Tamasuke Manabe

* Anime
* Manga

**Tamasuke Manabe** (真鍋 たますけ, *Manabe Tamasuke*), formerly **Tamasuke Shima** (志磨 たますけ, *Shima Tamasuke*), is Tamahiko Shima's uncle and the younger brother of Tamayoshi Shima. He is a doctor.

## Appearance

Tamasuke is tall with black hair and gray eyes, and has a dark complexion.

## Personality

Tamasuke is highly respected as a doctor and is known to be workaholic and takes his job very seriously to the point Hakaru Shiratori complains that he works everyone to death.

He is wary of his family, particularly Tamayoshi over his brother's ruthlessness and the fact that Tamayoshi forced Tamasuke's former lover into marrying him, an act that Tamasuke never forgave him for.

He has a good relationship with Tamahiko and Tamako, and looks after them when they are estranged from their father. He seems to care very little for Tamayo and Tamaki. He never met Tamao until the boy left the family and was revealed to be his illegitimate son. He is shown to be a caring surrogate father figure to his nephew and niece, and shows great care for Tamao after learning they are father and son.

## Background

Tamasuke is the youngest of seven siblings, with Tamayoshi being the eldest. Their parents left their children to starve while they took whatever food they could get. Upon reaching adulthood, Tamasuke met and fell in love with Touko and the two wanted to marry. However, Tamayoshi's first wife passed away and he decided to force Touko to be his second wife without consideration for Tamasuke's feelings. This outraged Tamasuke and he never forgave his brother for taking Touko away from him. This prompted Tamasuke to leave the Shima family in search of a better life.

A few years later, Touko ran away from Tamayoshi and returned to Tamasuke for comfort, resulting in a brief affair. She was forced to return to Tamayoshi and learned she was pregnant with Tamasuke's child, Tamao. This was kept a secret from Tamasuke by Tamayoshi, and thus, Tamasuke never knew he fathered a child. Eventually, Tamasuke became a doctor and married an unnamed woman, taking her family name Manabe and completely severing his ties to the Shima family.

## Plot

Following a car accident that kills Touko and injures Tamahiko, Tamasuke is able to save Tamahiko but reports to Tamayoshi that he has lost usage of his right arm. Tamasuke is shocked when Tamayoshi responds that Tamahiko is useless to him now and decides to have him exhiled from the family.

Tamasuke learns from Tamako that she has decided to become a doctor. This thrills him and he invites her to stay with him so he can teach her what being a doctor is about. He allows her to observe him working and has her volunteer at his hospital while she continues going to school.

Following the disaster of the Great Kanto Earthquake, Tamasuke and Tamako go to Tokyo to help the survivors. They are met by Tamahiko and Ryo, who had come to Tokyo to find Yuzuki, who was presumed missing. He tells them Yuzuki is not in the hospital so he lets Tamako go with her brother to resume searching for her. After Yuzuki is found and brought to the hospital with a head injury, Tamasuke cares for her and assures Tamahiko that her life is not in danger. Tamayoshi and Tamayo unexpectedly show up, which makes Tamasuke nervous. Tamayoshi demands that he treat his oldest son who was injured, although Tamasuke wonders why his brother came to him first without consulting other doctors. As Tamayoshi belittles Tamahiko and says a dead man should stay dead, Tamasuke defends his nephew and recommends another doctor for his brother in order to send him and Tamayo away.

In the anime, when Tamahiko decides to return to school to utilize his skills and education, Tamasuke supports his decision and agrees to sponsor him for high school.

After leaving the Shima family, Tamahiko and Yuzuki go to Tamasuke's house to explain their situation. He supports Tamahiko's decision and offers them to live with them until they can get on their feet, explaining they lack the understanding of what it means to abruptly live on their own. He also reveals he is planning to adopt Tamako. When Tamahiko mentions Tamao, he is initially uninterested in the boy. Once Tamahiko reveals Tamao is his son, Tamasuke is shocked and incensed that Tamayoshi kept this a secret from him. He immediately had the boy move in with him.

A year later, Tamasuke holds a birthday party for Tamako and mentions she is legally enough to marry, something that saddens him, as he wonders if she will leave if she gets married.

## Relationships

### Touko Shima

Touko was his originally lover and he hoped to marry her. However, after Tamayoshi's first wife died, he forced Touko to marry him, something Tamasuke never forgave him for. After a few years of an unhappy marriage to the cruel Tamayoshi and forced to bear his children, she ran away and went to Tamasuke, and they had an affair. Tamasuke was heartbroken when she was forced to return to his brother and was initially unaware that he had fathered her youngest son, Tamao. Upon learning the truth, he accepts Tamao as his son and adopts Tamako, as he believes he owes it to Touko.

### Mrs. Manabe

Tamasuke's wife, whom he married sometime after leaving the Shima name behind. Even though Mrs. Manabe cannot have children, the couple are able to live a happy and fulfilling life.

### Tamahiko Shima

Tamasuke did not get to interact with Tamahiko during his childhood, but still cared for him as family. When he saw Tamahiko with Yuzuki, he was inwardly happy that he was able to break off the darkness that opresses the Shima family. He supports Tamahiko's choice to continue his education. When Tamahiko decides to cut ties with his father, Tamasuke allows him to live in his home until they get on their feet, staying on good terms with him as he finds his way forward.

### Yuzuki Tachibana

Tamasuke seems fond of Yuzuki, and is happy at the effect she's had on his nephew's life. He is comfortable enough to let her live in his home with Tamahiko.

### Tamayoshi Shima

Tamasuke despises his older brother, partly because of the way he treats his family and because he stole Touko from him. The two never properly reconciled. While Tamasuke is wary of his brother, Tamayoshi shows him nothing but callousness for abandoning the family.

### Tamayo Shima

Tamasuke didn't interact with Tamayo very much during her childhood. He seems to care very little for her, as she is more ruthless than her father. She equally cares less for him and looks down on him as a traitor to the family.

### Tamako Shima

Tamasuke allows Tamako to volunteer at his hospital after she decides to become a doctor. Overtime, he comes to think of her as a daughter and dotes on her, as seen on her birthday. When she leaves the Shima family to pursue her dream, he and his wife adopt her as their daughter..

### Tamao Shima

Tamasuke never met Tamao until the boy was 16. He never knew he was Tamao's biological father until Tamahiko tells him. Immediately after, Tamasuke insists his son move in with him, later formally adopting him. As father and son begin to bond, Tamao decides to become a doctor like Tamasuke.

### Etymology

* Tamasuke's surname **Manabe** means "real, genuine" (真) (**ma**) and "pot, saucepan" (鍋) (**nabe**).
	+ His former surname **Shima** means "will, purpose" (志) (**shi**) and "grind, polish, scour, improve, brush (teeth)" (磨) (**ma**).

## Trivia

* According to Tamayoshi (Tamahiko's father), Tamasuke adopted his bride's name **Manabe** and ran away to a different house.