Takuboku Ishikawa

Based on the highly regarded real-life Japanese poet of the same name, this character is reimagined with a starkly contrasting and heavily flawed persona. He leads a degenerate private life, often finding himself completely broke while indulging in brothels, and frequently displays a cowardly and opportunistic attitude. Despite his personal shortcomings, he possesses exceptional information-gathering skills and a razor-sharp intuition as a reporter. During a series of gruesome murders targeting prostitutes in Sapporo, he brilliantly compared the killer's methods to those of London's "Jack the Ripper." By accurately deducing the culprit's pattern and next target location, he provided invaluable clues that drastically aided Hijikata's group and the main cast.