Name: Yoshitoki Kuninobu Number: BOYS # 07 Weapon: None Friends: Shuya Nanahara, Noriko Nakagawa, Megumi Etou Enemies: Kitano Kills: (0)

After Nanaharas father died, he was put into a foster home with another orphan. That boy was Yoshitoki Kuninobu and the two quickly became best friends. Little is seen of Nobu in the movie as he only appears in the first 12 or so minutes and again in a flashback. But in this little time, it is clear to us that Nobu was a true friend to Nanahara. The first instance that we see him is a very interesting one: the stabbing of Kitano.


It always seemed strange to me that the least menacing looking boy in the class was the greatest misfit. Its through this peculiarity that makes Kitanos line "Man my ass hurt" so amusing. Think about it... did you immediately recognise Nobu as the boy who stabbed Kitano before it was stated. The casting choice for Nobu along with the way his character is written is very clever, the point of which boils down to this: any student in the future of BR can be corrupted. The director was obviously making a point that this innocent looking child, could infact be a miscreant.


After Kitanos stabbing, we are properly introduced to Nobu (his face wasn't clearly seen in the stabbing) on the school bus. Here he is presented as a sweet and goofy young boy, who obviously has a crush on Noriko. His fooling about on the bus and his posing for the camera show that he is a trickster, but most importantly that he is very juvenile.


Nobus outbursts during the BR Video completely contrast his behaviour in the bus. Notice how each of his appearances alternates between friendly and unfriendly. Nobu is confronted by Kitano where he is told off for coming on the trip (but Kitano knew he'd come, didn't he?) Kitano gets his revenge on him but stabbing him in the same place Nobu stabbed him... in the ass. Kitano takes it one step further though and whether its simply to make a point to the other students, or to satisfy the years of abuse he suffered, Kitano sets off Nobus collar. In 30 short seconds, Nobu frantically tries to find help, but he is helpless. In the final second, he turns to his one true friend and shouts "Shuya!" which is followed by a fountain of gore, spraying from his throat. And Nobu is gone forever.


Nobus death is by far one of the most shocking deaths in BR and its made all the more shocking by Nanaharas reaction. The class remains silent after the death and Nanahara kneels beside the lifeless corpse, crying and repeating his name.


Nobu returns in a flashback Shuya has, in which he remembers a conversation they once had about his crush on Noriko. Nobu is presented here as being the sweet, harmless boy we met on the bus. He acts all goofy over his feelings for her, saying "She wrote to me saying "come back to school. Let's all go on the class trip together". Even if she didn't really mean it, it's nice to have someone waiting for you". From this, I get the impression that Nobu was a lonely character with only Shuya as a friend...


In the Special Version, Nobu makes one last appearance in an apparition that Nanahara has. Nobu asks him to protect Noriko for him and not to let anything happen to her.