Ritsu

**Ritsu** (りつ) is one of the supporting characters of Shōwa Otome Otogi Banashi.

## Appearance

Ritsu has copper hair and violet eyes. She is around the same height as Tokoyo. As a shrine maiden, she wears the traditional attire of a miko.

## Personality

Ritsu is a hard worker in taking care of the shrine she resides at. She holds a deep disdain towards men to where she doesn't want them to set foot in her home and finds marriage to a man revolting. She holds Tokoyo to a high regard, although Tokoyo is in love with and married to Jintaro, Ritsu has deep feelings for her and yearns to keep her all to herself.

## Background

Ritsu is the daughter of a priest who owns a shrine at the Arima onsen in Kobe. She was disgusted when she learned her father had invited a teenage boy and his lover to live at the onsen inn after they ran away. She was initially afraid of Jintaro but the moment she saw an unconscious Tokoyo, she had strong feelings for the girl. After the pair settled in Arima, Tokoyo occasionally worked at the shrine alongside Ritsu.

## Plot

Tokoyo and Ritsu work at the shrine when Tokoyo complains that Jintaro won't kiss her despite them being married. Ritsu is surprised but admits how she is disgusted by men and values her chastity.

When residents, including Jintaro, begin experimenting ghostly encounters at night, Tokoyo goes to Ritsu about having an exorcism. Ritsu refuses until the inn owner's young daughter, Chitose, convinces her. She and Tokoyo interview the witnesses and Ritsu starts to get scared by their stories. They go to the room of where the previous owner died and start to clean it up.

Ritsu remembers how she met Tokoyo and becomes worried how hard she works. She visits the inn while Tokoyo is working. She gets annoyed when two workers try to push their duties into Tokoyo but Jintaro but them in their place before Ritsu can do something. She watches Tokoyo and Jintaro act lovey dovey and feels jealous. She invites Tokoyo and Jintaro to the hot springs. As the girls bath, Ritsu feels embarrassed at sharing the hot spring with Tokoyo who tells her there's no need as they're both girls. Ritsu admits this is the first time she's bathed with a girl her age and she invited her to cheer her up after working so much. Ritsu asks her not to overwork but Tokoyo isn't concerned, saying Jintaro treasures her and she has a precious friend. Ritsu thinks about what 'friend' means and she realizes that ever since she first saw Tokoyo, she has had feelings for her. As it begins to snow, Ritsu says she can never tell anyone about these feelings.

Ritsu, Liselotte, and inn lady visit Tokoyo and Jintaro as they make preparations to open their own parlor house but end up having a heated argument. Ritsu and the other girls are amused but try to get the pair to reconcile.

When Tokoyo falls ill with turberculosis and Jintaro becomes occupied with tending to her, Ritsu and the rest of the pair's friends help operate their parlor house.

During Jintaro's absence as he is in the army during World War ll, Ritsu visits Tokoyo. They discuss the new birth and breed slogan the Ministry of Health is promoting. Although Tokoyo longs to have a child, Ritsu is disinterested.

## Relationships

### Tokoyo Kurosaki

Ritsu fell in love with Tokoyo the moment she first saw her after Tokoyo and Jintaro arrived at the inn to escape from Tamayo. Ritsu thinks highly of her and is very close with her. Despite her feelings, she respects that Tokoyo is happily in love with Jintaro.

## Etymology

The hiragana of Ritsu's name (**りつ**) has no meaning. Ritsu has several meanings depending on what kanji is used.