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Most Tortured Manga Character
Sumeragi Subaru
Subaru-kun starts off in Clamp's Tokyo Babylon as such a sweet, trusting teenage boy. He truly cares for everyone he meets, even if they don't always deserve his kindness. Using his skills in onmyouji, Subaru helps souls in need of release to heaven. Even so, uncaring clients use Subaru just so they can be rid of the annoying spirits.
Tokyo Babylon is a series that deals with some of Clamp's darker views about society. They put Subaru into horrible situations, where he tries to defend himself with only his belief in the true goodness of people. Somehow he manages to keep this up until the very end when the one person that Subaru held very dear turns on him. Seishirou appears to be a kind vet that befriends Subaru, but in truth, Seishirou finds no pleasure in friendship--just murder. Seishirou made a bet with young Subaru that if Seishirou grows to like Subaru after a year with him, Subaru will live. Otherwise...
Just before that year expires, Seishirou loses his right eye while saving Subaru from a desperate mother. Subaru is completely torn by the event, thinking it was completely his fault that Seishirou was wounded. While visiting Seishirou at the hospital, Subaru is trapped by Seishirou in a different plane. There, Seishirou shows to Subaru about their past, and about the bet Seishirou made with him. He then proves to Subaru how he means nothing to Seishirou. Easily and quickly, Seishirou snaps Subaru's arm. Subaru, in disbelief, does nothing to protect himself from his 'most important person'. Subaru's grandmother saves him, but Subaru ends up slipping into the deep recesses of his heart. Hokuto-chan, blaming herself for letting Subaru get too close to Seishirou, faces the deceiver and is killed. Her last word of 'Subaru' brings her brother out of his trance. He then declares that he will no longer go to school, and his hunt for Seishirou begins.
In X/1999, Subaru meets Seishirou. Subaru is still unable to defeat Seishirou, but since Seishirou finds him amusing, Subaru is allowed to live. Kamui, after the incident with Fuuma, had plunged himself into his own nightmares. Subaru rescues him by showing Kamui his own story about 'his most important person'. He tells Kamui that he only lives for his 'wish', and Kamui should once again live for his own 'wish'. As to what this wish exactly is, probably only Subaru and Evil Fuuma really know. Later in the series, Fuuma grants Subaru one part of his wish--to have his right eye blinded. As to the real 'wish', Fuuma tells Seishirou that it's not what he believes (of course, there's only death in Seishirou's mind).
Sumeragi Subaru goes from a caring, laughing teenage boy in the first volume of Tokyo Babylon to a serious, melancholy man. Even though he knows Seishirou isn't the man he thought he was...even though Seishirou tried to kill him...even though Seishirou murdered his twin sister, Subaru still cares for him. For Subaru to kill Seishirou to avenge his sister will probably require Subaru's death as well.
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