Seimei Abe

Seimei Abe is a renowned onmyouji of the Heian period. Using his various divinations and predictions, he became a valuable fortuneteller for the imperial court and is often seen as one of the pioneers in the craft. He is immortalized in fiction as an occult sorcerer who accurately pinpoints the whereabouts of malevolent supernatural beings.

Harukanaru Toki no Naka de
Although he seldom appears in the series, Seimei is regarded as the most proficient onmyouji within Kyou of his time. His best friend is an ancient tengu at Mount Kita. Using a combination of his incantations and the tengu's powers, he created his disciple, Yasuaki. The humanoid creation lacks any yang circulation, thereby not allowing him to experience emotions. Seimei then placed a magical charm on his student's face. He instructed Yasuaki that the charm would break if he became human (or a "complete existence").

Entrusting his creation with all of his spells, Seimei then retired to his mansion in solitude. An elaborate illusion he cast deters unwanted visitors from entering his domain. He often doesn't leave his manor and lets Yasuaki or his various shikigami perform various tasks in his stead.

He is a character who often makes small appearances during Yasuaki's personal routes. Using a shikigami of Yasuaki, he may kindly greet or guide Akane to his runaway student. Akane visits Seimei personally in Maihitoyo in order to restore a dysfunctional Yasuaki. After he tests her sincerity for his student, he willingly explains the methods for reviving him.

His student and the priestess visit his manor again in the series' dream game. Seimei mischievously gifts his disciple a spell to reveal Yasuaki's true heart to others. When Yasuaki uses it, the doppelganger that emerges spouts flowery affection for Akane. A confused Yasuaki deems the spell to be defective and seeks to consult Seimei about it.

Seimei sires a son during his life and eventually passes away due to natural causes. His son becomes the leader of the Abe sect and copies his father's methods to create Yasutsugu. Seimei's son also placed a charm on his treasured disciple's head with instructions that it would break if Yasutsugu becomes human.

Nobunaga's Ambition
Seimei is one of many secret characters in the Playstation 2 version of Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle. He can be unlocked as Created Officer after completely clearing the game's Challenge Modes and, like other Created Officers, he will only appear if the player allows him to be enabled. Though he tops the Intelligence stat at its optimum level, his dwarfish stats for war makes him a liability in battle. Keep him stationed with political affairs to make the best of his talents.

Personality
A wise elderly figure of mystery, Seimei enjoys his leisurely life away from society. He is dearly affectionate to Yasuaki and considers his creation to be like a beloved child in his family. Seimei believes his student can become human with time and patience, anticipating the day when his student discovers emotions for himself. He constantly reminds Yasuaki that he is incomplete as pragmatic encouragement. When his student stalls, he may playfully tease him to renew his efforts.

Voice Actors

 * Dai Matsumoto - Harukanaru Toki no Naka de Hachiyoushou (TV series)

Quotes

 * "Good day to you, Lady Priestess."
 * "It seems even the Priestess of the Dragon God can be lost in my maze."
 * "He is an incomplete existence filled only with yin. He is not human."
 * "Yasuaki... You have at last found someone who is attached to you."

Historical Information
Abe no Seimei was considered a member of the aristocratic Abe clan (阿倍氏 or 安倍氏), a clan which has legendary ties to the Japanese imperial throne. His exact origins are not entirely clear, although later generations would hold varying opinions regarding his parents.

The famous interpretation of his birth stems from the theatrical tale, Kuzunoha, in which his mother is the titular character and a white fox spirit. She eloped with a minister named Abe no Yasuna. The Abe family tree instead states that his father was Abe no Masuki and his mother was Kamo no Yasunori's daughter. However, even this account has dubious accuracy since it is deemed to have been influenced by the Kuzunoha story. Masuki's elder brother, Abe no Haruki, has also been argued as Seimei's father. His onmyouji mentor, Kamo no Tadayuki, is another proposed father candidate due to Seimei's uncanny expertise and familiarity with the craft.

He is also said to have been Abe no Miushi's descendant, a historical figure who has a character based on him in Taketori Monogatari. Abe no Nakamaro is thought to be another ancestor. Due to one letter noting his rank to be a sugune (third class noble) and not the commonly perceived ason (first class noble), his linage is postulated to be an entirely different level of nobility.

Even Seimei's given name is not clarified as there are no surviving historical texts that lists its actual pronunciation. "Seimei" is a literal archaic reading of the Chinese characters used to create it and the popularly accepted name in fiction. Other readings of his name that could have possibly been used during the time period are "Haruaki" or "Haruakira".