Kiku

Kiku
(菊波, Kikunami?)
Biographical information
Residence	Sei'an City (Commoner's Quarter)
Family	Tsuruya (husband) Kagu (daughter)
Physical description
Species	Human
Gender	Female

Kiku is Kagu's mother and also the wife of Tsuruya. She and her husband are the manager of the Playhouse in Sei'an City.

History

When Sei'an City has been overrun by demons, the Playhouse was overtook by Sen and Ryo. When Kagu examines her father's room, they noticed that Kiku's treasured hand-mirror was left on the table, leaving them with suspicion that she didn't bring it with her.

After the defeat of Renjishi, along with Sen and Ryo, the captives in the playhouse was freed. She and Tsuruya thanked Kagu for embracing her gift and used it in good will. Later, when Kagu asked permission from her to train in the miko traning grounds, she allowed her happily, but not as encouraging.

When Kagu is in front of the training grounds with Miko Cho, Kiku and Tsuruya is also behind her. Although she finds it hard for them to unable to see her for a long time of training, they support her decision and keep her place as the number one actress in the troupe.

Later, when Kurow and Chibiterasu reach the entrance of Sei'an City, a dark ominous cloud has inflicted some of the citizens with a strange epidemic which Dr. Bluebeard himself cannot decipher. When Kagu arrived and tried to help her father, she was apparently unconscious. After Kagu was abducted, Kiku came a bit to her senses and plead for Kagu be safe.

Right after King Fury's defeat, she can be seen in the Playhouse again. She said that Kagu's duty as a Miko is to help others, and she is very proud of her, and she will wait for her daughter until her training is complete.

Characteristics

Appearance

Kiku has a particularly flashy taste in clothing, with her being in the acting business. Her hair is short, slightly above her shoulders in length and dusty brown in color. It is stylized with her cantel swept to the back, with her bangs curved to her eyes. Her eyebrows are short and round, but fairly thick with some mascara put on. Her cheeks are cherry-pink blush. Her hair ornament, appears to be a fan-type kanzashi which are worn to the back instead. The kanzashi is in fact, ornaments which consists an orange folding-fan with pink overrides and two other crysanthemum hairpins. The folding-fan has the kanji 大入 on it which means "large attendance" or "full-house".

She wears a particularly plain uchikake which is pink and yellow with diamond-shaped patterns. Her kimono has a lavender okumi, with tangerine thin edges. Her obi is yellow with green thin stripes which are very wide, with it being tied into a Washikusa musubi slightly to her left hip. The obi is tied with an lavender cloth while the Washikusa musubi knot part is partially overrided by a lavender in the middle part cross-over with some tangerine stripes. Lastly, she wears a hakama which are dark grey with pink overrides by the edge.

Personality

Kiku is a very understanding mother. Although she felt that it was a very heavy decision to have Kagu train at the training grounds and hardly see her again, she felt that she needs to use her powers and ability to help others.

She is also very caring, when she was struck by King Fury's epidemic and he captured Kagu as his captive, she never really cared about her current condition, but rather worried about Kagu being kidnaped.

Trivia

• In some translation, while Kagu's name means "to sniff" or "scent", Kiku's name means "to listen" or "to hear".
• Kiku's hairpin closely resembles the Chrysanthemum Hairpin obtained by Amaterasu after winning the 3rd race with Hayazo in Ōkami.
  • Also, the man who lost the Chrysanthemum Hairpin also said that he wanted to give it to a woman named "Kiku". But this may just be a coincidence, since Kiku has already had a child.
  • The Chrysanthemum Hairpin, whether of Kiku's herself or of the unknown "Kiku" woman, is a reference to their names, as "kiku" means "chrysanthemum". Also, the man may just call the woman "Kiku" as a nickname following the Chrysanthemum Hairpin, implying his intimate feelings towards her.