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Masamichi Bega (
Appearance[]
Bega is a middle-aged man with pronounced facial features and maintains a stern look that gives him an intimidating presence. He wears the standard uniform for a police officer, which includes a cap.
Personality[]
Bega is a serious and strict man who is fully committed in ensuring the enforcement of the law in his role as a police officer. He is shown to be extremely cautious when on the job at the Kamigoe Police Box, having been suspicious of Momo and Okarun coming into the police box claiming Turbo Granny to be a lost item, especially the latter who came to the police box earlier seeking to reclaim his second kintama, and was prompted to perform a thorough inspection for any hidden cameras within the maneki-neko doll. Along with his serious disposition, Bega is a compassionate individual, having taken Unji in as his guardian to avoid having him back out on the streets and jumped into a river without a second thought to save a boy from drowning.
Background[]
Bega enlisted as a police officer around the time he was married and had a daughter. After both his wife and daughter were murdered by an assailant out on the streets, Bega confronted the man responsible and learned that his hatred towards society drove him to kill his family. Though he held a grudge against him, Bega at times found himself unable to act on his urge to commit murder-suicide towards the man due to the image of his daughter appearing in his head.
Bega apprehended gang leader Unji Zuma after the delinquent instigated a fight between his gang and the police officers out on duty. Following Unji's release from juvenile detention, Bega makes the decision to become his guardian to avoid having him out on the streets again. While trying to properly raise Unji, Bega allowed him to make attempts at attacking him with an umbrella to seek payback for arresting him, though each time he was easily bested by the man. After Unji expressed curiosity about his family, Bega recounted the loss of his own family and how this led him to take in the young man and become committed to protecting him. Unji tells Bega that he cannot comprehend his perspective despite all that society has subjected him and his family to, and leaves the apartment to visit the location where his brother was discovered deceased. Upon locating him, Bega spots a boy drowning in the river and instructs Unji to alert the fire department before he leaps into the water, attempting a rescue. Just as he is about to blackout from trying to get the boy to safety, Bega and the boy are pulled out of the water by Unji using the spiritual power of Umbrella Boy after the young man encountered the yokai and was offered his umbrella abilities. The two then become relieved to see the people they tried to safe are alive.
The next day, Bega goes along with Unji to visit the latter's family grave. While traveling, Bega asks Unji how he managed to save him the other day, but Unji refuses to divulge this information, deeming Bega foolish for his reckless behavior at the time. While paying respects to Unji's late mother, father, and brother, Bega hears Unji voicing his survivor's guilt, feeling that his younger brother Futa should be alive instead of him to guarantee their mother's happiness. In response, Bega places his hand on Unji's head and solemnly counters his statement, insisting that Unji's duty is to live on.
Synopsis[]
Kintama Hunt Saga[]
Onbusuman Arc[]
At the Kamigoe Police Box, Okarun and Rin meet Bega at the front desk to retrieve the kintama that was earlier submitted as a lost item by the latter. Bega informs them that someone had already claimed it and that he can't divulge private information of who it was that took. Along with this, he also advises against trying to steal it from the person.
Danmanra Arc[]
Momo and Okarun come up to Bega at the police box submitting Turbo Granny as a lost item. As they fill out the form, Bega grows suspicious and questions them to ascertain if the maneki-neko doll is indeed lost property as they allege. Just as he prepares to search Turbo Granny for any hidden cameras, a noise emanating from the backroom, created by Momo using her psychic powers, prompts him to remove his hands from the doll and check. Before Momo and Okarun depart, Bega instructs them to take the form and inquires if they desire a reward, which they decline.
Later, Bega goes out on patrol and comes back to the police box to find Momo and Okarun fighting with each. After walking pass them and demanding that they return home, Bega finds himself face-to-face with Rokuro disguised as a police officer and ends up getting into a fight with him. While Rokuro claims to be a police officer from a different police box, Bega calls his station for confirmation and is informed that the man in front of him is indeed who he says he is. Unbeknownst to Bega, the voice on the phone was actually Rokuro, who had used his nanoskin to secretly tap into the officer's phone. Bega then prepares to give Rokuro the lost property data he came for and recommends fighting at the station dojo the next time he is looking for a sparring match.
While patrolling, Bega spots Okarun and Rin riding their bikes at night and chases them, as it was past the curfew for high school students. His pursuit of them leads him to entering the inner world of the cursed trunk keeping the Fairy-Tale Card. After wondering if everything happening is a dream or not, Bega focuses on apprehending all those he deems as lawbreakers, beginning with the Fairy-Tale Card who has taken control of Unji. Bega also deems Rokuro as a lawbreaker as well for possessing a gun but fights alongside him regardless. With his gun out of bullets, Bega runs trying to avoid Umbrella Boy Unji's shockwaves and assists in executing Okarun's strategy to generate a tornado to ground Umbrella Boy Unji by energizing Rokuro's nanoskin heater with his own body heat. After their plan succeeds, the trio confronts Umbrella Boy Unji in a close combat showdown. Upon Umbrella Boy Unji's defeat fighting Okarun, Bega is stunned to recognize the young man beneath the cracked mask as Unji and questions why he is here after searching for him for so long.
Bega attempts to reach out to Unji, urging him to regain his senses as the Fairy-Tale Card increasingly possesses his body. However, he becomes too late, as the Fairy-Tale Card utilizes Unji's power to fly out of the cursed trunk. Shortly after, he and the other captives trapped in the cursed trunk are lifted into the air by Rin, who employs Mai's Onbusuman gravity powers to free them all from the world. He then seizes Rokuro's leg, while the alien grasps Okarun's leg to prevent further ascension, but the two are soon elevated after Momo compels Okarun to release her hand so he can return to the other side and defeat the Fairy-Tale Card. Following the conclusion of Rin's gravitational melody, Bega, Okarun, and Rokuro experience a sudden descent. In response, Rokuro activates his nanoskin to form jet booster arms, while Okarun and Bega grasp onto his legs. However, the Serpo observes that the additional weight hinders his ability to ascend further.
After managing to escape the cursed trunk, Bega immediately demands the Fairy-Tale Card to return Unji to him. Bega panics to find Unji on the brink of death and desperately tries to revive him. Upon seeing Unji regaining consciousness and asserting his determination not to die to the officer, Bega becomes relieved and informs him that they will be going home together. He then helps to support Unji as he helps Okarun, Rokuro, and Count Saint-Germain defeat the Fairy-Tale Card by firing a shockwave blast.
Following the resolution of the incidents involving the cursed trunk and the Fairy-Tale Card, Bega and Unji became hospitalized for treatment. In the hospital, Bega questions Unji about his silence regarding the cursed trunk and his umbrella powers. Unji admits that he thought Bega wouldn't have believed such an absurd story if he had told him. He then clarifies the situation with the old man the officer found in their home, explaining that he allowed him to stay out of compassion, as the man had been trapped in the cursed trunk for an extended period. Regarding his absence, Unji mentioned that he had notified Baison at the police box. Bega states that he had no prior knowledge of this, despite being aware of Unji's visit to the police box from the lost and found logs. Unji also recalled visiting the police box to collect the kintama, following advice from someone that it was essential for opening the trunk, though he couldn't recall who provided that information.
Current Saga[]
Kozuka Knives Arc[]
Following his and Unji's release from the hospital, the two and Unji's gang reunited Daiki with his parents. However, due to the child's elderly appearance from the cursed trunk's curse, along with the fact that he had been missing for only four years, Daiki's parents refuse to take their word that he is their son.
Later, Bega arrived at Juicy Gyoza Manufactory Dandadan to investigate reports of suspicious activity. The staff informs him of a middle-aged man who had been alone upstairs, and mentions that earlier there had been three others—a beautiful woman and two men. Spotting a trio who fit the description—Seiko, Payase and Kashimoto—Bega approaches them for questioning, only for them to disappear and leave the officer confused.
Chapter Appearances[]
Kintama Hunt Saga[]
121. Who's This Person? | Absent |
122. Let's Form a Club | Absent |
123. The Class Rep's Secret | Debut |
124. Ombusman | Absent |
125. Let's Do an Exorcism | Absent |
126. It's a Parade Float. It's a Festival. It's Ninomiya | Absent |
127. Float Performance Face-Off | Absent |
128. Let's Be Idols | Absent |
Current Saga[]
166. Is This a Little Fairy? | Absent |
167. Hey, There's Something There | Absent |
168. There's Someone Here | Absent |
169. Find The Culprit! | Absent |
170. A Suspicious Woman | Absent |
171. Corner the Perp! | Absent |
172. Those Pygmies Are Scary | Absent |
173. Corner the Criminal! | Absent |
174. Queen Sensei's Infirmary | Absent |
175. So Who's the True Perp? | Absent |
176. Scattering the Bait | Absent |
177. Let's Do Some Kung Fu | Absent |
178. The Power of a God | Absent |
179. This Seems Kinda Deadly | Appears |
180. The Owner of the Kozuka Knives | Absent |
181. Must Be the Influence of a Curse | Flashback |
182. Something's Taken the Bait | Absent |
Etymology[]
- Masamichi contains the kanji for "right, proper" (正, masa) and "path" (道, michi).
Trivia[]
- Masamichi Bega may be a reference to M. Bison, known as Vega (ベガ, Bega) in Japan, from Street Fighter series. As Bega is the romaji form of Vega's name and his authoritarian presence alludes to M. Bison's personality and how the Fighting Game Community has nicknamed him as Dictator.