Seishirō Sakurazuka

from deadly attack spells he had used. ["Tokyo Babylon" book 7, annexe "Secret". Seishirō also defines the term "sakanagi" in book 3, vol.3.]

In 1991 he meets up with 16-year-old Subaru Sumeragi, Japan's most powerful "onmyoji", after the latter's "shikigami" causes an unlikely meeting between the two at Ikebukuro train station.

Seishirō, now 25 years old, recognises Subaru as the boy he had marked as "prey" years before (despite the fact that Subaru now wore magically-enchanted gloves to conceal the pentagrams), and begins a year of courtship that will ultimately change both of their lives. Often he professes his love for the boy, with Subaru's eccentric twin sister Hokuto enthusiastically supporting the pairing, much to Subaru’s embarrassment. Seishirō also protects Subaru on several occasions, even sacrificing his right eye to protect Subaru from a knife-wielding attacker.

Though freely sharing his knowledge of the occult and occasionally using his powers, Seishirō obscures his true identity and personal details (as an "onmyōji" could be attacked by someone knowing their true date and place of birth) and avoids admitting even the derivation of his own last name. Hokuto suspects he is the "Sakurazukamori" (even half-jokingly threatening to kill him if he ever hurt her brother), but continues to try to bring the two together. Seishirō appears amused by the decadence of Tokyo society ("Where else on Earth do so many people enjoy their descent into destruction?" ["Tokyo Babylon" book 1, vol.0. (English translation by TOKYOPOP)] ), and notes that people are entirely self-motivated ("Even when we want to do something for another person, it's only because we want the satisfaction that we made someone else happy" ["Tokyo Babylon" book 6, vol.9. (English translation by TOKYOPOP)] ). However, by himself, Seishirō often broods on his own nature ("Kindness... and a "pure" heart... two things that couldn't be more alien to me." ["Tokyo Babylon" book 5, vol.8. (English translation by TOKYOPOP)] ), and frequently hints at the bet he made with Subaru.

On one occasion he conceals his assassin nature from Subaru by rendering the latter unconscious when about to carry out a hit."Tokyo Babylon" book 4. vol.5.]

When the year had passed, Subaru finally realises his love for Seishirō, but at this point Seishirō reveals his true nature as the "Sakurazukamori", as well as the nature of the bet. He traps Subaru inside an illusion (featuromg the same cherry tree under which they had met many years before) and tortures him, all the while insisting that he was unmoved and thinks of Subaru as no more than an "object", and wondering why Subaru is upset when similar "betrayals" happen across Tokyo every day. He almost kills the young "onmyōji", but Subaru's grandmother intervenes to free him from the illusion, leaving herself crippled as a result.

Seishirō disappears from Subaru's life after this point; Hokuto, fearing that he will come after her brother, offers up her own life in his place. Seishirō accepts and stabs her through the heart; with her last breath, Hokuto casts a spell whose effects would subsequently be revealed in "X".

At the end of "Tokyo Babylon", Seishirō is seen to have acquired a glass eye to replace the eye he had lost. He also exchanges his normal spectacles for a pair of sunglasses to conceal this.

"X/1999"

After leaving Tokyo following the events of "Tokyo Babylon", Seishirō returns to the city to assume his place as one of the Dragons of Earth. He meets Subaru in "X" after destroying one of the city’s "kekkai", and encounters him again several more times throughout the year, most of these encounters ending in magical combat.

Though still unemotional, Seishirō makes an unlikely friend with Fūma, the most powerful Dragon of Earth; the two share a love of decadence and decide to eat out in all the best restaurants of any place they were about to destroy.

;Rainbow BridgeThe final battle between Seishirō and Subaru takes place during volume 16 of the manga, on the Rainbow Bridge. After some time of fighting, Seishirō heads in for the finishing blow. Hokuto’s final spell takes effect, leaving Subaru with his hand through Seishirō’s chest, killing the Sakurazukamori instead. Hokuto’s final wish was Subaru could not be killed the same way she was. Seishirō knew this, effectively committing suicide.

Seishirō's decision to invoke Hokuto's spell resulted from his belief that it is Subaru's wish to kill him. His last words, of which only cquote|"Subaru-kun, I... you…" are revealed, leave Subaru in a state of disbelief. Coupled with his mother's prophecy that he would be killed by the one he loved the most, it implies Seishirō had emotions and loved Subaru, regardless of his previous claims.

;Seishirō’s WishAfter the incident on Rainbow Bridge, Subaru is slated to become the next Sakurazukamori, for the ritual of succession for Sakurazukamori is to kill their predecessor.

Seishirō wished for Subaru to return to being as he was before they met. As such, he asks Fūma to give Subaru his eye for the one the young man lost. This act completes this ritual and, after regaining his full sight, Subaru becomes the 14th Sakurazukamori and one of the Dragons of Earth.

Relationships

Subaru Sumeragi

In "Tokyo Babylon", Seishirō claims to be in love with Subaru and frequently protects him from danger. However, he reveals it was all a scam, and claims that he really felt nothing for Subaru at all, reinforcing this fact by attempting to kill the 16-year-old Subaru, and ultimately killing his beloved sister.

Throughout "X", Seishirō often engages in battle with Subaru, frequently appearing to have gone easy on the younger man. He is victorious for the most part, and frequently teases Subaru by calling him cute and criticizing his nicotine addiction. Seishirō's true feelings for Subaru are ambiguous, particularly given Subaru's reaction to Seishirō's last words.

It is clear in "Tokyo Babylon", that Subaru has feelings for him, which continue to linger in "X". Despite Subaru's proclaimed hatred for Seishirō, Subaru is visibly devastated by Seishirō's death and holds the older man's body closely as he dies.

Fūma Monō

Seishirō's interaction with Fūma is limited. However, a friendly relationship is forged quickly and effortlessly when they meet up. The leader of the Dragons of Earth seems to be one of the only ones who could ever befriend the Sakurazukamori, suggesting that they sample the best eateries in Tokyo before destroying them, and the two go so far as to share an ice cream.

Fūma, as the granter of wishes in "X", fulfills Seishirō's true wish after Seishirō's death by presenting Subaru with Seishirō's intact eye. Seishirō, displeased that Subaru had been marked by someone other than himself when Fūma destroyed Subaru's right eye, wanted Subaru to remain whole and untouched by anyone but himself. The acceptance of Seishirō's eye results in Subaru becoming Seishirō's successor as the Sakurazukamori and, by default of the role of the Sakurazukamori, a Dragon of Earth.

Setsuka Sakurazuka

Seishirō’s relationship with his mother Setsuka, the previous "Sakurazukamori", is borderline incestuous. The drama CD states that he was taken away from her right after he was born, and the two wouldn't see each other until Seishirō reached nine years of age. Setsuka herself is a woman who looks extremely young and acts very affectionately and free-spiritedly in Seishirō’s eyes, but this comes up with a darker twist; she speaks openly and almost cheerfully about her duty as the "Sakurazukamori" in front of young Seishirō and kisses him on the lips at least twice, once during his first visit, and the other right before she dies.

Setsuka is the one who prophesizes Seishirō’s death at the hands of the “one he loved the most”, and the succession of the next "Sakurazukamori", as she lays dying in Seishirō’s arms.

Appearances in other media

"Tokyo Babylon" 1999

In the live-action sequel to CLAMP's manga, Seishirō Sakurazuka is portrayed by Shihodo Wataru. In the film, the "Sakurazukamori" assassinates a former enemy of the Sumeragi clan; however, his signature hand-through-the-chest style of killing is dropped in favor of magically strangling his victims. No references to his characteristic cherry blossoms are made.

"Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle"

In "", Seishirō appears as a mysterious traveler from Syaoran's past who also gained the power to travel between worlds from Yūko Ichihara, the Dimension Witch. He is currently searching for the vampire twins and initially believed to be a vampire hunter. His younger brother, Fūma, establishes that he and Seishirō are actually treasure hunters. Seishirō's abilities include summoning Oni to fight for him. He is able to perform these abilities with the help one of 's feathers, which Syaoran fails to retrieve in their encounter in Ōto Country. An experienced fighter, Seishirō was also the one to teach Syaoran how to fight by utilizing the longer reach of his legs to compensate for the lack of sight in one eye.

Later he appears in Nihon Country and discovers that Fay has vampire blood and initially believes that Fay and his friends know Subaru's location. After realizing they do not he intends to leave Nihon, but is challenged by the true Syaoran for the feather. Seishirō remarks how Syaoran is like his father, referring to Syaoran's true father [Tsubasa, Chapitre 189] and not Fujitaka, the adoptive father of Syaoran's clone throughout the battle. How Seishirō knows Syaoran's father has not yet been explained.

After Syaoran unleashs his ultimate spell on Seishirō, he reclaims the feather and is sent into the dimension of dreams alone to rescue Sakura's soul. However, it seems that Seishirō intended to give the feather to Syaoran; Fūma remarks, "You were planning to hand over that feather right from the start, weren't you? To that kid [Syaoran] ."

After the fight of the two Syaorans and the kidnapping of Sakura's body by Dr. Kyle Rondart, Seishirō leaves the country to continue his search for Subaru.

He first appears in chapter 42.

References