Odajima

Odajima is a character introduced in Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales, and is a supporting protagonist. As a samurai, Odajima serves as his employers' bodyguard and is loyal, but to a fault. At first he is very suspicious of the Medicine Seller, but recent events caused him to have a change of heart and loyalties. Though not part of "Mononoke", the spinoff of the show he appeared in, Odajima is a key player in the Medicine Seller's first encounters with the demonic Mononoke (spirits).

Appearance
Odajima is a middle-aged man who looks like he is in his thirties, with black hair, black eyes, and a stubble. His hair is styled into a traditional samurai's chonmage, a type of Japanese haircut that involves tying a piece of hair on top of the head while keeping the rest shaved to distinguish age and status.

Odajima's attire consists of a traditional black and grayish-white kimono with a dark blue hitatare (bearing the status symbol on the shoulders) and black hakami pants. He is equipped with two katanas hanging from the left side of his white obi belt, as is traditon for samurai in the Edo period. Odajima also wears white socks as everyone else, particularly because he spends time indoors.

Personality
Odajima is honorable and loyal to the lords and ladies of the house that hired him, in comparison to real-life samurai who are employed by powerful lords or daimyo in the Edo period. He is also a bit stubborn by nature and tends to overreact to anything in particular. He is fiercely resistant to the belief in spirits and regards it as mere superstition, which is why he did not befriend the Medicine Seller at first and in fact sees him as an enemy.

He is good friends with Kayo, mostly out of sympathy with her situation as a servant being constantly bossed around by others. The depth of their friendship is further explored in the Ayakashi episode, "Bakeneko", where Odajima frequently accompanies a scared Kayo while she does her duties, and then later tries to save her from being choked to death by a lady of the court, despite the threat on his own life. In the same episode, Odajima shares Kayo's disgust and sadness over the cruelties of their employers, which results in his change of heart and causes him to leave his position in the ending.