Appearance, etc...
Appearance
In Weiss Kreuz, a book is pretty much its cover… or, in English, the character designs are very important. The bad guys are ugly and squinty-eyed. The damsels in distress have huge, shining eyes and short skirts. Anyone who's anyone will be pretty, and, as always in anime, beware the glinty glasses of doom. This isn't rocket science, folks.
Overall, Ken looks pretty normal. He's not that oddly colored for being Japanese (Manga Youji also had normal coloring, had being the key word)… dark hair, usually dark eyes, tanner skin and an average height. His usual smile is innocent and friendly. He holds his body casually but keeps it covered, almost as if he isn't expecting anyone to look. His hair is of a modest cut, his clothes are of a modest style.
So. Nothing really jumps at you?
Perhaps you're not looking closely enough. The important thing to notice is not what he looks like, but under what circumstances his appearance changes.
In both the manga and anime, Ken dresses very simply, projecting a boy next door sort of image… simple, laid back, and outgoing. Most of the time, he's in jeans, t-shirts, and a motorcycle jacket with matching gloves. His mission gear adds only goggles and the thicker glove of his bugnuk.
In the OVAs, Ken's pants are better fitting, and he's wearing a long shirt under a vest, which covers practically all exposed skin. His goggles hang around his neck rather than sitting on his head, and his jacket has stripes running down it… in the shape of a cross, whether he realizes it or not. He is beginning to cut himself off, eliminate the clutter from his outfit so that it's easier to hide. The change, thus far, isn't too drastic…
…until things go downhill. By Gluhen, his pants are skintight, and his jacket bears a much more prominent cross. His shoulders are broader, he's more muscular, his hair is longer than we've ever seen it. He wears dark, long sleeved shirts all the time... there is no longer any color in his wardrobe except for the occasional splash of red. The collar of his jacket comes up to hide all of his neck and chin, and the goggles have evolved to a visor that shields from his forehead to his cheeks. At this point in the series, his sanity is in question, and one has to wonder if his clothes are reflecting this. His face used to be bare when he killed, his target able to look him in the eye… and now all they can see is the cold smile Ken flashes as their lives are taken. Maybe that's all Ken can see in himself.
Side B shows an improvement of sorts… Ken is back to semi-normal clothing when they're not on a mission. His pants are looser, his tops have color again; he's smiling in pictures, and talking to new people. But… his mission outfit is more elaborate than ever. He's wearing straps and buckles that remind me of Aya in his Crashers jacket, and his arms and neck are bound in cloth that streams out behind him. As if he were trying to restrain the killer inside him to missions… if he can keep them separate, perhaps he can stay sane. And this time, Ken isn't covering his eyes.
Members of the Side B team wear masks, which cover one or both of their eyes. Ken, who you'd think would embrace this, with his history of goggles, instead chooses a mask that covers his chin, mouth and nose. I'm sure that this is somehow symbolic, but I'm having a hard time viewing the change as healthy. Especially when combined with bondage gear and brand new, extra-long, pseudo-projectile bugnuks. Sorry, Ken. You're not out of the woods yet.
Side note: You might notice that Ken's eye color changes from scene to scene. I took a poll once, and in case anyone was wondering, the majority of the fandom goes with brown eyes for Ken. (My theory is that the artists messed up a few times, and then decided to just use whatever color paint they had lying around.)
Weapon: Bugnuks
It's my belief that Ken has the most personal weapon of the group. Bugnuks require the most strength, the most maintenance, and allow the bearer to rely on instinct as much as skill. He doesn't have to stop and think about trajectory or angles, he just has to make a fist and swing it… something that he usually doesn't have much trouble doing. ^_^;; It's not sensual, or particularly stealthy, or symbolic of justice… it's only as powerful as the person using it. Additionally, Ken's weapon (until its Side B evolution, when the claws detach and can be thrown) is very close range, making his kills harder to distance himself from not only physically, but emotionally. It is my belief that Ken's altered appearance and weapon in Side B mirrors the changes he has made in himself, in an attempt to retain his sanity.
He is often seen (as in the picture to the right) cradling his weapon, or looking at it sadly. In Gluhen, there is a scene where Ken is praying, and then releases his blades and just stares at them. It's rather odd, when compared to the other Weiss characters. When Aya takes out his katana, there is justice in his eyes. Youji often draws his wire with determination, occasionally with a smirk. Omi rarely looks at his weapons with any sort of emotion, probably because he channels it inward. Schwarz, certainly, never have shame in their eyes when they take aim. So… why does Ken have such an attachment to his bugnuks?
Ken is also the only character whose weapon evolves with him. (I've gotten into the argument that Omi has had a few different crossbows, but that's a less personal change… a different bow is needed for different distances.) Ken's bugnuks go from being one-handed to double-handed, short and flimsy to nearly as long as his arm, retractable to detachable. As he becomes less stable, his weapon becomes more deadly.
I would say that these changes, when combined with all the shots of Ken staring at his blades, reflect Ken's reluctance to feel pride at his assassinations and his reluctance to enjoy killing. Ken is weaker than the other members of Weiss in this respect.
In Weiss Kreuz, a book is pretty much its cover… or, in English, the character designs are very important. The bad guys are ugly and squinty-eyed. The damsels in distress have huge, shining eyes and short skirts. Anyone who's anyone will be pretty, and, as always in anime, beware the glinty glasses of doom. This isn't rocket science, folks.
Overall, Ken looks pretty normal. He's not that oddly colored for being Japanese (Manga Youji also had normal coloring, had being the key word)… dark hair, usually dark eyes, tanner skin and an average height. His usual smile is innocent and friendly. He holds his body casually but keeps it covered, almost as if he isn't expecting anyone to look. His hair is of a modest cut, his clothes are of a modest style.
So. Nothing really jumps at you?
Perhaps you're not looking closely enough. The important thing to notice is not what he looks like, but under what circumstances his appearance changes.
In both the manga and anime, Ken dresses very simply, projecting a boy next door sort of image… simple, laid back, and outgoing. Most of the time, he's in jeans, t-shirts, and a motorcycle jacket with matching gloves. His mission gear adds only goggles and the thicker glove of his bugnuk.
In the OVAs, Ken's pants are better fitting, and he's wearing a long shirt under a vest, which covers practically all exposed skin. His goggles hang around his neck rather than sitting on his head, and his jacket has stripes running down it… in the shape of a cross, whether he realizes it or not. He is beginning to cut himself off, eliminate the clutter from his outfit so that it's easier to hide. The change, thus far, isn't too drastic…
…until things go downhill. By Gluhen, his pants are skintight, and his jacket bears a much more prominent cross. His shoulders are broader, he's more muscular, his hair is longer than we've ever seen it. He wears dark, long sleeved shirts all the time... there is no longer any color in his wardrobe except for the occasional splash of red. The collar of his jacket comes up to hide all of his neck and chin, and the goggles have evolved to a visor that shields from his forehead to his cheeks. At this point in the series, his sanity is in question, and one has to wonder if his clothes are reflecting this. His face used to be bare when he killed, his target able to look him in the eye… and now all they can see is the cold smile Ken flashes as their lives are taken. Maybe that's all Ken can see in himself.
Side B shows an improvement of sorts… Ken is back to semi-normal clothing when they're not on a mission. His pants are looser, his tops have color again; he's smiling in pictures, and talking to new people. But… his mission outfit is more elaborate than ever. He's wearing straps and buckles that remind me of Aya in his Crashers jacket, and his arms and neck are bound in cloth that streams out behind him. As if he were trying to restrain the killer inside him to missions… if he can keep them separate, perhaps he can stay sane. And this time, Ken isn't covering his eyes.
Members of the Side B team wear masks, which cover one or both of their eyes. Ken, who you'd think would embrace this, with his history of goggles, instead chooses a mask that covers his chin, mouth and nose. I'm sure that this is somehow symbolic, but I'm having a hard time viewing the change as healthy. Especially when combined with bondage gear and brand new, extra-long, pseudo-projectile bugnuks. Sorry, Ken. You're not out of the woods yet.
Side note: You might notice that Ken's eye color changes from scene to scene. I took a poll once, and in case anyone was wondering, the majority of the fandom goes with brown eyes for Ken. (My theory is that the artists messed up a few times, and then decided to just use whatever color paint they had lying around.)
Weapon: Bugnuks
It's my belief that Ken has the most personal weapon of the group. Bugnuks require the most strength, the most maintenance, and allow the bearer to rely on instinct as much as skill. He doesn't have to stop and think about trajectory or angles, he just has to make a fist and swing it… something that he usually doesn't have much trouble doing. ^_^;; It's not sensual, or particularly stealthy, or symbolic of justice… it's only as powerful as the person using it. Additionally, Ken's weapon (until its Side B evolution, when the claws detach and can be thrown) is very close range, making his kills harder to distance himself from not only physically, but emotionally. It is my belief that Ken's altered appearance and weapon in Side B mirrors the changes he has made in himself, in an attempt to retain his sanity.
He is often seen (as in the picture to the right) cradling his weapon, or looking at it sadly. In Gluhen, there is a scene where Ken is praying, and then releases his blades and just stares at them. It's rather odd, when compared to the other Weiss characters. When Aya takes out his katana, there is justice in his eyes. Youji often draws his wire with determination, occasionally with a smirk. Omi rarely looks at his weapons with any sort of emotion, probably because he channels it inward. Schwarz, certainly, never have shame in their eyes when they take aim. So… why does Ken have such an attachment to his bugnuks?
Ken is also the only character whose weapon evolves with him. (I've gotten into the argument that Omi has had a few different crossbows, but that's a less personal change… a different bow is needed for different distances.) Ken's bugnuks go from being one-handed to double-handed, short and flimsy to nearly as long as his arm, retractable to detachable. As he becomes less stable, his weapon becomes more deadly.
I would say that these changes, when combined with all the shots of Ken staring at his blades, reflect Ken's reluctance to feel pride at his assassinations and his reluctance to enjoy killing. Ken is weaker than the other members of Weiss in this respect.