Alchemy has produced an ultimate metal called kakugane that can be used to manifest a person's fighting spirit into a physical weapon. This is called busou renkin (arms/weapons alchemy). Of course this is a secret to everyone in the normal world including high school student Kazuki Mutou. That changes when Kazuki happens to be at school extra late and sees a bizarre monster attacking a girl. Unhesitatingly he rushes in to protect her, at the cost of his life. However this girl Tokiko is actually an Alchemic Warrior. She implants a kakugane into Kazuki to replace his pierced heart and his life is saved. Now Kazuki is part of the secret world of Alchemic Warriors. However he's not the only person at his school who stumbles upon the secret of alchemy... and not everyone joins the same side.
Busou Renkin manga is available in English as of 2006, the same year the TV anime began in Japan. Busou Renkin has great chemistry between the characters and is especially notable for its cool weapons like Kazuki's lance and its bizarre villains like Papillon who habitually wears little more than a butterfly mask and a thong.
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Book - Busou Renkin (Manga)
DVD - Busou Renkin (TV 2006) 26 episodes