TV-Series
Description
Ryuunosuke Sakamoto is the son of Oryo, president of the Mobile Shinsengumi. Sent to Shanghai at age ten to broaden his worldview, he returns to Kyoto years later accompanied by Nekomaru, a 300-year-old bakeneko yōkai he aims to register under laws licensing supernatural entities for human cohabitation.
His return sparks concern within the Shinsengumi, particularly from Yuko Kondo, who fears his departure back to Shanghai would devastate his mother. This motivates schemes to encourage Ryuunosuke to stay, often involving matchmaking attempts with a local waitress named Saiyoko. Ryuunosuke exhibits an eccentric personality and peculiar sense of humor, yet demonstrates genuine dedication to assisting the Mobile Shinsengumi in their duties.
His relationship with the yōkai cat Nekomaru is central. Nekomaru possesses the ability to transfer one of his nine lives to resurrect the deceased, a power frequently used on Ryuunosuke after accidental deaths. In one notable incident, Nekomaru's clumsiness with soap causes Ryuunosuke's death; the subsequent revival places Ryuunosuke's soul into a female body. This gender-swapped state persists until another death allows Nekomaru to restore his original male form.
Romantic dynamics involve Ryuunosuke harboring a crush on Yuko Kondo. Concurrently, Kaoru Okita develops strong feelings for him, further complicated by the late-appearing character Ranran. Ranran is revealed to have been Ryuunosuke's arranged marriage partner; she died protecting him, and Nekomaru resurrected Ryuunosuke using one of his lives under the condition he marry her. Ryuunosuke's attitude towards non-humans is generally accepting, as shown when Okita questions his mother about potential prejudice against her half-kitsune heritage.
While not primarily action-oriented, his presence and connections drive several plot points. His background, relationships, and repeated supernatural resurrections contribute to his role within the Shinsengumi's activities and conflicts.
His return sparks concern within the Shinsengumi, particularly from Yuko Kondo, who fears his departure back to Shanghai would devastate his mother. This motivates schemes to encourage Ryuunosuke to stay, often involving matchmaking attempts with a local waitress named Saiyoko. Ryuunosuke exhibits an eccentric personality and peculiar sense of humor, yet demonstrates genuine dedication to assisting the Mobile Shinsengumi in their duties.
His relationship with the yōkai cat Nekomaru is central. Nekomaru possesses the ability to transfer one of his nine lives to resurrect the deceased, a power frequently used on Ryuunosuke after accidental deaths. In one notable incident, Nekomaru's clumsiness with soap causes Ryuunosuke's death; the subsequent revival places Ryuunosuke's soul into a female body. This gender-swapped state persists until another death allows Nekomaru to restore his original male form.
Romantic dynamics involve Ryuunosuke harboring a crush on Yuko Kondo. Concurrently, Kaoru Okita develops strong feelings for him, further complicated by the late-appearing character Ranran. Ranran is revealed to have been Ryuunosuke's arranged marriage partner; she died protecting him, and Nekomaru resurrected Ryuunosuke using one of his lives under the condition he marry her. Ryuunosuke's attitude towards non-humans is generally accepting, as shown when Okita questions his mother about potential prejudice against her half-kitsune heritage.
While not primarily action-oriented, his presence and connections drive several plot points. His background, relationships, and repeated supernatural resurrections contribute to his role within the Shinsengumi's activities and conflicts.