Mizuo
Mizuo (水尾), later known as Tamiya (田宮),[a] is the protagonist of the one-shot At a Confessional, the 16th episode of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan series. He is only named in the live-action film.
Mizuo is an average worker who causes the death of a vagrant and lives his life in fear of the vagrant's revenge as a spirit. He confesses his mortal sin to Rohan Kishibe, who he thought was a priest.
Appearance
Initially, Mizuo is a young man with an average build. He has short, light hair with four long spikes of hair protruding from the front. At some point in his luxury years, he takes on his servant's appearance and identity as a middle-aged man with short hair and a mustache.
In the OVA adaptation, a mole is added to his neck in order to differentiate him from his servant. In the film adaptation, his post-surgery appearance lacks a mustache and he wears a hat and suit. His design was based on the painting The Son of Man by René Magritte.[3]
Color Schemes
Personality
When he was younger, Mizuo was a hard-working man, too busy for relationships. However, despite this work ethic, he disdained working at the food market. When Sotoba approaches him asking for food, Mizuo becomes irritated, describing him as lazy and lashing out. He demands that the vagrant works for his food like he does, being cruel as the vagrant carries bags around. When Sotoba dies under the pressure of the work and hunger, he becomes a vengeful spirit that curses Mizuo for his cruelty. Mizuo lives his next few years in fear of the spirit's vengeance.
Mizuo is quite clever, being able to outwit Sotoba's vengeful spirit by swapping identities with his servant with plastic surgery and having him take the fall instead. During his luxury years, he's able to invent sweets that become very successful, and lives a privileged life with a loving wife. However, he can never be truly content under the spirit's curse until he had a daughter, and with a stray thought of happiness, enables the spirit to manifest.
In the present, Mizuo shows a great amount of guilt for his ploys, and confesses his sins at a confessional in Italy, unknowingly to Rohan Kishibe. Rohan recognizes that Mizuo is an evil person, but respects his courage in not giving up under the curse of two spirits.
History
Background
When Mizuo was 24 years old, he was a common worker who carried bags of corn for hours. One day, an Asian vagrant named Sotoba begged him for food, not having eaten for five straight days. The man was frustrated at the vagrant, and made him carry the corn bags in exchange for his food. The vagrant was crushed by the heavy bags. His spirit swore revenge on the man that was to come at his happiest moment.
After that, Mizuo had great luck. He received money from relatives and had the idea to process corn into corn flakes and popcorn. The idea was a big hit and he became a rich man, the master of a mansion with several servants. He married a model, and they eventually had a daughter named Maria.
However, he still feared the vagrant's curse. He found a servant who was willing to do anything for him, and they had plastic surgery to switch their faces and identities. Thus, Mizuo became known as Tamiya. One day, as Mizuo took joy in the sight of his servant playing with his daughter, the spirit of the vagrant possessed his daughter and revealed that he was causing Mizuo's prosperity from behind the scenes, so that he could fulfill his vow of taking the man's life at his happiest moment. Mizuo rushed to interfere without breaking character, but was easily knocked out by the spirit. Tamiya fell victim to the spirit, who was fooled by their changed faces.[2]
At a Confessional
Mizuo later goes to a confession booth to confess his sins, now bearing the weight of two people's deaths. He confesses to Rohan Kishibe, who had mistakenly entered the priest side to research the church. As the man exits the booth, it is revealed that both Sotoba and Tamiya's spirits swear revenge on him, vowing to watch him around the clock to make sure he never tricks them again. Rohan watches him leave with curiosity, and decides to interview him later if given the chance.[2]
Chapters / Episodes
Manga Appearances- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
Anime Appearances- Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16 (OVA): At a Confessional
Live Action AppearancesQuotes
Quotes- “Father, I've come to make a confession. I have committed a great sin.”—Mizuo to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “I'm here working overtime, while this guy was probably lazing about behind the station or at the park. And now he wants me to give him food? What a prick.”—Mizuo about the vagrant, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “What the hell are you?”—Mizuo about the vengeful spirit, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “Thoughts of that dead man continued to occupy a corner of my mind.”—Mizuo to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “I carelessly thought, "I am so happy right now."”—Mizuo to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “But you're still alive. Is that what you were thinking, Father?”—Mizuo to Rohan Kishibe, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- “You can even enter churches?”—Mizuo to the two vengeful spirits, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16 (OVA): At a Confessional
Gallery
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Rohan listens to Mizuo's confession -
Mizuo when he was younger -
At the park with his daughter and his servant -
Mizuo's appearance as Tamiya after surgery -
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Mizuo leaving the church
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About to confess his sins -
Mizuo tired from work -
Mizuo annoyed at the vagrant -
Telling the vagrant to work for his food -
Eating the food himself -
Mizuo in fear -
Realizes the vagrant died -
Mizuo in shock -
Mizuo still in fear years later -
Happy after seeing his daughter -
Mizuo worries (had plastic surgery to look like his servant) -
Mizuo at the confessional -
Revealed that he changed his face -
Stalked by grudges -
Leaving the church
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Model Sheet black & white -
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Mizuo as Tamiya (At a Confessional) -
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Concept Art (Post-Surgery) -
Concept Art
Notes
- ↑ The names Mizuo and Tamiya may not have been chosen by Araki as they derive from the live-action film. As such, they may or may not be considered canon.
References
- ↑ Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (OVA) - Model Sheet No.CR懺悔_09A
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan Episode 16: At a Confessional
- ↑ 𝓢𝓽𝔂𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 #𝟑
