Michiru Kagemori

Michiru Kagemori (影森みちる, Kagemori Michiru) is the main protagonist of the BNA: Brand New Animal series by Studio Trigger. She is a high school student.

Appearance
Michiru is a Tanuki-Human with blue and dark blue hair and tail. Her eyes are dark teal. She has Tanuki ears sticking through her hair, her ears can get longer. The end of her legs, her hands and a patch in her face are dark brown while the rest of her body is light brown.

She wears a loose, grey tank-top, a black sports bra underneath, navy athletic shorts with green trim, a red sports jacket with white trim, and red and white sneakers. In her Beastman form, her tail sticks out the shorts. Before she enters Anima City, Michiru dons a red hooded cloak over her normal outfit. During athletic practice and physical activity, she usually takes off her jacket. She also owns a beige, cross-hatched patterned wallet.

In her human form, she has black hair, brown eyes, and a light tan skin-tone. She has a bob haircut with a tuft of hair sticking out on her left side. As with other students in her high school, Michiru's standard high school uniform consists of a white short-sleeved collared shirt, a baby blue bow tie, a high-waisted teal short skirt, light grey knee-length socks, and black shoes. Her high school basketball uniform consists of a jersey with orange accents and Reiwa in black and the number 8 are printed on the front and back.

Personality
Michiru is best described as compassionate, caring, brave, strong-minded, and energetic. She cares for both Beastmen and humans alike and condones unnecessary violence against anyone, even against terrorists and those with malintent. She goes to great lengths to protect her peers even forsaking her own safety and well-being at times.

Michiru's strong-will also carries through her actions. She is stubborn at heart and not easily swayed by her environment or peers. Once she has a set goal in mind, she is determined to achieve it, no matter how improbable the task is. When Michiru loses her wallet, despite all her peers telling her the chances of recovery are slim to none, she still continued to search for leads.

Background
Michiru grew up in a rural town, away from any major city in its vicinity. She had a normal upbringing with a supportive and caring mother. She attended Reiwa High School with Nazuna. She enjoys playing basketball and was number 8 on her high school's basketball team.undefined

When she was not shooting hoops, she would be hanging out with her best friend Nazuna, sometimes sitting on the park bench and sharing bluetooth earbuds to listen to music together. One of her favorite tunes is Night Running, a song she would listen together with Nazuna.undefined

Around a year before the events of the series, Michiru and Nazuna get injured in a car accident. They both are operated on in the hospital and make a full recovery. However, one day at school, as Michiru is congratulating Nazuna for getting the audition, Nazuna transforms into a Beastman. She is whisked into a black van by men in suits and was never seen again.

Some time later, Michiru turns into a Tanuki Beastman during basketball practiceundefined She is unable to transform back into her human form and resorts to hiding at home for the remainder of the year. Eventually, she finds the Anima City website and she begins to plan her escape. She addresses a letter to her parents letting them know she plans to live in Anima City. One morning, she silently departs her home under a red cloak.

Episode 1/Runaway Raccoon
Michiru attempts to withdraw money from an ATM before a group of thugs comes her away. The thugs vandalize a poster encouraging unity between Beastmen and humans. Avoiding trouble, she hides in an air vent until the group walks away. Outside, a broadcast of the civil unrest against Beastmen plays on a screen as Michiru blitzes past.

She reaches the bus station and hops atop the Route 66 bus as it is departing. The bus leaves the vicinity of the city and passes through a mountainous, coastal road. Feeling more relaxed, she takes the hood off her cloak and stretches out on the roof of the bus, gazing at the sea and Anima City in the horizon.

Michiru powers on her phone and watches an Anima City advert on Facelook. Just as she's settling in for the ride, a motorcycle gang of beast hunters shoots two projectiles at Michiru, knocking her off the bus. Before impact, her tail rapidly expands and cushions her fall. The gang approach her once again, but this time she dodges a few blows as she tries to run away from them. Michiru unfortunately falls off the guard rails she was running on and tumbles down the embankment below.

The bike gang eventually catches up and knocks her down. As a gang member is about to deliver the final blow, Mari Itami interrupts the altercation and asks in a sassy tone for them to stop. She explains that she needs to protect Michiru for one of her clients. The gang doesn't listen and swings at Mari. Enraged, she and her two accomplices transform into their Beastman forms. Her accomplices easily subdue the beast hunters and Mari explains to Michiru that she will escort her to Anima City. She demands payment for her services and Michiru begrudgingly hands over a wad of bills.

They board a boat and Michiru stares off into the distance at Animacity as she reminisces her life as a fugitive. The sun sets and the group arrive in Anima City. Michiru, nervous and on alert, glances around and sees a bright wolf figure on top of a nearby building. Suddenly the lights turn on and the 10 year Animacity festival begins. Chairman Rose gives a brief introduction and the festivities are underway. Michiru explores the festival and bumps into a crying wolf who says he waited 1000 years for this moment. Disgusted, she looks away for a brief moment and the wolf disappears.

Mari meets Michiru and distracts her as a monkey steals her wallet and runs away. Michiru chases and looses the pickpocket underneath some scaffolding and witnesses a wolf in a coat leaving with a briefcase. She bumps into a pillar in frustration, only tip the scaffolding off balance. As it's falling, Michiru frantically rushes to save an elderly goat in the scaffolding's path. In the last second before the scaffolding fell on the two, the crying wolf from earlier pushes them clear of the scaffolding.

The crying wolf accuses her of knocking the scaffolding over, to which she denies and informs him that she witnessed a wolf sneaking away earlier. The wolf leaves and Michiru continues to pursue the pickpocket. They are both interrupted by a large explosion in the city. Right when Michiru appears at the scene, the wolf terrorist from earlier grabs hold of her as hostage. Unfazed, the wolf jumps behind the terrorist and repeatedly beats him down.

Michiru criticizes the wolf for his violence against Beastmen and tells him to stop. The wolf refuses and says that the terrorists ruined the festival and were hired by humans. He kicks the terrorist once more, but Michiru screams to stop and her tail begins to glow and expand. The tail knocks the wolf back. They begin to argue once more; this time Michiru defends the humans and exclaims that she is human too. Unconvinced, the wolf sarcastically remarks her Beastman appearance.

Episode 2/Rabbit Town
Michiru insists that she's human but Shirou doesn't believe her, using her appearance as irrefutable evidence she's a tanuki. Shirou transforms back to his human form. Michiru is shocked and flustered believing he would be a lot older. She tries but is still unable transform back to human again. The festival ends, and all the citizens turn back to their human for as well. Michiru is frustrated that she can't.

Shirou takes Michiru to Gem Horner's house. Gem uses a beastmen marker on Michiru to test if she is a Beastman. The marker turns blue confirming that she in fact is. She's frustrated again and insists that she was a normal human a year ago. Michiru asks if there exists a disease that turns human into beastmen but they both say it's improbable, to her disappointment. Gem breaks the silence by recommending Michiru to get a psychiatric evaluation. Displeased, Michiru lashes out at Gem until Gem's wife Melissa scolds him for being disrespectful. Melissa apologizes and introduces herself and Gem to Michiru. Gem is the Director of the Beastmen Life Association, a social group to help Beastman newcomers with their complications. She hands a registration form but Michiru is not pleased. As a last resort, she decides to use her student ID card to prove that shes human, quickly realizing that her wallet got stolen during the festival.

It's rare for lost and stolen items to be recovered in Anima City and Michiru is distraught hearing this. Melissa concludes the conversation and shows Michiru to an empty storage room. She pulls out a cot and offers that Michiru stay the night. Michiru, having lived homeless, quickly accepts the humble accommodations. Kuro, Shirou's crow, swoops in through the door crack, collides then lands on an unsuspecting Michiru. Shirou quickly calls the crow back and flatly tells Michiru to sleep soon for an early schedule tomorrow. Melissa apologizes for Shirou's blunt behavior and introduces him to Michiru who's only just learnt his name. Hearing his surname Ogami reminded her of the shiny wolf she saw earlier in the night.

Morning of the next day, Shirou and Michiru arrive at the city council where a long line has formed. Shirou announces that he will be leaving and was only informed to guide her to the location, not wait with her. A fight breaks out in the line to Michiru's surprise. Shirou, unwavered, tells her that the strong win in the Beastman society. The city isn't living up to Michiru's prior expectations. She spots a short man in a hoodie sneaking about and decides to tail him.

Michiru catches the short man in the hoodie who denies stealing her wallet. Marie interrupts the altercation and the man in the hoodie gets away again. Michiru finally catches on that Mari was an accomplice to the wallet theft. Mari lackadaisically denies the claim and reminds Michiru that she helped smuggle her yesterday. Mari tells Michiru to meet Gram Grandma in Rabbit Town to find her lost wallet.

Michiru reaches Rabbit Town and is confronted by Grandma's lackeys. They take her to Grandma's, but are on edge because Michiru staying in beast form is a sign of aggression in the gang world. Michiru tries to correct the misunderstanding and tells them her situation, but neither Grandma or her lackeys believe her. Eventually Grandma reveals Michiru's wallet. She confirms with Michiru that she's a student and asks Michiru to teach a class of children in exchange for her wallet. Upon arriving in the classroom, Grandma tells Michiru that all these children were betrayed by men just like how she and the others were too. They don't have anywhere to go so they end up living a dangerous life in Rabbit Town. Michiru agrees to teach the kids reading and writing. She shows the class how to write her name, as well as Youta, a fellow student's name, too. Youta proceeds to write his name on the board and the rest of the class want participate as well.

Night falls, and Michiru and the children are trapped in a caged shipping container at a port. She asks Grandma what the meaning of all this was before realizing Grandma intended to traffick the kids for profit. Michiru exclaims that it's blasphemy she's trafficking her kids, to which Grandma replies the 'weak have to step over the weaker to survive'. The container begins to move and the kids cry for Ginrou's help. Michiru decides to take the situation in her own hands and enlarges her tail, causing the container to swing back and forth under the crane. The operator responds by shortening the cable closing the distance between the container and the crane control room. Michiru uses her stretchy powers to reach inside the control room and begins violently jerking the crane back and forth. Eventually the crane gives away and falls to the ground. Michiru envelops everyone with her tail powers and the party arrive safely on the ground.

Michiru and the children proceed to run away but she's stopped by one of Grandma's lackeys (Lioness). The lackey chokes Michiru out, but just as she's about to pass out, Shirou jumps in to intervene. Right before she passes out, Michiru sees a silhouette of a wolf and suspects it's Ginrou. After she woke up and concerned for the kids, Michiru returns to the scene and Yuji said they will be taken care of at an orphanage in the city. Michiru reprimands Grandma for selling the children. Grandma smirks, and says Michiru can't be a Beastman because she's too optimistic as a woman in their society. Grandma throws the wallet back to Michiru and boards the police transport which soon departs. Michiru confronts Shirou for not saving the children earlier in the day but he didn't have enough evidence to warrant an arrest. She refuses his answer and begins to cry, anguished at the possibility they would've been shipped away. Shirou reaffirms his promise to save all beastwomen and children. The episode ends with Michiru denouncing Beastmen and their culture, promising to find a cure and leave the city.

Episode 3/Rhino Melancholy
Michiru wakes up to Gem crowing in his Beastman form on the rooftop. Michiru asks about a trident-looking building in the distance, which is revealed to be a medical facility managed by Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals. It sports both a laboratory and hospital inside. Just as Michiru plans to visit there to look for a cure, Shirou drags her back in the storage room and traps her in the room. He's finally accepted Michiru is a human. He doesn't want to start a panic if more people find our her true identity.

Suddenly, Mayor Rose steps foot into the residence and interrupts the two. The Mayor has come to deliver the news of a threat letter sent to Sylvasta. It is revealed that the vehicle explosion was a truck loaded with Sylvasta medicine. Michiru tries to eavesdrop the conversation when her ear elongates into a bunny ear. Apparently, the message in the letter argued that money spent building state-of-the-art Beastman medical facilities should go towards saving humans. The police couldn't find any trace of smell to identify the explosives, so Rose personally visited Shirou for his help. Shirou agrees to aid in the search for explosives. Michiru realizes that she won't be able to find the cure if the hospital is bombed, so she yells for help to the mayor to free her. Rose doesn't hear her, so Michiru transforms into a rooster and bellows for help. She is freed and accuses Shirou of holding her hostage. Rose greets Michiru and tells her she's become a fine Beastman.

Michiru pleads to Rose for permission to aid in the search effort. Rose gives the green light. The three promise to keep the secret of Michiru's origin in exchange that Michiru drop the hostage allegations. Michiru begrudgingly accept the terms and is handed a smartphone while Shirou is handed the bomb fragments.

Shirou directs Michiru to head towards the medical facility. He reasons that the true target of the bombers is the Medical Center. In a parking garage, Kusakabe and a group of people are discussing keeping a device cold and diverting away police attention. Michiru eavesdrops behind the truck, but her ears accidentally extend again. Kusakabe catches sight of Michiru and proceeds to chase her. Another scientist recognizes Michiru from the past. While running away, Michiru dials Shirou but there's no response. The suspecting scientist concludes she's the same student they knew. Kusakabe and his lackeys corner Michiru, but Shirou saves the day yet again. Kuro ended up notifying and briefing Shirou on the situation. Apparently the gang and medical staff were sneaking in supplies.

An explosion goes off in the Medical Center tower. Shirou forbids Michiru to head towards the tower. Feeling clever, Michiru claims that she's a Beastman now, and Shirou is obligated to protect her since he vowed to protect all Beastmen in the past. Shirou laughs and let's her tag along. They arrive at the explosion site and meet Mr. Yaba, the Medical Center Chief and Yuji. Yaba allows them to investigate, but Shirou smells no traces of the explosive.

Shirou, Michiru, and Yuji reach the office of the chief. Shirou says the only way to remove all the scent of the explosive is to use a chemical to do so, likely produced at the medical facility. Michiru also points out that the gang was cooperating with medical staff earlier. Shirou concludes that the chief exploded the lab to destroy all evidence. Because all Beastmen leave a residual scent and the chief has no scent coming from his hands, he is the prime suspect for the bombing. Yuji holds out a document stating Shirou's smelling skills are admissible evidence under the provisions of the Special Beastman Territory. They move in to arrest Yaba who transforms into a rhinoceros Beastman to fight. Mimura, a chameleon Beastman materializes behind Michiru and restrains her. Yaba and Mimura escape with Michiru a hostage. Shirou reaches Yaba and the two brawl. The altercation ends with Shirou crushing Yaba's horn.

Outside on the rooftop, there is a standstill between Mimura and the cops. Mimura is threatening to drop Michiru off the building if he doesn't receive the helicopter he requested. Kuro tries to intervene but fails. Michiru frees herself from the Beastman but falls off the building in the process. Shirou jumps and catches Michiru, protecting her from the fall. Michiru thanks Shirou who responds he will protect all Beastmen.

Later at the residence, Rose reveals that Yaba and Mimura confessed to blowing up the Medical Center's data system after finding out the higher ups were aware of their embezzlement schemes. Shirou promises he won't lock Michiru up anymore and Rose stated she will search for a treatment for her. It is revealed that Rose has the first PhD on researching beastmen genetics. Rose continues that while she's a politician, her partnership with Silvasta may help too. Shirou warns that Silvasta Pharm feels suspicious because his nose is telling him so.

Abilities
Shapeshifting

Michiru appears to not be a proper Beastmen displaying the ability to take on the form of many different species and also many unusual abilities not associated with any known species. She seems to at first unknowingly activate these traits but later on seems to be able to control them to a certain degree.
 * Long Arms: Michiru can extend and bend her arms to reach far away objects.
 * Expandable tail: Michiru's tail can expand to an enormous size easily weighing her down or engulfing and protecting herself and others from harm.
 * Bird Beak: Michiru can turn her mouth into a birds beak allowing her to amplify her voice.
 * Gorilla Punch: While preparing to throw an object or throw a punch, Michiru arms enlarge to a massive size due to an increase in muscle mass, easily allowing her to overpower opponents or create bursts of wind with thrown objects. Her throws at least with a baseball seem to be able to dent and break concrete.
 * Cheetah Legs: Michiru's lower half of her body turns into what appears to be a pair of cheetahs legs and tail allowing for incredible burst of speeds. The tail is probably there to act as a real cheetahs tail in the wild would as a way to counteract body torsion while she is turning at high speeds keeping her balanced.
 * Bunny Ears: Michiru's ears can elongate resembling rabbits ears allowing her to hear conversations from far away or listen through walls or doors.

Trivia

 * Michiru's Facelook username is Michiru_0513.

Etymology

 * Kagemori (影森) uses two kanji, 影 meaning shape/form and 森 meaning forest.
 * 影 likely references her form changes, while 森 might relate to evolutionary trees or the tree of life.
 * The forest motif is also present in the term Silvasta. Silva is the Latin word for "forest".
 * Kagemori as a proper noun is also a train station in Japan.
 * Michiru (みちる) can mean "to complete" or "to mature".
 * The verb is commonly used to describing moons waxing and tides rising.

Japanese Folklore

 * Tanuki in Japanese folklore are magical creatures and master shape-shifters.
 * Tanuki are closely related to kitsune and share many similarities, but the two animals are bitter rivals.
 * The common enemy between tanuki and kitsune is the dog.
 * Fights between tanuki and kitsune devolve into a showmanship of transformation skills. Kitsune are superior in magical strength but tanuki win through cleverness and trickery.