The Red Mantle, also known as the Red-Mantled Phantom (AnimEigo 1981 anime subtitles) and the Red-Cloaked Phantom (Viz Media English translation), is a middle-aged or older human man who once terrorized the students of Tomobiki High School. He went into seclusion for a long period of time, but was lured out to try and rekindle his forgotten legend when Tomobiki High threw a disco party.
Biography[]
The Red Mantle's biography is slightly different between the manga and the 1981 anime adaptation of the manga.
For unknown reasons, the Red Mantle chose to "haunt" Tomobiki High School shortly after the school was first constructed. Secluding himself in the dark corners and crevices of the school, he amused himself by terrorizing the students with ghostly laughter or by leaping out of them in the dark and then running away. He wore an ominous mask of a laughing face, in the anime at least, coupled with a formal black suit, a black tophat, and a long black cape with a bright crimson interior, from which he earned his moniker. At an unknown point, and for reasons unknown, he chose to retire from his life as the Tomobiki High phantom.
In the 1981 anime, he terrorized the school during the time that Onsen-Mark was a student, and his final appearance came during an end-of-year dance party, where he abducted the school's most beautiful girl, and an implicit crush of Onsen-Mark's, named Yoshiko, and escaped by flying away with a hot-air balloon in front of the student bodies. Neither were ever seen again, although it would ultimately be discovered that the two fell in love and were married, going on to live normal lives and have a son together.
In the "present" of both continuities, when he heard of a disco party being held at Tomobiki High (to celebrate the upcoming end of the school year, in the anime), he decided to make a grand reappearance in order to revitalize his long-forgotten legend. Unfortunately, time had been cruel to the Red Mantle; he was now grossly overweight and out of shape, a far cry from the dapper yet menacing figure he had cut in his youth.
He first attempted to revive his legend by lurking in one of the girls' toilet stalls with the intent of ambushing some female students, only to get caught due to being so fat he couldn't reach the handle. He was nearly caught and dragged out by a gaggle of angry girls, but managed to barge the door off of its hinges, crush them into the wall, and then escape in the confusion.
He next attempted to leap out at what he thought was a gaggle of beautiful young girls changing clothes in the cover of darkness, only to discover he was actually jumping out at a group of male students who were crossdressing in anticipation of a party game. Repulsed, he attempted to flee, but they mistook him for part of the players and dragged him down, doodling a silly face on his protruding gut.
Finally, he was taken to the dance, where he managed to score a dance with Lum. In fact, he proven such a good dancer that he and Lum were voted the best dancers at the party. Buoyed by this success, he attempted to terrify the collected students by revealing himself as the Red Mantle, only for them to burst out laughing. This caused him to burst into tears of grief and humiliation. In the anime, this shame was compounded when his wife Yoshiko, now old and fat herself, angrily came and dragged him back home, chiding him for playing such silly, childish games.
In the anime, both the young and debonair Red Mantle and the fat has-been Red Mantle appear as cameo characters during Lum's class reunion.
Abilities[]
- Stealth: As a youth, the Red Mantle was an expert in stealth, allowing him to ambush and evade students and teachers alike by exploiting the natural cover and byways of Tomobiki High School. He is still quite stealthy in his old age, although his enlarged girth restricts his choice of hiding places.
- Speed: The Red Mantle was an extremely fast runner, able to outrun any student or faculty member of Tomobiki High. Combined with his stealth, he seemed practically able to teleport or float through walls like a ghost with how easily he could evade even pursuers who were hot on his heels. Even in the present, the Red Mantle is capable of making a quick getaway, despite his age and obesity.
- Dancing: One skill the Red Mantle retains without issue even despite growing hugely out of shape in his old age is dancing. He is such a capable dancer that the present-day students of Tomobiki High voted him the best male dancer at their party.