Michiru Kagemori

Michiru Kagemori (影森 みちる) is the main protagonist of the BNA: Brand New Animal series by Studio Trigger. She was a high school student prior to her mutation into a Beastman.

Appearance
Michiru appears as a tanuki Beastman. She has blue hair in the style of a bob-cut with black tips, a blue tail with a black tip, dark teal eyes, and pointy ears sticking through her hair. Her hands, feet, and a patch on her face are dark brown while the rest of her body is light brown.

She wears a loose, gray tank-top, a black compression tank top underneath, navy athletic shorts with light green trim, a red sports jacket with white trim and the collar up, and white sneakers with red soles. Her tail sticks out from her 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 a pale complexion, black hair and eyebrows, and brown eyes. She has an asymmetric bob haircut with a tuft of hair sticking out on her left side in her human form. 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 gray 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 is printed on the front and back. She carries a light corduroy canvas backpack and her basketball in a yellow carrying bag to school every day. During her time in hiding, she wore an oversized gray hoodie and sweatpants.

In her youth, she had the same complexion, similar haircut with bangs in the center and right side of her face, and large hazel eyes. In her mom's picture, she wore a yellow t-shirt, pale blue overalls with a front pocket, a pink bow, and animal ears on top of her head.

When she plays baseball on the Bears Baseball Team, she wears their white and yellow baseball jersey unbuttoned, a yellow baseball cap with bear ears, a black undershirt, and black athletic shoes.

Personality
Michiru is compassionate, brave, and energetic. She cares for both beastmen and humans and won't condone violence against anyone, even against terrorists and those with malintent. She goes to great lengths to protect her peers even at her own expense.

Michiru's strong-will also carries through her actions. She is stubborn and not easily swayed by peer pressure. Once she has a set goal in mind, she is determined to achieve it. When Michiru loses her wallet, despite all her peers telling her the chances of recovery are slim to none, she continued to search for leads. But sometimes her strong-will can be a flaw which is recklessness, ignoring her own safety as a result. This trait of hers sometimes leads to her placing her own opinions over others without understanding their perspectives first.

Background
Michiru grew up in a rural town. She had a normal upbringing with a supportive and caring mother. She attended Reiwa High School with Nazuna Hiwatashi. She enjoys playing basketball and was number 8 on her high school's basketball team.

When she wasn't shooting hoops, she was hanging out with her best friend Nazuna, sometimes sitting on the park bench and sharing bluetooth earbuds to listen to music together. One of their favorite tunes was Night Running.

Around a year before the events of the series, Michiru and Nazuna were injured in a car accident. They were operated on in the same hospital and made a full recovery from a little blood transfusion. However, one day at school, as Michiru was congratulating Nazuna for getting an audition, Nazuna transformed into a beastman. She was taken into a black van by men in suits and never seen again.

Soon after, Michiru turned into a tanuki beastman during basketball practice. She was unable to transform back into her human form and resorted to hiding at home for the remainder of the year. Eventually, she found the Anima City website and she began to plan her escape. She wrote a letter to her parents letting them know she planned to live in Anima City and left 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 on 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, breaking her phone and knocking her off the bus. Before impact, her tail rapidly expands and cushions her fall. The gang approaches 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 Anima City as she reminisces her life as a fugitive. The sunsets and the group arrives 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 Anima City festival begins. Chairman Rose gives a brief introduction and the festivities are underway. Michiru explores the festival and bumps into a crying wolf who yet looks on with a mirthful expression, saying beastmen waited 1000 years for this moment. Confused and somewhat put off, Michiru looks away for a brief moment and turns back to find the wolf has disappeared; she briefly ponders on who he is.

Mari meets Michiru and distracts her as a monkey steals her wallet and runs away. Michiru chases and loses 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 a 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 into his human form. Michiru is shocked and flustered believing he would be a lot older. She tries but is still unable to transform back into human again. The festival ends, and all the citizens turn back to their human form as well. Michiru is frustrated that she can't.

Shirou takes Michiru to Gem Horner's house. Gem uses a beastman 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 she's 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 stays 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 learned 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, unwavering, 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 to 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 arrives 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 into 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 accepts 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 lets 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 Ph.D. 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.

Episode 4/Dolphin Daydream
Michiru tries again to turn into a human but can't. Melissa interrupts her and says Michiru got a call from the council.

At the City Council, Michiru beastman registration credential and insurance card as thanks for helping with the incident yesterday. Michiru hands the phone she received back because it doesn't connect to the human internet she's used to. Rose's assistant explains the Beastman Territory Law censors information about human society from beastmen. Michiru is upset so Rose shows a video explaining the distinction between the Beastman and Homo Sapiens species. Beastmen are able to change shapes with the beast factor. The beast form is inherited from one of your parents, not a mix. Because Michiru doesn't have beastman parents, the impossible had occurred.

Beastmen have only lived in isolation from humans, but the expansion of human development created conflicts. Rose looked into Michiru's genes which are missing the important beast factor. Rose hypothesizes her cells rapidly divide when she changes shape.

Outside, Marie takes Michiru to an alleyway and sells a sim card that is able to bypass Anima City's firewalls. Michiru accepts and puts it on Shirou's tab. At the dock, Giuliano Flip is interrogating a bound Kusakabe who doesn't know who distributed the Medical Center supplies. Flip tells him that it was his fault for being seen by Shirou. Shirou arrives at the scene, but it's too late. Kusakabe is dragged out to sea by a passing boat and perishes.

Michiru logs into her Facelook account and it's her birthday. She sees a Livestream in her app, and it turns out the same girl is recording from right across her. Michiru interrupts the girl but is knocked out cold. She wakes up and is bound inside a house. A bodyguard questions how she knows the girl. Michiru claims she just knows her from Facelook. Upon hearing this, the girl perks up and transforms into a dolphin excited that Michiru is from the mainland. The girl introduces herself as Nina Flip and Michiru is disappointed she turned out not do be a human. She is happy to know humans were watching her. Michiru is unbound and asks about her father. Nina denounces him and explains that her grandpa was caught and eaten by humans, or says her dad. She doesn't believe him.

Upon finding out Nina was listening to human music, Flip forbade her from leaving the house. Nina then shows Michiru a box of knick-knacks, among them a lone earbud. Michiru thinks back at the time Nazuna and her used to listen to Night Running together. Nina asks Michiru if she wants to go back, but she replies she can't when she looks like this. Michiru says she wants to go back. Sparks fly, and she suddenly turns back into a human. Michiru is elated.

They both go to the beach and sunset. Nina says a girl named Lisa from Facelook invited her to a party in the mainland. Michiru agrees to go. Flip returns home and with some presents for Nina, but she's nowhere to be seen. The bodyguard does a full cowing and apologizes.

Night falls and finally arrive on the mainland. A bike cop passes them not suspecting a thing. They reach the party where people in masks are dancing to EDM. Night Running begins playing and Michiru reminisces her memories with Nazuna again. Nina interrupts her and asks if she's okay. Lisa walks up and greets Nina. Nina is elated and jumps but accidentally turns into a dolphin. Lisa is surprised she's a beastman, but doesn't react negatively. Nina and Michiru are both shocked at the reaction. Lisa introduces Nina as the special guest for the beastman themed party they were having.

Rose calls Shirou warning Flip will get mad if he finds out Michiru and Nina were partying in the mainland. Flip already knows and is en route to the port. Shirou stops the car and promises Flip that he will return with his daughter. Flip agrees to wait until midnight.

Meanwhile, at the party, everyone is cheering Nina at the pool. Michiru wants to go home because she feels something is off. Nina takes this wrongly and thinks it's because she's the popular one at the party. Nina refuses to go home. Michiru is feeling down and asks herself what she is doing. Shirou calls Michiru from Marie's boat asking her to return Flip's daughter immediately because he's about to start a war with the humans. Michiru is frustrated and walks out. Nina is trapped in a tank and is about to suffocate. Lisa had placed her in because she thought dolphins needed water to breathe. Michiru transforms back into her beast form and punches through the glass tan with her Gorilla Punch. Nina coughs and is finally able to breathe. Michiru says it's time to go home, and Nina nods in agreement. Lisa is out of words.

The group departs for the mainland on Marie's boat. Nina apologizes for acting that way earlier. Shirou asked Michiru why she didn't stay in the mainland. Michiru replies she wants to learn more about beastman and stay in Anima Land. The tension in the air breaks when Shirou asks about the bill on his tab. On a plane, Alan Sylvasta is watching clips of Michiru and Shirou and is amused at their stronger than normal beastman powers. Michiru is laying in bed on her phone when she notices her mom posted a cake celebrating Michiru's birthday on Facelook. Michiru is about to reply, but refrains.

Episode 5/Greedy Bears
Michiru is shooting hoops while Shirou is lounging on a lawn chair. Shirou points out she's still in her beastman form. Michiru said it's because it's more convenient being in this form. She asks Melissa if there are any basketball games in this city. Melissa says yes, but takes her to a baseball game instead. Michiru is disappointed and Melissa leaves.

The match is between the Pink Flamingos and Bears. All the players are in their beast forms. A ball flies her way, and Michiru throws it back using her transformed beast arm. Jackie who caught the ball is dumbfounded and screams miracle ball. The flamingos are defending now. One catcher tosses knives at a batter running who collapses on the ground. The ref calls the batter out. Michiru is flabbergasted and protests but the flamingos call her out for snitching.

Marie greets Michiru in the bleachers. She explains that Anima City baseball is comparable to a fight to the death gambling game. The gambling draws in the eager spectators, whether the players live or die. The Flamingos are batting, and the batter swings the ball right into a catcher's head. The catcher is whisked off the field. Without a pitcher and having only nine players left on the team, Jackie asks the coach for help, but gets no response. Taking the matter into her own hands, she calls a pitcher change with Michiru. Michiru changes and stands at the mound. A flamingo taunts her and she gets irritated. She taunts back, then launches the ball with her beast arm. It's a strike after strike and the flamingos are unable to hit a ball. Michiru is at the bat and hits the ball into the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, Rose wants Shirou to look into baseball gambling in the city. She points out the Dodo team went extinct due to the extreme baseball. The Bears team marches home celebrating their victory. They bring Michiru back to their humble home and beg Michiru to join the team. Michiru apologizes and walks out. Jackie begins telling a sad story about their lives in the squalid living conditions, and baseball is all they have. Annoyed, Michiru agrees to join on the condition no violence is allowed during matches.

The next match is with the power team, the Buffalos. The Bears are winning because they outspeed the Buffalos easily. However, the coach begins making exaggerated signs to bunt, and the Bears start losing. This continues until Michiru, who sends the ball flying instead of bunting. She grows cheetah legs and runs home. They eventually win the game with Michiru's help, and the coach is dumbfounded.

Next game, the coach orders Michiru to stay on the right field and for someone else to be the pitcher. The team protest that Michiru is their ace pitcher. The coach is stubborn and stands firm. Michiru promises to protect and aid the pitcher. In the office of the team, Shirou picks up a baseball and examines it. He lives through the past of the coach, Dante, who used to play for the Odaibo team on the mainland. He faces discrimination everywhere. Eventually, he explodes during a match, and in a fury, attacks everyone.

Arai Rascal is the pitcher, who is nervous and using an oven mitt to catch. The opposing team today is the Tigers. The Tigers hit the ball out of the field, but Michiru is able to catch it thanks to her powers. The Bears eventually win the match and celebrate. Shirou is displeased. At home, Shirou reprimands Michiru for using her powers among strangers. If anyone catches wind, it's over for the town and she won't be able to find the cure. She acknowledges him, but says that playing baseball was the first time she's had fun since turning into a beastman.

It's the finals for the Anima City Baseball League. The Bears are against the Killer Animals. The game begins with Michiru pitching and a mad dog beastman batting with a spiky, cracked bat. The batter swings and the bat explodes, sending shrapnel at Michiru. She ducks in time, but the pieces impale her teammate behind her. The opposing team continues to score points with violence, up to the 6th inning. Michiru is frustrated, the coach is gone, and the teammates are not concerned. The teammates fess up that they were bribed by the coach and gang boss to fix the match. Michiru judges them, and Jackie asks why is it wrong for the team in poverty to earn some money.

At the pizza shop, the coach sneaks in and steals the money. The boss finds out and complains out loud. The rest of the audience find out, protest, and the game crawls to a halt. Michiru throws the ball at the wall with her gorilla arm and shouts the game isn't over yet. The audience is silent and in shock. Michiru continues to pitch at the wall and yells at the players to fight with all their might. Jackie catches one of her pitches and begins chanting the Bear's song. The rest of the bears join in, and the game resumes.

A rat with a spinning bat taunts her. At the same time, Shirou catches up to the coach. Shirou plays a live radio broadcast of the match, and the coach begins crying remembering the time he watched a baseball game in his childhood. The match has a 1-point difference left, and people from all over are on the edge of their seats. Michiru is at the bat. The coach is back and signs to give it all she can. He finally speaks up and yells at Michiru to get the win.

The game ends and the Killer Animals win. Jackie cries. The Bears receive a welcoming applause. Back at the pizza shop, the gang boss hands over some of the money as a reward to the coach. The coach refuses it and says he wants to play baseball instead of gambling.

Shirou returns to Rose with no evidence of baseball gambling. Michiru practices pitching outside and are interrupted by the Bears team. Jackie announces proudly they spent all the money on a gimmick to help practice baseball. Michiru yells at them, and Shirou smiles, watching from afar.

Episode 6/Fox Waltz
Melissa scolds Gem for his feathers clogging the shower drain. She tells him that Ginrou is always watching. Michiru mutters the name under her breath as she ruminates on it. Gem catches on and explains Ginrou to her. Pulling out a picture book he wrote, he tells the story that for generations the beastmen will enter crisis after crisis. One day, a savior came in the form of a silver wolf, Ginrou. Legend says Ginrou has been alive for over a thousand years. Shirou gets up and leaves. Michiru follows him and Melissa hands a safety charm to give to Ginrou in case he appears.

Outside, Shirou eats the safety charm. Michiru exclaims that he will be cursed but he doesn't care. She points out that he doesn't have any friends because of that attitude, to which he retorts that she doesn't either. She confidently brags about her best friend, Nazuna.

Michiru reminisces about a moment in the past after the accident. Michiru and Nazuna are hanging out at the park, and Nazuna is pretending to be an idol. Michiru encourages her to audition as an idol and teases that she's scared. Michiru walks up the playground mound, still in crutches, and reaches the top. She exclaims they will both reach the top of their fields. Unfortunately, Nazuna is eventually abducted, never to be seen again.

She finally notices Shirou had left. Marie is walking beside her now and says that he left for the mayor's office. Marie hands her the phone bill. To pay off the bill, Marie gives Michiru a bunch of overpriced water purifiers to sell to the slum residents.

Michiru wheels the cart over to the slum. Jackie proudly shows off one he bought earlier with a lifetime payment plan. A group of gangsters shows up demanding money from Jackie. Jackie is tied and strung out on a pole. The leader of the gangsters pulls out a lighter to set the pole on fire. Before they are able to, a group of hooded people arrives in boats. A masked man steps out and criticizes them for hurting their own kin. He says to not forget the honor that everyone is a noble beastman and Ginrou is watching. The gang leader laughs off Ginrou as a kid's fairy tale. The masked man introduces a guru, Déesse Louve, to display Ginrou's light. The gangsters set the pole on fire.

Déesse Louve sheds her cloak and transforms into a glowing pink wolf. The gangsters say it's Ginrou and ask for forgiveness. Déesse Louve roars and scares the gangsters away. The crowd cheers and the masked man continues to preach about Ginrou. The crowd bows to their knees in respect. Déesse Louve transforms back into her human form and tells everyone to shine together. Michiru is dumbfounded. Déesse Louve is Nazuna. The hooded cult members swarm Michiru and take her away.

At night, the cloaked members bring Michiru to Nazuna. They embrace, Nazuna points out that Michiru is a tanuki though Michiru claims that she's a raccoon. Someone calls for Déesse Louve, and the two escape to a rooftop. Nazuna takes another look at her and confirms that she's a tanuki. Michiru ponders on it and they both laugh it off. Michiru calls her a wolf, but Nazuna corrects her and transforms into a kitsune, her real beastman form. It's apparently a secret from the cult that she's a fox.

Michiru invites Nazuna to her house. Nazuna asks if Michiru witnessed her abduction a year ago. Nazuna then begins to recount the moments following it, as she was taken to a hospital and saved by Boris Cliff. He was aware of her transformation ability and helped her train it further. Boris helped her attain the guru position in the cult while he remained as her trainer. Michiru correctly guesses the masked man from earlier was Boris and says he feels untrustworthy. Nazuna has never seen him without his mask and she refuses to believe he's a bad guy. Nazuna asks about Michiru's life the past year. Nazuna looks through Michiru's photo book and points out she's had a lot of fun. Michiru proposes that they live together, for Nazuna to leave the cult and they both find a cure to go home.

Michiru asks Shirou and Melissa if Nazuna can stay, but Shirou sternly refuses. Shirou says that the cult is fishy and she shouldn't trust Nazuna. Michiru gets angry and leaves the house. She goes back to the slum and introduces herself to the cult. Boris approaches her and she begs to join the cult. Boris accepts her and leaves. She is handed a pendant and guided to a tent.

Late at night, Michiru sneaks into her tent. She says they should escape and Boris is creepy, to which Nazuna replies that Michiru is dense. Unlike Michiru, Nazuna isn't welcome in Anima City and even the Mayor refuses to see her. Michiru tells her that she can arrange a meeting, and the Mayor would be understanding of Nazuna's situation. Michiru snuggles into a blanket on Nazuna's bed and the two fall asleep.

The next morning at her usual cafe, the Mayor is drinking a cup of coffee. Michiru is about to make the introduction and is interrupted by Nazuna. The kitsune greets the Mayor as Déesse Louve and requests permanent residence in Anima City for the Silver Wolf Order. The Mayor gets up, ready to leave. Nazuna brings up the Mayor's promise that Anima City welcomes all beastmen. The Mayor said it's unforgivable to toy with Ginrou, a sacred entity in Anima City. Nazuna confesses that she is human and not Ginrou. The Mayor is unfazed. Nazuna accuses the Mayor of using the populace's faith in Ginrou, a likely fictitious being, to keep the citizens under control. Nazuna's reasoning is she wants to make this fiction a reality for the sake of beastmen. She believes she is instilling faith in the people, which the citizens in Anima City need. The Mayor is amused and agrees to receive Nazuna and the cult.

Walking through the park, Michiru feels cheated that Nazuna used her. Nazuna teases her for being harsh and bitter when things don't go her way. The guru reveals that she, in fact, didn't need her help, and the mayor already had done the research and planned to meet with her. She likens being a guru to being an idol because so many beastmen worships and praises her. Michiru disagrees with Nazuna, who smiles and says Michiru hasn't changed. Michiru has always made assumptions without a second thought, like the time she pushed Nazuna away during the bicycle incident. She ridicules Michiru of performing all these humanitarian acts to stroke her ego. Nazuna denounces her name and says she's Déesse Louve. Michiru rips off the pendant and denounces their friendship.

Nazuna Hiwatashi
Michiru and Nazuna have been friends since the car incident. They've been best friends at school and even listened to their favorite song "Night Running". Michiru was proud of Nazuna getting the audition, but their friendship won't last long. Nazuna mysteriously turned into a beastman and was later taken by an unknown group. A year after Michiru was a beastman and trying to find a cure for her "sickness", Michiru soon runs into Nazuna by the strange cult known as the "Sliver Wolf Order". Nazuna, who used Michiru to get to Mayor Rose, sees her best friend as an idol. However, after using her beastman powers to become the "Ginrou", Nazuna thinks to herself as her own idol and betrayed Michiru's friendship completely. However, as they began to unpuzzle their past, it's confirmed that she and Nazuna are the cure for a disease that would save beastmen from Alan. After Nazuna's identity was exposed and the Sliver Wolf no longer bothered Nazuna ever again, the girls rekindled their friendship as beastmen themselves.

Shirou Ogami
Michiru and Shirou share a mentor-student relationship. The two met during the festival and after witnessing Michiru's special powers and abnormal circumstances, Shirou decides to take her under his wing. Their relationship is rocky initially, with Michiru frustrated at Shirou for dismissing her existence as human. Michiru is frustrated at Shirou's cold, methodical personality, and wishes he shows a little more humanity. It all boils to a head in the finale of "Rabbit Town" when Michiru criticizes Shirou for not intervening earlier and denounces the beastman society. Ultimately, Michuru and Shirou gain a mutual respect and understanding for each other and appears to have forged a better relationship, implying that they might consider each other as friends.

Marie Itami
Marie was the very first Anima City inhabitant Michiru meets, and even then, they have a complicated relationship. Michiru doesn't fully trust Marie, and often considers here more of a threat rather than actual help, as seen during "Rabbit Town", where she accuses Marie of being an accomplice of the wallet theft. Although, Marie does help Michiru whenever she needs it, even if she takes personal benefit from this, as seen during "Runaway Racoon", where she saves Michiru from the beastmen hunters, or during "Dolphin Daydream", since Marie helps Michiru to get over Anima City's firewall. Michiru often confuses Marie with a weasel, which is something that annoys her.

Melissa Horner
Melissa has been Michiru's maternal figure during her stance on Anima City. She lets Michiru live at her house, and helps her whenever she needs so, which can be seen during "Fox Waltz", where she hands Michiru safety charms, in case Ginrou-sama appear. Melissa also tries to make Michiru's life on Anima City as enjoyable as possible, taking her to a baseball game, even if this wasn't what Michiru really wanted.

Gem Horner
Michiru is currently living on Gem Horner's house. Despite of their first interaction, on which Michiru lashes out at Gem, they end up developing a really good relationship, to the point where Gem is Michiru's paternal figure on Anima city, being basically her adoptive father. Gem also helps her whenever she needs so, as seen during "Fox Waltz", where Gem explains Michiru the legend of Ginrou-sama, using a picture book he wrote to do so.

Nina Flip
Nina is very interested in Michiru's past, since she lived in the human world, and Nina is almost obsessed with it, conserving human objects as treasures. Despite this interest, they can be considered friends, and they'll help each other whenever the situation requires so. Nina helps Michiru, and takes her to the human world during "Dolphin Daydream". During the same episode, Michiru saves Nina's life, taking her out of the aquarium she was trapped on. Although Nina seems to be annoyed with Michiru at some point, she ends up apologizing to Michiru, and accepts her mistake.

Barbara Rose
Major Rose has been a really important person for Michiru and is always keeping an eye on her. She helps Michiru whenever she needs so, as during "Rhino Melancholy", where she liberates Michiru from Shirou's lockdown and allows her to work together with him. Barbara is also helping Michiru to solve the mystery of her sudden transformation into a beastmen, as well to find a possible cure for it.

Jackie
Jackie and Michiru are good friends, and she is always willing to help him. Michiru helps Jackie during "Greedy Bears", by playing for his baseball team as a pitcher alongside the rest of the bears. In "Fox Waltz", Michiru, with the indirect help of the Silver Wolf Order, saves Jackie from being burned alive.

Bears Baseball Team
Michiru plays for the Bears Baseball Team during "Greedy Bears", since Jackie picks her to replace their injured pitcher. She is really happy about helping them to be successful in baseball, and the bears are responsible for Michiru's funniest moments since she became a beastmen. She in turn understands the complex situation the bears are in, and how baseball is everything to them, so she accepts their prayers for her to be part of the team.

Her mother
Michiru's mom has only been mentioned twice, so most of their relationship is unknown. She accepts her daughter as she is, and even congratulates her during "Dolphin Daydream" for her birthday.

Abilities
Shapeshifting: As the result of receiving her Beast Factor through artificial means (blood transfusion with a Beast Factor-laced blood), Michiru is not an ordinat beastman, 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 faraway 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.
 * Bunny Ears: Michiru's ears can elongate resembling rabbit's ears allowing her to hear conversations from far away or listen through walls or doors.
 * Bird Beak: Michiru can turn her mouth into a bird's beak allowing her to amplify her voice. She also appears to gain tail feathers as well as a crest on her head similar to a rooster's.
 * Gorilla Punch: While preparing to throw an object or throw a punch, Michiru's 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 Speed: Michiru's lower half of her body turns into a cheetah's, replacing her legs and tail with the agile predator's, allowing for an incredible burst of speeds. The tail is probably there to act as a real cheetah's tail in the wild would as a way to counteract body torsion while she is turning at high speeds keeping her balanced.
 * Wings: Michiru's arms can transform into wings which can grow in size when needed.
 * Chameleon Camouflage: Michiru can turn her skin into a chameleon's skin and use it to blend in. Her clothes are unaffected by that ability.
 * Wolf's sense of smell: Michiru can shapeshift her head into a wolf's head and gain a sense of smell as keen as Shirou's.

Quotes

 * (To Gram Grandma) "I will never forgive you for trying to sell those children! Don't beastmen have human hearts too?"
 * (To Shirou) "Look at that! I'm human! What do you mean you don't make mistakes? Do you understand your mistake now? I hate this city, and I hate beastmen! I'm finding a cure for this disease, and then I'm getting out of here!"
 * (To Shirou) "Even though I'm really a human, right now, I'm a beastmen like any other. Isn't it your job to protect all beastmen? Then protect me too. If you admit that I'm a beastmen, that is."
 * (To Pink Flamingos) "Actually you're all so ugly, I can't help but feel bad. Sneering at people, laughing about things you were born with and can't change. Putting labels on people and acting like you've already won!"
 * (To Pink Flamingos) "I have to make a boat in Kachikachi-yama, so...Would you hurry it up...?"
 * "The match isn't over yet! Are you running with the tail between your legs? Are you that afraid of losing? Don't be cowards. This town's baseball is all about winning or losing, living or dying, right? if that's the case, then go ahead and fight, fair and square with all your might!"
 * (To Nazuna) "Okay...I got it. That's enough then. However! I have no friend named Death-whatever!"

Trivia

 * In Episode 12, it is revealed that her unusual beast factor is the cure to the Nirvasyl Syndrome.

Seiyuu

 * Her seiyuu is Sumire Morohoshi (諸星 すみれ, Morohoshi Sumire) who is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Kanagawa Prefecture. She is affiliated with Himawari Theatre Group.
 * She voices Annabel Crème from  anime, a production also directed by Yoh Yoshinari, Nina Tucker from the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood anime, and Tiki from the Fire Emblem Heroes video game.
 * Since Sumire Morohoshi is a singer, Michiru is the first character that can sing in real life.

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 is 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.

Miscellaneous

 * Michiru's Facelook username is Michiru_0513.
 * Her student ID card reveals information about her high school. The following is a line-by-line translation:
 * School ID No. 2n54
 * This certifies that the person mentioned below is a student at our school.
 * Year 2 Class 1
 * Name: Kagemori Michiru
 * Birth date: Heisei Era Year 15 Month 5 Day 13 born (2003/5/13)
 * Species type: Human
 * Issue date: Reiwa Era Year 2 Month 4 Day 1 (2020/4/1)
 * School institution Reiwa Gakuen: Reiwa High School
 * When Michiru opens up her Facelook on her birthday, a few friends messaged her:
 * Hanami: michiru <3 happy birthday!! <3
 * Nana (菜々): Long time no see, happy birthday Michiru, how have you been? <3
 * Kei-chan (ケイチャン): Happy birthday micchie can i meet today?? :o
 * Her old phone had the following apps: twitter, camera, transit, maps, notes, clock, photos, search, tweet, j-tube, books, app store, facelook, reminder, calculator, compass.
 * Her height is at 158 cm, her weight is at 48kg, and her blood type is O.