Date Seiji
Date Seiji is one of the five main characters in Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, aka Ronin Warriors, and is the wielder of the Korin yoroi (Armor of Halo in North America).
Standard Notes: This is my opinion of this character. Very little of this is fact; this is my analysis of Date Seiji based on what I have seen of him and the discussions I've had about him and the other Troopers with Tavestry, Celestial Tiger, Magma Angel, and Becky, as well as other people. They've all expanded upon my knowledge of Seiji, and I am grateful to them for helping me understand him.
Since the 16th or 17th century, the Date family has been a large, rich family seat in Sendai - and has also had familial problems. Some even involved higher political officials being called in to decide succession and inheritance.
Steeped in tradition and propriety is the Date family that sired Seiji, the warrior of Korin. There will be no problems with inheritance for the modern Date family, as Seiji, the middle child, is the only son. Therefore his family's entire future lies with him.
Seiji was raised for this purpose. He was raised to support his family and save the world. He has always been the obedient son, giving unselfishly of himself. He has sacrificed what he may have wanted to do with his life to do what he felt, or rather, what he was told, he had to do.
Seiji wants to help his family, to be a good son, because he wants their love. His strict upbringing in tradition left a lot to be desired in the more usual comforts of family. Like light itself, Seiji's family was without much warmth.
Thank the gods for the Troopers.
They have been his saving grace, the warmth that lets his true self shine. He has a sense of humor, if a rather dry one, and he cares about his comrades in arms.
Seiji only wants what every other person in the world wants - to belong. The trademark hairstyle is designed to make him seem less intimidating. His piercing violet eyes can be so frightening that to lessen their impact, he hides one of them. Of course, this only makes him more mysterious, more remote and distant and seemingly unapproachable. But he's trying.
Seiji cannot BELONG in Japan, where standing out is frowned upon. His blonde hair and violet eyes cannot help but be noticed in a world of dark hair and brown eyes. His own family looks down on him for his strangely "other" looks, and so he does what they say, as they say to do it, when they say to do it to try and show that he is a proper Nihonjin (Japanese person), and that he is worthy of their love and affection.
He is more Japanese in his behavior than any of the other Troopers, and that makes him very hard for American, or any Non-Japanese, viewer to comprehend or really understand. He pretends that his uniqueness does not bother him; he shuts other people (except for the Troopers) away because he's scared of being rejected for what he looks like. Better to reject them first.
He hides behind masks, behind the illusion of aloofness and confidence (for what is illusion but bent light?), but Seiji's true self is probably not quite so stuffy, not quite so uptight. He can be a bit more of who he really is around the guys; he doesn't have to worry about what'll happen if he shows fear or pain, because they know those feelings, they know what it's like, and they won't mock him or jeer him for being human.
Because that's what Seiji's problem is. He tries so hard to be NIHONJIN that he can't let himself be HUMAN. He tries so hard to be what everyone else expects of him that he can't be who he really is.
He ought to get an Academy Award for all the acting he's done.
Or at least a lifetime achievement award.
Not that either would mean much to him. He doesn't necessarily want praise or admiration, fame or fortune. He just wants to be loved for WHO HE REALLY IS. Praise is nice, especially from his family, but he'd settle for a hug, I'd bet.