Character Profile: Tamahome

The first seishi to be found, Tamahome is one of the most important characters in Fushigi Yuugi. At first he seems selfish and greedy on the outside, but Tama's financial efforts actually lead to a good cause. His good heart and vow of protection to Miaka causes her feelings for him to bloom into a loyal and undying love.

Tamahome is one of the Suzaku no Seishi, and is a well-skilled fighter and martial artist. He is the first one to find Miaka. Although at first he only appears to be interested in money, his true feelings for Miaka are eventually revealed, as well as is a kinder him.

The symbol on his forehead is Oni, meaning ogre or demon. In Japanese, "demon" does not have the same religious connotation as it does in the United States, so ogre might be the more appropriate translation here, and in fact they actually use the term "ogre" several times in the English translation. However, in the manga, it's stated that the symbol means "demon" or "ghost", and not "ogre", whic is why he was teased as a kid, being called "ghost boy". So you can be the judge on this one.