is a Japanese
light novel
A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a ''wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...
series by Takumi Hiiragiboshi with illustrations by Yū Asaba.
Media Factory
, formerly is a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing.
History
It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd. Media Factory was possi ...
has published eleven volumes since 2012 under their
MF Bunko J
is a publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company Media Factory. It was established in July 2002 and is a light novel label that is aimed at young adult males with a focus on visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is ...
imprint. It has received two
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
adaptations. A 12-episode
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series adaptation by
Eight Bit aired between January 4 and March 22, 2015.
Plot
Tor Kokonoe enrolls in Koryo Academy, a high school where its students battle each other with weapons known as as training to become future peacekeepers. The students must pass a battle during the qualification ceremony of the freshmen day in order to be enrolled in the academy. Although most students manifest their Blazes as melee weapons, Tor's ability manifests as a shield, making him an . The school uses a special Duo system in which students are assigned partners. Tor is paired with Julie Sigtuna, a silver-haired girl from
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
, and must share a room with her.
Characters
Main
;
:
:Tor is the narrator of the ''Absolute Duo'' light novels. He enrolls in Koryo Academy with the hope of getting stronger so he can avenge the death of his younger sister .
He is dubbed an Irregular for having a shield for a Blaze. He learns a powerful punch attack to use in conjunction with his Blaze. Julie sometimes refers to him as
Thor
Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
. After spending some time with Julie, his goal switches from avenging his sister to becoming strong so that he can protect Julie. He obtains the Level 4 Sublimation which is "Aegis Desire".
;
:
:Julie is a girl with red eyes and silver hair, styled in
twin tail
A twin tail is a specific type of vertical stabilizer arrangement found on the empennage of some aircraft. Two vertical stabilizers—often smaller on their own than a single conventional tail would be—are mounted at the outside of the aircra ...
s who becomes Tor's Duo partner at the academy.
She takes a liking towards Tor and after some time she becomes his duo. She is from a village named
Gimlé
In Norse mythology, Gimlé (alternately Gimli as in Icelandic) is a place where the worthy survivors of Ragnarök are foretold to live. It is mentioned in the ''Prose Edda'' and the Eddic poem "Völuspá" and described as the most beautiful plac ...
in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
. Her Blaze is a Sword Type, known as Twin Blades. The reason she came to Japan and enrolled to Koryo Academy is that she wants to get stronger to avenge her family's death; the scar on her back serves as a reminder of the incident. Because of this she seeks out Tor for help and to teach her his Final Move. Julie says "Yes" and "No" in Danish/Swedish/Norwegian: and . One of her interesting features is her single strain of hair that stands and moves around
;
:
:Tor and Julie's classmate. She is described as a ''
yamato nadeshiko
''Yamato nadeshiko'' ( or ) is a Japanese term meaning the "personification of an idealized Japanese woman", or "the epitome of pure, feminine beauty"; poised, decorous, kind, gentle, graceful, humble, patient, virtuous, respectful, bene ...
'': smart and talented and possesses a dignified atmosphere. She cares very much about the people who are close to her especially Miyabi, who despite of being weak still chooses her to form a duo. She is very much into martial arts and Shogi. She can never tolerate idly work, so she always wakes others when they're about to be late. Being a vegetarian, she often gives Tor a plate of vegetables to maintain his stamina and power. Her Blaze is a
Kusarigama
A is a traditional Japanese weapon that consists of a ''kama'' (the Japanese equivalent of a sickle or billhook) on a kusari-fundo – a type of metal chain (''kusari'') with a heavy iron weight (''fundo'') at the end. The ''kusarigama'' is said ...
.
;
:
:Tor's classmate who forms a Duo with Tomoe. She is a buxom girl who tends to be shy around others.
Her shyness, especially around boys, comes from how she used to be in an all-girls school before coming to Koryo Academy. She lacks stamina that keeps her from doing any physical activity for long periods of time. She eventually comes to realize she is in love with Tor and confesses, however, he instead turned her down telling her that he's too weak (having a flashback of his sister's death). Despite his rejection, she takes Tor´s words to her heart, even accepting Equipment Smith´s offer to become stronger, getting a Unit suit, despite having to fight against her friends. Her Blaze is a huge and heavy lance that is capable of doing large scale destruction, however, she has a hard time using it as she lacks stamina.
;
:
:A transfer student from
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
came from an affluent family. She is a very exceptional student who at a young age has learned how to shoot and hunt, however, she is also selfish and arrogant. She is called an "Exception" and due to this, she claims to be able to do anything regardless of the rules. She went to Japan in order to form a duo with Tor after hearing news about his capability and being special just like Lilith, however much to her disappointment Tor declines. She later falls in love with Tor, and declares he will be her future husband and win his heart. Though she is officially enrolled in Koryo Academy, she never attends class claiming that she had already finished her studies a long time ago which is why she prefers loitering around the school garden sipping tea with her confidant Sarah. Her Blaze is a rifle, and she is a superb marksman. Though she is armed with a weapon that she can fire from a distance, she is surprisingly very agile to the point that she can shoot anybody at point blank range.
Other
;
:
:The Chairwoman of Koryo Academy, and is always seen wearing a Gothic Lolita dress. Her way of running the school is so ruthless that she actually encourages battle amongst the students. She's known as the Blaze Diabolica.
;
:
:Tor's homeroom teacher, who is always energetic and dresses like a maid with bunny ears, which greatly disturbs her entire class.
She has two personalities; the first one is a child-like, carefree, and happy person who likes calling her students various names, while the second is a foul-mouthed, sadistic, and ruthless villain, who doesn't even think twice about attacking her own students. Despite her cold attitude, it is shown that she does care for her students, as she defended them against K's attack and even gave them a thumbs up. She does not appear to like a lot of attention on her, as she is seen running away from a bunch of students the next day. Her Blaze is a sword. She gains Level 4 Sublimation from Sakuya and she has a new ability "Ouburos"
;
:
:Imari is the first person Tor talks to after entering the school.
However, she is soon expelled from the school after losing against Tor during the entrance ceremony's combat exam. Her Blaze consists of a single sword, which she wields like a
katana
A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...
. She reappeared when Tor's class were sent to summer training camp at some remote island where Koryo Academy has another branch, where students like her who failed the combat exam from the main branch where actually transferred there and were trained to become shinobis. She was also one of the greeting parties who ambushed Tor's class the moment they arrived to the island.
;
:
:Commonly known as Tora. He is Tor's childhood friend who is also considered an Irregular. His Blaze is a
katar.
;
:
:Known by his nickname Tatsu, he is Tora's roommate. Tatsu has a muscular physique; he is also the tallest person in class. His Blaze is a
naginata
The ''naginata'' (, ) is a pole weapon and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades (''nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...
. His full name is (in the manga). Rito often calls him "
Barbarian
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
".
;K
:
:A soldier of Equipment Smith and the younger brother of Ryan Wayfair. His real name is . Since he lost his family at a young age, he was sold to Equipment Smith, who made him a ruthless killing machine that only cares about power and results.
;
:Tor's former best friend who is responsible for killing Tor's sister Otoha and Julie's father in the past.
;
:
:A scientist who developed the Unit suits and resents Sakuya's grandfather for defeating him many years ago, believing Units are superior to Exceeds. His real name is . After K is defeated and he begins to insult him and calling him a failure, K kills him.
;
:
:Silent Diva is a young woman, with her light blue hair coming down to her hips, and she has purple clothes with diamonds on each side of her hair, and she has purple eyes, just like Sakuya. Also known as Beatrix Emerald.
;
:
:Sara is Lilith Bristol's female butler. Sara comes from a family that serves as their butlers.
;
:
:Also known as Hugo.
;
:
:Also known as Cloweiss.
;
:
:Also known as Ougi.
;
:
:One of Rito Tsukimi's student.
;
:
:Tor's deceased sister who was killed by Sakaki Narukami.
;
:
:K's brother who died after protecting K.
;
:
:Imari Nagakura's duo partner.
Media
Light novels
The first light novel was published on August 24, 2012, by
Media Factory
, formerly is a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing.
History
It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd. Media Factory was possi ...
under their
MF Bunko J
is a publishing label affiliated with the Japanese publishing company Media Factory. It was established in July 2002 and is a light novel label that is aimed at young adult males with a focus on visual novel
A , often abbreviated as VN, is ...
imprint. Eleven volumes have been published as of July 2016.
Manga
A
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
adaptation with art by Shin'ichirō Nariie started serialization in Media Factory's
''seinen'' manga magazine ''
Monthly Comic Alive
is a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Media Factory. The first issue was released on June 27, 2006.
Serialized titles
*''Absolute Duo''
*''Alice or Alice'' (until 2015, part of the supplement magazine ''Comic Cune'')
*'' Ano Ko ni Kis ...
'' from April 27, 2013, and has been collected in a three ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...
'' volumes. A second spin-off
four-panel comedy manga adaptation titled with art by Tor Oiwaka will also be serialized in ''Monthly Comic Alive'' magazine with the December 2014 issue to be sold on October 27, 2014. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the series in North America.
List of volumes
;Absolute Duo
;Absolute Duo Tea Party
Anime
An
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series adaptation by
Eight Bit was announced at Media Factory's 2014 Summer School Festival event. It aired between January 4 and March 22, 2015, on
AT-X. It also aired on
Tokyo MX
JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...
,
Sun Television
is a commercial television station headquartered in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and a member of the Japanese Association of Independent Television Stations (JAITS).
Office
*the head office - Kobe Ekimae Just Square, 1-1, Higashi-Kawasakich ...
,
Kyoto Broadcasting System
is a commercial broadcasting station headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It is doing business in Kyoto Prefecture as and in Shiga Prefecture as
Its radio station serves Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures and is a member of National Radio Network (NRN) ...
,
Television Aichi Broadcasting
JOCI-DTV, branded as , is a television station in Nagoya, Japan operated by the Aichi Television Broadcasting Company, Ltd. (TVA; ja, テレビ愛知株式会社, Terebi Aichi kabushiki gaisha) and is an affiliate of the TX Network.
Broadcasti ...
and
Nippon BS Broadcasting
() is a private satellite broadcasting station in Kanda, Tokyo, Japan. It is an independent television station and is a subsidiary of Bic Camera. Its channel name is BS11 (''BS Eleven'') and was BS11 Digital until March 31, 2011. It was founded ...
at later dates.
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
began streaming episodes to parts of Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa in the same week, and
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
has licensed the anime, broadcasting English-dubbed episodes on its online service starting March 16.
Following
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
's acquisition of
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
, the series was moved to Crunchyroll.
The opening theme song is "Absolute Soul" by
Konomi Suzuki
is a Japanese singer from Osaka Prefecture who is signed to MAGES. and KADOKAWA. After winning the Animax All-Japan Anisong Grand Prix in 2011, she made her debut in 2012 with the release of her first single "Choir Jail", which peaked at 34 ...
, the first ending theme song is "BelievexBelieve" by
Nozomi Yamamoto
is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with VIMS.
Voice acting roles
Anime television series
;2011
*'' Haganai'' as Yukimura Kusunoki
*'' Un-Go'' as Rie Kaishō
;2012
*'' Girls und Panzer'' as Satoko Nakajima
*'' Joshiraku'' as Tetora Bōhate ...
, the second ending theme song is by Yamamoto and
Haruka Yamazaki
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Arts Vision. Yamazaki has had main roles in several anime shows including as Tomoyo Kanzaki in ''When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace'', Lilith Bristol in ''Absolute Duo'', and Mero ...
, and the third ending theme song is "2/2" by
Ayaka Imamura
is a retired Japanese voice actress from Osaka Prefecture. She was previously affiliated with ''With Line''. On June 29, 2018, her management announced that she would retire from voice acting due to poor health.
Filmography
Anime
*''Akame ga ...
and
Ayaka Suwa
is a Japanese voice actress from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. She is represented by the agency Arts Vision. She has loved watching anime since she was a child, and realized the joy of acting in a Musical theatre she did in elementary school. She fir ...
.
Episode list
References
Light novels
* Vol. 1:
* Vol. 2:
* Vol. 3:
* Vol. 4:
* Vol. 5:
* Vol. 6:
* Vol. 7:
Manga
*
Other
External links
Official anime website
''Absolute Duo''at ''ComicWalker''
''Absolute Duo''at
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
*
{{Eight Bit (studio)
2012 Japanese novels
Eight Bit (studio)
Anime and manga based on light novels
Fantasy anime and manga
Crunchyroll anime
Japanese fantasy novels
Light novels
Media Factory manga
MF Bunko J
Kadokawa Dwango franchises
Seinen manga
School life in anime and manga
Seven Seas Entertainment titles
Harem anime and manga