Characters of Otogizōshi anime

The following characters appearing in the Otogizoshi anime series are listed according to the pre-Meiji name-order rules, with the family name preceding the given name. Historical figures that characters are based on, where relevant, are noted after the character's name.

Minamoto no Hikaru

Seimei tends to always wear a mask around his face due to not being able to see, which explains why he always has a certain girl with him to act as his eyes, while he is the ears. Seimei generally has a rather calm attitude and believes rather strongly in the ways of reform. Seimei possesses the ability to heal people, along with perform many other type of feats, which is to explain why even the Ministers of the Right and Left follow his direction. Seimei is the one who sent Minamoto no Hikaru on a rather difficult task to regain the Magatama of Fire, Water, and Earth.

Raikou personally had been led to thought that by retrieving these Magatama, the Capital could be saved. However, later on within the series it is revealed that Seimei has other major plans when attaining all five of the Magatama, which was revealed to Raikou within episode 10. Currently at this same time, Seimei had also conspired with Shutendouji, in which he allowed him three days before handing over his Magatama of Fire if Shuten could be allowed that time to unleash his anger on the capital. Seimei continuously says that his plan will eradicate all sadness within the people.

In episode 13 it is revealed that Seimei is actually Mansairaku with a mask and wig on.

Mansairaku

Sadamitsu seems to like women to a high extent, in which is the primary reason for his will to fight. Sadamitsu also generally wields his two long swords which he uses with great skill. Sadamitsu makes his first appearance within episode 2, in which he is met by Watanabe no Tsuna and Raikou while they had been passing through a small village. Sadamitsu, who claimed that he was a retired warrior, later joins Raikou and Tsuna's crew for truly unknown reasons. Sadamitsu called Raiko as always "Taisho"" rather than Raiko-sama. Sadamitsu's first true feat is when he acted as a decoy for the enemy Tsuchigumo when Raikou and Tsuna attempted to retrieve the Magatama of Earth. It generally seems that Sadamitsu is used by Raikou for secretioned style tactics, such as finding information about certain areas that a normal person could not be able to perform.

Later on within the series, Sadamitsu will attain a friendship with the obnoxious child Sakata no Kintoki, who seems to have an absurd amount of strength. They are brotherly love. Sadamitsu will then continue to reflect his skills with his duel swords throughout the continuation of the anime.

Often at the forefront of comedy within the series, Sadamitsu has a charismatic (if not a little laid-back) attitude and this often causes disputes between him and Tsuna. Possibly because he is not as humble to those in higher rank. .. He seems to see Raiko as more of his equal, rather than being someone in the aristocracy. This sort of nature doesn't cause nearly as many arguments between the two as one would expect. Probably because Lord Raiko is not nearly as pent-up as Tsuna is, and seems much more forgiving, causing a bond between the two.In the end, Sadamitsu knew that Lord Raiko was really Lord minamoto no Hikaru

Kintarō

nihongo|Kintarō|金太郎|Kintarō|seiyu : Wasabi Mizuta
Kintarou literally may refer to Sakata no Kintoki, or Kaidoumaru, which are each entities of the same person. Kintarou is greatly renowned for his strength, in which he claims that his dream is to become the strongest person within the whole of Japan. Kintarou made his first appearance within episode 7, in which he elaborated on his natural obnoxious qualities. Kintarou did so by continuously asking Sadamitsu for food due to being rather hungry, or else he would yell and alert the guards that Sadamitsu had been analyzing. After Sadamitsu had enough out of Kintarou after he had annoyed him to a high extent, they end up both being seen by Shutendouji's guards, in which they both flee rather fast. According to the guards, Kintarou is also a noted thief. Kintarou afterwards joins up with Raikou and the others, and assists them within the attack of Shutendouji's main castle.Later within the series, it seems that Kintarou and Sadamitsu seem to get along together, in which they have a personal friendship towards each other to some extent. When with Sadamitsu, he is always to be sure that everyone receives the fullest amount of food, because he himself can eat just about anything and (according to rumor) when his stomach full of food, he then will help and make him to get ample strong and full of energy.

Matsumushi

Matsumushi is a very young little girl that seems to have exceedingly good eyesight. When first shown during episode 1, it is revealed that Matsumushi is meant to be "the eyes of Seimei, while Seimei is meant to be "her ears". However in truth, Seimei can see perfectly fine without Matsumushi. Matsumushi seems hold a large amount of various medicine with her, such as in the case when she handed medicine to Seimei when they were in quick need of healing the Capital's emperor. Because Matsumushi can not say a single word, it is not known if she follows Seimei through affection, or through configured loyalty set by Seimei. Either way, Matsumushi seems to follow Seimei to any area and is occasionally seen as Seimei's second half. When Urabe later takes the Magatama of Fire after hearing of Seimei's distorted words, Matsumushi personally decides to follow after her. Unlike every other member of the Capital however, Matsumushi is the only one who found Urabe. Matsumushi then unleashes a knife from her right hand and smirks, which may conclude that she has some sense of a killing instinct. However, it seems that Matsumushi left after she stabbed the knife within Urabe's back, in which she was probably hoping that Urabe would die suffering. After Matsumushi then heads back and hands the Magatama of Fire to Seimei, the magatama is soon placed on the elemental table. A large amount of blue body destroying fumes are activated through Enmity, in which the Minister's of Right and Left were literally disintegrated. This amazing force of power throws Matsumushi violently into the wall, where she seems to utter words that can't be spoken, and reaches for Seimei with tears flowing from her eyes. Matsumushi then dies after the section that Seimei was in exploded with Enmity. Thus, Matsumushi had great affection towards Seimei in the end and may have felt some level of betrayal before her death.

Shutendouji

Shutendouji is a major enemy within the Otogi Zoshi series, in which he was the leader over the revenge coalition from his village that had been previously destroyed by the Capital. Shutendouji has a very cruel personality, in which he will always seem to employ the most barbaric style tactics and will even kill his own allies without a second thought. It also seems that he has a taste for swamp-water style sake that has been boiled. Shuten seemed to have owned his own castle, where he had been holding the famed Magatama of Fire, along with many of his soldiers. Shutendouji would later make some type of agreement with Seimei, in which he would give Seimei the Magatama of Fire after unleashing his anger to a full extent within the time limit of three days. Seimei complies with this as to see it as a destined result to the Capital.

When Shutendouji enforced this plan to attack the Capital with all of his troops, he had at first seemed in which no trouble was to come. At the time of evening however, Shuten would unleash his attack upon the Capital through fire rock launching catapults, while he had been hidden in the forest area. Little to the knowledge of the Capital soldiers however, another main army under Shuten would attack the Capital from each main gate while they had been preoccupied with the thought that the enemy's attacks would continue from the sky. This tactic of Shuten led to additional slaughter. However, Shuten had been caught up by Minamoto no Hikaru, and her retainers. Raikou had at first attempted to negotiate with Shuten, but as void of reason as usual, declined. This led to a battle between Shuten and his men, along with Ibaragi, his primary ally. After Shutendouji had been near death, he poured his whole gourd of swamp-water like sake on his body, resulting in him transforming. This revealed that Shuten had been some type of demon within human form. After all of Raikou's retainers had been defeated, and Raikou herself was about to be choked, Ibaragi stabbed her tanto into the back of Shuten's head, effectively killing him. However, before Shuten had transformed, he had dealt a fatal blow to Ibaragi, resulting in her sitting atop him, both to die together while gazing at the stars.

Ibaragi

Ibaragi is a rather young woman that acts as the right-hand mistress of her master, Shutendouji. Ibaragi has a rather kind personality, and vows to forever protect Shutendouji, even when being regularly beaten by him. Ibaragi is first featured within episode 4 when she had been sent by Shutendouji to spy on the Capital, in which she had been noticed by Usui Sadamitsu. Ibaragi is later shown when Shutendouji attacks the Capital, in which she had attempted to convince to him that his actions were barbaric, and he should instead try negotiating with the people of the Capital instead. Shuten responded by beating her, along with abusive talk.

Minamoto no Hikaru and the others later battle it out with Shutendouji, in which Ibaragi performs a minor battle with Sadamitsu. After Shuten then wished to pour all of his swamp-water like sake over his body, Ibaragi attempted to stop him, but was fatally slashed by Shutendouji's sword. Ibaragi, very much near death, delivered the final blow to Shuten, then revealing to Raikou of Seimei's deceit before finally dying.

Kuzume

Kuzume (seiyu : Mayumi Asano)

Kuzume is a young woman of rather attractive appearance that had been first shown within episode 3. Kuzume had been the former leader over the Tsuchigumo clan before having her position stolen by Hoshikuma, a servant of the powerful Shutendouji. This had began after Hoshikuma was sent by Shutendouji from the Western region to take over the Tsuchigumo clan in order to attain a more powerfully established armada, and more slavery of women. Shutendouji's main plan out of this change of events was to attain the power of the Magatama of Earth. Due to this fact, Kuzume was one of many women who were forced to stay within cells as later slaves.
Minamoto no Hikaru and the others later enter into the Tsuchigumo domain to retrieve the Magatama of Earth, in which they meet up with Kuzume and free her. After everyone had laid out their strategy to attain the Magatama of Earth, Kuzume personally attacks Hoshikuma with a tanto, in hopes to kill him. After Hoshikuma is defeated by Usui Sadamitsu, Kuzume reveals to everyone to turn away from their former ways and to remain as a peaceful clan as it once was as their true leader once again.

Hoshikuma

Hoshikuma is first featured within episode 3 as the new leader over the Tsuchigumo clan. Hoshikuma also wields a long yari (Japanese spear) as his primary weapon, along with the ability of catching his opponents within a net as for a final attack to finish them off. Like Shutendouji, Hoshikuma is an enemy saga leader. Hoshikuma had originally remained within the Western region of Japan as an ally of Shutendouji. He is later ordered by Shuten to take over the Tsuchigumo clan and make them conform to rather strict policies. One of these policies is that women should be regularly captured within neighboring villages, and locked up with cells for further uses. Hoshikuma also seems to possess the Magatama of Earth, which he seems to be protecting at all times (for obvious reasons).

After Minamoto no Hikaru and the others have resolved to dispose of the Tsuchigumo and retrieve the first Magatama, they run upon a certain woman by the name of Kuzume. After she is freed, Watanabe no Tsuna plans out his strategy with the others by first acting as a bait, effectively installing fear within the Tsuchigumo. Hoshikuma himself is enranged by this and is attacked by Kuzume, who he easily knocks away. Following this, a duel ensues between Sadamitsu and Hoshikuma, in which he ends up being able to take Hoshikuma down after Raikou had assisted in his escape from Hoshikuma's net tactic. Because Hoshikuma had fallen from such a large distance and was supposedly slashed in the stomach by Sadamitsu, it is assumed that he is dead.