Koichi Muta

Koichi Muta is a man who has learned to live anew through the puppet he created. For him, the puppet isn't just a weapon, but the only body in which he feels free. He's imbued it with a part of his soul, so he controls it as naturally as if it were his own flesh. Despite his outward rudeness and cynicism, Muta is deeply attached to the few who accept him for who he is—especially Aoi Todo. He fears loneliness, but he's even more afraid of showing this vulnerability. His sarcasm and barbs are a shield that conceals a man desperate to be useful and not be abandoned. At night, when the doll is motionless and the connection with it weakens, Muta is alone with himself—and in these moments, he is perhaps at his most honest. He dreams of simple things: shaking someone's hand, feeling the warmth of another's body next to him. But he will never say these things out loud. Instead, he diligently tunes his puppet, making it even more alive than he is.