Kusuriuri

Medicine Seller

The "Medicine Seller" (薬売り Kusuriuri) is the nameless, wandering protagonist of Mononoke. The series revolves around him encountering, combating and subsequently destroying various Mononoke. The Medicine Seller always proceeds in the same manner, using his knowledge of the supernatural to fend off the mononoke until he can learn the spirit's Form (形 katachi), Truth (誠 makoto), and Regret (理り kotowari). Only then can he unsheathe his sword and exorcise the demon.

Appearance

The Medicine Seller is slightly taller in height compared to other people, with pale white skin, pointy ears, razor sharp canine teeth and dark blue eyes. He has dirty blonde hair which he keeps mostly tucked inside a purple bandanna. His fringe is shoulder-length, the left-side long enough to be tied up with a bright blue band. The outsides of his eyes are outlined by red markings with the ones underneath forming the appearances of teardrops. It appears that he is always smirking, but that is actually because of the purple mark on Kusuriuri's upper lip. His outfit consists of a light teal-colored kimono with psychedelic pictures on the ends of his sleeves and a dark red obi wrap with swirling gold marks on his waist. On his neck are several necklaces with intricate, small jewelry, including a golden amulet. He wears black, billowing pants underneath that drop just below his knees and his lower legs are wrapped with leg bandages. Kusuriuri also wears a pair of black socks, with his main footwear being a pair of wooden geta sandals with two teeth. Kusuriuri is usually seen carrying around a large wooden box filled with medicine and holy tools, including paper ofuda charms, scales that detect a supernatural presence, and a secret collection of feudal pornography (called shunga in Japan). The large box also holds a smaller, personal box containing a strange, powerful sword that is used to slay mononoke; the sword is enchanted so that in order to use it, the Medicine Seller must find the Katachi (physical shape), Makoto (truth or origin of something), and Kotowari (reasoning behind an action) of a particular mononoke he wishes to exorcise.

Appearance 2

Once the sword has been unsheathed, he transforms into a mystical and powerful being that is more or less an inverted version of himself. This being wears a golden kimono with a bright red obi wrap and dark purple pants. His hair is long, unrestrained, and white, and his skin turns into a dark tan. The being's eyes are red with black sclera, and the simplistic red markings on Kusuriuri's face become more detailed and wrap around the being's entire body with a golden color. He also wears large circle earrings with bangles hanging on it.

Personality

Kusuriuri is, in a literal sense, a walking contradiction. He claims to be "uninteresting" to other people, yet his strange appearance makes him stick out when in a crowd, making for easy identification (strangely enough, he had been mistaken for a delivery man or merely a merchant of some sorts). He doesn't reveal nor is it shown much of his own history, but his profession involves revealing the history of others in order to identify the mononoke he hunts. He stays calm and cool-headed even in dire situations. Kusuriuri is observant and analytic, careful to scrutinize every detail of a larger scenario. His moods range from the usual deadpan manner he is often seen with, to slight amusement and irritation if he's pushed. In extreme cases, he can exert a moment of intense emotion, but that is rare and far in-between. He is also revealed to be a pervert as he has several "marriage charms" and pornography books in his possession, and gets embarrassed when it is brought up. Kusuriuri is quick-witted and somewhat snarky in response, and to those who generally get on his nerves, or don't believe in the mononoke, he resorts to subtly insulting them. However, those who accept the unknown and him overall are treated more kindly, like Kayo.

Method of Exorcism and Inner Self

The style of exorcism the Medicine Seller employs is derived from Mikkyo Buddhism's Sammitsu (or San Himitsu meaning "Three Secrets"). These are the secrets of the body, the mouth and the will. Through these, Mikkyo Buddhists seek the path of Enlightenment. For some practicioners, however, they were also used to awaken special powers, such as spiritual healing or exorcism. However when he finds the Form, Truth, and Regret of the Mononoke he draws his sword and transforms into his Inner Self. Then with that form , he can kill the Mononoke.