Ichiyō Higuchi

## Voices

**Ichiyō Higuchi** (樋口 一葉, *Higuchi Ichiyō*) is a mafioso of the Port Mafia who works under Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's orders and acts as his assistant and bodyguard.

## Appearance

Higuchi is a short, beautiful young woman. Her hair is blonde and comes down to her shoulders, which she usually keeps tied up into a messy bun. Her eyes are a deep brown color. She wears a black suit that she leaves unbuttoned and is also usually seen wearing a pair of rectangular, blue sunglasses.

When attempting to deceive the Armed Detective Agency, she has a more refined appearance. Her hair is let out of its usual bun and is brushed neatly. She is also seen without her sunglasses and her jacket and shirt buttoned up properly.

## Personality

As a mafioso, Higuchi proves ruthless and fearsome, not shying away from killing her targets. When confronted by the enemy, she has a distant atmosphere to herself, often strictly no-nonsense and showing little sympathy for them. Quick to act, she seldom tolerates disrespect and detests those who underestimate Port Mafia.

However, Higuchi's personality, as her boss and she herself notes, is rather unfit in the Port Mafia. Beneath her tough exterior, she is easy to upset, hesitant, and quick to question herself. She even contemplated leaving several times, despite the inevitable hardships defection foretold. As a result, her subordinates seldom show her respect, many following her orders out of fear of Akutagawa's wrath. An impulsive spirit also leads her to tend toward drastic measures, consequently going against orders.

Thankfully, her determined and honest nature earns her Black Lizard's respect. She proves reliable and incredibly brave, even if her judgment is easily clouded under pressure. Even if questioning her position in the mafia, Higuchi shoulders its burdens and responsibilities to this day, understanding its vital role in Yokohama's safety. She also makes it a point to not be unnecessarily cruel to her opponents, acting strictly professional in Akutagawa and Port Mafia's names.

Her instinct to tell Akutagawa everything she knows ends up a key component to luring Akutagawa to The Guild's Moby Dick. However, Higuchi makes up her weaknesses for having a strong resolve, and she refuses to turn away when allies, especially Akutagawa, are in danger.

Her composure can often waver. Sometimes she is cool-headed and intimidating, other times easily unsettled and stressed out. Ultimately, she seems to excel more in covert operations than the frontlines, as a tendency to panic leaves her wide open in battle.

Her biggest weakness is her intense, bordering obsessive loyalty to Ryunosuke Akutagawa, whom she obeys almost unconditionally. She often insists on filling in for Akutagawa, worried about his poor health. Unfortunately, her loyalty is met with a frustrated Akutagawa's abusive and harsh treatment, often being called "unnecessary" to him. Nonetheless, Higuchi remains loyal to him.

## Etymology

* The name **Ichiyō** means "one" (一) (**ichi**) and "leaf, plane, lobe, needle, blade, spear, counter for flat things, fragment, piece" (葉) (**yō**).
* Ichiyō's surname **Higuchi** means "gutter, water pipe, downspout, conduit" (樋) (**hi**) and "mouth, entrance" (口) (**kuchi**/**guchi**).

## Trivia

* Higuchi is the namesake of a famous writer who is one of three women to be represented on bills in Japan.
* The real Higuchi also lived with her sister, noted for being rather "useless" and "helpless" without her sibling's assistance.
* The real Higuchi's most well-known literary work is a short story titled "Growing Pains".