Until Death Do Us Part

From Hey Kids Comics

Until Death Do Us Part
230px
Cover of the first volume of the manga from Japan. Mamoru and Haruka are featured together.
死がふたりを分かつまで
(Shi ga Futari wo Wakatsu made)
Genre Action, Adventure, Science fiction
Manga
Written by Hiroshi Takashige
Illustrated by DOUBLE-S
Published by Square Enix
English publisher Template:Flagicon/core Template:Flagicon/core Yen Press
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Young Gangan
Original run December 2005 – ongoing
Volumes 19 (List of volumes)

Until Death Do Us Part (死がふたりを分かつまで Shi ga Futari wo Wakatsu made?) is a manga that started its serialization on Young Gangan Magazine's December 2005 issue.[1] It's written by Hiroshi Takashige and is drawn by DOUBLE-S. Currently, 19 volumes have been published.[2] The story centers around a young girl with strong precognitive abilities. Due to these abilities, she is held hostage by a Yakuza group looking to make a profit off of them. However, knowing what was to come, she spots a blind swordsman in the crowd and immediately recognizes him as her only way out. She hires him to protect her "until death do us part", and thus begins a long road of action-packed confrontations to keep the young girl safe and her abilities out of the hands of those who would exploit them.

Plot[edit | edit source]

Haruka Tōyama, a young girl, is kidnapped by agents of a company named EX-SOLID due to her precognition abilities. She quickly finds sanctuary with a man named Hijikata Mamoru, a blind swordsman, ex-kendoka and convict who is proficient in the use of a katana, and desperately runs him down in the street. Upon meeting, Haruka told Hijikita to protect her "Until Death Do Us Part." Confirming the terms of the contract, Mamoru quickly dispatches the pursuers on her tail and took her in for protection.

Soon it becomes apparent, however, that nearly the entire underground is targeting Haruka. It is then up to Mamoru, and his partner Igawa, to provide consistent and unending protection for Haruka. Needing a bit more help, contact is made with their parent company, a secret and elite vigilante paramilitary group called the Element Network. Many different members of the Network get involved in protecting Haruka and placing her under EN protection from unknown forces who seek her ability. In turn, Haruka assists EN forces in defeating mercenaries and assassins who are out to get her and the network.

Characters[edit | edit source]

File:Until Death Do Us Part Main Cast.jpg
Main cast of Until Death Do Us Part. Foreground: Mamoru Hijikata: Rear: Igawa Ryōtarō & Haruka Tōyama.

Element Network[edit | edit source]

Blade[edit | edit source]

Mamoru Hijikata (土方 護 Hijikata Mamoru?)
He is the protagonist of the story. Although he is almost completely blind, he's a master of Kenjutsu. To compensate for Mamoru's lost vision, Igawa has developed shades that directly project a rendered first-person view of Mamoru's surroundings in the fashion of a wire-frame model onto his retinas. His main weapon is a katana -- hidden inside his walking stick -- that is covered in a special molecular film which allows him to essentially cut through anything, including bullets. Having learned many real-combat sword-fighting techniques, and with the newly-gained "sight," he is able to engage in direct combat with his opponents. He has, on more than one occasion, been able to dodge long range sniper fire by sensing the "killing intent" of the shooter. He also shows the ability to throw knives with an exceptional amount of precision. He is connected to Genda from his past and was an assistant instructor according to Genda. Aloof, daring, and unsociable, he cares little for the bad guys, but that does not mean he does not have feelings. At one time, he was the protege of the old martial arts. However, he killed his master Makabe using a wooden sword. In chapter 107, it's revealed that he lost his sight by an explosive round while volunteering in Chechnya. In a wanted poster, his height was measured to be around 6 feet (1.8 m). Prior to his EN deployment in Japan, he was given military training at a PMC facility in Arizona before being deployed to Chechnya. As of chapter 40, the one million reward on him changed to 100 million. His name, Mamoru, means 'to protect'. Much to the surprise of his acquaintances, he has a sweet tooth.
Haruka Tōyama (遠山 遥 Tōyama Haruka?)
She is the female leading character of the story. She possesses the ability to foresee the future, or more accurately, many possible future outcomes (e.g. Haruka can "see" that she and Mamoru will be married one day). Igawa created a fake identity so she can go to school. Her fake identity is Haruna Tachibana, Sierra's daughter.[3] During the time when Mamoru went MIA, she received some combat training with Inaba (including confronting a bear with help of Mamoru) and has since played a more active role in combat; She's also shown the ability to disarm opponents. Haruka means 'far off, or distant'.
Along with Mamoru's bounty, hers is increased to 500 millions--only if captured after Mamoru's death.
Ryōtarō Igawa (井川 良太郎 Igawa Ryōtarō?)
Mamoru's teammate who mainly deals with the technical aspects of Blade's operations. He had a little sister that was going to graduate from elementary school, but was killed. He drives in a Right hand drive Chevrolet Astro modified with electronics and communications equipment, including a police scanner to monitor all Japanese law enforcement frequencies, a bulletproof exterior and a color changing machine that allows the Astro to switch colors to avoid being detected by police or criminals. He uses the Linux OS for his computers.
Dai Ibuki (伊吹 大 Ibuki Dai?)
Newly assigned Blade member after Mamoru (and Haruka) went MIA and the same age as Igawa. He rides a special motorcycle that runs silently and has special "Trial Mode" to jump it in mid-air or to go up between buildings. He has a grudge against Mamoru and always thinks he is his equal. In Chapters 75-76, he got into a fight with Mamoru, but got interrupted by Tatsumi Daiba. After the fight, he made a promise to become better than Mamoru. He was backup for Mamoru during his fight with Wiseman. He also bumped into Juliet and was insulted by her. He is the only one (aside from Haruka and Mamoru) that has ever seen and communicated with Daiba in person. As of now, he is assigned to Juliet as a subordinate by Igawa.
His ability with the special bike is formidable but on foot, his worth is criticized often (by Juliet and Mamoru).

The Wall[edit | edit source]

Alpha (アルファ Arufa?)
His real name is Jack Garvey (ジャック・ガービー Jakku Gābī?), and is the leader of the Element Network's international anti-crime unit "The Wall". He has a noticeable scar on the left side of his face. Originally a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, the Green Berets, he was later transferred to the British Army's SAS on an exchange program. Since then, he served in the elite forces in France, Germany, Italy and a few other countries. He was awarded a total of 7 medals for a single, flawless mission he led. In fact, until 3 years ago, he had been active in CIFA, and was in command of its successful hostage rescue operation. He went underground to the Wall after leaving CIFA.
Surprisingly, despite his position and achievements, he's shown to be quite a caring person.
Bravo (ブラボー Burabō?)
Charlie (チャーリー Chārī?)
Delta (デルタ Deruta?)
Echo (エコー Ekō?)
Lieutenant of "The Wall" and second in command. Ordered Kilo to scout Mamoru's brawl.
Foxtrot (フォックストロット Fokkusutorotto?)
One of the Wall's commandos. Was wounded during an encounter with Edge alongside India.
Golf (ゴルフ Gorufu?)
Hotel (ホテル Hoteru?)
India (インディア India?)
An ex-Marine who joins the Wall after losing his child to a terrorist. Speaks fluent Japanese.
Juliett (ジュリエット Jyurietto?)
She specializes in infiltration (including disguising), and is sent to look over Haruka in Sierra's absence. She seems to harbor a mutual personal grudge against Sierra; the source was later revealed to be from her own tragic past and Sierra's, as she had been stabbed and unable to bear children while Sierra can but chooses to live in sorrow for her dead child. After Mamoru's fight with Wiseman, she bumps into Dai and considers him a boy because his reaction of detection was weak. As of now, she is assigned to Dai as his superior by Igawa. Normally, she is outgoing and likes to tease people, not excluding Mamoru.
Kilo (キロ Kiro?)
He specializes in covert ops, using knives; he is also Sierra's ex-husband. He was almost taken down by Genda, but Mamoru prevented it. He also "babysat" Haruka and ended up getting involved in an assassination crime that she became a part of in order to protect a classmate. He is still in the hospital for his injuries.
Lima (リマ Rima?)
Mike (マイク Maiku?)
November (ノベンバー Nobenbā?)
Oscar (オスカー Osukā?)
Papa (パパ Papa?)
A big man with a grip strength of 170 kg.
Quebec (ケベック Kebekku?)
Romeo (ロメオ?)
Sierra (シエラ Shiera?)
Her real name is Serena (セリーナ Serīna?). She had a daughter, Cindy, with her ex-husband, Kilo. When Cindy was killed by a terrorist, she decided to join The Wall. She is very protective of Haruka, often treating Haruka like her own daughter. Once she recovered, she decided to take a leave of absence from "The Wall" to improve her skills so that she wouldn't be a burden to others. In Chapter 81, she went to visit Mamoru's teacher, Inaba, to receive some training.
Tango (タンゴ Tango?)
Uniform (ユニフォーム Unifōmu?)
Victor (ヴィクター Vikutā?)
Whiskey (ウィスキー Wisukī?)
X-ray (エックス・レイ Ekkusu Rei?)
Yankee (ヤンキー Yankī?)
Zulu (ズール Zūru?)

Police[edit | edit source]

Teppei Genda (源田鉄平 Genda Teppei?)
A detective assigned to solve the attacks caused by Mamoru when he was protecting Haruka. He's the only police officer who knows of The Wall's existence. It is later revealed that he is also a very skilled swordman, comparable to Mamoru, even though he only uses a Bokkutou, a light wooden sword that can't cut, and a police baton. Genda and Mamoru have a long history with each other since he calls Mamoru "assistant instructor" when he had been practicing Kendo in his younger days. It is later revealed that he also knew the Aegis during the same Kendo practices. Working with Aegis, Genda help infiltrate Anna into the school Jesus works at.
Masuda (升田 Masuda?)
Horikawa (堀川 Horikawa?)

Others[edit | edit source]

Inaba (稲葉 Inaba?)
Mamoru's kendo teacher who is well aware of Makabe's death. Mamoru and Haruka spent time with him when they went MIA and during that time he practiced with Mamoru and trained Haruka. Genda and Masuda visit him to hear about Mamoru's swordsman's life prior to the murder of his master. After they left, Sierra suddenly turned up in front of him.
Tatsumi Daiba (台場 巽 Daiba Tatsumi?)
The manager of Element Network who keeps a close eye on Mamoru and Haruka. He currently has a disabled leg and uses a walking cane. Daiba gained reputation as the prodigy who created the search engine MENTOR in his teens. MENTOR brought him much wealth and he went on to become a world leading VIP. During his childhood, his father murdered his mother in front of his eyes. There are rumors that he is connected to the underworld and has developed a quantum computer called the Super Parallel Algorithm Resonance Compute, or SPARC for short. He is also revealed to be a highly skilled martial artist, recognized by even Mamoru. He suffers from insomnia due to overworking and mental stress.
  • Crossover from ALCBANE which was also written by Hiroshi Takashige
Aegis (イージス Aegis?) (also called "The Praetorian")
The strongest underground bodyguard who can deflect any bullet. His wife was murdered and his child was lost while they attempted to defuse a bomb strapped to her. His right arm is replaced with an artificial arm of steel. He has some respect for Mamoru, but dislikes his personality for only caring to strengthen his skills. He admitted that Mamoru is the strongest opponent he has ever faced. His real name is Tate Karito and is an ex-Special Assault Team operative.
  • Crossover from AEGIS IN THE DARK (闇のイージス) which run in the same magazine.
Senji Tamagawa (玉川 千冶 Tamagawa Senji?)
Member of the Yakuza in Kakuhōkai. He is an excellent swordsman but not at Mamoru's level. He dislikes Komura's methods and is willing to help Mamoru as long he doesn't get into trouble from the Yakuza. He later made a promise to protect Haruka with his life.
Pyro (パイロ Pairo?)
A smoking man with a fedora who is ordered by Daiba to support Haruka from behind the scenes. His weapons of choice seem to be projectiles like throwing knives and grenades. He refers Mamoru as "Blade".
Ana Riddle (アナ・リドル Ana Ridoru?)
The broker of "Aegis" who provides service only to the clients who can answer her riddles. Genda helped her infiltrate into the school that Jesus works at. Her real age is not known but her appearance is that of same age range as Haruka. She seems to be connected to Daiba.
  • Crossover from AEGIS IN THE DARK (闇のイージス) which run in the same magazine.
Jesus (ジーザス Ji-zasu?)
Renowned underground hit-man who is seeking his kidnapped pupil. He appears again in chapter 100 confronting Wiseman. Jesus works at a private boarding school. Jesus' codename comes from enemies who witness his abilities and can only exclaim "Jesus" in response. The name he uses publicly is Shingo Fujisawa, which belonged to a dead teacher who had a similar appearance to Jesus and to which Jesus had to take up the profession of teaching to stay undercover.
  • Crossover from JESUS (ジーザス) by the same manga artists as AEGIS IN THE DARK.
Orion

An black market organ seller in Chechnya from 3 years ago before Mamoru lost his sight. He harvests organs from poor children. He thinks the Element Network is a fairy tale.

Luna

Second in command of "The Canes Venatici" in Chechnya 3 years ago. She seems to know something about the "Element Network" that Mamoru mentioned to Orion. She and "The Canes Venatici" are leftover children that couldn't be sold for organs. She helps Mamoru and the Chechnyan kids escape Orion. It is later revealed that one of the kids is her sister. She is later killed by Orion using an unknown explosive substance, the same that caused Mamoru to lose his sight.

The Republic of Galboa[edit | edit source]

Edge Turus (エジー・トゥルス Ejī Turusu?)
Galboan ambassador to Japan. Had plans to kidnap Haruka due to her precognitive abilities as well as the EX-SOLID biochip. Was disabled by Mamoru when he sliced his right arm after Alpha led 'The Wall' commandos to storm a freighter he used to meet with Mamoru. Later on, Mamoru cut off his left arm. After the incident, Komura took over Edge's position. He currently hospitalized. Gene gave him the prosthetic arm that was stolen.
Fang (牙(ファング) Fangu?)
An assassin hired by Edge. He has a strong interest in Mamoru. He uses portable, computerized mini helicopters armed with turrets to fight Mamoru. However, Igawa sees through it and was able to find him. It is later revealed that he is Edge's half brother. He is killed by acquaintances in the end, as per his wishes, escaping his nightmares of being killed by Mamoru or other assassins.
Mister Wiseman
To the general public, he is Thomas Jefferson (トーマス・ジェファーソン Tōmasu Jefāson?), a former college professor and expert on crime, but he is actually a renowned and respected criminal in disguise. He is known as Mr. Wiseman, the man who taught Edge. His financial power is best described as frightening as he looks down on the 100 millions dollar bounty, calling it "mundane".
Komura (古村 Komura?)
The Kakuhōkai Yakuza clan's waka gashira, an overseer and the second in command. He was present during Mamoru's raid of the Kakuhōkai's Tokyo branch and vowed to take revenge on the swordsman down ever since. He was allied with Edge Turus and Mister Wiseman and replaced Edge's position. He sometimes goes by the name "Professor". In recent chapters, he was found by Mamoru and nearly killed, but Aegis was hired by Daiba Tatsumi to prevent Mamoru from killing him. After Aegis told him to go to jail or both of them would be after him, he turned himself in for illegally possessing a gun.
Gene

He is Edge's younger "brother" and works for Plunder. He is from the Duhana semi-state and is the leader of the its special forces, particularly the "Trump" group, which consists of seven members. He was the one responsible for stealing Aegis's arm as a gift for Edge. He wears a headset connected to a PDA.

Organizations[edit | edit source]

Element Network (エレメンツ・ネットワーク Erementsu Nettowāku?)
A covert vigilante group formed by crime victims and their families who exchange information and mobilize to intervene directly to "hunt criminals". Information exchange, evaluation and monitoring of actual mobilization, and all other organizational activities can be done anonymously via the Internet, although willing parties may work directly with other members in curbing crime. Since the purpose of the organization is to prevent crime, the killing of criminals is prohibited. However, it seems that the organization has plans of hiring criminals to deal with other criminals. Currently, the organization is only scarcely discussed about in some online communities.
Blade (ブレード Burēdo?)
A team consisting of Mamoru and Igawa that deals with large-scale city crimes. However, since Mamoru's usually the only one fighting at the scene, the term Blade is more often used as Mamoru's codename.
The Wall (THE WALL(ザ・ウォール) Za Uōru?)
An international anti-crime unit led by Alpha. Its members are codenamed according to the Phonetic Alphabet. Owing to EN policy as to avoid killing criminals unless in dire situations, Wall commandos use non-lethal weapons and techniques to apprehend criminals instead of killing them.
Plunder (強奪者(プランダー) Purandā?)
Codename of an unknown terrorist(s) responsible for stealing intellectual properties from various corporations. He was the one that stole the new artificial arm that was made for Aegis.
TPC
An organ harvesting organization that was active in Chechnya led by Orion. Under it is a mercenary force called Canes Venatici.
Canes Venatici
An elite mercenary force operating under Orion and Luna's command; they are known to be proficient with knives and using small arms with guerrilla tactics. Mamoru first encounters them in Chechnya when his squad was nearly wiped out. The group also uses enhanced soldiers via body modifications. The name means "Hunting Dogs" in Latin.

Publication[edit | edit source]

Until Death Do Us Part has been published in Japan with 15 volumes by Square Enix[4] after it was initially serialized on Young Gangan's December 2005 issue.[1] Volume 16 is not yet scheduled for a release in Japan. In France and in French-speaking countries and territories, it is being published by Editions Ki-oon in 12 volumes under the title Jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare[5] with its 1st volume published on March 27, 2008.[6] In South Korea, it is published under Haksan.[7] It is published in Taiwan under Tong Li.[8] It is published in Hong Kong by Jade Dynasty.[9] It is published in Indonesia by Elex Media.[10] It is published in Italy by J-Pop.[11] Until Death Do Us Part has been recently licensed for English language release by Yen Press.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "No.23【2009.12.4号】" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved 2011-03-24. 
  2. "Square Enix's Until Death Do Us Part Page" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved 2010-12-09. 
  3. Igawa intended it to be Haruna Hijikata, Mamoru's sister, but the team considered this fake ID to be too suspicious. However, due to her involvement with a crime investigation, she had to disappear again.
  4. "Square Enix manga releases" (in Japanese). Square Enix. Retrieved 2011-03-24. 
  5. "Jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare" (in French). Editions Ki-oon. Retrieved 2009-09-14. 
  6. "Jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare, Volume 1" (in French). Editions Ki-oon. Retrieved 2009-09-14. 
  7. "죽음이 두 사람을 갈라놓을 때까지" (in Korean). Haksan. Retrieved 2011-03-23. 
  8. "終極感應" (in Chinese). Tong Li. Retrieved 2011-03-24. 
  9. "直至死亡將我們分開" (in Chinese). Jade Dynasty. Retrieved 2011-03-24. 
  10. "Until Death Do Us Part 01" (in Bahasa Indonesian). Archived from the original on 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2011-03-24. 
  11. "Until Death do us Part n.1" (in Italian). Retrieved 2012-04-19. 

External links[edit | edit source]