Morimura Tenma

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Harukanaru Toki no Naka De character
Morimura Tenma
Voice Actor: Seki Tomokazu
Real Name: Morimura Tenma
Age: 17
Hair Color: Orange

Tenma Morimura (森村天真 Morimura Tenma?) is one of the main characters from Koei and Ruby Party's popular neoromance game Harukanaru Toki no Naka De which was serialised into a manga and subsequently an anime series. This page discusses the anime/manga rendition of Tenma's character and should not be confused with the gameplay incarnation.

Also known as: Chi no Seiryuu (地の青龍?). (Seiryuu of Earth)

Contents

[edit] Basic information

Tenma is one of Akane's friends and classmates from her high school in the modern world. Although he is a year older than her, he got held back after his sister Ran was abducted and his grades consequently dropped. He is dragged into Kyou trying to prevent Akane from being sucked into the well, and for a time is separated from Akane and Shimon, believing that only he was drawn to the other world.
Tenma does not want to be in Kyou and at least to begin with spends much time talking about getting home to their own world[1]. He does not want to be a Hachiyou and constantly worries about Akane's situation as Ryuujin no Miko, concerned that it means she will get hurt. As the story progresses, however, and he realises that Akane has accepted her duty, he also accepts his alongside her, determined to protect her no matter what.
Tenma's position in the Hachiyou is Chi no Seiryuu. His power is generally wind related, and his jewel is located on his upper arm. Unlike the other Hachiyou, who only have jewels, Tenma also has a tattoo marking up his arm around the area where his gem is.[2] In the anime, it is indicated that this is caused by his being chosen. In the manga, however, it seems that the tattoo might have been there already, before he received his gem from Akane.

[edit] Background and Family

Tenma comes from a fairly normal Japanese family who lived quite peacefully up until a year or two previously, when Tenma's younger sister Ran (蘭?) disappeared. Tenma blamed himself somewhat for Ran's disappearance, and became obsessed with finding her to the point that he dropped out of his schoolwork and was forced to repeat classes. In the anime, it is shown that part of Tenma's suffering over Ran is the fact that she asked her to stay with him because she was scared and Tenma refused, saying she was being silly.[3] It is also shown that they have identical necklaces, which first leads Tenma to the idea that Ran is also somehow in Kyou[4]. When he discovers that Ran has become a puppet for the oni clan, he is both torn and angry, determined to protect her but never quite sure how best to do it.
Tenma's concern for Ran continues throughout the anime, and even more so in the manga - to the point where he even punches Tomomasa for apparently driving his troubled sister back into Akuram's grip[5].
None of the rest of Tenma's family are really discussed in the anime or the manga, highlighting his close bond with his younger sister.

[edit] Personality

Tenma is hot-tempered, impulsive, quick to react and intensely stubborn, all of which characteristics he displays quite openly across the course of the manga and the anime series. He is a very open, blunt-spoken individual who is not afraid to air his views and for this reason he is the first one of the Hachiyou to actually come out and tell Akane straight that he likes her.[6] What kind of person Tenma was before Ran's disappearance is unclear, however he was somewhat feared at school after his return for his moody ways and quick to snap temper.
Akane is often frustrated with him for getting angry about something and then not talking to her about what it is - unlike Shimon, Tenma is not given to confiding his inner worries, particularly about Ran. At one point he tells her that he will protect her no matter what, but although he tells her that he likes her, he seems afraid to burden her regarding his sister and therefore keeps a vague distance between them.
However, despite the more stubborn aspects of his personality, Tenma has a strong sense of justice and right and wrong, as well as a keen survival instinct. Before coming to Kyou, he once took pity on Akane's lack of lunch, giving her his instead. He also helped Akane to drive off the students picking on Shimon, using his physical build and intimidating aura to frighten them away. For this reason, neither Akane or Shimon are at all afraid of him, and he treats Shimon largely like a younger brother.
On first arriving in Kyou, he is attacked by a man with an onryou possessed sword[7], and despite the danger manages to fight his way out of trouble. He also helps Inori to catch a thief and is 'hired' to help keep the peace in the city, in order to raise money for foot to survive. He is reluctant to live off Fuji-hime's estate, somewhat suspicious of her motives and the implications of Ryuujin's involvement, and prefers to manage for himself, particularly when Ran is involved.[8]

[edit] Relationships with People

Tenma's affection for Akane is unwavering and strong throughout both the anime and the manga. Although he doesn't proclaim that he loves her right at the beginning, he is the first (in the anime, the only) Hachiyou to do so and to begin with Shimon and Inori are rooting for him, also. Though it can probably be assumed that when he first met Akane he saw her as a sister figure, he soon realises that its something stronger than that inside of him and he is easily made jealous by her constant companionship with the other Hachiyou. He is also the only one of the Hachiyou to know outright that Akane has affection for the oni Akuram, a fact which he hates, but does not let interfere with his determination to protect and support her. In this he is generally joined by Shimon who, despite having recently confessed in the manga to having feelings of his own, does not seem to want to interfere in what he sees as Tenma's situation.[9]
Tenma's relationship with his Seiryuu cohort Yorihisa is probably the strongest bond he has with all of the Hachiyou from Kyou. Although to begin with they hate one another[10] - misunderstanding each other's motives from the start - this changes after Tenma realises that Yorihisa has Akane's best interests at heart. When Tenma wants to go rescue both Ran and Akane from Akuram's grasp, he tells Tenma that if he goes alone, he might see his sister killed before him.[11] This resonates within Tenma's mind, and later, when Yorihisa takes a blade swipe on his behalf[12], he realises that Yorihisa is speaking from his own experience. As time goes on, their friendship grows stronger, although it is not always understood by the other Hachiyou. For example, when they are seen fighting outside the Sadaijin's estate, it is immediately thought that they are trying to hurt one another, when in actual fact Tenma asked for them to fight together in order to improve his strength.[13] Tenma has a lot of respect for Yorihisa's strength and skill and believes that if he can defeat his partner, he will be better able to take on the oni. In return, Yorihisa acknowledges his potential and helps to teach him to fight[14].
In the manga, after he kisses Akane in his sleep, Yorihisa is torn over whether or not to tell Tenma the truth, knowing that if he does, it will hurt him and that he feels like he's betrayed his friend somehow.[15] In turn, Tenma defends Yorihisa without knowing the truth behind the incident, criticising Akane's strange behaviour towards him and making Akane shout at him, too.[16] Consequently as yet Tenma has not learnt the truth about the incident and although Yorihisa has considered telling him, he has held off on account of Tenma's overriding concern over Ran's safety. Though Yorihisa blatantly has his own affections for Akane, he tells her that Tenma is a "good person" and that he is sure they can work things out.
Tenma's relationship with the other Hachiyou varies. He is quite friendly with Inori without getting involved in the boy's hatred of the oni clan, because they are both open, honest characters who operate on a very direct level. He is always suspicious of Tomomasa's motives, not trusting either the way he flirts with Akane or anything else that he says or does. He hates to think he might be indebted to Tomomasa for anything, preferring instead to give credit to others. When he discovers his sister is in love with Tomomasa, he creates a lie to keep Ran away from danger, telling her that Tomomasa is engaged to marry Fuji-hime.[17] This backfires, however, when Ran discovers the truth.
Tenma is overly protective of Ran but after having been parted from her for so long, he often finds it hard to know what he should say to her[18], and misunderstandings ensue.

[edit] Other Information

The song Hitomi to Hitomi no Ignition - Tenma's Hachiyou Shou image song - appears in Episode 16 when Tenma defends a wounded Yorihisa in the quest for the Seiryuu seal. This track is sung by Tenma's seiyuu Seki Tomokazu.

Although Tenma is "Seiryuu of Earth", the kanji that make up his given name mean "Heaven" and "Truth".

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hachiyou Shou Anime early episodes, Maihitoyo movie, Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga volumes 1-4
  2. ^ Hachiyou Shou Anime Episode 2-3
  3. ^ Hachiyou Shou Anime episode 11
  4. ^ Hachiyou Shou Anime Episode 10-11
  5. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga Volume 13
  6. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Hachiyou Shou anime/manga volume
  7. ^ Hachiyou Shou Episode 2
  8. ^ Hachiyou Shou Episode 11
  9. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga volume 12
  10. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga vol 1-3, Anime episodes 1-12
  11. ^ Hachiyou Shou Episode 13/manga
  12. ^ Hachiyou Shou Episode 16
  13. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga Volume 7
  14. ^ Hachiyou Shou Episode 19
  15. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga Volume 13
  16. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga Volume
  17. ^ Harukanaru Toki no Naka De Manga Volume 8
  18. ^ Hachiyou Shou Episode 19

[edit] External links