TV-Series
Description
Mana Inuyama is a 13-year-old middle school student in class 1-A, living in Tokyo with her parents, Junko and Yūichi Inuyama. She visits her uncle and aunt, Shōji and Rie Inuyama, in Sakaiminato during summer vacations and has a great-aunt named Toshiko Sawada. Her ancestry traces back to Fuku, whose unborn child, Nanashi, becomes spiritually linked to her.
She possesses fair skin, brown hair usually tied in a short ponytail on her left side secured by a white hairpin, and blue eyes. Mana often wears a cat-themed t-shirt, shorts, and shoes casually, while her school uniform is a white collared shirt, blue skirt and tie, navy socks, and brown shoes; she adds a light teal jacket in colder weather. After a 10-year time skip, she appears as an adult with her hair worn loose but draped over her left shoulder.
Mana exhibits a positive, strongly curious nature and an unwavering sense of justice. She opposes bullying, treats all beings kindly without discrimination, and passionately advocates for human-yōkai coexistence. This helps her form bonds with yōkai like Kitarō and Agnès, despite their initial reluctance. Her impulsiveness sometimes leads her into danger. Meeting Kitarō sparks a deep fascination with yōkai, driving her to bridge the gap between worlds.
Initially disbelieving in yōkai like most modern children, Mana gains Spiritual Awareness upon encountering them, allowing her to perceive invisible supernatural entities. Agnès bestows the Witch's Kiss upon her, a protective spell granting immunity to effects like the Brigadoon Project and access to the GeGeGe Forest. Crucially, she serves as a Spiritual Vessel for Nanashi, Fuku's unborn child, who infuses her with malice to accumulate power. This connection manifests as a Defensive Force—a powerful spiritual blast activated under extreme duress that she later learns to control. The seals placed on her by Nanashi correspond to the Wu Xing elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, suggesting elemental-based powers.
Her relationships are central. She forms a friendship with Kitarō after he protects her from Nobiagari; he initially keeps his distance but gradually warms to her. Her bond with Neko-Musume evolves from initial friction to deep mutual respect, with Mana affectionately calling her "Neko-neesan." This relationship fractures severely when Nanashi manipulates events to make it appear Neko-Musume killed Mana's mother, causing Mana to accidentally unleash her Defensive Force and destroy Neko-Musume's soul—a traumatic event causing Mana profound despair. Her friendship with the witch Agnès begins reluctantly but deepens after shared experiences, particularly during conflicts involving Victor Frankenstein. Mana's connection to Nanashi is pivotal; she ultimately helps him transcend his malice by giving him a name and showing compassion, resolving his arc peacefully.
Key story arcs involve her role in thwarting the Brigadoon Project, aided by Agnès' protection. The accidental killing of Neko-Musume represents a significant emotional low point. Later, she confronts Rei Isurugi, a human yōkai hunter who warns her against associating with Kitarō. When Rei absorbs yōkai souls, she challenges his actions and learns about Kitarō's deal with Enma-Daiō to restore Neko-Musume. In the series finale, she sacrifices all memories of her yōkai friends to resurrect Kitarō. Years later, as an adult, she regains partial memories upon reuniting with Kitarō and plans a gathering at the yōkai bathhouse, reaffirming her belief in human-yōkai harmony.
Her surname "Inuyama" means "dog mountain," and her given name "Mana" means "true name." Her design resembles Yumeko Tendō from the 1985 anime. Her favorite foods include her mother's hamburgers, her favorite yōkai are Kitarō followed by Neko-Musume, and she dislikes bullies and being called "Big Mana."
She possesses fair skin, brown hair usually tied in a short ponytail on her left side secured by a white hairpin, and blue eyes. Mana often wears a cat-themed t-shirt, shorts, and shoes casually, while her school uniform is a white collared shirt, blue skirt and tie, navy socks, and brown shoes; she adds a light teal jacket in colder weather. After a 10-year time skip, she appears as an adult with her hair worn loose but draped over her left shoulder.
Mana exhibits a positive, strongly curious nature and an unwavering sense of justice. She opposes bullying, treats all beings kindly without discrimination, and passionately advocates for human-yōkai coexistence. This helps her form bonds with yōkai like Kitarō and Agnès, despite their initial reluctance. Her impulsiveness sometimes leads her into danger. Meeting Kitarō sparks a deep fascination with yōkai, driving her to bridge the gap between worlds.
Initially disbelieving in yōkai like most modern children, Mana gains Spiritual Awareness upon encountering them, allowing her to perceive invisible supernatural entities. Agnès bestows the Witch's Kiss upon her, a protective spell granting immunity to effects like the Brigadoon Project and access to the GeGeGe Forest. Crucially, she serves as a Spiritual Vessel for Nanashi, Fuku's unborn child, who infuses her with malice to accumulate power. This connection manifests as a Defensive Force—a powerful spiritual blast activated under extreme duress that she later learns to control. The seals placed on her by Nanashi correspond to the Wu Xing elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, suggesting elemental-based powers.
Her relationships are central. She forms a friendship with Kitarō after he protects her from Nobiagari; he initially keeps his distance but gradually warms to her. Her bond with Neko-Musume evolves from initial friction to deep mutual respect, with Mana affectionately calling her "Neko-neesan." This relationship fractures severely when Nanashi manipulates events to make it appear Neko-Musume killed Mana's mother, causing Mana to accidentally unleash her Defensive Force and destroy Neko-Musume's soul—a traumatic event causing Mana profound despair. Her friendship with the witch Agnès begins reluctantly but deepens after shared experiences, particularly during conflicts involving Victor Frankenstein. Mana's connection to Nanashi is pivotal; she ultimately helps him transcend his malice by giving him a name and showing compassion, resolving his arc peacefully.
Key story arcs involve her role in thwarting the Brigadoon Project, aided by Agnès' protection. The accidental killing of Neko-Musume represents a significant emotional low point. Later, she confronts Rei Isurugi, a human yōkai hunter who warns her against associating with Kitarō. When Rei absorbs yōkai souls, she challenges his actions and learns about Kitarō's deal with Enma-Daiō to restore Neko-Musume. In the series finale, she sacrifices all memories of her yōkai friends to resurrect Kitarō. Years later, as an adult, she regains partial memories upon reuniting with Kitarō and plans a gathering at the yōkai bathhouse, reaffirming her belief in human-yōkai harmony.
Her surname "Inuyama" means "dog mountain," and her given name "Mana" means "true name." Her design resembles Yumeko Tendō from the 1985 anime. Her favorite foods include her mother's hamburgers, her favorite yōkai are Kitarō followed by Neko-Musume, and she dislikes bullies and being called "Big Mana."