Apocalypse Zero, known in Japan as , is a manga series written and illustrated by Takayuki Yamaguchi. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion from July 1994 to August 1996. The manga was adapted into a two episode original video animation in 1996, animated by Ashi Productions and produced by Big West Advertising, Victor Entertainment and Tomy. Plot Kakugo and Harara are brothers trained by their father, Oboro, to slay monsters that have begun roaming the streets of a post-apocalyptic, 21st century Tokyo following a devastatingly, powerful earthquake. In order to aid them in their quest, Oboro entrusts his two sons with , cyborg exoskeletons forged using the souls of deceased warriors by their grandfather, a former scientist of the Imperial Army of Japan during World War II, Shiro Hagakure. However, Harara becomes possessed by a mysterious evil from deep within his armor, mutating his body into a far more androgynist one as well as filling him with a desire to destroy all of mankind in order to help cleanse the Earth of contamination. Some years later, Kakugo moves to "Reverse Cross High School", located in one of the ruined districts of Tokyo near the castle from which Harara commands their demon army. It's now up to Kakugo to defeat his evil sibling and put a stop to their wicked legions. Characters Main The main protagonist of the series, owner of the Fortified Armor Shell known as . Unlike Harara, Kakugo stuck to his duty to protect innocent citizens in trouble. This leads to several encounters with a large number of monsters which inhabit the city until finally he comes face-to-face with Harara himself. Kakugo is a stern and humorless, yet compassionate and honorable person, wearing glasses and a white uniform inspired by the regimental uniforms worn by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Kakugo is a master of the of martial arts and has eight steel balls embedded in his body, which he can absorb into himself to coat his skin in metal or eject from his body to use as weapons. His signature technique is (lit. "cause and effect"), which is a counter move that redirects all of the energy of an opponents attack back to them. Zero is mentioned to be the prototype for all other Fortified Armor Shells and is inhabited by the vengeful souls of the 3000 Japanese soldiers sacrificed to create it. The spirits