(Excuse any insanity. Girl Scout Cookie overdose. ^^)

Well, it's time for the big question.

"Did you brush your teeth before goi - "

WHAP!

Okay. Maybe not *that* big question. But *this* big question. Why Tomo? Why, out of all the Fushigi Yuugi characters, do I like Tomo? Why would I like the painted face weirdo? Why can't I like a nice, normal character like Nuriko, or Hotohori, or Tasuki?

(Well, I do like all three ... but that's beside the point.)

Why Tomo?

1. His shin - you have to like a guy who has an appreciation for seafood! And with that little piece of seafood he could really make your dreams come true. Literally.
2. Kakakaka! Who could resist his hideous cackle! It's ... unique. It gives him a character trait that no one else has.
3. His feathers... Hey, Don't tickle me there!
4. Tomo will never need a manicurist! One less expense there.
5. He sure knows his way around that makeup! I wish I had his talent! And if you ever got really poor you could hire him out as a makeup artist.
6. Well, he'll certainly never desert Nakago...(This could also be a bad thing...)
7. Of course, there's his rivalry with Soi, which is cause for much amusement for the Seiryuu people!
8. Tomo is a badass - look what he can do to Tamahome.
9. Very cool grey-black hair. And it's long too.
10. As many of him as you want in shin - enough for you and all of your friends!
11. The eyes! The eyes! Who can resist silver eyes?
12. What a sense of style! He's subtle in what he does.
13. His voice sends shivers down your spine...
14. Nice looking with makeup.
15. Nicer looking without makeup.
16. He's a man with a mysterious, unknown past.

All joking aside, why do I like Tomo?

Tomo is a complex character. There are obvious depths and dimensions to him that are never truly explored in the Fushigi Yuugi anime or manga. What would make a person act the way he does? Was he born that way? Or did his environment create him? I like him because he has so many possibilities, *because* he's pretty much an unexplored character. It's the same with his fellow Seiryuu shichiseishi Miboshi. No motivations are revealed, yet they act for Nakago's interest.

I suppose the main answer to the question "why Tomo?" is simple. Because there's so much I don't know about him as a character. He's not as defined as the Suzaku shichiseishi, so it's easier to take liberties with him.

Plus, what little we do know about his past (being in the Chinese opera) only intrigues me more. He's downright mysterious. And it's human nature to want to explore mystery. That's "why Tomo."

And of course, Tomo being a bishounen helps too.

Comments go here: kouji@enteract.com

Kristi's homepage: Genkiland.com


Article copyright 1999 Kristi Brownfield