♂ m 20

"What, is that how you address me?" Born in Aizu. A miserly, menial, lazy person with a fatal attraction to books. He has a vain personality, enough to wear glasses just to make himself look serious and clever, and this vanity is his only strength. Although he had followed his childhood friends t... read more

"What, is that how you address me?" Born in Aizu. A miserly, menial, lazy person with a fatal attraction to books. He has a vain personality, enough to wear glasses just to make himself look serious and clever, and this vanity is his only strength. Although he had followed his childhood friends to the Imperial Capital of Tokyo, he failed to achieve anything of worth and lives in an old bookstore called Umebachidou in the 1st Area of Jinbocho, Tokyo's book town. While he still allegedly aims to get accepted into the Imperial University, he has entirely lost sight of reality through fantastical books and films, to the point that he now has pretensions of writing his own novels. According to his friend Kawase, he's a genius at writing absolute garbage at breakneck speeds. Perhaps due to being a writer, he has a habit of losing himself to his own world.

♂ m 23

"I will cut away those delusions of yours." Born in Aizu. A doctor's son. Super-classical Japanese Man who's blunt and curt but passionate about justice and righteousness. Left Fukushima to join the Army Cadet Academy after graduating from middle school. His current rank is Army Second Lieutenant. ... read more

"I will cut away those delusions of yours." Born in Aizu. A doctor's son. Super-classical Japanese Man who's blunt and curt but passionate about justice and righteousness. Left Fukushima to join the Army Cadet Academy after graduating from middle school. His current rank is Army Second Lieutenant. While he used to be close to Tamamori and his friends, they slowly grew apart, and have been estranged for 8 years since. Recently, he's been appearing in Jinbocho and Hongou, where the Imperial University is, for unknown reasons. While he's perpetually scowling, in the past he used to smile only for Tamamori, treating him like his own little brother. Not even a trace of that remains. He used to be an artillery officer, but has ended up in the Army Scientific Research Unit, perhaps due to his fondness for flights of fancy. Appears to have a best friend who's a Captain in the Army Engineering Corps.

♂ m 24

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! That was creepy, wasn't it? To suddenly do that... I'm sorry, I'm such a creep, I'm sorry..." A man with an eyepatch who wanders into the Umebachidou at dusk. Real name Hikawa Kijuurou. While he always speaks politely and softly, his mannerisms are nervous and suspicious,... read more

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! That was creepy, wasn't it? To suddenly do that... I'm sorry, I'm such a creep, I'm sorry..." A man with an eyepatch who wanders into the Umebachidou at dusk. Real name Hikawa Kijuurou. While he always speaks politely and softly, his mannerisms are nervous and suspicious, and he constantly seems to be ill at ease. Tries very hard to smile often, but it always ends up looking very, very stiff and forced. Appears to have become a regular customer at the Umebachidou only after Tamamori started working there, and very little is known about his background. While nobody knows what he's researching, he always says, "Please call me Doctor." A collector of tin toys. Seems to have heard about Tamamori from somewhere and is a crazy, diehard fan of his works. Does things like giving Tamamori a tin goldfish watering can as a sign of friendship, creeping Tamamori out.

♂ m 20

"Dirty people like you exist, so I turned out the way I am." Born in Aizu. Tamamori and Minakami's childhood friend. While he has such a pretty face as to get himself bona-fide groupies, his unpleasant sarcasm is the fly in the ointment. Lives alone in the Ikeda House, a western mansion located in... read more

"Dirty people like you exist, so I turned out the way I am." Born in Aizu. Tamamori and Minakami's childhood friend. While he has such a pretty face as to get himself bona-fide groupies, his unpleasant sarcasm is the fly in the ointment. Lives alone in the Ikeda House, a western mansion located in Hongou District Area 3. A genius student in the Imperial University's medical department. It's his daily routine to make fun of Tamamori, going to hang around the Umebachidou whenever he has even a little spare time. He actually has no appreciation for the arts or antiques and finds Jinbocho to be a dusty, dinky town, which he detests. Clean freak. Despite his personality problems, Tamamori and Minakami think he's a good person at heart... as he enjoys Minakami's suicide and finds it entertaining, however, there's something off about him as a human being. His darknesses are deep.

♂ m 18

"Oh." A mysterious man who lives in the Umebachidou's basement. Wears a Noh mask and speaks with a slight stutter. He chases down Tamamori whenever he finds him, but seems to bear no ill intent. From Tamamori's perspective, however, the man's very existence is like an enemy to him. Violent to anyo... read more

"Oh." A mysterious man who lives in the Umebachidou's basement. Wears a Noh mask and speaks with a slight stutter. He chases down Tamamori whenever he finds him, but seems to bear no ill intent. From Tamamori's perspective, however, the man's very existence is like an enemy to him. Violent to anyone who isn't Tamamori, and beats both Kawase and Hanazawa to death without any explanation. His goal is a mystery. His reason is also a mystery. While Tamamori suspects that he has something to do with Minakami's suicide, nothing is known about him in the end. Judging from his voice, appears to be in his late teens. Despite appearances, he is one of Tamamori's love interests.

♂ m 21

"Now, don't be so troubled." Born in Aizu. Eldest son of a brewer. Currently lives in a volunteer's house in Koishigawa Area 2, attending the Imperial University's department of literature. Slit eyes. A man of common sense who has a gentle personality and dislikes conflict. On the other hand, he a... read more

"Now, don't be so troubled." Born in Aizu. Eldest son of a brewer. Currently lives in a volunteer's house in Koishigawa Area 2, attending the Imperial University's department of literature. Slit eyes. A man of common sense who has a gentle personality and dislikes conflict. On the other hand, he also has a bumbling side, like forgetting his hat or losing his wallet all the time. A bookworm of such a caliber that might really be called a sickness, once he starts reading a book, he'd be unable to take his eyes off of it, forgetting to eat or even sleep. Always carries a book with him. Has read all the books in the Umebachidou store.

♂ m

"You're very much alone." "We'll always be at your side, Tamamori-san! Always! Forever!" Characters from Tamamori's novel, "The Mysterious Man in the Basement." While they seem to be nothing more than a hallucination at first, they go around drinking tea and playing Go and act as they please, as i... read more

"You're very much alone." "We'll always be at your side, Tamamori-san! Always! Forever!" Characters from Tamamori's novel, "The Mysterious Man in the Basement." While they seem to be nothing more than a hallucination at first, they go around drinking tea and playing Go and act as they please, as if they were real. While Tamamori is hard on them at first, they slowly grow to become his emotional support...?

♀ f 74

"I see that you've been taking care of Kijuurou-sama." One of a pair of twin maids who serve Hikawa. They entered service at 14, and now they are 74. Apparently retain their youthful looks from Hikawa's surgery. Hirotsurugi, the elder, is a serious person, and she distrusts Tamamori, thinking that... read more

"I see that you've been taking care of Kijuurou-sama." One of a pair of twin maids who serve Hikawa. They entered service at 14, and now they are 74. Apparently retain their youthful looks from Hikawa's surgery. Hirotsurugi, the elder, is a serious person, and she distrusts Tamamori, thinking that he may be deceiving Hikawa, currently judging whether he is fit to be Hikawa's friend.

♂ m 10

"Ikeda-san was killed by that Imperial University Student..." Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know ... read more

"Ikeda-san was killed by that Imperial University Student..." Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know a great deal about Tamamori's background.

♂ m 11

"You think it's just kiddy games, don't you? Asshole..." Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know a gre... read more

"You think it's just kiddy games, don't you? Asshole..." Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know a great deal about Tamamori's background.

♀ f

"You get hungry easily, don't you, Mr. Scholar?" A waitress at the cafe Tamamori and Kawase frequent. She has apparently fallen in love with Kawase, expressing it in very straightforward ways like giving extra coffee to Kawase alone. Somehow knows a great deal about Tamamori's background, and sarc... read more

"You get hungry easily, don't you, Mr. Scholar?" A waitress at the cafe Tamamori and Kawase frequent. She has apparently fallen in love with Kawase, expressing it in very straightforward ways like giving extra coffee to Kawase alone. Somehow knows a great deal about Tamamori's background, and sarcastically calls him "Mr. Scholar" even though he's a roninsei. The type to turn into a different person when around someone she likes. The beauty mark under her eye looks a bit like someone...?

♀ f 47

"Do get out of here. Now." Minakami's landlady, the widow of the Ooizumi household. Threw Tamamori out for being too much of a fool. Tamamori fears her even now.

♂ m 13

"You know, Tama-san. You're hated, aren't you? The Madame's only son. He does not get along with his mother, and avoids seeing her in person.

♂ m 12

"It's money, you know! Money!" Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know a great deal about Tamamori's b... read more

"It's money, you know! Money!" Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know a great deal about Tamamori's background.

♀ f 74

"To think that the young master would have more friends. Tee-hee." One of a pair of twin maids who serve Hikawa. They entered service at 14, and now they are 74. Apparently retain their youthful looks from Hikawa's surgery. Sazan, the younger, is a bit of a ditz, and doesn't really remember Tamamo... read more

"To think that the young master would have more friends. Tee-hee." One of a pair of twin maids who serve Hikawa. They entered service at 14, and now they are 74. Apparently retain their youthful looks from Hikawa's surgery. Sazan, the younger, is a bit of a ditz, and doesn't really remember Tamamori's name, but she adores him for getting along (?) with Hikawa.

♂ m 58

"Calm down, my boy, and try counting to a hundred." Owner of Umebachidou Antiquarian Books. A generous landlord who lets Tamamori stay on his second floor for practically nothing after the latter was chased out of his prior lodgings. Appears to be chronically ill and entrusts Tamamori with the stor... read more

"Calm down, my boy, and try counting to a hundred." Owner of Umebachidou Antiquarian Books. A generous landlord who lets Tamamori stay on his second floor for practically nothing after the latter was chased out of his prior lodgings. Appears to be chronically ill and entrusts Tamamori with the storefront. Has the strange policy of only opening for business on rainy days. It's unclear whether this is profitable, but he doesn't seem to be in any trouble financially. Always shuts himself deep inside his room. Even Tamamori has only talked to him through the sliding paper door. Judging from his voice, he's in his 50s. Always gently warns Tamamori when he's about to lose his way. He doesn't know that his store has a basement.

♂ m 12

"Kudou, that's so cool..." Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know a great deal about Tamamori's backg... read more

"Kudou, that's so cool..." Part of a gang of urchins who hang out at Sanzendou Antiquarian Books. They're centered around Kudou, and the four of them play at detectives. Currently sniffing around Kawase and his circle for unknown reasons. They, too, somehow know a great deal about Tamamori's background.

♂ m

"Womb-child, dear Womb-child, why do you leap so? Is it because you're fearful knowing what lies in your mother's heart?" A bizarre author who suddenly appeared in 1915. He received tremendous support from a certain niche of readers, and Minakami, too, lists him as his most favorite author. Tamamor... read more

"Womb-child, dear Womb-child, why do you leap so? Is it because you're fearful knowing what lies in your mother's heart?" A bizarre author who suddenly appeared in 1915. He received tremendous support from a certain niche of readers, and Minakami, too, lists him as his most favorite author. Tamamori used to love his books as well, but after seeing how happily Minakami talks about those books (or, more precisely, books that aren't Tamamori's), it begins to get on his nerves and he no longer things well of it. Recently published the strange book "Dogra Magra" in this year (1922).

♀ f

Tamamori's grandmother whom he left back home in Aizu. She seems to be the only one who understands Tamamori and his hallucinations.

♂ m

The master of Ikeda manor and former president of the Imperial University's School of Medicine. He adopts Kawase after being drawn to his ambition to become a doctor. He also shares a close relationship with Katou-kun whom he regularly visits at Sanzendou. read more

The master of Ikeda manor and former president of the Imperial University's School of Medicine. He adopts Kawase after being drawn to his ambition to become a doctor. He also shares a close relationship with Katou-kun whom he regularly visits at Sanzendou.

♂ m

In an attempt to "cure the darkness in Kawase," Tamamori replaces the Frog Man with Orochimaru and decides to write smut featuring this new character. As such, his looks resemble the Frog Man's--only he's purple and taller.