I can't go back yet. If I let it end this way... I won't be able to face him again. If I let it end this way... I'll have wasted my life running away.—Keroyon, Chapter 141
Keitaro Fukuda (福田啓太郎 Keitaro Fukuda), also known as Keroyon (ケロヨン Keroyon), was a member of Kenji's Youth Group who, along with Konchi, declined Kenji's invitation in rebelling against Friend and taking back their symbol. Because of this, he survived the events of the Bloody New Year's Eve of 2000 and wasn't branded a terrorist amongst Kenji's group.
Appearance[]
As a child, Keroyon had medium-length black hair stylized as a well-groomed fringe, and wore buttoned-up shirts and shorts like most of his friends. Given his eyes were fairly separated from one another, his face had a square-like shape and his mouth looked like a frog's, he earned the nickname Keroyon (Kero meaning frog), or Frog Emperor.
As he grew, these features remained, though his fringe now turned into a toupee of sorts. Keroyon usually wore formal clothes, such as suits or shirts with ties. He had a pretty standard physique, and was shorter than most of his friends.
In his later years, however, his hair was reduced to a kind of buzz cut, and his face was a lot more wrinkly. He had a more stern expression, and he gained weight. He now sported tank tops and more casual clothing.
Personality[]
When he was a child, Keroyon was mildly tyrannical. He belonged to a supposedly wealthy family, and he always acted with superiority. In reality, however, he was a jumpy kid, much like Mon-chan or Konchi.
When he became an adult, he was very much the same. He managed to get married and have a son, and his soba shop was going well. For these reasons and a few others, Keroyon declined Kenji's invitation. Keroyon's family wasn't perfect, however, as he frequently quarreled with his wife and left the house- which, in turn, led to their divorce, also supported by his supposed affair with another woman and his failing business.
Keroyon came to regret all this in his older years. He moved to America with his son, where he hoped to set up another soba business. He deeply regretted not accepting Kenji's invitation, and he has grown to be grumpy and tough.
Biography[]
Keroyon's resolve.
Adulthood[]
Between 2000 and 2015 he established a food truck called Frogs Japanese Soba with his son being the only employee. It's also revealed that he and his wife split during this time. In 2015, Keroyon and his son are seen traveling across New Mexico, U.S.A, in their food truck in hopes of setting up a shop somewhere, aiming to make his soba stand out from the local cuisine scene. Keroyon and his son decide to set up their shop in a small town that is later known to have been a victim of the new virus that Dr. Yamane engineered, where he learns that Kiriko might be in the country thanks to a child who took her vaccine and survived. He then pursues clues of her whereabouts to Missouri and Lake Michigan and eventually finds her in a drug factory which at the moment is on fire. After rescuing Kiriko from the fire, Friend's gas mask-wearing salesmen find them and take Kiriko's vaccines and research notes in exchange for letting Kiriko and Keroyon go.
Frog Empire[]
Between 2015 and the Third Year of Friend, he establishes The Frog Empire, a makeshift fortress albeit with considerable size. The Frog Empire is the base of operations for Keroyon, his son and Kiriko, although presumably it was established to give Kiriko the resources and security she needs to develop the vaccines for the evolved form of Dr. Yamane's virus. He along with Maruo are overseers to Kiriko's human trial on her vaccine. After the vaccine is proven to be successful, he replaces The Frog Empire flag with Otcho's symbol, showing his resolve in taking back the symbol along with his friends. Within the fortress, he also grows a vast field of buckwheat, reflecting his passion for soba noodles.
He, along with Maruo, Kiriko and his son, goes on to distribute the new vaccine. When infiltrating Tokyo with Sadakiyo's help, he takes leadership in climbing the wall and pulling everyone up. When he and Maruo find Kenji, Maruo hands him the vaccine crates and tells him to distribute them and to warn the citizens of Tokyo about what's to come.
Keroyon is seen together with the remaining members of Kenji's Youth Group at Kenji's concert, reunited at last.
Before the Bloody New Year's Eve[]
Keroyon ignoring Kenji's second request.
In 1999, he presumably had a relationship with another woman despite already being married and having a child. This causes tension between him and his wife, and coupled with his failing business, leads to Keroyon ignoring Kenji's invitations, both times not even bothering to take a look at it. Ever since the Bloody New Year's Eve, Keroyon has felt great guilt over ignoring Kenji. Over the years since, he constantly laments about how he's "the lowest" and his life "is just running away", much to his son's dismay. When he finds the drug factory Kiriko is in is on fire, he selflessly rushes in to save her and despite suffering major burns on his entire back, finally manages to find redemption when Maruo tells him he's ''the greatest''.
Childhood[]
As a child, he often helped out with his family business. He, Konchi and Mon-chan asked Donkey for help with turning on the school fishtank's pump, which Mon-chan had forgotten to do, and so Keroyon and the others are witnesses to Donkey's Science Lab incident. He is also one of the participants of the Hanging Hill courage test in 1971. He, along with Kenji's youth group, defended their secret base against Yanbo and Mabo's raid.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Presumably, his real name is Keitaro Fukuda (福田啓太郎).