Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that answer the question.
Query: Who is the main character of Zatch Bell?
Kiyo Takamine, known in the original version as Kiyomaro Takamine(高嶺 清麿,Takamine Kiyomaro) and his Mamodo partner Zatch Bell, known in the original version as Gash Bell(ガッシュ・ベル,Gasshu Beru), are the main protagonists of the series. Kiyo is a genius 14-year-old junior high school student with an IQ of over 180. His classmates eventually shunned him due to his high intelligence causing him to develop an introverted and apathetic demeanor to the point where he skips school on a regular basis.[4] One day, Zatch, an overly cheerful amnesic boy, is sent by Kiyo's father to live with Kiyo. Zatch's personality slowly influences Kiyo causing him to become more outgoing and friendly and allowing him to befriend many people during the course of the series. Zatch's past is slowly unraveled and reveals he is the son of the current Mamodo King and sealed within Zatch is a power known as Bao(バオウ,Baō).[5] Also brought to light is the fact that Zatch's twin brother, Zeno Bell, was the one who erased Zatch's memory in order to make him suffer.[6] In battle, Zatch's spells revolve around lightning. His most powerful spell, Bao, allows him to create a huge electrical dragon. Kiyo's voice actor is Takahiro Sakurai and his English voice actor is Jason Spisak.[7][8] Zatch's voice actors are Ikue Ōtani and in the nine final episodes, Konami Yoshida.[7][9] His English voice actress is Debi Derryberry.[8]
The "Zatch Bell!" anime/manga series had video games, most of which were published in Japan only. Ten "Zatch Bell!" video games were only published in Japan with half of them being Game Boy Advance titles but three games were localized in North America including "Zatch Bell! Mamodo Battles", "Zatch Bell! Electric Arena", and "Zatch Bell! Mamodo Fury". "Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Unare! Yūjō no Zakeru 2" was planned to be localized in North America as "Zatch Bell! Electric Arena 2" but it was canceled for unknown reasons.
"Zatch Bell!" ended in December 2007. Shogakukan sent Raiku back his original manga artwork. However, five full color pieces were missing. On May 21, 2008, Raiku announced that he would no longer do business with Shogakukan. During the same year Raiku sued Shogakukan over the lost "Zatch Bell!"-related artwork. Later that year Raiku settled for 2.55 million yen.
The anime and manga series Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as Konjiki no Gasshu!!(金色のガッシュ!!, lit. Golden Gash!!) for the manga and Konjiki no Gasshu Beru!!(金色のガッシュベル!!, lit. Golden Gash Bell!!) for the anime, features an extensive cast created and illustrated by Makoto Raiku. The series takes place in Modern day Japan and follows a genius teenager named Kiyo Takamine and his Mamono(魔物, lit. "demon", transliterated as Mamodo in the English adaption) Zatch Bell, a human-like being with supernatural powers.
The English adaptation of the "Zatch Bell!" anime premiered on Cartoon Network's Toonami on March 5, 2005 to January 20, 2007 with seventy-seven episodes aired. Canada's YTV began airing "Zatch Bell!" in September 2005 and ended on December 6, 2008 with episode 104. The series was released in fifty-one DVD compilations by Shogakukan between November 19, 2003 and March 7, 2007 in Japan. As of July 2009, Thirteen DVD compilations of the English adaption of the anime have been released by Viz Media between November 8, 2005 and December 4, 2007. All the Viz Media home releases of Zatch Bell show only the North American edited English dub episodes and they are rated A for All Ages. New Video released a DVD box set, ""Zatch Bell!: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2"", on December 3, 2013 that included the first 100 episodes of the North American edited English dub. On June 22, 2017, Starz announced that they would be offering episodes of the series for their Video on Demand service starting July 1, 2017.
After Zofis' defeat, a group of Mamodos plan to awaken the giant Mamodo Faudo and use its power to win the Mamodo battles. Kiyo and his friends realize the threat Faudo could bring to the world and infiltrates Faudo's body in order to stop its resurrection. As they progress inside Faudo, Kiyo is killed in battle but is resuscitated into a catatonic state by Zatch. Zatch and friends move on and meet the one controlling Faudo, Zeno who reveals he is Zatch's twin brother. Kiyo awakens and with Zatch battles and defeats Zeno and sends Faudo back to the Mamodo World.
Kiyo and Zatch were based on the design of a normal high school student and a noble knight who combats evil. The knight however was changed into a cuter character. In the Zatch Bell! character popularity polls, Kiyo and Zatch are voted one of the most popular characters ranking in the top three. Plush dolls based on Zatch's appearance have also been made.
Gustav(グスタフ,Gusutafu) is a Russian man who is the partner of the Mamodo Vincent Bari(ヴィンセント・バリー,Vinsento Barī). Bari looks like a ruthless and cold jester who is always scowling. He defeats many Mamodos in the search of a meaning for battle. When combating Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell, Zatch's goal of being a kind King prompts Bari to aim to be a powerful king. Bari, initially confused on how to achieve this goal, defeats a Mamodo which puts him on the brink of death and leaves him with many permanent scars. When complimented by that Mamodo, Bari understands what it means to be a strong king. During the battle against Faudo, Bari infiltrates the giant and encounters the Mamodo Keith whom he defeats. Keith however activates a trap and Bari sacrifices himself in order to save Zatch and has his book burnt in the process. Gustav, who is always critical of Bari, praises his mamodo for being able to knock Zatch, a mamodo likely to become the King, out of the trap's area. Bari's spells involve forming vortexes on his hands and using them as drills or firing them at enemies. Gustav's voice actor is Unshou Ishizuka and his English voice actor is Crispin Freeman. Vincent Bari's voice actor is Ryotaro Okiayu and his English voice actor is Wally Wingert.
Zatch Bell! Mamodo Battles, known as Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Yuujou Tag Battle 2!! in Japan, is a video game that was released in 2005 by Bandai. Based on the Zatch Bell! anime series, it is a 3D fighting game.
Jido, known as Jeed(ジード,Jīdo) in Japan, is a middle aged man who travels around the world with his Mamodo Ted(テッド,Teddo) in search of Ted's friend Cherish. Ted's appearance is of a young boy with a long pompadour hairstyle. When passing by Zatch Bell's hometown, Zatch offers Ted lodging at Kiyo's home where both pairs become friends. During the battle against Faudo, Jido and Ted infiltrate Faudo where he is forced to fight against Cherish, who is being controlled by Zeno Bell. Ted manages to free Cherish from Zeno's control, but his book is burnt in the process. Ted's spells are physical upgrades, and can only be cast in a particular order. Jido's voice actor is Kouji Ishii and his English voice actor is Christopher Darga. Ted's voice actor is Junko Takeuchi and his English voice actor is Michael P. Greco.
Zatch is an overly cheerful boy who possesses a strong sense of justice, but is clueless about most of the world around him and often gets in trouble when not being supervised by someone. Kiyo makes Zatch a toy named Volcun 300 which he refers to as a friend. Zatch's favorite food is Yellowtail, which he prefers to eat whole. When Zatch arrived to the Human world, he lived in a forest until the day Zeno attacked Zatch and removed his memory of the Mamodo world. Kiyo's father finds him and sends him to Kiyo. During the progress of the series, it is revealed Zatch is empowered with the power of "Bao", a powerful dragon created by Zatch's father during the last Mamodo battle. Due to the danger of "Bao" and Zatch's father's declining health, he transferred Bao into Zatch in order to prevent it from escaping and wreaking havoc in the Mamodo world. He soon sent Zatch to live as a normal Mamodo so he may never discover the power of Bao.
Both films were released exclusively in Japan until March 27, 2018, when Discotek Media brought both movies to Blu-ray in North America. The titles were localized to "Zatch Bell!: 101st Devil" and "Zatch Bell!: Attack of Mechavulcan", and contained the original Japanese audio with English subtitles. Each movie also received an individual DVD release on April 24th.
Naomi(なおみ) is Zatch Bell's bully at the playground who aims to make Zatch crunch as much as possible. Her appearance is that of a young girl with pig tails and oversized teeth which are always clenched, a trait her parents also share. In a mini-comic in the manga's last volume, it is revealed that she loves Zatch, who does not share the same feelings. Her voice actress is Shihomi Mizowaki and her English voice actress is Michelle Ruff.
The chapters of the manga series Zatch Bell!, known in Japan as , was written and illustrated by Makoto Raiku and was serialized in Shogakukan's "Weekly Shōnen Sunday" magazine. The plot follows Kiyo Takamine and his mamodo partner Zatch Bell's adventures in a tournament that will decide the ruler of the Mamodo World.
Zatch Bell! The Card Battle is an out-of-print trading card game released in 2005 based on the Zatch Bell! series. This game used original deck rules by using a spellbook instead of a loose deck.
Kiyo and Zatch are the protagonists in the two spun off animated films and . The pair appear in all of the Zatch Bell! series video games where the pair are played as a single character.
Megumi Oumi(大海 恵,Ōumi Megumi) and her Mamodo partner Tia, known as Tio(ティオ) in Japan, are friends and allies of Kiyo Takamine and Zatch Bell. Both Megumi and Tia have expressed romantic interest in Kiyo and Zatch, respectively. Megumi is a famous Japanese teen idol and pop singer who spends most of her time working.[10] Tia is a young girl who believed no one could be trusted in the Mamodo tournament after being attacked by a friend of hers from the Mamodo World.[10] When Kiyo and Zatch save Megumi and Tia from an attack by the same Mamodo, Tia begins to trust others again and allies with Kiyo and Zatch in order to make sure the Mamodo World would be ruled by a kind king. Tia's spells consist mostly of defensive and regenerative spells which are used to support and heal their allies. Tia's book is burned while protecting her friends from Clear Note's spells. She had a crush on Zatch for much of the series, despite her hobby of abusing him physically. They came in 5th place in the competition. Megumi's voice actress is Ai Maeda and her English voice actress is Kate Higgins.[7] Tia's voice actress is Rie Kugimiya and her English voice actress is Melissa Fahn.[7]
In the first "Weekly Shōnen Sunday" popularity polls of the series, Zatch ranked first and Kiyo ranked second. In the second and third Zatch Bell! character popularity contest, Zatch and Kiyo ranked first and third respectively. IGN's review of the first two Tankōbon of the series stated that Kiyo was not a likable character due to his abrasive attitude. IGN however described Zatch as "...a funny, quirky character that's easy to like and easy to get annoyed with fairly quickly". Mania.com's Jarred Pine review of the first volume also commented on Kiyo's irritating and arrogant persona. In the
SPJA Industry Award, Jason Spisak was nominated fifth in the category "best English voice actor" for the voice of Kiyo. Debi Derryberry was nominated for "Best Actress in a Comedy" for her role as Zatch at the 2006 and 2007 American Anime Awards but did not win. Since the series was released, merchandise based on Zatch's appearance has been made such as plush toys and action figures.
Common Sense Media describes the story as "isn't just about violence". They also say that there is always challenges, adversities, and questions of identity that the characters face especially Zatch and Kiyo. They compliment how the characters often think aloud when talking about their painful experiences or flashbacks. They applaud on how each of the characters problems in the series are not far off on what kids deal with today. They criticized how the battles uses visuals, languages, sound effects, and dramatic effects that often get drawn out and sometimes become hard to watch. Overall, they said with the graphic violence and the internal struggles that the different characters face throughout the series some parents may not find Zatch Bell! appropriate for their children under ten years old.
Dufort, known as Dufaux(デュフォー,Dyufō) in Japan, was a child who was sold by his mother to scientists who wanted to study his ability dubbed as Answer Talker(アンサートーカー,Ansa Tōkā). After finishing their experiment, they left Dufort to die but was saved by his Mamodo partner Zeno Bell, known as Zeon Bell(ゼオン・ベル,Zeon Beru) in Japan. Because of the scientists treatment, Dufort gains an apathetic personality and harbors a deep hatred against humanity. He journeys with Zeno to see things that interest him. Zeno is Zatch Bell's twin brother. Zeno was envious that Zatch was bestowed with the power of Bao and lived away from the castle while he was forced to endure torturous training set up by his father, the Mamodo King. When seeing Zatch's name on the participating Mamodo Battle list, Zeno aims to make Zatch suffer the same way he had. When confronting Zatch inside Faudo, Zeno accidentally reads Zatch's memories of the Mamodo World, which he had stolen prior, and discovers Zatch had also led a life of suffering. After Zatch defeats Zeno, Zeno apologizes to Zatch and gives Zatch the missing piece of Bao. Dufort, after realizing life has meaning, helps Zatch and his friends prepare for the battle against Clear Note. Zeno's spells are based on lightning which is fired from his hands. Dufort's voice actor is Hikaru Midorikawa and his English voice actor is Dave Wittenberg. Zeno's voice actor is Urara Takano and his English voice actress is Debi Derryberry.
After Raiku's "Newtown Heroes" series in the Shonen Sunday Super ended, Raiku looked at his old drafts he created in the past for an idea for his next series.[1][2] One of his ideas was about a mercenary who used a giant sword to defeat enemies. After playing with that idea for three months, Raiku decided to abandon it and go with another idea.[1] His next idea was a story where a middle school student, the prototype of Kiyo, finds an old toy that turns into a giant knight that combats evil. After taking this up with his agent, he was advised to use a cuter character to fight and thus, Zatch was created.[1] After Raiku worked on the idea for a month, it was published.[1] The reason Zatch uses lightning spells is because the "rai" in his name is the Japanese word for "lightning".[3]
Kiyo Takamine, known in the original version as and his "Mamodo" (known in Japanese as a ) partner Zatch Bell, known in the original version as , are fictional characters in the anime and manga franchise "Zatch Bell!" by Makoto Raiku. Mamodos are beings from another world with supernatural powers. The series begins when Kiyo, by the request of his father, is told to take care of Zatch. Eventually, they become involved in a tournament between Mamodos where the winner becomes king of the Mamodo World.
Taking place mostly in modern-day Japan, the story follows Kiyo Takamine, a 14-year-old boy in junior high school. His father, Seitaro Takamine, discovers an unconscious child named Zatch Bell while in a forest in England, and sends Zatch to live with Kiyo. Unlike the other Mamodo, Zatch lost his memory of the Mamodo world. Kiyo learns about the spell book when he reads a spell causing Zatch to fire lightning from his mouth (the spell is mentioned in the first episode). As Kiyo and Zatch begin to encounter different Mamodos and learn more about the Mamodo battles, they discover that there are those who do not wish to fight and there are those who fight for the wrong reasons. After meeting a Mamodo named Kolulu and seeing how this kind Mamodo was forced to fight due to the power of her spells, Zatch decides to become a kind king in order to stop the battle from ever happening again. As the story progresses, Zatch and Kiyo meet other Mamodos that share similar views to them and become allies. They meet allies such as Megumi Oumi and Tia in which they specialize in defensive spells such as different types of shields. Kiyo and Zatch meet Folgore and Kanchomé (Canchome) who are both comic relief characters and they only have transformation spells such as Kanchomé being able to turn himself really big. Zatch met Kafk Sunbeam and Umagon earlier in England. Umagon is a Mamodo who specializes in transformation spells that can put armor around his body. Shery (Sherie) Belmont and Brago who was originally Zatch and Kiyo's rival in the series later becomes their allies and he has gravity type spells.
Right after Zofis is sent back to the Mamodo World by the once again victorious Zatch Bell, a mysterious figure appears. The figure is a mamodo child who looks like Zatch, named Zeno, who claims to hate Zatch more than anything. The doppelgänger and his partner, Dufort prove to be tough for Kiyo and Zatch, and finally, Zeno declares that he will leave them alone for now, stating that he wants Zatch to "suffer" another "living nightmare" before finally defeating him. Zeno and Dufort leave, and although Zatch is initially worried about the "nightmare" his lookalike mentioned, Kiyo encourages him to become strong and that they will never give up. Zatch agrees, and the two proceed on, prepared for another adventure.
As the number of Mamodos decreases, Zatch and his allies encounter a Mamodo called Zofis who takes control of several Mamodos who were sealed in stone from the previous battle to decide the king. With Kiyo and Zatch needing more allies, they meet Dr. Riddles and Kido. They helped teach the main allies how to unlock new spells such as Zatch unlocking the sixth spell. Kiyo and Zatch with friends make their way to South America to fight off Zofis and the thousand year Mamodos. Many characters fell and got their book burned. The most notable one was Kido who was sent back to the Mamodo world after fighting Belgium E.O. Ultimately, Sherry and Brago came to help to fight Zofis. Zofis took control of Sherry's friend Koko who Zofis makes her do evil things such as burning a whole town. Sherry and Brago beat Zofis but not without the help of Kiyo and friends. Sherry gets Koko back to normal and the battle in South America is over. After the battle against Zofis, the whole world is put in danger after a giant Mamodo named Faudo is brought to life by a Mamodo named Riou. Riou was looking for Mamodos that have enough strength to help activate Faudo. So he puts a curse on Li-en and Wonrei who Kiyo and Zatch befriend in the middle of the series. The protagonists make their way to Faudo to try to destroy it and to save their friends. The battle in Faudo was the toughest battle for the characters up to that point in the story. Kiyo almost died against Riou, and many of Zatch's friends got sent back to the Mamodo world such as Wonrei. Faudo is then taken over by a Mamodo that looks like Zatch, who turns out to be Zatch's evil twin brother Zeno Bell. Zatch and Zeno have a big fight inside of Faudo. Through Zeno's flashback, he resented Zatch because their Father King Bell bestowed Zatch the power of Bao, which is Zatch's strongest spell. Zeno at a young age had to train everyday and always got punished while Zatch lived with another family peacefully. Ultimately, Zeno comprehends that Zatch also suffered too and apologizes to what he has done to Zatch. Zeno gets his book burned and is sent back to the Mamodo world.