Ueki, Kousuke
Summary
Kousuke Ueki is the protagonist of the series, attending Class 1-C at Hinokuni Junior High School. His supernatural ability, granted by his homeroom teacher Kobayashi (also known as Mr. K), allows him to transform trash into trees. While this power might appear weak compared to other users who can only convert item A into item B, such as turning beads into bombs or water into fire, Ueki’s ability operates on a unique repeatable cycle. Because part of the tree he creates can become trash, he can convert it back into a tree again, creating an endless loop of transformation. Personality-wise, Ueki is a genuinely kind and unusually calm individual who prioritizes helping others over his own well-being. He displays remarkable nonchalance, often seen napping in class or allowing children to use him as a target for soccer balls or even a surfboard. Even when confronted by a gang of rowdy teenagers, he remains unpanicked and simply calls the police. His sense of justice drives him to act decisively, such as saving Robert Haydn from falling debris in the Dogura Mansion. Although he is somewhat of a simpleton who frequently uses his ability against non-gifted individuals to punish those who defy his moral code, he remains dedicated. Despite constantly losing his talents and gaining fairly useless ones upon winning, he believes he can still succeed through sheer effort. According to a profile published by the author in the manga's sixteenth volume, his hobbies include cleaning up his town, a trait evident in the first volume where he is seen planting trees in the local park.
