The Twelve Kingdoms/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Immortals and creatures

Nyokai

  • Familiar: Especially those born just as a Kirin Ranka is formed. Normal youma act as this to the Kirin who capture them, though they serve completely loyally and to the point of death, should the Kirin die of any cause their youkai will eat the body.
  • Mons: Kirin can "catch" Youkai and force them to obey their will, but it's a risky process since it boils down to a contest of wills that can take hours or days and could end with a dead kirin.
  • Monster Lord: Captured nyokai tend to be able to lead packs of similar nyokai on behalf of their kirin.

Sen-nin

  • Translator Microbes: Becoming a Sen-nin removes all language barriers.
  • Immortality: Of the ageless and imune to disease types. It even takes special enchanted weapons and beheading to kill one.
  • Perpetual Motion Monster: Even if starved or dehydrated, a sen-nin will not die. This becomes demonstrated when Atsuyu imprisons his father in the castle dungeon for decades.

Rulers

Kirin

The Court of Kei

Youko Nakajima (Queen Sekishi)

Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (JP), Dorothy Elias-Fahn (EN)

Youko is just your average, shy, Japanese high-school girl. That abruptly changes when a mysterious golden-haired man drops into her classroom and pledges his loyalty to her as his master, dragging her into the alternate realm of the Twelve Kingdoms.

She is actually the displaced ruler of the Kingdom of Kei, and after reclaiming her throne from a pretender, she seeks to renew it to its former prosperity and glory.

  • Action Girl: Youko may whine a bit when she first drops into the Twelve Kingdoms, but one wouldn't want to be a demon when she gets going with her sword.
  • Adrenaline Makeover: From a mousy Class Representative to a full-on God Empress.
  • Brought Down to Normal: In the anime, Youko gives up her Hinman for one fight with Yuka, to drive in the point that Yuka was never meant to be a part of the Twelve Kingdoms.
    • Fridge Logic points out that she wasn't brought that far down to normal -- as an Empress, she was still immortal, so Yuka had no actual chance of killing her without a magical weapon. This might have been her point, though.
      • Not Fridge Logic; immortal or not, you can still beat a King and injure them, and Yuka wasn't even capable of that much. She would have if she were really the hero, which is the point Youko was trying to prove.
  • Class Representative: For several years during her school career, and a part of her initial Stepford Smiler personality.
  • Dark-Skinned Redhead
  • Driven to Madness: Youko starts to lose it after being betrayed repeatedly by anyone she tries to trust, and the torment caused by the monkey spirit isn't helping things. When she hits rock bottom she's convinced she's as much a monster as the youma attacking her.
  • Extreme Doormat --> Action Girl and The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask --> The High Queen
  • Green Eyed Red Head
  • God-Emperor
  • Heroic Self-Deprecation: "I'm such an useless Queen...!"
  • I Choose to Stay: To save Kei, she renounces any plans to return to Japan. It doesn't help that, if she returned, she'd weaken and die in few years.
  • Implausible Hair Colour: Youko has red hair, despite supposedly being full Japanese (she's not, of course, but no one knows that). A deconstruction, though—everyone thinks she dyes it, which therefore makes her a Delinquent. This, despite the fact that she has absolutely no other delinquent qualities, and was a spineless wimp until she reached the Kingdoms. Her parents actually want her to dye it, to make it look like she doesn't.
  • King Incognito: Travels the lands more than once after being crowned, disguised as a traveling Action Girl named Youshi.
  • Parental Abandonment: We are shown Youko's parents back in Japan worrying about her, but this is played depressingly straight when her stodgily traditional father disowns her after being convinced she ran off with a gang.
    • Done more sympathetically in the novels. Her father is still overbearingly authoritarian towards her, but it is clear that the disownment stems from his own grief and denial at her disappearance. "Don't you know from watching the news?! In such cases [abductions], have you ever heard of one where [the child] was still alive? That's why I say, she's just run away!"
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: In the anime, Youko's eyes are green, but when using her Hinman or shirei, her pupils will flash red. In either case, it means she's about to kick your ass.
  • Red Headed Heroine
  • Refusal of the Call: The Call drags her kicking and screaming toward adventure, mostly against her will.
  • Shrinking Violet: In the very beginning. She has to shred her shyness away as the story unfolds.
  • Stepford Smiler: Starts out as a junior version of this in regards to her home and social life; she reveals later the fear that there was truly nothing inside.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: The girly girl to Yuka, the tomboy to Rangyoku, Suzu and Shoukei.
  • Trapped in Another World

Keiki

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (JP), Kim Strauss (EN)

The kirin of Kei. He traveled to Japan in his quest to find Kei's new ruler, and found what he was seeking in Youko. He is stern and rather awkward socially, but cares for others deeply, like all kirin.

When Youko is seated on the throne of Kei, he serves as her confidant and tutor.

Queen Joukaku

Voiced by: Toshiko Fujita (JP)

The timid daughter of a merchant family, and former Queen of Kei. After the stresses of rule drove her to slaughter half Kei's population and bring her beloved Keiki to the brink of death, she relinquishes the crown and is struck down by the Heavens.

  • Achilles in His Tent: She's so terrified of her queenly duties and insecure about her performance that at one point she locks herself in her room, despite Keiki's pleas and attempts to calm her down.
  • Fairest of Them All: In the depths of her madness, Joukaku banished all the other women from her kingdom so that she would be the most beautiful -- and there would be no chance of Keiki paying more attention to them than to her. Those that would not or could not leave were executed.
  • Foil: She has a lot in common with Youko, especially the lack of self-confidence. This is most telling when Youko becomes frustrated with Keiki and acts almost the same way Joukaku once did, and Keiki is clearly disturbed by the similarity. Fortunately, Youko gets better.
  • God Save Us From the Queen: Jokaku went insane with love for Keiki and slaughtered/exiled most of Kei's female population.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: She gave up the crown and immediately died rather than let Keiki succumb to illness, ultimately saving him and the land and opening the path for choosing a new monarch.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: The eldest daughter of a simple merchant from Kei, Joukaku never really wanted to be the Queen and felt she wasn't up to the task.
  • Love Ruins the Realm: Her insane love for Keiki led Kei to ruin.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: When she realizes how her madness has made everything worse and identifies Keiki's illness as shitsudou.
  • Yandere: While normal at first, Jokaku falls madly in love with Keiki. Already unstable from the stresses of an empress job she doesn't feel qualified for, her jealousy makes her snap, prompting her to either exile or execute all other women in Kei in order to remove "competition". Keiki is then struck with shitsudou, making her snap back into sanity. Ultimately, Joukaku is ridden with guilt and decides to sacrifice herself to fix what she had done. And that's when the civil war starts...

Joei

Voiced by: Mami Koyama (JP)

Jokaku's younger sister. She was terribly jealous of her sister having been chosen as the Queen of Kei, believing herself far more capable. This led to her striking a deal with the King of Kou in his schemes, and being installed as a pretender empress.

When Youko allies with the Kingdom of En to retake her rightful throne, Joei is proven a false queen and is killed.

Aozaru

Voiced by: Kosuke Okano (JP), Richard Cansino (EN)

A mysterious monkey-like creature that follows Youko around, taunting her with the hopelessness of her plight.

He is the spirit of Youko's sword, set loose when she lost the sheath in the chaos of her touchdown in the Twelve Kingdoms.

  • Trickster: He falls under almost every category—he actively tries to get Youko to kill herself, while also giving her sound advice for survival and tipping her off when someone is going to betray her.
  • Trickster Mentor: While it's unclear whether he's doing it deliberately, by the end of the series it's clear that this is the intended purpose of having him sealed into the sword. He does at least seem bored and irritated whenever it seems like Youko is giving up in the face of his manipulations, while getting excited and laughing gleefully whenever she stands up against him.
  • Manipulative Bastard
  • Maniac Monkey

Seikyou

Voiced by: Seiji Sasaki(JP), Kirk Thornton (EN)

A high-ranked retainer in the court. Actually, a total asshole.


The Kingdom of Kei

Enho (Roushou)

Voiced by: Tomomichi Nishimura (JP), Michael McConnohie (EN)

The wise elder of the town Youko has chosen to study and train in. He is actually the legendary sage Roushou.

Rangyoku

Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami (JP)

Enho's housekeeper; a young woman determined to provide a good life for her younger brother in the recovering Kingdom of Kei. She is killed by assassins searching for Youko.

Keikei

Voiced by: Julie Ann Taylor (EN)

Rangyoku's cheerful younger brother.

Gahou

Voiced by: Kazuhiro Nakada (JP), Dave Mallow (EN)

Shoukou

Voiced by: Tohru Ookawa (JP), Tom Wyner (EN)

Koukan

Voiced by: Kenji Nomura (JP), Terrence Stone (EN)

  • Last-Episode New Character: Although his deposition has been a major plot point, he doesn't show up until the last episode of the arc. And only for like three minutes.
  • Malicious Slander: He's the victim of it, as he wasn't the traitor that Youko heard he was. In fact, he was the only Kei governor who did NOT support Joei.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Not only he was loyal to Youko's plight, but he was kind to marginalized groups like the hanjuu.

Kantai

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (JP), Paul St Peter (EN)

A roguish Kei military leader who is supportive of the resistance effort. He is fiercely loyal to Governor Koukan, who is one of the only non anti-hanjyuu officials in Kei, and who gave him a chance as his lead officer.

Koshou

Voiced by: Rintaro Nishi (JP), Jamieson Price (EN)

A large, boisterous man who is a member of the resistance and a protective older brother to Sekki.

Sekki

Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (JP), Yuri Lowenthal (EN)

Much more sensible and thoughtful than his older brother Koshou, he is the brains of the resistance.


The Kingdom of Kou

King of Kou

Voiced by: Takaya Hashi (JP), Bob Papenbrook (EN)

The ruler of Kou, and the one behind the Kei usurpation plot. His insecurity regarding his own performance as king led him to grow envious of the prosperous, taika-led kingdom of En, and caused him to lash out at Youko.

In the anime, he dies shortly after accidentally killing Kourin in a rage. The novels have him die after Kourin dies of shitsudou.

  • Beta Test Baddie: His feelings of inferiority towards the taika king Shouryuu lead to his attempts on Youko's life, as he fears that another taika-led kingdom would overshadow his.
  • Fantastic Racism: Hanjyuu and Kaikyaku in Kou tend to have a very bad life as a result of his laws.
  • Manipulative Bastard
  • My God, What Have I Done?: After accidentally stabbing Kourin in his berserk rage against Youko, the full weight of his actions throughout the arc seem to settle in.
  • The Rival: Considers Shouryuu and Youko this.

Kourin

Voiced by: Yuko Sasaki (JP), Wendee Lee (EN)

The kirin of Kou. She can only helplessly carry out the King of Kou's orders, no matter how evil. In the anime, she dies by protecting Youko from her king's sword; preventing him from making such a horrible mistake. In the novels, she dies from shitsudou.

Rakushun

Voiced by: Kenichi Suzumura (JP), Jim Taggert (EN)

A kind, intelligent hanjyuu from Kou. After nursing the half-dead Youko back to health, he accompanies her to En, and eventually manages to get her an audience with Shouryuu and Enki one he pieces out that she was chosen by Keiki.

After Youko is installed as queen, they maintain friendly correspondence while Rakushun attends En's top university.


The Kingdom of En

Komatsu Saburou Naotaka (Fuukan, King Shoryuu)

Voiced by: Masaki Aizawa (JP), Lex Lang (EN)

The cunning, charming King of En. He is a taika, born in the age of Feudal Japan as the son of a samurai lord. After being spirited away from a losing battle by Enki, he takes the throne of En, and has ruled it ever since.

Enki (Rokuta)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (JP), Dave Wittenberg (EN)

The kirin of En. Similar to his king Shouryuu, he was born a taika in Feudal Japan—however, he was born to a desperately poor peasant family, and saw firsthand what the horrors of war can do to the common people. He came to distrust government figures as the ones who start wars, but eventually warmed up to Shouryuu once he proved his devotion to the welfare of En's people.

Atsuyu

Voiced by: Joe Cappelletti (EN)

The beloved, accomplished governor of En's most prosperous province. He has little faith in the newly-installed Shouryuu's competence as king, and is concerned for En's future. It's all mostly thanks his massive ego and superiority complex deluding himself into thinking he'd be a better king. After years of manipulation and abuse of everyone in his surroudings (and specially of Kouya and of his own father), he is killed while cheating in a duel against Shouryuu.

Kouya (Genrou Shinkun)

Voiced by:
Child Kouya: Emi Motoi (JP), Megan Hollingshead (EN)
Adult Kouya: Akira Ishida (JP), Scott Page-Pagter (EN)

A cunning, manipulative young man in the service of Atsuyu, who saved his life when he was young. After years of psychological abuse from his master, Kouya finally comes to terms with his master's evil ways, and self-exiles himself to Mount Hou to wait for Shouryuu to make a kingdom where both he and his youma friend are welcome. During his stay there, he has become the God of Travelers, Genrou Shinkun.

  • Chekhov's Gunman: He is introduced as a minor character in Taiki's arc, and then he is not even mentioned until his backstory is fleshed out in the last arc.
  • The Dragon: To Atsuyu.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Enki.
  • Karma Houdini: Played with. He did repent of his horrible actions in the end, but Shoryuu and Enki let him go without any punishment. However, he did self-exile himself to the very dangerous Mount Hou, so even if he wasn't punished by others he is seeking for punishment himself.
  • Kid with the Leash: Regarding his demon.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: His reaction after his first kill. Of course, Atsuyu tells him it doesn't matter.
  • Name's the Same: After befriending Enki, Kouya starts referring to his demon with Enki's human name, "Rokuta", to not forget the name of his first real friend.
  • Parental Abandonment: Similar to Enki, he was abandoned in the woods as a child during a time of famine. He was raised by a youma and eventually found and taken in by Atsuyu.
  • Poisonous Friend: Kouya appears to be one to his mentor and leader, Atsuyu. He murders dissidents regularly (like Ribi's best friend, the girl who helps Enki escape from Atsuyu's manse) and claims to have "exiled" them when Atsuyu asks. It's subverted, as Atsuyu is actually a Manipulative Bastard who abuses Kouya's extreme loyalty to get away with atrocities while keeping his own hands clean.
  • Psycho Sidekick: Kouya could also be considered this in regard to Atsuyu, if Atsuyu wasn't evil himself.
  • Released to Elsewhere: His favorite method of exiling people is through the digestive system of his demon.
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid: The sweet boy whom Enki befriended grows into a very cruel teen. He gets better.
  • Wild Child: He was abandoned in the woods during a time of famine and raised by a youma. Before being taken in by Atsuyu, he could only communicate in animal noises.
  • Walking the Earth: After Atsuyu's defeat and death.

Ribi

Voiced by: Masako Katsuki (JP)

A calm, intelligent civil servant, and very loyal to Shouryuu. She is imprisoned as part of Atsuyu's plans, and sacrifices her own life to free Enki.


The Kingdom of Tai

Kaname Takasato (Taiki)

Voiced by:
Child Taiki: Rie Kugimiya (JP), Terry Sutton (EN)
Adult Taiki: Kousuke Okano (JP), Johnny Yong Bosch (EN)

The kirin of Tai. His dark hair marks him as an incredibly rare black kirin; a herald of prosperity. He is a taika, and was spirited away from his abusive family by the efforts of Enki and the Mount Hou nyosen. He struggles to come to terms with his power and identity as a kirin in an unfamiliar world.

After being attacked by a treacherous general during a usurpation plot, he was flung back to Japan with a damaged kirin horn and amnesia of his time in the Kingdoms. After years of further confusion and abuse, he was finally located by an international search squad organized by Youko and brought back to the kingdoms. Whether or not he will find the missing Gyousou and save Tai is, unfortunately, an ongoing cliffhanger.

  • Abusive Parents
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Terrifyingly powerful youma or not, if you threaten his king, prepare for a showdown.
  • Badass Adorable: See above.
  • Cute Shotaro Boy
  • Demoted to Extra: In the novels, he and Youko share the mantle of main character, and get roughly the same amount of books. In the anime, he gets a five-episode arc that is never properly concluded.
  • Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: When the yet-untamed Gouran threatens Gyousou, Taiki becomes the first kirin to ever conquer and tame a toutetsu.
  • Expository Hairstyle Change: He's got shoulder-length hair as a kirin, but when he's trapped in our world, he wears it much shorter.
  • Everything's Better with Sparkles: He puts on quite the light show when transforming into kirin form...
  • Friend to All Living Things: He charms vicious animals, bloodthirsty demons, and socially inept kirin with ease.
  • Kid with the Leash: Regarding his shirei, Gouran.
  • Naive Newcomer: Since he lived 10 years in Japan, the poor kid was incredibly lost when he was returned to the kingdoms. This causes him lots of angst.
  • Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Actually a plot point, as he's one of the very rare dark-haired kirin.
  • Parental Abandonment: With a dash of Abusive Parents. Though he still lives with them for the majority of Demon Child, the Takasatos have all but abandoned him thanks to the jinx that seems to follow him - actually, his shirei lashing out in insane panic at anything they perceive as a threat. His mother says that she wants nothing to do with him right in front of him, and regrets not having killed him outright in an inner monologue. After Hirose takes Taiki in, though, Gouran and Sanshi settle their business with his parents... bloodily, to say at least.
  • Shrinking Violet
  • The Woobie
  • Trapped in Another World
  • Trauma-Induced Amnesia: The reason why he can't remember his stay in the Twelve Kingdoms. He was attacked by a treacherous general, resulting in his kirin horn - the source of his power - being cut off. He managed to escape back to Japan before the physical trauma wiped out his memory. Feeding a kirin meat, as his father insists on, doesn't help.
  • Trauma Conga Line

Saku Gyousou

Voiced by: Keiji Fujiwara (JP), Chris Kent (EN)

A highly-respected general in Tai, and the man Taiki chooses to be its ruler. He is a skilled and shrewd leader, though a bit impatient, and is confident in his ability to restore Tai to prosperity.

His hastiness to purge the government of long-standing corruption makes him a lot of enemies, which leads to an usurpation plot led by a rival general. Though he is still alive, his whereabouts are currently unknown.

  • Authority Equals Asskicking: Thanks to being a badass general before being chosen as king of Tai.
  • Cool Sword: Won as a prize from Shoryuu, for being the only person who almost managed to defeat him in a duel.
  • Dark-Skinned Blond
  • Dirty Business: The mass purges of corrupt officials in the Tai court.
  • Four-Star Badass
  • Knight Templar: When he is crowned king, his eagerness to purge the court of Tai of long-standing corruption leads him to order mass dismissals and executions -- although it needed doing, Gyousou's hastiness made him lots of enemies, which led to the usurpation...
  • Morality Pet: Taiki serves as his, balancing out his sternness. Gyousou's desire to keep Taiki's adoration leads him to hide the government purges from him by sending him on a diplomatic trip to Ren.
  • Panthera Awesome: Is commonly associated with tiger imagery, especially in the books. In both the books and anime, he is the proud owner of a massive white tiger that serves as his mount in battle.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: Though he does tend to go too far at times.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: An utter workaholic. He immediately starts hammering through budget and government reforms when he takes office, and during his first year in office he manages to pray to Heaven to create a new plant, just for Tai, that burns well enough to serve as a superb source of heat in the icy land.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Lampshaded, then averted. Taiki is initially afraid of Gyousou because of the man's red eyes. In reality, Gyousou is a pretty nice guy, and his red eyes are not a mark of anything evil...it's just all part of the Twelve Kingdoms' technicoloring scheme.


Haku Sanshi

Voiced by: Masako Katsuki (JP), Julie Ann Taylor (EN)

Taiki's nyokai and surrogate mother. She is utterly devoted to his care and protection.

Gouran

Voiced by:

A changeling demon known as a toutetsu; horribly powerful by any standards, enough to make even a Physical God think twice about tangling with him. Taiki brings him under his control as his shirei when he threatens Gyousou and Risai in his lair.

  • Big Badass Wolf: His preferred form when watching over Taiki is this, but...
  • Hell Hound
  • Eldritch Abomination: Several of the forms he enjoys phasing into can be described only as this.
  • Papa Wolf: Is very protective of Taiki, whether out of fondness or duty. As in Sanshi's case, this goes horribly, horribly wrong when the amnesiac Taiki gets stranded in Japan.

Risai

Voiced by: Naomi Shindo (JP), Michelle Ruff (EN)

An up-and-coming military officer in Tai. She is determined to see Tai restored to its former glory, and is loyal to Gyousou and Taiki.


The Kingdom of Hou

Shoukei

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (JP), Kate Higgins (EN)

As the daughter of its former ruler, she is the deposed princess of the Kingdom of Hou. Spoiled and haughty, she must adjust to her new life as a peasant and come to terms with her father's tyrannical reign.

Sonken (King Chuutatsu)

Voiced by:

The former King of Hou. His Knight Templar behavior led him to enact incredibly strict laws, which eventually led to his deposition.

Queen Kaka

Voiced by:

The wife of the former King of Hou. Self-centered and haughty, her actions are among those that bring Sonken's fall.

Hourin

Voiced by:

The former kirin of Hou. She is killed during the deposition of the king, as punishment for having chosen him in the first place.

  • Face Death with Dignity: When Gekkei is about to behead her after killing the royal couple, she accepts it quietly and even seems to be a little relieved.
  • Ill Girl: She already was in the last stages of shitsudou when Chuutatsu died.
  • Hair of Gold

Gekkei

Voiced by: Masahiko Tanaka (JP), Michael McConnohie (EN)

The leader of the coup against the former king of Hou, and formerly one of the most high.ranked government officers there. He genuinely wishes for what is best for the kingdom, and is not proud of the blood on his hands.


The Kingdom of Kyou

Shushou

Voiced by: Wakana Yamazaki (JP), Julie Maddalena (EN)

The ruler of Kyou. Despite her youthful looks, she is a shrewd ruler, and has led Kyou into great prosperity.

  • A Child Shall Lead Them: Despite being eternally thirteen, she is the highly competent empress of Kyou.
  • Blue Eyes
  • Bratty Half-Pint: Even with her competence, she's still a young girl at heart and sometimes exhibits rather childish behavior, like kicking off her shoes while discussing things with Kyouki.
  • Corporal Punishment: She sometimes slaps Kyouki around, though only when extremely upset (like when Shoukei steals some of her jewelry and clothes before running away from Kyou) and is soon back to her much gentler self ( she caresses Kyouki's face after hitting him, and immediately forgives both him and the Old Retainer that was in charge of Shoukei).
  • Every Girl Is Cuter With Hair Decs
  • The High Queen
  • Jade-Colored Glasses: She's a good person at heart, but she lectures Kyouki for being too compassionate and kind for his own benefit.
  • Little Miss Snarker: She never sugarcoats her thoughts and words.
  • Manipulative Bitch: She may have influenced the Hou noblemen to revolt against their unfair king, so refugees won't come to Kyou and overwhelm the country.
  • The Messiah: In the novels, the Genre Savvy Shushou ran away from home and made a pilgrimage knowing, if she finished, she'd have a chance to be chosen as Queen and help her suffering countrymen. Kyouki chose her.
  • Noblewoman's Laugh
  • No Sympathy: To Shoukei, thinking she's just a foolish little girl who did nothing to help the people of Hou and wanting to both punish and toughen her up.
  • The Ojou: As the daughter of the richest merchant in Kyou, Shushou was this before becoming empress.
  • Plucky Girl: Especially in the novels. "No one shall rule this country but me!"
  • Super Strength: Can make Shoukei bow forcibly to her...using only two fingers.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Despite looking thirteen, she is over a hundred years old—rulers stop aging once they're chosen, and Shushou was a thirteen-year-old girl when she became one.
  • Tsundere: A Type A, due to her child-like mood swings. In the novels, at one moment she dumps hot soup on her maid for questioning her repeatedly, then begs for her forgiveness and lets her borrow one of her own dresses.

Kyouki

Voiced by: Tohru Ookawa (JP)

The kirin of Kyou. His quiet, thoughtful demeanor is in great contrast to his Empress' bombastic outbursts.

The Kingdom of Sai

Queen Chuukin / Koukou

Voiced by:

The wise and kind ruler of Sai.

  • The High Queen
  • Team Mom: For the whole kingdom—the people of Sai call her Koukou, which means "golden mother-in-law".
  • Yamato Nadeshiko: With emphasis on the subtle will of iron, as she manages to convince Riyo to let Suzu go with words alone.

Sairin

Voiced by:

The kirin of Sai.

Seishuu

Voiced by: Akiko Hiramatsu (JP), Yuri Lowenthal (EN)

An ill, orphaned young boy that Suzu befriends.

  • Break the Cutie
  • Dead Little Brother: For Suzu, he's a dead little friend.
  • Died in Your Arms Tonight: Youko's, then Suzu cradles his dead body.
  • Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: When Suzu loses herself in angst, he calls her out on how she's not the only one suffering.
  • Ill Boy: Due to an old injury, he's got severe headaches and later loses his sight.
  • Parental Abandonment: When he was a baby, he and his parents ran away from Kei during Jokaku's chaotic reign. They were good to him and he loved them... but then his father is killed by youma, then his mother gets sick and dies while waiting for the ship to Kei to arrive.
  • Trampled Underfoot: How the poor kid dies. More exactly, he gets trampled by Shoukou's carriage because the Jerkass didn't bother to tell the driver to change paths at the sight of a blind boy in their way.

Riyo

Voiced by: Minami Takayama (JP), Juli Grossman (EN)

A vain, tyrannical woman who takes Suzu under her wing to serve as her maid.


The Kingdom of Han

Go Ranjou

Voiced by: N/A

The King of Han, who has ruled for three hundred years and brought Han great prosperity. He is somewhat difficult to get along with, and butts heads particularly venomously with Shoryuu.

Hanrin

Voiced by: N/A

The kirin of Han, (currently) nicknamed Risetsu by her king. She is a spunky and loyal partner-in-crime to her beloved king.

Hourai (Japan)

Yuka Sugimoto

Voiced by: Aya Ishizu (JP), Karen Strassman (EN)

An anime-only character who is accidentally dragged into the Kingdoms when Youko is first swept over. She is convinced that she alone was meant to be brought over, and is incredibly jealous of Youko.

Ikuya Asano

Voiced by: Yuji Ueda (JP), Joshua Seth (EN)

An anime-only character who is accidentally dragged into the Kingdoms when his old friend Youko is first swept over. He is terribly out-of-place in the unfamiliar world, and does not adapt as well as Youko and Yuka. After being separated from them, he is gradually driven insane from being isolated from all he's ever known.

Suzu Ooki

Voiced by: Naomi Wakabayashi (JP), Mela Lee (EN)

A kaikyaku from Meiji-era Japan, she was swept over in a shoku while she was leaving home to work for a local nobleman that she was sold to as a maid. Separated from all she's ever known, Suzu seeks her place in this strange new world.

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