Makoto was raised by her grandfather as a boy because she possessed male genitalia. However, with the onset of puberty, Makoto also started to develop breasts and so learned that she is a fertile and fully functional hermaphrodite. At the start of the manga, Makoto looks, when fully clothed, like a tall, beautiful girl, and she has adopted female mannerisms—although she continues to use boku for "I", which is usually used only by boys and young men. Makoto is unusually strong and athletic, but somewhat naive because of her sheltered upbringing. She is caught unaware when she first develops physical attraction to other people, and her attempts to deal with her sexuality is played for both humor and drama.