Draft:Itami (character)

Itami (Japanese : 痛み; rgh. 'Pain'; stylized as IT4MI) is a fictional character created by American singer–songwriter D4vd. The character is part of D4vd's fictional universe, which he refers to as the "D4vdverse".^[1]

D4vd created the fictional alter ego named Itami (傷み), a Japanese word meaning "pain". Originating from a manga concept from D4vd^{[2] [3]} where D4vd plays a detective who investigates murders committed by his own hidden alter ego without realizing he is responsible,^[1] he introduced the character publicly in February 2023 on X, describing him as a "blindfold[ed] character". The concept was developed as a story involving a darker version of himself. D4vd described the story as being inspired by psychological split-personality themes, comparing it to Fight Club and its character Tyler Durden.^[1] Jujutsu Kaisen character Suguru Geto was used as a reference point for Itami, while also being inspired by Ken Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul .^{[4] [5]} D4vd stated that Itami is an unpredictable "agent of chaos" who appears at random moments,^[6] and also stated that it is part of his larger interests of anime, manga, and storytelling.^[7] The idea of the character came from his love of anime and manga, especially with stories where the antagonist and protagonist are connected. He planned to develop Itami through his YouTube content and storytelling, but later incorporated the character into his music.^[5]

Itami first appeared in the music video for "Romantic Homicide". In that video, d4vd appears wearing a blood-stained shirt and blindfold, which represented the character’s personality.^[1] The character also appeared in the music video for "Rehab", where he was depicted in violent scenes.^{[2] [8] [9]}