Kaede Kaburagi

Kaede Kaburagi

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Kaede Kaburagi
Japanese	鏑木 楓 Kaburagi Kaede
NEXT Power	Ability Duplication
Profile
Age	9 (episodes 1-13) 10 (episodes 14-25) 11 (episode 25 epilogue)
Gender	Female
Relatives	Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (Father) Tomoe Kaburagi (Mother, Deceased) Anju Kaburagi (Grandmother) Muramasa Kaburagi (Uncle) Amanda Kaburagi (Aunt) Kaitlyn Kaburagi (Cousin) Jera Kaburagi (Cousin) Kaito Kaburagi (Cousin)
Media Portrayal
Debut	Episode 1 All's well that ends well
Seiyū	Rina Hidaka Eden Riegel (English)

Kaede Kaburagi (鏑木 楓, Kaburagi Kaede) is Wild Tiger's daughter, though she has only recently discovered her father's dual identity as a hero. As she originally believed that he worked a "normal" job, she was often disappointed and did not understand when he failed to visit her like he promised due to his "emergencies".

She lives with her grandmother, enjoys figure skating, and is a huge fan of Barnaby Brooks Jr.

Appearance

Kaede has brown hair that has bangs swept to the right side and brown eyes.

Her hairstyles are different in Season 1 and Season 2:

• In Season 1, her sideswept bangs is braided.
• In Season 2, her hair has grown up to upper-back length and her bangs is no longer braid.

Personality

Kaede is a typical child who enjoys hanging out with friends, ice skating, and typical girly things like stuffed animals and cute things. She dislikes her father Kotetsu Kaburagi at the beginning of the story because he often breaks promises and "lies" to her, along with remaining absent for much of her life. He also frequently treated her like a child since he was gone for so long he couldn't register she was growing up.

However, deep down she loves him and becomes proud of him and grows to understand that his responsibilities come first after learning he is Wild Tiger. She even encourages him to re enter the hero business, stating that he was uncool for always lazing on the couch. Her lonely childhood due to the death of her mother at an early age and frequently absent father caused her to become somewhat fragile. She was worried when her grandmother fell due to the fact she feels she will be lonely and abandoned if her grandmother died.

Overall she is very friendly, easygoing, loyal, and protective of those she loves and cares for. She can have a short temper, but can also be compassionate and gives good advice.

She is a huge fan of Barnaby ever since he saved her, having numerous pictures and posters of him. This is due to his heroism along with his handsome face much to the exasperation of her father.

By the time of The Rising, Kaede has mellowed about her father's work and is very proud of him. While not aiming to be a hero herself, she respects them and trusts the ones who are Kotetsu's coworkers to help out when she can't be there for him.

History

Kaede was born to Kotetsu Kaburagi and Tomoe Kaburagi after their marriage. When she was 4, her mother died from an unknown illness, and she left to live with her grandmother Anju Kaburagi in Kotetsu's hometown so that her father could continue his work as a superhero in Sternbild City. Prior to episode 20, she was never told of her father's dual identity or even of the fact that he was a NEXT.

Storyline

Series One

Skating Competition

Kaede participates in a figure skating competition held in Sternbild, and expects her father Kotetsu Kaburagi to attend (though she is doubtful he actually will). She eagerly awaits his arrival, but is disappointed and frustrated when he isn't able to make it. Unbeknownst to her, a rogue NEXT is controlling giant statues and wrecking havoc around the city. Kaede's competition is unexpectedly cut short when a statue he's controlling begins to destroy the arena. She is nearly crushed by falling debris, but is thankfully saved by Barnaby Brooks Jr., sparking her infatuation with him. She manages to run out of the arena unscathed.

Power Manifestation

Months later, Kotetsu Kaburagi returns home due to his declining powers and, before Kaede gets home from school, looks around her room. She screams at him to get out and proceeds to ignore him for the rest of the evening. He later attempts to apologize, telling her he had waited in line for hours to get her an autographed CD from Barnaby Brooks Jr. (in truth, Barnaby had given it to him beforehand, knowing that Kaede was a fan). She joyfully takes the CD, but does not accept his apology. The next day, Anju Kaburagi unexpectedly falls and hurts her back. Scared for her grandmother, Kaede panics and wakes up her father to help. They, along with her uncle Muramasa Kaburagi, discover that Anju is only injured and will be fine after some rest. Kotetsu, not understanding his daughter's mindset, prompts another confrontation when he casually chides her for not hurrying to school.

Before returning home after school, Kaede goes to a local shrine to pray, as she fears that if she loses her grandmother, she will lose everything. A storm hits and she takes shelter inside the shrine, only to become trapped when trees fall outside and block the entrance. Kaede's phone eventually stops working, and she grows increasingly more scared. Elsewhere, Kotetsu activates his Hundred Power and is able to hear her crying from a considerable distance away. He runs to her location and lifts the trees blocking the entrance in order to rescue her. Their relationship becomes stronger and Kotetsu tells her that he will always be with her.

As he leaves to return to Sternbild, Kotetsu tells her that he will return shortly after he resigns from his job. At this point, Kaede runs after the train, causing her NEXT power to unexpectedly emerge. She gives her father a drawing she made for him of the two hugging while her mother looks on from above in the clouds. Over the next few days, Kaede's powers begin to cause trouble as she manages to accidentally destroy much of the house. The true nature of her powers is revealed, and she grows impatient and upset when her father continues to put off his resignation. Feeling betrayed, she yells at him over the phone, telling him not to bother coming back.

Mistaken Memories

While watching the news, Kaede and her grandmother Anju Kaburagi see a report indicting Kotetsu Kaburagi as Samantha Taylor's murderer. Despite the media coverage, both Kaede and Anju believe Kotetsu incapable of committing such a crime. Her grandmother finally tells her that her father is the hero Wild Tiger, which comes as a shock. Kaede subsequently rummages through her collection of hero magazines, reading articles and interviews centering on Wild Tiger. Before her grandmother or uncle can think to stop her, she takes all the money in her piggy bank and immediately heads to Sternbild to help her father somehow.

Shortly after arriving in Sternbild, she bumps into Albert Maverick, who acknowledges her as Barnaby Brooks Jr.'s fan and pats her on the head before telling her that Barnaby can't see her at the moment. Later, after catching live footage of Hero TV, she climbs to the roof of Apollon Media's building in an attempt to persuade the other heroes of her father's innocence. When they still insist on capturing him, she is overrun with frustration and unconsciously activates the power she had unknowingly copied from Maverick. The glowing ball which explodes overhead restores the other heroes' memories, much to Kotetsu and Kaede's relief. Kotetsu then formally introduces her to them and she excitedly asks to see Barnaby, the only hero currently missing.

As if on cue, Barnaby arrives on the scene. Kaede is stunned at how differently he is acting and at his single-minded goal of bringing down Kotetsu, who he still believes to be Samantha's murderer. Kotetsu asks Kaede to use her power again to restore Barnaby's memories as well, but when she tries to do so, it turns out that she no longer has Maverick's power. Rather, as Sky High had patted her on the shoulder, she has acquired his power instead. Once Kotetsu leads Barnaby away from the rooftop, Kaede tries to follow but the other heroes stop her and reassure her that everything will be fine. Then, the False Wild Tiger appears and after being unmasked, it defeats the heroes.

She and the other heroes were held captive by Maverick and Rotwang to lure the now reunited Wild Tiger and Barnaby into a trap. While Rotwang taunts the captured heroes with the explosives he placed on them, Kaede used the powers she received when Blue Rose placed her hand on her shoulder to cut her own restraints and incapacitates the henchman then Rotwang. When she froze Rotwang to the computer, it deactivated the explosives on the heroes allowing them to break free from their imprisonment. She then went to the place where her father and Barnaby were fighting the android H-01, the False Wild Tiger, after they defeated it but sees her father's still body in a crying Barnaby's arms.

When Maverick realizes he's cornered he takes Kaede hostage, holding a gun to her head. Kotetsu stands up behind them and punches Maverick out. Overwhelmed with relief to see her father alive, Kaede hugs him and cries as Kotetsu explains he simply passed out from pain.

Powers and Abilities

It is originally assumed that Kaede has the Hundred Power, like her father Kotetsu Kaburagi. Then, after she becomes magnetic, her father believes her to have two abilities. Later it is revealed that her ability enables her to copy the ability of another NEXT after physical contact with them.

Her copy ability is constantly active as each time she is in contact with another NEXT she will copy their power whether she chooses to or not. The ability she copies will also be immediately overridden with the power of the NEXT she most recently touched. It is unknown how long Kaede is able to hold on to a power she has copied.

Known Absorbed Powers

• Hundred Power (Kotetsu T. Kaburagi) - Shown when she accidentally broke a table in half, was able to run fast enough to keep up with a fast-moving train, and could leap high enough to be considered floating. For some reason, she is able to literally float when she first used it.
• Magnetism (Unknown, possibly one of her classmates) - Shown when pots and pans and other utensils began to stick to her body.
• Memory Implantation (Albert Maverick) - Shown when she reversed the effects of Maverick's mind manipulations on the other heroes.
• Wind Manipulation (Sky High) - Shown when she started levitating after Sky High had touched her shoulder.
• Ice Manipulation (Blue Rose) - Shown when she made a piece of ice to cut her restraints. Then later freeze a henchman then Rotwang and his computer.
• Hand Enlargement (Possibly Chopman) - Shown when holding a salt and her hand was grown that she can only hold the salt with fingers.
• Teleportation (Old lady who works at the candy store) - In the Drama CD Audio Drama 9: Kaede's Independent Research Project "Our Heroes", Kaede copies this power and uses it to travel through Sternbild in order to interview each of the heroes.
• Inflation (Saroja) - Kaede uses her classmate Saroja's power to inflate her body and float into the air to save two construction workers from falling.

Relationships

Anju Kaburagi

Kaede loves her grandmother dearly, as she feels that Anju is all she has left as a result of her mother's death and her father's continued absence. Kaede worries every day of her grandmother's health.

Kotetsu T. Kaburagi

Kaede's relationship with her father is rocky at first, as she feels that he is never there for her. She hates how he always breaks his promises and continues to treat her like a baby. After learning of her father's role as a hero, however, she gains a sense of pride in having him. She loves and trusts him, and is even willing to travel great distances alone in an effort to help him in times of need.

Tomoe Kaburagi

Tomoe is Kaede's deceased mother.

Muramasa Kaburagi

Kaede has a good relationship with her uncle. Muramasa often helps care for Kaede.

The Other Heroes

Kaede gets along well with the other heroes despite only meeting them twice. She appears to be on good terms with Blue Rose, asking her for help cheering up Kotetsu Kaburagi.

Trivia

• The kanji for her given name, 楓, means "maple".
• Kaede has a Tiger Doll and a Bunny Doll on her bed.
• In the second series. Kaede is revealed to only be able to have a power once and only once from any NEXT. She also wants to go to the Hero Academy to become a hero like her father; though she would be a liability, even more than Origami Cyclone (who at least camouflage himself with his Shapeshifting).
• Kaede's powers might be loosely based on X-men's Rogue, as many of the series' characters have powers similar to or based on Marvel characters.