Ki Tanmoku

Tanmoku-san (by Shin Shiyou)

Tanmoku Ki (by Keika You)

*This entry is for the character from the donghua. See Duanmu Xi for the manhua equivalent.*

**Tanmoku Ki** (Chinese: 端木熙) is the head of a powerful family of Exorcists. He is known as the Youmeishi and master of the Tanmoku household. His main duty is to perform a large scale exorcism to vanquish and cleanse the earth of evil spirits and pass the wishes of the living to god. Keika You is his spirit shadow.

## Appearance

Ki is a tall and attractive young man with medium-length white hair that is kept short with two long bangs framing the sides of his face and grey eyes (white eyes in the manga). His attire usually is an office short, tie and a coat.

His typical attire consists of a long black hoodie, white button-up shirt underneath, black tie, and black jeans, topped with a blue and black striped scarf draped over his shoulders.

Ki bears a striking resemblance to his own ancestor Rakugetsu Tanmoku.

## Personality

Ki is shown to be indifferent and cold around most people barring his master and Keika You.

He often shows a caring and protective side to Keika. Ki's cousin Jimei Tanmoku also points out that he has only ever seen the man smilingly blissfully in front of Keika.

However hola he can also appear to be quite heartless as shown when he fired Tanmoku's family's butler, who has served them for a long time, after his son almost killed Keika even though the butler begged him to forgive both his son and himself for the idiotic acts caused.

According to Keika, he is also quick-witted and quick to solve problems. This was shown when Jimei and Jiun along with the Shito family blamed Keika for using the Rakugetsu sword without permission to hurt Ritsu Shito. He silenced all of them when he gave the sword to Keika to use it as his own.

Ki seems stern, stoic and mature above his age due to the role he has to play as the master of the Tanmoku household.

He is also shown as a sleepy head who is always sleeping if not eating. This seems to irritate Keika as the former does not tend to 'get fat' even with his lazy, inactive schedule.

## Relationships

### Keika You

You Keika is the spirit shadow/soul image of Tanmoku Ki. After coming across Keika in a landfill site having pursued a spirit there, Keika was chosen when he was hit by a truck and died on the spot. Tanmoku Ki convinced Keika to be his spirit shadow when he the told the latter that he will disappear within the seven days of his death or be turned into an evil spirit.

Ki is shown to have a very gentle and caring side to Keika, often saying that he is the one thing that is important in Ki's life and the precious person he holds dear. He was visibly worried and unhesitatingly showed it when Keika told Ki that his soul was almost ripped apart by Shito Ritsu. Ki yelled at him and told him that he should have called him. When an irritated Keika yelled back that he called for Ki several times in his head, Ki was flustered and even blushed at the fact.

Ki is able to sympathize with Keika at the fact that he knows what losing parents feel like and stated that he wanted to be Keika's family. He was also the one that paid for Keika's funeral.

Ki goes to great lengths to protect Keika. Giving him a robe to protect him from other powerful spirit shadows and sacrificing his own life to save his 'soul image'. He also cares a lot about Keika's feelings and emotions to the point where, while he was wounded and healing, he drove Keika to his home town on the seventh day of Keika's death, so that the boy could express his feelings and visit his friends one last time.

There seems to be a romantic development between the two protagonists. This was shown several times over the story. It was considerably depicted when Ki informed him, while they hugged, that the braid that was specially made for him, tied in his hair, lets him live even if Ki dies and kisses his soul ring to release him of his "distance restriction". To save Keika's life, Ki casts him away to a safer distance. When Keika returns to save Ki but Keika loses his soul instead, Ki calls out to him desperately. When Keika doesn't respond and he is indeed shown to be soul-less, Ki is considerably saddened and loses his will to fight.

In episode 10, when Ki calls Keika to his room, a wounded Ki was being told by Keika that he should go and mend the wound, Ki leans in and kisses Keika on the lips. Keika blushes and asks what that was all about but Ki faints on top of him before he could give an answer.

There is also strong evidence that both Ki and Keika met when they were children. In the first episode of season 2, Keika explained that he wanted to save a youkai boy who asked for Ki's help, since the boy reminded him of a similar child he helped protect from bullies during when Keika was around 10. When hearing this, Ki seemed shocked, and asked when this happened. A flashback then occurs, with the boy that was being protected by Keika running home to his mom saying that he made a friend, and that he 'could see his spirit'.

After a few years when Ki was 16, He asked Shouken to find that boy and give him a letter which was wrote to thank him. Also Keika doesn't seem to know that the child was Ki

Ki and Keika's relationship is a running gag in both anime and manga as a "married couple" because of the soul contract that binds them both together for life. The ceremony for the contract is even similar to a wedding where they pledge their vows to each other. Ki and Keika could be described as each other's soulmates.

In Season 2 of Spiritpact, in episode 12, Ki and Keika make a real pact connection. Ki is asked why he cares for his sprit shadow so much. Ki cares for Keika so much because Keika is only one who doesn't want anything from Ki. Ki's perfect appearance doesn't impress Keika and Keika didn't abandon Ki when he was weak. Ki says, as long as I am myself, even if I can't do anything or don't have any kind of status, that Keika will never blame Ki. Keika values Ki as a person. Ki describes Keika as being the only person in his past and future.

At the end of episode 12, Ki draws a soul binding circle for Keika. Ki is afraid that nothing is binding Keika in the world and that eventually Keika will become an evil spirit. Keika reassures Ki by saying that he does have an attachment to the world. Keika with confidence says that Ki is the connection that binds him to the world and as long as Ki exists, Keika won't disappear. Ki realizes he wants Keika to continue to exist even when Ki dies.

### Mistress/Obaa-Sama

The mistress is the grandmother of Ki and the current female head of Tanmoku household. She deeply cares for Ki. When she was informed that Ki was stabbed and was in danger she immediately fainted at the news.

### Shin Shiyou

Shin is Tanmoku's fiance in a pre-arranged marriage facilitated when they were children where he consistently remains aloof regarding Shin and he drops her off alone at hotels when she comes to visit. Shin has unrequited love for Ki. Shin wants love from Ki and that is what also prevents Ki from being by her side.

### Jimei Tanmoku

Jimei is Tanmoku's half brother/personal secretary who have a slightly complicated relationship where even though he takes care of Ki properly and effectively he is still reluctant at accepting him as the Youmeishi.

### Jiun Tanmoku

Jiun is his cousin. Even though they belong to the same family their relationship is quite complicated as they both don't share a positive outlook on each other.

### Master

Ki has a master that taught him many things he knows presently including some martial arts and sword fighting. He turns to his master for help when he loses his spiritual powers.

### Ritsu Shito

Ritsu is the main villain in the anime whom tries to hurt Ki and Keika multiple times that he bares a strong grudge towards Ki.

### Shouken Shinryuu

Shouken Shinryuu was Ki Tanmoku's bodyguard before he killed himself. Ki thought that Shouken betrayed him and lived thinking that, until he saw Shouken's memories. Ki realized that Shouken saved him. When Ki was young, Ki didn't want a spirit shadow because he had Shouken.

## Quotes

* “Hurry up and get out of here. You said your name was You Keika, right? I’ll remember that”

* “The truth is, I want you to be my spirit shadow” - (*To Keika and stated as a reason for him being there with him on the night of his reincarnation*)
* “Do you think I would be fooled by your antics?” - (*To the Evil Spirit Girl when the time to complete a spirit binding pact was near*)
* “Based on his personality, there’s no way he’d enter into a contract with me so easily. He would have asked about the risks of putting on the ring” - (*Tanmoku explains how he saw through the Spirit Girls*  *indiscernible disguise and what he has gathered of Keika's personality in the brief time he has observed him*)
* “If she remained here, the balance between light and shadow would crumble” (*Explaining to a concerned Keika why the spirit had to be purified and removed from this world*)
* “Whatever the reason may be, I will not pardon murderers”

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Spiritpact Episode 1