Kenjou Akira

Template:Infobox character
Template:Nihongo is one of the six main Cures in *KiraKira☆Pretty Cure A La Mode* who is a second year high school student. She is gentle and has a strong sense of justice like a "dog".

Akira's alter ego is Template:Nihongo, the Pretty Cure of strength and love, and she is based off chocolates and dogs.

Her catchphrases are Template:Nihongo and Template:Nihongo.

## Bio

### Appearance

Akira is a tall teen with sharp red eyes and short hair. She wears a brown top under a beige and red button-up, with blue jeans, brown belt, and tan boots. On her neck is a dog tag. For summer she switches to a white T-shirt with a red vest and red and white sneakers. For winter she wears a long-sleeved red collared shirt with a tan sweater and dark brown boots, sometimes adding a red pea-coat and gloves.

In the movie, she wears a bluish-grey sweater vest over a white long-sleeved shirt, dull brown pants, and brown boots. At the party, she wears a red sleeveless jumpsuit, white gloves, and red shoes.

As a child, she wore a long-sleeved, beige shirt beneath a red t-shirt with denim jeans and white-red sneakers.

After she becomes a student of a medical institute in the future, she now ties her grown hair into a ponytail.

As **Cure Chocolat**, her vibrant hair becomes spiked with a single brown lock and she gains red pointed dog ears and tail. She wears a chocolate top hat, silver earrings, and a dark brown choker with silver tag. Her outfit consists of a red and brown jacket with the upper-sleeve puffed and the cuff white, accenting the chest. On the chest is a yellow and brown piece of fabric hanging from a chocolate charm. Her furry cream collar matches that of her burgundy boots, which have a paw-like toe section, and pleat skirt. She also wears dark brown shorts, chocolate cape, and white gloves and stockings.

As **Super Cure Chocolat**, her outfit turns white and brown, the chest stripe and lower sleeves being red. The collar of her jacket is pointed to accent the dark brown and white peplum over her skirt. Her cape is now gold and brown, and her shorts crimson. Her boots are pale brown with an alternate cuff.

In her **A La Mode Style**, she gains a pale red fluffy hood and her hat has a large red feather. Her jacket loses the lower sleeve while the top turns pale red and fluffy. Her chest ornament is now a chocolate heart with pale cream fabric, and the base of her jacket is now crimson and yellow to match her thigh-length boots. She gains a fluffy pale red skirt with a pointed, dark brown layer over it, along with a long flowing pale red layer with crimson spheres around the bottom. She also gains crimson gloves.

### Personality

A gentle yet boyish second year high school student, Akira is fiercely loyal and will always be by your side, having a strong sense of justice like a dog. Knowing her way around places with a rational mind makes her a reliable person.

What's more, Akira is very caring towards her loved ones, particular her sick younger sister Miku whom she tends to give chocolate to as a way of cheering the latter up, even willingly attempted to sacrifice her own Kirakiraru in order to rescue Miku. She doesn't mind when people around her call her a boy,Template:Storylink and can also be a show-off too.Template:Storylink

### Relationships

* **Usami Ichika** - Ichika and Akira are neighbours and good friends. When Akira moves next to the Usami household, Ichika is smitten with the gentle high school student, and also initially believes Akira to be a boy. Akira opens up to Ichika about her sister and teases her to ease up her nervousness. Template:Storylink After Akira becomes a Cure, Ichika becomes outspoken around Akira and openly praises her. Ichika is flustered when Akira nurses her during a cold. Template:Storylink
* **Kotozume Yukari** - They go to the same school, and are very popular with the other students. Their personalities initially clash, with Yukari criticizing Akira's selflessness and Akira being at odds with Yukari's fickle nature. After Akira witnesses Yukari's kindness and Yukari recognizes Akira's passion and tenacity, they become very good friends. Template:Storylink They are often seen spending time with each other afterwards. Akira and Yukari's relationship has developed in a romantic way over time, notably in episodes 25 and 29. Their duet is a love song as well.
* **Kenjou Miku** - Akira is very close to her little sister whom she considers as her spiritual pillar, even bringing her chocolate whenever she visits her. In episode 15, it is shown that Miku loves Akira very much, and longs to see her smile with happiness instead of concern. When Miku's Kirakiraru were robbed by Julio, she was infuriated with the harm Julio had done to her sister.

### Etymology

Template:Nihongo: Template:Nihongo means 'sword'  while Template:Nihongo means 'castle'.  Ken is also a possible reading for Template:Nihongo, such as when referring to dog breeds.

Template:Nihongo is a name often used by men, and less frequently, also used by women. The name means 'bright', 'clear' or 'intelligent'.  It can be used as "never give up", which is just a pun to her name.

Together, it reads "intelligent dog" or "clear sword castle", depending on how you look at it.

*Chocolat* is French for Chocolate. The word itself is also derived from the Nahualt language "Chocolatl".

## History

### First Appearances and Transforming to Cure Chocolat For the First Time

Akira makes a cameo appearance in the first episode, seeing the vision of a chocolate bar in the sky after an eruption at Ichigo Mountain. She has another brief appearance in episode five when she rescues Ichika from falling on the sidewalk, causing the latter to quickly develop a crush, though at the time she thought Akira was a boy.

Ichika learned that Akira had recently moved in next door to her and she starts falling for Akira even more. The other Cures join her at her house to learn more about the mysterious boy next door. Akira looks on from the balcony and asks Ichika if she knew of any good shops that sell chocolates, and Ichika shows her one with a book she flipped through. The two of them head into the shopping district the next day to the store in question and bought the chocolate, one as a gift for Akira's ailing little sister Miku, who was in the hospital, and another for Ichika as a thank-you present. As Akira explains to Ichika about her sister, a Kirakiraru Thief named Bitard attacks and steals the chocolates intended for Miku, leaving Akira shocked. Ichika tries and fails to get them back. Upset by this, Ichika then comes up with the idea of having her and Akira make their own chocolate instead. At the patisserie, they do just that as the other three watched, creating a chocolate doghouse with a strawberry resembling the dog's head. As they make them, Himari and Aoi figure out that Akira was actually a girl when she called it "cute". Just then, as they finish up, Bitard appears again to take the homemade chocolate, but Ichika transforms into Cure Whip in front of Akira to defend it, but like last time, she is easily defeated and de-transforms. Seeing this, and the other Cures also struggling against Bitard, cause Akira's desire to protect the chocolate to increase even more, and one of the dog chocolates reacts, turning into an Animal Sweet and a Sweets Pact. With this, Akira transforms into Cure Chocolat for the first time, and uses her heightened sense of smell to track down Bitard easily, eventually defeating him and restoring the stolen Kirakiraru he stole from the chocolates. That night, Ichika goes to visit Akira again when her father Genichirou appears and reveals to her that Akira is actually a girl, not a guy like she thought, causing Ichika to become extremely surprised and shocked. Template:Storylink

### Rescuing her sister

In episode 15, Akira's sister Miku is discharged from the hospital, much to her surprise. Akira then advises Miku not to develop high standards that she can't withstand, and tells Miku to inform her if not feeling comfortable. However, she starts to realize Miku is feeling disappointed with not being the best assistant, and wonders why Miku wants to give her a hand until Yukari tells her that Miku hopes to repay her kindness and care. But right after she tastes the poodle chocolate Miku made for her, Kuroki Rio appears before her and steals Miku's Kirakiraru. A fierce battle between her and Julio commences, and Chocolat is originally at the lower hand as her friends are confined and she is injured by one of Julio's attacks. But upon recalling how Miku wishes her to feel the same happiness and worry less, she frees herself from Julio's dark orb with the power of the cake, and rescues her sister after she and her friends defeat Julio. On the bus ride of sending Miku back to the hospital, the two sisters share a smile with each other and promise to make sweets together when they meet again.

In episode 44, she rescues Miku once again after Miku is kidnapped by Elisio. Transported to another dimension of Noir, she faces off Elisio, who powers himself up with an armor and has trapped Miku inside a monstrous snowman. Although originally at a disadvantage, Chocolat overcomes her difficulties via her love and courage. When Miku tells Akira that she's holding Akira back, Chocolat reassures her that she has found her own capabilities and hugs Miku. In the end, at the Kamakura festival pop patisserie, Miku and Akira spend time sharing chocolate treats.

### Relationship with Yukari

As she begins working at KIRAKIRA Patisserie, Akira spends more time with Yukari as well. They have some clashes owing to their different perspectives, but they soon learn to appreciate each other's strengths with the time they spend together.

The most notable development in their relationship happens in episode 25, when Prince Nata attempts to win Yukari over while mistaking Akira to be a boy. She is then challenged by him in multiple competitions, which she all gets the disadvantages because of the Prince's cheating, and almost has the Patisserie demolished by the Prince. In the beginning, Akira isn't confident with her own dancing until Yukari offers to be her dance partner. As she gets used to it, the Prince interferes who then falls into the pool. Akira feels sorry for the Prince and asks Yukari to drop the act, though Yukari rejects her suggestion by pointing out that the battle between her and Nata isn't over. After Yukari allows the competition to proceed, Akira calls out the former for toying with Nata's feelings, but is then upset when Yukari somehow chooses to go to the Kingdom of Confetto and runs away from her.

The following day, when Ciel advises her to tell Yukari that she's being selfish, Akira replies that she didn't realize Yukari is a sensitive person and is sorry for being straightforward. After Ciel further advises her to speak about how she feels no matter how much she and Yukari seem to understand each other, she and Yukari are paired up to make chocolate macarons together. Yukari then admits about her imperfections and vulnerability to Akira that surfaces after the confrontation with Kuroki Rio with sadness, yet Akira still accepts her weaknesses and tells her to stop hiding. When Elisio manipulates Nata's Kirakiraru, Akira transforms into Chocolat to fight against him, only to be backstabbed and confined, which worries Yukari. Nonetheless, Chocolat's desire to protect Yukari ultimately helps her break through the bars, and is apologetic for concerning Yukari. With Macaron's assistance, Chocolat is able to hit the monster thanks to their strong bond. As Nata who still considers Akira as a male, entrusts Yukari to her and makes a pact between them before departing, she is embarrassed though also oblivious to Yukari's growing feelings for her.

### Epilogue

Years later, Akira has grown up, and begins her study as a medical intern in a hospital.

## Cure Chocolat

 File:KKPCALM06 Cure Chocolat's pose.png
**"With strength and love! Let's・La・Mix It All Up! Cure Chocolat! Is Ready To Serve!"**
強さと愛を！レッツ・ラ・まぜまぜ！キュアショコラ！できあがり！
*Tsuyosa to Ai wo! Rettsu・Ra・Mazemaze! Kyua Shokora! Dekiagari!*
Template:Nihongo is the Pretty Cure alter ego of Akira. In order to transform, she needs the Sweets Pact and her Animal Sweets. In this form, she has a heightened sense of smell like a dog.

### Transformation

**Cure La Mode・Decoration!:** The sequence begins with Akira's Sweets Pact opening up and her reflection is shown in the mirror. She is now wearing a red top and shorts and she then shouts "Cure La Mode・Decoration!". Her Animal Sweet appears and she then shouts "Chocolate!" as she grabs it and inserts it into the pact. Then a small light pink beater-like pen appears, which she takes and presses the light pink stars, saying "strength" when pressing the first one and "love" after pressing the second one. Beams of orange and pink-colored light respectively shine from the small bowl-like part of the pact after she presses them. She then shouts "Let's・La・Mix It All Up!" as she uses the stylus to mix the two lights together, which spin around and coalesce into cream.

She uses the stylus to draw lines with it, which them forms into a giant chocolate bar with the cream careening on the cracks. The bar dissolves into tiny squares that, along with the cream, start to form her outfit. The cape appears first before the top, shorts, and socks. Akira draws a cross, which forms into the square-shaped brooch and ribbon protruding at the bottom. She is then surrounded by more chocolate that breaks away to form her boots. She then waves the pen over her head, which makes her top hat appear. It lands on her head as her hair lengths and becomes bright red with a dark brown streak. After stroking the brim with her fingers, her earrings appear. She then takes more of the chocolate and draws her Animal Sweet, which then causes her ears and tail to appear. She leaps into the air as her pact closes and the carrying pouch appears. Chocolat then lands on a staircase and introduces herself before walking down two steps and striking her finishing pose.

### Attacks

* **Kirakira♪Kiraru♪:** The main method of attack used by the Cures, which manifests in the form of magical batter within the Sweets Pact. As Cure Chocolat, Akira has shown she has the ability to:
	+ Shield herself with a swipe of batter.
	+ Create force fields shaped like chocolate bar squares.
	+ Shoot a homing stream of energy that immobilizes the foe.
* **Kirakirakirarun♪Kirakiraru♪:** A more powerful version of the original incantation, giving Chocolat the ability to fire a large blast of red energy that encases the foe in what resembles a chocolate egg, which implodes and sends them flying.
* Template:Nihongo is the group attack Cure Chocolat performs with the other four Cures. To perform it, she must use the Candy Rod.
* Template:Nihongo is the first sub attack Cure Chocolat uses in episode 15. To perform it, she needs the Candy Rod.
* Template:Nihongo is the group attack Cure Chocolat performs with the other five Cures. To perform it, she must use the Kirakiraru Creamer and her Crystal Animal.
* Template:Nihongo is the group attack Cure Chocolat performs with the other five Cures. To perform it, she must she must use the Kirakiraru Creamer and her Crystal Animal and be in her A La Mode Style.

## Songs

Akira's voice actress, **Mori Nanako**, has participated in several image songs for the character she voices. Many of them include duets with **Miyama Karen**, who voices Usami Ichika, **Fukuhara Haruka**, who voices Arisugawa Himari, **Muranaka Tomo**, who voices Tategami Aoi, **Fujita Saki**, who voices Kotozume Yukari, and **Minase Inori**, who voices Kirahoshi Ciel.

* **Chocolat・Etoile**
* **Let's・La・Cookin'☆Showtime**
* **Eclair・Of・Chocolat**

### Duets

* **Macaronage of Love and Excitement** (*Along with Fujita Saki*)
* **Let's・La・Cookin'☆Showtime ~KIRAKIRA☆Patisserie・Version~** (*Along with Miyama Karen, Fukuhara Haruka, Muranaka Tomo, Fujita Saki and Minase Inori*)
* **Mémoire・Mille-feuille** (*Along with Miyama Karen, Fukuhara Haruka, Muranaka Tomo, Fujita Saki and Minase Inori*)

## Trivia

* Akira's birthday is in September 24th, making her Zodiac sign Libra.
* Many aspects about Kenjou Akira - including her design, her voice, her personality and her transformation sequence - reference the extravagant Broadway-style musicals performed by the Takarazuka Revue, in which women play all possible roles of the musical.
	+ Her masculine design and personality fit the Template:Nihongo (literally "male role"), the male part played by actresses in Takarazuka productions. This is especially apparent with her Cure design, with its ornate uniform/suit-like style, the top hat and the princely puffed sleeves and cape.
	+ In her transformation sequence, she stands on an Template:Nihongo, the "grand staircase" being a trademark of the musicals since 1927 and usually rolled out in the finale for the actresses to dance on. Her hand motions in the sequence are also typical.
	+ Her voice actress, Mori Nanako, used to play the *otokoyaku* role under the stage name **Saeki Chihaya** in fifteen Takarazuka Revue musical productions from 2005 to 2009.
* Cure Chocolat is the first Cure to be based on *Takarazuka* musicals, and the first character in Pretty Cure overall to be based on them, even with the musicals being a common motif in *shojo* productions such as The Rose of Versailles, Princess Knight and Revolutionary Girl Utena.
	+ Incidentally, juxtaposed with Cure Chocolat, the feminine Kotozume Yukari seems to reference the Template:Nihongo (literally "daughter's role") - the actresses playing the women in the musicals.
* In *Animage's* monthly character poll for its 2017-06 issue, Akira placed 9th in "Best Character Overall".
* Early character exploration art by Ino Marie, the character designer, shows her to be scared of bugs and ghosts. This was eventually scrapped.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.wordsense.eu/%E5%89%A3/
2. ↑ https://www.evi.com/q/what\_does\_%22%E5%9F%8E%22\_mean\_in\_japanese
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira\_(given\_name)

Template:KKPCALM characters
Template:Cures