she is of the same stature as Jun. As one of the earlier generations of Sakimori, she, like Jun, is capable of summoning her armor, but is not as experienced as the older members of the group. While carefree and easygoing, she has a dislike of people calling her by her family name.
She was also the one who suggested that the girls of the Sakimori (herself included, but sans Nessa) work in the Chofu Base PX as waitresses, to great success amongst the personnel of Chofu Base.
Later, she led Akari, Hina, and Erisu in battle, keeping the BETA from advancing through to Yokohama Base while the other Sakimori ventured into Mount Asama to uncover the secrets of the research facility underneath it. Her TSF, a Kagerou Kai, was struck down while covering Erisu, but she survived the blow, and continued to fight the BETA on foot with her armor summoned, alongside Kenzo, and later alongside the rest of the Sakimori who had arrived as reinforcements as well.
Yumeshiro Akari[]
夢城 明理 (ゆめしろ あかり)
A newcomer to the Sakimori, her zodiac sign is the dragon. Her official title is Akari of the Dragon, officially taking over the position that Daikuuji Maryū once occupied.
The most active and cheerful of the group, Akari is similar to Ibuki Jun in personality, without the obvious lack of common sense that Ibuki often displays. Being good friends with Hina and Erisu, she's the one who often galvanizes them into action with her positive attitude. Throughout her period at Chofu Base, Akari worked in the PX.
She later went on to fight alongside her friends against the BETA while under Kozue's command, piloting a Kagerou Kai.
Onda Hina[]
恩田 姫奈 (おんだ ひな)
A newcomer to the Sakimori, her zodiac sign is the tiger. Her official title is Hina of the Tiger.
The more serious and down-to-earth of her group of friends, Hina is more well-versed in knowledge regarding the Sakimori and other matters, and is also more mature and realistic in her worldview. As a close friend of Akari and Erisu, Hina is the one often offering a reasonable counter to their assumptions, and is less prone to panic when faced with a situation; she is also less believing of seemingly ridiculous situations, such as G-Guy's confession about being from a parallel universe. Throughout her period at Chofu Base, Hina worked in the PX.
She later went on to fight alongside her friends against the BETA while under Kozue's command, piloting a Kagerou Kai.
Otori Erisu[]
鳳 恵理澄 (おおとり えりす)
A newcomer to the Sakimori, her zodiac sign is the ox. She had inherited her new title and position from Bazora, her official title being Erisu of the Taurus.
Of the three, Erisu is more laid-back and polite compared to Akari and Hina, and rarely gets excited over anything. She tends to make observations and ask questions, but is generally approachable and friendly. Throughout her period at Chofu Base, Erisu worked in the PX.
She later went on to fight alongside her friends against the BETA while under Kozue's command, piloting a Kagerou Kai.
Sakiyama Kenzou[]
Power levels? Please.
崎山 健三 (さきやま けんぞう)
A Sakimori, his zodiac sign is the lamb. His ultimate technique is to generate a force field, the Crystal Barrier (水晶防壁, suishō bōheki), which is strong enough to block attacks from Laser-class BETA. His official title is Kenzou of the Ram.
He was the first to Mount Asama following the rebellion and the accident, but was unable to detect Gaioh, Maryū, and Hayato, and could only recognize a large, singular source of Nayuta power. Afterwards, he was sent to watch over the injured Suikara and perform other duties, returning during the last battle to aid Kozue, Akari, Hina, and Erisu in battle as a Sakimori. His age signifies his battle experience, an example being when he used the Crystal Barrier to not only block lasers, but charging Destroyer-class, resulting in a massive pile-up that stopped even more BETA in their tracks.
Utsuki Nessa[]
Nessa schools another upstart.
宇都木 涅沙 (うつぎ ねっさ)
A Sakimori, her zodiac sign is the hare. She acts as the mentor to all of the junior Sakimori as well as their cadets, and is the one responsible for their training. Her official title is Nessa of the Hare.
Her ultimate technique is called Lunar Crystal Force Ascension (月水 晶力 昇天, gessui shoryoku shōten).
Daikuuji Maryū[]
大空寺 真龍 (だいくうじ まりゅう)
Ayu's father, and the leader of the Daikuuji Financial Group. The former Dragon Sakimori, he is wheelchair-bound. Despite that, he wields considerable power as the head of the Daikuuji family,
His whereabouts remain unknown after the accident at the Mount Asama research facilities, during Daryusai's revolt. He went missing after the explosion at the Mount Asama research labs; as Akari was later identified as the Dragon Sakimori, Maryū has been presumed dead.
Daikuuji Gaiou[]
大空寺 凱王 (だいくうじ がいおう)
Ayu's brother. He's also one of the four special Sakimori representing the mythical beasts of the Four Symbols; his sign is Seiryū, the Azure Dragon. According to Kozue, the position he occupied, the Azure Dragon Sakimori, was once left vacant for 600 years straight.
Like Maryū, Gaiou also went missing after the accident at Mount Asama. However, as there was no Sakimori identified to take his place, Ayu decided that one of her primary goals was to search for him after the final battle.
Sukaira Hayato[]
Different series, different universes, dfferent characters, same swag.
栖海良 隼人 (すかいら はやと)
A Sakimori, his zodiac sign is the rooster; his sign is an indication of his speed, and he is likely the fastest amongst all of the Sakimori. His official title is Sukaira of the Shrike.
He was first summoned to the Daikuuji Financial Group's research labs at Mount Asama, and later hospitalized after a large-scale explosion at the reseach labs that occured during Daryusai's rebellion; although having recovered soon after the 12/5 Incident, he remained out of action for most of the story.
He used to piloted a Kagerou Kai, which was painted in blue, to match his armor. It was heavily damaged after he crashed it in the vicinity of Mount Asama due to the accident in the research labs, and was later found unconscious and heavily injured by Nessa, hours after the end of Daryusai's rebellion.
He spent most of his time in the Daikuuji General Hospital, only returning for the final battle.
Tsukuyomi Bazora[]
月詠 芭空 (つくよみ ばぞら)
A Sakimori, he is also the former bearer of the Ox zodiac sign. He is fairly strong and skilled even amongst the Sakimori, managing to overpower Baki and Hook one after the other, and even getting close enough to damage Daryusai himself in a self-sacrificing attack. However, this resulted in great damage to him, and he passed on his powers and title to Erisu, presumably retiring from being a Sakimori.
His official title was Bazora of the Taurus.
Ankokuhora Daryusai[]
闇刻洞 蛇柳斎 (あんこくほら だりゅうさい)
A Sakimori, his zodiac sign is the snake. He led a rebellion against Ayu and her allied Sakimori some time before, or during, the 12/5 Incident, as he believed the Earth to be beyond saving from the BETA, and wished to usurp Ayu's position as the supreme leader of the Sakimori, so as to allow him to remake a new world to his liking. As a Sakimori, he is fairly powerful, and is easily more than a match for any single one of them; he is contemptuous of anyone whom he deems as weak.
Himiko spared his life, however, and ordered him to perform penance for his actions from the shadows, rather than executing him outright, as she felt that his one life was not worth any more than any others' to be worthy of execution. Returning in the final battle with Baki, Hook, and Satoru, he aided the other Sakimori in battle against the BETA, and later disappeared at the conclusion.
Baki[]
バキ (ばき)
A Sakimori, his zodiac sign is the boar. He followed Daryusai in his rebellious actions against the other Sakimori, and later in the final battle as well.
Hook[]
フック (フック)
A Sakimori, his zodiac sign is the horse. He followed Daryusai in his rebellious actions against the other Sakimori, and later in the final battle as well.
His ultimate technique called the Swift-Horse Hundred-Strike Fist (駿馬 百裂 拳, shunme hyakuretsu ken), which Jun managed to emulate with the Hinokagutsuchi.
Satoru[]
悟 (さとる)
A Sakimori, his zodiac sign is the monkey. He followed Daryusai in his rebellious actions against the other Sakimori, and later in the final battle as well.
Trivia[]
- The concept of the Sakimori is based off the Saints of Saint Seiya, an entirely different anime series. While the Saints are based on the Western Zodiac, the Sakimori are based on the Japanese versions of the Chinese Zodiac and the Four Symbols.
- Despite the adherence to the Chinese zodiac, both Bazora and Erisu are identified as Sakimori of the Taurus (トロス), a western astrology zodiac sign represented by a bull.
- Throughout the course of Ayu-Mayu Alternative, Mayu, Akari, Hina, and Erisu have never appeared in their Sakimori armor.