Characters for the series, Isuca.
Warning: There will be unmarked spoilers. Read at your own risk if you haven't gotten far into the series.
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Primary Characters
Shinichirō Asano
Voiced by: Keisuke Koumoto
An ordinary teenage boy who accidentally stumbles upon an exorcism. In doing so, he learns that he has supernatural powers, "The Eye Of Truth" which allows him to learn the True Name of supernatural beings or those with special powers, and basically enslave them, if he so chooses.
- Above the Influence: This guy could give Ghandi lessons in restraint.
- Accidental Pervert: At least Once per Episode, he walks in on a naked girl or gets his face shoved into her private parts.
- Actual Pacifist: Given a choice, he'll always go for the peaceful solution, due to his lack of experience or training. It seldom works for him.
- Badass on Paper: He's got quite a few rather impressive accomplishments under his belt. Still, these accomplishments occurred under very unique circumstances and are not truly a display of his skill or personal strength. This comes to bite him hard in Chapter 41.
- Battle Couple: He gradually forms one with Sakuya as he joins her in her exorcist battles and tries to grow stronger to fight alongside her.
- The Champion: He repeatedly declares that his goal is to become Sakuya's strength and aid her in battle.
- Chosen Conception Partner: Suseri is determined to have Shinichirō's baby, no matter if it's out of wedlock.
- Cursed with Awesome: As a result of his special powers, he effectively owns four very attractive women, and gets to kiss them all on a regular basis. Unfortunately his special powers also attract the attention of numerous supernatural horrors that want to kill him, and effectively eat his soul.
- Distressed Dude: Due to his general lack of training or practical experience, he is often the victim of this. Still, this doesn't stop him from actually being useful or coming to the aid of others, particularly Sakuya and Suseri.
- The Dulcinea Effect: It's the primary reason he's in his situation. He just can not resist coming to the aid of a woman in distress. Even if she will respond with violence.
- Endearingly Dorky: Awkward, clumsy, and a bit socially inept, all the girls at house Shizumu like him because he's a genuinely nice guy who seeks their well-being above his own.
- Face Fault: His reaction when Suseri announced wanting his children, in front of him and Sakuya.
- Giver of Lame Names: Lampshaded and subverted. The names he chooses may seem horrible at first glance, but actually fit surprisingly well.
- House Husband: He cooks, cleans, and does laundry very effectively without complaint.
- I Know Your True Name: The primary benefit of his supernatural power.
- Magic Kiss: His powers effectively work this way. In exchange for learning a supernatural being's True Name, he shares a portion of his spirit with it.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: The Feminine Boy to Sakuya's Masculine Girl. He is a nice and sensitive Non-Action Guy and basically a House Husband in training, while Sakuya is short-tempered and aggressive Action Girl and without him, her house is a complete mess.
- Minor Living Alone: He moved to an apartment by himself despite still being in high school because his parents left him and went to Europe to study stage magic.
- Nice Guy: The nicest guy in the whole series.
- Non-Action Guy: He doesn't have combat skills and always goes for the peaceful solution. Sakuya is the one who deals with the Demon Slaying.
- Now That's Using Your Teeth!: He blocks a blow from a cursed Katana with his teeth, and that is how he acquires Yashao.
- One Head Taller: He tops Sakuya's height by a full head.
- Ordinary High-School Student: An ordinary high-school student who ends up involved with an exorcist girl and discovers he has an unusual ability called the Eyes of Truth which allow him to divine the true name of a supernatural being or person with supernatural powers when he kisses them.
- Parental Abandonment: His parents left him alone in his dorm while he was attending middle school "for training." Unfortunately, they also cut off his allowance, forcing him to find a job. He winds up working for Sakuya.
- Supreme Chef: His cooking skill is legendary, in universe. He can even make meals with which he is not familiar with relative ease.
- Took a Level in Badass: By the time chapter 48 rolls around, he's able to hold his own in demon-slaying, and can wield Yashao like a master swordsman.
- Transferable Memory: The Eye of Truth gives him the ability to see the memories of those he kisses.
- Weirdness Magnet: His "Eye of Truth" power, which he didn't even know he had, attracts the attention of many supernatural entities, most of whom are mortal threats.
Sakuya Shimazu
Voiced by: Ibuki Kido
The primary female character and leading love interest in the story. Current (temporary) head of the Shimazu clan.
- A-Cup Angst: She hates to be reminded of her tiny breasts. It doesn't help that her rival Suseri has big breasts.
- Action Girl: A demon hunter who uses Sacred Bow and Arrows as her weapons.
- Action Girlfriend: She's a demon hunter who ends up dragging Shinichirō into her world, which allows him to discover his supernatural powers and join her in exorcisms.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Sakuya is a strawberry blonde in the manga while the anime gives her hair a shade that makes it closer to golden-blonde.
- All of the Other Reindeer: She's ostracized by the Shimazu clan despite being the legitimate successor because her father was a Western mage.
- Anger Born of Worry: The first thing she does after Shinichirō is returned safely from the Asahina household, and they're alone, is chew him out because she was terrified that something horrible had happened to him.
- Bait-and-Switch Character Intro: In her introduction, Shinichirō accidentally bumps into her and she politely smiles as she acts like she doesn't mind. Then, she steps on his foot and smirks maliciously, showing she isn't so nice after all.
- Battle Couple: She and Shinichirō upgrade into an exorcist couple as he becomes more combat capable and they fall in love.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Even after she admits to herself and her love rivals that she likes Shinichirō, it still takes quite some time before Sakuya admits it to him.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: She really does not like it when any other girl gets too close to Shinichirō, especially Suseri.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She starts out as a Bitch in Sheep's Clothing with a nasty temper, but mellows over the course of the series, thanks to Shinichirō's influence.
- Demon Slaying: It's her job as a member of the Shimazu clan.
- Dude, He's Like, in a Coma!: In Chapter 32, she kisses Shinichirō while he's knocked out on the ground.
- Eek, a Mouse!!: She freaks out when she faces a swarm of mice lead by a rat spirit.
- Face Fault: When Suseri announced being willing to become Shinichirō's concubine for the sake of bearing his children before both Shinichirō and herself, she and Shinichirō wear the exact same expression.
- Fiery Redhead: She has strawberry blonde hair and is a hotheaded Tsundere.
- First Girl Wins: The first girl introduced, the first to meet Shinichirō and his indisputable main Love Interest as well as the one he chooses as his girlfriend at the end.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: She has a pretty nasty temper, lashing out at Shinichirō over the smallest things.
- He Is Not My Boyfriend: She protests when people act like Shinichirō is her boyfriend, not that she does a good job pretending she doesn't want that to be the case.
- Hime Cut: She has blunt bangs, cheek-length sidelocks, and hip-length straight hair. She's also the first candidate to becoming the next family head of the wealthy Shimazu family.
- Humanizing Tears: She's usually headstrong and prideful, yet she can't stop herself from crying when she admits how much she misses her parents.
- Hypocritical Humor: Sees nothing wrong with living in a pigsty, yet is terrified of rats.
- I Will Find You: The main reason why she wants to become the Shimazu family head is so that she can find her parents, who went missing eight years prior.
- Important Haircut: She cuts her hair short in the final chapter after she gives up her position as candidate for family head. This also symbolizes her moving on from the death of her parents because she had sworn she wouldn't cut her hair until she reunited with her parents.
- Little Miss Badass: Her body is small, but she's a very capable exorcist.
- Love Confessor: In Chapter 32, Sakuya finally admits to her love rivals that she's in love with Shinichirō and won't let anyone else have him.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: The Masculine Girl to Shinichirō's Feminine Boy. She is short-tempered and aggressive Action Girl and without Shinichirō, her house is a complete mess. Shinichirō, on the other hand, is a nice and sensitive Non-Action Guy and basically a House Husband in training.
- Minor Living Alone: At the beginning of the series, she lives alone in a cluttered mansion designated as a branch family house because the members of the Shimazu clan have made clear they don't want her around. Before she realizes it, she ends up with Shinichirō and the rest of the harem living with her.
- The Napoleon: She has a short fuse for a girl so small.
- Ojou: She's the heiress of an old, wealthy clan and lives in a Big Fancy House.
- Older Than She Looks: She is a high school student, but she looks like a 12 year old.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: She infiltrates the Asahina household in disguise. Said disguise being a pair of glasses and a hat. Somehow, Sakuya is surprised when Lilia isn't fooled by it.
- Parental Abandonment: Her parents went out to subdue a spirit, they did not return, and the only witnesses refuse to tell her what happened, or why.
- Properly Paranoid: Having your father's side of the family trying to kill you in the most sadistic way possible, and having your mother's side of the family trying to make you "disappear" will make most people have this reaction.
- Reluctant Fanservice Girl: She's the only girl around who takes an issue with nudity. She hates how often she ends up naked and in humiliating positions with Shinichirō.
- Sacred Bow and Arrows: Sakuya uses a bow and arrows with spiritual power to seal monsters.
- Self-Made Orphan: Doubling as a Mercy Kill. Towards the end of the manga, Sakuya discovers her father has been reduced to a specter driven by the desire to save his wife from a seal and her mother, who has been possessed by a demon, asks Sakuya to kill them both before the demon completely takes control over her. Sakuya grants her mother's wish and delivers the final blow to her parents.
- Shading/Colour Dissonance: The manga uses a dark shade for her hair, suggesting that her hair color is something like brown or red. The coloured pictures show her with strawberry blonde hair, though. Later chapters do correct this by giving her hair a much lighter shade.
- Signature Headgear: She always wears a red and yellow bow at the back of her head.
- Slave to PR: She will do anything she can to preserve her reputation of a model student at school, which is why she wants no one to find out she has a boy living at her house.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She looks like a smaller carbon copy of her mother, but with the hair color of her father.
- Tiny Tyrannical Girl: Short, bossy and aggressive.
- Token Mini-Moe: The youngest-looking girl in the main cast.
- Took a Level in Kindness: At the start of the series, she's an arrogant girl who is constantly badmouthing and hitting Shinichirō. By the later chapters, she becomes nicer thanks to Shinichirō.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Irish Stew. This being something that Shinichirō is not familiar with has not stopped her from enjoying it. Even though he doesn't make it "right," Sakuya has no complaints regarding its taste.
- Trash of the Titans: Her house starts out as a huge mess. She then hires Shinichirō to clean it for her.
- Tsundere: Harsh type. She's hotheaded and overbearing, but she acts like that to not let the lower members of her clan look down on her because of her parentage. She gets easily angry whenever Shinichirō is having an Accidental Pervert moment with her or another girl of his harem, yet it doesn't take her much to admit that she has a crush on him and she can be nice to him when she wants to.
- Tsurime Eyes: She has the typical sharp eye shape found in Tsunderes.
- Uptown Girl: Sakuya is the successor of a very wealthy clan and she falls for Shinichirō, the son of a middle-class family who works as her housekeeper.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: She is terrified of rats.
Suseri Shimazu
Voiced by: Mao Ichimichi
Sakuya's younger cousin and rival for the title of being head of the Shimazu clan.
- Ambiguously Bi: She used the same "bathing" technique on both Shinichirō and Sakuya, and frequently "bathes" with her handmaiden as well. Make of that what you will.
- Armor-Piercing Question: In confronting her mother, she makes Sagiri realize just how stupid the attack on Shinichirō was.
- Suseri:"Stories spreading about Shinichirō being attacked in the middle of the night. What do you think would have happened if Shinichirō died?"
- Badass Boast: She delivers one to her mother before leaving, never to return.
- "Please don't harm Shinichirō again, Mother. I don't know if I will be able to hold back."
- Bedmate Reveal: She sneaks into Shinichirō's bed, naked, in chapter 48. Sakuya finds them in a very compromising position moments later.
- Big-Breast Pride: Her large breasts are her primary perceived advantage against Sakuya for Shinichirō's affections.
- Big Damn Heroes: She and her Thunderbeast, Shiro, rescue Shinichirō when he was being attacked from behind by a skeleton that crawled out from the ground in chapter 48.
- Big Little Sister: While she's a cousin instead of a literal little sister, Suseri addresses Sakuya as her older sister by a year. It's hard to tell Suseri is the younger one of the two because Sakuya is much shorter and less well-endowed than Suseri.
- Blow You Away: She has a Kamaitachi that controls the wind.
- Buxom Beauty Standard: She has a well-endowed figure that Shinichirō is often caught staring at.
- Calling the Old Woman Out: Thanks to Shinichirō, she decides not to let Sagiri simply push her around anymore. She eventually succeeds by the time chapters 46 and 47 rolls around, where Suseri reveals she has proof of her mother's wrongdoing, and very politely tells her self-righteous mother not to harm Shinichirō again and that she can't return to Kamakura. Sagiri does not take it well.
- Death Glare: She gives one to Sagiri when she confronts her about killing Shinichirō in chapter 46. She also glares at Sagiri after knocking Domeki down by the end of chapter 47 before she leaves Sagiri's house forever.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: She starts out as somewhat emotionless and solely focused on becoming the next head, but she begins to open up to Shinichirō after he spends a little time with her and learns more about her strict upbringing due to her mother.
- Demon Slaying: Again, it's her job as a member of the Shimazu clan.
- Driven by Envy: Against Sakuya. While her mother made her go through Training from Hell, it looked like Sakuya had a normal childhood, laughing and playing with her parents.
- Dude, He's Like, in a Coma!: In Chapter 24, she steals a kiss from Shinichirō when he's injured and unconscious so she can increase her power and face the Raiju.
- Foil: Suseri is The Stoic and has big breasts to contrast Sakuya's Tsundereness and flat chest.
- Heroic Seductress: She employs this against Shinichirō in episode 3 in an attempt to lure him away from Sakuya. She starts by washing his back with her breasts and later says she'll do anything he wants her to in exchange for giving her power similar to how he did to Sakuya.
- Hopeless Suitor: By the end of the series, Suseri knows that she won't get Shinichirō because he already chose Sakuya and she can't change his mind. That doesn't stop her from trying to get pregnant with his baby.
- I Just Want to Be You: Deep down, she envies Sakuya's life because of her easier upbringing and her position as the family head. This is why her true name is Sakuya.
- I Know You Know I Know: She spots conclusive proof that her mother was present at the scene of the war zone that is the Sakuya house in chapter 42.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She may be a rude and callous jerk, but doesn't share her mother's self-righteousness.
- Lethal Chef: Lampshaded. She thinks she's good at making soup. She isn't. Her handmaiden specifically says that it's a life-threatening endeavor.
- Marry for Love: Instead of going along with her mother's plans to find her a "proper" husband, Suseri decides that she only wants to have a baby with the man she loves even if it means becoming a concubine.
- Mid-Season Upgrade: She adds a Thunderbeast to her arsenal of spirits, thanks to Shinichirō.
- Miko: She fits just about every aspect of this trope, from personality to uniform. The only thing she's not seen doing that a Miko does, is maintaining a shrine.
- No Social Skills: Her Fantasy-Forbidding Mother didn't think that dealing with the public was a necessary skill to be a clan head, and so Suseri is almost completely clueless when it comes to dealing with people. She gets over it later on.
- The Resenter: She resents Sakuya because of how strict her upbringing was, compared to how carefree the latter seemed to be... at first.
- The Rival: She's competing with Sakuya for the position of family head and Shinichirō's affections.
- Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: From a young age, Sagiri made Suseri go through a rigorous training to make her a powerful exorcist and never let Suseri even consider learning anything that wasn't needed to become the family head. Prior to meeting Shinichirō, Suseri didn't even know how to use a mop, or how to buy groceries.
- Shameless Fanservice Girl: She doesn't feel the slightest sense of embarrassment in showing her naked body to Shinichirō.
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Suseri looks fairly good in regular street clothing as seen in episode 8. Prior to Shinichirō helping her to buy it, she always wore her school uniform or a Miko outfit to perform exorcisms with.
- Shock and Awe: Her second spirit, the thunder beast Raijū, uses lightning as well as physical attacks.
- Sibling Rivalry: By chapter 49, her relationship with Sakuya more or less boils down to this.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She falls in love with Shinichirō because he shows her many things she wasn't allowed to know and helps her find the courage she needs to stop living by the orders of her controlling mother.
- Slipping a Mickey: She has her maid drug Shinichirō's tea so she can sneak into his room at night and try to seduce him without resistance, due to him being temporarily paralyzed. Shinichirō only forgives her because she truly does not comprehend why that is inappropriate.
- The Stoic: Learning how to emote is also something her mother thought "unnecessary."
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Comes across as cold, distant and stoic, but this is only the result of her strict upbringing and once he becomes closer to her, she reveals a cute and loving side to Shinichirō, deciding she really wants to bear Shinichirō's children, even if it means being Shinichirō's concubine.
- Summon Magic: She summons spirits to help her in battle.
- Took a Level in Kindness: She's a lot nicer in the later chapters as opposed to her first appearance due to Shinichirō's influence.
- Trophy Child: The real reason Sagiri is so obsessed with making Suseri the next Shimazu family head is because she's extremely bitter about the fact that she never surpassed her sister, Sakuya's mother, and making Suseri a better potential successor than Sakuya is Sagiri's way of getting back at her mother and sister for treating her as a subsidiary as well as indirectly trying to take control of the family through controlling Suseri.
- Undying Loyalty: To Shinichirō, and after growing closer to him starts showing shades of this to Sakuya as well.
- Unrequited Love Lasts Forever: At the end of the manga, Suseri still refuses to give up on having Shinichirō's baby even though he's now dating Sakuya and Suseri knows his feelings won't change.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: This is the biggest hurdle in her understanding her feelings for Shinichirō, as she has no benchmark for comparison. The one thing that is constant is that she's certain she wants to bear his children, whether she's legally married or not.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: Fits this role completely.
- You Can't Go Home Again: In chapter 47, when the battle's over, Suseri flat out tells Sagiri that, after all that's happened between them and the fact that her mother attempted to harm Shinichirō, she can't return to Kamakura.
Tamako "Tama"
Voiced by: Kaori Sadohara
A nekomata that Shinichirō unwittingly rescues from Sakuya. She ends up being his first True Name slave, revealing his "Eye of Truth" ability in the process.
- Bakeneko and Nekomata: Being a Nekomata, her true form is that of a giant two-tailed cat. She spends most of her time with the appearance of a girl with cat ears, though.
- Cat Girl: Little Bit Beastly variety. She's a Nekomata with the ability to turn into a girl with cat ears and sometimes a tail.
- Cute Bruiser: She's very cute, but she can punch holes in concrete walls.
- Cute Little Fangs: Goes along with being a nekomata.
- The Glomp: Her favorite way of greeting Shinichirō, especially if she's completely nude.
- Going Commando: She does not like wearing panties or bras. Undergarments are apparently an alien concept to her. Partially justified in that panties aren't exactly designed to accommodate a tail. Another thing justifying this is that her past life was a common house cat. House cats don't wear clothes.
- Happiness in Slavery: All that's missing is a collar engraved with "Property of Shinichirō Asano." If she ever got one, she'd be ecstatic!
- Innocent Fanservice Girl: If given permission, she would happily run around naked. In fact, she sees nothing wrong with glomping Shinichirō and giving him Marshmallow Hell while naked.
- Lightning Bruiser: She's very strong and agile in her "empowered" human form. Her normal human form is more of a Fragile Speedster, and her "true" form seems to be more of a Glass Cannon.
- Mega Neko: In her true form, she's a very big kitty indeed.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Lampshaded. She calls Shinichirō her master, and will happily do anything she can to protect and serve him.
- Power Makes Your Hair Grow: Absorbing some of Shinichirō's energy causes her hair to grow incredibly long for the brief time.
- Sprouting Ears: When she puts some concentration, she can hide her cat ears to appear perfectly human. They still sprout back when she gets excited.
- Undying Loyalty: She's completely loyal to her master Shinichirō.
Yashao
A cursed katana that Shinichirō acquires upon learning its True Name.
- Ambiguously Brown: Her ethnicity is unclear, but she's very dark-skinned.
- Cultured Badass: Her speech is exceedingly polite and graceful, yet her human form can single-highhandedly defeat Sakuya, Suseri, and an empowered Tamako simultaneously with a single blow, and chapter 41 says her human form is weaker than her katana form.
- Equippable Ally: She's a katana wielded by Shinichirō and can take the form of a woman.
- Evil Weapon: Subverted. She's a cursed sword called "evil" by Nadeshiko and Nami, and she was certainly quite hostile when introduced in her katana form. However, once she's "awakened" and taken on a human form, the worst she's done is playfully strip Sakuya and Suseri, as well as give Shinichirō Marshmallow Hell while nude. Suseri and Sakuya have both done worse. Even her initial hostility as a katana can be justified by the fact that she was not aware of her actions, and was acting purely on instinct.
- Femme Fatale: Played as straight as they come. She plays up her sexuality for all its worth, but if Shinichirō accepts, he could die.
- The Gadfly: She loves giving Shinichirō Marshmallow Hell while Sakuya is watching, just to see her react.
- Katanas Are Just Better: She's a Katana.
- Living Weapon: Once the sword awakes, it's revealed it has a conscience of its own and can even take human form.
- Marshmallow Hell: She gives one of these to Shinichirō to stop him from commanding her to return to her katana form. After that, it's one of her favorite activities with him.
- Nominal Hero: Lampshaded. Nami Shimazu explicitly calls her "evil." She's only loyal to the heroic side of the story because Shinichirō is her master.
- The Nudifier: She can and will strip the other ladies in the harem naked when she's annoyed, or being flirtatious, or both.
- Shameless Fanservice Girl: She tries to join Shinichirō in the bath and unashamedly gives him Marshmallow Hell while stark naked.
- Spell My Name With An S: She's been called Yashano, Yasyano, Yashao and several other names throughout the manga.
- The Tease: She's really good at this. She's offered "to teach Shinichirō about women."
- Third-Person Person: She refers to herself as "this one".
- Weapon Wields You: She has this ability in her Katana form. Good thing Shinichirō is her master.
- Youkai: She's a tsukumogami created from the katana of a samurai.
Supporting Characters
Nadeshiko Souma
Voiced by: Saeko Zougou
The teacher/guidance counselor that recommended Shinichirō work at Sakuya's house at the beginning of the story, so he could pay his bills. She also happens to be a high ranked family servant of the Shimazu clan.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: Lampshaded and averted. She said this word for word when she noticed Shinichirō's talents as a House Husband, but she was kidding, or was she?
- Buxom Beauty Standard: Her sizable chest is the main reason why she's considered a Hot Teacher In-Universe. She seems to have that belief in general, and even advises the similarly busty Suseri in the power of I Have Boobs, You Must Obey!.
- Date Peepers: Throughout all of chapter 46, she's been watching over Sakuya's date with Shinichirō, and sending texts to Sakuya's cell phone with strategic hints to help make the date a success. Shinichirō sees through it almost immediately.
- Everyone Has Standards: She was shocked and angry when Shinichirō revealed Sagiri's attempted assassination, and "Isuca's" Villainous Rescue.
- The Gadfly: She loves teasing Shinichirō and Sakuya just to get a reaction.
- Girlish Pigtails: She tied her hair into twintails when she was younger.
- Harem Nanny: Contrary to most examples of this trope, she wants romantic progression from Shinichirō to his girls, particularly towards Sakuya and/or Suseri.
- Ironic Name: Her name is Nadeshiko, yet she completely averts the trope.
- Manipulative Bitch: Although a benevolent one, at least towards the main characters.
- Marionette Master: She specializes in creating puppets. Some of her creations look no different from real people. She's also the maker of the puppet bodies Nami uses.
- Ms. Exposition: Justified, she's a teacher, and it's her job, as the head of the recon squad to explain the Monster of the Week, and the supernatural setting to Shinichirō (and the audience).
- Shipper on Deck: She's constantly scheming behind the scenes to see Shinichirō grow closer to both Sakuya and Suseri.
Nami Shimazu
Voiced by: Ikue Otani
The current (true) head of the Shimazu clan and the grandmother of both Suseri and Sakuya.
- Badass Adorable: Though she looks like a 10-year-old, she is easily the strongest Demon Slayer of the Shimazu clan.
- Dual Age Modes: She frequently switches between two puppet bodies. One looks like a girl in her late teens and the other looks like a ten-year-old.
- Gamer Chick: She's quite skilled in video games. Her Secret Test of Character involves one. An Omake has her finding out about M.M.O.s and disappearing for a week.
- Loophole Abuse: Though she is either forbidden or unable to speak of what truly happened to Sakuya's parents, that doesn't stop her from kissing Shinichirō and letting him read her memories.
- Older Than She Looks: Played With. The Nami we always see is a puppet that Nadeshiko made based on the appearance Nami had when she was young. We have no idea of how the real Nami looks like, although she shouldn't look as youthful as her puppet given that she's a grandmother.
- Remote Body: She uses puppets created by Nadeshiko to move around. Her real body was paralyzed after getting hit in one of her weak points and is currently sealed under the Shimazu main house.
- School Uniforms are the New Black: The wardrobe of her puppet bodies consists exclusively of Sailor Fuku.
- Secret Test of Character: Delivers one to Shinichirō while acting like a Bratty Half-Pint. He passed.
- Shipper on Deck: She actively ships Shinichirō and Sakuya. (Probably Shinichirō and Suseri too.)
- Supernaturally Young Parent: While she's the grandmother of Sakuya and Suseri, Nami only shows herself through remote-controlled puppets that look like Nami when she was a teenager and a child.
Matsuri Souma
Voiced by: Akane Kohinata
Suseri's maid. She was assigned by the Shimazu clan to tend to all of Suseri's daily, mundane needs.
- Affectionate Nickname: Suseri calls her "Mari".
- Combat Medic: She specializes in healing magics.
- Meido: When she's not helping Suseri with Demon Slaying, she is this, for which Shinichirō is rightly grateful.
- Satellite Character: Her role consists of really nothing but assisting and following her mistress Suseri.
- Shipper on Deck: She strongly supports Suseri x Shinichirō.
- Supreme Chef: To the surprise of everyone, her cooking is enough to impress Shinichirō.
- Undying Loyalty: Wherever Suseri goes, Matsuri will follow her without question.
Antagonists
Kaya "Isuca" Asahina
Voiced by: Ayumi Fujimura
A powerful mage that seeks the destruction of the Shimazu clan, and everyone in it.
- Apocalypse Maiden: She's the key to summoning an apocalyptic demon from the spiritual world.
- An Arm and a Leg: Suffers this after a confrontation with Nami Shimazu in the manga, with Sakuya in the anime.
- Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: She's the one who ends up defeating Sagiri Shimazu in chapter 41 of the manga.
- The Bully: She out of her way to harass the main characters, takes sadistic pleasure in the main character's suffering, and enjoys seeing the characters struggle in futility. As such, she hates when the characters stand up to her.
- Cast from Lifespan: Chapter 42 reveals that the same spiritual energy that animates her body also fuels her magic.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: As of chapter 42, only Ildanna is unaffected, and that's presumably because he knows her True Name.
- Cute and Psycho: The psycho part is lampshaded in the anime.
- Dead Man Walking: Chapter 43 reveals that her homunculus body has already passed its expiration date.
- Fangs Are Evil: She shows off her fangs every time she brings up her Slasher Smile.
- Freudian Excuse: She has memories of being sadistically killed by Nami Shimazu. She is forced to relive that pain every time she "sleeps." Chapter 49 implies these memories are false.
- Light 'em Up: She uses light-based attacks and magic.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: There are strong hints that the spirit belonging to Sakuya's mother is in the homunculus body. The most notable of which are when she talks in her sleep. The final chapters reveal that the homunculus is meant to be the vessel for a world-destroying demon the Asahina family is trying to summon. Eight years prior, the ritual was stopped by Sakuya's mother, who used her own body as a sacrifice to trap the demon in the spirit world. The homunculus stayed linked to both the demon and Sakuya's mother in the spirit world, although she's mainly controlled by the demon.
- Moral Myopia: She sees nothing wrong with sadistically slaughtering everyone in the Shimazu clan, and (in the anime) only objects to her clan summoning monsters to attack innocent, uninvolved civilians because it's inefficient, not because civilians are being attacked, but should anyone actually defy her successfully, or gods forbid, actually cause her the slightest injury, even accidentally, it's an unforgivable offense worthy of a Fate Worse than Death.
- Our Homunculi Are Different: A homunculus created by alchemy.
- Slasher Smile: This might as well be her default expression. The only time this changes is when Sakuya retaliates against her abuse and actually manages to cause damage, and then her expression is a mask of pure rage.
- Villainous Crush: She has a strong attraction towards Shinichirō and her attempts at seducing him reach serious Fan Disservice levels. Her actions in Chapter 42 border on Attempted Rape.
- Villainous Rescue: Towards Shinichirō in chapter 41.
Ildana
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa
- Ambiguously Evil: For most of the series, it's not quite clear if his actions against the Shimazu clan are of his own volition, or if he's being controlled via his True Name, Tokiharu Asahina. Near the end of the manga, it's revealed he's working with the Asahina clan to help them release an apocalyptic demon that Sakuya's mother sealed within her body before trapping it in the spiritual world.
- Dead All Along: The real Tokiharu died shortly after he lost Kaya eight years ago. However, part of his soul was left in his ring and created Ildana to fulfill Tokiharu's final wish of bringing Kaya back from the spiritual world.
- First-Episode Twist: The fact that he may be Sakuya's father is made immediately obvious on his first appearance.
- Iconic Item: He wears a very distinctive ring that only one other person has ever worn in the series; Sakuya's father.
- Large and in Charge: He's the tallest character yet shown, and seems to be the most powerful.
- Love Makes You Evil: While it's hard to call him evil, Sakuya's father swore he would do everything it took to save his wife even if it meant releasing a world-destroying demon that she sealed within her body.
- Luke, I Might Be Your Father: Sakuya is convinced that Ildana is her Disappeared Dad because they wear the same ring. However, Nami is very insistent in that Ildana isn't Sakuya's father. Turns out Nami wasn't lying, technically. Ildana is just a manifestation of Sakuya's father's wish to save his wife that gained a form through his ring. Sakuya's father is long gone.
- Malevolent Masked Man: He always wears a mask and he's the most mysterious antagonist in the series.
- No Face Under the Mask: Sakuya blasts Ildana's mask off in the final battle, and there's nothing behind it but empty air.
- Soul Fragment: The true nature of Ildana is a piece of Tokiharu's soul that was left in his ring when he died and stayed in the world of the living with the sole purpose of saving Kaya.
- That Man Is Dead: He claims that Sakuya's father, Tokiharu is gone and he's only Ildana. This is more literal than it seemed at first. Tokiharu really is long dead and Ildana is nothing but a remnant of his soul that is only trying to achieve his goal to save Kaya.
Sagiri Shimazu
Voiced by: Kazue Ikura
Suseri's mother. She is obsessed with making her daughter the next clan head and is adamantly opposed to Shinichirō, whom she considers inferior to the point of being sub-human.
- Abusive Mom: She constantly tells Suseri that if she fails to become the clan head, ousting Sakuya in the process, then she is worthless as a human being, and that's on a good day. Given that Sagiri was thrown aside for her sister when she was young, this is understandable.
- Arranged Marriage: She was forced to marry the man Sakuya's mother was supposed to marry, but rejected in favor of Sakuya's father.
- Berserk Button: Anything that reminds her of Kaya will make her furious.
- Born in the Wrong Century: Prior to World War II, her views on marriage and child rearing were the norm in Japan, and in some remote places, "traditional" families still act that way, almost three score later at the anime's airing, treating children as extensions of the family will, not as people, and seeing the well-being of the clan's name as the penultimate virtue that everything and everyone must be sacrificed, if need be, to preserve. The fact that Japanese society, as a whole, was forced to see this mindset as wrong with Japan's surrender at the end of the war baffles, confuses, and utterly infuriates her.
- Didn't See That Coming: She was utterly shocked when Suseri presented her fan to her in chapter 46, and leaves her house at the end of Chapter 47.
- Evil Matriarch: She's quickly heading into this, if she's not there already.
- Eye Scream: She's missing her left eye due to failing a ritual to control a powerful spirit.
- Family Theme Naming: Like her daughter Suseri, Sagiri has a given name that ends in "ri".
- Fantasy-Forbidding Mother: She tries to forbid Suseri from seeing, hearing, doing or even learning about anything that she believes has nothing to do with running the Shimazu clan. It eventually comes back to bite her.
- For Your Own Good: She claims that forcing Suseri to become a Puppet King running the clan will make Suseri happy, later. She then goes on to lampshade it as an excuse for trying to kill Shinichirō. Suseri points out how suicidally stupid the act is.
- Freudian Excuse: She claims her mother, Nami Shimazu, forced her to undergo the same upbringing that Suseri is going through, to force her into the role of Clan Head, but when she proved incompetent, she was thrown aside for her sister, Sakuya's mother, and then got that woman's "leftover husband" when she married Sakuya's father.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Bears one on the left side of her face, across where her eye should be.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: She has a blind left eye which is always covered by her bangs.
- Insane Troll Logic: Why yes, Sagiri knows how to make her daughter, Suseri, happy. The secret is giving Suseri the same upbringing that made HER miserable, force Suseri to take up the reins of the Shimazu clan, as a Puppet King, find Suseri a "proper" husband, and to accomplish all that, all she needs to do is kill the guy who actually makes Suseri happy.
- It's All About Me: Any scene where she's ranting to herself or in her thought bubbles, you will see that this trope is her entire motivation for making Suseri a Puppet King. "Finally, after all my waiting, all my pain, all my humiliation, all my frustration will be avenged!"
- Jerkass: Let's face it, with her ruthless demeanor, arrogance, interest in making Suseri the Puppet King of the next clan and opposition towards Shinichirō to the point of killing him, Sagiri is not one of the nicest human beings by a long shot. Even Suseri and Shinichirō are aware of this.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Sagiri has a point about Shinichirō being a worthless husband since she was underwent the same upbringing that Suseri put herself through. She was cast aside in favor of Kaya, who eventually married Sakuya's father. Sagiri called Sakuya's father a worthless husband as well.
- Knight Templar: Sagiri views her actions as righteous, and won't change her mind no matter how seemingly heinous her actions can become.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Her self-righteous behavior towards Suseri, as well as her viewing of Shinichirō as an "unworthy" husband to Suseri to the point that she decides to kill him, eventually leads to Suseri to actually refuse to return to Kamakura and tell her mother not to harm Shinichirō again, meaning Sagiri has essentially lost the only remaining person she really loves.
- Misplaced Retribution: She starts lashing out at Matsuri the moment Suseri stands up to her, especially when Suseri points out just how idiotic and counter-productive killing Shinichirō would have been for her.
- Moral Myopia: After all the crap she's pulled, she has the gall to call Suseri an "unreasonable child" in chapter 47, and then rudely and dismissively tells her to "make it quick" regarding her complaints. Suseri is all too happy to comply.
- Suseri: "...The other day, I found this in the Yokohama Garden. [presents her mother's fan to her] That night... you attacked Shinichirō-sama, didn't you, Mother? [gives her a Death Glare] Please, tell me the reason, Mother."
- My Beloved Smother: She has put Suseri through a very strict and rigorous upbringing to make her a more suitable family head candidate than Sakuya. Shinichirō's influence motivates Suseri to start doing things she wants by her own terms instead of merely obeying her mother.
- Never My Fault: At the end of chapter 47, she threatens Suseri with her guardian spirit, and when Suseri's maid pleads with her to relent, she tries to strike down said maid for "becoming a hindrance." She is then shocked that Suseri strikes down the guardian spirit and walks away. Her last appearance has her honestly, and completely, failing to comprehend why she never gets what she wishes for.
- Not So Stoic: Despite her stoic and strict personality, Sagiri can easily lose her cool, such as when Kaya attacks her in Chapter 41, and when Suseri tells her about her aunt's marriage and finally decides to leave Kamakura in Chapter 47.
- Parental Marriage Veto: She disapproves of Suseri wanting to marry a "lowly outsider" such as Shinichirō.
- Prim and Proper Bun: She wears her hair in a high bun, befitting her position as an uptight and overly strict mother.
- Pride: She is almost blinded by her arrogance.
- Scars Are Forever: She has a rather nasty scar on the left side of her face.
- Sore Loser: Sagiri does not take it well when Suseri decides to leave Kamakura to follow her own path to become head of the next Shimazu clan.
- Spell My Name With An S: Despite her official romanization rendering her name as Sagiri, she is sometimes called, Saguri, Sakiri, among other names, and there doesn't seem to be a consistent pattern.
- The Svengali: She sees Suseri, her own daughter, as being a valuable asset for only one reason, becoming a Puppet King to run the Shimazu clan. Towards that end, she has forced Suseri to become the most powerful summoner possible, and will not hesitate to sacrifice her if she fails in any test, even an impossibly deadly one, like subduing a Thunder Beast, alone and virtually unarmed. She is then shocked when Suseri eventually has had enough and leaves.
- This Cannot Be!: Several times. The most prominent is Chapter 41 with the Villainous Rescue.
- Troubled Abuser: She claims to be this, due to the actions of her mother, Nami Shimazu. Her testimony does not fit with Nami's known behavior to date, however. The fact that she's also doing a good job of trying to murder Shinichirō with premeditation at the time does not help with her credibility.
- Ungrateful Bitch: Despite Shinichirō saving her daughter's life on numerous occasions, helping said daughter actually succeed at tasks that would make her a fine front runner for clan head, like subduing a Thunder Beast, if not actually guarantee the position, and generally proving himself an extremely valuable asset, she still deems him "unworthy" to be Suseri's husband, not because of any character or behavioral flaw, but simply because he's an "outsider." As such, he needs to be "removed." However, it eventually comes back to bite her.
- Vicariously Ambitious: Sees herself as the rightful ruler of the Shimazu clan, but since she can't take the position herself due to the clan's bylaws, she tries to force her daughter, Suseri into the position, as a Puppet King. She completely falls apart when Suseri declares that she's going to follow her own path, not the one her mother imagines for herself, even if she does become the Clan head.
- Villain Ball: Her "plan" in chapter 41 is, at best, incredibly short-sighted and inefficient. Even if she had succeeded in killing Shinichirō, she left her magical "fingerprints" everywhere, had no alibi, had already set herself up as the prime suspect in previous chapters, and would have had to contend with the testimony of two immortal witnesses that are physically incapable of lying. Furthermore, did she really expect that Suseri, as the daughter of a traitor, would be more welcome than a simple "black sheep" who is already slated for the job of clan head, in a clan that firmly follows the Sins of Our Fathers philosophy? And that's presuming that killing Shinichirō didn't doom the clan directly, as he was a pivotal part of the clan's defenses.
- Virtue Is Weakness: She thinks being married "for love" is actually a strike against Suseri's relationship with Shinichirō. Suseri can only pity her as she leaves the woman's house forever.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: In her eyes, all of her Jerkass behavior is to ensure the safety and protection of her own clan and Suseri.
Akiyuki Asahina
The chief of the Asahina clan, and the one giving the orders for the war of extermination against the Shimazu clan.
- Cain and Abel: He calls Ildana "nii-san," meaning "brother." Whether he's the Cain or the Abel is yet to be determined, but his actions to date would lead one to think "Cain."
- I Know Your True Name: Implied. He seems to be controlling Ildana that way. He specifically makes a point of gloating that Ildana has to follow his every order.
- The Man Behind the Man: As nasty as The Western Mage is, this guy is nastier.
- War for Fun and Profit: In addition to some, as yet, unmentioned grudge against the Shimazu clan, he's attempting to steal some gem that apparently allows Nami Shimazu to control her puppet bodies.
Other Characters
Lilia Asahina
A small girl introduced as the heir of the Asahina clan in chapter 26.
- Hypocrite: Knowing full well that the Asahina clan has broken into and attacked Shimazu clan houses, and public buildings, she attacks Sakuya from behind for "poor manners" when Sakuya infiltrates the Asahina main house looking for Shinichirō in chapter 43.
- The Mole: Her father has her spying on the homonculous, "The Western mage." Needless to say, she's not very good at it, and gets trounced almost immediately.
- Split-Personality Takeover: She may suffer from this. Every time the "teddybear" talks, it's in Beige Prose with a contralto, leading to Troubling Unchildlike Behavior.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: She discusses the Asahina's plan to invade and annihilate the Shimazu clan as if she was going on a picnic.
Kanae and Fuzuki
Voiced by: Sarah Emi Bridcutt (Kanae), Yumeha Koda (Fuzuki)
Two of Sakuya's classmates who idolize her at school for being "a proper upper class lady."
- The Gadfly: In one of the bonus chapters between 44 and 45, one of them is seen tricking Shinichirō into embracing her and then, when Shinichirō is out of sight, she reveals to Sakuya that she's Going Commando just to get a reaction.
- Locked Out of the Loop: They have no knowledge of the supernatural side of the world setting, the politics of the Shimazu household, Sakuya's living arrangement with Shinichirō, or anything having to do with Sakuya's daily trials and tribulations.
- Muggle Best Friend: They have no special magic powers or abilities.
- School Newspaper Newshound: They write for the school newspaper.
- Those Two Guys: They're always seen together.
