Ginshi Shirazu

Ginshi Shirazu (不知 吟士, Shirazu Ginshi) was a Rank 2 Ghoul Investigator, a Quinx and the Squad Leader of the Quinx Squad.

Appearance
Shirazu was a slender young man with light orange hair. He usually wore a menacing grin on his face, and has sharp, jagged teeth. He also had six helix piercings on his right ear, and one piercing on his left ear, while he wears a ring on the middle finger of his right hand. Unlike the other members of the Quinx Squad, he wore a dark jumpsuit instead of the standard CCG uniform, and uses a motorcycle to commute during missions. His hair is unusually long for a cog officer and almost reaches his shoulders with two strands of hair parted and tied up at the top of his head.

Eventually, he completely buzzes his hair off in an act of repentance.

Personality
Shirazu, like most of his teammates, was shown to have great respect for his mentor, Haise Sasaki. However, this doesn’t stop him from going out of his way to execute missions without Sasaki’s permission initially, and so he is constantly seen accompanying Kuki Urie, the former squad leader, on dangerous assignments. Although he is a competent fighter with a ruthless nature, Urie describes Shirazu as a simple-minded person. This becomes evident when Urie easily manipulates him into thinking that Sasaki is using the Quinx for his own gain. He easily became fired up and spoke loudly.

He also seemed to be quite exaggerated in his expressions and movements. His primary motive for joining the Quinx Squad is to get fast money for his hospitalized little sister. Shirazu was also a quite carefree individual, and used to have a habit of displaying a cocky grin when fighting weaker ghouls.

He is stated to be poor at tasks that require thought, such as academics or investigation. However, his consideration for others and attention to his surroundings convince Sasaki he has potential as a Squad Leader. In contrast to his loud and violent mannerisms, he is also someone that cares greatly for his team, shown when he held back Noro to protect them to the point that his kakuhou strained against it's frames. While prone to bickering with Urie, he shows a gentler side when interacting with Mutsuki or civilians such as Chie.

Despite his brutal image and overall behavior, he was one of the most sensitive of the Quinx. When confronted by a dying ghoul, he was deeply disturbed by how human she sounded, and was reminded of his own little sister's situation. He remembers the incident as an uncomfortable memory, recalling it as killing a person rather than a monster.

Torso Investigation
He first appears fighting several Ghouls, apparently enjoying himself and splattered in blood. Later on he is glimpsed in traffic, following Urie around the city on his motorcycle. When the other engages the Ghoul Akashi Kobayashi in combat, he recklessly fires and nearly hits his comrade. He is unapologetic and jokes about it, allowing the Ghoul to impale him from behind and briefly playing dead. However, he quickly reveals himself to be alive and prevents Akashi from using his kagune so that Urie can finish their opponent off. Afterwards, he argues with the other Investigator about credit. While they are distracted, the Ghoul attempts to ambush them and is defeated by Sasaki. The group briefly argue, with Shirazu following Urie as he departs the scene.

In the following days, their superior meets with Dr.Shiba concerning the team. They express concern over Shirazu's increased RC levels, noting that he has been using his kagune more than necessary. Meanwhile, Shirazu continues to trail after Urie as the other Investigator works alone to find Torso. He eventually approaches Urie and the two begin to discuss his unwillingness to work as part of a team. It quickly escalates into an argument, and both prepare to release their respective kagune with Shirazu threatening to cook and eat his comrade's Kakuhou.

However, before they can come to blows a camera flash interrupts them. Chie Hori approaches them, and offers to give them information on Torso. In sharp contrast to his previous behavior, Shirazu immediately warms up to the young woman and the group ends up meeting in a restaurant to discuss business. Chie offers to sell them photographs in exchange for something belonging to Sasaki -- he wonders if this means she's some kind of pervert. They agree to her terms, and leave with photographs of Torso's hunting grounds.

Afterwards, Shirazu and Urie go through the photographs and discuss Sasaki. He is surprised that Urie intends to keep their findings a secret, but the other man claims that their superior intends to steal credit for anything they accomplish. He then mentions that Shirazu needs to be promoted quickly because he needs money, and Shirazu becomes upset at the thought of being betrayed. He states that he agreed to become a test subject in exchange for financial compensation, because he desperately needs it and quickly. As a result, he is easily tricked and comes to believe that he can trust Urie.

When Sasaki calls a meeting of the team to discuss Akira Mado's order that they capture Torso within a month's time, the tension in the group explodes. Based on the lies told to him, Shirazu storms out of the meeting followed by Urie.

Fifteen days into the investigation, Shirazu and Urie meet with Akira to get their temporary Quinque. While speaking to her, he begins to blush and answer with questions cheerfully -- suggesting he may have a crush on the team's supervisor. The pair recall meeting with Chie earlier to exchange a pair of Sasaki's underwear, and she reveals to them the rest of her information. She shows them polaroids taken at the scene, of the victims while they were still alive and explains the details of the camera Torso used. Chie demonstrates the distinct qualities of the different brands of cameras, taking photos of the Investigators as evidence. While Urie just stands there, Shirazu poses dramatically for Chie. She tells them she has a suspect in mind, based on all the evidence.

Having finished giving them their spare Quinque, Akira briefly explains to the pair the history of the Quinque. She then asks them whether they have ever actually seen Sasaki fight and warns them about becoming like him. Neither knows what to make of her warning.

On the 25th day of the Investigation, Urie and Shirazu arrive in time to witness Torso kidnapping Tooru Mutsuki. As their target speeds away in his taxi, they give chase on his motorcycle -- ignoring the circumstances, Shirazu worries about going too fast because of the speed limit. Urie orders him to shoot out the taxi's tires with his kagune, but his aim is too poor and he misses completely. The chaos attracts the police, who attempt to assist in capturing Torso and are killed by the Ghoul.

The chase comes to an end when they encounter a police barricade, but the officers are immediately killed when Torso jumps from his vehicle. Shirazu ignores prior orders to rely on his Quinque, dodging an attack that damages his motorcycle and returning fire with his kagune. He manages to wound Torso, but he proves strong enough to continue fighting due to being a Rinkaku. Before he can continue attacking, Serpent appears on the scene and confronts them all.

Serpent decides to eliminate them to avoid any future problems, attacking them relentlessly. Urie is wounded while facing Serpent directly, while Shirazu's attacks prove completely ineffective. The Ghoul mocks his abilities, referring to his kagune as a "peashooter" and making it clear that the Quinx are completely outclassed. Even so, when he sees that Mutsuki is in danger, he leaps towards Serpent and launches a point-blank attack to protect his comrade. But even this is completely ineffective, and he's quickly taken down with a single blow. With all of them wounded and unable to use their kagunes, Mutsuki and Shirazu suggest that they retreat from the hopeless battle. When Urie begins eating his own flesh in desperation, Shirazu is horrified and tries to stop him. They are rescued when Sasaki arrives, blocking Serpent's kagune before he can finish them off. He then faces the Ghoul, as Shirazu and the others watch on.

He tries to rush to Sasaki's aid when their leader is wounded, but ordered to stay on the sidelines. He advises Mutsuki to stay out of the way, leading him back to safety. When Serpent is finally defeated, Shirazu overhears Sasaki refer to the Ghoul as "Nishio-senpai", confusing him. He's shocked by the arrival of Hirako's team, who quickly and violently subdue the out-of-control Sasaki. Afterwards, Shirazu watches from the sidelines while Akira tends to Sasaki -- feeling great admiration for his superior's true strength.

Nutcracker Investigation
During the aftermath of the battle, Urie is relieved as Squad Leader and insults Sasaki by calling him a "Ghoul". This sends Shirazu into a rage, kicking his teammate across the room before screaming at him about how Sasaki risked everything for them. He threatens to kill Urie, nearly starting a fight between the two. After Sasaki calms them both down, he names Shirazu the new Squad Leader -- he initially believes Mutsuki has been named instead, and is speechless in shock over the promotion. He protests that he isn't intelligent enough for the job, and is still trying to process the announcement as Sasaki orders them all to bed.

While reporting to Kishou Arima, Sasaki explains his reasons for the change. While Urie performs well academically and is good at investigations, his personality "needs work". He notes that while Shirazu isn't good at investigations, he has the ability to consider his surroundings and act for the sake of the group. Later on, at Mutsuki's insistence, he apologizes to Urie for attacking him. Because he doesn't like sweet things, Shirazu gives him a can of Red Bean Soup to drink as punishment. He then orders him to work with the group, and the three worry about what to do about their lazy comrade, Saiko.

Shirazu is then seen alongside Mutsuki and Sasaki, discussing their new target; Nutcracker. Shirazu is reprimanded for dressing elaborately just to pose as the Squad Leader. At first, Shirazu thinks that a Nutcracker cracks peanut shells, but he then grows confused when Sasaki mentions that the Nutcracker ghoul is known for crushing the testicles of males, and slurping the fluid like a paste. They stop at a cafe named :re, and upon walking into the coffee shop, Shirazu is amazed at Sasaki's Rc cells due to his ability to smell the delicious coffee.

After leaving the coffee shop, Shirazu becomes worried that Haise is spacing out too frequently. At the Quinx's living quarters, Shirazu is informed that Saiko has arrived. When Saiko refuses to leave her room, Shirazu uses his kagune to break the door. He is then surprised when Urie motivates Saiko to do her work again. The following morning, Shirazu becomes annoyed that Saiko overslept despite her promise, and decides to wake her up while the rest of the Squad goes to discuss the Nutcracker case.

Near the end of the meeting, Shirazu shocks everyone when he shows up carrying a still-sleeping Saiko on his back. He apologizes profusely for being late, but is praised for actually managing to physically bring Saiko to CCG.

The team is assigned to shadow Nutcracker, and spy on her meeting with an associate. Shirazu attempts to listen in, but is too tired to make out what is being said. He asks Saiko to try, but she just describes the sound of hamburger steak cooking in the kitchen. This causes him to lose his temper, hitting her over the head and cursing rapidly in frustration. While watching this, Urie thinks how trying to make Saiko work has left Shirazu tired and stressed, spending every morning trying to wake her up.

While sitting back down, he knocks a glass off their table and breaks it. This makes Nutcracker notice them, and he begins to panic as she walks towards them. However, she walks past him and goes to refill her water. Shirazu fails to notice her watching him with an interested look. With the mission failed, the group gathers outside. Shirazu agonizes over his failure and later seeks out Mutsuki for advice. He confesses to doubting his abilities as a leader, but is reassured that getting Saiko to actually work is a major accomplishment. Mutsuki reveals that Urie lied about Saiko being fired, but advises that they keep it to themselves for now. Shirazu steams over Urie lying to them again.

Auction
Shirazu participated in the Auction wipeout operation along with his team and paved their way to where Mutsuki was. After encountering and eventually defeating Kanae along with his team members, he proceeds to head toward the control room with his squad, minus Urie and Mutsuki, after being blocked off by a kagune wall. Shortly after finding one of the Atou squad members, Naoto Hayashimura they were attacked by Takizawa, who was labeled as an SS~ rank on the spot. Ordered to continue heading toward the control room and leave Haise against the ghoul by himself, Shirazu complained to Associate Special Class Washuu but had no choice to follow the order after Haise accepted it.

He, Saiko, and Hayashimura arrive at the control room where they encounter Nutcracker. Despite the fight being three against on, Nutcracker's dual Kagune and ability to detach her "tail" to use as a mine makes her a difficult opponent. Shirazu eventually figures out that her mine-like Kagune are peppered throughout the room's walls and ceiling and are activated through vibrations. Using this knowledge, he tricks Nutcracker into impaling herself with one of her own traps. Stuck, he signals for Saiko to attack. Afterwards, a severely injured Nutcracker is left on the ground and Shirazu deals the final blow.

Nutcracker's dying words of just wanting to be beautiful seem to haunt Shirazu despite him trying to brush off her feelings as she's not human.

Post Auction
A month has passed since the Auction mopping-up operation and everyone is preparing for the Christmas party. He muses to Mutsuki about how happy and kid-like Sasaki is before Sasaki demands that they help out. That night, Shirazu has fun at the party with everyone, eating and playing video games. He receives a model motorcycle as a gift from Sasaki.

Rosewald Investigation
Some time has passed and spring has arrived. The CCG is holding their awards ceremony and Shirazu receives a promotion from Rank 3 to Rank 2. At the after party, he enjoys himself with his coworkers, eating and mingling. Sasaki and Akira come up to him to inform him that his new Quinque can be picked up soon and to congratulate him for his victory against Nutcracker. When near the new weapon however, he proceeds to vomit, still disturbed by Nutcracker's final moments.

When visiting HySy ArtMask Studio along with the rest of his squad to get mask measurements, he was asked by Uta whether he has a girl he likes currently and Akira, Saiko, and Ihei's images appear in his mind.

When the Quinx squad was lured into a trap in an empty parking garage by Kanae and hired Aogiri hitmen, Shirazu chased After Urie and Kanae to the 5th floor, where they fought against the ghoul. When his kakuhou was damaged by Kanae, Urie reminds him to use his quinque, to which he was unable to due to Nutcracker's image traumatizing him again, causing him to fall to his knees.

Tsukiyama Family Extermination Operation
Some time before the operation, he asked Sasaki to teach him how to control his kagune more efficiently. He is later assigned as the back line support for both the Quinx team and the Itou-Quinx team combination when Sasaki went ahead of them in LE during the operation. Shirazu seems to have been horrified when Noro eliminated two investigators in a flash, with some of the investigators' blood splashing onto his face.

After being notified that the ghoul they're facing is one of the deadliest out of all known ghouls by the CCG, Shirazu states his determination to finally use the Nutcracker quinque when an explosive power was needed. He goes on to throw the quinque into Noro's chest, letting the quinque expand remotely and thus ripping said ghoul into separate pieces. The damage, however, proved insufficient for stopping Noro as the ghoul heavily injures all active investigators on scene with the exclusion of Saiko and Shirazu with a different kagune stemming from his lower half. Knowing that if he doesn't stop attacking everyone will die, Shirazu charges in on Noro head on, spamming his kagune bullets to the point of where his kakuhou breaks it's surrounding frame. Out of breath, Shirazu signals Urie to deliver the final blow on Noro, but was attacked by Noro immediately afterwards. However, this provided Urie the opening to kill the ghoul.

Although Noro was finally killed, Shirazu was fatally injured as result of Noro's final attack. The rest of the Quinx Squad, save for Mutsuki, rushed to Shirazu's aid but quickly realized that that his wound was too deep and that he couldn't regenerate fast enough to close it up. Shirazu stated that he wanted to see Sasaki for no particular reason and was wondering why the rest of the Quinx were not saying anything despite them shouting at him to not die. He went on to say that he couldn't see anyone and wanted someone to hold his hand, showing his fear of dying alone. Knowing that he was at death's door, he requested the rest of the Quinx to let Haru die peacefully if he wasn't there for her. After his final request, Shirazu finally succumbs to his injuries and dies.

After the Tsukiyama Family Extermination Operation, Shirazu's body was transferred into a vehicle that was later attacked by Aogiri Tree who were tipped off by Nimura Furuta of the vehicle's location. His body was given to Akihiro Kanou in order to reverse engineer the Quinx's frame technology and to help increase the success rate of his One Eyed Ghoul experiments.

Saiko Yonebayashi
Shirazu doesn't think twice before criticizing Saiko for her laziness and lack of seriousness. As the squad leader, he is deeply worried by her laziness and tries to make Saiko work harder, going far enough to carry her, still asleep, to the CCG building, something that not even Sasaki was able to accomplish. Despite his frustration with her, Shirazu seem to care for Saiko, seen how he reacted with the supposed possibility of her dismissal. Saiko does not seem to care much about the way Shirazu treats her, not taking him seriously even when he and Urie broke her bedroom's door to get her out of there. When she witnesses Shirazu slowly dying, she assures him that he'd be fine along with Urie and cried profusely calling him "Shiragin" when he finally passed.

Kuki Urie
They frequently work together, primarily due to Shirazu's tendency to follow him around. He initially berates his former Squad Leader for being unwilling to work with others, and the two nearly come to blows over their disagreement. Even with their rocky relationship, the two make a good team and Shirazu trusts him implicitly. Unfortunately, this trust is not returned with Urie considering him a potential hindrance to his goals. To this end, he emotionally manipulates Shirazu and uses him to cause conflict within the group. After the team is nearly killed by Serpent, he realizes this mistake and threatens Urie over his attitude. After becoming squad leader, they continue to have a rocky relationship. Shirazu's inability to use his quinque in particular caused Urie to mark him as an incompetent squad leader. However, after he is fatally injured protecting his squad from Noro, Urie shows concern towards him, desperately trying to keep him alive despite his wounds and tells him that if he lives he'll be able to pay for his sisters cure. He refused to go to Shirazu's grave service, claiming that his body wasn't in that grave and vows to retrieve his body from Aogiri.

Haise Sasaki
Shirazu seems fond of the group's mentor, giving him the nickname "Sassan". He is surprised and angered when Urie suggests that Sasaki is merely using them as tools for his own promotion, leading Shirazu to begin doubting his intentions. This leads him to act out, rebelling against orders and storming out of a group meeting. After Haise risks his life to save the squad and learning the truth about his mentor, Shirazu's respect for him grows, to the point that he assaulted Urie for calling Haise a ghoul. Shirazu considers Haise as a mentor and comes to him for advice on using his kagune. However, he does admit that Haise is somewhat childish in his behavior. Even in his last moments, Shirazu told Urie that he wanted to see Sasan even though he had no idea why showing how much he respected and cared for his mentor.

Akira Mado
He appears to have a crush on his superior, blushing and acting in an unusually cheerful manner when around her, his team seem to know about his feelings for her.

Tooru Mutsuki
Shirazu uses his personal name, suggesting that they have a close and friendly relationship. He also displays a protective streak towards his weaker, gentler comrade and readily throws himself into danger to help him. Mutsuki expresses admiration and a little bit of jealousy at Shirazu's strength, comparing himself negatively towards the more capable members of the team. As Shirazu dies Mutsuki is left horror struck and unable to react.

Chie Hori
He immediately takes a liking to the young-seeming woman, teasing Chie about her childish looks and acting surprised when he realizes she's older than him. When she names her price for her information, he wonders whether she might be a pervert, but is satisfied with her explanation. He plays along with her, posing dramatically for her photographs and considers her to be a reliable informant.

Nutcracker
He saw her as a ghoul to be killed and he was the one who delivered the final blow. However, he was shown to be haunted by her last word that she just wanted to be beautiful and was seen staring at his hands after the operation was finished. Months later he would have nightmares about her and her last words and when the time came to receive his new quinque that was made from her he couldn't touch it and throw up. It is later revealed that Shirazu's sister, Haru, is bedridden due to ROS and has mentioned the exact words Nutcracker said before her demise.

Hairu Ihei
He seems to like her, while she hoped to get along with him as a friend.

Haru Shirazu
Haru is Ginshi's younger sister. Her RC tumor is the reason why he is in the constant need for money, aside from the fact that she's hospitalized for medical treatment. It seems apparent that he cares very deeply for her, being his only known in-touch relative, as well as her being why Ginshi sought out to be a Ghoul Investigator. Before he dies he requests that she's allowed to die peacefully instead of being forced to live in pain.

Powers and Abilities
Shirazu is trained in basic combat and investigative processes, though shows little talent for anything outside of fighting. He is also a skilled rider, able to engage in a high-speed pursuit with a passenger riding with him.

The Quinx surgery has granted him the enhanced abilities of a Ghoul, as well as an Ukaku kagune. He possesses enhanced regenerative abilities, allowing him to not only survive but recover within moments from being impaled through the stomach. As a result of the surgery, his sense of hearing has also been increased to levels beyond that of a normal human.


 * Ukaku Kagune: His kagune takes the form of a launcher-like protrusion, and fires multiple claw-like missiles with very limited accuracy. Though ordered to use his Quinque in combat, he favors using his kagune. After breaking his frames during his combat with Noro, his ukaku morphs into a moose-horn shape and his projectiles gain explosive properties, vastly increasing the damage they can inflict upon anything they hit.
 * Tsunagi : A basic Bikaku Quinque, given to him as a spare. It resembles a very simple blade without a guard. So far he´s been shown using it in combat against the Aogiri soldiers defending the Auction site, when fighting Kanae alongside his squad and when he encountered Nutcracker in the administrative building.
 * Nutcracker: An unique Chimera Quinque, created from the Bikaku and Koukaku kagunes of the ghoul of the same name. Its full capabilities are not currently known, though it displays the ability to explosively expand upon contact and destroy a target.

Trivia

 * His name Shirazu (不知) literally means "ignorant" or "don't know", and Ginshi (吟士) means "singing man".
 * Shirazu has a crush on his superior, Akira Mado, and refers to her as the "Holy Mother" of CCG. His team appear to be aware of this fact.
 * In Chapter 5, his motorcycle is damaged while fighting Torso. This appears to be a subtle nod to the previous series, and the running joke of Itsuki Marude's motorcycles being damaged during combat operations.
 * Shirazu states his grades at the Academy were the second lowest in their group.
 * Shirazu described the usage of his ukaku as feeling like "an ass on your back that's taking a shit."
 * Shirazu is seen with the number 12 reference to the tarot card The Hanged Man (XII) in chapter 34.
 * Shirazu seems to favor zebra patterns -- both the scarf he was wearing when disguised as a girl, and his bed sheets are zebra patterned.
 * In Tokyo Ghoul Trump, he's featured as the "Three of Clubs".

Quotes

 * To Urie (about the Torso Investigation): "I only accepted because there's compensation for being a test subject of the quinx surgery. I need money...fast."
 * To Urie (for disrespecting Haise): "Sassan saved us by putting his life on the line. If you call him a ghoul, then you're a bastard worse than trash. I'll kill you right here!"

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