EX-ARM is a sci-fi battle series that was serialized in Grand Jump and Shonen Jump+. Set in the near future of 2030, the story revolves around an over-technological weapon called EX-ARM and the technological advances and disasters that have come from its black box. I would like to introduce Akira Natsume, the protagonist of EX-ARM and the very essence of EX-ARM's "No. 00-α."
The end and beginning of the story of Akira Natsume, an ordinary high school student in 2014
In 2014, Akira had no redeeming qualities other than being good at cooking, was bad with machines, had no girlfriend, poor grades, and was not strong. On top of that, his older brother, who he thought was just like him, had suddenly awakened, become a perfect superhuman who graduated from Tokyo University, and even had a cute girlfriend. Akira, who was troubled by his complexes, asked his older brother, Hiiragiichi, "How can you change so much?" Hiiragiichi replied, "Just take a step forward, anything is fine." Later, Akira goes to a convenience store and encounters a girl being harassed by delinquents. Akira tries to abandon her at first, but remembers his brother's words and tries to help her. However, Akira's last memory is being hit by a large truck right after that.
The story of EX-ARM "No.00-α" "Akira Natsume" begins in 2030
In 2030, the over-technology known as EX-ARM has led to the rise of the mafia and intensified conflicts, and has been involved in many violent crimes, dealing a major blow to public safety and infrastructure. Meanwhile, Akira is awakened by Minami Uezono of the EX-ARM Task Force and the android Alma. His body is now only his brain and the armor that protects it.
What was Akira Natsume like before the "accident"?
His personality is neither extremely cheerful nor extremely gloomy, but normal. He believes he has no redeeming qualities other than his hobby of cooking, and feels inferior about the fact that his brother, who was a person just like him, has changed so much through hard work. He is bad with machines, and has such an allergy to them that he gets dizzy when he touches a smartphone. Despite this, he has the ability to intuitively tell which parts of a machine are broken just by touching it. He is a bit reckless, which causes him to crash into a truck, but the collision of the truck is also depicted as being intentional.
What kind of abilities does Akira Natsume have in "After Awakening"?
Natsume Akira's body has disappeared, and he is left with only his brain, so he cannot move on his own, but he has extensive hacking capabilities, and can hack into and control electronic devices, and even enter the android Alma and move them as if they were his own body. He is an extremely powerful being who can hack into security cameras and GPS if he wants to, and is said to have been heavily involved in an incident in the past in which 17% of Tokyo's total area was wiped out in an instant.
Natsume Akira is forced to join the EX-ARM Countermeasures Division
Akira is forced to choose between being sealed away due to suspicions of involvement in the EX-ARM incident or cooperating with the Countermeasures Division, and he chooses to cooperate with the Countermeasures Division. After being assigned to the Countermeasures Division, he uses his large-scale hacking ability to take control of all the patrols in the city and collect information, and enters Alma to actually move and work hard to solve the case. In order to enter Alma and activate his ability, Minami Kamizono's genetic information is required each time. In short, Alma kissing Minami allows Akira to enter Alma.
The strongest trump card that only Akira Natsume can use, "Ogre IGNIS=TYPE02EX"
The latest SA-class combat body developed by Iriya Heavy Industries. However, since no one other than Akira's EX-ARM can operate a body with such performance, it is essentially a dedicated equipment. It is the strongest weapon that Akira, who boasts overwhelming combat ability, can use, and its athletic performance is also in a different league. However, using it puts a great strain on Akira's brain, and deployment requires the Prime Minister's approval.
Akira's personal machine?
Even when he first controlled Ogre, he was so accustomed to it that he was able to control it like his own limbs, and the unit that directly houses the EX-ARM "No.00-α" is its main body, and by connecting directly to it, he can release its original powers. Akira had lost his memory, but when he connected to Ogre, fragments of his memory returned, and it was revealed that he had fought alongside Ogre during the Olympic terrorist attack.
There are still many mysteries. Natsume Akira's lost past! ?
Natsume Akira only had memories of the time immediately after the accident, but it is highly likely that he was involved in the Olympic terrorist attack, and there seems to be some gap in his memory. Therefore, they try to bring out Akira's memories by recreating 2014 using a "full-dive type VR" = a well-made gal game. In the VR that reproduces Akira's deep psychology, with the intervention of the quantum computer Yggdrasil and the countermeasures department, he sees a vision of another self that is not himself using No. 11.
α and β
The other self is "No.00-β", an EX-ARM with large-scale hacking capabilities that was developed at the same time as Akira's "No.00-α". It was this β that caused the Olympic terrorism, and No.11, who manipulates gravity, and No.12, Akira's generator, once piloted an Ogre and fought against "No.00-β", but were no match for it and ended up allowing the Olympic terrorism.
Still a mystery
It has not been explained why Akira became an EX-ARM, nor what the “No.00-β” was developed for at the same time, what β is in the first place, or whether it had a different brain from Akira's, are still unclear even now that the first part has ended. However, it is said in the final episode that Akira was chosen because he simply had a high compatibility with the machine. It is also a mystery as to whether Akira was intentionally killed and chosen, and I think that these will be explained in future EXA episodes.
【EX-ARM】Natsume Akira Summary
The main character, Natsume Akira, is hit by a truck and wakes up with only his brain and no body, but he is still a mysterious character despite being the main character. I think that these will be explained in the upcoming EX-ARMEXA. It is a battle science fiction that combines powerful mecha action with cute girls, the cyber world and the real world, and the anime will start in January 2021, so please check it out!
