Tsukuyomi Komoe

Tsukuyomi Komoe (月詠 小萌) is a character first introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. She is the homeroom teacher of Year 1 Class 7 of a certain high school.

Although looking like a twelve-year-old child, she is one of the oldest adults known in the series. Beyond both her childish appearance and her demeanor lies a very competent teacher who cares for her students, and one of the few characters who knows Touma well enough before his memory loss.

Etymology
Tsukuyomi Komoe's surname reading is derived from the Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, an ancient moon god of Shinto in Japanese mythology. Her given name however, is an aptronym as the character (小) means small and the character (萌) means moe.

Appearance
With a height of only 135 centimeters, pink hair and eyes, as well as her apparent fondness to wearing cute and childish outfits (though this maybe due to the fact that there isn't any clothes for her size), most people see Komoe as a 12 year old child. This isn't helped by the fact that Komoe often acts childishly.

In volume 9, it is said by Yomikawa Aiho that Komoe, being a teacher even older than herself, looks scarily fitting in cheerleading clothes, and in the author notes at the end of volume 5, it states that Komoe is currently the oldest female character in the novels.

It is later assumed by Accelerator, upon meeting her, that Komoe was part of an experiment of finding a way to stop cellular aging, and notes that Komoe may be a testament to the success of the experiment. However, because of her mysterious appearance despite being an actual adult, Komoe is referred to as one of the seven wonders of Academy City. This has become an urban legend in Academy City, something that even she is quite aware of; that her appearance is because she is a product of an experiment in the Imaginary Number District.

Personality
Despite her childish appearance, childish voice and often childish mannerisms, it is evident that she is an adult by the fact that her apartment is littered with beer cans, cigarettes and neuropsychology books. She is also allowed to drive, despite her short stature. Komoe is such a heavy smoker that Yomikawa Aiho (also a heavy smoker), a friend and colleague of hers, states that Komoe smokes five times as she does.

She contradicts her age sometimes by acting in a childish manner towards her students and having a child-like crush on Touma.

According to Stiyl, Komoe's personality is much akin to that of Index: "A petite figure, extremely naïve, one who gets angry for others sake, one who cries for others sake, one who has magical knowledge, but is unable to use magic. That tearful look when she was dyed in other people’s blood was exactly the same". Despite being a heavy smoker herself, Komoe scolds Stiyl for smoking, apparently knowing full well he is underaged.

She is a highly competent teacher, being a teacher of chemistry, an expert in pyrokinesis, as well as being knowledgeable in the area of the Power Curriculum Program, Personal Reality and Esper development. However, Komoe knows when to not pry on the affairs of other especially regarding her students if they choose not to talk it out with her even if it is her responsibility as a teacher and an adult. She is somehow fond of taking in students with no place to go to, such as Himegami Aisa until she moves into a dormitory later in the series, and then Musujime Awaki. In fact, it has been stated that she actually goes out of her way to go to places where run away girls go to and allow them to live in her place a freeloader. Even in the first arc, Komoe allows Index and Touma to stay in her home without hassle.

Komoe is passionate about teaching but has a weakness, that weakness being the fact that she’ll feel extremely dejected whenever she feels she has lost an opportunity to teach others, such as in volume 1 where she is told Kamijou is ignoring her lesson. She also "threatens" her students to learn occasionally, as she has a punishment game for class where they must play and win ten rounds of Poker in a row while being blindfolded. This is shown in Volume 9 when she wanted to teach Index how to use chopsticks.

Background
Very little is known about Komoe, what is known about her is that she properly graduated from a university and then turned up in Academy City. Accelerator upon meeting Komoe concludes that she may be the result on the research to slow down cell aging, apparently 250 year method. While Last Order hypothesizes that Komoe may have been captured the rumors regarding research to slow down cell aging. It is unknown whether or not their hypotheses has any basis.

Komoe is also knows Touma very well and states in her own words that he was naughty boy when he enrolled, and "a lot of things have happened". She also states later on that she likes him, though she tries to take it back and states that she likes teaching him.

Index Arc

 * Main article:Index Arc

Komoe plays an important part during the arc, as being the only person that Touma knows personally that isn't an esper. Touma brings an injured Index to her. Here, despite her doubts and fears, John's Pen Mode Index instructs Komoe exactly on how to perform a magic healing ritual, though she fumbles a bit she is able to properly perform the ritual with Index as the spellcaster and heal her.

Komoe later allows Touma and Index to take refuge in to her home, allowing Touma to keep the true trouble they are in, as she does not want to pry into their lives. Komoe later finds an injured Touma on the street after his beating by Kanzaki Kaori and takes him back to her home.

For the rest of the arc, Komoe stays in a certain bathhouse and gives Touma knowledge which eventually helps him free Index from the misery of losing memories every year, at the cost of his own. Komoe's roof is obliterated after the arc.

Sisters Arc

 * Main article:Sisters Arc

For most of the arc, Komoe delivers various information regarding the Power Curriculum Program while Touma confronts Mikoto and eventually Accelerator.

Here, she explains to Himegami Aisa (who has moved in with her) and Index on how espers gain their powers through the program by attaining their own Personal Reality, as well as the goal of understanding the will of the heaven's -- SYSTEM. She also explains on how Level 0s like Touma are anomalies in the program, as is one of the reasons why the program is continually being improved. She also states on how Touma was a naughty boy in the past, in an embarrassed manner, much to Index and Aisa' chagrin.

Angel Fall Arc

 * Main article:Angel Fall Arc

Komoe is seen briefly during this arc, telling Touma to leave Academy City temporarily after his defeating of Accelerator, while the higher-ups clean up the rumors in order for Touma to not become the target of delinquent attacks wanting to beat Touma for defeating Accelerator.

Komoe's form is later borrowed by a reporter due to the effects of Angel Fall.

Kazakiri Hyouka Arc

 * Main article:Kazakiri Hyouka Arc

Komoe once again aids Touma during one of his escapades. Here, Komoe tells Touma of the true nature of Kazakiri Hyouka being an amalgam of AIM dispersion fields of espers, and giving him the resolve to conclude that it does not matter whether or not she is human, so long as they are friends.

Komoe with Aisa later scold Touma for being another dangerous incident in a certain hospital.

Daihasei Festival Arc

 * Main article:Daihasei Festival Arc

Komoe first appears during the Daihaseisai as a cheerleader for her class, and is later taunted for having students that poorly perform, which causes her to feel bad. Because of this however, Touma and a certain class do their best to defeat their opponents, much to Komoe's surprise.

Komoe later takes a wandering Index who wants to support Touma during the festival and had her wear a cheerleader uniform similar to hers. Touma later accidentally walks into Index changing, which forces her to bite him, however, she misses and gives Touma an accidental kiss. Komoe however, witnesses all this and is shocked. Touma is later taken away by Fukiyose Seiri. Komoe continues to console Index after the incident.

She later comes upon Stiyl Magnus trying to smoke and scolds him for it, making Aisa concerned who calls Touma's attention. She is later stopped by Aisa when Stiyl escapes for his mission. Because of this, Komoe later spends time with Aisa, to which a concerned Aisa ask about Touma. Here, Komoe later suggests to Aisa to take Touma to the Night Parade. Later however, Komoe and Aisa accidentally bumps into Oriana Thomson, who mistakes Aisa for being a member of Necessarius as she wore a Walking Church. Oriana attacks her, causing Aisa to be heavily injured, forcing a completely distraught Komoe to apply first aid on her. When Touma and Stiyl arrive at the scene, she has already prepared to try to recreate Index's magic healing ritual, instead of moving on Stiyl helps Komoe to do the ritual properly despite his inexperienced with the spell, and tells Touma to go on without. A trusting Touma leaves Aisa's life at his hands.

Stiyl and Komoe were later successful in healing Aisa whom they send to a certain hospital, much to Komoe's relief as she continually tries to give thanks to Stiyl, irritating him as he tries to escape her.

Finally, Komoe reports to Touma's parents regarding his absences in the events, and apologizes for her inadequacy. However, Touma's parents tell her that it is alright as they believe Touma is doing something more important than the events, and believes in his decision completely.

Academy City Invasion Arc

 * Main article:Academy City Invasion Arc

Komoe appears during a ruckus in Year 1 Class 7, and later accompanies Yomikawa Aiho to meet Accelerator and Last Order, where Aiho regards Accelerator as a prospective student for a certain higschool. During their meeting both Accelerator and Last Order give hypotheses regarding Komoe's current form, which frustrates her as she believes they're not taking her seriously.

During the final moments of the invasion of Vento of the Front, Komoe is the first one Touma tries to contact for help regarding Kazakiri Hyouka who has now transformed into an artificial angel. However, there is no answer as Komoe herself has been affected by Divine Punishment, making her lose consciousness.

Skill-Out Uprising

 * Main article:Skill-Out Uprising

In the aftermath of the invasion, Komoe mentions to Aiho on how she has taken in a certain Musujime Awaki into her home. Later she and her entire class along with Index, go to restaurant to enjoy a hotpot. Here, Komoe shows her concern for parents opting to take their children away from the city since an apparent war between the Roman Catholic Church and Academy City is boiling.

Level Upper Arc

 * Main article:Level Upper Arc

In the final episode regarding the arc for the anime adaptation, Komoe teaches an entire classroom full of Level Upper users regarding Personal Reality. Here, she encourages them to gain their own personal reality in order for them to truly gain the powers that the Level Upper has showed them.

Poltergeist Arc

 * Main article:Poltergeist Arc

She appears in an episode focusing on Tessou Tsuzuri, where she, Tsuzuri and Aiho enjoy baths and eat outs together. Here, Komoe references the destruction of roof of her room by a certain student, but states on how she loves students like him as well.

New Testament
Komoe appears again in volume 2 confronting Touma with many other girls, scolding him for being absent for so long. Next, she is seen with Aisa talking about how Touma's long absent's will affect his school record.

Abilities
Komoe is apparently a normal human and not an esper, which allowed her to cast magic. Komoe has magical knowledge which allows her to perform the magic healing ritual that Index taught her during the arc, it is the only spell she knows. However, despite her knowledge she needs assistance of an actual magician for her to perform the spell.

Apart from that, Komoe is knowledgeable in esper related things, and is a major in Pyrokinesis. Komoe can apparently control her internal clock, which is so perfect that she doesn't see the need of having any digital nor mechanical watch.

Toaru Majutsu no Index-tan
Komoe appears in the episode of Toaru Majutsu no Index-tan, here in the first skit she appears is a parody of her the magic healing ritual she performs with Index. Similar to Index's instructions, Index-tan instructs Komoe to summon an image of angel during the ritual, she succeeds only to summon images of poorly drawn angels, as if drawn by a child. In another sketch during Index's visit of Komoe's home during Touma's in the Sisters Arc. Komoe continually tells Aisa on how the ingredients are now cooked, which forces Aisa to respond, while eating the meat for herself, much to Aisa's dismay since she wants meat herself.

In the second episode Aogami Pierce relates to a disbelieving Touma regarding a car that drives itself. Here, Komoe's car appears apparently driving itself while Komoe does spooky sounds.

Near the end of the third episode, Komoe is given a label above her head during the Daihasei festival (after a certain higschool), on how she is apparently was not mentioned at all during the special.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun MMR Specials
In the first episode, in a scene somewhat similar to her second skit of the first Index-tan episode, Komoe, Aiho and Tsuzuri enjoys a night together in Komoe's home, here, Aiho comments on how Tsuzuri cannot have meat since she gets into trouble, later the conversation later involves Aiho's apparent fondness for the word jan, a verbal tic of hers, which later uses to cite examples of subjects that has the sound of jan in them, while Komoe for some reason is being noisy.

Dengeki Gakuen RPG: Cross of Venus
Komoe is part of the characters from the Index universe that acts in the game as part of the support cast.

Design evolution
Komoe had the least revisions in her design. Her preliminary draft stuck through for the first volume, and her short stature allowed her to easily fit in with the light novel format illustrations.

Trivia

 * She hates people mentioning the word "small" to her, yet likes people to call her "cute".
 * She is aware of Kamijou's Imagine Breaker, even disclosing that fact to Yomikawa Aiho.
 * She mentions that Touma may emit some sort of AIM dispersal field that causes girl always appear near him, and complains that when it comes to girls, his movement and thinking ability will improve many times over.
 * It has been mentioned that because of "her soul as an educator" she used to take in girls who had run away from home and giving them a place to stay until they found what they wanted to do, it's unknown if she still has this habit after harboring first Himegami and then Musujime; as the two of them couldn't return to their homes for various reasons; thus "left no room for further vacancy".

Quotes

 * (During Volume 1) “I know I shouldn’t ask in this situation, but do you dislike girls who smoke?” -to Touma, as he's seeing the mess in her room.
 * (During Volume 3) “Well, Kamijou has been quite naughty ever since he came to the school. A lot has happened. Yes, a lot. Hee hee. Hee hee hee hee”
 * (During Volume 6) “Why is it that when it comes to girls, Kamijou’s movements and thinking ability improves by multi-fold times? Sensei hopes that you can use that on your studies!”