Shiki Ichinose is a mess. Honestly, that’s why we love him. If you’ve spent any time reading Tougen Anki or caught the 2025 anime adaptation, you know this kid isn't the typical "I want to be the strongest" cardboard cutout. He’s a high school dropout with a trashy attitude and a serious obsession with guns.
Then his dad dies.
It’s the classic inciting incident, but Shiki Ichinose in Tougen Anki handles it with a level of raw, unpolished grief that feels uncomfortably real. He finds out he isn’t human. He’s an Oni. Specifically, he’s one of the "Children of the Kishin," which basically makes him a walking nuke fueled by his own blood.
The Tragedy of Tsuyoshi and the Momotaro Secret
Most people think the Momotaro are the good guys because, well, the legends say so. Tougen Anki flips that script. Shiki grew up thinking he was just a normal, albeit rebellious, kid living with his dad, Tsuyoshi.
Tsuyoshi Ichinose was actually a former Momotaro. That’s the kicker. He found Shiki—an Oni baby—in a trash can and chose to walk away from his literal destiny as a demon hunter to raise him. Imagine the tension there. A professional killer raising the very thing he’s supposed to destroy.
When the Momotaro Agency finally tracks them down, Tsuyoshi doesn't just die; he dies protecting a son that isn't even his. This moment shatters Shiki. It’s not just about the loss; it’s the realization that his very existence turned his father into a fugitive.
Blood Ritual of the Ten Guns: Shiki’s Power Explained
In the world of Tougen Anki, Oni use something called "Blood Eclipse Release." It’s a fancy way of saying they turn their blood into weapons.
Most Oni have one specific thing they can do. Shiki? He’s different. Because he’s a Child of the Kishin, his power output is astronomical. He creates firearms. We’re talking handguns, snipers, and even RPGs made entirely out of his own blood.
- The Cost: It isn't free. Every time Shiki fires, he’s literally draining his life force.
- The Attribute: He carries the "Enki" or Fire attribute. This means his blood doesn't just pierce; it burns.
- The Berserk State: When he first awakened, he didn't just pull out a pistol. He manifested twelve guns at once in a blind rage. It was terrifying.
The nuance here is that his weapons are a reflection of his interests. Shiki was a "gun otaku" long before he knew he was an Oni. It shows that even in this supernatural war, your human personality dictates how your powers manifest.
Rasetsu Academy and the Burden of Revenge
After his world goes up in flames, Shiki ends up at Rasetsu Academy. It’s essentially a military boarding school for Oni.
This is where the story gets its legs. He meets Naito Mudano, a teacher who spends more time on roller skates than on his feet, but can absolutely wreck anyone in his path. Mudano is the mentor Shiki needs—someone who doesn't coddle him but forces him to control the "cursed blood" before it eats him alive.
Shiki’s relationship with his classmates, like the scarred Jin Kougasaki or the soft-spoken (but deadly) Homare Byoubugaura, is where we see him grow. He starts as a kid who only wants to kill the Momotaro. Slowly, he realizes the world is a lot greyer than he thought.
Why the Rivalry with Mikado Momodera Matters
You can't talk about Shiki without mentioning Mikado. If Shiki is the "villain" by blood who acts like a hero, Mikado is the "hero" by blood who is forced to be a killer.
They are two sides of the same coin. Mikado is the son of the police chief and a top-tier Momotaro. Their encounters aren't just flashy fights; they are philosophical debates with swords and bullets. They both want the war to end, but they are trapped by centuries of hatred they didn't start.
What Most Fans Get Wrong About Shiki
A lot of readers dismiss Shiki as a "hothead." That’s a shallow take.
If you look at the Kyoto Arc or the later manga chapters, Shiki is actually incredibly self-aware. He knows he’s vulgar. He knows he’s not the smartest guy in the room. But his empathy is his actual superpower, not the guns. He feels the weight of every life lost, even the Momotaro ones.
He’s struggling with an identity crisis that would break most people. He’s an Oni raised by a Momotaro, attending a school that wants him to be a soldier, while he just wants to be the son his father was proud of.
Actionable Insights for Tougen Anki Fans
If you're just getting into the series or keeping up with the manga, here’s how to get the most out of Shiki's journey:
- Watch the eyes: Yura Urushibara (the creator) uses Shiki’s moles and eye expressions to signal when he’s losing control to his Oni blood versus when he’s in command.
- Analyze the weapon choice: Notice which gun Shiki chooses for which opponent. He doesn't just spray and pray; his tactics evolve as he learns to respect his opponents' abilities.
- Read the subtext of the "Children of the Kishin": There are eight of them. Shiki is just one. Keep an eye out for the others, as their elemental attributes (like Shiki’s fire) define the power scaling of the series.
Shiki Ichinose isn't trying to save the world. He's trying to survive a world that decided he was a monster before he was even born. That's a story worth following.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep a close watch on the official Weekly Shonen Champion releases for the latest manga chapters, as the lore surrounding the Kishin's true origin is currently expanding, revealing that Shiki's lineage is even more complicated than the Academy leads him to believe.