Koromo Amae

Koromo Amae (天江 衣 Amae Koromo) is a second year student at Ryuumonbuchi High School and the team's ace player. Koromo's ability as a player is famous, so much that she is considered one of the national-class monsters. She is the key player that brought an end to Kazekoshi Girls' High School's winning streak a year before the start of the current storyline and is considered one of the rare examples of national-level "demons" in the series' syndicate of high school players. She is feared by friend and foe alike; due to her actions and position, she can be considered the primary antagonist of the Prefectural Tournament Arc.

An over one thousand year old elven version of Koromo appears in the Yuuki miniseries, humorously alluding to her bizarrely literary manner of speech and "magical" abilities. She is right-handed.

Appearance
Koromo has long blonde hair and blue eyes.

She wears a red bunny ears headband (pink bow after the prefecturals), a white and red one piece dress, wristbands and thigh high stockings. Koromo has the appearance of a little girl, but contrary to this, she is actually the eldest member of Ryuumonbuchi's mahjong club. Her physical development is somewhat stunted, appearing much younger than she truly is.

Personality
Koromo boasts an unusually literary manner of speech, resembling that of nineteenth century philosophers or writers, such as Edgar Allan Poe or even Mark Twain, despite Saki’s setting taking place decades in the future. On a few occasions, she has even completely made up words devoid of any meaning.

Koromo has three distinctive “sides” depending on her mood; the first being, In correspondence with her childish appearance, the fact that her mood can sometimes make complete U-turns from the traits as stated above, prompting her to act hyperactive, childish, and carefree at completely unrelated or random moments; it is implied several times throughout the series that is very easy to make Koromo happy, despite what her inner monologue may be at the time. It is worth noting that even during these states of happiness, she still has a tendency to be literary in speech and, sometimes, manner.

Her second side reveals a much darker, drearier part of her personality; oftentimes she will wander aimlessly in the town or place she’s in, lost in her own thoughts, feeling alone and depressed. She blames this on the loss of her parents years before the start of the current storyline, who raised her, believing that her only self-worth is through mahjong which she believes (in part because of her mother) is worthless anyway and she initially considers herself incapable of finding a person in the world who enjoys the game with her. It is highly likely that the years of reclusiveness and solitude she endured after moving in with her neglectful uncle triggered this chain of dejection, so much so that she had become bitter and untrustworthy of the humans of the world, until she found a friend in Saki Miyanaga.

Her third side is perhaps the most ferocious; whilst playing mahjong, she gives away her other moods which depending on the scenario can either be happy-go-lucky or reclusive and distant, and takes her turn being violent and disdainful, oftentimes making cruel, somewhat disturbing comments about her opponents; her behavior is directly influenced by the full moon, which she becomes more erratic and her personality more jagged under – it is unknown what exactly about the moon and mahjong prompts Koromo to act this way. In addition, Koromo does not consider herself human, despite her appearance saying otherwise; which begs the question if Koromo really is human and her words are just her exaggerating herself, or if she is something else.

Due to these reasons, it’s speculated that Koromo possibly has Bipolar disorder, as a result of her consistent moodswings. It appears that after befriending Saki and the others, these tendencies have quelled a bit, leaving her childish personality and a bit of her darker side.

She also dislikes being treated as a kid or referred to as a kid; this includes even not being the dealer in mahjong. This is because her name, Koromo, is similar to the word kodomo which means children; in Japanese mahjong the dealer is called 親 oya meaning parent, while the non-dealers are referred to as 子供 kodomo. Despite her hate of being referred to as a child, she acts very childishly.

Introduction Arc
Koromo is mentioned ominously as a powerful opponent that Kiyosumi will need to face in the nationals. When Hisa Takei announces that Kiyosumi will be participating in the prefectural tournament, Yuuki Kataoka looks through the play records of last year's champion, Ryuumonbuchi High School. The first thing Yuuki notices when she finds it is Koromo's play, saying that she was even freakier than Saki. After Yasuko Fujita defeats Saki and Nodoka at the mahjong parlor, she tells them that in a Pro-Am tournament, she came in second behind Koromo and confidently states that they will never beat her.

Prefectural Tournament Arc
In the beginning, Koromo is not seen but is again commented upon. When a reporter asks Fujita-pro who will take the spotlight in this year's tournament she instantly says Koromo Amae. She is mentioned again when the Ryuumonbuchi team is talking about her sleeping habits. After Kiyosumi's first round win, Fujita-pro again comments that no matter how much Saki has improved Koromo will still destroy her.

Koromo makes her first appearance after the vanguard match in the finals when Hagiyoshi finds her by a nearby river. She enters the arena after the second battle, where she is stopped by a security guard who thinks that she is a child. The guard lets her go by when he realizes that it is Koromo. She is then spotted by Yasuko Fujita. After a bit of teasing both ways, she notices the dropped Etopen and decides to return it to "Nonoka".

While returning it, Koromo thinks that by doing so she will get a lot of praise and maybe even become friends with this "Nonoka". However, the two who stole it see her with it and decide to take the penguin back, but it is ripped in the process. We later see Koromo crying to her cousin Touka Ryuumonbuchi about the ripped penguin. Touka orders Hagiyoshi to mend it and after he does, Koromo runs off to give it back to Nodoka Haramura. When she meets up with Nodoka she gives over the penguin, but before she can ask her to be her friend, Nodoka leaves to prepare for her upcoming battle. Koromo appears during a flashback Hajime has while playing in her battle. Hajime recalled the time when she first met Koromo and remembers how terrifying the experience was for her.

Before her battle, Touka wonders where Koromo went to. We then see Hagiyoshi electronically track her to a remote building. At first she states that she is staying put and is not interested in the captain's battle, but Hagiyoshi convinces her that playing would be worth her while because there is an opponent that might give her trouble. She then makes a big entrance into tournament hall and Saki feels her aura and becomes afraid. Before she enters the playing room, the others anticipate seeing a demon, but turn to find a chibi Koromo making her way to her seat. Koromo stays quiet during the first few hands, however after feeling bored and disappointed in Saki Miyanaga, she decides to taunt them and begins to take over the match with consecutive haitei raoyue's. Noticing that there is still some resistance from the others, Koromo steps up her game again and dominates the rest of the game before intermission.

During the intermission, Koromo gets something to drink in an outside vending machine and is greeted by Fujita-pro. After Fujita-pro teases her a little she tells Koromo that she should start playing mahjong instead of getting played by it, which confuses Koromo. The second half begins the same way the first one ended; with another big Koromo winning hand. Koromo celebrates that its her turn as the dealer. While pondering Fujita's words, Koromo decides that she should show the others true despair. After she successful attacks Kazekoshi's Kana Ikeda a few times, Yumi Kajiki notices that Koromo cheapened her hand so that Kana would have zero points and Koromo rubs this fact in. However, thanks to Saki's play the others make a comeback and Koromo notices that Saki defies even her senses. Then Koromo asks Saki if she thinks that she will win and Saki replies that she will, and that she will reunite with her family. With these words Koromo is reminded of her own tragic past and thinks and that she is alone. Koromo's parents died when she was young and there were whisperings that Koromo was responsible.

Even after Touka befriended her and brought her several playmates, Koromo still couldn't find someone who could enjoy playing games with her. Angered by this, she unleashes her full powers and it is so great that all of the lights in arena go out. During the blackout, everyone in the playing room sees Koromo's glowing blue aura. While Kana still pursues a comeback, the water level in the room once again rises and Koromo wins another hand to end Saki's turn as dealer. It is here that Koromo learns with the help of Saki that playing mahjong is fun before being defeated by her on the last hand with a direct hit yakuman. Afterward Kana and Tsuruga's Yumi Kajiki express that they wish to play against her again.

Individual Tournament Arc *Anime only*

 * the anime is different here in that Koromo has already patched things up and understands that Ryuumonbuchi loves her*

Koromo appears with the rest of Ryuumonbuchi going to Touka's family owned pool before the start of the individual tournament and meets Kiyosumi. After confirming Nodoka's friendship and revealing that she doesn't wish to participate in the individual tournament, Ryuumonbuchi head toward the VIP room. When Touka promises to take her back to Tokyo she doesn't remember it. Then a flashback to last year when Ryuumonbuchi went to the national tournament happens. Afterward Touka again tells her she'll win the tournament and that they will go to Tokyo as her entourage. When the others tease her a bit, she storms off from embarrassment and Tomoki Sawamura tells her that Touka is always thinking about her to which Koromo says she knows.

Sometime after the tournament we see Touka along with Hajime Kunihiro reading a bedtime story to Koromo so that she can sleep. When the Ryuumonbuchi team were discussing whether or not to attend Kiyosumi's combined training camp, it was Koromo that convinces them to go because she wants to play with Nodoka and Saki.

Combined Training Camp Arc
Before the start of the training camp, Ryuumonbuchi was worried about Koromo and starts to look for her. When Jun Inoue finds her, she tells her that they are worried about her. Koromo then says that she actually feels clear now and doesn't feel alone also that sheis hoping to have friends. The others tell her that she is their friend and family, stating that she was like the youngest child which makes her both happy and upset.

Koromo appears with the rest of Ryuumonbuchi as Harue Akado requested a friendly match between the two schools. She appeared emanating a fainter version of her usual aura, causing the Achiga girls to notice her presence. After defeating repeatedly Shizuno Takakamo, the girl asks Koromo if it was Nodoka that beat her during the tournament. Koromo tells her that it was someone else. She is then challenged by Shizuno into another match.

Koromo then arives with the other members of Ryuumonbuchi for the combined training camp and during her free time plays with Nodoka Haramura and Saki Miyanaga. The next day she is seen with Jun complaining about the size of her yukata before Hajime rushes to tell them about Touka acting funny but Koromo is unconcerned. The next day, she along with Fujita and Saki were looking for one more member to play against. Touka asks to join them in her "cold" state and then defeats everyone handily. Afterward while bathing with Jun, they discuss Touka's play. When Kiyosumi's Hisa Takei decides to make herself stronger for the nationals Koromo was the first one she chose to play against.

National Tournament Arc
When Kiyosumi shows up at their hotel in Tokyo it is revealed that Ryuumonbuchi is there as well, and according to Mihoko Fukuji, Ryuumonbuchi has booked a hotel in Shinjuku. During Kiyosumi's free time Koromo is seen hanging out with the others and gets to visit the family restaurant her cousing promised to take her to. Before Kiyosumi goes in for their first round match, Koromo and the other members are shown cheering them on. Koromo was also featured when Yuuki is remembering her time in the training camp. After Koromo notices that Yuuki is not the same after the East round and after hearing the girl's explanation, she suggests that Yuuki get a renchan and finish the match before getting out of the East. Koromo again appears during Yuuki's match leaving the bathroom with Jun (because she is scared to go alone). When Jun teases her about being childish, she notices the huge girl walking past and tells Jun that she is childish too compared to her. Koromo is shown later with Touka getting excited when Nodoka starts off well.

Final Eight Arc
At the nationals, she and Hajime decide to visit Kiyosumi before the semi-finals. When she notices Saki asleep and the only one there, she awakens Saki wanting to play with her. When she gets up, they eat and Koromo asks where Nodoka is, only to be told she is at the playing hall, watching her friends. Koromo and Hajime then realize that she is talking about Achiga and tell her that they've meet and played against each other. She then informs Saki that Achiga could be trouble. While watching the match, Saki asks if Shizuno was the person Koromo was talking about. She says yes and that two months ago they played and that Shizuno stopped her haitei raoyue two out of the five times she tried. Koromo is then shown explaining to Saki the way Shizuno came to discover her ability. After correcting Saki about her name, she then ponders outloud if Saki can top Shizuno.

Koromo is later seen watching the start of the semi-finals with Touka and Hajime. She is present with the rest of Ryuumonbuchi during their surprise at Yuuki calling tiles in her match. When Koromo notices Satoha Tsujigaito, she remembered last year and says she thought all of Rinkai's team was foreigners. After Tomoki tells her that Satoha finished third in last years individuals, Koromo says that it must be a lot of fun for Yuuki.

National Championship Arc
While watching the game, Koromo wants Touka to schedule a match with Shiraitodai. Hagiyoshi then brings in a tape showing Etopen being damaged. Koromo asks if it was because of the time she ripped it but Jun reassures her that it wasn't.

Parents
Although there is no direct interaction between Koromo and her parents has been shown, she looks up to them highly and she is often openly saddened by the loss of them, which is hinted that Koromo was stable before her parents' death, but she fell into a long-lasting depression afterwards.

The three of them were very close to eachother.

Uncle
After her parents' death, Koromo was forced to live with her uncle where she was completely isolated by him because he thought that she was a demon and thus did not want her presence to be felt. Although it is unknown what Koromo thinks of him, it can be easily assumed she has a sour opinion on him where she has given what he did to her and how he treated her.

Touka Ryuumonbuchi
Touka is Koromo's her cousin whom she cares immensely for. Despite Touka's typical attitude, she was kind enough to take Koromo from the neglect of her uncle and became Koromo's guardian when moving into Ryuumonbuchi's manor. Touka's main influence for joining the tournament was to make Koromo happy and find new friends for her. Whereas Koromo initially thinks that Touka is not her friend, she eventually accepts her as more than just a cousin and an actual friend.

Hagiyoshi
Hagiyoshi is shown to genuinely care for Koromo in the series, as he smiles in relief when she is assured that Ryuumonbuchi is Koromo's friend and family. He also shows concern for her and looks genuinely concerned when Koromo talks of her deceased parents and the sadness following their death. He is very fatherly to Koromo.

Yasuko Fujita
Koromo and Fujita seem to be friendly rivals of eachother, arguing or teasing eachother about eachother's skills. Fujita thinks that Koromo is cute and wishes she had a child like her. However, despite the teasing, they seem to know eachother well, otherwise.

Playing Style / Abilities
Koromo's playing style is typically to aim for high paying hands, as Yumi notes in Koromo's playing records in the 70th Nationals. However, when the full moon is out, her playing style is something else. She can create a "one-tile-away-from-tenpai" hell for her opponents, making them incapable of winning. Along with this, she favours the yaku haitei raoyue (literally meaning "to scoop up the moon from the seabed"), which is to win with the last tile. The one-tile-away-from-tenpai hell combined with her haitei is designed to slowly torture her opponents as she continues to win but they are incapable of even tenpai until the very last go-around. She will disregard all yaku to ensure that she draws the last tile by calling tiles to manipulate the drawing order. However, this is assuming that everyone plays regularly: Yumi purposefully gave a win to Saki in order to avoid Koromo's renchan and haitei.

However, she is not limited to just that, that is simply her preferred method. She is capable of accelerating her hands by calling and still earn a lot of points using various combined yaku and dora. She is even capable of keeping her hand closed and winning several times off of the same opponent, even ignoring a possible win off of someone else. She is also willing to lower her hand's value in order to achieve her selfish goals. For example, she dropped Kazekoshi's Kana Ikeda to 0 points, rendering it nearly impossible for them to make a comeback, also making it harder to Saki to make a comeback as her preferred method of winning is a rishan kaihou, which normally takes points from everyone at the table. In this way, she "stamps loser right on their self-esteem; as if to say she's in a different league, that can't even touch her."

It seems that the phases of the moon also affect how strong Koromo is, with the full moon being the height of Koromo's power, not even comparable to her power during the half-moon, which still completely destroyed Nagano's 70th prefectural expectations.

Career Highlights

 * Prefectural Tournament MVP
 * Record holder for most points gained in any one inter-high match/ tournament.

Quotes

 * "As the world shrouds in darkness ... So too will your lives be snuffed out!"
 * "It's Koromo, not Kodomo!"
 * "It's not always possible for the four people playing mahjong to have fun together. Those who play with the Koromo always look as if they are witnessing the end of the world."
 * "The penguin has returned from Hades!"
 * "I am reminded of the sight of those wicked humans flocking around when Father and Mother departed from this mortal coil."

Etymology

 * The name Koromo means "clothing, garment" (衣).
 * Koromo's surname Amae means "heaven, sky" (天) (ama) and "bay, inlet" (江) (e).

Trivia

 * Koromo reached the semi-finals of the Saimoe 2010 tournament.
 * Koromo birthday is on 6th of September.
 * Bipolar disorder, Wikipedia page about the mental illness Koromo may have.
 * Koromo's favorite food is fried shrimp and hamburger platter.
 * According to the character table, Koromo has a pet frog.