Riichi Miura

Riichi Miura (三浦 理一, Miura Riichi) is the major supporting character in the OVA, Mahō Tsukai no Yome: Hoshi Matsu Hito. He was the librarian at the Library of the Forest.

The following content contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Mahō Tsukai no Yome: Hoshi Matsu Hito

Appearance
Miura wears a pair of light silvery grey circular glasses, a pale plain white buttoned down shirt and light brown trousers. He has dark grey eyes and messy black hair.

Miura bears this appearance both in life and in his cursed purgatory in the Mayoiga "Library of the Forest".

Personality
Miura has a gentle and nurturing personality who can be a bit awkward and clumsy, but all his words and actions are heartfelt and sincere. He has a strong mind able to withstand decades of relative solitude without completely succumbing to madness or despair. Despite his mental fortitude, decades of isolation have left a negative impression upon his psyche, which can be seen several times throughout the OVA as he displays characteristics of impulsivity and anxiety.

Background & Story
Miura was a magician and spirit whom Chise Hatori encountered when she was escaping from a wicked masked rat spirit. Miura opened his doors for her, providing a safe haven for her. After their awkward initial encounter and his attempt to convince Chise to stay and read some of the books within the library, Chise appeared uncomfortable and tried to leave the establishment before Miura told to wait, likely feeling as if she intruded uninvited and unwelcome. Chise apologized for barging in and turned around to leave, however Miura told her not to worry and stumbled over a few books before going off to search for a library card to give Chise. Upon discovery, they both exchange their names before Miura gives her the library card with her name on it, telling her that she had a beautiful name in the process. He explains that she'll be needing it if she later wants to return. Miura then opens the doors to the library and encourages Chise to make a run for it in order to come home safely. Chise regularly visits the Library in the Forest to peruse the large selection of books contained within its shelves, to which Miura simply watches over her during her time in the library, or engages in reading alongside her. During their time together, Miura shows Chise a vision of the stars using the Library as a sort of planetarium, to which he proceeds to then read her the "Lonely Little Star" book that he gifted to her. After she falls asleep, Miura removes her book card from her pouch and tears it apart, stating she will never come back to the Library of the Forest again, all while he is met by the crimson gaze of multiple of the library fae that reside in the library. Chise is then teleported back to her room at her adoptive parent's apartment, though she is content on returning back to the library.

Upon reaching the library and being unable to enter due to her library card now destroyed, she looks for an alternative entrance to the main one, finding an open door on the lower level of the library. Upon entering, and immediately being put under the same trance Miura undergoes, reading a book attentively, Miura wakes from his slumber in another room and asks how she got in and why she is there. Upon realizing that the entrance she used was still open, panic begins to set in as the denizens of the forest are allowed access to the forest, being the masked rat spirit. Miura tells Chise to run, however, the masked rat spirit releases a swarm of rats to consume the books of the library, and then proceeds to attack Miura, biting and gripping his torso in its jaws and knocking Chise into unconsciousness. Upon awakening, Chise is met by Miura, informing her that the rat spirit is gone and that there is nothing to worry about. Chise attempts to apologize for leaving the door open, however, time is precious and slim, and he wastes no words, asking her to deliver his treasured book to the original owner, as his spirit form begins to succumb to the mortal wounds imparted upon him by the masked rat spirit. He urges Chise to leave and deliver the book, telling Chise that if she stays much longer, she'll never be able to return home. Miura places his hand on the book, to which Chise follows suit, and she is shown his memories of how he acquired the book and the promise that was made between him and Mayuri, his memories of regret being present as well. The memories reveal how he receives the book from Mayuri, and how the exchange between the two was rather wholesome and sweet, with a large implication that Mayuri was romantically interested in Miura despite her being set into an arranged marriage. The memories later show how he suffered a fatal wound from a tree branch and upon death, having his spirit interred into the Library of the Forest indefinitely, as a form of purgatory due to his unfulfilled promise. Chise is shown how Miura initially reacted to being trapped within the Library, and how he adjusted to his new reality. Back in the present, Miura tells Chise how he was reminded of Mayuri and his promise when Chise smiled and said she most enjoyed the last page of the book, the same words spoken by Miyuri many years ago. As Chise sorrowfully departs him, he begins to be completely disintegrated along with the library, in a black vortex of spiritual energy. Miura is finally freed from his purgatory and his soul finally allowed to enter the true afterlife.

Skills and Abilities
Magic: Miura has been seen to communicate with the library and is able to sense when something is changed or amiss. He was able to protect Chise Hatori from the masked rat spirit. He was shown to be able to somehow transport her to various places in the outside world from the library. Although he refers to himself as "the magician of the forest", although unconfirmed, his magic is likely due to his nature as a spirit bound to the Mayoiga.

Indomitable Will: Despite the many decades he has spent alone within the confines of the Library of the Forest, Miura never fully succumbed to madness, retaining his sanity and his empathy and kindness towards others.

The Sight: Miura has the ability to see supernatural entities like a Sleigh Beggy, due to his own nature as a spirit.

Librarian: Even prior to being interred into the Library of the Forest, Miura was an avid reader, and can be surmised as a rather intelligent individual. Miura has developed his keen mind during his time in the library, and is quite knowledgeable about the books contained in its shelves after becoming the library's sole Librarian.

Spirit Physiology: As a spirit, Miura is functionally immortal, barring the requirement of sleep and sustenance, as well as presumably being immune to most forms of physical damage, though he can interact with the physical realm normally. He can however, still be wounded by other spirits, as he was mortally wounded by the masked rat spirit.

Chise Hatori
Miura has a very nurturing relationship with Chise, being very fond of her and wanting to aid her in any way he can. He was very understanding towards Chise and showed her a great level of empathy. He gifted her the book, "The Lonely Little Star" in hopes it would bring her a sense of comfort in her grim and lonely life. It is presumed he would have offered her the opportunity to reside alongside him at the Library in episode 2 when he says "Hatori, if you'd like, why don't you stay--" before getting cut off as Chise thinks aloud about what book to use for her book report. Even as his purgatorial spirit lies disintegrating from the damage done by the masked rat spirit, he shows Chise a great level of care and trust. and before parting the library onward to the true afterlife, he entrusted her with the book that Mayuri had lent to him many years past.

Mayumi Niikura
The daughter of a rich family Miura was indebted to during his mortal life. The two had bonded over their shared love of books and shared a romantic interest for each other. Unfortunately, a fatal accident left Miura trapped in the Mayoiga as a spirit, unable to ever see Mayumi again.

Etymology

 * The name Riichi means "reason, logic" (理) (ri) and "one" (一) (ichi).
 * Riichi's surname Miura means "three" (三) (mi) and "inlet, bay, gulf" (浦) (ura).

Trivia

 * Mayoiga appears in the real-world book, The Legends of Tono, as shown by Elias Ainsworth.