Keiichi

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Contents 1 Chivalry is not dead 2 Development as a Character 3 Of Stress and Women 4 What They All See In Him

[edit] Chivalry is not dead

Belldandy, in all her perfection, is the ideal symbol for the Oh My Goddess! series. As readers of the manga come to find out, however, she is not the main character. This distinction goes to a young man by the name of Keiichi Morisato (a.k.a. K, K1).

Keiichi Morisato is a student at the Nekomi Institute of Technology. Starting at 21 in the first volume, about more than a year has passed, making him around the age of 22. He is somewhat short, and a bit less confident than he could be. He enjoys racing, and is a member of the Nekomi Tech Auto Club. Based on this information alone, one would assume that he is a pretty normal guy. And, for the most part, one would be right.

There is something, though, that makes Keiichi stand out from the crowd--namely, his personality. Keiichi, like his girlfriend Belldandy, is one of the nicest people ever to grace the world of anime and manga. There are a few other guys who share his geniality (Tenchi Masaki, along with Makoto Mizuhara of El Hazard Fame), but none of them are anywhere near as easy to relate to. The reason for this is a simple one: Keiichi has a measure of self-doubt that makes him very human. He is unsure of himself a lot of the time, and often worries whether Belldandy will decide to leave him.

Most of us can, to at least some extent, empathize with Keiichi's hopes, fears, and problems. Combine this with his willingness to face his dilemmas despite his doubts, and you end up with a hero who people can not only relate to, but also admire.

[edit] Development as a Character

Unfortunately, the bulk of Keiichi's early development had not been released in the US at the time that this page was originally written (although updates are forthcoming as I purchase the reprints). I have heard in places that a lot of development for Keiichi was done in those first few volumes, but since I don't actually have any of them, a summary will have to wait.

This is not to say that Keiichi doesn't develop at all in the more recent manga--it's just that the most recent developments have become a bit more subtle, as he has rounded out as a character. Most of his developments now are in the areas of confidence and self-esteem -- and it's nice to see a guy like Keiichi get ahead. During the ordeal with Peorth in Volume 8, for instance, he starts off very nervous around the new goddess, but, at the end of the series, is finally able to face up to her.

Also, over the course of the later volumes, one begins to see a slight change in his demeanor. As a rule, he is kind and considerate throughout, but as the volumes progress, one begins to notice that he becomes less and less cynical as time goes on--probably on account of Belldandy being with him.

Artistically speaking, Keiichi has changed an awful lot since the first issue was released. I mentioned in Belldandy's gallery that she was pretty homely at the beginning of the series; it should be pointed out here that Keiichi wasn't much of a looker either. He sported oddly-shaped, bulgy eyes, thick eyebrows, and a big nose (at least for an anime character). Since then, though, his appearance has changed somewhat, and in current issues of the manga, he looks about as he did in the OAVs. Occasionally, he shows signs of having grown up a bit more since then, but in most cases, this is a matter of personality change, and not difference in character design.

[edit] Of Stress and Women

You really have to feel sorry for Keiichi sometimes. In many a manga issue, he spends most of the time with his face contorted into expressions of shock, horror, or severe pain. Keiichi just lives a very stressful life, and often has difficulty handling all the things that happen around him (most of which are due to the fact that he lives with three goddesses who seem to draw trouble like a magnet).

In addition to his general nervousness, he also has a certain measure of difficulty dealing with most things sexual. Sure, he likes the thought of naked women as much as the next guy, but actually being confronted by one freaks him out (although that may also have to do with his desire to remain faithful to Belldandy). At times, even the thought of kissing or holding hands is a little too much for him (in fact this comes from his father Keima, who would jump away like a scared rabbit whenever a woman other than his wife comes within a meter from him and go berserk if a female stranger kisses him). However he has also shown that he is ready for a sexual relationship with Belldandy, but is waiting for a signal from her, this is evidenced when they take refuge at a love hotel during a rainstorm.

[edit] What They All See In Him

Short, average-looking Keiichi Morisato has, at last count, stolen the hearts of four beautiful women - possibly five (see Urd's section). When I first watched the OAV series and read the manga, I would often wonder what it was Belldandy, Sora, Sayoko, and Peorth all saw in him.

Belldandy, I would say, is pretty obvious. Given her disposition, she is the type of person who would be naturally attracted to shy but well-meaning people like Keiichi (although it should be noted that Bell herself was a bit unimpressed with him when they first met). Sayoko and Peorth are a different matter. Neither of them were terribly impressed when they first met up with Keiichi - in fact, originally, they were both to some extent motivated by jealousy and resentment of Belldandy. Sora's feelings are largely for Aoshima, but it's apparent from her dialogue in The Lunchbox of Love (the final chapter of volume 6) that she has feelings for Keiichi as well.

Since I don't yet have access to the volume with Keiichi's first encounter with Sayoko, I'll concentrate on Peorth instead. Peorth is a naturally confident person. She is a bit stuck up, and is at times a bit too concerned with sex. She has also, on several occasions, demonstrated a willingness to use other people to get her own way. Now, while it's easy enough to see someone like this leading Keiichi on in order to accomplish some other end, it's difficult to imagine this type of person actually falling in love with him.

And yet, somehow it happens anyway. Repeatedly. I think what finally does it are his acts of unconditional kindness. I myself often find that I distrust people who are overly nice to me for no apparent reason; most of the time, it means that they want something in return. What separates Keiichi from the crowd is that he's nice to people just because that's the kind of person he is. It was the small, thoughtful act of leaving Peorth a flower and a note that finally won her affection. +

The other thing about Keiichi that draws people to him is his determination. Part of his successes are because of natural talent - he is pretty smart, and an excellent race car driver, among other things. More importantly, though, is his drive, and the way he puts his heart into everything he does. Keiichi Morisato is not a man who plays to win; he is a man who plays to do the best that he possibly can. Winning is, for the most part, merely a side-effect. What makes women - Belldandy, especially - want him so much is his tenacity in situations where most people would give up altogether. He may not always win, but in her eyes, what matters is that he always gives things his best shot.