@inKraken
Yeah, pretty much spot on, I think.
ALso, there's a bit of the exaggerated mythology thing going on.
I seem to recall at one point someone is talking to Admiral Mu on the street and explaining how Evil Dragon Emperor is eight feet tall and can spit lighting and etc etc etc.
...which is ironic given the size of one of his 'main' bodies, come to think it.
Anyways, people also assume that 'average sized guy with decent-but-not-exceptional looks' can't possibly be the 'giant and super-handsome evil dragon who ravishes three thousand women nightly'. It's partly the media's fault in this story, in that they've created so many ridiculous and outlandish stories about Admiral Mu that people don't really notice the average, down-to-earth peasant with a small pension hanging around until he decides it's Time To Paint Somebody.