Rio, Izumi
Summary
Izumi is a shinigami who makes his appearance later in the narrative. He is characterized as somewhat cold-hearted and distant, a trait that is particularly pronounced in the anime adaptation. Among all the figures in the series, Izumi stands out as the only one whose personality and narrative function differ significantly between the manga and its anime version. In the anime, his backstory remains unmentioned, and he is depicted consistently as a cold-hearted figure, often serving as the main antagonist. Throughout the series, he makes multiple attempts to steal Mitsuki’s soul. Although he claims to love Meroko, his actions primarily serve to cause her pain, a contradiction pointed out by Takuto. It is eventually revealed that he assigned Takuto and Meroko to Mitsuki specifically to force Takuto to recall his past life as a human by taking the soul of the daughter of his former friend. Conversely, in the manga, Izumi is portrayed quite differently. He is not established as the story’s antagonist but is instead shown as someone who has lost his way. He does not engage in most of the antagonistic behaviors he displayed in the anime. In Arina Tanemura’s manga, he is a main character who enters the story in chapter 5 and eventually comes to live with Mitsuki and the other Shinigami. His backstory is unveiled in volume 5.
