Absolute Duo

Plot

Tor Kokonoe enrolls in Koryo Academy, a high school where its students battle each other with weapons known as Blaze (焔牙/ブレイズ, Bureizu) 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 Irregular (イレギュラー, iregyurā). 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, and must share a room with her. Both Julie and Tor are revealed to be an avenger, while Julie herself is an El-Awaken and possesses unlimited power. They both also have tragic pasts because their loved ones, Tor's sister and Julie's father, were killed by an enemy. Tor previously befriended with Imari Nagakura who failed the qualification and is enrolled in the Koryo branch academy on a vacation island and later paired with Miwa to form a duo.

Tor also begins to later get along with other known classmates such as Tomoe Tachibana, Miyabi Hotaka, Aoi Torasaki, and Tatu who also passed the qualification ceremony, principal Sakuya Tsukumo, and an energetic teacher, Rito Tsukimi. One day, a blonde haired beauty named Lilith Bristol heard of Tor's ability, and transferred from the English Branch Academy in order to pair up with Tor to form a duo without attending classes. She declares her love with Tor but she is rejected. Lilith becomes angry and one day she trespasses a training lesson and challenge the students there. Nevertheless, Lilith still not give up and try to win Tor's heart. Tor spends his school life with all his classmates and teachers, such as attending lessons, having tea with Lilith and strolling out in shopping malls once in a while.

Tor's school life used to be all-normal until one day Equipment Smith and K interrupts the normal school lives of the Koryo Academy students because they have the same goal that is, to build a strong force that conquers the world with their co-produced Units. Equipment Smith is revealed to have deep vengeance towards Sakuya's family for exceeding his research and Lilith's family for abandoned him to search for another career. When the academy held a summer trip at the island where located one of Koryo academy's branch school, they sent rebellious forces to attack the students and kidnapped Miyabi, who feels depressed because she is weak to help her friends and wish for greater power. Days later, the forces infiltrated the school compound led by K, Equipment Smith and followed by Miyabi, who is made their slave because of her wish. Tor and his friends united their power defeated K, Tomoe put Miyabi back to normal and all K's force units are defeated by all the academy's students. Due to K's defeat, Equipment Smith insulted K, thus makes K killed the former. The same night, K continued attacking the school the second time all by himself but was later defeated again by Tor and Julie, thus apprehended. The remaining thing unknown is that Sakaki Narukami, who killed Tor's sister and Julie's father is quietly moving behind the scenes.

Main characters

Tor Kokonoe (九重 透流, Kokonoe Tōru)

Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Japanese); Ricco Fajardo (English) Tor is the protagonist of Absolute Duo. He enrolls in Kouryou Academy with the hope of getting stronger so he can avenge the death of his younger sister Otoha (音羽). 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. 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 Sublimition which is "Aegis Desire"(volume 4)

Julie Sigtuna (ユリエ・シグトゥーナ, Yurie Shigutūna)

Voiced by: Nozomi Yamamoto (Japanese); Bryn Apprill (English) Julie is a girl with red eyes and silver hair, styled in twin tails who becomes Tor's 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 Scandinavia. Her Blaze is a Sword Type, known as Twin Blades. The reason she came to Japan and enrolled to Kouryou Academy is because 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: "Ja" (ヤー, Yā) and "Nej" (ナイ, Nai). One of her interesting features is her single strain of hair that stands and moves around whenever she says "Ja" (ヤー, Yā) or agrees to something. It also moves when she is happy.

Tomoe Tachibana (橘 巴, Tachibana Tomoe)

Voiced by: Ayaka Suwa (Japanese); Whitney Rodgers (English) One of the female protagonists and Tor and Julie's classmate. She is a typical yamato nadeshiko character, who is smart and talented and possesses a dignified atmosphere. She cares very much about the people who are close to her especially Miyabi, whom 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 Toru a plate of vegetables to maintain his stamina and power. Her Blaze is a Kusarigama.

Miyabi Hotaka (穂高 みやび, Hotaka Miyabi)

Voiced by: Ayaka Imamura (Japanese); Ashleigh Domangue (English) One of the female protagonists who is a buxom girl, she forms a Duo with Tomoe. She is also in Tor's class and 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 Kouryou 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 Toru´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 which is capable of doing large scale destruction, however she has a hard time using it as she lacks stamina.

Lilith Bristol (リーリス・ブリストル, Rīrisu Burisutoru)

Voiced by: Haruka Yamazaki (Japanese); Caitlin Glass (English) A transfer student from England came from an affluent family. She is a very exceptional student whom 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 Toru, and declares he will be her future husband and win his heart. Though she is officially enrolled in Kouryou 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 characters

Sakuya Tsukumo (九十九 朔夜, Tsukumo Sakuya)

Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese); Felecia Angelle (English) The Chairman of Kouryou 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.

Rito Tsukimi (月見 璃兎, Tsukimi Rito)

Voiced by: Yukari Tamura (Japanese); Jennifer McDaniel (English) Tōru'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 always childish and a happy person who likes calling her students various names, while the second is foul-mouthed (and her true personality), sadistic and ruthless, not even thinking twice about attacking her 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 Sublimition from Sakuya and she has a new ability "Ouburos"

Imari Nagakura (永倉 伊万里, Nagakura Imari)

Voiced by: Haruka Tomatsu (Japanese); Michelle Rojas (English) Imari is the first person Tōru talks to after entering the school. However, she is soon expelled from the school after losing against Tōru during the entrance ceremony's combat exam. Her Blaze consists of a single sword, which she wields like a katana. She reappeared when Tōru's class were sent to summer training camp at some remote island where Kouryou 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 Tōru's class the moment they arrived to the island.

Tora (トラ, Tora, lit."tiger")

Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae (Japanese); Anthony Bowling (English) Tōru's childhood friend who is also considered an Irregular. His Blaze is a katar. His full name is Aoi Torasaki (虎崎 葵, Torasaki Aoi) (in the manga and the anime).

Tatu (タツ, Tatsu, lit."dragon")

Voiced by: Yoshihisa Kawahara (Japanese); Tyson Rinehart (English) A silent classmate and Tora's roommate, he is the tallest person in class who has a muscular physique. His Blaze is a naginata. His full name is Ryutaro Tatsuno (辰乃 龍太朗, Tatsuno Ryūtarō) (in the manga). Rito oftens calls him "Barbarian".

K

Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese); Z. Charles Bolton (English) A soldier of Equipment Smith and the younger brother of Ryan Wayfair. His real name is Kevin Wayfair (ケヴィン＝ウェイフェア, Kevin Weifea). 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.

Sakaki Narukami (榊鳴神, Narukami Sakaki)

Tooru's former best friend who is responsible for killing Tor's sister Otoha and Julie's father in the past.

Equipment Smith (イクイップメント・スミス, Ikuippumento Sumisu)

Voiced by: Tomomichi Nishimura (Japanese); Kent Williams (English) 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 Edward Walker (エドワード·ウォルカー, Edowādo Worukā). After K is defeated and he begins to insult him and calling him a failure, K kills him.

Silent Diva (洌游の對姫/サイレントディーバ, Sairento Dība)

Voiced by: Ai Kayano (Japanese); Dawn M. Bennett (English) 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.

Sarah (サラ, Sara)

Voiced by: Nozomi Nishida (Japanese); Alex Moore (English) Sara is Lilith Bristol's female butler. Sara comes from a family that serves as their butlers.

Dark Ray Disaster

Voiced by: Takuya Eguchi (Japanese); Joel McDonald (English) Also known as Hugo.

Tempest Judge

Voiced by: Satoshi Hino (Japanese); J. Michael Tatum (English) Also known as Cloweiss.

Grave Phantom

Voiced by: Kentarō Itō (Japanese); Chris Rager (English) Also known as Ougi.

Momo Kibitsu (吉備津 桃, Kibitsu Momo)

Voiced by: Ami Uchida (Japanese); Leah Clark (English) One of Rito Tsukimi's student.

Otoha Kokonoe (九重 音羽, Kokonoe Otoha)

Voiced by: Manami Tanaka (Japanese); Lara Woodhull (English) Tor's deceased sister who was killed by Sakaki Narukami.

Ryan Wayfair (ライアン ウェイフェア, Raian Weifea)

Voiced by: Takahiro Miyake (Japanese); Robert McCollum (English) K's brother who died after protecting K.

Miwa

Voiced by: Aimi Tanaka (Japanese); Jamie Marchi (English) Imari Nagakura's duo partner.

Light novels

The first light novel was published on August 24, 2012 by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J imprint. Ten volumes have been published as of January 2016.

Manga

A manga adaptation with art by Shin'ichirō Nariie started serialization in Media Factory's seinen manga magazine Monthly Comic Alive from April 27, 2013, and has been collected in a three tankōbon volumes. A second spin-off four-panel comedy manga adaptation titled Absolute Duo Tea Party (アブソリュート・デュオ TEA PARTY) with art by Tōru 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 television series adaptation by 8-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, Sun Television, Kyoto Broadcasting System, Television Aichi Broadcasting and Nippon BS Broadcasting at later dates. Crunchyroll began streaming episodes to parts of Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa in the same week, and Funimation has licensed the anime, broadcasting English-dubbed episodes on its online service starting March 16.

The opening theme song is "Absolute Soul" by Konomi Suzuki, the first ending theme song is "BelievexBelieve" by Nozomi Yamamoto, the second ending theme song is "Apple Tea no Aji" (アップルティーの味, lit. The Taste of Apple Tea) by Nozomi Yamamoto and Haruka Yamazaki, and the third ending theme song is "2/2" by Ayaka Imamura and Ayaka Suwa.