OVA
Description
Ayumi Shinozaki is a central character in Corpse Party: Tortured Souls, serving as the class representative of Kisaragi Academy's senior high class 2-9. She is a 17-year-old girl with a small stature, standing 151 cm tall. Ayumi has a deep and well-documented fascination with the occult, fortune-telling, and horror stories, hobbies that she actively cultivates. She also enjoys manga, anime, light novels, and playing on her PlayStation Portable, and she aspires to become an illustrator in the future.
Outwardly, Ayumi often presents herself as a tough and bold enthusiast of all things macabre, frequently taking the lead in telling ghost stories to her classmates. However, this exterior is largely a facade to mask her genuinely timid and easily frightened nature. When faced with genuine terror, she can become deeply anxious and is prone to hyperventilating. Despite her deep-seated fears, she possesses a well of inner bravery and a strong sense of responsibility, which compels her to act decisively in critical moments to protect her friends. Ayumi holds a significant distrust of adults, particularly men, and she harbors a notable crush on her classmate Satoshi Mochida, viewing him as the only boy who would remain faithful. She is also insecure about her artistic ambitions, having been discouraged by more experienced illustrators, and often seeks advice from her older sister, Hinoe, or her teacher, Yui Shishido.
Her role is pivotal as the instigator of the entire ordeal. At the story's beginning, Ayumi decides to perform a friendship charm called "Sachiko Ever After" for her classmate Mayu Suzumoto, who is about to transfer schools. This ritual goes horribly wrong when a powerful earthquake strikes, causing the entire group to fall into a dimensional rift and become trapped within the cursed, decaying halls of Heavenly Host Elementary School. Once inside, Ayumi's knowledge of the occult becomes both a burden and a crucial tool for survival. Her strong spiritual sensitivity, a hereditary trait, makes her highly vulnerable to possession by the vengeful ghosts that haunt the school, leading to episodes of blackouts, maniacal laughter, and violent outbursts over which she has no control. Conversely, this same sensitivity allows her to sense danger and uncover the truth behind the curse. She quickly deduces that to appease the spirits and escape, they must find the severed tongues of the four child victims murdered in the school.
Ayumi's key relationships drive much of her motivation. She is frequently paired with her classmate Yoshiki Kishinuma, who becomes her primary protector. Despite her constant complaints about his lack of tact, she unconsciously relies on him heavily for support and becomes anxious when separated from him. Her crush on Satoshi Mochida is a significant weakness, causing her jealousy, particularly regarding his close friendship with Naomi Nakashima. Her admiration for Naho Saenoki, a famous paranormal blogger whose writings introduced her to the "Sachiko Ever After" charm, turns to horror and anger upon discovering that Naho intentionally spread false information about the ritual online, luring victims to Heavenly Host.
Throughout Corpse Party: Tortured Souls, Ayumi undergoes a traumatic development from a superstitious but well-meaning student to a hardened and determined survivor. Initially relying on others for protection, she finds the resolve to confront the horrors directly. A key moment of growth occurs when she decides to return to Heavenly Host to save her remaining friends, even after having escaped, demonstrating her courage and refusal to abandon anyone. She ultimately confronts Naho, exposes her lies, and leads the final effort to perform the reverse ritual. In the end, Ayumi successfully escapes the curse and returns to the real world, though she is deeply traumatized by the loss of so many of her friends.
In terms of abilities, aside from her general knowledge of occult rituals and ghost stories, Ayumi possesses a notable spiritual power that serves as a form of sixth sense, allowing her to perceive supernatural phenomena more acutely than others. Within the context of the original game's mechanics, this role is translated into her being a "priestess" character capable of performing supportive magic, including healing her allies and even resurrecting them from a near-death state.
Outwardly, Ayumi often presents herself as a tough and bold enthusiast of all things macabre, frequently taking the lead in telling ghost stories to her classmates. However, this exterior is largely a facade to mask her genuinely timid and easily frightened nature. When faced with genuine terror, she can become deeply anxious and is prone to hyperventilating. Despite her deep-seated fears, she possesses a well of inner bravery and a strong sense of responsibility, which compels her to act decisively in critical moments to protect her friends. Ayumi holds a significant distrust of adults, particularly men, and she harbors a notable crush on her classmate Satoshi Mochida, viewing him as the only boy who would remain faithful. She is also insecure about her artistic ambitions, having been discouraged by more experienced illustrators, and often seeks advice from her older sister, Hinoe, or her teacher, Yui Shishido.
Her role is pivotal as the instigator of the entire ordeal. At the story's beginning, Ayumi decides to perform a friendship charm called "Sachiko Ever After" for her classmate Mayu Suzumoto, who is about to transfer schools. This ritual goes horribly wrong when a powerful earthquake strikes, causing the entire group to fall into a dimensional rift and become trapped within the cursed, decaying halls of Heavenly Host Elementary School. Once inside, Ayumi's knowledge of the occult becomes both a burden and a crucial tool for survival. Her strong spiritual sensitivity, a hereditary trait, makes her highly vulnerable to possession by the vengeful ghosts that haunt the school, leading to episodes of blackouts, maniacal laughter, and violent outbursts over which she has no control. Conversely, this same sensitivity allows her to sense danger and uncover the truth behind the curse. She quickly deduces that to appease the spirits and escape, they must find the severed tongues of the four child victims murdered in the school.
Ayumi's key relationships drive much of her motivation. She is frequently paired with her classmate Yoshiki Kishinuma, who becomes her primary protector. Despite her constant complaints about his lack of tact, she unconsciously relies on him heavily for support and becomes anxious when separated from him. Her crush on Satoshi Mochida is a significant weakness, causing her jealousy, particularly regarding his close friendship with Naomi Nakashima. Her admiration for Naho Saenoki, a famous paranormal blogger whose writings introduced her to the "Sachiko Ever After" charm, turns to horror and anger upon discovering that Naho intentionally spread false information about the ritual online, luring victims to Heavenly Host.
Throughout Corpse Party: Tortured Souls, Ayumi undergoes a traumatic development from a superstitious but well-meaning student to a hardened and determined survivor. Initially relying on others for protection, she finds the resolve to confront the horrors directly. A key moment of growth occurs when she decides to return to Heavenly Host to save her remaining friends, even after having escaped, demonstrating her courage and refusal to abandon anyone. She ultimately confronts Naho, exposes her lies, and leads the final effort to perform the reverse ritual. In the end, Ayumi successfully escapes the curse and returns to the real world, though she is deeply traumatized by the loss of so many of her friends.
In terms of abilities, aside from her general knowledge of occult rituals and ghost stories, Ayumi possesses a notable spiritual power that serves as a form of sixth sense, allowing her to perceive supernatural phenomena more acutely than others. Within the context of the original game's mechanics, this role is translated into her being a "priestess" character capable of performing supportive magic, including healing her allies and even resurrecting them from a near-death state.