Sayo Aisaka

Sayo Aisaka is a fictional character from the manga series Negima!: Magister Negi Magi, created by Ken Akamatsu. The 1st student in Japanese alphabetical order of class 2/3-A, she is the hapless and meek ghost of a former student, occasionally accompanied by a pair of hitodama. More often frightened than frightening, she is invisible to virtually everyone, and her presence goes mostly unnoticed, though Takamichi T. Takahata had her included in Negi's class registry, with a note not to change her seat. Eventually, she does get noticed by her teacher Negi Springfield and most of her classmates and becomes a friend and ally in his quest. Among the many strange and weird characters Akamatsu had planned for Negima, he knew from the beginning that one of Negi's students was going to be a ghost. However, integrating this ghost girl into the story was a matter more difficult than he realized. Akamatsu's original intention was to use Sayo Aisaka (which she was called from the beginning) in an old-fashion ghost story, filled with the creepy and bizarre. However, every time he tried to write the story, he got nervous and backed away. When he finally did get around to introducing Sayo, he instead used her more natural personality in a story that parodied the ghost stories, depicting her as trying (and failing) to haunt her homeroom before finding acceptance with several of the students. After her introduction, he intended (and succeeded) to keep Sayo as Kazumi's constant companion. He has also hinted that he would reveal Sayo prior to her death, but at this time Akamatsu has yet to depict this as part of his plot. Her appearance, with white hair and red eyes, gives her the impression of an albino, which looks appropriately creepy for a ghost. Similarly, Sayo was designed in wearing an old-fashion "sailor-fuku" style school uniform as contrast to the other students in the school who all wear preppier uniform clothing and to show that she lived and died in another era. She is also depicted to have no feet (being a ghost). In both anime series, however, she is depicted to have feet (although an eyecatch of her in the Spring OVA shows her without feet). As a further comparison, however, Sayo is depicted as a walking ghost in the first anime, while she is sometimes seen in Negima!? floating in midair. In fact, in the first series, she falls to the ground while trying to catch a butterfly flying high. It should also be noted that Sayo, being a ghost, has been wearing the same uniform regardless of the change of seasons. In case of the manga, she is constantly seen in her black winter uniform with white collar and red ribbon. In the first anime series, as to be noted below, she is wearing a white summer uniform with blue-collared white blouse, blue skirt, and green ribbon. In the live-action adaptation Negima!!, she wears a dark blue uniform with white ribbon. Interestingly in the second anime series Negima!?, she wears either an all-blue winter uniform with red ribbon or a blue-and-white summer uniform with red ribbon depending on what type of seasonal uniform the other students wear. Furthermore, since Sayo is depicted in pale colors in Negima!?, the shade of blue might even be darker. According to Akamatsu, Sayo pretty much resembles Konoka, except with white hair and slightly different body measurments. According to the character notes at the end of Volume 9, Sayo's past was supposed to take a darker turn as it is stated that Sayo was one of the victims of a series of murders taking place around the founding of the school. However, having been dead for so long she has lost her recollection of the events surrounding her murder. As Sayo has no interest in recalling the events regarding her death, it is presently unknown whether this device is still in use, or if she died by another means. In the anime, her backstory was given that in the past while she's still alive, she lived with her little sister.It is implied that her mother died during World War II. Her little sister heard that if the clock tower's garden in Mahora was filled with tsuwabuki flowers their mother will come back. During one night when the flowers grew into sapling, a storm come and Sayo, wanted to protect her sister's flowers, went out in rain to shield them from wind and storm. It's speculated that she succumbed to pneumonia and died. It is unknown what happened to her sister. She has low self-esteem and is not skilled at being a ghost, tripping despite the fact that she doesn't have feet and being completely unable to (intentionally) scare people. Sayo has been friendless and lonely for around 60 years since her death, which made her very desperate for a friend. Her attempts of making friends has led to misunderstandings, which are discussed at the following section. After her discovery, she does gain friendship and understanding from her teacher and her classmates. Her originally morose personality has become happier and more outgoing. Sayo is kind and tries to see the world on the bright side. She really loves her family, especially her sister. She is very sensitive to Tsuwabuki which connects to her former human life.