Nuriko:Real Name: Ryuen Chou
Age: 18
Eyes: Purple
Hair: Purple
First Appearance (Anime): Episode 3
Abilities: Superhuman strength, martial arts
Height: 166 cm 5’5”
Blood type: B
Birth date: March 10th
Location of seishi symbol: Chest
Meaning of seishi symbol: Willow (Yanagi )
Affiliation: Suzaku Seven
Nuriko is a member of the Suzaku Seven, celestial warriors sworn to protect the Priestess of Suzaku from harm. Though Nuriko is male, he says that "at heart" he is truly a woman, and exhibits properties that speak to that. He looks, speaks, and acts feminine, and even cross dresses in women's clothing in order to highlight what he calls his true self. Though usually bright and cheerful, Nuriko is not without his own tragic past. He was always the strong one in the family, possessing higher than normal strength even as a child - however, he was unable to save his little sister Korin from getting run over by horses. Unable to forget her untimely death, Nuriko sometimes calls himself Korin when he masquerades as a woman.
Miaka first comes into contact with Nuriko during one of his stints as the Lady Korin, at the palace of Hotohori. Having fallen in love with the handsome emperor, Nuriko was in women's clothing as an escort for the emperor, in the hopes that he would be able to get closer to him. Nuriko ends up saving Miaka and Tamahome from certain death, as he uses his incredible strength to pull off some heavy debris of a building that had fallen on them. At first, Nuriko and Miaka do not get along, due to Nuriko's jealousy over Hotohori's obvious feelings for Miaka. He mistreats her, and when Miaka offers to run errands for her he sends her on a wild goose chase that endangers her life.
However, later on after Miaka and the others find out about his true identity, Nuriko and Miaka get along and actually become very close. Acting as a counselor and "big brother/sister" to Miaka, Nuriko is always able to say the right things in order to encourage or advise Miaka to do good. Though Nuriko loves Miaka as much as he loves Hotohori, Nuriko's feelings for Miaka are more on the level of a close friend's than anything else. Like any of the Suzaku Seven Nuriko is extremely loyal to Miaka and does his best to keep her out of danger - and in Nuriko's case, he protects her from both physical and emotional harm.
