Hump Day Husbandos: Bruno Bangnyfe (BURN THE WITCH)

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Lilia Hellal
May 24, 2023
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For today’s Hump Day Husbando piece we are going back to highlight yet another premium husbando delivered by the one and only Tite Kubo, creator of Bleach. But instead of picking from the ranks of Bleach once again I actually have yet to discuss BURN THE WITCH — which unfolds in the Bleach universe, but which is its own distinct thing — in any capacity here at Rice Digital.

So here is Bruno Bangnyfe to complement an earlier Hump Day Hubby piece on Grimmjow from Bleach! While BURN THE WITCH’s manga serialisation remains quite the short-lived exploration of dragons being the cause of the majority of problems in a fantastical and magical London, what the series presents us with is a truly exciting premise chock-full of endless potential. Case in point with this guy right here.

Who is Bruno Bangnyfe?

Bruno is not only a Wizard in the world of BURN THE WITCH, but a high-ranking one. Bruno is the director of the Inks division within the Wing Bind. This agency is located in Reverse London and is one that handles all things Dragon-related within its area. This consists of the controlling and exterminating of said species, with both agents and those higher ranked in the organisation being trained in magic to handle them.

With Bruno and the Inks being only one of eight divisions and directors that we get to even really see from within the Top of Horns, the top-tier division of said organisation, what we do see from Bruno’s involvement may be sparse, but it certainly demands attention and piques the interest for the early days of this fresh IP from Kubo.

Why we love him

Starting off with a bang (quite literally with that name might I add) Bruno is a sublime example of a recurring character archetype from Kubo – termed as Expy by some. What would you get if you mixed the character design of Grimmjow with the characteristics of Bazz-B?

That would undoubtedly be Bruno, an arrogant, hot-headed and loud-mouthed guy whose feelings only really get hurt if their choice of hairstyle gets criticised. Providing both comedic value and the only real stakes within the very few chapters of the series’ manga through manipulation and deceitful plays, Bruno manages to strike an appealing balance. He’s quite the threatening opposition to the series’ main characters Noel and Ninny, but he’s also an obnoxious knucklehead with his sarcastic remarks and overall big-headedness.

Why you will love him

But as always with any solid jerk with a heart of gold type of character, Bruno’s softer side has already revealed itself to some extent to us. He’s not only quick to act for the sake of representing Wing Bind, and consequently in the protecting of the mass majority of innocent bystanders, but he also values respect and is actually quite pragmatic. He even allows Noel and Ninny to fight the Marchen, Cinderella alongside him, despite wanting to throw them to the curb just prior.

And despite his temperamental tendencies, Bruno is evidently very intuitive, being the person who delivers a Punitive Dragon Release Form on Balgo’s behalf to ensure that more Marchens can be coaxed out and eradicated by using him, rather than going all-out in taking the glory of detaining Balgo himself.

What with all that we have previously praised about his character however, the most exciting prospect about Bruno is where exactly his character could go if Kubo was to continue with the manga. It would be interesting to see just how astute and cunning he can be, and for what purposes. Would it always be for his own gain, or would he become less selfish later on down the line? In any case, his touching relationship with his own dragon, Rickenbacker, was wholesome and I could not love him any more than I already do if we are being honest.

In case you have yet to check out BURN THE WITCH, you can catch it on Crunchyroll. It will be over in the blink of an eye, and you’ll be left wanting more!

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