Psycho Busters

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Psycho Busters


caption = Psycho Busters Volume 1 Cover
genre = Fantasy, SupernaturalInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Yuya Aoki
illustrator = Akinari Nao
publisher = flagicon|Japan Kodansha
publisher_en = flagicon|United States Del Rey
demographic = Shōnen
magazine = Magazine Special
volumes = 5

nihongo|"Psycho Busters"|サイコバスターズ|Saiko Basutāzu is a shōnen manga series written by Yuya Aoki and drawn by Akinari Nao. It is currently being published by Kodansha in Japan and is licensed by Del Rey in the United States.

Plot

The story follows the life of Kakeru, while wishing for something a little more exciting to happen in his life, inadvertably receives it when he crosses paths with a group of gifted youths calling themselves “Psychics” who claim to need his help. After having escaped from a secret government organisation known as the “Greenhouse”, they’re now on the run from the pursuing “farmers”. But why do they need Kakeru’s help. Could it be he has a power too?

Categories

The abilities of the psychics are referred to as either Wild Plants or Indoor Plants [Psycho Busters Volume 2, pg42] . Wild types naturally have powers where as Indoor types power's are awakened due to drugs and experimentation. These groups are then further divided down into categories, which indicate the level of power behind these abilities. Category 4 is the lowest level while Category 1 is the highest. There is also mention of a “Category 0”, which refers to a level beyond that of all the rest, and both "Category 0"s are Chronodivers, which have the ability to stop time and change the past.

Kakeru (カケル): In his final year in middle school, Kakeru feels his life is a little mediocre. That is until he meets the other Psychics and has his life turned upside down. It appears as though Kakeru has a power, Chronodiver, so he is commonly referred to as a Category 0. He displays a huge ability of luck, though that is caused by his Chronodiving ability.

Joui (): The leader of the group, his power is that of Clairvoyance. He wishes to prevent a vision he saw showing the end of the world. It seems as though the use of this power takes a great toll on his energy levels, causing him to go into hibernation after major usage of his ability.

Ayano (綾乃): The only girl in the group, her abilities include Telepathy and Astral Projection, which together allow her to temporarily possess someone. She wishes to experience life like a normal girl would and attend school, which she’s never done before.

Xiao Long aka Shaoron (小龍): Xiao Long is the smallest of the group. His abilities include Healing and Qigong. Qigong is actually a Chinese breathing exercise, but it is commonly perceived as a way to channel one's "qi" (also known as "chi" and "ki") into an active force (e.g. Palm blasts) in pop-culture.

Kaito （海人): The group's 'tough guy', Kaito's power is Pyrokinesis. He has a tendency to get slightly carried away.

Hiyama (): An employee at Kakeru's middle school, she temporarily looks after Joui while he recovers and uses the school as a safe house for the group.

Later, she is also revealed to be a spy for an "Organization".

Ikushima (): A first level manager of the Greenhouse, it is not known if he possesses a power at all, but implies to be a combined power of Clairvoyance and inflicting rapid cell growth, which turns the opponent into an aged body within seconds. He has been given the job of retrieving Joui at all costs, even if it means killing the other psychics. He was a key presence in Joui's apocalyptic vision.

Maya (麻耶): A psychic working with the Greenhouse to retrieve Joui. Her power is Illusion. Her power is significant in that the illusions can harm those trapped within them. She 'joined' Kakeru in Volume 4 after developing a crush on him.

Shou (): A psychic also working with the Greenhouse to retrieve Joui. His power is Teleportation. In the Japanese version, he speaks in a combination of Japanese and English.

Takemaru (): Extremely powerful, Takemaru's power is Psychokinesis. He is well known for being unstable and violent. He uses his power by levitating pencils and using them as projectiles. After Kakeru saved him when the school gym collapsed and offered to become his friend, Takemaru 'disappeared' in Volume 2. He later turned up again in Volume 4 of the manga to save Kakeru from an attack from the Greenhouse.

Todoroki: Another Category 0. Like Kakeru, he has the power to stop time and change the past. He is immune to Kakeru's time stopping power. He is more skilled at this point than Kakeru, therefore having more 'power' than him.

Fuyuko Ishikki: Has the ability to project a supernatural being from the dead. Called Gigantes, this being can be massive, but is weak to Xiao Long's healing power.

References

External links

* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=8800 "ANN's Psycho Busters Page]
* [http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/manga/catalog/results.pperl?title_auth_isbn=psycho+busters "Del Rey Psycho Busters Page]