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Air Gear is about the lives of Itsuki "Ikki" Minami and his friends along with the latest trend, Air Trecks. The early parts of the story carry out the introduction of characters that eventually join Ikki, and as the story progresses, it focuses on their roles as Storm Riders and their quest to be on the top of the Trophaeum Tower.

Story

    Itsuki "Ikki" Minami, is a student and a delinquent. Also known as the “Unbeatable Babyface,” Ikki is the leader of the youth gang by the name of “East Side Gunz.” Upon his return home after being humiliated by a street gang of Storm Riders called the Skull Saders, Ikki discovers a secret hidden from him by his benefactors, the Noyamano sisters. The sisters belong to a group of Storm Riders who go by the team name of Sleeping Forest. (This happens in the anime. In the manga they give them to him.)Mad at the sisters he steals a pair of Air Trecks (abbreviated as “AT”). Ikki eventually settles his grudge with the Skull Saders, but in the process he receives more than the simple satisfaction of revenge. Determined to experience the sensation of “flight” for as long as he can, Ikki is quickly sucked into the mysterious, yet irresistible world of Air Trecks.

Main Characters

• Itsuki "Ikki" Minami Voiced by: Kenta Kamakari (Japanese), Chris Patton (English) The main protagonist of the story, he was given Air Trecks(in the anime, he took them himself) and soon delved into the world of Storm Riders. Eventually he founds a team, Team Kogarasumaru.
• Kazuma "Kazu" Mikura Voiced by: KENN (Japanese), Clint Bickham (English)
  A long-time friend of Ikki, who's always by his side. He is a speed-type rider, with the potential to become Flame King.
  
• Onigiri Voiced by: Masami Kikuchi (Japanese), Greg Ayres (English)
  Also a long-time friend of Ikki, he is a "perverted pig" as called by most. He has an unorthodox riding style, wearing his Air Trecks on his head and riding it upside-down. He has his own unique Road called the Smell Road, which uses an opponents senses against them.
  
• Issa "Fats Buccha" Mihotoke Voiced by: Hitoshi Bifu (Japanese), Mark X. Laskowski (English)
  Formerly of the Team Yaou (Night Kings), he was defeated by Ikki and his team was forced to disband. Eventually, he joins Ikki's team as one of the main power riders, making use of his extremely large build and strength.
  
• Akito and Agito Wanijima Voiced by: Kokoro Kikuchi (Japanese), Blake Shepard (English)
  The Fang King, with a split-personality. Akito is the "light" side, while Agito is the "dark" side. They used to work for the police team Wind G-Men, until inspired by Ikki to leave and join Kogarasumaru.

Media Info

Air Gear has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine since 2002. Currently, 17 tankōbon have been released in Japan by Shounen Magazine Comics.

The Air Gear manga was licensed for release in the United States by Del Rey Manga and the first volume was released on July 25, 2006. Subsequent volumes will be released every three months.

ADV Films announced over the October 20, 2006 weekend at Oni-Con, that they had licensed the Air Gear anime for release in the USA. The first volume was released on February 6, 2007. ADV is releasing the uncensored Japanese home video version, rather than the broadcast version. On January 3, 2007, IGN released a special sneak peek of Episode 1 of the English Dub.

The series has also been made into a musical called Musical Air Gear, which made its debut on January 7, 2007 and ran until January 21, 2007. The musical is loosely adapted from the manga and is similar to the Prince of Tennis musicals in that all female roles are eliminted from the plot. The cast featured Kenta Kamakari, KENN, and Kenjiro Tsuda reprising their roles from the anime respectively as Ikki, Kazu, and Spitfire with Masaki Kaji (who had also starred with Kenta and KENN in the Prince of Tennis musicals), RUN＆GUN, etc. as their co-stars.

Due to the success and popularity of the musical's first run, the musical will have a rerun in May 2007 titled, Musical Air Gear vs. Bacchus Super Range Remix with the entire cast reprising their roles.