Tsuyu (
Appearance[]
As a spirit, Tsuyu takes the appearance of a women in her twenties. Her exact age is unknown; however, she is around the same age or older than Yato since she was present in this form when Yato was a child.
She has long, black hair and straight-cut bangs that are parted in the center, revealing a red forehead decoration, or huadian,[1] that she wears in the shape of a plum blossom. Tsuyu's eyes are colored purple and her lips are colored red.
Despite her unique circumstances and relation to Tenjin, Tsuyu is dressed in a red hakama over a white kimono– the same miko garb that Tenjin's shinki wear.
Personality[]
Because she does not have human emotions, Tsuyu is always calm and level-headed. She is loyal and protective of Tenjin, remaining by his side even during his violent early years. Her manner of speech is very archaic and poetic-sounding. She has also been shown to be a mentoring figure toward characters such as Sakura.
Skills & Abilities[]
- Plant Communication: As the spirit of a plum tree, Tsuyu is capable of communicating with plants.
- Clairvoyance: As an extension of this, Tsuyu is able to ascertain visual information from plants. She can do this remotely over long distances, with plants on both the Near Shore[2] and the Far Shore.[3]
Cultural References[]
Tsuyu is based on the legend of Tobiume ("The Flying Plum"). It is said that after Sugawara no Michizane was exiled from Kyoto, he yearned so much for his plum tree that it uprooted itself and flew to his shrine at Dazaifu Tenmangu, where it has remained for 1,000 years. It sits at the right hand of the main shrine and is always the first to bloom.[citation needed]
Trivia[]
- The word Tsuyu (
梅 雨 ) as a compound word in Japanese refers to the country's rainy season, taking place from early June till mid-July.- The kanji characters the word is comprised of are 梅 - "plum", and 雨 - "rain". This refers to how plum trees would ripen with fruit during the rainy season.
References
- ↑ Mei, Hua (2011). Chinese clothing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-521-18689-6. "For example, the Huadian or forehead decoration was said to have originated in the South Dynasty, when the Shouyang Princess was taking a walk in the palace in early spring and a light breeze brought a plum blossom onto her forehead. The plum blossom for some reason could not be washed off or removed in any way. Fortunately, it looked beautiful on her, and all of a sudden became all the rage among the girls of the commoners. It is therefore called the "Shouyang makeup" or the "plum blossom makeup." This makeup was popular among the women for a long time in the Tang and Song Dynasties."
- ↑ Chapter 32: She Who Invites (Vol 9)
- ↑ Chapter 57: Where Loyalties Lie (Vol 15)