Mai Kawabanga (
Appearance[]
Mai was a child who had short hair with front bangs that only covered the right side of her forehead and a ribbon adorning the top of her head. She wore a collared long-sleeved shirt with a sweater on top, a skirt, and black knee socks.
As an Onbusuman, Mai had the appearance of a large creature; possessing a bulbous head with an inhuman face, the body of a turtle, and a large hairy tail. After her spirit was cleansed, Mai took on the form of a teenage version of herself and wore the same clothes from when she was alive.
Currently, Mai's spirit has taken on the form of a tiny creature. She has a turtle for a head with a bow on top and an animal-like face that is located below the turtle's head. Her body is small in comparison, having tiny, stubby limbs, and wears a small dress.
Gallery[]
Personality[]
While alive, Mai was a kind, friendly and cheerful little girl. She dreamed of becoming an idol and was very committed to achieving this goal by occasionally practicing with Rin and her friends. In addition, she did not take it lightly when others looked down on her dream, as she could no longer be friends with Rin after the latter doubted to Mai on whether being an idol held any worth, calling her out as a traitor. However, after finding out that Rin's criticism came from her having a hard life taking care of her grandmother, Mai felt empathetic and wanted to sincerely apologize to her.
After her spirit was released of her Onbusuman form, Mai chose to continue staying by Rin's side as a guardian spirit to see to it that she uses her singing talents to become an idol. As a guardian spirit, Mai has a rather blunt and stubborn personality that makes her come off as rude. In light of Rin's true goal to become a novelist, Mai did not take no for an answer and outright told her that her life has no meaning if she doesn't follow down the path of an idol. She also has a lack of respect for others that prompts her to throw insults. Although she doesn’t respect Rin's current wishes, she is quick to come to Rin's defense whenever other people insult her, showing that she still cares deeply for her friend.
Background[]
Born with a natural talent for dancing, Mai grew up with the desire to be an idol. She would befriend likeminded girls of her age with the hopes that one day they could become an idol group together. After hearing Rin Sawaki sing during music class, she asked her to join her in pursuing her idol dream. The two of them, along with the other girls, would train constantly, with Mai's outgoing nature helping Rin break out of her shell. One day, Mai learned of Junior Idol auditions and encouraged her friends to audition with her, as it could be their ticket to TV stardom. Unbeknownst to her, Rin - someone whose singing talent she relied on - had to take care of her ill grandmother on her lonesome.
After Rin explained why she was unable to attend, neither Mai or their mutual friends were able to understand the gravity of her situation, with the latter assuming that either she was lying or her mom was lazy. This causes her to snap, and she asks Mai why she thinks being an idol is so great. Assuming the worst, she calls Rin a traitor and she and her friends ditch her, believing they can make it to the auditions without her. When the time came for the audition, however, Mai became overwhelmed with fear and felt that she couldn't do the audition without her former friend and asked her mom to pick her up. Upon hearing that Rin was allowed to go, she asked her mother to join her in the car ride, as she felt guilty for what she said and she wanted to apologise in-person. Tragically, the two of them would get into a traffic accident on the way to pick Rin up, with neither of them surviving the crash. Feeling as if she would still be alive if not for her, as well as due to her lingering resentment for "betraying" her and her friends, Mai began to haunt Rin.
Synopsis[]
Abilities and Powers[]
Chapter Appearances[]
| 121. Who's This Person? | Absent |
| 122. Let's Form a Club | Absent |
| 123. The Class Rep's Secret | Debut |
| 124. Ombusman | Flashback |
| 125. Let's Do an Exorcism | Appears |
| 126. It's a Parade Float. It's a Festival. It's Ninomiya | Flashback |
| 127. Float Performance Face-Off | Appears |
| 128. Let's Be Idols | Appears |
Etymology[]
- The name Kawabanga means "river" (川) "turn" (番).
- Her first name, Mai, uses an alternate character for "river" (河), as well as the character for "dance" (舞), the latter of which being a nod to her dancing talent
Trivia[]
- Before being exorcised, the Onbusuman yokai that Mai became was likely based on a Japanese spirit known as an Obariyon, a creature that would jump on a person's back and grow heavier and heavier, but if successfully ferried to a destination, would grant riches to its victim.
- Her yokai name, "Onbusuman", is likely a combination of "Onbu" (おんぶ), which means "piggyback", and the suffix "-man". An alternate name for an Obariyon is an Onbu Obake (おんぶおばけ), which literally translates to "piggyback demon". It might also be based on the Japanese word for snapping turtle, "subban" (鼈), as "Onbusuman" and "Onbusubban" sound similar.
- Mai's family name, along with her turtle theme both as an Onbusuman, a guardian spirit, and Mai's Onbusuman outfit, may be a reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' catchphrase, "Cowabunga".
