Virgin Valley: YnM Series Info: Characters

Series Information Characters

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Shikigami

In general, most Shikigami have an animal/beast form and a humanoid/avatar form. Usually, their time in Gensoukai (ruled by the Celestial Emperor) is spent in their avatar form, while they change into there beast form when summoned out of Gensoukai to battle for their master. Though some, will retain their avatar form when summoned outside of Gensoukai (this is evident from the Tengu brothers who guard the Suzaku Gate. They can come in either their avatar form when summoned, or their more disturbing-looking Tengu form.) It seems that a Shikigami's ability to have an avatar form relies heavily on their power level. For instance, we never see Riko's avatar form, and even though the low level Shiisha is scared out of his mind trying to deal with humans, he never once tries to change into looking more like one (although he did appear to have some kind of a defensive/intimidation mode.) And even though I've never seen Kurikara's beast form (much like Kijin who seems to prefer battling as an avatar,) he must have one. The two types of Shikigami are Summoning (ones you call) and Parasitic (ones that come out automatically when there host is in danger.)

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Information

Sohryu:

He is the guardian beast of the east. The highest ranking of the divine commanders, he is a water type dragon Shikigami, mastered by Tsuzuki. In Gensoukai, Sohryu holds a great deal of responsibility and is perhaps second only to the infamous ruler of Gensoukai, The Celestial Emperor. He is very strict and when Tsuzuki comes to visit he makes sure to find the time to scold the man for any recent misdeeds (e.g. trying to kill himself.) His presence demands respect and his children, Kijin and Tenkou seem to have inherited none of his temper (though Kijin can get pretty fierce in battle.) The first time he meets Hisoka he really doesn’t like him and he blames everything that is currently going wrong on the boy’s presence in Gensoukai. Though, in Sohryu’s defense, Hisoka did cause a fair amount of trouble while in Gensoukai.

Suzaku:

The hotheaded female of Tsuzuki’s 12, she is the guardian beast of the south. She is a fire type Shikigami and is extremely fond of Tsuzuki to the extent that she will disobey him if she deems that her actions would be in the man’s best interest. Her beast form is a fiery phoenix, the bird of death and rebirth. Most of the others, including Tsuzuki refer to her as Nee-san. Her favorite pastime is to bother Touda and pick fights with him. She utterly detests him for obeying Tsuzuki’s wishes in Kyoto and almost killing her beloved master. She also gets mad at Touda just for being for being a mean Shikigami and not caring to do anything about it.

Byakko:

Byakko is the youngest of the four guardian beasts, and one of Tsuzuki’s 12 Shikigamis. He is a wind Shikigami and is the guardian beast of the west. Tsuzuki summons him quite often and the white tiger is very easy going and is willing to battle demons and act in magic shows for his master. He has red eyes and while in his human form, he manages to retain his tail. He is very fun and spunky, and also caring and supportive whenever Tsuzuki needs someone to talk to. Out of all Tsuzuki’s Shikigami, Byakko acts the most like his master. And like any cat, can be found lazing off in a secluded mountain for an afternoon nap when he should be working.

Genbu:

Although (like many of Tsuzuki’s Shikigami) he has yet to be summoned by Tsuzuki, his beast form would be a large black tortoise. Of the four guardians, Genbu is the earth type Shikigami who guards the north. The poor guy is pretty old and the other Shikigami, although fond of him, are rather brutal with the elderly guy. His student is Rikugo, Tsuzuki’s multi-eyed astrologer Shikigami. According to East Asian mythology, the guardian beast of the north is actually a black tortoise entwined with a snake, so Genbu might be somehow connected to Touda, though this theory has not yet been expanded upon in the series.

Touda:

Touda is a fire type and one if Tsuzuki’s 12 Shikigami. He has a bad attitude and is aloof, cold and abrupt with his fellow Shikigami. He doesn’t really care what Tsuzuki’s other 11 Shikigami think of him; he is only concerned with obeying Tsuzuki’s orders. However, the adorable flying kittens, called HeiHei (which can be seen with Tsuzuki in the Tsuzuki gallery section), are rather fond of Touda. His beast form is a huge snake with flames deadly enough to kill a Shinigami. In East Asian mythology, a tortoise with a snake is actually the beast of the north, so Touda might be somehow connected to Genbu. If this is true, it makes sense that Touda’s power is up there with the four guardian beasts.

Because Tsuzuki was the one who was able to get him freed from his prison within Tenkuu, Touda only takes orders from Tsuzuki. As such, Touda will follow all of his master’s orders even if they could harm the man (a fact that really makes Suzaku resent Touda.) The visor strapped to his head is one of the requirements of his freedom; it keeps his power under control. For the same reason, they also cut his hair (lots of hair = lots of power.) Touda used to work under The Celestial Emperor (the ruler of Gensoukai) but was betrayed by him somehow as Touda holds a great deal of resentment toward him. He has a tattoo of a lotus on one of his arms, which might have some connection to his past as a general under the Celestial Emperor, or perhaps as a criminal’s brand. Either way he does his best to keep it covered.

Kijin:

Kijin is Sohryu’s oldest child who sports a lovely head of blue hair and pupil-less eyes. Tsuzuki is the master of this water dragon Shikigami (though he has been referred to as "RaiTei" meaning "Thunder Emperor,” but you need moisture for a storm, right?) Though, his specialty lies in his divination. He is a very kind and tender older brother to Tenkou. And although she is never shown, I assume Kijin must be a lot like his mother, seeing as how he obviously didn’t get his uber-gentleness from his father, though it could just be an act… (From where the series leaves of in Hana to Yume, it appears that this whole time The Celestial Emperor had possessed Kijin and this Emperor is working through Sohryu’s son to accommodate his own self-interests.)

Tenkou:

Tenkou’s title is "KaiOu" meaning "Ocean Emperor". Which, paired with the fact that she is her father’s daughter, most likely makes her a water type. She is terribly innocent and rather shy. Unfortunately, the poor thing had to be the one to find her father’s corpse splayed on the floor in a pool of blood with Kurikara’s sword in his back. Tenkou is Sohryu’s youngest child, and like her elder brother Kijin, she also has no pupils. She is the youngest of all Tsuzuki’s Shikigami and I can only imagine what adorable task she had Tsuzuki fulfill to find out if he was worthy to be her master. Or maybe since Tsuzuki already had Sohryu, he got his children by default -smiles-.

Rikugo:

This friendly, academic young man is Genbu's student, though he can be quite brutal with his teacher. He is one of Tsuzuki’s 12 Shikigami and has never been summoned out of Gensoukai to aid his master. Rikugo has 6 eyes: head, regular and hands. He is an astrologer, and his powers are related to time manipulation.

Kouchin:

She is one of Tsuzuki’s 12 Shikigami, and in Gensoukai, she appears as a beautiful courtly musician. Kouchin is the mellow, proper lady of Tsuzuki’s female Shikigami. She is a lovely woman, though like Suzaku, she can get all giddy-girlish when dealing with Hisoka. She totes a biwa, her musical instrument, and since she always has it with her, it might be possible that her power is something akin to being a siren.

Daion:

One of Tsuzuki’s 12, this Shikigami appears in the form of a pot with a face. What power this little guy holds is uncertain, as Tsuzuki has yet to summon him for any purpose.

Taimou:

Taimou, one of Tsuzuki’s twelve, appears to have a black hole for a face. Not only is this Shikigami never summoned, but it also has very few appearances making it hard to distinguish simple things like personality, type, and gender. As far as appearances go, Taimou is faceless.

Tenkuu:

This Shikigami is the building in which Touda was locked away in before Tsuzuki pulled a few strings to have him released. One of Tsuzuki’s 12, the man has yet to summon this building to aid him in battle, but if it could keep Touda locked up, it must be pretty powerful and have a special brand of magic all its own: It shouldn’t be underestimated. Kijin calls this Shikigami 'Tenkuu-ojisama.' Tenkuu-Kyuu, meaning "Sky Palace" is Tenkuu's title.

Shiisa:

Also known as Caesar, this little naïve-to-the-human-world Shikigami has no master but made it to Chijou without being summoned. He landed in Okinawa after falling through one of the wormholes that are becoming a growing problem within Gensoukai. When he first arrived in Chijou, he was deathly afraid of humans and instead of trying to talk to someone for help, he tries to scare everyone away in self-defense. However, once Tsuzuki finally confronts him, he gets better and the Okinawa area Shinigami, Chizuru, adopts him. Since Chizuru adopts him, it can be surmised that she is Shiisa’s master now, though its not mentioned… but all you need to become a Shikigami’s master is to pass a test put forth by the Shikigami. The test Shiisha made could have been to simply find someone to help him and take care of him (since he’s so shy and innocent.)

Riko:

This is Hisoka's first Shikigami. He is a Spanish-speaking, cowboy hat wearing, defensive/water type cactus and Hisoka could not be more upset with his Success at securing himself a Shikigami, especially when he was after something more powerful… like Kurikara. Unfortunately, Hisoka resents the fact that Riko is a defensive type and not offensive, deeming it a flaw and weakness. But Riko is ever-cheerful and that only seems to make Hioska more peeved. However, it appears that Hisoka had actually become quite fond of the talking plant, seeing as how he was terribly distraught when the little guy sacrificed his life to save Hisoka

KaGanKokuShunGei:

Affecionatley referred to as Kuro-chan by Wakaba, This is Terazuma’s parasitic type Shikigami. The name translates to ‘Red-Eyed Black Lion.’ Because he didn’t want it (the previous area Shinigami forced the Shikigami on him,) Terazuma has a terribly troubled relationship with his Shikigami. Namely, whenever he touches a girl (or even someone who reminds him of a girl) this Shikigami transforms Terazuma into its beast form: A black, gigantic, winged red-eyed lion, thus freeing itself until Wakaba can seal it back. Because KaGanKokuShunGei ‘swells’ when the humidity is high, there is a greater chance for Terazuma’s Shikigami to come out when it rains.

Kojirou:

Kojirou is One of the Tengu brothers who guards the Suzaka Gate. He has black hair and light skin, the matching opposite to his brother, Kotarou. This is the brother who loses a wing during the brothers’ mission to save Hisoka. Tengu are Wind Shikigami, so losing a wing is a pretty big deal. He and his brother have an extremely close relationship and are very dependent on one another. However, of the two, Kojirou appears to be slightly more reckless and tough. Kojirou, like his brother, has a beast form that looks just like all the other Tengu… a creepy reptilian/avian creature that stands upright.

Kotarou:

He is a wind type Tengu Shikigami who, like his brother, has no master. Although he is a great deal similar to his brother, Kojirou, he seems to be the more subdued, proper one. He and his brother are very affectionate toward each other. Kojirou has white hair and dark skin, the perfect complement to his brother. He and Kojirou guard the Suzaku Gate and as such, are on good terms with Wakaba, the Suzaku Gate Keeper. (When Kojirou and Kotarou first appear in the Manga, they come in their human forms, since Wakaba had requested it last time she met with them. Terazuma is quite jealous of the relationship that the brothers and his partner share.)

Kurikara RyuOh:

Kurikara is a fire dragon type Shikigami who currently has no master (though Hisoka is eager to change that.) He happens to be very short (Kurikara only comes up to Hisoka’s chest,) and Hisoka is a bit miffed at the size of the supposed ‘extremely powerful’ Shikigami he’d been tracking. However, Hisoka learns a terribly painful lesson by underestimating the pint-sized dragon. Kurikara’s beast form has yet to be seen in the series (possibly because he cant be summoned without a master, or perhaps he just prefers to remain able to use his swords.) He is a master swordsman, and his two swords (Futsunomitama and Amenomurakumo; who also happen to be fire Shikigami that Kurikara himself masters,) are extremely famous swords in Japanese history. Kurikara’s power rivals that of Sohryu himself, but being a fire type, he has a terrible temper just like Suzaku, and Touda.

He and Sohryu used to be very close friends, though they aren’t so buddy-buddy anymore (…Sohryu was the on who took out the little guy’s eye.) Because of Sohryu’s blind faith in The Celestial Emperor, Kurikara was banished and imprisoned in a desert prison by Sohryu after he was found guilty of treason. Kurikara questioned The Celestial Emperor’s orders in the past, but now has an extremely bad opinion of said Emperor. The little fire dragon must be pretty powerful, because even though The Celestial Emperor has erased any sense of his presence from Kijin, Kurikara can still tell that The Celestial Emperor is controlling the young water dragon.