Beethoven, Ludwig van

Also known as ルートヴィヒ ヴァン ベートーヴェン (Rūtovihi van bētōven)

Hello, My Name (in English) is…

Ludwig, but his friends call him Louie – it’s French!

Distinguishing Features

Short in stature and with a unruly black mop of hair, this is the composer Ludwig van Beethoven like you’ve never seen him before.

Status: Primary Star (★★★)

Despite being small of stature, Ludwig is a brash young man with a huge musical talent.  Pushed to be the best by a father hoping to free his son from the shackles of the aristocratic musical patronage system, Ludwig has a relentless drive to push the musical boundaries.  This leads him to seek out the tutaledge of the brightest stars in music of the day, but his quest for perfection leaves him ultimately disappointed by the mere-mortalness of his teachers.  Constrained by society, bound by familial duty, and frustrated in both professionally and in love, Ludwig still finds solace in his music – letting the masterpieces he creates wash over him like waves.

Notable Roles

As Ludwig B (1988) was one of Tezuka’s last works, and left unfinished by his untimely death, Ludwig van Beethoven made no appearances outside of his titular role.  That being said, he does share a kind of stylistic kinship with Inspector Unmei of The Three-Eyed One (1976-78) fame.