Takechiyo

is a supporting character in the anime series Hanyō no Yashahime. He works at Jyūbei's Shikabaneya which trades demons' corpses and secures contracts for bounty hunting.

History
Takechiyo was the young heir of the Mamidaira, a tanuki high clan of which Hachiemon is a servant. After the seal on the Full Moon Raccoon Dog was broken during a storm, the rogue tanuki Shōgen Mamiana took control of the clan, cursing Takechiyo and taking his younger brother Kikunosuke hostage. Although Takechiyo was saved by Miroku, who happened to be present at the Mamidaira castle, Hachiemon realized that no one was left in the castle who could protect Takechiyo. Thus, Hachiemon had Miroku take Takechiyo to live and work with Jyūbei.

During the present timeline, he is first tasked by Jyūbei to take Moroha to Jakotsumaru's hideout to take him and his father Tōkotsu down. He later brings Moroha, and then also Setsuna, to deal with Kyūki, one of the Four Perils.

Personality
Similar to Shippō, Takechiyo can be bribed with modern treats. He is very loyal to Jyūbei and regards his master and their clients (specifically Riku) with high respect and regard. He can be very helpful to others at times, and (similar to Shippō) can be prone to behaving in the way a cub would. However, he seems to very mean-spirited towards people he doesn’t like at times, as shown from him taking enjoyment in tormenting Moroha about cleaning. He is easily frightened during battle, and will retreat immediately by hiding in a nearby corner, while at the same time attempting to maintain his authoritative posture.

Physical Description
Takechiyo is a small tanuki with fair skin, blue eyes, and brown short hair. He wears a red and black ita-mono chestplate, kusazuri leg plates, fur trim epaulets and shorts, red wrist and ankle bands, and a tortoise shell hat.

Powers & Abilities



 * He can transform into a giant flying tanuki and make his tortoise shell grow bigger on which he carries people. In this form he wears no other visible clothing, and markings on his cheeks suggest where his hairstyle would normally be. He is also capable of transforming into objects such as an oil bomb or another person such as Moroha.

Weapons

 * Conch Shell: Takechiyo carries a conch shell through which he is able to communicate remotely with Jyūbei.

Relationships
Jyūbei and Takechiyo run a yōkai corpse shop together, and are seen to be enterprising and loyal to themselves. Takechiyo holds his master in high regard, although when it was revealed that he was left with the corpse-dealer at the behest of Miroku for unknown reasons, he appeared to be somewhat distraught at being left behind, leaving his overall opinion in serving Jyūbei unknown.
 * Jyūbei

Takechiyo may be regarded as Moroha's handler, providing transportation and general knowledge of prospective targets. The relationship is not amiable—Takechiyo openly withholds information from Moroha, and secretly conspires with Jyūbei to secure a greater share of the bounty. He appears to like tormenting Moroha about her debt to Jyūbei and making her clean. Their relationship is highly similar to that of Inuyasha and Shippō's. However, they can be useful allies to each other at times, as he gave her information regarding the bounty hunters' meeting and disguised himself as her to trick the demon hunters. They have also been shown to care for one another. When Zero awoke Setsuna's demon blood, she went out of control and went after Takechiyo. Moroha defended Takechiyo and asked if he was alright. After Moroha was wounded by Setsuna, Takechiyo cared for her. After witnessing Moroha getting emotional over learning about her parents possible fate, he asks her if she is okay.
 * Moroha

Their relationship becomes much more positive after their successful mission to free the Mamidaira clan from the tyranny of Shōgen Mamiana.

Towa occasionally bribes Takechiyo with candy in order to get him to transport her whenever she is in a hurry. He appears to like her for this sole reason, and Towa is usually polite with him, but they are mostly on neutral ground with each other.
 * Towa Higurashi

Hachiemon is sworn to serve Takechiyo and is very loyal to him. He had Miroku take the young heir to safety with Jyūbei, and he again returned to his side in preparation for the mission on Mamidaira Island. Even after Takechiyo foregoes his birthright, Hachiemon is still loyal to him, being willing to join the fight against the Grim Butterfly at his behest.
 * Hachiemon

Takechiyo seems to act like a servant towards Riku since he is summoned by Riku's earring for requests. Takechiyo also yells at the Half-Demon Princesses to "show some respect" towards Riku because he is a lord. He is shown to hold Riku in high regard, with immense loyalty towards the pirate.
 * Riku

In The Dream Gazing Trap, he saw Kirinmaru inside Moroha's memories. In Sesshōmaru and Kirinmaru, as Takechiyo takes Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha to follow Tōtetsu that leads Kirinmaru until he has been hit by his aerokinesis that it's first time encounter with him and he's scared of him. In Zero's Wish, as he and Moroha sits on the Bone-Eater's Well, while Moroha thinking about her parents, he met Kirinmaru again as he takes the Black Pearl waiting for Moroha to find Akuru's pinwheel. Moroha told him to stand back, he hide. After the Half-Demon Princesses suck into the Black Pearl, Takechiyo has feared that Kirinmaru will never take it as he took it and hid it. While he tried to runaway, he has bumped into him and has caught by Kirinmaru that he wants to get the Black Pearl, but kept refuse and running, until he was saved by Towa and Setsuna's mother Rin as he hid behind her. Later, as he had a first met with kitsune Shippō, they escape from Kirinmaru to yōkai taijiya village.
 * Kirinmaru

Trivia

 * Takechiyo can be considered Hanyō no Yashahime’s analogue to Shippō's role in the original series, as a young child-like yōkai.
 * Takechiyo being a Tanuki can also be considered an inversion of Shippō's species as a Kitsune, as the two yōkai species are frequently portrayed as rivals in mythology.
 * Similarly, Takechiyo and Moroha are shown to be often bickering, akin to that of Shippō and Inuyasha’s constant fighting.
 * Takechiyo is the second tanuki yōkai featured in the franchise after Hachiemon, although Takechiyo appears far more human-like than Hachiemon.
 * He is possibly named after the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. In his youth Ieyasu has the birth name Takechiyo and he was often compared to a tanuki.