Katagiri

Katagiri
Biographical information
Real name	Katagiri
Status	Alive
Species	Kappa (Fable)
Gender	Male
Occupation	Sumo teacher
Homeland	The Hidden Kingdom
Appearances
First issue	Fairest #8 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter One: Big in Japan"
Last issue	Fairest #13 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Six: The Hundred Demons Night Parade"

“	Interfering vixen! We have to get Rapunzel back from Tomoko! She's our only way home.	„
	~ Katagiri to his sumo wrestlers, Fairest #9 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter Two: Hard-Boiled Wonderland"

Katagiri is a kappa who lives in a hidden Fable community in Tokyo, Japan, and becomes involved in a civil war with fellow yokai Tomoko. He debuts in Fairest #8 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter One: Big in Japan"

History

Exile

Katagiri is a kappa from the Hidden Kingdom, the Homelands version of Japan, where he was a sumo teacher at the local Emperor's court. The kappa were ultimately expelled from the court along with other yokai as a component of the Shogun Ryogan's strategy to pave the path for the Adversary's invasion. Ryogan claimed that the kappa were "a terrible influence" and "violent monsters." In addition, the sumo school at the court, where Katagiri worked as a sumo teacher, was shut down.

After the Adversary's invasion, Katagiri and other Japanese Fables fled to the mundane world and formed a secret community in Tokyo, Japan, where Katagiri ran a sumo school.In the aftermath of the second world war, a shortage of food arose, leading their leader, Tomoko, to join the Yakuza in order to ensure their well-being. She had done what she thought she had to do to survive, but some disagreed — Katagiri included. For years, he sent magic origami bird to Tomoko's old lover Rapunzel, hoping that one of them would reach her.

Contacting Rapunzel

Some of the origami birds eventually did, resulting in Rapunzel coming to Tokyo. When Katagiri sees her, he calls her an old name of hers, Okiku, and urges her to follow him, as they are in danger. However, as he and Joel Crow atttempt to drag Rapunzel away, they are interrupted by Tomoko's enforcer Mayumi, who shoots him through the head, causing water to spray everywhere. However, some sumo wrestlers retrieve his body, and fill his empty head with water again, and his life returns to him.

Afterward, some sumos wrestlers retrieve Katagiri's corpse, and fill his empty head with water again, bringing him back to life. Angrily, he curses Tomoko for leading Rapunzel astray. It is only with the Fable woman's help that they can get back to the Homelands, by reuniting her with her "children," bezoars that had grown from Rapunzel's discarded hair that had continued to grow in her absence for centuries, deep in a well. However, Tomoko will not allow that, because it would jeopardize her Yakuza empire. This is why she has sent Mayumi to stop Katagiri and his co-conspirators. Meanwhile, Rapunzel wonders whether it was Tomoko who sent the message about her children, but when she asks her, Tomoko seems annoyed, explaining that Katagiri sent the origami birds to lure Rapunzel to Japan as a pawn in his plan to destroy everything that she has built.

Rapunzel and Joel are surprised when they are greeted by Neko, a giant talking cat who claims to be an emissary from Mr. Katagiri. The cat drops them off at the train station, claiming that Rapunzel's long lost children can be found in Nara. Mayumi, meanwhile, has in fact decapitated Katagiri — his second death since Rapunzel arrived. She returns to Tomoko with the head.

Yokai civil war

After returning Katagiri's head to his body, the kappa revives and explains how he sent her a message to recruit her in defeating Tomoko. Frau Totenkinder warns that their help will come at a price; they will require the Tomoko's foxfire. Katagiri has no use for it, and agrees.

At Katagiri's sumo school, Bigby Wolf and Totenkinder are unimpressed with the frog-man's war preparation. Aside from a cat, a few sumos, and a pile of paper cranes, they have nothing to face Tomoko's very real guns and ammunition with. However, after Katagiri releases his cranes into the air, it is only hours before hundreds of yokai answer the call.

During the intense conflict, Tomoko leads her Yakuza warriors in a fierce battle against Katagiri's yokai. She expresses her anger towards the yokai who have sided with her adversary, reprimanding them for abandoning their hiding spots to ally with a "decripit turtle." Nevertheless, with some effort, Rapunzel is able to persuade all individuals to put down their weapons and depart, ensuring them that she has the bezoars situation under control. Subsequently, all the Japanese yokai decide to return to the Hidden Kingdom, with the intention of sealing the gate permanently.

Biology and traits

As a kappa, Katagiri has a depression on his head filled with water, and is severely weakened if the liquid is spilled; however, as long as his spirit is still attached, he can be brought back by refilling the water.

Original source

Kappa

Katagiri is a kappa ("river-child"), a creature from Japanese folklore. The love that kappas have for sumo wrestling is evident in Katagiri's profession as a sumo teacher.

Appearances

Fairest

• Fairest #8 (first appearance)
• Fairest #9
• Fairest #10
• Fairest #11
• Fairest #12
• Fairest #13