Myōe, originally known as Yakushimaru, is a young monk who serves as the current high priest of the Mirror Capital, also called the Looking Glass City. He was once an ordinary boy whose family was lost in war. The original Myōe, a legendary monk with the power to bring his drawings to life, found Yakushimaru’s body and revived him using an enchanted pomegranate, which granted him immortality. The original Myōe and his wife, Lady Koto, adopted Yakushimaru as their son. The family moved to the Mirror Capital, a surreal world the monk had created through his drawings. There, the original Myōe drew two more children for Yakushimaru: a brother named Kurama and a sister named Yase. When the original Myōe and Lady Koto eventually departed, the monk left Yakushimaru his title of high priest and his prayer beads, promising he would return with the beginning and the end.

After his parents left, Yakushimaru took on the name Myōe and became a member of the Council of Three, the ruling body of the Mirror Capital, alongside Kurama and Yase. Unlike his siblings, who were brought to life from drawings, Myōe is fully human. He carries a deep sense of apathy and a secret desire to die, burdened by the endless wait for his parents’ return and the weight of his father’s legacy. His immortality, once a gift, feels more like a curse. He often appears indifferent to his surroundings and does not show much concern for the city’s affairs in the way Kurama does, though he does not neglect his duties entirely. He can be easily irritated, especially by the chaotic energy of Koto, a girl who arrives in the Mirror Capital and who is later revealed to be the biological daughter of the original Myōe and Lady Koto. Despite his frustration, Myōe takes on the role of caretaker for Koto and her brothers, watching over them in the present day.

Myōe’s role in the story is central as one of the three rulers of the Mirror Capital and as a figure caught between duty and personal despair. His key relationships define much of his arc. His bond with his adoptive father is fraught with bitterness and longing for closure. His interactions with Kurama and Yase are strained by their differing views on their father’s legacy, yet they share the same longing for their parents’ return. The arrival of Koto forces Myōe to confront his own feelings about life and death. Through his growing connection with her, he slowly learns to value his own existence beyond the role his father left him.

Over the course of the series, Myōe undergoes significant development. He moves from a state of emotional numbness and suicidal yearning to a place of acceptance and purpose. He eventually steps into his role not just as a caretaker but as a true protector and creator in his own right, choosing to live and carry forward the legacy of his family. His notable abilities include the immortality granted by the enchanted pomegranate, the authority and sacred implements passed down from the original Myōe, and the administrative and spiritual responsibilities that come with being high priest of the Mirror Capital.