r/Kenichi

A reminder: he is the leader of the weapon division and at the same level as the Elder.

He was introduced out of nowhere.

I get why: they needed someone on par with the Elder, but I felt it could've been done better, perhaps with some better backstory about the guy before they fought.
All we got was some small exposition.

The author mentioned that there was much more he had intended to explore in Kenichi 1. What would you like to see more of? Personally, I want to see more of Kenichi training with the Elder, Kenichi improving his relationship with him along with a deeper backstory. What about you?

edit: backstory especially regarding clans like the furinjis

I'm pretty sure he first reached Miu's level by the D of D Tournament, as shown by how he could fight alongside her as a team. When he unlocks Ryuusui Seikuuken and defeats Shoh, I'm pretty sure that was the first time he surpassed her. Shoh immediately knocked out Miu when they fought, and didn't even have to use Seidoh Gouitsu to keep up with her when she went berserk. Ken'ichi beat Shoh's Seidoh Gouitsu, so that should put him above Miu.

By the Sakaki and Hongoh arc, Ken'ichi seems to be pretty clearly above her; he one-shots Shoh's friend who was capable of hurting Miu, and he could keep up with Sakaki and Hongoh's fight better than she could.

It's not until Miu trains under Jenazad and reaches the second Ki stage (Kaihoh, how to release Ki) that she becomes stronger than Ken'ichi again. But Ken'ichi should have surpassed her again when he reached the third Ki stage (Shouaku, how to hold Ki) and beat Kajima, who was clearly greater than or equal to Miu. By the end of the manga's original run, Ken'ichi's Ki is so intense that some skilled skilled martial artists mistake him for being a master.

SPOILER, DONT READ IF YOU DIDN'T FINISH THE MANGA

The Elder stated that Kenichi can only be with Miu if he manages to defeat him. I don’t think he was joking; he will likely only approve if Kenichi proves he is strong enough. Since we know Kenichi eventually marries Miu, I believe he will continue to improve, master new techniques, and eventually create his own unique martial arts style rather than just using specific moves.

This makes me wonder: Did Kenichi actually defeat the Elder, or did he simply become strong enough to earn his approval (perhaps reaching Ryozanpaku level or surpassing his masters)? The Elder is incredibly OP and "invincible", he never lost, making a victory seem almost impossible but within the context of the story, it might not be. It would be fitting for a talentless, hardworking protagonist to defy the odds and defeat the invincible superhuman. What are your thoughts?

edit: "master new techniques" obviously also includes the elder teaching kenichi

I recently saw a post saying Kenichi is talented, and I agree. But how would you really define this talent? Let’s start by saying that Kenichi is a genuine fighting genius. He entered the world of martial arts at 16 and eventually defeated Satomi Kajima, the leader of Yomi and disciple of both Saiga Furinji and Senzui.

I believe his lack of talent refers to his passive nature and his struggle to learn techniques in a traditional setting. However, during fights, he shows insane endurance, partly thanks to his masters, but also due to his own willpower. Secondly, his observational skills are elite. I don't remember the exact chapter, but near the end, Miu mentioned that Kenichi’s observation skills surpassed hers while watching Akira Hongo fight.

It’s similar to how Kenichi figured out the Ryusei Seikuken while on the verge of death during his fight with Sho Kano. In this aspect, he is a lot like the Elder, and not just philosophically. Just as the Elder grew stronger by fighting masters and challenging dojos, Kenichi is the type of fighter who grasps and evolves techniques during combat. For example, he learned to unleash his Ki against Kajima and developed the Mubyoshi during his fight against Siegfried. He "grasps" the "nature" of techniques through fighting and evolves. His creativity is his true strength.

In a nutshell: Kenichi is a talentless fighting genius.

I recently made a post about Kenichi fighting Hayato, and it got me wondering: Where do you see the future of the Furinji style heading?

Miu leans heavily toward Dou. Do you think she’ll eventually match her grandfather's Ki type? If not, what happens to the Elder’s techniques, since he can’t pass them all to her? Do you think, in Kenichi 2, he’ll take him on as a true disciple and teach him the Furinji style properly?

If we had a Devil May Cry styled Ken'ichi game, he should have Dante's style changes and the parallels would go as followed: Trickster = Kung Fu, Swordmaster = Karate, Gunslinger = Jiujitsu, Royal Guard = Muay Thai. Unless there's a better combination. Against female opponents, he automatically switches to Jiujitsu and against female bosses, he's locked on it. And Miu could be a secondary playable character of course. Not many comparisons between her and Vergil, but her Furinji Style could be the Dark Slayer equivalent. And what about if it pulled a Kingdom Hearts and gave us its own version of the Data Organization XIII fights, instead it's the Ragnarok members? Or the Yomi...? I haven't gotten that far in the manga yet, so I'm not supposed to know this group exists, but if it's like the Ragnarok, it'd be a cool concept. As for the genders, I would think Ken'ichi would face the male members of the enemy groups and Miu, the female members