It Is Said He Is Like A "Tide"

On the surface, Shigure comes across as a man who doesn't take anything seriously. Laid back, aloof, childish, flirtatious, and immature, he enjoys teasing others, and will often go out of his way to do so just to see the reaction or to amuse himself.  He can come across as lecherous due to his obsession with high school girls, and is the epitome of the phrase "dirty dog."  

At the same time, Shigure acts as an older confidant for most of the other Sohmas and Tohru, often giving them advice on different matters, or lending an ear when needed. As a novelist, he likes to claim that he is attuned to matters of the heart and is rather good at reading how others are feeling, even if they're trying to hide or subdue those emotions.

However, Shigure also has a sinister side that ripples beneath the facade.  Resentful, sly, cruel, stubborn, and self-serving, Shigure often describes himself as being the worst kind of man.  As the dog of the zodiac, he views the God in a different way than the others.  His love for her is poignant and and his desire to be with Akito drives him to want to free her of the curse and her burdens so she can be with him and him alone.   He will do whatever he needs to do in order to achieve his goal, even if it means hurting and manipulating others around him to achieve it. Everything he does is planned, whether it's inviting Tohru to stay with him, or simply sending her out on an errand "by chance." He is like a puppet master, maneuvering the strings from the shadows so as not to dirty his own hands. 

Shigure is one of the twelve members of the Sohma family that is cursed with the ability of turning into an animal of the Chinese zodiac when hugged by a member of the opposite sex. He, along with Ayame and Hatori Sohma, was one of the first of the Juunishi to be born. The three of them grew up together, and because of their curse, were often secluded from females, even going to an all boys’ school. Soon enough, they became known as the Mabudachi Trio.

Shigure is also one of the only members of the Juunishi who knows that Akito is a girl. When Ren, Akito’s mother, became pregnant with her, the trio, along with the rooster, Kureno, all woke up crying. This was due to the strong bond between those who are cursed and their God. However, while the rest woke up crying due to sad and bittersweet memories, Shigure immediately felt love for the child deep in his heart. He felt extremely connected to her, and as a result would often spend most of his time taking care of her or being with her in general. Because Akito receives so much attention and love from the other members of the family and her father, Ren begins to despise her. She raises her as a boy, thus the ignorance of the other members in regards to her gender.

However, when Kureno is freed from the curse, things change. In an act of desperation to keep him close, Akito sleeps with Kureno. Shigure catches them and is set on revenge. He immediately goes to Ren, who Akito hates above all others, and sleeps with her. Akito catches them and bans him from the estate, forcing him to move out, which he willingly does. 

Soon enough, the other members of the zodiac are born, and Akito becomes increasingly manipulative as she attempts to keep all of them close to her and only her. Eventually, Shigure adopts Yuki (the mouse) into his household, who was being physically and emotionally abused by the God. Tohru Honda, a young girl in Yuki’s class, stumbles across Shigure’s home and soon discovers their family secret. Because she has nowhere to go, and because he wants to see how having an outsider in their presence will change the Zodiac members and Akito, Shigure also adopts her into his household with Akito’s permission. Kyou, the dreaded cat, moves in as well, and thus begins their story.