TV-Series
Description
Heisuke Matsudo is a supporting character known for his expertise in the world of ayakashi. He is a short, elderly man with gray hair and glasses, carrying himself with an air that belies his advanced age and deep knowledge. Before the events of the story, he was a famous graduate school professor and an expert in phylogenetics, and notably, Shuji Sumimura, the father of the protagonist Yoshimori, worked as his assistant before marrying into the Sumimura family.
Personality-wise, Heisuke is characterized by a sly and playful nature. He enjoys teasing his friends and toying with his enemies, often appearing to have a winning strategy in any situation. However, this lighthearted exterior masks a deeply driven and vengeful heart. His entire existence is consumed by a desire for revenge against the man known as Shiranuma, who later becomes the ayakashi Byaku. Heisuke was in love with a woman named Risa Kagami, who was unfortunately married to Shiranuma. Believing that Shiranuma sacrificed Risa in his ruthless search for power, leading to her early death, Heisuke swore a solemn oath to exact retribution.
This singular motivation defines his role in the story. Heisuke serves as a knowledgeable ally to the Sumimura family, particularly to the patriarch Shigemori, offering his expertise on the nature and capabilities of ayakashi. His research into a mysterious ayakashi arm that could pass for human provides critical insight into the plans of the Kokuboro organization. His primary role, however, is that of an avenger. His personal quest leads him to infiltrate Kokuboro's castle, crossing paths with Yoshimori and directly confronting Byaku in a final, climactic battle fueled by decades of pent-up rage and sorrow.
His most significant relationship is with a demon who takes the form of a young woman he calls Kagami-kun. This demon is the result of his desperate, failed experiments to revive Risa's corpse. He entered into a contract with this entity, granting it his soul upon his death in exchange for its service and its agreement to assume Risa's form and personality. Kagami acts as his ever-present bodyguard and most powerful weapon, a constant reminder of both his lost love and the lengths to which he has gone to honor her memory. He also shares a long-standing friendship and professional respect with Shigemori Sumimura, who is visibly distraught when he believes Heisuke has been killed. His relationship with Byaku is one of pure hatred, though he ultimately learns a more complex and tragic truth about Risa's death during their final confrontation.
The character undergoes a clear, if tragic, development. Initially a seemingly harmless academic with a secret vendetta, he orchestrates his own death with the help of Masamori Sumimura to fake his demise. This allows him to move freely and pursue his revenge without restriction. His development culminates when he finally corners Byaku. He learns that Risa's obsession with eternal beauty, not Byaku's malice, led to her disfigurement and suicide. Despite this revelation, his resolve does not waver. After Kagami mortally wounds Byaku, Heisuke drives his cane into Byaku's eye, demanding to know if he ever loved Risa. Receiving a cold denial, Heisuke feels only disappointment, realizing he could not save his love or her husband's soul, and wearily asks to be taken away, disappearing from the story to live out the remainder of his life.
In terms of abilities, Heisuke possesses a vast and specialized knowledge of ayakashi that far exceeds that of even experienced kekkaishi. He is an expert summoner who commands a small army of ayakashi, which he whimsically prefers to have take the forms of attractive young women. Beyond his contracted demons, he wields a variety of magical artifacts and weapons for anti-ayakashi combat, including powerful talismans, binding seals, and a firearm loaded with specialized bullets. He is resourceful and cunning, as shown by his ability to create a convincing fake body to fake his death. However, his most formidable asset is his contracted demon, Kagami, whose frightening strength he relies on to face the most dangerous threats. While not a front-line fighter himself, his strategic mind and preparedness make him a dangerous and unpredictable opponent.
Personality-wise, Heisuke is characterized by a sly and playful nature. He enjoys teasing his friends and toying with his enemies, often appearing to have a winning strategy in any situation. However, this lighthearted exterior masks a deeply driven and vengeful heart. His entire existence is consumed by a desire for revenge against the man known as Shiranuma, who later becomes the ayakashi Byaku. Heisuke was in love with a woman named Risa Kagami, who was unfortunately married to Shiranuma. Believing that Shiranuma sacrificed Risa in his ruthless search for power, leading to her early death, Heisuke swore a solemn oath to exact retribution.
This singular motivation defines his role in the story. Heisuke serves as a knowledgeable ally to the Sumimura family, particularly to the patriarch Shigemori, offering his expertise on the nature and capabilities of ayakashi. His research into a mysterious ayakashi arm that could pass for human provides critical insight into the plans of the Kokuboro organization. His primary role, however, is that of an avenger. His personal quest leads him to infiltrate Kokuboro's castle, crossing paths with Yoshimori and directly confronting Byaku in a final, climactic battle fueled by decades of pent-up rage and sorrow.
His most significant relationship is with a demon who takes the form of a young woman he calls Kagami-kun. This demon is the result of his desperate, failed experiments to revive Risa's corpse. He entered into a contract with this entity, granting it his soul upon his death in exchange for its service and its agreement to assume Risa's form and personality. Kagami acts as his ever-present bodyguard and most powerful weapon, a constant reminder of both his lost love and the lengths to which he has gone to honor her memory. He also shares a long-standing friendship and professional respect with Shigemori Sumimura, who is visibly distraught when he believes Heisuke has been killed. His relationship with Byaku is one of pure hatred, though he ultimately learns a more complex and tragic truth about Risa's death during their final confrontation.
The character undergoes a clear, if tragic, development. Initially a seemingly harmless academic with a secret vendetta, he orchestrates his own death with the help of Masamori Sumimura to fake his demise. This allows him to move freely and pursue his revenge without restriction. His development culminates when he finally corners Byaku. He learns that Risa's obsession with eternal beauty, not Byaku's malice, led to her disfigurement and suicide. Despite this revelation, his resolve does not waver. After Kagami mortally wounds Byaku, Heisuke drives his cane into Byaku's eye, demanding to know if he ever loved Risa. Receiving a cold denial, Heisuke feels only disappointment, realizing he could not save his love or her husband's soul, and wearily asks to be taken away, disappearing from the story to live out the remainder of his life.
In terms of abilities, Heisuke possesses a vast and specialized knowledge of ayakashi that far exceeds that of even experienced kekkaishi. He is an expert summoner who commands a small army of ayakashi, which he whimsically prefers to have take the forms of attractive young women. Beyond his contracted demons, he wields a variety of magical artifacts and weapons for anti-ayakashi combat, including powerful talismans, binding seals, and a firearm loaded with specialized bullets. He is resourceful and cunning, as shown by his ability to create a convincing fake body to fake his death. However, his most formidable asset is his contracted demon, Kagami, whose frightening strength he relies on to face the most dangerous threats. While not a front-line fighter himself, his strategic mind and preparedness make him a dangerous and unpredictable opponent.