Kyouka Izumi is one of the few female characters in Bungo Stray Dogs that have broken the trope of being weak. She is unique because she began in the series as an antagonist who fought against Atsushi Nakajima, the main character, before he saved her from taking her own life after she failed her mission.
After the first season, she was then added as a supporting character who is frequently seen together with him and joins the Armed Detective Agency after leaving Port Mafia. There is a lot to unravel about her character. Here are ten facts you didn't know about Kyouka Izumi.
10 She Is A Scorpio
Kyouka is an assassin that used to work for Port Mafia, who has killed 35 people. Scorpios are known for being tough and have a sharp sting, akin to the animal it is based on. Kyouka is first shown to be emotionless, but after Atsushi saves her, her personality shines through.
She is quiet most of the time, but once someone she cares about is in trouble, she will show her enemies no mercy. Although she vowed to no longer kill anyone, that does not mean she can not wound her enemies so badly they wished they were dead.
9 Her Hair Is Black
This is a surprising fact to those who only watched the anime Bungo Stray Dogs and did not read the manga or light novels. While in the anime Kyouka's hair a dark lilac that sometimes can look black depending on the scene, her hair is canonically black.
This change can be thought to make Kyouka look unique or help her not blend in too much with the dark backdrops. While the reason is never disclosed, it fits her character nicely.
8 She Dislikes Thunder
Before Kyouka was an assassin that worked for Port Mafia, she was a normal girl. She is 14-years-old and still a teenager, so she has likes and dislikes, like any other person. One of her most disliked things is thunder, as she becomes scared at the sound of it whenever it rains.
She mostly crouches down and covers her ears when she hears the sound. In the movie, Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple, thunder comes down from the sky and makes Kyouka unable to focus on the battles at hand.
7 She Is Good At Cooking
Kyouka lost her parents at a young age from her ability, Demon Snow. Unlike other characters in Bungo Stray Dogs, her ability does not listen to her and she can only control it through speaking through her mother's phone.
As she probably had to fend for herself even while being in Port Mafia, Kyouka is a great cook. After the members of the Armed Detective Agency tell Atsushi to take responsibility and have Kyouka live with him, she can sometimes be seen cooking.
6 She Loves Small Things
When first shown in the Bungo Stray Dogs, Kyouka has a cellphone and uses it to control her ability, Demon Snow. What is noticeable about this is not her phone, but that there is a bunny keychain hanging from it. After learning more about Kyouka as a character, it is also shown that she likes small and cute things in general, such as the crepe Atsushi bought for her on their "date."
She is so frequently drawn to these things that it is a surprise she is such a professional at her job as an assassin.
5 She Is Skilled With A Sword
Kyouka may have a strong ability, but she cannot control it until later in Bungo Stray Dogs. Until then, she instead let it run wild and used other weapons. As an assassin, Kyouka was trained on using various tactics and weapons until the time came.
She does not only rely on her ability when she is able to control it, but she also carries around a short sword for close-combat.
4 She Made A Cameo In Episode 4
Kyouka is one of the first antagonistic characters fans are introduced to in Bungo Stray Dogs, which is why it was such a surprise when she became good and converted into a supporting character. Kyouka first makes her appearance after Atsushi and Akiko attempt to stop her from bombing the train, but her true first appearance was a cameo in episode 4.
She can be seen speaking to Ryuunosuke Akutagawa on the phone about her mission.
3 She Has A Photographic Memory
In the early stages of Bungo Stray Dogs, after Kyouka attempted to stop her assassin habits and not kill anymore, one of her first missions is to infiltrate a place together with Atsushi.
Although Atsushi did not know the layout of the place, Kyouka stated she was there once, and the map of the place is in her mind. She can also recognize people with a glance as well as remember a lot of information at once.
2 She Does Not Like Going To The Toilet Alone At Night
No matter if Kyouka is a member of the Armed Detective Agency, she still received harsh training when she was a part of Port Mafia. Since she was a professional assassin, she has been to a lot of places to assassinate her targets.
She seems to have previous experience of being attacked in a bathroom, as she dislikes private places such as a bedroom or a toilet because it is easy to get attacked in such places.
1 She Is Based On A Male Novelist And Kabuki
Unlike other characters, such as Akiko Yosano being based on the female author of the same name, Kyouka is based on the male novelist, Kyoutarou Izumi. His penname was Kyouka Izumi when he would write and he was also kabuki during the prewar period.
Kyouka's ability Demon Snow is also based on the 1913 novel Demon Pond.