Nobimaru

Character name: Nobimaru

Family-register name: Nowaki Homuramaru

Gender: Male

Species: Fox kemono

Occupation: Detective, Metropolitan Police Special Investigation Division

Position: Leader of the Special Investigation Division

Birthday: May 30

Age: 13 in his usual boy form; 19 in his true young-adult form

Height: 153 cm in boy form according to the profile; also listed as 158 cm at age 13

Height: 179 cm in young-adult form

Weight: 46 kg in boy form

Weight: 62 kg in young-adult form

Likes: Secret

Dislikes: Secret

How he spends days off: Secret

Voice actor: Hiro Shimono

Nobimaru is one of Yoko Inari’s subordinates and appears after Kon as a fox kemono working under her.

He usually takes the form of a polite 13-year-old boy, not because he has to, but because he believes being cute often gives him an advantage.

Behind that harmless appearance, he is slippery, sharp, and difficult to read.

He speaks courteously and acts with a light, easygoing air, yet he sometimes reveals a cold and violent side.

Nobimaru’s real form is that of a 19-year-old young man.

His boy form is a deliberate disguise, chosen for practical reasons rather than necessity.

According to Nobimaru himself, “being cute” tends to make things go more smoothly.

That small, charming exterior makes him especially dangerous, because it hides a capable and calculating operative.

Although Nobimaru obeys Yoko Inari, he does not appear to serve her from genuine loyalty.

He faithfully carries out her orders, but whenever her commands leave room for interpretation, he acts according to his own judgment.

He repeatedly appears before Kabane Kusaka and the others, offering advice or even fighting alongside them.

His actions are often mysterious, making it hard to tell whether he is an enemy, an ally, or something in between.

Nobimaru is courteous, calm, and outwardly friendly.

He has a playful charm that makes him seem approachable, but his true thoughts are rarely visible.

At the same time, he is not simply cruel.

He shows a willingness to protect certain people from Yoko Inari’s control, even if his methods can be harsh or manipulative.

Nobimaru serves under Yoko Inari, but his behavior suggests that he dislikes her deep down.

He does not openly rebel against her, yet he quietly works around her orders when possible.

He helps members of the Special Investigation Division escape from her control.

He also proposes behind-the-scenes schemes to protect subordinates such as Hinata and Robara from Yoko Inari.

Nobimaru also takes steps to free Kon from Yoko Inari.

His approach is not gentle, and some of his plans can seem ruthless.

Even so, his actions suggest that he is not merely a heartless follower.

He is someone who understands the cruelty of Yoko Inari’s control and chooses his own way to resist it.

Nobimaru is highly capable and trusted with important missions.

His skill is strong enough for him to operate as the leader of the Metropolitan Police Special Investigation Division.

During one mission, he injures his right arm.

Afterward, he obtains and replaces it with a certain new arm.

Robara, who attached the arm, describes it as extremely dangerous, saying that just touching it made the skin of his hands peel away.

Nobimaru has subordinates in the Special Investigation Division, including people he personally recruited.

One of them, Umetaro, admires him as a man he wants to be praised by.

This small detail shows that Nobimaru is not only feared or suspected.

To some of those under him, he is also a figure worthy of loyalty and respect.

In volume 19 of Kemono Jihen, it is revealed that Nobimaru is actually the biological son of Yoko Inari.

In flashback scenes, his hair is shown as the same color as Yoko Inari’s.

The reason his hair color is different in the present has not yet been explained.