Legend of the Willow Characters

This page lists the characters appearing in the book Legend of the Willow, however very minor characters that have minimal bearing on the story have been omitted from this list.

## Main character

#### **Mei**

 *(You, the player)*
Click here to learn more about Mei on her individual character page.

Mei is the main character of Legend of the Willow. Player can pick one of three appearances based on East Asian facial features. Mei is a geisha who grew up in the okiya (Geisha house). She is also a kitsune and has to hide herself from people and yokai (magical creatures) who are after her.

## Love Interests

#### **Kazu**

Click here to learn more about Kazu on his individual character page.

Kazu is a shinobi (ninja). When first meeting Mei, he was captured by samurai and was brought to the city to be executed. Kazu is a secretive man who tends to hide what he thinks. Depending on the player's choices, he can be close friend or lover of Mei.

#### **Masamune**

Click here to learn more about Masamune on his individual character page.

Masamune is a ronin (a masterless samurai). He was on the path of redemption for failing to protect his master when he met Mei and Kazu for the first time. When he heard about fox Mei, he decided to search for her and asked for her help to find oni (demon). Depending on the player's choices, he can be close friend or lover of Mei.

#### **Takao**

Click here to learn more about Takao on his individual character page.

Takao is the head of Naito clan where Kazu is a member. He is also a sorcerer. Initially he was against Kazu for taking Mei into their village, but he agreed to teach Mei how to control magic and eventually came to trust Mei. Mei described Takao as a very secretive and distant person that is hard to read. Depending on the player, Mei can have friendly or romantic relationship with him.

#### **Shino-Odori**

Click here to learn more about Shino-Odori on her individual character page.

Shino-Odori is a yokai who lives near the shinobi village. She is able to transform into human with the help of a magic comb that Mei might have helped to retrieve it. Shino-Odori constantly reminds Mei not to trust human as they are deceitful. Mei can have friendly or romantic relationship with her.

## Shinobi (Ninja)

#### **Grandpa Chongan**

Chongan is a very well respected member of shinobi village. He is the herb and medicine expert in the village and one of very small number of people who could talk back to Takao, the head of the village. He is witty and likes to say whatever he has in mind. He is very caring toward Mei, often teases her and not afraid to show his affection.

#### **Azumi**

Azumi is a kunoichi (female ninja). Takao said that she was one of the best kunoichi in the clan. Since the first time she met Mei, she harbors strong hatred toward her, especially if Mei has romantic relationship with Kazu.

#### **Satoshi**

Satoshi is the expert of make up and disguise in the clan. He could use make up to make a complete change to his face. In the beginning Mei doesn't like her because he often makes impolite remarks that are against Mei's geisha training. However after spending times together, Mei began to understand him and tolerated him more. It is strongly implied that Satoshi and Hong have a romantic relationship.

#### **Hong**

Hong is one of the shinobi in Naito clan. He appears to be calm and often makes fair assessment or comments without being clouded by judgement. He also never complains whenever Takao sends him on assignment. It is strongly implied that he and Satoshi have romantic relationship.

## Okiya (House of geishas)

#### **Sumiko**

Mistress Sumiko was a beautiful young woman working as a geisha. She was Mei's mentor in Okiya and always kind to her. She was found dead outside the city wall, brutally murdered by a monstrous creature in Season 1, Episode 2.

#### **Mother Kinuyo**

Owner of the Okiya where Mei grew up. A mother figure to Mei. She took Mei in when she was a child and trained her into a professional geisha. The Okiya suffered a great loss after Kitsune and Sumiko's incidents.

## Shogun’s Household

#### **Yasuhara Sawada**

Yasuhara Sawada is the Shogun (Military leader) of Noiryo Empire who came from the North Province of Noiryo. He is very a shrewd man; known to be fair but harsh. Every spring Festival of Beauty is organized by his households to give female nobles in Noiryo the opportunity to improve their standing in the society; some might be selected to be his concubine. He wants to remove the Emperor Kin Hattori because he sees the changes that are happening throughout the years and how the Imperial Palace has become a place of terror and oppression. However he also has personal ambition to be the most powerful man in Noiryo.

#### **Eri Hatakeyama**

Lady Hatakeyama is in charge of household management in Shogun's palace; including managing the women who were invited to Shogun’s palace after the Festival of Beauty. Her opinion is well respected in the palace and taken into account by the Shogun. She is very nice to Mei and often helps her in secret. She confides to Mei the reason is because Mei reminds her of someone who helped her years ago when she was in a difficult situation.

[[File:|280x280px|link=]]

#### **Wen Sei**

Wen Sei is one of an important person in the Shogun’s household despite his position is still lower than that of Lady Hatakeyama. He is described to be meticulous, polite and a sweet talker. He has some connections to the oni however it is not known whether he knows the people he deals with are oni and not human.

#### **Lin Kaia**

Lin is one of Shogun’s concubines by the time Mei was introduced to her. She came from Island province and has been in Shogun’s household for few years. She came a from wealthy but not very influential family; however her standing in the society is elevated since she became Shogun’s concubine. Lin has a man she loves in her hometown and depending on your choice, you will be able to support her relationship with her lover.

#### **Takuma Gotou**

Gotou is the commander of the guard, tasked with finding Mei. To hide the fact that Mei is a kitsune, he insists that there was no fox and that patron was, being drunk, simply imagining it. He claimed that Mei saw who killed mistress Sumiko and that he needs her as a witness. Gotou was in fact a powerful Oni (a monstrous creature equivalent to "troll or ogre), could able to disguise in human form for a long time.

[[File:|280x280px|link=]]

#### **Ichiro Nakamura**

Mei's stepfather. He is a blacksmith who lives in a small village in the south. He found a baby floating on the bark near the river and found the dead fox lying near the willow. He then bury the dead fox and decided to raise the baby. He gave Mei to Mistree Kinuyo because he thought it was better for her there than staying in poverty. He said he did the right thing when he said how beautiful Mei is.

#### **Yuzuru Dosho**

The commander of Shogun’s personal guards who is tasked to protect Mei during her journey to the Island and continue to assist Mei during the attack to the Emperor’s palace. He is a well respected samurai with strict upbringing on samurai’s values and an excellent fighter. He is having a difficulty to adapt to the situation arisen during their journey especially in dealing with Mei’s unique companions; eventually he develops respect toward them as time goes by.

#### **Lord Ngai Che**

Daimyo of the Island Province. He is older man who commands respect and has a lot of influences in the nobles in the Island province and other daimyo. He is aware of the changes that happen in Noiryo however he isn’t keen on supporting Shogun’s plan to conduct coup as he is loyal to the Iris (moniker for the Emperor Hattori’s lineage).

#### **Hwang Ozaki**

The right hand of Lord Ngai Che; it is rumored that he is also his lover. Ozaki is a smart young man who came from affluent family in the Island Province. He is an excellent fight who is also practicing magic, and has shared his interest in magic performed by Takao and Mei.

#### **Yoko Na-Yeon**

The onna-bugeisha (female warrior) who leads the Hundred; a group of personal guards consisting of samurai who are sworn allegiance to Mei. Since young age, Yoko has no interest in things that are commonly done by girls such as embroideries. Instead she plays with boys and trains to protect herself due to her father, who is a sailor, often away at sea. She is an excellent fighter who is well respected by the team she leads and other warriors. She caries naginata; a pole weapon with blade attached at the end.