Kuchiba

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**Kuchiba** is a character in *Children of the Whales*. He is one of the Unmarked of the island, and works as an aide to the mayor.

## Personality

Kuchiba is strict, straightforward, and usually annoyed. He can be immature and over- the top, and reacts with extreme annoyance whenever someone breaks the Mud Whale’s rules (such as Chakuro crying during a funeral). He’s easily flustered and quite physically weak, especially compared to thymia users.

After the deaths of the two people closest to him, Mayor Taisha and Masoh, Kuchiba becomes slightly less strict and allows himself to cry at their funerals.

## History

When Kuchiba was younger, he was one of the candidates to become the island's mayor.

## Plot

Kuchiba is first seen during the funeral at the start of the manga, getting upset at Chakuro for crying during the funeral.

Kuchiba is walking with Mayor Taisha when Skyros attacks. He offers her a potted flower, but almost immediately after she takes it the two of them are shot at by soldiers. Taisha dies thanks to this attack, which leaves Kuchiba in shambles. He’s next seen hiding in the medical area of the Mud Whale, crying over Taisha and telling himself it should have been him to die. Masoh tells him to pull himself together, but is told to leave Kuchiba be.

During Skyros’s second and final attack on the Mud Whale, Kuchiba wanders out of his hiding place with the other Unmarked in one of the ship’s towers and embarks on a self- destructive quest for revenge. He walks directly towards the United Empire’s soldiers. It’s unknown as to whether Kuchiba was doing this out of revenge, guilt, a desire to die, or something else. He’s rescued by Masoh.

The two come across a child soldier. Kuchiba has the opportunity to kill her, but Masoh steps in and kills the kid instead, so that Kuchiba doesn’t have to live with the memory of killing her,

## Relationships

### Taisha

Kuchiba was been in love with her for a long time. However, due to her position as Mayor, she would be unable to requite his feelings even if she knew of his love for her.

### Sumi

Against his will, the Committee of Elders pushed for Kuchiba to marry Sumi due to her frail health. He didn't like her showing affection to him at first, but that

### Kikujin

Kikujin is Kuchiba’s son. The two had an extremely distant relationship, as was typical of a Marked- Unmarked familial bond, but after learning that there was a solid possibility Kikujin would nit die an early death provided he could leave the Mud Whale, Kuchiba became a much more affectionate parent.

### Masoh

Kuchiba and Masoh are frequently at odds and have been since they were both quite young. Kuchiba frequently picks on Masoh’s brawn over brains personality. Despite all this the two genuinely care for each other.

After learning that the Nous Falaina is what takes away the Markeds‘ lives, Kuchiba became desperate to save Masoh by bringing him off the Mud Whale once the ship arrived at Amonlogia. He’s seen doing mental calculations of the length of their trip to Amonlogia in the hall outside of Masoh’s sick bay room. Kuchiba still snips at Masoh while the latter is in the hospital area of the Mud Whale, but it’s more to keep up appearances than because of anything else.

Masoh gives Kuchiba the nickname “Kucchi”.

## Trivia

* Kuchiba is named after a color in Japanese (朽ち葉) translated as "decayed leaf brown."
* During the first attack by Skyros on the Mud Whale, his right arm was injured, leaving him unable to use it.

## References

1. ↑ Volume 1 page 192
2. ↑ Chapter 14