149-755: The Black Cat manga series features characters created by Kentaro Yabuki . The story follows a young man named Train Heartnet who withdrew from an elite group of assassins called the Chronos Numbers two years earlier and is now a Sweeper, or bounty hunter. Many of the characters are humans with superhuman strength, speed and/or supernatural abilities. Black Cat ' s anime adaptation features some characters not created by Yabuki, as well as many plot differences. Train Heartnet ( トレイン＝ハートネット , Torein Hātonetto ) , also known as Black Cat ( 黒猫 , Kuro Neko ) ,
298-417: A taijitu symbol on it, or into a blade coming from its barrel. Train came in first place in all three of the series' character popularity contests. Sven Vollfied ( スヴェン＝ボルフィード , Suven Borufīdo ) is a sweeper and Train's partner. The 30-year-old follows a strict code of chivalry: he is always respectful to women and children and acts very proper. He befriends Eve, being the first person to treat her like
447-457: A trading card game by Movic . Black Cat ' s twenty volumes have sold over 12 million units in Japan. Volumes from Viz's English publication of the series have also featured in best-selling manga rankings such as The New York Times as well as Nielsen BookScan . During 2006, Black Cat was North America's 9th best manga property, according to ICv2 . In ICv2's Top 50 Manga, Black Cat
596-697: A Chronos member, and as a result he often has sudden mood swings, going from carefree to serious in an instant, especially when Creed is mentioned. This personality stems from being orphaned at 10 years old after the assassin Zagine Axeloake kills his parents, takes Train in and teaches him how to kill with efficiency. Zagine eventually dies and tells Train that he needs to be the strongest in order to survive. After that, Karl took Train in and he became an assassin for Chronos. Having been killing and exposed to death since early childhood, Train becomes very bleak and unsmiling until he leaves Chronos. He eventually meets Saya,
745-472: A Number. After the destruction of the castle and Beluga's death, Nizer succumbs to a near-fatal wound and enters a coma. He recovers but is too injured to partake in the final attack on the Apostles. Anubis ( アヌビス , Anubisu ) , known as Number VI, is an anime-only character. He is a large black wolf, capable of human speech, with a long, mechanical tail made of Orichalcum. As well as using his Orichalcum tail,
894-474: A Sweeper instead of killing him. Saya's spirit later helps Train defeat the Doctor's Warp World and aim his final shot at Creed. Saya's name just popped into Yabuki's head while he was looking at her face. Tearju Lunatique ( ティアーユ＝ルナティーク , Tiāyu Runatīku ) is one of the top authorities in nanotechnology and leader of the group that created Eve. Eve's DNA was taken from hers, thus making them look identical. She
1043-706: A big-picture view, with more emphasis on societal implications than engineering details. Nanomaterials can be classified in 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D nanomaterials . Dimensionality plays a major role in determining the characteristic of nanomaterials including physical , chemical , and biological characteristics. With the decrease in dimensionality, an increase in surface-to-volume ratio is observed. This indicates that smaller dimensional nanomaterials have higher surface area compared to 3D nanomaterials. Two dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have been extensively investigated for electronic , biomedical , drug delivery and biosensor applications. The atomic force microscope (AFM) and
1192-567: A box set and released on March 18, 2008. On May 29, 2012, Funimation re-released the box set in a "Super Amazing Value Edition" (S.A.V.E.) edition. Madman Entertainment distributed a box set of the series in the PAL region on September 17, 2008, while MVM Films released it on November 15, 2010, in the United Kingdom. An anime soundtrack entitled Black Cat Original Soundtrack Nikukyu was released on March 15, 2006, by EMI Music Japan . It contains
1341-443: A carefree sweeper, who slowly changes Train into a "stray cat" that does not blindly follow orders. He decides not to kill anymore, and after Creed kills Saya, he leaves to become a Sweeper and searches after him. He wields Hades ( ハーディス , Hādisu ) , a black and gold revolver made out of Orichalcum weighing 2.5 kg, with the numeral XIII engraved into its side and a red tassel attached to its hand grip that stretches out like
1490-427: A certain range. He can create a gravity wall capable of deflecting projectiles, its weakness being when they are fired from above. He can also launch his punches and roll into a ball to crush opponents. He was defeated by Train, who shot a tranquilizer bullet into his leg. He is seen riding with Shiki on one of Shiki's giant bugs at the series' end. In the anime, he died in the final assault while fighting David Papper. It
1639-402: A dangerous criminal. Due to her feelings, she commits herself to Train's own personal philosophy to not kill senselessly; however, her infatuation with Train causes him nothing but an endless amount of headaches. She adopts a tiny black kitten that likes to ride on her shoulder. After leaving the Apostles, Kyoko returns to her normal schoolgirl life, seen in the company of her school friends. Kyoko
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#17328591185871788-484: A debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted. The concepts that seeded nanotechnology were first discussed in 1959 by physicist Richard Feynman in his talk There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom , in which he described the possibility of synthesis via direct manipulation of atoms. The term "nano-technology" was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974, though it
1937-474: A draw with Charden Flamberg and Kyoko Kirisaki, Belze is the first to realize just how dangerous the Apostles of the Stars are. He usually takes a back seat to Sephiria and complies with her decisions even though he will express his opinion if he sees a flaw in her plans. Emilio Lowe ( エミリオ＝ロウ , Emirio Rou ) , known as Number III, is a member of Chronos. While he is briefly referred to, he never actually appears in
2086-437: A field in the 1980s occurred through the convergence of Drexler's theoretical and public work, which developed and popularized a conceptual framework, and high-visibility experimental advances that drew additional attention to the prospects. In the 1980s, two breakthroughs sparked the growth of nanotechnology. First, the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 enabled visualization of individual atoms and bonds, and
2235-729: A fuel catalyst. In the electric car industry, single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) address key lithium-ion battery challenges, including energy density, charge rate, service life, and cost. SWCNTs connect electrode particles during charge/discharge process, preventing battery premature degradation. Their exceptional ability to wrap active material particles enhanced electrical conductivity and physical properties, setting them apart multi-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon black. Further applications allow tennis balls to last longer, golf balls to fly straighter, and bowling balls to become more durable. Trousers and socks have been infused with nanotechnology to last longer and lower temperature in
2384-442: A glove with indestructible Orichalcum wires attached to its tips, which he uses to tightly grasp or lacerate his opponents or their guns. He can also control the sharpness of the wires so they can either cut through stone or catch someone safely. Jenos cares about the survival of his teammates just as much as he does completing the mission. Baldorias S. Fanghini ( バルドリアス＝S＝ファンギーニ , Barudoriasu S Fangīni ) , known as Number VIII,
2533-460: A human bio-weapon named Eve that was created using nanotechnology . Sven and Train ultimately decide to free Eve from her owner and train her to be a Sweeper. Rinslet is kidnapped by Creed Diskenth , a former Chronos assassin that killed Train's friend Saya Minatsuki for changing Train's outlook on life and which contributed to him leaving Chronos, to persuade Train to join his group the Apostles of
2682-422: A human, which causes the two to become very close like a father and daughter relationship. He is often tortured by Train's capricious personality and is usually dragged into trouble and even more debt because of it. Sven is skilled in inventing and making innovative weapons and other various equipment, including bombs and special bullets for Train. Sven's weapon of choice was originally a normal pistol, but after that
2831-428: A journalist like his father and write a story on Train and Sven. His last name is only given in the anime. In the anime, Tim is one of the orphans that Train helps to fight. He is also the new leader of the group of orphans, replacing Leon who is revealed to be their former leader. In his past life, Tim's father was killed the same as in the manga. After the incident, Bouldin and the mafia have been trying to kill Tim and
2980-436: A larger scale and come under the description of microtechnology . To put that scale in another context, the comparative size of a nanometer to a meter is the same as that of a marble to the size of the earth. Two main approaches are used in nanotechnology. In the "bottom-up" approach, materials and devices are built from molecular components which assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition . In
3129-506: A leash. He possesses 20/20 vision and is an extremely skilled marksman, able to accurately shoot down bullets from other guns, and hit the same place with a number of bullets at exactly the same time. He is ambidextrous, but naturally left-handed; using his left hand increases his speed and accuracy. He can also shoot a number of bullets while in the air to accelerate him into a spinning slash, "Black Claw", that leaves four large slash marks. He also uses specialty bullets created by Sven, including
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#17328591185873278-596: A man named Train Heartnet who withdrew from an elite group of assassins called the Chronos Numbers to become a bounty hunter. The series was adapted into a twenty-four episode anime television series by studio Gonzo , which originally aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from October 2005 to March 2006. The manga was licensed for English-language publication in North America by Viz Media and in Australasia by Madman Entertainment . Funimation Entertainment licensed
3427-467: A manufacturing technology based on the mechanical functionality of these components (such as gears, bearings, motors, and structural members) that would enable programmable, positional assembly to atomic specification. The physics and engineering performance of exemplar designs were analyzed in Drexler's book Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation . In general, assembling devices on
3576-504: A massive strain on his body so he normally keeps it under an eye patch. Sven later evolves it into the "Grasper Eye" ( 支配眼 （ グラスパーアイ ） , Gurasupā Ai ) through rigorous training by having cannonballs fired at him, honing his endurance with the eye to the point where extensive use no longer drains him to the point of total collapse. The Grasper Eye allows him to see things in slow motion for about five seconds, allowing him to evade seemingly impossible attacks and barrages, and
3725-440: A partner. She also has a deep sense of compassion and will absolutely not kill no matter what, stemming from guilt she feels for the murders she committed before Sven found her. Yabuki agonized over choosing her name, looking for one that evoked "purity and innocence." Eve came in second place in all three of the series' character popularity contests. The character Golden Darkness (or Yami) from Yabuki's later work, To Love Ru ,
3874-761: A protein . Thus, components can be designed to be complementary and mutually attractive so that they make a more complex and useful whole. Such bottom-up approaches should be capable of producing devices in parallel and be much cheaper than top-down methods, but could potentially be overwhelmed as the size and complexity of the desired assembly increases. Most useful structures require complex and thermodynamically unlikely arrangements of atoms. Nevertheless, many examples of self-assembly based on molecular recognition in exist in biology , most notably Watson–Crick basepairing and enzyme-substrate interactions. Molecular nanotechnology, sometimes called molecular manufacturing, concerns engineered nanosystems (nanoscale machines) operating on
4023-667: A public debate between Drexler and Smalley in 2001 and 2003. Meanwhile, commercial products based on advancements in nanoscale technologies began emerging. These products were limited to bulk applications of nanomaterials and did not involve atomic control of matter. Some examples include the Silver Nano platform for using silver nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent, nanoparticle -based sunscreens, carbon fiber strengthening using silica nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes for stain-resistant textiles. Governments moved to promote and fund research into nanotechnology, such as American
4172-611: A returned Train who can now fire a railgun shot thanks to the nanomachines. However, Eathes was able to copy Tearju, gaining all of her knowledge, and Train, Sven and Eve finally decide to put a stop to Creed. They team up with a group called the Sweeper Alliance to storm the Apostles of the Stars' island, organized by Chronos assassin Lin Shaolee in disguise to act as decoys for Chronos' own attack. Separated upon arriving, Train, Sven and Eve each get involved in fights with members of
4321-983: A surface with scanning probe microscopy techniques. Various techniques of lithography, such as optical lithography , X-ray lithography , dip pen lithography, electron beam lithography or nanoimprint lithography offer top-down fabrication techniques where a bulk material is reduced to a nano-scale pattern. Another group of nano-technological techniques include those used for fabrication of nanotubes and nanowires , those used in semiconductor fabrication such as deep ultraviolet lithography, electron beam lithography, focused ion beam machining, nanoimprint lithography, atomic layer deposition , and molecular vapor deposition , and further including molecular self-assembly techniques such as those employing di-block copolymers . In contrast, bottom-up techniques build or grow larger structures atom by atom or molecule by molecule. These techniques include chemical synthesis, self-assembly and positional assembly. Dual-polarization interferometry
4470-401: A useful conformation through a bottom-up approach. The concept of molecular recognition is important: molecules can be designed so that a specific configuration or arrangement is favored due to non-covalent intermolecular forces . The Watson–Crick basepairing rules are a direct result of this, as is the specificity of an enzyme targeting a single substrate , or the specific folding of
4619-437: A war against Chronos a quarter of a century ago. As a true Taoist, Shiki manipulates his chi and can create the special elixir that can grant people with the power of Tao. Shiki's main form of attack is through the use of insect summoning and control, including the fully sentient, humanoid, Setsuki. They are created from his chi, allowing Shiki to create them indefinitely although they eventually self-destruct, as such his Tao power
List of Black Cat characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
4768-531: A weapon made of Orichalcum , the strongest metal in the world. Sephiria Arks ( セフィリア＝アークス , Sefiria Ākusu ) , known as Number I, is the commander of the Numbers and is trusted enough by Chronos to be given total control over killing Creed. Sephiria was one of the few members who were "born for Chronos", as she stated that when she was an infant she underwent surgery to enhance her recovery time from injuries. Sven once commented that her eyes allowed her to stare into
4917-440: A whip at will, bite opponents, and break Orichalcum. Level 3 merges the sword with his arm, with eyes on his shoulder and another large arm extending from his back. Its final form, Level Max, creates a colossal blade made out of light. After obtaining The Breath of God nanomachines, Creed becomes able to regenerate from any fatal wound in seconds and he will remain in his peak physical condition forever. The nanomachines' only weakness
5066-463: A wide variety of useful chemicals such as pharmaceuticals or commercial polymers . This ability raises the question of extending this kind of control to the next-larger level, seeking methods to assemble single molecules into supramolecular assemblies consisting of many molecules arranged in a well-defined manner. These approaches utilize the concepts of molecular self-assembly and/or supramolecular chemistry to automatically arrange themselves into
5215-529: Is a bald man with a well cut black beard and commonly escorts Sephiria Arks when she leaves for business. Nizer is one of the first to act in Sephiria's defense when she isn't treated with respect. He holds a personal vendetta against Creed Diskenth for the death of Number X, his old partner Ash, and orders the others to allow him to be the one to kill Creed. Even though he holds a grudge against Creed, Nizer doesn't hunt him down for revenge but to complete his mission as
5364-494: Is a golden suit of armor that covers every inch of his body except his face, and also includes two large swords. The Apostles of the Stars ( 星の使徒 , Hoshi no Shito ) is a revolutionary group led by former Chronos member Creed Diskenth. Their aim is to start a revolution, including overthrowing Chrono's control on the economy. They do not just wish to bring about a world revolution, but they seek revenge against Chronos, each for their own reasons; for example, Shiki and Maro due to
5513-505: Is a popular character in the series, coming in third place in the first two character popularity contests, and fourth in the last. A character of the same name appears in To Love Ru as a popular idol and star of the TV show Magical Kyoko . Maro ( マロ ) is a true Taoist and one of the first recruited by Creed, along with Shiki. He is a large sumo wrestler-like man able to control gravity within
5662-757: Is a sword that can expand for 80 meters. The Apostles have a small army of soldiers, armed with all kinds of weaponry and equipped with special armor that can withstand grenades. They are known as the Shooting Star Unit and show great loyalty to Creed and the other Apostles. There is also an experimental squad of cyborg soldiers, the Kiseitai ( 鬼星隊 , lit. "Demon Star Force") , that were created by Doctor to be weapons of war. They were released by Echinda after Doctor's and Eathes' defeat. However, they were easily defeated by Sven, Eve, and Chronos members IV, VII, VIII and X. Creed Diskenth ( クリード＝ディスケンス , Kurīdo Disukensu )
5811-610: Is able to use nanotechnology to transform her body into various offensive and defensive weapons and heal any injuries. Initially only able to alter limited parts of her body, she is later able to transform her entire body at will, though it causes a lot of strain on her. She typically turns her arms into blades, hammers and shields, turns her hair into fists and microblades able to cut through steel, turns her own skin into steel, and sprouts wings from her back to fly. The nanomachines in her body also alter her clothing; for changing her appendages or growing wings without ripping them. Eve's DNA
5960-515: Is able to vibrate at a high frequency, allowing it to easily cut steel. He appears in the anime as one of the Zero Numbers, who defect from Chronos. Nizer Bruckheimer ( ナイザー＝ブラッカイマー , Naizā Burakkaimā ) , known as Number V, is the leader of the elite commando squad Cerberus, and in charge of the close-range attacks. He wields a pair of Orichalcum tonfas named Dioskouroi ( ディオスクロイ , Diosukuroi ) , which he wields with incredible skill. He
6109-457: Is also much less manipulative, preferring to handle things personally and with straightforward planning rather than manipulate others into doing work for Chronos. She initially holds much animosity towards Train for his decision to leave Chronos and tries to kill him on several occasions. At the end of the anime, she and the other four Numbers left take control of Chronos. Belze Rochefort ( ベルゼー＝ロシュフォール , Beruzē Roshufōru ) , known as Number II,
List of Black Cat characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
6258-422: Is an assassin raised to be a member of Chronos from birth. Along with his partner, Kranz, he is extremely violent, leading to the destruction of entire towns while on missions, and extremely loyal. Nicknamed "Baldor", his number is tattooed onto the side of his neck. He and Kranz are tasked with killing the Apostles before Chronos' next strike on Creed, and also participates in the attack on Creed's headquarters using
6407-545: Is an energetic high school student from the island country of Jipangu . Kyoko can easily be considered a ditzy person because of her lack of focus. She has the Tao ability to create and control fire, increasing her body temperature up to a thousand degrees; her favorite way of killing people is kissing them and then incinerating their bodies from the inside out. She leaves the Apostles of the Stars with Charden, so he will not be lonely. Kyoko falls in love with Train when he saves her from
6556-434: Is an infamous thief-for-hire that recruits Train and Sven for a heist, but continues teaming with them afterwards. The 21-year-old works for everyone from mob bosses to the government, this being the reason a bounty is never placed on her. Rinslet claims she can steal anything and manipulate any man, though she has trouble with Train; she can sucker him into participating in her schemes, but can't get him to follow her plans to
6705-429: Is another orphan who lives with Tim and the other children in an abandoned factory. She used to be by herself until she met Tim, and Leon, who then became her new family. After Train refused to help them, Layla explained to Eve their situation. The two girls bonded, and became good friends. Before departing, Layla had her new friend promise her to tell Leon something should Eve meet him. Layla is next seen with her family in
6854-458: Is based on Eve. They both have the ability to turn parts of their bodies into weapons. Golden Darkness comes from the spaceship Lunatique and her creator is Tearju. In chapter 61 of To Love-Ru , Golden Darkness tries on a black dress similar to the one that Eve wears in the final chapters of Black Cat . In chapter 15 of To Love-Ru Darkness , it is revealed that the character's true name is Eve. Rinslet Walker ( リンスレット＝ウォーカー , Rinsuretto Uōkā )
7003-410: Is called Insect. However, besides the insects, he masters the usage of ink seals, using them for manipulating his chi in various ways, ranging from creating a cursed sword, to creating an energy blast and a large dragon made of fire. Shiki battles Train in order to prove that the Tao are not weak, though Train defeats Shiki to break him of those feelings and show him that there is more to life than proving
7152-1053: Is controlled via changing voltage: a nanotube nanomotor , a molecular actuator, and a nanoelectromechanical relaxation oscillator. Ho and Lee at Cornell University in 1999 used a scanning tunneling microscope to move an individual carbon monoxide molecule (CO) to an individual iron atom (Fe) sitting on a flat silver crystal and chemically bound the CO to the Fe by applying a voltage. Many areas of science develop or study materials having unique properties arising from their nanoscale dimensions. The bottom-up approach seeks to arrange smaller components into more complex assemblies. These seek to create smaller devices by using larger ones to direct their assembly. Functional approaches seek to develop useful components without regard to how they might be assembled. These subfields seek to anticipate what inventions nanotechnology might yield, or attempt to propose an agenda along which inquiry could progress. These often take
7301-620: Is destroyed, he invents the Attaché Weapon Case ( アタッシュウェポンケース , Atasshu Wepon Kēsu ) , a suitcase equipped with hidden weaponry inside of it. It contains a built-in machine gun, grenade launcher, net launcher, an electrical cable, and various other small weapons inside the case. Before becoming a sweeper, he was an inspector for the International Bureau of Investigations ( 国際捜査局 , Kokusai Sōsa Kyoku ) , along with his partner, Lloyd Goldwynne. Lloyd possessed an ability called
7450-455: Is holding Train back from joining him, but accidentally shoots Train with a nanomachine-enhanced bullet that has the unplanned effect of reverting his body to that of a child. In order to return Train to normal, Train, Sven and Eve visit nanotechnology expert Dr. Tearju , who is also Eve's creator. While there, the Apostles of the Stars attack to force Tearju to join them in order to grant Creed eternal life through nanomachines, but are defeated by
7599-571: Is less draining than the Vision Eye. The name Sven was taken from a minor character in a blockbuster film Yabuki enjoyed. In the original one-shot version, Stray Cat , Sven is a Delivery Man instead of a Sweeper and had a beard. Sven came in seventh, fourth and third place in the series' three character popularity contests. Eve ( イヴ , Ivu ) is a young beautiful girl, who is a genetically cloned and engineered bio-weapon. After being rescued by Train and Sven, she accompanies them on their travels. She
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#17328591185877748-434: Is one tool suitable for characterization of self-assembled thin films. Another variation of the bottom-up approach is molecular-beam epitaxy or MBE. Researchers at Bell Telephone Laboratories including John R. Arthur . Alfred Y. Cho , and Art C. Gossard developed and implemented MBE as a research tool in the late 1960s and 1970s. Samples made by MBE were key to the discovery of the fractional quantum Hall effect for which
7897-650: Is scale. An earlier understanding of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabricating macroscale products, now referred to as molecular nanotechnology . Nanotechnology defined by scale includes fields of science such as surface science , organic chemistry , molecular biology , semiconductor physics , energy storage , engineering , microfabrication , and molecular engineering . The associated research and applications range from extensions of conventional device physics to molecular self-assembly , from developing new materials with dimensions on
8046-460: Is sent to hire Rinslet to gather information on the Apostles, however, this is really in order to use her as bait to lure Creed out of hiding and force Train to get involved, who was lured to the same area via false Sweeper intel. Jenos and the other two members of the special unit Cerebus launch an assault on Creed's lair, that results in it being turned to rubble, while Train simply rescues Rinslet and leaves. Creed then tries to kill Sven, believing he
8195-663: Is still a slow process because of low velocity of the microscope. The top-down approach anticipates nanodevices that must be built piece by piece in stages, much as manufactured items are made. Scanning probe microscopy is an important technique both for characterization and synthesis. Atomic force microscopes and scanning tunneling microscopes can be used to look at surfaces and to move atoms around. By designing different tips for these microscopes, they can be used for carving out structures on surfaces and to help guide self-assembling structures. By using, for example, feature-oriented scanning approach, atoms or molecules can be moved around on
8344-421: Is that they cannot fully restore the brain, which would leave him with only primal instincts. However, these are removed from his body after his final battle with Train by Eve. Train and Chronos allow Creed to walk away, and he is last seen living with Echidna in a country villa, using a wheelchair, with the implication that the physical and mental injuries he sustained in his fight with Train left him vegetative. In
8493-518: Is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale , surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing properties of matter. This definition of nanotechnology includes all types of research and technologies that deal with these special properties. It is common to see the plural form "nanotechnologies" as well as "nanoscale technologies" to refer to research and applications whose common trait
8642-487: Is the protagonist and a Sweeper partnered with Sven. Train is a light-hearted, courageous man who is highly skilled with a gun. The 23-year-old's distinguishing features are a choker with a tiny bell attached to it and the XIII tattoo he has on the left side of his chest. Two years earlier Train was a Chronos Number, a ruthless assassin and Number XIII of the group. He has a large amount of killing intent that he honed from his days as
8791-403: Is the science and engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. In its original sense, nanotechnology refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up making complete, high-performance products. One nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10 , of a meter. By comparison, typical carbon–carbon bond lengths , or the spacing between these atoms in a molecule , are in
8940-423: Is the series' main antagonist. He is the leader of the Apostles of the Stars and Train's former partner before he joined the Chronos Numbers. He tells the group that their only purpose is to destroy Chronos, but he really plans to make himself immortal using nanomachines and rule the world forever by selectivity controlling the human population. He is severely warped after being abused by his mother, whom he kills, and
9089-624: Is the vice commander of the Numbers, and one of the closest people to Sephiria. He understands that Chronos is a dark and evil organization but also knows that if Chronos is destroyed, the world will fall into chaos. His weapon is an Orichalcum spear named Gungnir ( グングニル , Gunguniru ) . Belze is a cultured man and an accomplished martial artist. Creed himself says that even two of his apostles working together have little chance of defeating Belze. Belze holds no ill-will towards Train but hates Creed. He truly respects Sephiria as his superior even though he's several years older than her. After fighting to
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#17328591185879238-417: Is usually laid-back and energetic and doesn't appear to be serious most of the time, making it difficult for some to believe he's a Chronos assassin. He becomes infatuated with Rinslet, who uses physical violence to avert his flirts, though in the end she begins to warm up to him. In exchange for Rinslet's help in tracking Creed, Jenos becomes her bodyguard. Jenos' weapon is Excelion ( エクセリオン , Ekuserion ) ,
9387-476: Is usually used for attacks against groups or nations rather than one-on-one duels. To him, completing the mission with his team is everything and personal feelings can wait until the job is done. He dies helping Jenos and Nizer escape from the Apostles of the Stars' collapsing hideout after a failed attempt on Creed's life due to Jenos' intervention. His last words are disapproving of Jenos' actions, but also thanking Jenos for keeping him from killing his own friend. In
9536-461: Is very bad at household chores and has the ability to trip over nothing. Train, Sven and Eve seek her out after Train is shot with the Lucifer bullet and turned into a child, in hopes she knows how to revert it. Because of the huge cost of a vaccine, she informs him the only other possibility is to mentally concentrate and visualize changing his body, similar to how Eve does it. The Apostles seek her out at
9685-643: The Shueisha Jump Remix series of magazine-style books. Nine volumes were released between March 24, and July 19, 2008. It was licensed in English in North America by Viz Media as they first announced at the 2005 San Diego Comic-Con . The first volume released on March 7, 2006, with the final volume released on May 5, 2009. Madman Entertainment published Viz's English release in Australia and New Zealand, from September 10, 2008, to June 10, 2009. The series
9834-541: The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded. MBE lays down atomically precise layers of atoms and, in the process, build up complex structures. Important for research on semiconductors, MBE is also widely used to make samples and devices for the newly emerging field of spintronics . Therapeutic products based on responsive nanomaterials , such as the highly deformable, stress-sensitive Transfersome vesicles, are approved for human use in some countries. As of August 21, 2008,
9983-661: The National Nanotechnology Initiative , which formalized a size-based definition of nanotechnology and established research funding, and in Europe via the European Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development . By the mid-2000s scientific attention began to flourish. Nanotechnology roadmaps centered on atomically precise manipulation of matter and discussed existing and projected capabilities, goals, and applications. Nanotechnology
10132-650: The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies estimated that over 800 manufacturer-identified nanotech products were publicly available, with new ones hitting the market at a pace of 3–4 per week. Most applications are "first generation" passive nanomaterials that includes titanium dioxide in sunscreen, cosmetics, surface coatings, and some food products; Carbon allotropes used to produce gecko tape ; silver in food packaging , clothing, disinfectants, and household appliances; zinc oxide in sunscreens and cosmetics, surface coatings, paints and outdoor furniture varnishes; and cerium oxide as
10281-567: The Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) are two versions of scanning probes that are used for nano-scale observation. Other types of scanning probe microscopy have much higher resolution, since they are not limited by the wavelengths of sound or light. The tip of a scanning probe can also be used to manipulate nanostructures (positional assembly). Feature-oriented scanning may be a promising way to implement these nano-scale manipulations via an automatic algorithm . However, this
10430-516: The Technion in order to increase youth interest in nanotechnology. One concern is the effect that industrial-scale manufacturing and use of nanomaterials will have on human health and the environment, as suggested by nanotoxicology research. For these reasons, some groups advocate that nanotechnology be regulated. However, regulation might stifle scientific research and the development of beneficial innovations. Public health research agencies, such as
10579-788: The " quantum size effect" in which the electronic properties of solids alter along with reductions in particle size. Such effects do not apply at macro or micro dimensions. However, quantum effects can become significant when nanometer scales. Additionally, physical (mechanical, electrical, optical, etc.) properties change versus macroscopic systems. One example is the increase in surface area to volume ratio altering mechanical, thermal, and catalytic properties of materials. Diffusion and reactions can be different as well. Systems with fast ion transport are referred to as nanoionics. The mechanical properties of nanosystems are of interest in research. Modern synthetic chemistry can prepare small molecules of almost any structure. These methods are used to manufacture
10728-454: The "Magician" ( 魔術師 （ マジシャン ） , Majishan ) that can change his appearance in seconds. He is a new member to the Chronos Numbers, added after Train left the group as the replacement of Ash. His weapon Seiren ( セイレーン , Seirēn ) , is a mantle that is made of Orichalcum. This allows it to block attacks, such as bullets, or cut through metal with its edges. He disguises himself as "Glin" ( グリン , Gurin ) in order to form
10877-532: The "Reflect Shot" ( リフレクショット , Rifureku Shotto ) over the course of five years, allowing her to fire bullets that ricochet off hard surfaces and strike opponents at odd angles and different velocities. Creed, seeing that Train's personality is changing due to her, confronts Saya and the two fight until she is stabbed while being distracted by kids. She does manage to destroy his sword before dying. Devastated by her death, Train struggles while whether or not to get revenge on Creed, until settling on taking him in as
11026-439: The "Vision Eye" ( 予見眼 （ ヴィジョンアイ ） , Vijon Ai ) , which allowed him to see a few seconds into the future. Seven years ago, after being attacked by members of a crime family, Sven loses his right eye and Lloyd sacrifices himself to save him. A week before his death, Lloyd registered as an organ donor; Sven received one of his eyes and the Vision Eye, although he is not able to use it as well as Lloyd. However, it puts
11175-421: The "top-down" approach, nano-objects are constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control. Areas of physics such as nanoelectronics , nanomechanics , nanophotonics and nanoionics have evolved to provide nanotechnology's scientific foundation. Several phenomena become pronounced as system size. These include statistical mechanical effects, as well as quantum mechanical effects, for example,
11324-424: The 19-year-old, stating he "fell in love... with her way of living. Not bound by anyone or anything... like a stray cat." Saya has no memories of her life before the age of ten, due to heavy abuse from her parents. Her first real memory is waking up in hospital and being carried off to a relative's house. She constantly wears a yukata because she likes their appearance and thinks it makes her stand out. She develops
11473-466: The 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry . C 60 was not initially described as nanotechnology; the term was used regarding subsequent work with related carbon nanotubes (sometimes called graphene tubes or Bucky tubes) which suggested potential applications for nanoscale electronics and devices. The discovery of carbon nanotubes is largely attributed to Sumio Iijima of NEC in 1991, for which Iijima won
11622-404: The Apostles of the Stars are defeated, Leon goes back to the orphans, but when Eden attacked, it captured Tim. After Eden is defeated Tim is brought back home and reunites with the orphans. At the end of the series Leon, Tim, Layla, and all the kids are working at a restaurant and Leon and Tim talk about what they have been through to get there. Layla ( レイラ , Reira ) , an anime-only character,
11771-613: The Apostles, while Chronos, who landed after them, get to Creed first. Sephiria Arks faces off against Creed, but loses. Sven, Eve and Chronos then fight bio-warrior weapons fused with nanotechnology, while Train begins his battle with Creed. Creed has obtained immortality, although he reveals to Train his only weakness; his brain cannot be repaired like the rest of his body. Train defeats Creed using one last full-powered railgun shot to destroy his Imagine Blade and Eve uses her own nanomachines to take those that give Creed immortality out of his body. Train and Sephiria allow Creed to walk away, and
11920-521: The Apostles. Creed uses his Tao powers to manipulate the hilt of his former sword, Kotetsu ( 虎徹 ) , to form the Imagine Blade ( イマジンブレード , Imajin Burēdo ) . Its first form, Level 1, is an invisible sword that is able to extend up to eighty meters. It later evolves into Level 2, a living sword with a mouth and eyes that is directly linked with Creed's emotions. It is able to extend and be manipulated like
12069-473: The Burst Bullet, which produces an extremely large amount of damage, and bullets that freeze or paralyze opponents. His gun is made out of the strongest metal called Orichalcum, which allows him to use the gun to deflect bullets and guard against other attacks. When his body becomes infected with nanomachines he manages to manipulate them into creating static electricity, allowing him to focus the electricity into
12218-574: The Stars in order to overthrow Chronos and start a world revolution. The duel ends as a draw, with both Creed and Train injured. The Apostles of the Stars launch their first attack on the World Summit, killing the leaders from 20 top nations, causing Chronos to declare war on them. Chronos even notify Train of a new Sweeper bounty on Creed in order to gain his help, though he resists, planning to go after him on his own terms. Chronos assassin Jenos Hazard
12367-473: The Stars. Kranz Maduke ( クランツ＝マドゥーク , Kurantsu Madūku ) , known as Number IV, is a blind man raised to be an assassin from birth. Along with his partner, Baldor, he is extremely violent, going as far as destroying entire towns while completing their missions, and absolutely loyal to Chronos. He wears a helmet that conceals his eyes, having lost his sight in a battle several years ago, and has learned to fight through sensing sound and movement as he believes he
12516-444: The Stars. He wears sunglasses and a silk top hat constantly, though he is found to be very attractive to Kyoko after taking them off. He wields the power to control blood, including blood drawn from his enemies; taking in blood from his opponents, even if they are different types than his, doesn't seem to cause him any ill-effect. Charden wishes to take down Chronos, though he does not agree with Creed's methods, leading him to defect from
12665-509: The Sweeper Alliance ( 掃除屋同盟 , Sōjiya Dōmei ) to attack the Apostles as a decoy for Chronos. Beluga J. Heard ( ベルーガ＝J＝ハード , Berūga J Hādo ) , known as Number XI, is the long range attacker in the Cerberus assassination squad. He wields an Orichalcum bazooka named Verethraghna ( ウルスラグナ , Urusuraguna ) , which can also change into a large hammer. Beluga also carries a knife for close-range fighting. Due to his weapon of choice, Beluga
12814-466: The Sweepers Alliance as a decoy. Out of the pair, Baldor acts as the leader but he will concede to Kranz when the blind man asks. Baldor has a habit of acting first and then reporting his actions to Sephiria. He wields the rocket-boosted flail Heimdall ( ヘイムダル , Heimudaru ) , which only he can wield well enough to use in battle. Baldor is willing to do anything but betray Chronos. Ironically, in
12963-500: The Tao to be strongest. He is last seen with Maro, riding on one of his giant bugs at the series' end. In the anime he joins the Zero Numbers and is killed by Anubis while fighting on Eden against the Chronos numbers and Sweepers. In the Japanese version of the manga, Shiki is revealed to be female. Charden Flamberg ( シャルデン＝フラムブルグ , Sharuden Furamuburugu ) is a member of the Apostles of
13112-482: The ability to make existing medical applications cheaper and easier to use in places like the doctors' offices and at homes. Cars use nanomaterials in such ways that car parts require fewer metals during manufacturing and less fuel to operate in the future. Nanoencapsulation involves the enclosure of active substances within carriers. Typically, these carriers offer advantages, such as enhanced bioavailability, controlled release, targeted delivery, and protection of
13261-753: The action and the excitement to good effect, visuals and nail-biting suspense." Sheena McNeil stressed that despite its flaws the series' action "makes it all worth reading." Ken Haley of Pop Culture Shock said that "writing and characterization-wise" it is a typical shōnen manga. Santos, Hoffman and McNeil criticized its plot for being "predictable", clichéd, and "not terribly original" respectively. Leroy Douresseaux of Comic Book Bin called it "an easy going version of Bleach ", while Hoffman found it reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop , and McNeil compared it to Dragon Ball Z . Santos called its art "plain", while McNeil commented that it "is very nice" but "there's nothing wow-ing about it," and likewise Haley considered
13410-495: The action genre", according to Anime News Network 's Carlo Santos. Alexander Hoffman from Comics Village praised Yabuki for starting the story off with action rather than having a large amount of "info-dumps" for extensive character introductions. Writing for Manga Life, Michael Aronson commended it for having a restrained pace, layout and action scenes, calling it "more western" than Japanese because of it. Holly Ellingwood of Active Anime commented that Black Cat "knows how to pack
13559-541: The anime for an English dub and North American broadcast on their own Funimation Channel , with Madman releasing it in Australasia and MVM Films in the United Kingdom. In Japan, the Black Cat manga sold over 12 million copies, while in North America several volumes have been featured in weekly top ten lists of best-selling manga. The anime has also been popular in both Japan and North America. Manga and anime critics had praise for Black Cat 's action, differing views on
13708-612: The anime he is shown as one of the Zero Numbers that betray and destroy Chronos. David Pepper ( デイビッド＝ペッパー , Deibiddo Peppā ) , known as Number IX, is an anime-only character. He is injured by the Apostles of the Stars when a gravity ball crushes him and his foe. Later, it was said that he was buried but it is unknown if he died due to the injuries or if the Zero Numbers killed him. He uses Orichalcum gambling cards called Sigurd ( ジークフリード , Jīkufurīdo ) as his weapons. He likes talking about gambling while fighting and knows Train. Ash ( アッシュ , Asshu ) , formally known as Number X,
13857-433: The anime's background music that was composed by Taku Iwasaki , and the three pieces of theme music used for the series: the opening theme "Daia no Hana" ( ダイアの花 , lit. "Diamond Flower") by Yorico , the first ending theme "Namida Boshi" ( ナミダボシ , lit. "Tears of Stars") by Puppypet, and the second ending theme "Kutsuzure" ( くつずれ , lit. "Blisters") by Ryōji Matsuda. Tomohito Ōsaki wrote three light novels based on
14006-492: The anime, Beluga dies after pushing himself too far. Mason Ordrosso ( メイソン＝オルドロッソ , Meison Orudorosso ) , known as Number XII, is the eldest member of the Numbers. He is the wisest and most experienced of the group, and the lone survivor of the war against the Tao-users 25 years ago. Sephiria states that he has been a Chronos Number longer than most of the members including herself have been alive. He only briefly appears during
14155-451: The anime, the only main difference in Woodney is that he keeps on following the group, instead of turning into an information broker, and is the cause of some humorous moments. Tim Vertical ( ティム＝バーティカル , Timu Bātikaru ) is an orphan whose journalist father was killed by police detective Bouldin for having evidence that the police are making deals with the mafia. Before he died he gave Tim
14304-545: The art enough to get "the job done", but that none of the characters are "cool or eye-catching". Conversely, Hoffman labeled the art "expressive", and Douresseaux deemed the character designs "imaginative." While Aronson and Hoffman dubbed the characters "likeable" and "memorable," Douresseaux asserted Yabuki "create[d] a joyful jumble of motivations and backstabbing" for them. On the other hand, Santos affirmed they "just don't feel real" as their motivations "aren't emotionally moving in any way; they're just plot points that give
14453-570: The artwork and characters, and mainly negative comments for its plot which has been criticized for having typical elements of shōnen manga (targeted at boys). Set in a fictional universe , Train Heartnet , once an assassin for Chronos , an organization bent on world peace that rules one third of the world's economy, is now an easygoing Sweeper (licensed bounty hunter ) traveling with his partner Sven Vollfied . They meet and team up with professional thief Rinslet Walker in order to break into an arms dealer's home and obtain some data, but encounter
14602-777: The atomic scale requires positioning atoms on other atoms of comparable size and stickiness. Carlo Montemagno 's view is that future nanosystems will be hybrids of silicon technology and biological molecular machines. Richard Smalley argued that mechanosynthesis was impossible due to difficulties in mechanically manipulating individual molecules. This led to an exchange of letters in the ACS publication Chemical & Engineering News in 2003. Though biology clearly demonstrates that molecular machines are possible, non-biological molecular machines remained in their infancy. Alex Zettl and colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories and UC Berkeley constructed at least three molecular devices whose motion
14751-438: The barrel of Hades, turning it into a railgun . However, he loses this ability after one last maximum shot in the final fight with Creed. Yabuki chose the name Train because it brings about the image of him freighthopping . In the original one-shot version, Stray Cat , Train was a famous Sweeper that gave that life up to become a Delivery Man. Additionally, he could use Tao to turn his chi into bullets fired from his pistol with
14900-450: The characters and Taku Iwasaki composing the music. The series was broadcast on TBS from October 6, 2005, to March 30, 2006. Episode fifteen was not broadcast by TBS, but only included in the DVD release in Japan. On its airing on Animax all episodes were broadcast. The series was released across twelve Region 2 DVD volumes from December 21, 2005, to November 22, 2006, by GDH. Each volume
15049-492: The characters motivation." The contrast between "Train's seriousness and Sven's comedy" was appreciated by Sandra Scholes of Active Anime. Margaret Viera of the same site hailed its comedy usage as "well done and perfectly placed within the storyline." Its mixture of genres was appreciated by Scholes, as well as by IGN 's Jeff Harris who said "it never appears too overdone." Ross Liversidge of UK Anime Network, however, commented that this makes it "a little hard to discern what
15198-641: The encapsulated substances. In the medical field, nanoencapsulation plays a significant role in drug delivery . It facilitates more efficient drug administration, reduces side effects, and increases treatment effectiveness. Nanoencapsulation is particularly useful for improving the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs, enabling controlled and sustained drug release, and supporting the development of targeted therapies. These features collectively contribute to advancements in medical treatments and patient care. Nanotechnology may play role in tissue engineering . When designing scaffolds, researchers attempt to mimic
15347-432: The film roll of evidence, causing Bouldin and the mafia to seek the boy out, dead or alive. After being saved by him, Tim asks Train to kill Bouldin so he can have revenge, and Train agrees having been reminded of his own parents' deaths. However, Train shoots Bouldin with a fake bullet to teach Tim a lesson. Having sent the evidence to the press, Train, Sven and Eve drop Tim off to live with his grandmother. Tim vows to become
15496-410: The final attack on the Apostles, going to investigate another of their hideouts with Belze. His weapon is Á Bao A Qu ( ア・バオア・クー , A Baoa Kū ) . In the anime, Mason replaces Creed as the main antagonist alongside the Doctor in the final story arc. He is featured as the leader of the Zero Numbers, who defect from Chronos and destroy it after planning since the end of the war. Mason's Orichalcum weapon
15645-469: The final episode of the anime, Creed fights Mason so that Train can rescue Eve, and in the end he is seen, again, in the villa in the company of Echidna, quietly painting a landscape. Shiki ( シキ ) is one of the highest ranking in command of the Apostle of the Stars and one of the first recruited. He is a true Taoist, wearing the clothes from his homeland of Itairiku, a member of the clan whose ancestors started
15794-482: The first city approached by Eden. They all manage to not get sucked into the machine except for Tim. Layla, Leon, and the rest of the kids team up with the Sweepers to rescue Eve, and stop Eden. After stopping Eden, the kids open their own bakery, which, according to Leon, was Layla's dream. Chronos ( 秘密結社 （ クロノス ） , Kuronosu ) is an organization that controls one third of the world's economy, and much of
15943-471: The group Zero Numbers. Every member of the Apostles of The Stars has the power of Tao ( 道 （ タオ ） , Tao ) and the ability to control their chi or life force to perform supernatural abilities. Practitioners possess one of two types of Tao powers by using Soft Chi Kung, a force that accelerates cellular movement through chi; Inner Chi Kung, which manipulates chi inside the body, or Outer Chi Kung, which releases chi outwards. Those who possess
16092-454: The group with Kyoko while their castle is being attacked by Cerberus. Out of all of the Apostles, he is the only one that spoke up about Durham's murder. Charden knows that Creed does not care about them and only sees the Apostles as a means to an end. Train has him promise to keep away from battle after saving him from death at Sephiria Arks' hands. In the anime, Charden was formerly an assassin. Kyoko Kirisaki ( キリサキ＝キョウコ , Kirisaki Kyōko )
16241-597: The inaugural 2008 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. In the early 2000s, the field garnered increased scientific, political, and commercial attention that led to both controversy and progress. Controversies emerged regarding the definitions and potential implications of nanotechnologies, exemplified by the Royal Society 's report on nanotechnology. Challenges were raised regarding the feasibility of applications envisioned by advocates of molecular nanotechnology, which culminated in
16390-510: The independent operatives in the hunt for Creed with little interference from the Elders. Despite her gentle looks and young age, her swordsmanship is undisputed. She has such precision and swiftness with her weapon, Christ ( クライスト , Kuraisuto , " Ichthus " in the English translation) , a saber of unparalleled sharpness, that her strokes produce no sound and her movements leave after-images in her wake. She knows all thirty-six moves of her style,
16539-427: The item is dangerous to humanity. She is later forcefully hired by Chronos to act as bait. Yabuki chose the name Rinslet because it evokes the image of a "silky haired beauty." Saya Minatsuki ( ミナツキ＝サヤ , Minatsuki Saya ) was an accomplished sweeper and close friend of Train. Her involvement with him led to his more human outlook on life and his departure from Chronos. Train denies having had romantic feelings for
16688-412: The letter. She occasionally provides Train and Sven with targets, so that they can act as distractions while she steals. She treats Eve as a younger sister, much to her own annoyance. Rinslet owns and uses a gun but she is not as skilled at fighting as Train or Sven, she also carries a whip with a heart-shaped tip. Rinslet is not cold-hearted and will help others or even destroy what she is hired to steal if
16837-467: The machine she was made to be initially, she turned more and more like a human as the series progress due to the time she spent with Train and Sven. She loves reading, and can remember everything in a book after reading it once, which also served to build her humanity. Sven initially tries to keep her away from the Sweeper life for her own safety, though she proves that she can fight and he begins to treat her as
16986-443: The molecular scale. Molecular nanotechnology is especially associated with molecular assemblers , machines that can produce a desired structure or device atom-by-atom using the principles of mechanosynthesis . Manufacturing in the context of productive nanosystems is not related to conventional technologies used to manufacture nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. When Drexler independently coined and popularized
17135-405: The nanoscale features of a cell 's microenvironment to direct its differentiation down a suitable lineage. For example, when creating scaffolds to support bone growth, researchers may mimic osteoclast resorption pits. Researchers used DNA origami -based nanobots capable of carrying out logic functions to target drug delivery in cockroaches. A nano bible (a .5mm2 silicon chip) was created by
17284-501: The nanoscale to direct control of matter on the atomic scale . Nanotechnology may be able to create new materials and devices with diverse applications , such as in nanomedicine , nanoelectronics , biomaterials energy production, and consumer products. However, nanotechnology raises issues, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as various doomsday scenarios . These concerns have led to
17433-602: The number thirteen tattooed on his left arm (albeit it is in Arabic numerals, not Roman, drawn with a marker, and occasionally alternating arms). He meets with moderate success as a sweeper by using the Black Cat's reputation to intimidate his enemies, but this tactic backfires when he is faced with a powerful criminal. After an encounter with the real Train, he gives up imitating him and attempts to become his disciple, but Train convinces him he would help more by being an informer to them. In
17582-414: The original manga. In the anime, he is a member of the Zero Numbers who defect from Chronos. He uses an Orichalcum bow and arrows as a weapon named Artemis ( アルテミス , Arutemisu ) , and is able to fire them at an extremely fast rate. While on Eden, he is able to constantly revive due to nanomachines and Tao, though it kills him once the connection is severed. He takes part in the attack on the Apostles of
17731-455: The orphans, and Tim was trying to do the same himself. Following the death of his father Tim, along with Leon and the other orphans, formed a makeshift family to take care of each other. Train and Eve first run into the orphans who are being attacked by a group of men. They find out that the group wants the kids to leave so Train and Eve decided to help them out. When the same men come back for revenge Train defeats them and they leave for good. When
17880-454: The plot revolves around them and their connection to Train, a former member. They have a special group of strong individuals, the Chronos Numbers ( 時の番人 （ クロノ・ナンバーズ ） , Kurono Nanbāzu ) , that act as "Erasers" ( 抹殺者 （ イレイザー ） , Ireizā ) , or assassins and only follow orders from the Council of Elders that run the organization. Each Number have complete mastery of
18029-455: The police while living on the streets. It is stated that Creed had the abilities to be chosen as Chronos Number XIII, but was deemed too unstable and the position went to Train. He greatly admires Train to the point of obsession, as he thinks of him as the only person in the world that he can relate to. After Train changes during his meetings with Saya, Creed kills her, and makes it his goal to return Train to his previous lifestyle and have him join
18178-583: The potential awaken these powers through the Shinkitou ( 神氣湯 ) , an elixir only concocted by born Taoists such as Shiki. Another member of the Apostles, Maro, is also from the Forbidden Continent, and together with Shiki, they bear the most traditional Tao powers, such as controlling and summoning bugs (Shiki), using ink marks (Shiki) and controlling gravity (Maro). Other members of the Apostles rely on more "deviant" powers, such as Creed's Imagine Blade, which
18327-499: The range 0.12–0.15 nm , and DNA 's diameter is around 2 nm. On the other hand, the smallest cellular life forms, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma , are around 200 nm in length. By convention, nanotechnology is taken as the scale range 1 to 100 nm , following the definition used by the American National Nanotechnology Initiative . The lower limit is set by the size of atoms (hydrogen has
18476-445: The recesses of one's soul. This empathy is her greatest strength, which allows her to utilize her powers of manipulation to their utmost extent. She will do anything to finish her missions and will sacrifice whatever it takes in order to succeed in meeting an objective. However, she does show some inner conflict in her manipulation, even questioning Belze about her actions. She controls all of the Chronos Numbers' actions as well as many of
18625-402: The result of her having hypnotized herself to react violently toward Eve. She travels with Sven and the others and shares information about Eve and Eden so that they may destroy Eden and save Eve. The Doctor is actually her former partner. Woodney ( ウドニー , Udonī ) is an overweight sweeper who imitates Train by dressing in a long black coat, referring to himself as the "Black Cat" and having
18774-426: The same time so Creed can obtain immortality, but she refuses, having resolved to never experiment with humans again. In the anime, Tearju is absent from this part joining much later after the assault on the Apostles, because she had brain damage from an explosion at the time of Eve's creation. She is hospitalized and is shown to react violently to her reflection in the mirror. This is later explained by Tearju as being
18923-467: The series is aiming for." While Stig Høgset, writing for THEM Anime Reviews , said the supernatural powers are "kept at a fairly realistic level", Liversidge felt the anime's ending was "just slightly too fantastical to be taken seriously." Høgset and Harris praised the show's imagery, with the latter claiming that it has a "story that in many ways improves on the original manga and fixes some of its problems." Nanotechnology Nanotechnology
19072-483: The series. Simply titled Black Cat and Black Cat 2 , the first two were released on March 10, and August 25, 2003. Titled Black Cat: Hoshi no Zanshou ( BLACK CAT 星の残照 , lit. "The Star's Afterglow") , the last one that serves as the sequel to the manga, was released in Japan on October 24, 2005. In 2005, there were three drama CDs , simply titled Black Cat 1–3 , released by Shueisha on February 28, July 1, and October 4, respectively. An internet radio program
19221-407: The smallest atoms, which have an approximately ,25 nm kinetic diameter ). The upper limit is more or less arbitrary, but is around the size below which phenomena not observed in larger structures start to become apparent and can be made use of. These phenomena make nanotechnology distinct from devices that are merely miniaturized versions of an equivalent macroscopic device; such devices are on
19370-405: The subsequent year, it ranked 17th in a "Top 20" poll conducted by Japanese anime magazine Animage . Navarre Corporation cited the DVD releases of Black Cat as one of the reasons for Funimation's profit increase during the last quarter of 2006. The anime was listed as North America's 22nd anime property in summer 2008. The manga has been praised for its fast-paced action, which "epitomizes
19519-399: The summer. Bandages are infused with silver nanoparticles to heal cuts faster. Video game consoles and personal computers may become cheaper, faster, and contain more memory thanks to nanotechnology. Also, to build structures for on chip computing with light, for example on chip optical quantum information processing, and picosecond transmission of information. Nanotechnology may have
19668-408: The survivors of the Apostles of the Stars are shown on the run or hiding. Six months before Black Cat began, Kentaro Yabuki 's one-shot version titled Stray Cat was published. While it already included Sweepers and Tao, Train and Sven were Delivery Men instead. With Black Cat he wanted to expand on ideas he used in his previous serial Yamato Gensoki ; an assassin betraying an organization, and
19817-487: The term "nanotechnology", he envisioned manufacturing technology based on molecular machine systems. The premise was that molecular-scale biological analogies of traditional machine components demonstrated molecular machines were possible: biology was full of examples of sophisticated, stochastically optimized biological machines . Drexler and other researchers have proposed that advanced nanotechnology ultimately could be based on mechanical engineering principles, namely,
19966-448: The ultimate being "Mekkai World Destroyer", which completely reduces a target to nothing. However, her muscles sustain severe damage in using this technique. Although she loses, she survives her battle with Creed due to Train's timely arrival and her enhanced healing. Her personality is drastically changed in the anime. Here, she is much less charismatic, showing little outward emotion, and is generally much more ruthless and aggressive. She
20115-469: The use of chi or life energy. His weekly schedule was four days to write the chapter and two to draw it, taking one day off. When the manga ended serialization, Yabuki expressed desire to make a sequel labeling this series as "Part 1". As he was not sure if there could be a sequel, he still remarked that the characters of Train Heartnet and Eve may appear in other titles he will create in the future. Written and illustrated by Kentaro Yabuki , Black Cat
20264-448: The war between the Taoist and Chronos long ago. Some recruits, however, are merely criminals who wish to use their new-found powers to kill for fun. Although Tao has been the primary source of the Apostles' power, Creed also relies on Doctor's investigations in nanomachines to grant him eternal power and elevate him to a god. In the anime, Creed hinted that the Apostles had some partnership with
20413-446: The weapon Osiris ( オシリス , Oshirisu ) , he has his natural arsenals of claws and teeth. Anubis is first seen defending Numbers I and II after they are betrayed by the newly emerged Zero Numbers. Jenos Hazard ( ジェノス＝ハザード , Jenosu Hazādo ) , known as Number VII, is the mid-range attacker of Cerberus. A womanizer, that gets violent whenever he sees a woman injured, his attempts at flirting usually fail due to overzealousness. Jenos
20562-524: Was a close friend and partner of Nizer until he was killed by Creed. While he is briefly referred to, he never actually appears in the original manga. He was designed exclusively for the anime by series creator Kentaro Yabuki. Ash uses an Orichalcum cane capable of splitting the ground, and has an x-shaped scar on his chin. Lin Shaolee ( リン＝シャオリー , Rin Shaorī ) , known as Number X, is a master of disguise nicknamed
20711-472: Was also hinted by Mason that he was part of the Zero Numbers, but was never confirmed. Black Cat (manga) Black Cat (stylized in all caps ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Yabuki . It was originally serialized in publisher Shueisha 's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from July 2000 to June 2004, with the chapters later collected into twenty tankōbon (bound volumes) by Shueisha. The story centers on
20860-671: Was also published by Animate and Movic in Premium Edition which included various extras. The DVD volumes were gathered in a limited release DVD box set by Gonzo on April 23, 2008. The anime was licensed for an English-language dubbed release by Funimation Entertainment in June 2006. The episodes were later broadcast on the Funimation Channel . The series was then released across six Region 1 DVD volumes released between December 19, 2006, and July 24, 2007. The DVDs were gathered in
21009-427: Was born to fight. His number is located on one of the eyes of the helmet. He and Baldor are tasked with killing the Apostles before Chronos' next strike on Creed, and also participates in the attack on Creed's headquarters using the Sweepers Alliance as a decoy. Kranz enjoys being silent and rarely talks, thus leaving Baldor to make the decisions. His weapon is an Orichalcum knife named Mars ( マルス , Marusu ) , which
21158-488: Was broadcast from March 30, to September 28, 2006, by the Onsen and hosted by Takashi Kondō and Misato Fukuen , the voice of Train and Eve respectively. Later, Frontier Works collected in into three CDs and released on October 21, November 18, and December 16, 2006. There have been two video games based on the series released in Japan. Black Cat: Kikai Shikake no Tenshi ( BLACK CAT 〜機械仕掛けの天使〜 , lit. "The Mechanical Angel")
21307-429: Was listed as the 15th manga property from North America during the first half of 2008. In ICv2's Top 25 Manga Properties Q1 2009, it was the 22nd best manga property from North America during 2009's first quarter. The Black Cat anime premiered in Japan with a 3.4 percent television viewership rating. In 2006, Japanese television network TV Asahi conducted a "Top 100" online web poll, and Black Cat placed 93rd. In
21456-530: Was not widely known. Inspired by Feynman's concepts, K. Eric Drexler used the term "nanotechnology" in his 1986 book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology , which proposed the idea of a nanoscale "assembler" that would be able to build a copy of itself and of other items of arbitrary complexity with atom-level control. Also in 1986, Drexler co-founded The Foresight Institute to increase public awareness and understanding of nanotechnology concepts and implications. The emergence of nanotechnology as
21605-494: Was originally serialized in Shueisha in the shōnen manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump from July 11, 2000, to June 14, 2004. Its 185 chapters were collected into 20 tankōbon (bound volumes) by Shueisha, released from January 6, 2001, to October 4, 2004. The series was re-released in twelve bunkobon format volumes, published from September 16, 2005, to February 17, 2006. Black Cat has also been published as part of
21754-700: Was published in Chinese by Tong Li Publishing , in Dutch by Glénat Benelux, in French by Glénat , in German by Carlsen Comics , and in Italian by Star Comics . A 24-episode animated adaptation of the manga was produced by Shueisha , GDH, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), and Gonzo . It is directed by Shin Itagaki, with Shūichi Kōyama handling series composition, Yukiko Akiyama designing
21903-611: Was released for the PlayStation 2 on March 30, 2006, by Capcom . Black Cat: Kuroneko no Concerto ( BLACK CAT 黒猫の協奏曲 , lit. "The Black Cat's Concerto") was released for the Nintendo DS on June 21, 2007, by Compile Heart . Characters of the Black Cat series have also made appearances in the games Jump Super Stars and Jump Ultimate Stars . In Japan, various other types of merchandise were released, including action figures, plush dolls, key chains, clothing, cosplay pieces, and
22052-433: Was successfully used to manipulate individual atoms in 1989. The microscope's developers Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich Research Laboratory received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986. Binnig, Quate and Gerber also invented the analogous atomic force microscope that year. Second, fullerenes (buckyballs) were discovered in 1985 by Harry Kroto , Richard Smalley , and Robert Curl , who together won
22201-434: Was taken from the chief scientist responsible for the nanotechnology experiments, Tearju Lunatique , thus the two look identical. She is designed to be the ultimate soldier, being raised to be an emotionless killing machine, not understanding the concept of free choice. She is saved by Sven from the weapons smuggler, Torneo Rudman, and he treats her like a human for the first time in her life. Seemingly unfeeling and more like
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