Otonoshin Koito

21

173 cm

Second Lieutenant

Heiji Koito (Father)  Yuki Koito (Mother) Heinojou Koito (Older brother. dead)

Koito is a tall, dark-skinned man of Hayato origin. He has dark slightly wavy hair with a purplish tint that is parted and slicked down to the left. His large angular eyebrows are usually knitted in a frown, and two well-defined frown lines are present on his forehead. His eyes are black, thin, and have deep eyebags. Koito wears Meiji 38 uniform which is largely the same as the regular army uniform but in khaki color instead of navy blue. He wears a short buttoned khaki coat with two pockets on the chest and two pockets on the sides, with red lapels on the collar with the Regiment 27 number printed on both sides. The insignia he wears is red with golden borders, and has one golden stripe running across with a golden star in the center; the shoulder boards of his uniform are oriented vertically. The sleeve insignia has a thin red line on each arm and small gold star. He wears a belt with a circular buckle fastened over his coat, and dark navy pants with a red stripe that are tucked in his military leather boots. He usually doesn't wear his military cap. In colder weather, Koito wears a long hooded double-breasted khaki coat. Minus the collar, it has the same shoulder insignia and shoulder boards as his usual uniform. Koito also wears leather gloves.

Koito is a talented young lieutenant with a somewhat naïve, eccentric, and immature personality. He's impulsive but highly intelligent, displaying notable combat skills despite his lack of real battlefield experience—mainly because his father kept him from participating in the Russo-Japanese War. This sheltered upbringing has left him somewhat spoiled, with a fondness for luxury and extravagance. Koito holds deep admiration for First Lieutenant Tsurumi, to the point of obsessive hero worship. He once cut out the faces of every soldier in a photo of the 7th Division, leaving only himself and Tsurumi. Ogata refers to Koito as “Tsurumi’s favorite Satsuma Hayato,” a title that reflects both Koito’s ambition and loyalty. When he first started working with Sergeant Tsukishima, Koito demanded to know everything about Tsurumi he didn’t already know, eager to prove himself worthy in Tsurumi’s eyes. Koito aims to become a respected officer like his father and Tsurumi. He’s trained in swordsmanship and has shown remarkable speed—fast enough to force the Lightning Bandit to run at full strength to escape. Though polite upon first meeting, Koito quickly drops formalities and speaks bluntly, often saying whatever is on his mind without much thought. His privileged background shows in his choices: he prefers hiring a dog sled over walking and staying in fancy inns over sleeping in Ainu villages. He shares a close relationship with Tsukishima, who has helped him rise in rank and often serves as his translator. Despite his charm, Koito's childlike behavior and need for approval make him emotionally volatile at times. Coming from the southern Satsuma Province, Koito occasionally slips into his regional dialect when excited or nervous—a dialect few others can understand. Additionally, the death of his older brother haunts him. When at sea for extended periods, Koito becomes seasick and melancholic, lamenting that he’ll never live up to his family’s naval legacy because of it.

Koito is noticeably tan for a Japanese person (presumably because he's from sunny Satsuma), making him stand out among characters.

His father is an Admiral, who also directly recommends him for the probably dangerous expedition to Sakhalin. When asked, he admits that even if he loves him, he can't in good faith both protect his son and ask his countrymen to send theirs to die.

Zigzagged. First, it's subverted, as Koito learns that Tsurumi has manipulated him and his father into becoming loyal to him by staging his kidnapping when he was young. His admiration for Tsurumi only grows because it means Tsurumi values him greatly. He does have questions about Tsurumi's goals but prefers to keep working for him with an optimistic mindset. Double Subverted later. As Tsukishima notices, Koito no longer needs him as a middle man when trying to talk with Tsurumi, which Tsukishima takes as a sign that he may not be as capable of trusting the people of the 7th division anymore. 

Koito is a force to be reckoned with, as he's really fast, agile, and is a seasoned sword practitioner with an aggressive style. Upper-Class Twit moments aside, he's quick to formulate simple plans to outsmart enemies, like when he tricks Suzukawa Kiyohiro into giving away his disguise or keeps shooting Keiichirou while pursuing him just to give away his position and trajectory to Tsurumi.

Has one of his idol First Lieutenant Tsurumi. In fact, he has several of them and has glued his face over anyone who's shared photography with Tsurumi.

During the Yamada's show arc, Koito's gift in acrobatics threaten to overshadow Sugimoto's harakiri's trick (the whole reason of them being in the show, to begin with). A subplot develops with Koito refusing to tone down his performance and Sugimoto trying to outdo and eventually ruin Koito's show.

Downplayed. When he's not fighting, Koito proves to be rather out of touch with reality. He expects someone to carry his six large suitcases (one of which was occupied by two stowaways) in Sakhalin, and unlike his wiser companions, underestimates a wolverine that just took down a bear because of its size.

Koito is trained in Jigen-ryu, a traditional school of swordsmanship from Satsuma.His notable screaming is in fact an element of Jigen-Ryu, a kiai called monkey’s shout (enkyo).

At the circus, Koito displays an unusually proficient level of acrobatics, even able to perform feats such as running across paper and multiple aerial flips.

Type 26 Revolver, Kyū Guntō Sabre

Koito is fluent in Satsuma Dialect, though he usually slips into it when he is too excited or is close to Tsurumi. Koito likes Tsukisamu anpan but dislikes Sakurajima radish.