Man of Many Faces

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A master thief has his own heart stolen.


A two-volume Manga by CLAMP, it follows the nine-year old Akira who steals valuable objects for his two mothers, known to the public as the 'Man of 20 faces'.

Then he runs into a young girl named Utako in the middle of one of his crimes, and end up striking a friendship that eventually becomes something more.

The eponymous thief is also part of the CLAMP School Detectives (for reasons entirely based on Rule of Funny).


This show provides examples of:

  • Bishonen: It is a CLAMP story, but even being a boy doesn't stop Akira from falling into this. We do see he gets it from his father.
  • Child Prodigy
  • Christmas Episode: Where Akira's dad shows up dressed as Santa Claus.
  • Distant Finale: Akira has retired from crime, and is starting a legit job as a teacher.
  • Feminine Women Can Cook: Utako becomes obsessed with becoming a good cook, seamstress, and other things, hoping to win Akira's heart, although it turns out she didn't need to.
  • Gentleman Thief
  • Has Two Mommies
  • Kid Hero
  • Precocious Crush: Akira is nine, and Utako is five, when they meet. So it would count as this trope.
    • It especially counts when earlier Utako had a crush on her teacher, who says it can't work out (for obvious reasons).
  • Pretty in Mink: The second volume cover art, and a couple of the pictures in the manga.
  • Sleeping Single: In the Epilogue, two separate beds are clearly seen, even though...
  • They Do: ...had already occurred. Likely related to its creation as an "all ages" manga.
  • Whole Costume Reference: Utako wears a little version of the horse race dress from My Fair Lady for one of her birthdays.
  • Wise Beyond Their Years: Many children in CLAMP-manga share this trait. Utako is president of the Kindergarten Student Division Council, at the age of five, and has conversations about love that no normal five-year-old would have, Akira is Elementary School Board Treasurer, and seem to do much of the work at home. Then again, his mothers are more childish than him.