The first season of "Mononogagari" aired in January 2023, with the second season scheduled for July! The story revolves around tsukumogami, spirits that possess ancient objects and take on human form. The protagonist, Kuna Hyoma, hates tsukumogami after his family is taken from him by them, while the heroine, Nagatsuki Botan, is saved by the tsukumogami's family and shares a strong bond with them. This is the story of two polar opposites. Here's a look at the main characters who appeared in Season 1!
Character #1: Kuna Hyoma
The protagonist of the series. The next head of the Ki clan, one of the three great families of the "Saigan" (Saigan) who mediate between "tsukumogami" (spirits) that have possessed and incarnated ancient objects. Ever since her once-respected older brother and sister were killed by tsukumogami, she has harbored a strong hatred for them. Serious and stoic, she repeatedly sealed away tsukumogami without question, driven by her aforementioned hatred. As a drastic measure, she was ordered to live with the Nagatsuki family, a family that lives with tsukumogami.
Character #2: Nagatsuki Botan
The heroine of this work. A university student in Kyoto, she lives with the "wedding furniture" of Kyoto's three major Tsukumogami. Although she is human, she possesses the "Rare People," the souls that give rise to Tsukumogami. This makes her a threat to the power balance between humans and Tsukumogami. As a result, she is targeted by both humans and Tsukumogami. Although she usually behaves cheerfully, she is afraid of trusting others.
Character #3: Kunato Zohei
The current head of the Kunato family, one of the Three Great Saigan Families, and Hyoma's grandfather. When mediating with Tsukumogami, she emphasizes dialogue and considers force a last resort. However, she worries about Heima, who continues to use force instead of dialogue, and as a drastic measure, she imposes training on him by having him live with the Nagatsuki family, where they live together with the Tsukumogami.
Character #4: Haori
She is the leader of the "Wedding Furnishings," one of Kyoto's three major Tsukumogami, and lives with Nagatsuki Botan as part of her family. A gentle, calm and collected woman with glasses, she sometimes reacts by breaking her glasses when surprised. At Gizou's suggestion, he lets Hyoma live with the Nagatsuki family, but behind the scenes, he makes a secret agreement with Zou.
Character #5: Nagi
One of the wedding furnishers, Nagi is a sword tsukumogami. With a bold and quick-tempered personality, he is the first to clash with Hyoma when he arrives. However, he is also quite flexible, and after accepting Hyoma, he is the first to sign a petition approving his stay. He also has excellent combat abilities, and although he has reservations about hunting his own kind, he is willing to do any job to protect Botan.
Character #6: Yui
One of the wedding furnishers, she is a hairpin Tsukumogami. Although cold-hearted and indifferent, she dotes on Botan and is extremely wary of Heima, Botan's arranged marriage partner. While normally cool-headed, she becomes extremely agitated when Botan is involved. In battle, she ties up and restrains enemies. As a result, she often acts and fights alongside Heima, and despite their differences in intention, they ultimately show great teamwork.
Character #7: Suzuri
One of the wedding furniture, he is a Tsukumogami of an inkstone. He has a flirtatious personality and enjoys walking around town and approaching women. Apparently, he does this to understand what humans find enjoyable. He has the ability to transform his body into ink, and can regenerate unharmed even if physically destroyed.
Character #8: Mirror
One of the wedding furniture, she is a mirror Tsukumogami. She has the appearance of a young girl, is innocent, and is interested in shojo manga and human romance. Through the mirror, she can see the truth about her target's past, criminal history, and more. She can also change her appearance, sometimes taking on an adult form when going out.
Character #9: Kushige
One of the wedding furnishers, Kushige is a Tsukumogami of a box. He appears as a muscular, middle-aged man with a long beard, and creates a powerful barrier around the mansion. He is very quiet and rarely speaks, but is surprisingly sociable and enjoys playing shogi with the neighborhood association. Because he devotes a great deal of energy to maintaining the barrier, he rarely leaves the mansion.
Character #10: Kadomori Taiju
He is the head of the Kadomori faction, representing the Kyoto Guardians. While at first glance he appears friendly, he is secretly determined to exploit anything that can be used to his advantage. Kizohei describes him as "a bird of prey disguised as a raccoon dog." While he is a man who will use any means necessary, even using puppet charms to exploit Tsukumogami, he is often at the mercy of Hyoma, Tsubaki, and Botan.
Character 11: Kadomori Tsubaki
The daughter of Kadomori Taiki, she is a young, 22-year-old who surpasses her father and two older brothers to become the most powerful warrior in the Kadomori faction. While she has a laid-back and elusive personality, she has inherited the Kadomori faction's ideology and is a battle-crazed warrior who enjoys fighting when it comes to battle. Like Hyoma, she is searching for the Karakasa Tsukumogami that killed Ki Hayato and Ki Kobuki.
Character #12: Kai
One of Kyoto's three major Tsukumogami, Kai is said to possess the strongest combat abilities of any single Tsukumogami. He has existed since the Edo period, and due to his immense power, he is usually sealed within a barrier by Sai, the sealer. Because of this, he is always bored, and his hobby is tormenting visitors and holding them captive for long periods of time. When he is allowed out as an exception, he engages in combat while teasing Hyoma, demonstrating his overwhelming strength.
Character #13: Itsuki
A Tsukumogami of Tamagaki, she is one of the few beings capable of sealing Kaku within a barrier. She appears as a young girl and shares a strong bond of trust with Kaku. However, her own fighting ability is virtually nonexistent, and when she engages Nagi, she is defeated with a single flick on the forehead, making the fight a non-event.
Character #14: Aogi
Aogi is a special-purpose tsukumogami who specializes in information gathering and internal investigations. He works in tandem with the 12-layered tsukumogami "Uchi." He's well-known enough to receive requests not only from Saigan but also from hostile tsukumogami, and while it's not his primary job, he's also capable of rough work. He once tried to force Ki Heima to talk after his involvement in the Nagatsuki Botan incident, but later joined forces with him and became his ally.
Character 15: Uchiki
A 12-layered Tsukumogami who teams up with Ogi. A muscular, silent, male Tsukumogami, he excels in hand-to-hand combat. Even when damaged or sealed, his shell simply peels off, making him extremely tough. When he receives a certain amount of damage, the shells peel off one by one, and when only about three shells remain, he transforms into a slim woman.
Character #16: Yagen
This female tsukumogami is a tool used to grind medicine. She undergoes an examination to become an exceptional tsukumogami, adapting to human society. However, she becomes suspicious and goes berserk, fearing she will be betrayed and forcibly sealed away. Although she is successfully certified, she is taken into custody by the Kadomori faction, where her ego is sealed away and she is forced to fight Heima as a tool. Rescued by Heima, she is finally granted her freedom.
Character #17: Shota Kadomori
The eldest son of Daiki Kadomori and Tsubaki's older brother. He is an elite member of the Kadomori clan, specializing in combat using talismans. Although he was easily defeated in his battle with Heima, he is a proven and capable fighter, a caring and preachy person. Due to his position as a member of the Kadomori clan, he became involved in the turmoil surrounding Botan Nagatsuki, and he works behind the scenes with his brother.
Character #18: Kadomori Umekichi
Kadomori Daiki's second son. He is an elite Kadomori, skilled in hand-to-hand combat using sealing techniques. Like his brother, he was not particularly good in the battle against Hyoma, but in times of crisis, he worked behind the scenes alongside his brother, supporting the declaration of war.
[Mononokegari Act 2] Summary of Characters from Season 1
Here's a summary of the main characters who appeared in Season 1 of Mononokegari! The first season depicted the protagonist's encounter with the hero, whose family was taken by a Tsukumogami, and the heroine, who was saved by a Tsukumogami, as well as their encounters with the Tsukumogami surrounding them! In the second season, new characters will appear, and the Tsukumogami, Hyoma's enemies, will begin to take action, so the story will accelerate even more! There's a lot to see! If you haven't seen the first season, I highly recommend watching it before watching the second season!
