TV-Series
Description
Durandal Tobari Kumohira is a central figure in the world of Nabari, serving as a bridge between the ordinary and the hidden ninja society. In the front world, he is the 25-year-old English teacher for Miharu Rokujou and Kouichi Aizawa, a role that allows him to watch over them closely. His true identity, however, is that of a skilled ninja from the Banten village, a small and nearly extinct group of shinobi who are the conservatives of the Shinra Banshou, the most powerful and coveted secret art in Nabari. Born in Waterford, Ireland on March 17, Tobari was brought to Japan by his grandfather, a "Japan otaku" and "ninja fanatic," and was forced to learn the ways of the ninja, a journey from which he has been unable to return for over ten years, partly due to his personal fears.
Tobari is a tall man with a disheveled appearance, characterized by his messy, shoulder-length black hair that often falls over his grey eyes, and is typically seen in a black suit and tie, frequently holding a cigarette. Beyond his outward calm, his personality is defined by a fierce loyalty to his students, especially Miharu. He is entirely devoted to protecting the young boy and is the most vehement dissident among Banten ninja against the use of the Shinra Banshou. Instead, he advocates for its permanent seal, believing it is the only way to protect Miharu and the world from its destructive power. This conviction often leads him to make decisions based on what he believes is best for others, regardless of their own wishes, a trait that can sometimes manifest as hypocrisy and lead to conflict, particularly when he withholds secrets in an attempt to shield Miharu from painful truths.
One of Tobari's most defining and unusual characteristics is his intense, paralyzing fear of all vehicles, a condition known as ochophobia or amaxophobia. He harbors a deep hatred for trains, buses, and automobiles, claiming he has never even ridden a bicycle. This fear stems from a childhood trauma of witnessing his grandmother being hit and killed by a car. He avoids transport at all costs, once famously walking to Tokyo, and can only be persuaded to board a vehicle through the gentle coercion of Miharu. Another significant moral boundary for Tobari is his profound unwillingness to take a life. This makes him a more honorable shinobi but also proves to be a severe handicap in his duty to protect Miharu, as multiple characters, notably his student Kouichi, criticize him for this perceived cowardice. While he refuses to kill personally, he has shown a willingness to let others do so, suggesting his objection is as much about carrying the weight of death on his own conscience as it is about the act itself.
Tobari's central role in the story is directly tied to a tragic incident from ten years prior to the main events. He was a close acquaintance of the Rokujou family, and during an attempt to remove the Shinra Banshou from Miharu's mother, Asahi, a deadly attack occurred. Tobari witnessed the deaths of his own grandfather, Akatsuki Rokujou (Miharu's father), and ultimately, Asahi herself. As she died, the Shinra Banshou transferred into the young Miharu, and Asahi used its power to erase the memories of that day from everyone involved, leaving Tobari as the sole person who remembers the truth of what happened. Burdened with this knowledge and a promise to protect the secret, he dedicates his life to guarding Miharu, who has no recollection of their past relationship, while working as his teacher. In the Banten village, which has no formal leader during the story's events, Tobari often acts as a temporary leader or stand-in, holding the responsibility for the village's decisions.
His key relationships are central to the plot. His bond with Miharu is the most important, though it is complicated by his secret-keeping and his desperate attempts to prevent Miharu from activating the Shinra Banshou. He also has a complex relationship with his other student, Kouichi Aizawa, who is not a normal boy but an immortal being created by a former user of the Shinra Banshou. Outside of the ninja world, Tobari is in a common-law marriage with Hanabusa Seki, a paleontologist. She is aware of his ninja identity, but they have sworn never to discuss Nabari business in their home, creating a sanctuary for him away from his dangerous life. He wears a ring as a symbol of their union, with Hanabusa wearing the matching ring on a necklace.
Throughout the series, Tobari undergoes significant development. He is forced to confront his moral aversion to killing when the safety of his loved ones is on the line, eventually overcoming it to take a life in the climax of both the anime and manga adaptations. He also learns that his overprotective and secretive nature, born from good intentions, can damage his relationships and undermine the trust of those he seeks to protect. As the keeper of Banten's forbidden Engetsurin, which is housed in a metal clasp on his left ear, he holds the key to restoring the erased memories of the past, a power that becomes crucial in the final resolution of the story.
As a ninja, Tobari is a high-level combatant well-versed in Banten-style techniques. While he is skilled with a multitude of weapons, his true specialization lies in Seal Cancel Techniques, or unseal techniques, which he uses to counteract forbidden arts like the Kira. Despite his physical and tactical prowess, his journey is ultimately one of reconciling his traumatic past with his duties in the present, learning to trust others with the truth, and finding the strength to do what is necessary to protect his adopted family and ensure a future where Miharu can live free from the curse of the Shinra Banshou.
Tobari is a tall man with a disheveled appearance, characterized by his messy, shoulder-length black hair that often falls over his grey eyes, and is typically seen in a black suit and tie, frequently holding a cigarette. Beyond his outward calm, his personality is defined by a fierce loyalty to his students, especially Miharu. He is entirely devoted to protecting the young boy and is the most vehement dissident among Banten ninja against the use of the Shinra Banshou. Instead, he advocates for its permanent seal, believing it is the only way to protect Miharu and the world from its destructive power. This conviction often leads him to make decisions based on what he believes is best for others, regardless of their own wishes, a trait that can sometimes manifest as hypocrisy and lead to conflict, particularly when he withholds secrets in an attempt to shield Miharu from painful truths.
One of Tobari's most defining and unusual characteristics is his intense, paralyzing fear of all vehicles, a condition known as ochophobia or amaxophobia. He harbors a deep hatred for trains, buses, and automobiles, claiming he has never even ridden a bicycle. This fear stems from a childhood trauma of witnessing his grandmother being hit and killed by a car. He avoids transport at all costs, once famously walking to Tokyo, and can only be persuaded to board a vehicle through the gentle coercion of Miharu. Another significant moral boundary for Tobari is his profound unwillingness to take a life. This makes him a more honorable shinobi but also proves to be a severe handicap in his duty to protect Miharu, as multiple characters, notably his student Kouichi, criticize him for this perceived cowardice. While he refuses to kill personally, he has shown a willingness to let others do so, suggesting his objection is as much about carrying the weight of death on his own conscience as it is about the act itself.
Tobari's central role in the story is directly tied to a tragic incident from ten years prior to the main events. He was a close acquaintance of the Rokujou family, and during an attempt to remove the Shinra Banshou from Miharu's mother, Asahi, a deadly attack occurred. Tobari witnessed the deaths of his own grandfather, Akatsuki Rokujou (Miharu's father), and ultimately, Asahi herself. As she died, the Shinra Banshou transferred into the young Miharu, and Asahi used its power to erase the memories of that day from everyone involved, leaving Tobari as the sole person who remembers the truth of what happened. Burdened with this knowledge and a promise to protect the secret, he dedicates his life to guarding Miharu, who has no recollection of their past relationship, while working as his teacher. In the Banten village, which has no formal leader during the story's events, Tobari often acts as a temporary leader or stand-in, holding the responsibility for the village's decisions.
His key relationships are central to the plot. His bond with Miharu is the most important, though it is complicated by his secret-keeping and his desperate attempts to prevent Miharu from activating the Shinra Banshou. He also has a complex relationship with his other student, Kouichi Aizawa, who is not a normal boy but an immortal being created by a former user of the Shinra Banshou. Outside of the ninja world, Tobari is in a common-law marriage with Hanabusa Seki, a paleontologist. She is aware of his ninja identity, but they have sworn never to discuss Nabari business in their home, creating a sanctuary for him away from his dangerous life. He wears a ring as a symbol of their union, with Hanabusa wearing the matching ring on a necklace.
Throughout the series, Tobari undergoes significant development. He is forced to confront his moral aversion to killing when the safety of his loved ones is on the line, eventually overcoming it to take a life in the climax of both the anime and manga adaptations. He also learns that his overprotective and secretive nature, born from good intentions, can damage his relationships and undermine the trust of those he seeks to protect. As the keeper of Banten's forbidden Engetsurin, which is housed in a metal clasp on his left ear, he holds the key to restoring the erased memories of the past, a power that becomes crucial in the final resolution of the story.
As a ninja, Tobari is a high-level combatant well-versed in Banten-style techniques. While he is skilled with a multitude of weapons, his true specialization lies in Seal Cancel Techniques, or unseal techniques, which he uses to counteract forbidden arts like the Kira. Despite his physical and tactical prowess, his journey is ultimately one of reconciling his traumatic past with his duties in the present, learning to trust others with the truth, and finding the strength to do what is necessary to protect his adopted family and ensure a future where Miharu can live free from the curse of the Shinra Banshou.