| “ | A heart? ...I threw that away a long time ago. At least, that's what I swore. But if I can't even let go of my hatred, I guess I'm still human. Then maybe I deserve to be a laughingstock. Part of a cheap magic freakshow. | ” |
–Seiichi, 5656! - Knights' Strange Night | ||
Seiichi Kugi (狗木 誠一 Kugi Seīchi) lived on Sado Island until August 18, 2014, when he and his girlfriend Kanae Orisaki snuck onto the bridge stretching between Sadogashima and Niigata in their final year of middle school.
After Kanae's death, Seiichi joins the Chinese Mafia in the Western District and becomes an executive under Yili Ei, with whom he pretends to be in a relationship. Following certain events in 2019 (during which time he murders the executives of the Northern and Southern Districts alongside other persons) he escapes the island and seeks penance on Sado.
Seiichi returns to the Artificial Island over half a year later, where he tricks Hayato Inui into shooting him in the chest in the hope that he will die. He does not, and post-recovery finds himself back in the employ of Yili. Seiichi devotes himself to protecting her from then on out.
Appearance[]
Seiichi has straight black hair, and normally wears a brown trenchcoat over a formal business suit.
Personality[]
In childhood, Seiichi is a meek, quiet boy who is far less adventurous than his friend Kanae – a strong-willed girl always taking the initiative in his stead. While Seiichi usually ends up going along with whatever new scheme she has cooked up, he possesses a strong protective instinct towards her and enjoys his role of being her protector and 'hero.' Her death triggers a swift personality change within him, and leads him to reject reality.
As a Western District executive, he poses as a serious, determined individual who desires to improve the island. The District's residents find him respectable, and the District's Volunteer Police Force captain Sōji Kuzuhara never feels like Seiichi is using him until the events of 2019. Seiichi seems open and honest about his past, even steering into over-sharing territory with Kuzuhara on occasion.
Seiichi's public demeanor, however, is mostly an act. His true aim is to enact revenge on those who he blames for Kanae's death; in the climax of the first novel, his obsession with revenge is revealed to an extent – but he is still focused on making the island better, believing that he is the only person capable of such a feat. He is willing to destroy anyone obstructing his goal, and his increasing single-mindedness in his mission eventually leads to his confrontation with Hayato.
During the confrontation, Seiichi's façade crumbles away to expose his more unstable, obsessive traits for what they are. It is also the first time his death-seeking quality publicly surfaces: though he is utterly intent on killing Hayato, he would not mind being killed by him – and, after the battle ends, actually attempts suicide. His hatred for Hayato stems from self-loathing, since the two share similar pasts and escapism as a coping mechanism.
Though Kuzuhara also obstructs Seiichi's mission, Seiichi genuinely respects him and views him as a role model worthy of emulation. Whereas he sees himself as pretending to be a good influence on the island, Kuzuhara is legitimately one.
After Seiichi returns to the island, he finds a new purpose in protecting Yili and develops a more stoic, detached personality in the process. Hayato is still able to rile him up, but even that eventually becomes almost a habit instead of genuine hatred. By the end of the fifth volume, Seiichi seems more comfortable with his life and has completely devoted himself to becoming Yili's shadow.
With the exception of Kanae, Seiichi has no hesitation when it comes to killing others, and is ruthless to the point where he has no qualms with torture. This ruthlessness is hidden by the metaphorical masks he wears: first the mask of someone who wants to change the island, and later a mask of stoicism. Only a few people are able to look past his masks; Kelly can see his more dangerous side, and Hayato – much to Seiichi's annoyance – can see right through him.
Despite his ruthlessness and stoicism, Seiichi is a fairly dramatic person by nature. In his early days as an executive, he entertained delusions that his life was like a childhood adventure – the idea of detaching himself from reality, painting himself as someone who can make the island better being construed as something fantastical. Though he abandons that delusion later on, he remains dramatic in a more self-deprecating manner.
Chronology[]
To be added.
Relationships[]
To be added.
Etymology[]
Like Hayato Inui, Seiichi's name contains a character that means 'dog.' He's known in some circles as the "witch's dog" and the "loyal hound."
- The name Seiichi means "sincerity" (誠) (sei) and "one" (一) (ichi).
- Seiichi's surname Kugi means "dog" (狗) (ku) and "tree, wood" (木) (ki/gi).
Trivia[]
- Seiichi makes a voiced appearance in a fifty-eight second advertisement for Etsusa Bridge as featured on the first Baccano! audio drama. The track is the twentieth track of Disc 01.