Renowned as a skilled spirit medium, she is also known by the alias Santa Dodoria (ドドリア三太, Dodoria Santa). As the grandmother of Momo Ayase, Seiko plays a vital role in supporting Momo and her friends as they navigate encounters with spirits, aliens, and other supernatural phenomena. Her experience and knowledge of the paranormal often serve as a guiding force, helping the group overcome various challenges throughout their adventures.

Appearance

In Anime and Original Manga

Despite being a grandmother, Seiko maintains the appearance of a slender woman in her prime. Her defining features include long, snow-white hair that she typically styles into a large top knot and red rectangular glasses. Seiko is also a habitual chain smoker, often seen with a cigarette in hand.

Beyond her youthful looks, Seiko is widely regarded for her beauty, which she confidently describes as captivating or even bewitching. Her striking appearance often leads others to mistake her for Momo’s mother, leaving them surprised when they discover her true relationship as Momo’s grandmother. In terms of stature, Seiko is relatively short, standing no taller than her granddaughter.

When out in public, Seiko typically wears a yellow open-front cardigan with large buttons that reveal her cross-strap top, along with a blue baseball jacket featuring white sleeves and a symbol on the back. She accessorizes her look with hoop earrings and sandals. At home, her attire is more relaxed, consisting of a white tank top, shorts, and a beige haramaki (a traditional Japanese abdominal wrap). She also wears light grey arm warmers paired with matching thigh-high stirrups, combining comfort and practicality.

When assuming the identity of Santa Dodoria, Seiko conceals her appearance by wearing a mask, gloves with sharp, claw-like fingertips, and a cloak that drapes over her entire body, leaving only her distinctive large top knot visible. This disguise enhances her mysterious and imposing presence, aligning with her role as a spirit medium.

In the past, when Momo was a young girl, Seiko dressed in the traditional attire of a shrine maiden, reflecting her spiritual role. During this time, she styled her hair in a simple ponytail, contrasting with the large top knot she wears in the present.

In Age-Restricted Manga

Gallery

In Anime and Original Manga

In Age-Restricted Manga

Seiko Ayase has not yet appeared in the Age-Restricted Manga. So far, the published chapters only feature Momo Ayase, Aira Shiratori, and Okarun. She might be introduced in Episode 2 or later.

If you’re curious, you can check out a spoiler by clicking one of the images in the gallery above. Or, if you’d rather read the full series, just click the button below

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Personality

Seiko has a phlegmatic personality, characterized by her calm demeanor and blunt, often uncouth manner of speech. Despite her rough exterior, she is deeply selfless and empathetic, always willing to help others if it is within her power. One of the most notable examples of her compassion is her readiness to offer shelter to those in need, reflecting her belief in the principle of “being in it together.” This mindset was evident when she refused to accept Okarun’s generous offer of compensation for looking after him during his curse from the Turbo Granny. Instead, she told him that the best way to repay her was to help others in need, reinforcing her philosophy of paying kindness forward.

When interacting with children, Seiko believes that adults should shoulder their burdens so that they can live freely and pursue their desires. Her empathetic nature was particularly evident in her relationship with Jiji, as she felt genuine sadness that she could not fulfill his wish to help him control the Evil Eye, which would have spared the yokai from being exorcised.

Although she is always willing to support others, Seiko is too proud to ask for help with her own problems. This stubborn independence was evident when she initially refused Okarun and Mr. Mantis Shrimp’s offer to help rebuild her home after it was destroyed during the Evil Eye’s stay. Her reluctance to burden others reflects her strong sense of self-reliance, even when faced with overwhelming challenges.

Although Seiko claims that she is not easily swayed by emotions, she subconsciously favors people who compliment her, especially when it comes to her youthful appearance, which she takes great pride in. This vanity occasionally influences her interactions, revealing a more lighthearted and relatable aspect of her character.

As a spirit medium, Seiko adheres to the principle of maintaining harmony between the living and the dead. She believes that the deceased should be treated with respect, but if they choose to harm the living, she is willing to use force to subdue them and guide their spirits to the afterlife. This balance between compassion and firmness reflects her commitment to upholding the natural order while protecting those in the mortal realm.

Despite her enthusiasm for feeding others, Seiko has little patience for picky eaters, as their selective eating habits conflict with her belief that food should be enjoyed without hesitation.

While Seiko firmly believes in the existence of spirits, she remains skeptical about UFOs and aliens. Even when Momo introduced Mr. Mantis Shrimp as proof of extraterrestrial life, Seiko dismissed him as a mere kappa, a creature from Japanese folklore. She also showed little interest in the alien’s spacecraft, even after it abducted a cow, maintaining her disbelief despite the evidence.

In her personal life, Seiko finds solace and enjoyment in watching television shows, which serve as her primary source of joy and laughter. This pastime provides her with a rare sense of relaxation and amusement, contrasting with the serious and often dangerous nature of her work as a spirit medium.

Background

Seiko took in her granddaughter, Momo, when she was a young child and sought to pass on aspects of her spiritual practices as a spirit medium. As part of this guidance, Seiko instructed Momo to perform a daily spell routine designed to help her unlock and release her ki. However, following these instructions in public led to Momo being bullied by other children, which caused her to resent Seiko, blaming her for the mistreatment. In her frustration, Momo accused Seiko of being a fraudulent spirit medium—a claim that deeply hurt her grandmother.

Despite this period of tension, their relationship eventually began to mend after Momo apologized, allowing the bond between them to grow stronger as they moved past their misunderstandings.

Abilities and Powers

Overall Abilities

Seiko serves as a crucial source of support for Momo, Okarun, and their friends and allies, especially when they encounter powerful forces that exceed their collective abilities to confront. Her extensive knowledge and experience in dealing with supernatural phenomena make her indispensable in both spirit-related encounters and other extraordinary situations, ensuring that the group can rely on her guidance and strength when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Natural Abilities

Physical Prowess

Enhanced Human Condition: Seiko has demonstrated physical abilities that surpass those of an average human. During her confrontation with the Evil Eye, she displayed immense strength by channeling enough force into her bat to knock the yokai down and create a crater in the ground with a single swing. Her combat skills are further complemented by her impressive speed and quick reflexes, as she was able to evade the Evil Eye’s close-range attacks with agility and precision, showcasing her ability to react swiftly even in intense combat situations.

Mental Prowess

During her confrontation with Turbo Granny, who had possessed Okarun, Seiko anticipated the yokai’s attempt to strike from her blind spot. In preparation, she had preemptively erected a mystic barrier to shield herself from the attack. Moreover, she displayed tactical foresight by setting up a secondary barrier within a confined space, effectively trapping Turbo Granny. This strategic setup allowed Seiko to strike Turbo Granny repeatedly with her bat from multiple angles, taking advantage of the yokai’s restricted movements. Each blow not only inflicted direct damage but also knocked Turbo Granny out of the barrier, causing additional harm as the yokai ignited upon contact with the barrier’s energy. This combination of strategic planning and combat effectiveness highlights Seiko’s intelligence and resourcefulness in battle.

Skill Set

Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Seiko possesses remarkable skill in unarmed combat, showcasing advanced martial arts techniques that enable her to effectively counter multiple opponents simultaneously. Her proficiency was demonstrated during her confrontation with a group of kung fu-trained jiangshi, where she single-handedly defeated them through precise strikes and agile movements, highlighting both her combat expertise and physical prowess.

Armed Combat Mastery: Seiko primarily relies on her bat, Nessie, as her weapon of choice, using it to subdue her opponents with overwhelming force. She is proficient in wielding the bat with both one-handed and two-handed grips, with the latter allowing her to deliver strikes powerful enough to send her enemies crashing into the ground with enough force to create craters upon impact.

In addition to her bat, Seiko employs talismans and charm nails when confronting spirits. These tools are essential in her exorcism techniques, enabling her to create mystic barriers that both restrain and weaken supernatural entities, allowing her to neutralize them effectively. Her combined use of physical combat and spiritual tools reflects her versatile approach to dealing with both physical and paranormal threats.

In situations where Seiko does not have her bat or charms readily available, she demonstrates remarkable adaptability by using her surroundings to her advantage. She can quickly improvise weapons from nearby objects, such as wielding a piece of wood as a blunt instrument to substitute for Nessie. This resourcefulness allows her to remain effective in combat, even when deprived of her usual tools, showcasing both her quick thinking and combat proficiency.

Cooking: Seiko is a talented cook, capable of preparing a wide variety of dishes for the Family. Her culinary skills are evident in the meals she occasionally prepares, showcasing her ability to create flavorful and satisfying dishes that are enjoyed by those around her.

Supernatural Abilities

Spiritual Awareness

Seiko possesses the ability to perceive spirits with clarity, including earthbound spirits and yokai. Her heightened spiritual awareness allows her to detect and interact with entities that are invisible to ordinary individuals, making this skill essential to her role as a spirit medium.

Divination

Seiko has shown the ability to gather information about individuals through the use of a crystal ball. This skill was demonstrated when she successfully uncovered Shoma’s secrets with remarkable accuracy, highlighting her proficiency in divination and her deep connection to spiritual energy.

Power Borrowing

Seiko possesses the ability to draw power from the gods that reside within specific regions, allowing her to enhance her spiritual abilities when needed. Her primary source of divine energy is Kamigoe City, where she lives, granting her a unique connection to the local deities that she can tap into during spiritual encounters and battles.

Mystic Barrier

Strengths and Weaknesses

The primary strength of Seiko’s mystic barrier lies in its ability to repel and eliminate malevolent spirits by igniting flames that incinerate them until they are reduced to ash. The barrier’s effectiveness becomes significantly more lethal when multiple charm nails are placed on the ground, amplifying its power and increasing the intensity of its spiritual flames. This enhanced configuration allows Seiko to neutralize stronger entities and maintain control over larger areas during confrontations.

Seiko’s ability to create mystic barriers is dependent on the presence of the god from whom she borrows power. As a result, her exorcism abilities are limited to the geographic region where the god resides. In exchange for the privilege of using divine energy, Seiko is required to fulfill specific conditions set by the god, such as visiting temples for three consecutive days to express her gratitude. This particular condition was established after she borrowed power from the god of Hokkaido.

However, it remains unclear whether the conditions vary depending on the god, whether Seiko or the god determines the terms, or if temple visits are a standard requirement associated with her power-borrowing ability. This ambiguity leaves room for the possibility that different gods may impose unique obligations in exchange for their assistance.

Usage

Seiko employs her mystic barriers to protect her home from malevolent spirits by strategically placing talismans both inside her house and on the torii gate. For personal protection, she creates a defensive barrier by drawing a large circle on the ground using the retractable pencil tip of her bat, Nessie, and placing a charm nail within the circle to activate its protective properties.

This technique can also be used offensively to trap evil spirits. By encircling the spirit with a drawn circle and positioning a charm nail outside the perimeter, the circle’s boundary acts as a mystical barrier. If the spirit attempts to cross the boundary, the barrier’s ignition effect is triggered, engulfing the spirit in flames. This setup leaves the spirit vulnerable to Seiko’s attacks, allowing her to strike from various angles with her bat, with each blow both inflicting physical damage and knocking the spirit back into the barrier’s flames. To finish off the spirit, Seiko drives a charm nail within the circle, delivering the final blow to complete the exorcism.

Seiko can also utilize her mystic barriers offensively, demonstrating their versatility in combat. This was evident when she intervened to prevent Turbo Granny from harming Momo. By drawing a small circle on a brick and embedding a charm nail within it, Seiko transformed the brick into a projectile weapon. Upon making contact with its target, the circle activated the barrier’s ignition effect, engulfing the area in flames and effectively halting Turbo Granny’s attack. This technique showcases Seiko’s creativity and quick thinking, allowing her to weaponize everyday objects using her spiritual abilities.

Power of Words (言霊 Kotodama)

Seiko possesses the ability to harness the Power of Words, a phenomenon that allows her to alter reality through spoken words imbued with genuine conviction. By uttering phrases with unwavering belief and intent, she can influence the world around her, making this ability a valuable tool in both combat and spiritual practices.

Usage

Seiko has demonstrated the use of the Power of Words to enhance her physical strength during combat. By channeling this ability, she can significantly increase the force behind her batting swings, allowing her to knock her targets back over considerable distances. Additionally, she applied this power to boost her strength when assisting Rin, enabling her to pull Rin up to the top of the dashi float with ease, showcasing both the practical and combative applications of this ability.

Techniques

Nessie (ネッシー Nesshī)

Seiko originally developed this technique during a training session with Momo when her granddaughter was a child. To demonstrate the Power of Words, she struck a sandbag with her bat while calling out “Nessie”, sending the sandbag flying through the air. The name “Nessie” was inspired by Momo’s belief that the Loch Ness Monster was the strongest creature in the world, which Seiko adopted as a mantra to channel strength through her words.

Equipment

Nessie (ネッシー Nesshī)

Talisman

Usage

Seiko has strategically placed talismans throughout her home to serve as a protective defense against invading evil spirits. These talismans create a spiritual barrier that prevents malevolent entities from entering, ensuring the safety of both herself and those within her household.

Charm Nails

Crystal Ball

Spirit Medium Robes

Harisen

Etymology

• The name Seiko (星子) is composed of the kanji “sei” (星), meaning “star,” and “ko” (子), meaning “child,” giving the name the meaning of “star child.”
• Her surname, Ayase (綾瀬), is formed from the kanji “aya” (綾), meaning “design” or “pattern,” and “se” (瀬), which refers to a “swift current” or “rapids,” reflecting a sense of fluidity and movement.

Trivia

• Throughout the series, Seiko frequently prepares or purchases food for Momo, her friends, and allies, often marking the conclusion or beginning of each story arc. These meals serve as a celebration of their victories over paranormal challenges, reinforcing the bond between them and providing moments of warmth and camaraderie.
• Additionally, Seiko’s sleep mask is identical to the one used by Sougo Okita from the manga series Gintama, subtly referencing the character through this shared accessory.