Fuuga

Fuuga (風雅, or Elegance in the anime) is a fictional group in the manga/anime series Getbackers. It was led by Kazuki Fuuchouin during his pre-VOLTS days. Originally it consisted of five people: Kazuki, the Kakei siblings (Juubei and Sakura), Saizou Toufuuin, and Toshiki Uryuu. All of these five people are masters of ancient schools of martial arts. The gang's leitmotif is to fight with grace and beauty, like flower petals fluttering in the wind.

Background
A group led by Kazuki Fuuchouin before he joined VOLTS, Fuuga was the most powerful gang and Kazuki was the first nominal ruler of the Lower City. Following Kazuki's travel to the Beltline, Fuuga was dispersed, giving way to the rise of VOLTS. There were 2 incarnations of the group. Fuuga consisted of five people: Kazuki(head), Juubei Kakei and Toshiki Uryuu, as well as Saizou Toufuuin and Juubei's older sister, Sakura Kakei. During the Fuuga days, Toshiki and Juubei had a sort of rivalry between them. (Toshiki wanted Kazuki to notice him, stemming from the fact that Kazuki seems to be closer to Juubei than to him. On the other hand, Juubei, too, did not want to be outshone by Toshiki.) In the Kami no Kijitsu arc, he fought with Juubei and it was there that they ironed out their differences. Subsequently, whenever Kazuki needed help, Juubei and Toshiki will appear together to aid their leader. Saizou was an old friend of Kazuki's, dating back to the days of the first Fuuga (however, he was not seen in flashbacks in the earlier books.). Fuuga reassembled for the Queen's Cup Challenge in the Voodoo Child arc. It was revealed that Fuuga was originally formed by Saizou Toufuuin as a league of protectors to the last Fuuchouin heir, and it was Saizou who named the gang Fuuga, and coined the gang's motto: 'to fight with beauty and elegance, like flower petals fluttering in the wind' (the first element in the name Fuuga suggest the movement of wind). During the Voodoo Child arc, Sakura states that although the group was disbanded and the rest of the members had different standings during the era of VOLTS and the subsequent period (referring to the IL arc and the Kami no Kijitsu arc, when Kazuki confronts Juubei and Uryuu), Fuuga still lives in their hearts, and they are still bound to serve Kazuki as the last master of the Fuuchouin. -->

The Kakei Siblings
The Kakei siblings, Sakura (筧朔羅 Kakei Sakura) and Juubei (筧十兵衛 Kakei Jūbei), came from the Kakei clan, an ancient clan of doctors, healers and neddle-and-cloth manipulators, which had been allied to the Fuuchoin clan since time immemorial. While the traditional relation between the male heirs of the two clans was supposed to be no more than a lord with his healer, Kazuki and Juubei's friendship is more intimate than normal, as they had been thrown into conflict from an early age. In actuality, Sakura and Juubei's clan was sworn to protect whomsoever that ruled the Fuuchouin, thus rendering them unable to act when the Omote-Ura war ensued, as the assailant is also of the blood of the Fuuchouin. It was because of this impassivity that Juubei left his household when his father implored him to ally himself to the new leader of the Fuuchouin clan, Yohan Kokuchouin. He left in one of his famous outbursts of anger, saying that the Kakei clan was weak to have succumbed to the Kokuchouin, and he was allied only with his lord, Kazuki. Sakura followed her younger brother, albeit with more peace, saying to their father that the old man should consider the two had committed suicide, as they could never break themselves from the 'bond' of alliance with Kazuki. The two followed Kazuki into the Infinite Fortress and became, possibly, the first members of the Fuuga.

Of the two, Juubei appeared to be more close to Kazuki. Sakura, on the other hand, became a sort of a sister-protector figure to the young MakubeX, whom she assisted in ruling the Lower Town. Sakura is of a very kind, understanding nature. She seldom counters other people and most of time tried to keep the peace, especially between her brother and Ban, whenever the latter is into one of his name-calling sprees. She is also the keeper, and possibly also the weaver, of the banner of Fuuga. If Juubei is skilled in shinjutsu, Sakura is a virtuoso at handling cloth. Her trademark was a long pink cloth draped over her head and her shoulder, forming a lovely shawl for herself and a lethal weapon in battles. The feminine art of the cloth (even the name of the techniques are feminine, like 'Peacock' and 'Princess of Thousand Flowers') seems to be more passive, though, as most of the time Sakura uses it only to protect others, as shown when she, together with Juubei and Uryuu, form a last stand to protect the Getbackers, Makube X and Kazuki as they were entering the dreaded entrance of the Beltline. During the Queen's Cup Challenge, Sakura serves as Makube X' link to the battle scene. There is a mention about suiting her biological frequency to the communicational device in her ear, so it is assumed that Sakura's intelligence and knowledge of technology is somewhat more than an average person's. Indeed, Haruki Emishi exasperates how he is not an adapt at computers as 'Miss Sakura'. Of the Bloody Joker, it must be said that he seems to harbour some feelings to the Kakei, as was shown when he groped her breasts 'for comfort' after the death of Amon Natsuki (earning himself an attack from Juubei and Sakura) and he urges Saizou to free her from the Black Seal, even when he himself is losing the battle.

Juubei and Sakura both have reddish-brown hair. Juubei always wears a windbreaker, while Sakura sports a long robe with a shawl. Since the IL arc, when Juubei was blinded, he wears a dark cloth around his eyes, with his hair over most of his forehead.

Saizou Toufuuin
Toufuuin Saizou (東風院　祭蔵 Tōfūin Saizou) is a man from Kazuki's past. Saizou used to train under the Higashi Fuuchouin and was to become its next leader. In a duelling tournament between the Higashi Fuuchouin and the Omote Fuuchouin, where Saizou emerged the victor, he asked as his prize a battle with the son of the patriarch, the lord Kazuki Fuuchouin. Kazuki's fame as a talented child in the string arts had since spread to every other Fuuchouin school, albeit Saizou had never seen his face. Upon a call from the patriarch, Kazuki, whom Saizou thought was a girl enjoying his antics over the duel contests, emerged beaming and introducing himself. Battle and conviviality are two different matters, though; Kazuki lashed out at Saizou, destroying stone pillars and, almost, Saizou's face, in the wake of his strings. The battle between the two heirs ended in a draw which, Saizou admitted himself years later during their re-match in the Infinite Fortress, was just a stroke of luck for him.

Saizou is the heir to the Higashi Fuuchouin, which also uses strings as the Omote Fuuchouin. On the other hand, the Higashi Fuuchouin-ryuu emphasizes strength, and uses feathers to store the strings. Kazuki comments that the movements of Saizou is such that he resembles a feather fluttering in the air, suggesting speed and agility.

Saizou is a tragic character. As a talented youth he managed to defeat hundred seasoned Kokuchouin fighters alone during the Omote-Ura war. However he was caught by Yohan and brought to the Infinite Fortress, where subsequent events led to the establishment of Fuuga. Throughout the years of Fuuga he lived in fear that he will eventually betray Kazuki because of the existence of the 'black coccoon' seed inside him. He wished to commit suicide, but was stopped by Yohan, who proposed a plan instead to allow his friends and Kazuki to live yet a little longer. He submitted to the plan (which he frequently calls 'the script to escape all this chaos', referring to the ascend into Babylon) and disappeared from Fuuga.

He reappears after Kazuki summons him with the Red String. During the Queen's Cup Challenge, he unveils himself as allied to the Ura, and proceeded to take away Juubei, Uryuu and Sakura, whom he branded with the Black Seal. In 'Get Back the Lost Time', Saizou is frequently probed by Kagami, who said he has potential to rival Yohan, but must have a reason to let himself be allied to him (as it turned out, this reason is to protect Kazuki). Eventually, he leads the fallen Fuuga to attack the GB duo, who is nearing the entrance to the Beltine. He fights against Haruki Emishi, who is defeated utterly, before Kazuki turns up. During the battle between the Fuuchouin heirs, Kazuki constantly tells Saizou his betrayal is a wrong thing, but Saizou keeps his silence. As it turns out, even the Black Seal activation cannot defeat Kazuki's 'Empty Moon', and Sakura's conscience tells the true story to Kazuki, saying that Fuuga still lives (i.e. Saizou's betrayal is not as it seems). Kazuki is reluctant to pluck out Saizou's heart, but Saizou, smiling and joking how the Getbackers has 'ruined all his little plans', rips out his heart and offered it to Kazuki, saying 'farewell, beloved Prince of Fear' (the title is actually given by Saizou to Kazuki upon the latter's receival of the 'Stigma': 'people will fear your gentleness and your strength, and they will call you the Prince of Fear'). Eventually he died in Kazuki's arms.

Saizou is the only Fuuga member to wear a spectacles (Ayamine Rando drew him so in order to make him look more scary, but in the end made him 'look like Emishi instead'). His spiky hair is long and bind at the back like Kazuki, only he has two strands and his hair is shorter that Kazuki's locks. He wears a Chinese-looking suit with elaborate decorations.

Origins
The original idea of creating the Fuuga was voiced by Saizou. During the clan war that destroyed the Fuuchouin, the Higashi Fuuchouin, as allies to the ancient clan, was also pulled into the conflict. Saizou, who was a mere boy of 12 years old, defeated a hundred seasoned fighters from the Kokuchouin alone. However when he faced Yohan he was 'defeated without the battle having commenced' (a cliché statement showing that the antagonist's power is too great for the hero; a norm in Japanese manga). Saizou was brought into the depths of the Infinite Fortress and there learnt, if not all, most of Yohan's plans for the surviving heir, Kazuki. He managed to escape and, feeling honour-bound to protect Kazuki, gathered several champions under the banner of Fuuga as a league of guardians for the last scion of the Fuuchouin clan, and coined the leitmotif for the gang: 'to fight with grace and beauty, like flower petals fluttering in the wind'.

Under Kazuki's rule, Fuuga went on to became the most powerful gang in the Lower City prior to VOLTS. It was unclear whether during this time the residents of the Beltline had already breached into the Lower City, but in recollections scenes, it is often remarked that the era of Fuuga was a 'time of wars'. Nevertheless, there was a definite lapping of time between Fuuga's rule and the early VOLTS, as was shown when Kazuki, leading a group of warriors under the banner of Fuuga, met for the first time with Raitei-Ginji. Ginji himself admitted, although Fuuga was a small group, all its members are substantial in strength and prowess, and could have rivaled VOLTS in its heyday.

It is always said that Fuuga would have total control over the Lower City if it was not for Kazuki's disappearance. Kazuki embarked on a journey to discover the real truth behind the façade of the Infinite Fortress and dared to venture into the Beltline... alone. Kazuki barely survived the journey, and the memory of the one week that he lost in the Beltline — the so-called 'empty week', on which he always has nightmares on — was compensated for his 'Stigma', which he carries in his left eye.

Characteristics
Ayamine Rando has voiced his opinion, in one of the free talk slots in the manga, that Fuuga and VOLTS are two very similar groups, in terms of the awe the members have to their supreme leaders, and the characteristics of the old Kazuki (or rather, Kazuki as the 'Prince of Fear') who resembles the Raitei-Ginji. During the Fuuga era, Kazuki was a cold person, who refused to battle if the ensuing duel would not be 'elegant' enough for his skills (this caused problems to Juubei and Uryuu, because they were both honour-bound to protect him—how can someone who refused to battle to save himself, merely for the sake of the beauty of the duel, be protected easily?). Kazuki seldom smiled and his reputation as the Prince of Fear ran death knells across the Lower City. However, after Kazuki received his 'Stigma', he seemed to undergo a change in his philosophy and abstained Fuuga to join VOLTS, a decision which led to the gang's dispersement and the anger of Toshiki Uryuu to Kazuki, to be manifested later in the Kami no Kijitsu arc. This decision is explained by Kazuki years later: he did not wish for the ruling place as he deemed himself unfit for such a high position.

In the heydays of Fuuga, the gang had alliances with most of the other gangs in the Lower Town. It was in this way that it was considered that Kazuki was the first nominal ruler from the younger generation to rule the Lower Town (Takeru Teshimine was a ruler of the Lower Town, but he is considered of the 'older' generation). Once there was a gang leader who refused to acknowledge Kazuki's authority, even when confronted by Juubei. Kazuki stopped Juubei and Uryuu from attacking but instead walked alone to the leader, who was seven feet tall and surrounded by many followers. This bravado, and Kazuki's eerie confidence, rendered the leader quaking from fear and he knelt before Kazuki, seeking pardon.

Fuuga is a very traditional gang. It even has a banner: the kanji characters for Fuuga are written on it with the romaji transcription of the characters (FU-GA) along with ornaments on the sides the caracters, in shapes resemblant of flowers. The Fuuga banner was flown whenever Kazuki battled, and after the Fuuga was disbanded, Sakura kept the banner. She disclosed the banner once again when the Fuuga is re-assembled for the Queen's Cup Challenge, and when Kazuki unfurled the mighty banner, the most powerful gang of the Lower Town is reincarnated to serve its lord. At last, the banner rests forever as a shroud and a sign of Kazuki's forgiveness to Saizou, the supposed traitor to Fuuga who is actually the most fervent protector of the Prince of Fear.