Gen Tagayashi

Gen Tagayashi is a supporting character in the Maken-ki! anime (also known as Maken-ki! Battling Venus). He is the skilled Makensmith (blacksmith/inventor) at Tenbi Academy, responsible for creating the replica Maken (magical artifacts/weapons) that students use, as the school primarily relies on these imitations rather than original ancient ones.

In the anime's backstory, he was a member of the original Maken-ki group during his own student days at Tenbi, before the academy shifted to being an all-girls school (and later became co-ed again). He maintains close ties with longtime friends from that era, such as Minori Rokujou, Aki Nijou, and others.

Gen appears as an adult man with distinctive features like orange hair, a headband, facial hair, and a scar. He's portrayed as level-headed, reliable, and non-perverted (a contrast to some other male characters), often serving in a mentor-like or supportive role behind the scenes. His abilities tie into advanced Element manipulation (notably a rare "Black Element" or "Dark Element" in deeper lore), which enables his Maken-forging talent.

He has a relatively minor but consistent presence across both seasons, especially in episodes involving Maken creation, school history flashbacks, or technical support for the cast. Voiced by Atsushi Imaruoka in Japanese and Robert McCollum in the English dub.