Mai Katahira

“

Même après 15 ans après l'accident... pourrais-je aimer quelqu'un d'autre que mon mari ?

”

—Mai Katahira

Mai Katahira (片平真依, Katahira Mai) est un personnage secondaire figurant dans le one-shot Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan - Episode 8: ADN.

Elle est la mère de Mao Katahira et une amie de la mother de Yukako Yamagishi et essaie de savoir quoi faire avec sa fille.

Apparence

Mai est une femme de 38 ans, qui conserve néanmoins une apparence jeune. Elle est svelte et a une taille moyenne. Elle a des cheveux clairs coupés au carré.

Mai porte une chemise de couleur unie sous une mini-robe à motifs écossais qui est décorée de plusieurs boutons posés ici et là. Sa robe est notamment coupée assez bas pour révéler entièrement le torse de Mai et sa chemise sans manche.

Dans la série télévisée, Mai a de longs cheveux noirs séparés au milieu et attachés en queue de cheval. Elle porte une robe bleue unie et un châle rose. Elle porte aussi des boucles d'oreille faites de disques en céramique.

Personnalité

Mai est une femme pacifique et polie, gardant généralement une attitude polie et discrète. Elle arrive notamment à ne pas s'énerver face à l'insolence constante de Rohan Kishibe et est même compréhensive face à son refus d'aider à faire de Mao un enfant normal.

Mai est marquée par la mort de son ancien fiancé, et n'a pas pu oublier ses sentiments envers lui, étant incapable d'aimer un autre homme malgré le temps qui passe. Cependant, Mai désirait ardemment avoir un enfant et accepta de faire appel à une banque de sperme pour mettre au monde sa fille, Mao. Malgré l'apparence et le comportement étranges de Mao, Mai aime sa fille et est reconnaissante de l'avoir. Bien qu'elle soit pacifique, si elle pense que Mao est en danger, Mai sautera immédiatement à son secours.

Dans l'adaptation télévisée, l'histoire de Mai change et sa personnalité est marqué par ces modifications. Mai est plus anxieuses, non seulement à cause des traits inhabituels de Mao mais elle a aussi peur que ses gènes pourraient porter en eux une sorte de malédiction qui causerait des accidents. Elle en devient nerveuse et a tendance à sursauter en entendant des sirènes. Elle insiste aussi plus sur la possibilité de rendre Mao normale, vue qu'elle croit que Mao pause aussi un danger.

Histoire

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan - Episode 8: ADN

15 years before the events of Episode 8, Mai Katahira was engaged and freshly married, but then suffered a car accident in which she lost her husband. During the next years, Mai wasn't able to move on from her husband, dating several men but inevitably breaking up. However, Mai also underwent artificial insemination and had Mao, which she loved despite her difformities.

As Mao grew, Mai began to worry that she would bullied for her appearance and got into contact with Rohan Kishibe through Yukako Yamagishi and asked Rohan if he could cure her. However, Rohan wasn't interested and when he turned Mao into a book, claimed that she was ultimately fine the way she was. Nonetheless, Mai learned that the biological father lived in Yagatama and was 30 by the time he donated his sperm. Thus, she could investigate the cause of Mao's quirks.

Later, Mai incidentally saw a man who both fit the clues and reminded her strangely of her late husband. Following him up to the park Mao was playing, Mai was then victim of a prank: Mao shed her skin and disguises a friend as herself, making Mai believe she was being kidnapped by the same man. The misunderstanding being cleared, Mai then became acquainted with the man, named Obanazawa, and came to like him immediately.

Less than 3 months afterward, Mai is stated to have married Obanazawa.

TV Drama

Mai's story undergoes many notable changes in the TV Drama adaptation. Her occupation is mentioned to be in interior design.

Mai's family has a history of suffering from accidents. Both her parents died in an accident. Mai and her husband, Akira Katahira, were registered organ donors when they married. Six years before the events of Deoxyribonucleic Acid, Mai was pregnant with Mao when she lost her husband in a car accident. The organs were then transplanted to Taro Hirai, who had been in an accident around the same time. While Taro was hospitalized, Mai published a book on interior design through Shumeisha.

Mai lived anxiously for six years because it seemed that many accidents happened around her and Mao, and she developed a fear that her genes were the cause of it. She sheltered Mao and hid her because of her abnormal features, fearing that she would be bullied. In doing so, she unknowingly caused Mao to have the habit of covering herself and hiding, which may be why Mao develops her own ability.

One day, as she and Mao go for a walk in the park, Mao suddenly tugs on Taro's shirt, making him fall and bump his head on a wall. Worried, Mai and Kyoka Izumi bring him to a hospital. Mai waits in the hospital, with Mao hidden under her shawl, to know if Taro is alright. In the meantime, she meets Rohan Kishibe. She tries to hide Mao from Rohan but becomes interested in him when Kyoka says he knows hypnotherapy. Taro returns, and Mao grabs Taro a second time. Disturbed because Mao has never approached anyone like this, Mai leaves and returns home, scolding Mao for her "dangerous" actions. Upset, Mao goes to her plush tent.

When Rohan and Kyoka come to her, she's initially reluctant to let Rohan approach Mao, but he says that she can't hide Mao forever and that he knows she fears something. Mai resigns herself to explain all her fears and anxiety. She doesn't know why Mao is so abnormal and also fears that somehow, her genes could be the cause for the many accidents she's witnessed in her life. Rohan examines Mao but finds that she is simply what she is because of her genetics and upbringing. Mai having hidden her for six years is what influences her personality. Thus, there is nothing for Rohan to cure. Despite Mai's protestations, Rohan insists that he cannot and won't do anything. Mai wants a second examination and forcefully grabs Mao, but she escapes and disappears. Mai nervously looks for her, and when it looks like Mao has gone out of the house, they try going to the hospital. Mai reveals that her husband was an organ donor, and Rohan begins to see a connection.

Mai finds Mao at the children's playground, playing with Taro. She is actually astonished to see Mao being so lively. When she sees them, Mao runs off and is almost run over by a car, but Rohan manages to catch her. Mai is relieved that her daughter is safe. Rohan then turns her and everyone else into books to confirm his suspicion. Indeed, it seems that Taro was the one who received organs from Akira, Mai's late husband. Mao seems to have sensed a connection with him due to that.

Later, Taro, Mao, and Mai walk together, relieved that Mao is well. Mao says she's thirsty, and Taro buys her a can. When he returns, Taro sees that Mai is worried about him and reassures her, pointing out her forehead wrinkles. Embarrassed, he also scratches his head with his pinky, which makes Mai think of Akira. Moreover, he also offers a can of sweet coffee to her. Mai remembers Akira's words, who promised that he, Mai, and Mao would be fine. Realizing she may have found love again, Mai smiles and fights back tears of joy. She quickly joins Mao and Taro. All three walk away, holding each other's hands.