Seizo Kasumi is a character that is frequently mentioned in Samurai Champloo. He is the father of Fuu and serves as the plot device for the entire series.
Appearance[]
Seizo is a Japanese man with a ponytail and a purple-black kimono.
Personality[]
Seizo Kasumi seems to be an honorable man who cares for his family. He couldn't stand and watch as peasants starve and get mistreated. Even though he left his family to protect them, he understands Fuu's anger and asks for her forgiveness. He is also willing to accept his death at the hands of Kariya Kagetoki.
Background[]
Long ago, Seizo Kasumi was a Christian samurai who married an unknown woman and who gave birth to his daughter, Fuu. He was one of the leaders of the Shimabara Rebellion, the uprising of Japanese Roman Catholics due to heavy taxes and abuses from officials. The Japanese sought the help of the Dutch army which helped quell the rebellion down, and the Shogunate sought for Seizo's death.
After the rebellion failed, Seizo Kasumi ran away to protect his wife and children from being hunted down by the Shogunate, leaving his wife and daughter alone.
Plot[]
Seizo Kasumi in Fuu's memory
Fuu's last memory of his father was him running through a field of sunflowers, which is why she refers to him as "The Sunflower Samurai" or the "Samurai who smells of sunflowers". She convinces Mugen and Jin to help her in her journey to find him despite her fickle memories and her lack of hints on where he could be.
Seizo appears in flashbacks and is mentioned indirectly in Lullabies of the Lost (Verse 2) when Fuu reveals to Jin and Mugen that the Sunflower Samurai is her father, and that she wants to find him in order to take revenge on him for abandoning her. He is finally mentioned by name in Unholy Union when Yuri confirms that the Sunflower Samurai is Seizo Kasumi.
He makes his real appearance in the series finale Evanescent Encounter (Part 3) when Fuu finally meets him face to face. Fuu expects to see Seizo healthy, but is shocked to discover him dying from an unknown disease, and feels frustrated that she cannot take her anger on an ill man for abandoning her and her mother, who died years ago.
Unfortunately for Fuu, Kariya Kagetoki had followed her after defeating Jin earlier in Evanescent Encounter (Part 2). He revealed that the Shogunate came to learn about Fuu trying to find Seizo Kasumi, and initially sent Sara to kill them. When Sara failed in her mission, the Shogunate sent Kariya Kagetoki instead.
Seizo Kasumi sees Fuu after all these years.
Due to samurai honor, Kariya allows Seizo to say his last thoughts to Fuu. Seizo uses his last living moments to console Fuu, asking for forgiveness and saying he's always thought about her and her mother before Kariya delivers the death blow by stabbing him in the chest. However, Seizo Kasumi is eventually avenged when Jin comes back and kills Kariya Kagetoki once and for all. Seizo's caretaker explains why Seizo left Fuu, which allows her to finally understand and make peace with what happened.
Voice Actors[]
- Kouji Nakata (Japanese)
- Doug Stone (English)