TV-Series
Description
Mabu Akutsu works as an Asakusa police officer, partnered with Reo Niiboshi. Their professional bond is also a confirmed romantic relationship, consistently referenced throughout the series and its spinoff manga. During synchronized operations, Reo physically extracts Mabu's mechanical heart through a ritualistic dance, an act vital to sustaining Mabu's life as part of their duties.
Mabu was originally a kappa knight serving Keppi, prince of the Kappa Kingdom. This role ended when he sacrificed himself to protect Reo. Resurrected by the Otter Empire, he received a mechanical heart implant carrying one condition: he could never again voice his love for Reo. This enforced silence resulted in a detached, emotionally subdued demeanor. Reo interpreted this change as a loss of Mabu's soul, unaware of the prohibition.
As operatives for the Otter Empire, Mabu and Reo extract human desires to create kappa zombies. This extraction process is essential for sustaining Mabu's mechanical heart. He performs these duties with methodical stoicism, frequently dismissing personal emotions as irrelevant—exemplified by statements like "What’s the point of prioritizing personal feelings?"—a stance contrasting sharply with Reo's visible emotional investment.
The spinoff manga "Reo and Mabu~ Together They Are Sarazanmai" depicts an earlier period, revealing a more expressive Mabu. He displays possessiveness over Reo, insisting food he prepares is exclusively for him, and exhibits focused obsessions, like dedicating himself entirely to mastering cooking. During this time, he and Reo adopt Sara Azuma, an infant discovered on the street, raising her as their daughter. The manga concludes ambiguously: Mabu and Reo wake from a dream involving an adult Sara reuniting with a mysterious prince, leaving their parental reality uncertain.
Marketing materials before the series included a now-deleted joint Twitter account (@keeponly1luv), chronicling their daily Asakusa police work. Initial posts showed routine patrols and domestic interactions, but the account gradually revealed subtle Otter Empire influences through symbolic imagery. Mabu's final tweet was on March 30, 2019; Reo then frantically searched for him before the account's deletion, suggesting progressive relationship deterioration coinciding with deeper Empire involvement. Sara is absent from this Twitter narrative, unlike her central role in the manga.
Mabu's appearance is consistent: pale skin, short dark grey hair, green eyes, and half-framed grey glasses. He primarily wears a standard dark blue police uniform, though he dons an imperial outfit for specific missions and a hospital gown following mechanical heart maintenance.
After the conflicts involving the Kappa Kingdom and Otter Empire resolve, Mabu and Reo abandon police work entirely. They transition to new careers as rickshaw drivers in Asakusa. This shift coincides with Mabu regaining his ability to express his feelings, restoring their romantic connection.
Mabu was originally a kappa knight serving Keppi, prince of the Kappa Kingdom. This role ended when he sacrificed himself to protect Reo. Resurrected by the Otter Empire, he received a mechanical heart implant carrying one condition: he could never again voice his love for Reo. This enforced silence resulted in a detached, emotionally subdued demeanor. Reo interpreted this change as a loss of Mabu's soul, unaware of the prohibition.
As operatives for the Otter Empire, Mabu and Reo extract human desires to create kappa zombies. This extraction process is essential for sustaining Mabu's mechanical heart. He performs these duties with methodical stoicism, frequently dismissing personal emotions as irrelevant—exemplified by statements like "What’s the point of prioritizing personal feelings?"—a stance contrasting sharply with Reo's visible emotional investment.
The spinoff manga "Reo and Mabu~ Together They Are Sarazanmai" depicts an earlier period, revealing a more expressive Mabu. He displays possessiveness over Reo, insisting food he prepares is exclusively for him, and exhibits focused obsessions, like dedicating himself entirely to mastering cooking. During this time, he and Reo adopt Sara Azuma, an infant discovered on the street, raising her as their daughter. The manga concludes ambiguously: Mabu and Reo wake from a dream involving an adult Sara reuniting with a mysterious prince, leaving their parental reality uncertain.
Marketing materials before the series included a now-deleted joint Twitter account (@keeponly1luv), chronicling their daily Asakusa police work. Initial posts showed routine patrols and domestic interactions, but the account gradually revealed subtle Otter Empire influences through symbolic imagery. Mabu's final tweet was on March 30, 2019; Reo then frantically searched for him before the account's deletion, suggesting progressive relationship deterioration coinciding with deeper Empire involvement. Sara is absent from this Twitter narrative, unlike her central role in the manga.
Mabu's appearance is consistent: pale skin, short dark grey hair, green eyes, and half-framed grey glasses. He primarily wears a standard dark blue police uniform, though he dons an imperial outfit for specific missions and a hospital gown following mechanical heart maintenance.
After the conflicts involving the Kappa Kingdom and Otter Empire resolve, Mabu and Reo abandon police work entirely. They transition to new careers as rickshaw drivers in Asakusa. This shift coincides with Mabu regaining his ability to express his feelings, restoring their romantic connection.