TV-Series
Description
Ichiro Mihara, often going by the nickname Icchan, is a central figure in the world of Angelic Layer, recognized as the brilliant inventor who created both the game and the Angel dolls themselves. Of average height and born on June 12, he is a man in his early thirties with a sharp, inventive mind, but his outward behavior is anything but ordinary. Hailing from Osaka, his personality is marked by a flamboyant, spontaneous, and often deeply eccentric demeanor. He has a well-documented habit of appearing suddenly from unexpected places, startling those around him with exclamations while his glasses usually conceal his blue eyes. This playful and seemingly immature exterior, however, masks a profound genius and a deadly serious passion for Angelic Layer.
His primary motivation, central to his entire character, is revealed to be his deep love for Shuko Suzuhara. Ichiro developed Angelic Layer as a means to help Shuko, who had a neurological condition that prevented her from walking. The technology behind the mind-controlled Angel dolls was originally part of research into creating advanced prosthetic limbs. When that research lost its funding, Ichiro and Shuko created Angelic Layer to continue their work and secure financial support. His dedication to her is the driving force behind his greatest creation.
In the story, Ichiro first appears to the protagonist, Misaki Suzuhara, as a quirky stranger who calls himself Icchan to hide his true identity. He serves as a mentor to Misaki, guiding her into the world of Angelic Layer and helping her understand the game, though he often does so in his own eccentric fashion. He is rarely seen without his two long-suffering assistants, Masaharu Ogata and Hiromi Fujimori. He takes a peculiar delight in tormenting the clumsy Ogata, inventing outlandish punishments for his mistakes. Ichiro also has a younger stepbrother, Ohjiro Mihara, who is a skilled Angelic Layer competitor and has his own complex feelings regarding Shuko.
Beyond his role as creator and mentor, Ichiro is a deeply principled individual when it comes to his game. Although he is fond of Misaki and secretly hopes for her success, he refuses to give either her or her Angel, Hikaru, any special treatment, believing that her talent and spirit must be the deciding factors. Over the course of the series, his secret identity as the famous inventor is eventually revealed, leading to a deeper understanding between him and Misaki about her mother's past. In the anime, his dedication to Shuko is made explicit when he proposes to her, though the outcome remains ambiguous. His development shows the serious, caring man behind the wild and unpredictable persona.
As an inventor, his most notable ability is his unparalleled genius in the fields of neural science and robotics, having successfully created the complex Angelic Layer system where a player's thoughts directly control a doll. He also possesses advanced knowledge of Angel strategies, such as the Magic Guard technique, which he passes on to other characters. His legacy, however, extends beyond Angelic Layer, as the research and technology he developed would later be used to create the advanced persocoms seen in the series Chobits.
His primary motivation, central to his entire character, is revealed to be his deep love for Shuko Suzuhara. Ichiro developed Angelic Layer as a means to help Shuko, who had a neurological condition that prevented her from walking. The technology behind the mind-controlled Angel dolls was originally part of research into creating advanced prosthetic limbs. When that research lost its funding, Ichiro and Shuko created Angelic Layer to continue their work and secure financial support. His dedication to her is the driving force behind his greatest creation.
In the story, Ichiro first appears to the protagonist, Misaki Suzuhara, as a quirky stranger who calls himself Icchan to hide his true identity. He serves as a mentor to Misaki, guiding her into the world of Angelic Layer and helping her understand the game, though he often does so in his own eccentric fashion. He is rarely seen without his two long-suffering assistants, Masaharu Ogata and Hiromi Fujimori. He takes a peculiar delight in tormenting the clumsy Ogata, inventing outlandish punishments for his mistakes. Ichiro also has a younger stepbrother, Ohjiro Mihara, who is a skilled Angelic Layer competitor and has his own complex feelings regarding Shuko.
Beyond his role as creator and mentor, Ichiro is a deeply principled individual when it comes to his game. Although he is fond of Misaki and secretly hopes for her success, he refuses to give either her or her Angel, Hikaru, any special treatment, believing that her talent and spirit must be the deciding factors. Over the course of the series, his secret identity as the famous inventor is eventually revealed, leading to a deeper understanding between him and Misaki about her mother's past. In the anime, his dedication to Shuko is made explicit when he proposes to her, though the outcome remains ambiguous. His development shows the serious, caring man behind the wild and unpredictable persona.
As an inventor, his most notable ability is his unparalleled genius in the fields of neural science and robotics, having successfully created the complex Angelic Layer system where a player's thoughts directly control a doll. He also possesses advanced knowledge of Angel strategies, such as the Magic Guard technique, which he passes on to other characters. His legacy, however, extends beyond Angelic Layer, as the research and technology he developed would later be used to create the advanced persocoms seen in the series Chobits.