Shizu Karasawa

**Shizu Karasawa** (空澤 志津, *Karasawa Shizu*?) is the female protagonist of the *Ohayou, Ibarahime* manga. She is the only child of Tetsu's wealthy employers who lives on an estate on the hill where she has been forbidden from leaving her house due to being prone to possession by spirits of the dead. Due to having several spirits inside her ever since she was a little child, Shizu never understood the concept of being "herself" until she met Tetsu. Thanks to his influence, Shizu was eventually able to grow into her own person.

## History

Shizu Karasawa is the only child born to Takashi and Sanae Karasawa. The earliest years of her childhood were filled with happiness, and due to her mother being best friends with Tetsu's mother, Shizu and Tetsu sometimes played together as children but either of them doesn't remember these memories.

After becoming prone to the possession of spirits of the dead, Shizu was supposedly possessed by a spirit on the day of the entrance ceremony for elementary school students, and it caused somewhat of a stir. After that, her parents suspected that she had dissociative identity disorder and took her to the hospital. She underwent treatments in a psychiatric ward for multiple personality disorder, but nothing worked. This made her symptoms get even worse as a new spirit would possess her body every single day; she would rant and rave and lash out physically. But one day, it all stopped; the spirit belonging to Shizu's great-grandfather Shinobu took the initiative to protect Shizu and fight off other spirits seeking to take over Shizu's body. He then formed pacts with other spirits willing to protect her.

Since Shizu had calmed down thanks to Shinobu, her parents were finally able to take Shizu out of the hospital. However, one day when Shizu was playing with her mother, another spirit was able to possess her body. Although there was no harm done, Shizu's mother grew terrified of her since she thought that the calm Shizu was someone "pretending to be Shizu" and thus, she couldn't even recognize her own daughter anymore. After that, her parents, specifically her father, made Shizu move out from their mansion and to the outbuilding near the main house instead. Due to her condition, she was isolated and forbidden from leaving the house, only having housekeepers and maids helping with cooking, laundry, cleaning, and other essential things. Shizu also never went to school again but was taught many different things by Shinobu, conversing with him and the other spirits through a notebook. Ever since, Shizu had lived alone at the Karasawa Estate at the hill.

## Appearance

Shizu is a young woman with an average build and height, standing at 160 cm (5'3"), who is noted for being very beautiful with fair skin and droopy eyes. Shizu initially had somewhat of a disheveled appearance and a neutral face, but this changed as she began developing as a person. She has long, black hair with a blue-purplish tint which reaches down to her lower back and longs bangs framing her face. She has purple eyes with a magenta tint.

## Personality

Shizu was initially a very quiet person with a blank personality. She had no likes or dislikes and never showed any interest in anything. She was always either sleeping; or if she was awake, staring into space. This is why she could be mistaken as expressionless or emotionless. Shizu was also agreeable, did anything people told her to, and wasn't even interested in staying alive. She was indifferent about herself to such an extent that she was willing to throw her life away. The reason for her indifference is that she never understood what "herself" really meant― because ever since she was a little girl, her body had never been her own. Despite that, Shizu has always been very caring and has never wanted to hurt anyone, which is emphasized by the fact that she is very quick to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of others. This stems from her childhood experiences since according to herself, she did a lot of things that made other people upset, including her parents. Since then, Shizu has hated making people cry, so she had it easy to close herself off from her parents when they― particularly her mother― was scared and struggled to face her.

Since Shizu was raised all alone in an isolated environment, she was not socialized like others. Although she wasn't completely devoid of emotions, she couldn't make sense of different types of feelings and emotions, which is why she was not completely in-tact with her own or others feelings. She was also scared of the outside world and nervous interacting with people. But following Tetsu's attempt to get to know her, the spirits inside of her, and help her, something that has done to her for the first time in her life, it inspires Shizu to talk more and open up, especially to Tetsu, and she is able to tell him what truly is on her mind. It also leads to her taking more initiative in living her life the best way she knew how to, as well as understanding everyone and everything around her. When venturing outside, she takes notice of the smallest of things and is grateful for everything she is able to do; from playing soccer to small sounds to going to school. Because, in Shizu's world, it was not "normal". Despite her initial eccentricities, lack of self-awareness, and common sense regarding different things, Shizu is a completely normal girl who had just lost a piece of her heart.

Thanks to Tetsu's influence, making new connections, and experiencing different emotions, Shizu develops as a person and becomes an overall happier person. She becomes able to distinguish between and understand all kinds of emotions and feelings, her own feelings included, as well as love which she associates with Tetsu. She gradually grows into her own person; which is revealed to be a determined, brave, and straightforward, but very kind, honest, considerate, caring, and slightly meek young woman who can stand up for herself and others and will do anything in her power to make others happy and smile. In the process, she becomes more self-confident to which she is able to do things that she honestly yearns for, despite what consequences it might bring and what her peers may think. Moreover, Shizu becomes much more talkative, social, cheerful, and approachable; smiling more often, generally expressing herself, and always being excited about making new friends. In connection to this, Shizu begins adapting to society and learns things that she wasn't taught, and she takes great pride in her accomplishments. Furthermore, she begins thinking about her future and develops an interest in attending school and chasing her dreams.

After the spirits residing inside of Shizu's body left for good and Shizu became "only Shizu Karasawa", she decides to continue finding out who she truly is, learn and explore new things, as well as live her life to the fullest, all while remembering everything her spirits taught her and how those things help her live. It is also evident that the time Shizu spent with the spirits is alive and well inside of her, as she picked up a few of their different traits and characteristics.

## Abilities

Ever since she was a child, Shizu had an extraordinary ability which let spirits of dead possess her body. She could only get possessed when she was not conscious (sleeping, fainting, etc). When she was a child, spirits of the dead would possess her every single day until the spirit belonging to her great-grandfather, Shinobu, took the initiative. Since Shizu didn't have the strength to protect herself from those who might take over her body, Shinobu decided he would protect Shizu and formed pacts with other spirits that were willing to protect her. The spirits that had formed a pact with Shinobu to protect Shizu were: Harumichi, Mirei, and later Kanato. The way they protected Shizu was by fighting off spirits and taking possession of her body before they could. This explains why that when Shizu fell asleep and woke up, either Shinobu, Haru, Mirei, or Kanato would possess her body. The rules that apply to this ability are:

* Shizu cannot do anything beyond her own physical capabilities, no matter how strong the spirit possessing her might be. This makes her ability quite harmless, but according to Shinobu, it can still harm the living since there are a lot of aggressive and vengeful spirits that could take advantage of Shizu's body.
* When a spirit takes over for a long time, it takes a toll of Shizu's health and body. That is why Shizu and the other spirits had agreed to a certain rule of switching spirits on a daily system. The spirits only possessed Shizu for a maximum of one day a week, though it could be more or less depending on the circumstances, and let have Shizu have her own body for the rest of the time. This also accounted for making Shizu very tired and exhausted, explaining her tendency to sleeping often.
* Most of the time when Shizu is possessed, she lets the spirit take over completely. However, if Shizu wants badly enough to take over, the spirit inside her will be driven out. Also, a way to force a spirit out of Shizu's body is to give her a mental or physical shock.
* Regarding Shizu's memories and experiences, they are shared with every spirit inside her body and vice-versa. This means that Shizu does remember what happens when someone else is controlling her body. However, Shizu and everyone in Shizu's body can only "see" memories of the words spoken and actions taken in Shizu's body, which means that they do not share minds.

Although Shizu had her supernatural condition for 19 years, the spirits soon realized that the time they could stay in Shizu's body was growing shorter. Mirei theorizes that when Shizu was born, there was a delay in the development of her self― her heart was empty. That is the reason why there were so many gaps for spirits to sneak through and take possession of her body. Her not having a sense of self since she grew up in a very isolated environment could've also contributed to this. But as she met Tetsu and made many connections, her heart grew fuller which left less place for her spirits. When she eventually found her own identity, fell in love, and her heart became completely full, all the spirits left Shizu's body for good. And as so, Shizu does not have her ability and spirits of the dead cannot possess her body anymore.

## Gallery

### Volume and Chapter Covers

Shizu and Tetsu at the cover of the first manga volume.Shizu and Tetsu at the cover of the third manga volume.Shizu and Tetsu at the cover of the last manga volume.Shizu and Tetsu.Shizu curled up.Shizu and Tetsu.Shizu as a child in her room.Shizu and Tetsu strolling around.Shizu as a high school student, with Tetsu.Shizu and Tetsu.Shizu and Tetsu.Shizu, Tetsu, and Chihiro.Shizu in a yukata at a festival.Shizu and Tetsu by the ocean.Shizu and Tetsu working.Young Shizu and Tetsu with their respective mothers.Shizu and Tetsu holding hands.Shizu as the "Sleeping Beauty".Shizu and Tetsu are overjoyed.

## Trivia

* Shizu, her father Takashi, her great-grandfather Shinobu, and her great-grandmother Shihoko, all share the kanji *Shi* (信, ****Shi****?) in their names.
* She was named Shizu on Shinobu's request.
* Prior to meeting Tetsu, Shizu had only gone to school once.
* She is a heavy sleeper, can sleep at any time of the day, and often sleeps past noon. This is because spirits possessing her body takes a toll on her body.
* She is smart and quick to learn new things, despite never going to school.
* Shizu is noted to be good at math and science.