Tsuruko Aoyama

About Tsuruko

Tsuruko is Motoko Aoyama's older sister. She was in line to take over the family's God's Cry School in Kyoto, but left to get married. When Motoko was younger, she walked in on her sister and fiancee in a romantic situation. This scarred Motoko and caused her to leave home and stay at the Hinata House Girl's Dorm. This was also the root of Motoko's irrational hatred of turtles and men.

Tsuruko at first appears to be a very harsh character. She comes to Hinata House to tell her sister that it's time for her to come home and take over the God's Cry School. Motoko doesn't want to, and makes up a story about being engaged to Keitaro Urashima. When Tsuruko finds out the truth, she easily defeats her sister. She tells Motoko that she is pathetic and forces her to lived as a normal high school student, to Motoko's misery. We catch a glimpse of Tsuruko's motives later, when she secretly tells Keitaro that she wants him to help Motoko defeat her in order for Motoko to be whole again.(Of course, she told Keitaro that if they failed, she WOULD force them to marry). Though it took several attempts, Motoko was finally able to defeat her sister and become a stronger person.

Tsuruko would later return when Motoko lied to her family about being accepted into Tokyo University. Tsuruko comes to congratulate her, but when the truth comes out that Motoko failed and has been spending her spare time writing tawdry romance stories, Tsuruko angrily attacks her and calls her pathetic. Motoko decides that her sister is right, and decides to leave Hinata House and become a nun. Keitaro follows her, and gives her the confidence she needs to defeat her sister once and for all. Tsuruko's "molding" of Motoko continues to make Motoko a stronger person, and causes her to recognize her feelings for Keitaro. With her work finished, Tsuruko returns home and leaves her pet phoenix Shippu to Motoko as a gift.

Epilogue

Tsuruko appears as a guest at the wedding party. She attacks Haitani for hitting on her.