Yuuko Ichihara

Being one extremely experienced in her industry, Yuuko is not foolish enough to give away her real name like Watanuki. That aside, Yuuko has served as a major catalyst for Watanuki's transformation, acting somewhat as his mentor. She loves to drink and eat Watanuki's wonderful cooking and dragging Watanuki on crazy outings at the drop of a hat. Despite this immature and free-spirited attitude, Yuuko has been known to be sage-like and serious when the time calls for it. Yuuko seems to know the true hitsuzen that Watanuki will follow, and has often offered cryptic messages to warn him of impending danger or a folk tale that he should take a bit more seriously. She also seems to truly care about him, making sure he is safe at night, sending the Kudakitsune (pipe-fox) with him for extra protection, or calling Doumeki when he needs saving. Yuuko is very powerful when it comes to magic and knowledge and is highly respected within the spirit realm. However, she doesn't often appear to get directly involved in things beyond whatever contact she has with those making wishes. Sometimes, she sends Watanuki to do jobs for her, such as when she granted a wish from Himawari. Yuuko seems to take the role of someone playing chess when it comes to the big picture of things that are going on. In _Horitsuba Gakuen_, she is a ruthless principal, who always climbs into rooms through the window.