August's Bishounen of the Month:

Beautiful and mysterious

Name: Mikuro
Series: Please Save My Earth
Age: 20
Super Powers: ESP, levitation, instant movement, kick ass baby-sitter

Here I go again. What is it with me and lesser known bishounen? I also had very little luck finding any info on Mikuro-Kun. So you'll just have to make due with what I know.

Please Save My Earth is about a group of scientists from another galaxy who set up a research base on the moon to study Earth. While there, these scientists died of a disease and were then reincarnated on Earth. The story mostly revolves around these souls and their awakening on Earth and how they come to remember their past lives. Mikuro is none of these people.

We meet Mikuro after Rin, a little eight year old brat with alarmingly strong psychic powers, appears and starts harrassing certain people. Rin is one of these reincarnated souls and apparantly, being from another planet comes with great power (but not always responsibility ;). Mikuro is an esper from Earth and is the only one who manages to get a few licks in on the little rugrat. He had it totally coming to him.
Mikuro has a bit of a strange existance. He as two moms and (I'm assuming) one father. Maybe two. I'm not sure. A fertilized egg was planted into another woman's womb and thus, Mikuro-kun was born. However, when the woman who's egg it was found out that Mikuro was born with psychic powers, she thought him a monster so the woman who birthed him took him in as her own. She already had a son so Mikuro also has an older brother who really looks nothing like him. But the family is pretty happy. His mother gets upset when anyone talks about Mikuro's powers. But everyone pretty much has learned to live with it. Brotherly love
M-Kun and his brother get along most of the time.
It's a bit hard to explain Mikuro's roll in PSME. He gets involved with the story indirectly. A friend of his brother's is looking after a young man who is being harrassed by Rin. Also, a friend of this brother's friend is also fearing for his life from this child as well. Thus, Mikuro is asked to get involved, thinking Rin is an Esper from Earth like he is. But he soon finds out when he faces Rin and sees that this little boy's power is far different from his own.
Mikuro's part in the anime is far shorter than that of the manga. In the anime, he pops in and out to talk to characters and then has a huge fight with Rin near the end, resulting in both of them getting thrashed around quite a bit and then that is that.
In the manga, not only does he get a bigger part, but his character is fleshed out more as well. He gets plenty of time to angst, which is always good. After their big fight, Mikuro starts feeling sorry for Rin and his predicament, and tries really hard to help him. He also played a part getting Rin back under control and helping out those who were of the reincarnated scientists at the end.

Unlike my last BOM, this one I am taking an opportunity to personally recommend both the manga and the anime to everyone. This story is awesome. It is very original. I have yet to see anything like it. I very much enjoyed it all from beginning to end. And Mikuro is not the only bishounen in it. There are many, many to choose from which is just a bonus for this amazing series. There is also a giant cat that wears sunglasses. I don't care who you are, that's just freaking cool. Arch nemesis?
He's real good with kids.

Why I chose Mikuro: Why him out of all the other bishounen in here? I dunno, I seem to have a soft spot for both espers and side characters. I really liked his role in this story. None of these problems were his, but he went out of his way to help people and use his powers to protect. And he was so nice to Haru (who is adorable, BTW) and was willing to protect him and also help Rin at the risk of his own life. I just find him a cool character all around and the fact that he is old school bishounen is a bonus to me. He is also played by Matt Hill in the English dub who was in a movie with Jackie Chan once. And you just don't mess with guys who are friends with Jackie Chan. ;)
~Ty-Chou







No-chan: (2/12/04) Yeah! I love this series.. I haven't read the manga yet, but I'm SO happy that it's being released here. He is really cute! Good pick, Ty-chou!

Nie-chan:I watched this such a long time ago, and I recently read some of the manga - he's so cool! He definitely has a bigger part in the manga. I thought it was cool that after he was injured he was more worried about Rin and tried to help him. That shows character - the best kind of course! ^_^

Pan-Pan: I just recently finished PSME and I agree, Mikuro is a really cool guy. He's got no real connection to the main characters, but he still goes out of his way to help them. He's totally unselfish. Even after getting the crap beat out of him, what does he do? Get mad at the guy that did it? No! He sympathizes with him! He wants to help him! Plus Mikuro is cute. That's just bonus there.

Kime: Ooooh!! Mikuro is definitely one cute guy! I haven't read all of Please Save My Earth yet, but I do own all the Japanese manga of it and the DVD. It is such an awesome series filled with reincarnation, aliens, psychic abilities and a wonderful love story. Only the first few volumes are out here but luckily I have scanslations. Waaaaah!! I need to learn more about Mikuro!! He's sooooooo hot!! *runs off to read scanslations*

Next Month's pic: No-Chan