List of Dogs: Bullets & Carnage characters
The Dogs anime and manga series features a cast of fictional characters created by Shirow Miwa. The storyline is set in a dystopic, unnamed European city, where crimes and atrocities are common. To make matters worse, an organization that runs deep below the lowest underground levels begins terrorising the populace through genetic engineering experiments and extreme violence. Dogs: Prelude is composed of four loosely connected stories that revolve around one of four antihero characters. The Dogs: Bullets & Carnage sequel focuses in these four characters as they collaborate to find the entrance to "below", fighting through soldiers from the organization.
One protagonist of Dogs, [|Heine Rammsteiner], is an emotionally distant gunman who endured genetic experiments during his childhood "below". He often works with [|Badou Nails], a freelance photographer and information broker. The two meet [|Naoto Fuyumine], a swordswoman with a black katana. She is searching for another Naoto, who carries a similar sword, and must find a way "below" to do so. Badou enlists the help of [|Mihai Mihaeroff], a retired assassin, in his search for this information. The four encounter the series' antagonists: the people who belong to the organization "below". [|Giovanni] has endured the same genetic experiments as Heine during his childhood, and [|Richter Berthein] attacked Badou and his brother in the past. Both work for [|Angelika Einstürzen], Heine and Giovanni's "mother" who conducts genetic experiments to create "the ultimate human weapon". The four are also attacked by another of Einstürzen's subordinates, [|Campanella Frühling], who has her own set of motives.
The characters developed by Miwa have been praised for their interesting, contemporary and stylish design. However, they have been criticized for falling into the "_____ with guns" and "tough-guy" clichés.
Creation and conception
The author Shirow Miwa named Heine Rammsteiner and Badou Nails after the bands Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails, stated as two of the author's favorite bands on his personal site.Antagonists
Most of Dogs antagonists belong to the obscure Einstürzen organization, which runs "below" the underground levels of the city. Angelika Einstürzen runs genetic experiments and aims to create the "ultimate human weapon". She is referred to as "Mother" by all of her subjects, who consider each other "siblings". Giovanni was one of her many subjects. Unlike Heine, he did not turn against her and works alongside her army. Giovanni's "sisters", the twins Luki and Noki, also work alongside Einstürzen, but they are shown to fear her. The twins have been seen traveling with Campanella Frühling on occasion. Frühling controls her own small army of genetic experiments. She and her army travel on large trains armed with hidden cannons. Richter Berthein, who has since defected from the organization, was a squad leader in an army similar to Frühling's. The soldiers dress in black uniforms and wear black, dog-themed gas masks.Angelika Einstürzen
Angelika Einstürzen conducted experiments on Heine, Giovanni, Lily and many other children. She is referred to as "Mother" by the subjects, including Luki and Noki, although Heine is her "favorite". She refers to herself as the subjects' physician. She conducts these experiments to create the "ultimate human weapon", and enjoys the slaughtering the children cause. Her surname is derived from that of German band Einstürzende Neubauten's, much like how Heine Rammsteiner and Badou Nails' were derived from Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails respectively.Giovanni Rammsteiner
Giovanni Rammsteiner, Heine's younger "brother", was also subjected to the Kerberos implants, although the results began to take effect later. He shares a spine collar similar to Heine's, and bears extraordinary healing abilities. Giovanni can be identified by his bug-eyed sunglasses and mop-top haircut. Although his "mother" Einstürzen genetically altered him, he works alongside her army. He also wields dual Walther P38 pistols. Giovanni likes to taunt Heine, especially concerning Lily's death, hoping to call out the "Dog". He has vivid and traumatic memories of the experiments he endured. Giovanni was sent to terminate the Head Councilman, but was captured himself. He is now held in house arrest by Bishop and the Councilman. He first appears in Stray Dogs Howling in the Dark.Luki and Noki
Luki and Noki are a pair of small twin sisters. They wear matching dresses that sport rabbit motifs, pink and black hats, striped leggings, and very large sleeves, which conceal giant weapons. They also have heterochromia in their eyes in the reverse form of each other. Their twisted view of life leads them to treat killing as a way of "having fun", even treating a bounty hunt as a game of tag. Luki, dressed mostly in black, has a large knife and throws smaller knives. Noki, dressed mostly in pink, has a machine gun. They are very agile, acrobatic, and have immense strength and regenerative ability. They refer to Heine and Giovanni as older "brothers", and are afraid of their "mother" Einstürzen.Campanella Frühling
Campanella Frühling is a woman who works for Einstürzen and controls her small army consisting entirely of genetic experiments. She has her own set of motives, including revenge. She wears a pin-striped suit. She and her army carry katanas similar to the one Naoto uses. In chapter 60, she was revealed as the "original Naoto".Richter H. Berthein
Richter H. Berthein, also known as Herbst, was a soldier for Einstelzen's army. When Badou and his brother were investigating the underground seven years ago, he led the group sent to kill them. He was the one who attacked Badou, causing him to lose his right eye. Since then, Berthein has left "below" and studied to become the conductor of an orchestra. Because he has a sense of fulfillment he did not have before, he does not want to return to the underground. Although he states he is much kinder and gentler than he used to be, he has no qualms about hypnotizing the orchestra members into attacking Badou and Mihai, then setting the orchestra hall to explode.Magato Fuyumine
Magato Fuyumine is a psychotic young man who was taken in and trained by the swordsman Fuyumine under circumstances similar to Naoto's. He openly displayed an aggressive attitude toward the man and later kills him. When Naoto learns this, she bests him in a fight. Magato is the one who tells her about the "original Naoto" who carries a katana similar to Fuyumine's. He is later seen working as a hired assassin, although he tends to kill his clients.Other characters
Aside of the main cast, there are many other characters in Dogs. Some of these characters are integral to either the protagonists' backstories, or the advancement of the story.Kiri
Kiri is the owner of the local restaurant, Buon Viaggio, where the characters tend to meet. She is a former prostitute and has a long-standing friendship with Mihai.Ian
Ian is a gang boss' son who was trained by Mihai. He killed Milena in a fit of jealousy, believing that she "would take Mihai away from me".Milena Teslawska
Milena Teslawska is a prostitute who was romantically involved with Mihai ten years ago. She was murdered by Ian at least ten years ago.Mimi
Mimi is a freelance information broker similar to Badou, with whom she is a friend and confidant of. She also enjoys calling Mihai "hubby" or "Handsome". She often jokes at Badou's expense, usually from the messes he gets into. She mostly gets involved with the story when Badou requests for her to investigate the swords that both Naoto and Einstürzen's soldiers use.Fuyumine
Fuyumine was an older swordsman who took in Naoto after the murder of her parents. He taught her swordsmanship and gives her the name Naoto, a name from his past, as she could not remember her own. He used to belong to a group that abducted children for those "below", though he defected from them, killing any former group members who crossed his path. He is killed by Magato. His full name is Murato Fuyumine.Bishop
Bishop, truly Ernst Rammsteiner, is the only priest in an old church and has known Heine for a long time. He claims he is blind, able to "see" using his other senses. However, he is a lolicon and keeps a wide variety of dresses in gothic lolita fashion. Bishop is also a swordsman of remarkable skill, described by Heine as the church's "fierce guardian". He was the first person to receive the Kerberos Spine, having a collar similar to Heine's on his neck; as well as the first failed experiment. How Bishop had escaped the Below is unknown.Nill
Nill is a fourteen-year-old mute girl who was genetically modified so a small pair of feathered wings extends from her back. Despite being shy and naïve, she is kind and gentle as well. In the prequel chapter Stray Dogs Howling in the Dark, Heine saves her from brothel gangsters who intended to keep selling her as a prostitute. She is the only female around whom Heine does not suffer mental breakdowns upon physical contact, save for the first time. She and Naoto develop a bond and often spend time together.Lily
Lily is Heine's younger "sister", whom Heine's "Dog" persona killed before he left Einstürzen's underground facility. Lily also endured the genetic experiments conducted by Einstürzen, wore a collar around her neck, and shared Heine's berserker tendencies; however, she showed less control over herself compared to Heine, who usually brought her back to her senses.Grandma Liza
Grandma Liza is an old short woman with cat ears. She often assigns Heine and Badou various jobs, and seems to be the head of her own gang.Reception
The characters of Dogs have received praise and criticism from several publications for anime, manga, and other media. Carlo Santos of Anime News Network commented that the loosely connected characters "provide the backdrop for mouth-watering eye candy" and credits Miwa's ability to create a manga storyline around Mihai, "the very opposite of a spunky teenage protagonist". However, he criticized the series for being another "pompous, preening '_____ with guns' series" and believed Miwa is "cycling through all the usual tough-guy tropes" and the characters are riddled with clichés. Santos also commented that even though the characters encounter each other eventually, it is "not the same thing as actually kicking off a storyline together". Ain't It Cool News's Scott Green stated that "the real note of distinction" came from Badou's story and how it did not mention "the tragedy that defines its subject's life". He also thought that "the notion of a group of characters who aren't a team is intriguing".The visual appearance of the characters have also received notice from reviewers. Leroy Douresseaux of Coolstreak Cartoons commented that the characters dress well and that most of characters "sport top of the line hair styles" Manga Recon's Ken Haley praised the character designs, saying they are interesting and "contemporary with a vague hint of industrial/goth at times" Green believes that Miwa can "draw an effecting figure". Miwa's art has a "specificity" so the difference between how certain characters hold themselves can be seen and a "rightness" that allows movement in the series look "genuine".