TV-Series
Description
Seiji Matoba leads the ancient and influential Matoba exorcist clan, renowned for formidable spiritual power and controversial methods. His superior innate spiritual abilities secured his position as clan heir over his older sister Shinobu Matoba, causing her resentment and departure. Despite this rift, he maintained a complicated relationship with Shinobu and preserved a portrait she left behind, expressing fondness for their father.
Matoba possesses long black hair, dark eyes, and typically projects calmness. A distinctive scar marks his right eye, concealed by an enchanted eyepatch. This talisman counters a generational curse: an ancestor promised his right eye to a youkai for aid but broke the pact, leading the youkai to target successive Matoba heads. The eyepatch impairs depth perception but prevents the youkai from claiming the eye.
Initially pragmatic and ruthless, Matoba prioritizes human protection by any means, including sacrificing weaker youkai as bait for greater threats. Confident to the point of arrogance, he openly dismisses peaceful human-youkai coexistence as naive. This worldview clashes with Takashi Natsume, who opposes his cruelty toward spirits. Yet Matoba exhibits complexity beyond villainy: loyalty to clan members, personal risk-taking to shield them, and adherence to a personal honor code. His dynamic with Natsume evolves significantly—beginning with hostility involving mistaken identity and attempted strangulation, it shifts to persistent interest upon learning Natsume is grandson of renowned exorcist Reiko Natsume. Matoba repeatedly invites Natsume to join the clan, citing protection from dangers tied to his spiritual power and the Book of Friends; Natsume consistently refuses due to ethical differences.
Over time, Matoba softens toward Natsume: displaying trust in his honesty, engaging in lengthy communication (even writing an "uncharacteristically long letter"), and offering genuine smiles. Though fundamental disagreements remain, Matoba occasionally leverages Natsume's abilities for mutual goals, sometimes coercively—like threatening to expose Natsume's secret to his foster parents. His relationship with fellow exorcist Shuuichi Natori is similarly layered, blending rivalry with reluctant cooperation. They met as teenagers when Matoba tested Natori's spiritual perception; distrustful yet interdependent, they collaborate when necessary, developing a dynamic akin to competitive peers.
In combat, Matoba specializes in archery, wielding a shortbow with spiritually infused arrows to exorcise youkai—often felling powerful entities in one shot. His extensive knowledge spans exorcism techniques, sealing rituals, purification spells, sacred sutras, and shikigami manipulation. He commands potent shiki servants, relying particularly on assistant Nanase for intelligence and clan management. Later narrative developments focus more on adult characters like Matoba, revealing nuances of his leadership burdens, enemies attracted as clan head, and subtle shifts in interactions suggesting a gradual—though limited—capacity for change influenced by figures like Natsume and Natori.
Matoba possesses long black hair, dark eyes, and typically projects calmness. A distinctive scar marks his right eye, concealed by an enchanted eyepatch. This talisman counters a generational curse: an ancestor promised his right eye to a youkai for aid but broke the pact, leading the youkai to target successive Matoba heads. The eyepatch impairs depth perception but prevents the youkai from claiming the eye.
Initially pragmatic and ruthless, Matoba prioritizes human protection by any means, including sacrificing weaker youkai as bait for greater threats. Confident to the point of arrogance, he openly dismisses peaceful human-youkai coexistence as naive. This worldview clashes with Takashi Natsume, who opposes his cruelty toward spirits. Yet Matoba exhibits complexity beyond villainy: loyalty to clan members, personal risk-taking to shield them, and adherence to a personal honor code. His dynamic with Natsume evolves significantly—beginning with hostility involving mistaken identity and attempted strangulation, it shifts to persistent interest upon learning Natsume is grandson of renowned exorcist Reiko Natsume. Matoba repeatedly invites Natsume to join the clan, citing protection from dangers tied to his spiritual power and the Book of Friends; Natsume consistently refuses due to ethical differences.
Over time, Matoba softens toward Natsume: displaying trust in his honesty, engaging in lengthy communication (even writing an "uncharacteristically long letter"), and offering genuine smiles. Though fundamental disagreements remain, Matoba occasionally leverages Natsume's abilities for mutual goals, sometimes coercively—like threatening to expose Natsume's secret to his foster parents. His relationship with fellow exorcist Shuuichi Natori is similarly layered, blending rivalry with reluctant cooperation. They met as teenagers when Matoba tested Natori's spiritual perception; distrustful yet interdependent, they collaborate when necessary, developing a dynamic akin to competitive peers.
In combat, Matoba specializes in archery, wielding a shortbow with spiritually infused arrows to exorcise youkai—often felling powerful entities in one shot. His extensive knowledge spans exorcism techniques, sealing rituals, purification spells, sacred sutras, and shikigami manipulation. He commands potent shiki servants, relying particularly on assistant Nanase for intelligence and clan management. Later narrative developments focus more on adult characters like Matoba, revealing nuances of his leadership burdens, enemies attracted as clan head, and subtle shifts in interactions suggesting a gradual—though limited—capacity for change influenced by figures like Natsume and Natori.