Characters
Miroku
Miroku is an easy going yet lustful Buddhist monk who is first encountered as he steals Kagome's bicycle and attempts to gain her Shikon fragments. Things are quickly resolved and Miroku decides to travel with the trio. It is Miroku who first mentions the name Naraku to Inuyasha. Miroku searches not only for the Shikon shards, but for the demon who cursed his family two generations ago. After the death of Kikyo and the imprisonment of Inuyasha Miroku's grandfather sought out Naraku and attempted to destroy the demon. Naraku escaped by transforming himself into a courtesan, and just like Miroku, his grandfather was quite fond of the fairer sex. Naraku pierced his grandfather's hand, beginning a curse which has been passed down through the generations of Miroku's family ever since. The cut in his grandfather's hand opened up a Wind Tunnel which is passed down from father to son, widening each year until it eventually consumes its bearer. The only way to break the curse is to kill Naraku. Miroku has found advantages to his curse, and uses the Wind Tunnel as a vortex that pulls in anything in its path.
After the death of his father to the Wind Tunnel, Miroku was raised in the monastery by an elder monk named Mushin. Mushin became a surrogate father to Miroku and began the boy's spiritual training. He also encouraged Miroku's more base instincts and less than holy behavior. Growing up, Miroku befriended Hachiemon, shape changing tanuki. Hachie is often complicit in Miroku's bad conduct.
Miroku has been known to do some less than holy acts in order to rest comfortably on his journeys and most of his good deeds are performed for the sake of women, money or lodgings. He is not above pretending to exorcise nonexistent spirits in exchange for a hearty meal or a place to sleep. Miroku is an incredible flirt and often asks any passing woman to bear his children. He uses the story of his curse as an excuse to sleep with women in hopes that any children that he may father will exact revenge against Naraku should his Wind Tunnel consume him before he completes his holy mission.
Upon meeting Sango, the two begin to feel an attraction toward one another. Miroku is unaware of Sango's feelings at first and continues to flirt with other women in front of her. Later when her emotions become known, Miroku openly returns her affections, but finds that it is impossible for him to give up the hope of sleeping with as many women as possible. Sometimes Miroku's amorous behavior overwhelms him and he cannot resist the urge to grope the nearest female bottom. This often gets him a slap in the face from Sango.
The Meaning Behind the Name - 弥勒
Miroku is the Japanese name for Maitreya, the Buddha of the future.
Voices:
Koji Tsujitani
Koji Tsujitani worked his way up from playing Ranma's buddy Hiroshi in Ranma 1/2 to the major role of the lustful monk. Previously he played Kubo in Otaku no Video, Maeda Mitsuru in Roujin Z, Fujima Kenji in Slam Dunk, Jujuka in The Vision of Escaflowne, Ryu in Street Fighter II V, and Yakumo Fujii in 3x3 Eyes.
Kirby Morrow