Blast of Tempest

Plot

The story revolves around Mahiro Fuwa, a teenage high school student whose younger step-sister Aika (who was also the longtime girlfriend of his childhood friend Yoshino Takigawa) was mysteriously murdered along with their parents one year before. Mahiro is contacted by Hakaze Kusaribe, the leader of the Kusaribe clan who was left stranded on an unknown deserted island by her followers, and agrees to help Hakaze in exchange for her help to find out the culprit responsible for the tragic death of his family. Upon learning of his friend's intentions, Yoshino joins him on his quest to stand up against the rest of the Kusaribe clan who intends to awaken the "Tree of Exodus" whose power can bring ruin to the entire world.

Several dialogues and plot elements in Zetsuen no Tempest pay homage to two works of William Shakespeare, Hamlet and The Tempest, which are two stories about retribution, albeit with completely opposing outcomes.

Characters

Main characters

Yoshino Takigawa (滝川 吉野, Takigawa Yoshino)

Voiced by: Kōki Uchiyama, Houko Kuwashima (young)

The main viewpoint character of the series. Yoshino is Mahiro's childhood best friend who joins his quest to stop the Tree of Exodus in exchange for the means to avenge for the death of his family. Just like Mahiro, Yoshino cannot overcome Aika's death as he was her boyfriend, a fact he always kept a secret from Mahiro by her request. Yoshino has a more calm and collected character in contrast to Mahiro's reckless behavior, resorting to manipulation and deceit when needed. At the end of the series, he finally accepted Aika's death and formalized his relationship with Hakaze as a means to move on and honor Aika's last wish.

Yoshino's setup and behavior includes allusions to Horatio from Hamlet, who is the eponymous protagonist's closest friend and confidant. It also includes allusions to Ariel from The Tempest, who works behind the scenes and serves as the magician's primary means of communication and obtaining information.

Mahiro Fuwa (不破 真広, Fuwa Mahiro)

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Yūko Sanpei (young)

A typical high school student and the son of a wealthy entrepreneur, Mahiro is Aika's step-brother and Yoshino's best friend since elementary school. Mahiro's family—consisting of his father, mother, and Aika—were all found dead one year before the beginning of the series. In exchange for help with finding the culprit responsible for killing Aika, Mahiro agrees with Hakaze's plan to stop the resurrection of the Tree of Exodus with Yoshino's help. With little care for the destiny of the world, Mahiro's only desire is to locate and kill the murderer of his family, especially for Aika's sake. Though he is not related to Aika by blood, Mahiro claims he never had any romantic feelings for her, even if his actions imply otherwise.

Mahiro's setup and behavior includes allusions to Prince Hamlet, as just like the main character from Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, he is prone to abandon all morals and reason for the sake of exacting his revenge. It also includes allusions to Laertes, the brother of Hamlet's beloved Ophelia who also seeks revenge for the deaths of his father and sister.

Kusaribe clan

Samon Kusaribe (鎖部 左門, Kusaribe Samon)

Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama

Hakaze's former aide who usurped her position as the leader of the Kusaribe clan with the intention of awakening the Tree of Exodus to prevent the advent of the Tree of Genesis. Later it is revealed that he did so because he knows that upon fully awakening, the Tree of Genesis will recreate the world, fearing that by doing so, all beings previously created (including mankind) may be destroyed.

Natsumura Kusaribe (鎖部 夏村, Kusaribe Natsumura)

Voiced by: Junichi Suwabe

Samon's right hand man and one of the best magicians of the Kusaribe Clan. He fights armed with a spear.

Tetsuma Kusaribe (鎖部 哲馬, Kusaribe Tetsuma)

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino

Samon's subordinate and mage of the Kusaribe clan. He is very smart and believes in the reason of the world. He suspected Yoshino as the real "Magician of Exodus" rather than Hanemura due to his suspicious participation in certain events.

Other characters

Megumu Hanemura (羽村 めぐむ, Hanemura Megumu)

Voiced by: Yūki Kaji

The real current "Magician of Exodus". His powers started manifesting by the time of Aika's death when he was chosen by the Tree of Exodus to replace her and got stronger when the Kusaribe Clan tried to revive it. Unlike the members of the Kusaribe Clan, who are capable only of healing and defensive magic, Megumu's magic is solely focused on destruction and does not need any offerings to be activated. He first appears before Yoshino and Hakaze while looking for the Tree of Exodus, and despite Hanemura is labeled as the greatest threat to her, and was suspicious of being the one who killed Aika, Hakaze decides to train him to ensure that he has the strength to stop the Tree of Genesis should her fears that all mankind will be destroyed when it fully awakens are confirmed. Megumu claims he had a girlfriend, whom he claims is his alibi for the time of Aika's death, but was dumped by her recently. He is unsure if he should save the world for his girlfriend because it might seem uncool. Frauline tracks down his former girlfriend's number and address for him. As the Magician of Exodus, he eventually defeats the Tree of Genesis after the Tree of Exodus was revived.

Evangeline Yamamoto (エヴァンジェリン·山本, Evanjerin Yamamoto)

Voiced by: Nana Mizuki

A Japanese agent working under Takumi to investigate Mahiro and his connection with Hakaze. At first, she finds Yoshino and questions him about Mahiro's whereabouts, but then later makes a deal with him concerning his friend. She is the first person to whom Yoshino confesses that Aika was his girlfriend.

Junichirou Hoshimura (星村 潤一郎, Hoshimura Junichirō)

Voiced by: Hirofumi Nojima

A member of the Kusaribe clan that left to avoid conflict because he dislikes fighting. As the only one Hakaze can really trust, she left him a powerful talisman created from a MP5 sub-machine gun with the power to stop the Tree of Exodus. Currently Junichirou is attending college and true to his pacifist nature; while he is unable to use any magic, he has the ability to deflect attacks of Kusaribe magic, dropping them into the ground should they try to hit him, in a similar fashion to a Judo throw. It is said that not even Hakaze can break through his defenses, leaving his enemies with no options but to give up or to collapse by exhaustion. He is also very perceptive, quickly realizing when Hakaze falls in love with Yoshino.

Media

Manga

Blast of Tempest is written by Kyō Shirodaira and Arihide Sano, and illustrated by Ren Saizaki. It was serialized in Square Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan from July 10, 2009, to March 12, 2013. Two additional chapters were published in the magazine on April 12 and October 12, 2013. Square Enix collected its chapters in ten tankōbon volumes, released from February 22, 2010, to November 22, 2013. In May 2023, Square Enix began to publish the series in English on their Manga Up! Global service.

Anime

The anime began airing on MBS (Animeism block) on October 5, 2012. The anime was simulcast with English subtitles on Crunchyroll. It has been licensed by Aniplex of America in North America, by Madman Entertainment in Australia, and by Muse Communication in Southeast Asia. For episodes 1–12, the opening theme is "Spirit Inspiration" by Nothing's Carved in Stone while the ending theme is "happy endings" by Kana Hanazawa. For episodes 13–24, the opening theme is "Even Though I Love You" (大好きなのに, Daisuki na no ni) by Kylee while the ending theme is "Our Song" (僕たちの歌, Boku-tachi no Uta) by Tomohisa Sako.