Live action TV
Description
Otcho is a major character in the manga series 20th Century Boys, which was also adapted into a trilogy of live-action films. His real name is Choji Ochiai, and he is also known by the nickname Shogun. He is Kenji Endo's best friend and was a founding member, and co-leader, of the childhood group the boys formed in 1969. During that time, he drew the symbol meant to stand for their friendship and their secret base, a design that later becomes the emblem of the mysterious cult led by the figure known as Friend. The nickname Shogun comes from a childhood game connected to the historical general Yoshitsune and follows him into adulthood.
As a child, Otcho was not the most talkative member of the group, but he was reliable and direct. He was the kind of boy who would actually do what needed to be done in a difficult situation, and he could be as hotheaded as Kenji. He was not the visionary or the strategist of the group, since Kenji provided the emotional and symbolic center while others supplied planning and information. Otcho's place was in action, and his defining quality was an unconditional loyalty, especially toward Kenji and the bond the group shared.
His adult life took a difficult turn. Otcho became a salaryman and an excellent salesman, married, and had a son named Shouta, but he put his career ahead of his family and neglected them. The tragedy of losing his son, who was struck by a car, devastated him. Afterward he abandoned his old life and traveled through Tibet and Thailand, eventually disappearing into Southeast Asia, where he became known as a kind of hero under the name Shogun. During this period he also became entangled in the dealings of the Friend organization.
Eventually, Otcho was imprisoned. His imprisonment is one of the most consequential parts of his development, because he spent years inside and used the time to transform himself physically, emerging with formidable fighting skills. When he escapes from a maximum security prison years later, he returns to the fight far more capable and hardened than the man who went in. From that point, he becomes the operational backbone of the resistance against Friend, the person who carries out the dangerous tasks once plans have been made. He is the one who enters places that need entering, confronts the people who need confronting, and keeps the physical dimension of the fight alive while others provide information and strategy.
His relationship with Kenji remains the emotional anchor of his character. Otcho backs Kenji's vision with action and never wavers in his support, even when stepping away would be the safer choice. In the later parts of the story, his relationship with Kanna, Kenji's niece and the leader of the next generation of the resistance, is also significant. Otcho serves as a bridge between what Kenji started and what Kanna continues, and his presence gives her fight a sense of continuity with the original group. He is also a member of Kenji's gang and of the broader coalition of individuals opposing Friend.
In terms of abilities, Otcho is primarily defined by his physical capability and his reliability in action. His years in prison gave him formidable combat skills, and he repeatedly proves himself capable of navigating the dangerous, violent dimensions of the global conspiracy. His most notable trait, however, is not any single skill but his role as the person who makes things happen, loyal, unshakeable, and always willing to do the dangerous thing that needs to be done.
As a child, Otcho was not the most talkative member of the group, but he was reliable and direct. He was the kind of boy who would actually do what needed to be done in a difficult situation, and he could be as hotheaded as Kenji. He was not the visionary or the strategist of the group, since Kenji provided the emotional and symbolic center while others supplied planning and information. Otcho's place was in action, and his defining quality was an unconditional loyalty, especially toward Kenji and the bond the group shared.
His adult life took a difficult turn. Otcho became a salaryman and an excellent salesman, married, and had a son named Shouta, but he put his career ahead of his family and neglected them. The tragedy of losing his son, who was struck by a car, devastated him. Afterward he abandoned his old life and traveled through Tibet and Thailand, eventually disappearing into Southeast Asia, where he became known as a kind of hero under the name Shogun. During this period he also became entangled in the dealings of the Friend organization.
Eventually, Otcho was imprisoned. His imprisonment is one of the most consequential parts of his development, because he spent years inside and used the time to transform himself physically, emerging with formidable fighting skills. When he escapes from a maximum security prison years later, he returns to the fight far more capable and hardened than the man who went in. From that point, he becomes the operational backbone of the resistance against Friend, the person who carries out the dangerous tasks once plans have been made. He is the one who enters places that need entering, confronts the people who need confronting, and keeps the physical dimension of the fight alive while others provide information and strategy.
His relationship with Kenji remains the emotional anchor of his character. Otcho backs Kenji's vision with action and never wavers in his support, even when stepping away would be the safer choice. In the later parts of the story, his relationship with Kanna, Kenji's niece and the leader of the next generation of the resistance, is also significant. Otcho serves as a bridge between what Kenji started and what Kanna continues, and his presence gives her fight a sense of continuity with the original group. He is also a member of Kenji's gang and of the broader coalition of individuals opposing Friend.
In terms of abilities, Otcho is primarily defined by his physical capability and his reliability in action. His years in prison gave him formidable combat skills, and he repeatedly proves himself capable of navigating the dangerous, violent dimensions of the global conspiracy. His most notable trait, however, is not any single skill but his role as the person who makes things happen, loyal, unshakeable, and always willing to do the dangerous thing that needs to be done.