Seimei Handa

Seimei is quiet, serious and emotionally restrained. He rarely displays his feelings openly and can appear stern or distant, particularly from Sei's perspective. His imposing presence and accomplishments have contributed to his son's image of him as a nearly perfect adult.

Underneath that reserve, Seimei is a doting father who has difficulty expressing affection directly. He recognizes this awkwardness in himself, and his decisions concerning Sei are usually more thoughtful than his terse manner initially suggests. Sending his son away is not simply punishment for embarrassing the family; he believes Sei lacks experiences necessary for his development as both a person and an artist.

Seimei also handles his wife's much more demonstrative personality with considerable patience. His calm responses to Emi's emotional outbursts reinforce the contrast between them, while both remain deeply invested in their son's future.

Seimei is an accomplished and highly respected calligrapher whose work has shaped Sei's understanding of the art since childhood. His ability and professional stature make him more than a parent in Sei's eyes: he is also a teacher, model and benchmark against which the younger calligrapher measures himself.

He expresses himself particularly well through calligraphy, compensating for a personality that makes direct emotional communication difficult. His writing carries the confidence and individuality that Sei struggles to develop at the beginning of the series.

Seimei's connection with the Gotō Islands also predates his son's. He spent time there when he was younger, meaning his decision to send Sei to the islands is informed by personal experience rather than being a random choice of remote destination.

Seimei's decision creates the circumstances for the main story. After Sei responds violently to criticism from Kanchou, Seimei recognizes a problem that professional success has failed to correct. He sends his son away from Tokyo to live independently on the Gotō Islands, where he expects him to reflect and gain broader life experience.

For much of the early story, Seimei therefore influences events from a distance. Sei's admiration for his father's calligraphy remains part of the standard he is trying to escape or redefine, even as island life introduces him to a more spontaneous approach to his work.

Seimei later travels to the Gotō Islands himself, revealing that he has his own history there. His reaction to returning shows a considerably less invulnerable side of the supposedly perfect father Sei has admired, while the visit further clarifies why Seimei understood that island life might change his son.

Sei Handa is Seimei's son, pupil and fellow professional calligrapher. Sei Handa has admired his father's work since childhood and regards him as an exceptionally accomplished figure. Seimei is proud of his son but recognizes that technical skill and professional success have left gaps in his personal development.

Emi Handa is Seimei's wife. Her openly emotional and fiercely protective behavior contrasts with Seimei Handa's reserve, particularly when they disagree about whether their son should continue living on the Gotō Islands.

Yuujirou Kido is connected to Seimei through his earlier experiences on the Gotō Islands. Their prior acquaintance helps explain the existing link between the Handa family and the village where Sei is sent.

Kanchou is the senior figure whose criticism provokes Sei's violent outburst. Seimei responds to the incident by treating his son's behavior as evidence that he needs personal growth rather than merely professional damage control.