Joutou Kotobuki

Kotobuki is uninhibited and playful. She shows little embarrassment about revealing clothing and displays similarly little concern about behaving conventionally.

Her childish presentation fits the nursery-rhyme motif of her Style but should not be mistaken for harmlessness. Kotobuki is willing to use helpless victims tactically and exploit an opponent's reluctance to injure innocent people.

She is also confident in the unusual rules governing Styles and uses them creatively rather than approaching combat as a straightforward physical contest.

Kotobuki is a Nursery Rhyme User. By singing, she causes people within the effective range of her song to regress toward younger versions of themselves. The regression affects bodies, clothing and possessions and can remove injuries that the victim had not yet sustained at the younger age.

Her song operates at infrasonic frequencies, so simply being unable to consciously hear it does not provide protection. Increasing the volume alters the effective safe distance, and the effect can even be transmitted through devices such as telephones.

Her Red Carpet technique attaches de-aged victims to her body. They offer limited physical armor, but attacking her then risks harming the infants she is carrying. Because her Style reverses a person's body to an earlier condition, it can under specific circumstances temporarily restore someone who has recently died.

Kotobuki first appears among the six suitors assembled for the Jet Black Wedding Feast. Her introduction establishes her as one of several representatives whose families expect them to compete for Medaka's hand.

She becomes more important during the Unknown Shiranui conflict, when the protagonists encounter the effects of her Nursery Rhyme Style. The group gradually becomes younger as they approach her, forcing them to understand a language-based ability whose rules differ sharply from conventional Abnormalities.

Kotobuki ultimately assists during the battle against Iihiko, using her Style to temporarily restore Zenkichi after he is killed. This creates the opportunity for Nienami to pass her Style to him and gives the group another chance to defeat Iihiko.

Medaka Kurokami is the intended bride whom Kotobuki and the other family representatives enter the Jet Black Wedding Feast to marry.

Shinkirou Kotobuki is a relative associated with the Kotobuki family and serves as Kotobuki's double during the elaborate deception surrounding the suitors.

Namanie Nienami understands Kotobuki's Nursery Rhyme Style and explains its nature when the group begins regressing in age.

Zenkichi Hitoyoshi becomes an important beneficiary of Kotobuki's Style. She temporarily restores Zenkichi so that he can return to the battle against Iihiko.

Iihiko Shishime is the enemy against whom Kotobuki's unusual restorative application becomes strategically important.