Mia Koji

Mia Koji, known in Japan as Nasuti Yagyū (ナスティ柳生), is a fictional character who appears in the anime/manga series "Ronin Warriors" ("Yoroiden-Samurai Troopers").

Nasuti aids the Troopers during their quest against the forces of evil. Not much is known about her past, except that she is half French and half Japanese, and was visiting her grandfather when Arago's (Talpa) invasion began. Unlike her friends, Nasuti has no super powers or weapons. However, she is extremely knowledgeable about the mystical armors and various ancient artifacts. She provides vital information to the Troopers and acts as a caretaker for Jun Yamano (Yuli). Over time, Nasuti becomes like an older sister to them.

In the beginning of the TV series, Nasuti is 17 years old. In "Gaiden", she is 19 years old. During "Kikoutei Densetsu" (The Legend of the Inferno Armor) and "Message" she is in her early 20s.

In the North American fandom, fans often portrayed Nasuti and Ryo as a couple. In the beginning, Nasuti was not liked by many female fans, possibly due to being one of the few, token females and appears to come off as a "know-it-all".

During "Kikoutei Densetsu" Nasuti was crucial in aiding the Troopers in decoding the mysterious language used by Mukara; and she was able to take herself and her friends to where Ryo and Seiji (Sage) were located.

In the 3rd and last OVA, "Message", Nasuti attended a government meeting in Japan where she planned on telling the world officials about the existence of the Troopers. Whether she succeeded in doing so remains a mystery. Unlike the previous episodes, Nasuti only appears in the very last episode; but as always she provides support for Ryo who, at the time, was about to confront the new enemy, Suzunagi.

Nasuti's birthday technically falls on two dates, due to an error made by her creators at Sunrise Animation Studio. According to the YST book, "Memorials", her birthday is listed on May 15, 1970, making her a Taurus. However, according to many other official YST merchandise, her birthday is listed as May 28, 1970, thus making her a Gemini like Seiji. Both official books were compiled by Sunrise; however, the latter date is often used in other official documents. It is also the most popular birthdate used by fans.

Nasuti's family name, Yagyū is based on the real Japanese clan with the same name. Like most of the characters in the series, many of their surnames are based on historical Japanese clans.

Manga and Dōjinshi Adaptions

Nasuti plays the same role in the manga as she does in the anime version of YST. She provides assistance to the heroes but unlike the anime, her importance is downplayed in order to make room for more action. Jun, the little boy who counted on the Troopers and Byakuen (White Blaze) to protect him, becomes more of a key figure.

In dōjinshi, Nasuti maintains her role as the older sister to the five warriors. In Japan, the most popular non-yaoi pairing among the characters is Nasuti and Seiji. While YST dōjinshi have multiplied since the show's start back in 1988, many of them are shōnen-ai or yaoi based. The few dōjinshi that feature heterosexual pairings are often Seiji and Nasuti related. The secondary couplings are either Touma (Rowen) and Kayura or Ryo and Luna.

Trivia

* Nasuti's Japanese voice actress is Kaori Kusaka. Her English voice actress for the TV series is Lalainia Lindbjerg. Maggie Blue O'Hara provided her voice during the three OVAs.