Kotani Kenji

**Kenji** Kotani (小谷 **健司**), legal name **Kenji** Anderson, is a high-level researcher in charge of the Japan branch of the DSO. Having created Koukawa Asuka artificial limbs, he is the top of the technical staff and acts as Asuka's mechanic.

He appears as a minor support character for the first time in Taimanin Asagi 3.

## Personality

Kenji is a smart, honest and nerdy man. Sometimes going into long rants about a new hypothesis, much to the dismay of Asuka that which has to listen to him ramble for multiple minutes. Based on these interactions, Kenji can appear a bit occupied with his own mind at times and has issues taking social cues from others.

He is a good-hearted, direct and curious person, that is easy to talk to and lacks any arrogance. Though, his teaching skills might not be the best as he can become too technical and advanced, he does try to inform Asuka and supports her in all aspects of life. In that way, he is almost like another family member, she has taken to baseball games and other events. Kenji loves his family that still lives in the UFS and misses them.

Kenji does show frustration if addressed by his American name of Kenji Anderson, which he took from his wife to be more respected while living in the UFS, something he kinda dislikes.

## Appearance

He is a younger looking men with short hair and glasses. He has brown hair and his eyes tend to be almost closed, unless serious.

## History

### Background

A human scientist, born in Japan. Was into backpacking in the past and met his wife "Cathrine" at that time.

Worked closer with the UFS and remained in the country, changed his name later to Kenji Anderson to be more respected in America, but does not like to be addressed by his UFS name.

He specialized in particle physics and researched Taimanin, Taima Particles and Prosthesis use. Kenji graduated from a famous university in the UFS and gained a Ph. Doctor of Engineering. He later also had a child with Cathrine but his work for the DSO, lead him back to Japan. Kenji grew in ranks thanks to his abilities fast, and was appointed as second in command of the DSO Japan Branch after his superior the Masked Taimanin and will most often be in charge if she is away on missions.

Kenji deals regularly with Koukawa Asuka and is responsible for her advanced limbs, performing the repairs and maintenance. Given Asuka's reckless fighting style, he tends to complain to her if she breaks her equipment too often but is a friend of her and is almost viewed as family, with good-hearted family disagreements.

### Visual Novels

When the Masked Taimanin was killed rescuing Koukawa Asuka in Gosha Village in Taimanin Asagi 3. The DSO base in the Orange Industry Building was attacked by a group of thugs under Oboro's control, which included the brothers Ryoji and Takuto. Kenji was captured and when Asuka returned to base with broken limbs she was knocked unconscious. Kenji was forced to perform an operation on Asuka's limbs creating a connection to her nerves not unlike Body Modification however, sneaked in a secret activation code which would give her full control. He gave Asuka later on a secret message he was disguising as concern for his family and while Asuka was away with the brothers, she was able to capture both and later free the DSO base and Kenji.

### Timeline Action

The events of TA3 do not play out, but Kenji is once more part of Asuka's team in the DSO.

Kenji is seen in the intimacy event of supporter Asuka. In which he took her to a baseball game, despite original doubt if Asuka was interested, she became a massive fan. A semi follow-up shows Asuka playing baseball against Mizuki Yukikaze.

## Powers/Abilities

* **Smart:** tricks Oboro and multiple soldiers with a hidden password made out of his wife's name.
* **Mechanic**

## Media

* Taimanin Asagi 3
* Action Taimanin

## Trivia

* One of the leading researchers on Taima Particles
* The reason Kenji hates being called by his American name, is not fully explained, but has seems not to be connected to just taking his wife's name, as he probably doesn't care about that. Instead, it could be a cultural implication, that questions his allegiance to be pure UFS and not be viewed as a full Japanese citizen. Alternatively, it could also come from regret that he felt forced to change his name to be more respected in the UFS and rise in the ranks in it, either or a combination of these could be the reason.
* Made Asuka's limbs.
* Given that Kenji spend a lot of years in America, it isn't surprising he was chosen for the baseball event.
* The hidden message might be lost on the English audience, as it needs knowledge about how those words would look written down in Japanese, but is a rather high degree of quick thinking on his part.

## Quotes

**Kotani**: "*Indeed. These latest-model Android Arms and Legs were made from the research data related to the Taimanin that we got from Asuka, after all. You Taimanin are truly fascinating beings, The source of the power of the Ninja Arts you refer to, we call Taima particles....*"
**Asuka**: "*(Ah...crap...)*"
**Kotani**: "*These Taima particles are constantly surrounding you, and their concentration suddenly rises when you invoke your ninja arts. That disappearing and reappearing characteristic looks just like the phenomenon at the moment of particle collision. You understand? When you make particles collide in a super- accelerator, the elementary particles disappear! Your existence might prove five-dimensional cosmology. This is my personal hypothesis, but the unconscious abilities you Taimanin---- Okay, for example, I'm wondering if it isn't possible to spontaneously deposit and withdraw power from a different dimension, like how a dolphin converses via electromagnetic waves. In five-dimensional theory, only gravity vanishes into that world, but it's similar to that. That might even have a connection to dark matter. I now can't help intentionally feel that all that strange, very strange, inexplicably strange abilities of you Taimanin can be explained scientifically by Taima particles. Ah, it's too bad. If this project weren't a top secret task for the Department of Defense, I would likely win a Nobel Prize.... Hey, are you listening?*"
**Asuka**: "*Does Kotanicci's wife sometimes say he's irritating?*"
**Kotani**: "*Eh?! Why?*"
**Asuka**: "*Because I feel very much that way right now.*"
— Kotani, enthusiastically speculating about Taimanin abilities and annoying Asuka.[src]

## Gallery

Koukawa Asuka and Kenji, at a baseball game