TV-Series
Description
Itsuki Yamagami is a supporting character in Corpse Princess, appearing as a Shikabane Hime, a living dead girl bound to hunt one hundred eight of her kind to earn passage to heaven. She stands approximately one hundred fifty-four centimeters tall and has red hair, often adorned with a large pink ribbon, and brown eyes. Although her physical appearance is that of a sixteen-year-old, she has a mental age of eighteen. Her preferred weapons are a pair of Colt M1911 pistols, which she wields with considerable skill.
Her existence as a Shikabane Hime began with a tragic end. She died in an automobile accident and returned from death driven by a powerful regret for not having been able to live the life of a normal teenage girl. This longing for a lost ordinary existence is a core part of her personality. She is a contracted Shikabane Hime of the Kōgon Sect, bound to a monk named Takamasa Sogi. Initially, she chose to partner with Takamasa based on a misconception, believing that as the son of a powerful monk, he would be incredibly strong and help her complete her required number of kills quickly, allowing her to ascend to heaven. In reality, Takamasa had no prior knowledge or experience with Shikabane Hime, but despite this inauspicious beginning, the two formed an effective and enduring team.
In the anime adaptation, Itsuki is introduced when she transfers into the high school attended by the protagonist, Ouri Kagami, as part of a cover mission with Takamasa, who poses as the school nurse. During this mission, they reveal their true purpose as agents of the Kōgon Sect while confronting a traitorous monk named Akasha Shishidou. This operation allows Itsuki to briefly experience a semblance of the normal school life she misses, temporarily satisfying a deep-seated personal desire.
A significant part of Itsuki's past involves a former friend named Tomoharu Kishibe. He died in a separate car accident caused by reckless teenage drivers and later returned as a Shikabane himself. This connection creates a poignant and emotionally charged mission. Four years after his death, Itsuki and Takamasa are forced to confront and ultimately destroy him, resolving this painful chapter from her human life.
The most defining aspect of Itsuki's character is her relationship with her contracted monk, Takamasa Sogi. As they fight side-by-side, a deep bond develops, and romantic feelings begin to grow between them. However, this relationship is fundamentally impossible to act upon due to Itsuki's nature as one of the living dead and the strict rules of the Kōgon Sect that govern their duties. This limitation causes them both considerable anguish, marked symbolically by scars on Takamasa's chest from previous attempts to bridge the gap between their states of being. Their situation serves as a painful example within the story of the dangers and futility of romance between a monk and a Shikabane Hime. Later, Takamasa explicitly uses his own experience with Itsuki as a cautionary tale for Ouri Kagami, warning him against developing similar feelings for his own Shikabane Hime, Makina Hoshimura, while also paradoxically harboring an unspoken hope that Ouri might succeed where they could not.
In combat, Itsuki primarily relies on her dual pistols, engaging threats with a direct and forceful approach that complements Takamasa's more measured style as an archer. She keeps her identity as a Shikabane Hime concealed by passing as a normal high school student. Beyond her combat abilities, she has a personal skill in artistic gymnastics. Her personal preferences include vanilla ice cream, pasta, and pizza, while she dislikes spicy foods, with curry being a notable exception.
Her existence as a Shikabane Hime began with a tragic end. She died in an automobile accident and returned from death driven by a powerful regret for not having been able to live the life of a normal teenage girl. This longing for a lost ordinary existence is a core part of her personality. She is a contracted Shikabane Hime of the Kōgon Sect, bound to a monk named Takamasa Sogi. Initially, she chose to partner with Takamasa based on a misconception, believing that as the son of a powerful monk, he would be incredibly strong and help her complete her required number of kills quickly, allowing her to ascend to heaven. In reality, Takamasa had no prior knowledge or experience with Shikabane Hime, but despite this inauspicious beginning, the two formed an effective and enduring team.
In the anime adaptation, Itsuki is introduced when she transfers into the high school attended by the protagonist, Ouri Kagami, as part of a cover mission with Takamasa, who poses as the school nurse. During this mission, they reveal their true purpose as agents of the Kōgon Sect while confronting a traitorous monk named Akasha Shishidou. This operation allows Itsuki to briefly experience a semblance of the normal school life she misses, temporarily satisfying a deep-seated personal desire.
A significant part of Itsuki's past involves a former friend named Tomoharu Kishibe. He died in a separate car accident caused by reckless teenage drivers and later returned as a Shikabane himself. This connection creates a poignant and emotionally charged mission. Four years after his death, Itsuki and Takamasa are forced to confront and ultimately destroy him, resolving this painful chapter from her human life.
The most defining aspect of Itsuki's character is her relationship with her contracted monk, Takamasa Sogi. As they fight side-by-side, a deep bond develops, and romantic feelings begin to grow between them. However, this relationship is fundamentally impossible to act upon due to Itsuki's nature as one of the living dead and the strict rules of the Kōgon Sect that govern their duties. This limitation causes them both considerable anguish, marked symbolically by scars on Takamasa's chest from previous attempts to bridge the gap between their states of being. Their situation serves as a painful example within the story of the dangers and futility of romance between a monk and a Shikabane Hime. Later, Takamasa explicitly uses his own experience with Itsuki as a cautionary tale for Ouri Kagami, warning him against developing similar feelings for his own Shikabane Hime, Makina Hoshimura, while also paradoxically harboring an unspoken hope that Ouri might succeed where they could not.
In combat, Itsuki primarily relies on her dual pistols, engaging threats with a direct and forceful approach that complements Takamasa's more measured style as an archer. She keeps her identity as a Shikabane Hime concealed by passing as a normal high school student. Beyond her combat abilities, she has a personal skill in artistic gymnastics. Her personal preferences include vanilla ice cream, pasta, and pizza, while she dislikes spicy foods, with curry being a notable exception.