Kuko Harai

**Kuko Harai**, a.k.a. **Evil Monk,** is a heir of the Buddhist temple, former member of Naughty Busters and Mad Comic Dialogue, and the current leader of Bad Ass Temple.

## Profile

He is the heir of the Kugen temple, a renowned Buddhist temple. At 14, he mastered an ascetic life his father, Shakku Harai, was unable to. He's badmouthed and his behavior is inappropriate for a monk yet, his faith is deep and he treasures his friends. He often makes up moralizing-like remarks. He hates crowds and often acts alone.

In the past, he was a part of Naughty Busters with Ichiro Yamada in Ikebukuro.

## Appearance

Kuko has short, spiky hair and gold eyes with catlike pupils. He also has noticeably sharp canines. He has multiple piercings on both ears: lobe gauges, two lower helixes, a snug, a rook, and an upper helix.

Kuko wears black monk-style clothing with a white undergarment. He wears a blue and white bomber jacket with gold shachihoko and lightning bolts on the chest with black details. He also wears black kicker boots, a black studded belt with prayer beads attached and a chain necklace. He has multiple rings on both his index and ring fingers, thumb and pinky.

Kuko’s Hypnosis Mic looks like a silver khakkhara/shakugo with gold accents and rings. Kuko’s speaker takes the form of a corroded bronze bell/bonshō, tsurigane, etc., with a dragon wrapped around it and speakers in its mouth.

## Personality

Kuko is a loud and vulgar guy, cursing a lot despite it being forbidden according to his monk training. He is outspoken, harsh and has a strong sense of ideals, willing to cross the line for them. Even so, he is known to be kind to the community and his teammates, willing to help and guide others even if it is with a little tough love.

While he takes his monk training and leadership of Bad Ass Temple very seriously, Kuko mostly does such with a playful attitude, as heard in various songs and the Dawn Of Divisions chapters, as well as slacking off occasionally. Nonetheless, bullying brings out Kuko's dangerous and violent side, one that is ruthless and unforgiving.

## Rap Ability

* **Meditation**: Seals the opponent's rap ability away, preventing them from using it.

## Songs

### Solo

* *Sougyaran BAM*
* *Young Gun of The Sun*

### Group

* *Bad Ass Temple Funky Sounds*
* *R.I.P*
* *Kaigen*
* *Hella Awesome Banquet*
* *SANITY*

### All Stars

* *Division Rap Battle+*
* *Division Battle Anthem+*
* *SUMMIT OF DIVISIONS*
* *Glory or Dust*
* *Survival of the Illest +*
* *Hang out!*
* *Hoodstar +*
* *2nd D.R.B NON-STOP DIVISION MIX*
* *CROSS A LINE*
* *Hypnotic Summer*
* *Bonds +*
* *RISE FROM DEAD*
* *Next Stage*

### Rap Battle

* *Light & Shadow*
* *Battle Symphony*

### Stage

* *Crush Your Mic*
* *B.A.T Strike Back Against*
* *Battle of Pride*
	+ *Battle of Pride 2023*
* *Hypnosis Delight +*
* *Rule the Stage wiz 6 mic*
* *Bright & Dark*
* *Rep Squad -Bad Ass Temple Ver.-*

### Duets

* *NuruSara’s Division Rep Battle*
* *Double Barrel*
* *Get busy*

### Others

* *UNITED EMCEEZ – Enter the HEXAGON*
* *We go with the flow*

## Etymology

* **Kuko** means "sky, air, void, emptiness" (空) (**ku**) and "withdraw, retreat" (却) (**ko**).
* **Harai** means "wave" (波) (**ha**), "gauze, thin silk, Rome" (羅) (**ra**) and "barbarian, savage, Ainu" (夷) (**i**).
	+ "Harai" also means "parajika", the four gravest offenses for a Buddhist monk: unchastity, stealing, destruction of life, and false statements.

## Trivia

* Kuko's quote is attributed to Indian lawyer and anti-colonial nationalist Mahatma Gandhi.
* Kuko is right-handed.
* Kuko likes shonen manga, mountain climbing, and punk rock, while he dislikes rules, crowding with others, and the ocean.
* Kuko's favorite food is fried chicken (*karaage*), while his least favorite food is Shoujin cuisine (traditional vegetarian Buddhist food).
* Kuko's speakers may be a reference to the folklore tale of Kiyohime. In this story, Kiyohime falls in love with a Buddhist monk named Anchin. After being rejected, she transforms into a serpent/dragon and killed him in a bell where he hid.
* Kuko uses 拙僧 (*Sessō*) pronouns to address himself. lit. "this humble priest." Archaic, masculine, used exclusively by Buddhist monks. There's an equivalent in Chinese which literally translates to "this poor (broke, janky) monk".
* Ironically, Kuko does many things that go against his training in the series. Such as holding money (buys Cola with Ichiro in Hypnosis Mic -Before the Battle- The Dirty Dawg), being vulgar (cursing, attitude towards elders such as Shakku and Hitoya, inappropriate song lyrics), physical violence (nearly killing someone in Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- side D.H & B.A.T, slapping Jyushi during training), and other things.
	+ During the last day of Track 3, Kuko's stage play actor began dirty dancing on stage (thrusting and grinding), and when addressed said "I'm Kuko". It only supports his canon vulgar acts.
* Despite being a Buddhist who's finished his training, Kuko often times makes up Buddhist quotes on the spot (seen in Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- side D.H & B.A.T and ARB non-canon stories) in order to sway others towards doing or thinking things. This in itself is against Buddhist morals, but adds to the comedic factor of his character.
* Mentioned in one his radio shows, Kuko has a license for a scooter. The scooter itself is said to be "old", but he still drives it around "at times".
* Said in Volume 2 of Hypster Magazine, Kuko is also able to draw, akin to his seiyuu, Shota Hayama.
* In Hypster Magazine, it's also stated that Kuko often gives back to the community. He disappears randomly from the temple to put on shows for children (with drawings he's made), and assist elders.
* When Kuko's solo Sougyaran BAM first came out, not even Japanese-speaking fans knew what he was saying.
* Seen in The Heart's Conviction Can't Be Broken!, Kuko borrows Jyushi's V-Kei CDs in order to listen to his music.
	+ He's stated that his music isn't "jazzy" enough for his taste.
* Kuko's father can be seen going through desperate (yet violent) measures to get him to be respectful, behave, or listen; such as tying him down in The Heart's Conviction Can't Be Broken!, and Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- side D.H & B.A.T.

## Gallery

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