Somali and the Forest Spirit is set in a fantasy world where humans have historically lost the struggle for survival, been persecuted, and been driven to the brink of extinction. The story follows the journey of Somali, a human girl, and Golem, a mechanical forest guardian, as they search for the few remaining humans. The story follows Somali, a human girl, and Golem, a mechanical forest guardian, as they encounter various encounters and experiences in a world that is cruel and desolate for humans. This time, we'd like to introduce Somali, Golem, and the people they meet along the way!
Somali and the Forest Spirit Characters #1: Somali, a Human Girl
The protagonist of this work is a young human child. Although she adores the golem and calls it "father," she doesn't even know whether her real family is alive or dead. In this world, humans have been persecuted and eliminated, so she doesn't know what others would do to her if they discovered she's human. She wears a horned hoodie and pretends to be of minotaur descent.
What's Somali's Personality Like?
Somali is still a young child. She's bright, energetic, and curious, and she'll disappear anywhere if you take your eyes off her—just like a child. Despite her persecuted status, Golem has a lively and cheerful personality, making her friends with anyone. However, this can also be dangerous, which worries Golem. She's also growing and has a big appetite, which worries Golem, as food costs are high.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Characters Part 2: Golem, the Forest Guardian
Golem is a machine whose mission as a forest guardian is to protect the forest for the rest of his life. While he's supposed to simply carry out his mission mechanically, for some reason he leaves the forest and travels with Somali. While logical, rational, and emotionless, the Golem appears to possess the ability to learn emotions, gradually awakening to them as it spends time with Somali. He cares deeply for Somali and embarks on a journey to find other humans like Somali so she can live in peace. One reason for this is that the Golem has a limit to its activity, and it doesn't seem like it has much time left.
The Multifunctional Golem
As a guardian of the forest, the Golem has a vast knowledge of flora and fauna and can communicate with them. It also possesses the ability to analyze the components of materials through its eyes, and as a machine, it excels at precise movements and possesses exceptional dexterity. Once he learns a recipe, he's a super-multitasking dad who can cook and prepare medicines himself.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #3: Shizuno, the Oni Pharmacist
Even among the oni tribe, Shizuno is only as tall as a child, but she excels in intelligence. While traveling, she meets Somali and Golem, and teaches Golem how to prepare medicines. While she has an elusive personality and can be a bit careless, she is kind and understanding, and doesn't discriminate against Somali even when she realizes she's human. After parting ways, they reunite in the town of Kajiruba and begin traveling together.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #4: Shizuno's Assistant, Yabashira
A large male demon, he is technically Shizuno's assistant, but he is constantly scolding her for her careless and lazy nature, so he is essentially more of a guardian. Contrary to his appearance, he is kind and earnest, and his hobby is baking. As befits his demon race, he is strong.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #5: Hazel, the Younger Sister of the Witch Sisters
Hazel is a witch from a family of witches whose job is to collect and store knowledge. She serves as the librarian at the Witches' Library, which complements this knowledge. She wears glasses and is a diligent librarian, always scolding her lazy sister, who is a researcher at heart. Recently, she's worried that her clothes are no longer fitting her properly.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #6: Praline, the Older Sister of the Witch Sisters
A witch who works at the Witches' Brand Library, she is Hazel's older sister. She's lazy and single-minded, so she often steals books and locks herself in a room in the library, which her sister often scolds. However, despite her seemingly careless personality, she is actually a kind older sister who secretly cares for her younger sister. Perhaps she's a genius.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #7: Isolda Nevzorkh, the Witch Chieftain
Isolda Nevzorkh is the witch who currently serves as the director of the Witch's Library. She has lived for over 300 years and is the woman who initiated the extinction of humanity. Her ancestors published a book summarizing human behavior, which quickly made this information known to the world. Active human interaction led to conflict, with weaker humans losing the battles. She has suffered from this ever since, but after confessing what she did to Somali and Golem, she is called to heaven to be freed from her suffering.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #8: Kikira, the Shaggy-Haired Sugarira Tribe Child
A fluffy, furry bird child who meets and befriends Somali in Ant Hole Town. Though she looks different from Somali, she becomes her first friend. Though playful and curious, she's also fearful, as you'd expect for someone her age. She's been to the dangerous underground several times, and there she meets Musrika, a werewolf who manages the underground organization, and regards her as her mentor.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #9: Musurika, a werewolf and member of the Underground Management Association
A member of the "Tsuchinoko Group," the association that manages the underground passages of Ant Hole Town, he oversees the passages, which are filled with dangerous creatures, and keeps watch to prevent children from entering or leaving. He has a tough face, wears an eyepatch, and has a brusque personality, but he is kind to children and is beloved by Kikira.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #10: Uzoi, a Harapuia Girl
A dark-skinned bird-man with spurts and wings. She travels with Haitora, a member of the Falcohor tribe, with the goal of curing Haitora's illness. A girl her age who loves sweets and sometimes manipulates Haitora, who acts as her guardian. Kind at heart, she attempts to attack Somali upon learning that she is a human girl who may be able to cure Haitora's illness, but ultimately fails to act.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #11: Uzoi, a member of the Falcohor tribe who continues her journey? Haitora
A Falcohor man traveling with Uzoi. His face is completely bird-shaped and he is suffering from a serious illness. In fact, he is a human wearing a plague mask, and his village was once attacked by human hunters. His encounter with Uzoi was extremely brutal, and it is related to Haitora's illness.
Somali and the Forest Spirit Character #12: The Very Kind Aunt Rosa
An axolotl-like lady is encountered in the town of Arishigi, where black markets and criminal activity are commonplace. She is the wife of the innkeeper who kindly lends Somali and the golems her hut to shelter them from the heavy snow. She also cooks for Somali and teaches her how to knit. However, that night, some scary people arrive, discovering that Somali is human and attempting to capture her.
The Truth About the Scary Aunt Rosa
In fact, she was the one who realized Somali was human and guided her in their capture. Her gentle behavior was all an act; it was all a plan to capture Somali and sell her for meat. However, she wasn't inherently evil; it all started when she was heavily taxed despite not having enough money to leave town. The truly frightening thing about her was that she lost her mental capacity, regardless of whether she was human or some other species.
[Somali and the Forest Spirit] Character Summary
Here's a summary of the characters that appear in Somali and the Forest Spirit. Since humans are persecuted and on the verge of extinction, most of the characters are non-human. Everyone lives happily and peacefully in the story, but it's a world where humans could be sterilized if discovered, so even though it's peaceful, there are also some slightly scary aspects. In any case, there are characters who appear scary but are actually kind, and characters who appear kind but are actually kind. I think these characters are what make the story so interesting!
