Meroko Yui (めろこ·ユイ), known as Moe Rikyo (里匡萌 Rikyō Moe) when she was human, is a Shinigami for the Death Pediatrics Ward.
Biography
Human life
Meroko was born as a wealthy young girl, Moe Rikyo, and was best friends with Fuzuki during her youth. Since Fuzuki was ill, Fuzuki's parents had asked Moe to visit their daughter everyday. So after school everyday, she would visit Fuzuki who was not allowed to go to school. One day, the girls ran into a handsome man playing a violin. Both girls were taken away by his talent, and later learned that he was actually Seijyuro Koga. Moe was the one, however, who had feelings for him. Fuzuki felt it was not worth fighting with a friend, so she accepted it with grace, and was happy for her. The three eventually became a strong trio of friends, when everything went wrong. Moe was told that Fuzuki was very ill, and that she could not see her anymore. She soon was being forced into a marriage with Fuzuki's former fiance Kimiharu. When Moe visits Fuzuki, she finds her kissing Seijyuro. After feeling betrayed by her best friend and defending herself from Kimiharu's advances, Moe decides to commit suicide by slitting her wrists.
Shinigami life
As a shinigami, she is paired with Izumi and forms the pair "Miru Meiku". Meroko falls deeply in love with Izumi but when she hears that Milmake is to disband as Izumi would be training the newcomer (Takuto). After Meroko tells Izumi to stay with her, Izumi gives Meroko a new costume that is similar to his and tells her to meet him at the Clock Tower in the Central Plaza. When Meroko gets there she finds Boss with the newcomer. There because Meroko showed up, she is told to train the newcomer and thus beginning Negi Ramen.
When the Shinigami forces were informed that Mitsuki Kouyama was fated to have a postponed death, Meroko and Takuto were sent to see that she would die naturally. Meroko ended up truly falling for Takuto, and became extremely jealous to notice that Takuto took such a strong interest in Mitsuki. Meroko seems very serious about her job, and heavily protested Takuto's choice to help Mitsuki become a singer. Meroko spends the early part of the manga fighting for Takuto's safety, after realizing that his relationship with Mitsuki was releasing his memories of his previous life. She even went as far as to call her old flame Izumi, to help stop Fullmoon.
Throughout the series, she notices that Takuto is romantically interested in Mitsuki, and becomes very jealous of her. She starts to connect with the girl in the second volume of the manga after Mitsuki professes to her her love for Eichi, however, she is betrayed by Mitsuki later on, and seems to be in constant distress until volume four, when her past is further exposed. Before she reconnects to Mitsuki, Meroko wants to leave it all behind, and return to the shinigami world, but both Mitsuki and Takuto show her deep kindness, and her fears of losing them cease for a very long time. It is during this time that Meroko starts to create close personal bonds with her friends, that shape the foundation of her motivations for the future.
Meroko is forced rather harshly to accept the reality of the lie the surrounded her. Shortly after Takuto meets with his old girlfriend Hikari Hayashi, Mitsuki becomes jealous because he is no longer fawning over her. She meets him in the hospital, and they kiss. Meroko witnesses this event, but she holds her ground. Instead of acting jealous, she tells Takuto she wants to help save Mitsuki's soul. The team travels to the Shinigami world, and as they start searching, Meroko knocks Takuto unconscious, as part of their plan to get deeper into the concubines of the labyrinth. When they are found out, Meroko shoves Takuto through the gate and tells him that she will ward the guards off. She tells him she loves Izumi, while in her mind, she tells herself that she must no longer follow her heart, and do what is best for her and everyone. She remembers all of the kindness Takuto showed her. Arrows start to fly, and to her surprise, Takuto takes them for her. She looks down and thinks to herself "The rain beats down, but I'm not alone anymore."
She and Takuto rush to Izumi and Mitsuki, whom are facing Sheldon (Jonathan's true form). They stand in front of them, and scream "NEGI RAMEN" for the last time.
In the end, Takuto is a human, and Meroko and Izumi are a team again. She continues to watch over him, and always will.
In the anime, it takes a bit longer for her to develop relationships with others. Meroko is constantly fighting in inner battle of accepting Takuto's feelings, though unlike the manga, Takuto and Meroko seem to have a less restless bond. She is much stronger willed in the sense that she does not let Izumi or Takuto take advantage of her, and puts herself out for being hurt. Takuto has no memories, and he and Meroko are watching Fullmoon sing at her final concert. He asks who he is, and Meroko tells him he is Takuto Kira, and he is here to make new memories. Takuto is about to become a ghost, and as a dark force surrounds him, she tries her best to hold on to him to stop it. He still disappears, and a single teardrop falls down Meroko's face. She sees that the same darkness is trying to swallow up Mitsuki, and rushes to her aid, only to be captured by it as well. In a golden world Takuto is battling himself, unable to remember what he is fighting to hard for. Meroko is holding him. Takuto passes out, and Meroko tells the woman that she will trade her life for Takuto's. The woman recognizes Meroko’s selflessness, and turns her into an angel. Takuto's soul flies into Meroko's hands, and she holds it crying.
Takuto is in the human world with no memories. Meanwhile, Jonathan is playing with Mitsuki. The stuffed Meroko becomes alive, and leads Mitsuki to Takuto. From it comes Meroko in angel form. She tells Mitsuki goodbye, and stares at Takuto from afar one last time. A feather falls from her, and as Takuto looks at it and back at Mitsuki, he remembers everything.
Physical appearance
Meroko has long pink hair and magenta eyes (red in the manga). She wears a red magician hat with white bunny ears, a red crop tube top paired with a red mini-skirt, white thigh-length socks, large boots, and a pair of red gloves. In the manga, the magician hat, tube top, mini-skirt, and gloves are all black. She also has small angelic white wings. When she is in her bunny form she looks like a bunny plushie.
Personality and traits
Meroko is a very cheerful girl, always talking aloud and laughing. She seems to be calm, mature and a bit collective even though sometimes, she can be extremely annoyed with her partner's childish behavior. Meroko is also kind and caring to those important for her. Meroko, despite her attempt to act tough, can be fragile just like an ordinary girl.
Meroko often shows a strong feeling for Takuto, and she often tells him that she loves him. But as the story progress further, it was revealed that she isn't in love with him that way. Instead, the one that she loves is no other than her shinigami co-worker, Izumi. It was later shown that the two of them has had an affair even before Takuto joins the shinigami unit. Though in the anime, Meroko truly does and falls in love with Takuto.
Relationships
Izumi Lio
When Meroko first became a shinigami, she was assigned to be with Izumi. She was still a young girl, and though she did not know him, she quickly gained a crush on him. Izumi originally had no real opinion of Meroko, but was shocked to find that she pressed her emotions on him. No one had ever cared. Still, Izumi didn't want a relationship with Meroko. He kisses her, but never says I love you. Then he drops her like a rock.
After Meroko is partnered with Takuto, Izumi misses the attention and love Meroko gave him. He deliberately attacked her, and make sure she still had feelings for him. This, theoretically, is what started along gap between the two.
Meroko was hesitant to call Izumi after that, but after Takuto gains interest in Mitsuki, Meroko has no choice. Izumi is still at large, and plays with Meroko. He makes her play dirty tricks on Mitsuki and says that they are partners in crime.
Once he meets Mitsuki, his heart starts to warm. He starts to treat Meroko better, as Mitsuki calms him and tells him he is a shinigami because of a second chance.
Meroko is constantly hurt by Takuto. She runs to Izumi many time in rebound; Holding him, kissing him, but ignoring him. Izumi seems to be fine with that, and makes sure that if Takuto and Mitsuki ignore Meroko, he will be there. Meroko finally reaches her breaking point, and Izumi tells her he wants to take her back to the Shinigami world and they can be together again. Meroko, broken and lonely, agrees to his suggestion, but tells him she must stay with Mitsuki later, when she realizes that she is still loved.
She does not see him long after that. Izumi was being trapped in the shadows by Sheldan, the master of Shinigami. He tells Izumi that the only way to gain his last memory is to reap Mitsuki. He has one confrontation with Meroko. She is defiant of him and realizes what he's doing, but not why.
While trapped in the Shinigami realm, Meroko tells Takuto that she loves Izumi, and that she wants to save him.
Izumi and Meroko end up as Miru Meiku again. They watch in heaven as Mitsuki and Takuto meet again, and share a kiss. Izumi is in Meroko's designed Miru Meiku outfit.
Mitsuki Koyama
Mitsuki is the little girl that Meroko and Takuto were suppose to take the soul of. However, Takuto took pity on the girl, so now, instead of killing her, Negi Ramen watches over her. Meroko views Mitsuki as a rival for Takuto's affections, and clearly dislikes her in the beginning. She is also not keen on following the orders of her superiors. Eventually, Meroko realizes that Mitsuki loves Eichi with all of her heart, and she begins to trust Mitsuki, though still wary of Takuto's feelings for her. As Mitsuki begins to snoop into Takuto's past, Meroko becomes very defensive, and goes as far as slapping Mitsuki out of frustration, and protection of Takuto. Meroko knows that Takuto cares about Mitsuki, so although she has ill feelings about her, she does her best to protect her. When Meroko faces the demons of her past, Mitsuki was able to rest her spirit, and from that instant, they had a very special bond. Mitsuki helped Meroko realize that Takuto does care about her, and that she is no longer alone. Later, Mitsuki betrays Meroko, and chooses Takuto over Eichi. Meroko knows she has no chance, and is forced to accept this. However, she is willing to help Mitsuki and save her life.
Masami Oshige
Like Takuto, Meroko and Oshige really only formally meet in the anime. Meroko impersonates Wakaoji in the early episodes, so Fullmoon's cover is not blown, and later, Oshige knows of her presence. In the manga, Meroko puts Oshige to sleep to stop her from realizing that Fullmoon is Mitsuki.
Eichi Sakurai
Meroko never meets Eichi, but she likes him. When she saw his picture, she complimeted his looks. Later, Mitsuki tells Meroko that she loves Eichi, and Meroko builds respect for her. In the last volume, Meroko proves that Eichi is watching over Mitsuki. The girls put their hands close, and Eichi's soul appears.
Trivia
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