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Character Role Analysis

Goemon/Manjiro

If Manjiro is open, inquisitive, and courageous, we know this all the more so because Goemon totally isn't these things. Goemon's more conservative; he doesn't think questions are good because they can lead to "trouble" (2.3.75). He's also practical and unimaginative, whereas Manjiro appears super-romantic next to Goemon. Goemon, for example, sees a sunset when the sun sets, but Manjiro, by contrast, sees something "'like the light from another world, spilling through a slightly open door'" (2.11.50). Two totally different perspectives on the same thing.

Terry/Manjiro

Terry's basically the opposite of Manjiro. Manjiro is the type of guy who can patiently sit on a rock and watch a snail crawl by; Terry's not. Terry's all action and movement (to the point that the photographer for Terry's daguerreotype tells him to be still and shut up). What's the point of this? Terry showcases Manjiro's thoughtfulness and intellect. At the same time, Terry gives Manjiro drive and energy, something Manjiro lacks a little after he learns of his baby brother's death.