#Kouga ninja

[edswordsman]

Summoned a new Assassin-class Servant:

🖤 Mochizuki Chiyome! 🖤

[aspiring-holistic-otaku]

Season 3 Ramble#3 - The Martial Way ver.2

This month, as you probably picked up from the ramble title, I focused on reading martial arts manga for the second time because once was just never gonna be enough.

~[before I get into the episode I have a moment of silence for akira toriyama sensei who passed on earlier this… his legendary impact on media as a whole is beyond what my feeble words could hope to describe so a minute of silence is probably the most appropriate thing I could do. rest in power toriyama sensei.]~

The format is pretty much the same as last time, the meat of the matter is that I'll be speaking on the top 5 martial arts manga I read this month, focusing not so much on plot but more on what I think are the 4 cornerstones of martial arts manga, namely; art, action, technique and philosophy. For each manga in the list I'll be talking on these 4 things and giving them a rating on a 5 star scale.

I won't be talking about older top favorites this time so I encourage you to check out v.1 if you're interested but I will be doing what should be a quick breeze through of some martial arts manga I caught up on this month before I got into the newer reads.

So without further adeiu ~

CATCHING UP/OLD BREEZE

- boruto, shamo, batuqe, eternal force, tenkaichi

(pretty disappointing)

- peerless father, tsuyoshi, Sakamoto days

(pretty great)

THIS MONTH

#5) Kenji (art by Yoshihide Fujiwara and story by Ryuchi Matsuda, complete w 202 chapters)

Didn't have much expectations going into this one. I picked it up because the summary I saw on anilist listed a bunch of different martial art styles and among them was tai chi which I practice. So as someone who’s interested in different forms of mind and body tempering through martial arts, I figured even if the manga wasn’t particularly good, the exposure would be.. Glad to say my expectations were exceeded which is probably apparent as it’s one of my top 5 reads this month. but enough idle chatter.

The story here centers on a boy named Kenji (shocker), who is taught the basics of an ancient form of chinese kung fu called Bajiquan from his grandfather at an early age. When his grandfather suddenly has to leave the country to fulfill a promise to an old friend, Kenji decides he must keep practicing so he can have the strength to follow after his grandfather and present his growth as a person and martial artist proudly when they meet again.

Art - 3 / 5 stars

It was pretty unique but not altogether super impressive. When I say unique I mean that most of the manga had a sort of calligraphy or deceptively real water colour painting vibe, which I usually really dig for impact in action scenes or so but for this it was the whole way through so it kind of lost that effect. It did end up having a neat Chinese scroll type vibe with the whole calligraphy feeling I was getting though and it was solid throughout so no real complaints.

Action - 3 / 5 stars

The action wasn’t very impressive either. Undeniably and consistently solid but there were rarely any real wow factors. The mood or atmosphere surrounding the action was always very fitting though, usually engaging and immersive so although the illustrations weren’t anything to lose my mind over, holistically I found the fights quite pleasing.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

Technique variety and illustration was pretty top tier. As in to the point where a good chunk of this manga feels like beginner kung fu for dummies, even going so far as to show numbered step by step illustrations for a lot of moves used. Most of the story actually unfolds this way as Kenji has nobody to teach him when his grandfather left and the only lead he had to go on was his kungfu. So in seeking out and practicing with different interim teachers, he ends up traveling from Japan deep into mainland China, gaining new friends and foes along the way. What I really really loved was how his core technique developed over time, as in yes he got new techniques within his original style and a few tricks and tweaks from other styles he interacted with, but what got him through from the beginning was sharpening the core fundamentals his grandfather taught him when he was a kid. And when I say got him through I don't mean just in fights, I mean that to be accepted by certain people in the martial arts world you have to be able to prove yourself as a martial artist in your own right first, which more often than being able to do a flashy killer move, really means being able to show a certain level of dedication to cultivating the art you claim to practice. Also loved seeing how the variety, views on and uses of martial arts changed as he traveled from Japan to China.

Philosophy - 5 / 5 stars

Philosophy here was top notch stuff. The best I've read in a long time and definitely top 2, if not the best in that aspect this month. It's so great that I'd really want it to speak for itself as much as possible so I won't be going into much detail but I will say I really appreciated the importance placed on strength of mind and character in no uncertain terms.

#4) Under Ninja (story & art by Kengo Hanazawa {also known for being the creator of the manga, I am a Hero}, 115 chapters ongoing)

This story follows ninja in the modern day and shows the struggles between different ninja ranks, organizations and the government.

Art - 4 / 5 stars

Was pretty cool, very cool even, sort of sharp in a kind of overtly digital way I tend not to like too much but it was still cool. Especially with all the rad spreads they had sprinkled throughout.

Action - 4 / 5 stars

It was odd in a good way that's kinda hard to describe. Maybe because of how well they modernized the ninja in my mind. As in the methods of combat were for the most part fairly recognizable (sword, shuriken, camouflage) but they were presented in such a fresh way from a modern technological standpoint + it all takes place within the context of a modern city landscape and everything,, pretty rad pretty rad.

One definitely kinda odd thing was the choreography. It wasn't very fluid or detailed how I'd usually like my action manga. This almost had a laggy game type feel which I'd usually not rate, or even hate, but because the main focus was ninja I couldn't help but think that was the creator’s intention. As in a ninja’s whole thing is to be unseen so how would an illustration of them and their activities really look yk. And unlike what's been popularized by Naruto with lots of hand to hand combat and big flashy moves, especially later on, I think it definitely leans more toward what was shown here in under ninja, with more of an “in n out" / “now you see me now you don't" type feel.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

The techniques were pretty rad too, especially because of the technology, as I said very fresh stuff like the creator definitely had a very clear vision of how they thought a modern ninja would act. Very cool that they didn't go the usual route of just having a traditional ninja in the modern day but it actually looked and felt like how ninja may carry themselves had they advanced along with society from what we know of them back then. There wasn't any specific martial art used perse but in any case I really liked how they illustrated the "attack” of a ninja. As in it's not all hand signs and ninja stars, we get a more holistic view of the strategies employed from something as simple as misdirection to something as crazy as a fucking satellite laser. absolutely loved it. crazy crazy work I'm telling you.

Philosophy - 2 / 5 stars

There doesn't seem to be any great cause or meaning to much so far tbh. Which although generally important, isn't anything hyper critical in a fighting story, but as a cornerstone of martial arts in general it's something I look forward to seeing expressed uniquely by different creators in martial arts manga. For the most part in under ninja the thinking seems to be “complete the mission and fuck you if you try to get in my way” which I guess is fitting for ninja tbh but grain of salt here, it's ongoing and where I left off the story kinda took a mad left and a bunch of stuff is coming to light so I wouldn't be surprised if my view on the philosophy of under ninja changes when I come back to it next year.

#3) Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru (story & art by Yasushi Baba, complete w 500 chapters)

This is the journey of a guy who couldn’t make it as a gymnast and was bullied out of his club somehow becoming a karateka

Art - 5 / 5 stars

Pretty great in all the senses, casual and action wise. It was great and there's not much else to say there so no point lingering.

Action - 5 / 5 stars

Action was pretty great too, kept steadily building in intensity and technicality as the story progressed and the main character developed as a martial artist. Choreography was pretty up there as well, maybe not exceedingly dynamic perse like Sakamoto Days but it was all clear and fluid which is ultimately more important in stories dependent on action sequences. I will say they did have a lot of explody effects tho like.. idk… they were generally really cool tbh but would have probably been fine without THAT much, like the impact of each individual bomb effect kinda falls off when you're constantly carpet bombing yk,,, anyways the action was still a 5 so clearly it didn't bother me THAT much, just thought it kinda odd…

Technique - 3 / 5 stars

Was pretty solid in terms of illustrating, naming and using a variety of techniques but it fell kinda short behind the others because the techniques were like 93% Karate, and of that 93% about 80% was the specific kind of karate used by the mc, whereas pretty much all the other manga in this list showed more than a few other martial arts or at least had stronger individualization of a technique through its practitioner as was the case in under ninja and the next manga on this list. What was shown was pretty solid though and fairly thorough so it held up. variety is the spice of life and all but variety paradoxically encompasses a lack of variety so,, it is what it is.

Philosophy - 3 / 5 stars

Not bad, again pretty solid but nothing too crazy. could kind of be boiled down to different personal views on karate and maybe a bit of fighting on a whole but they didn't really push past how that affects the way one carries themselves outside the ring too much. Kind of an aside but I did appreciate that they had a fair bit of slice of life which is where you could see a bit, in action more than word, the various ways different martial arts practitioners carried themselves.

#2) Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls (original story by Fuutarou Yamada with story & art by Masaki Segawa, complete w 34 chapters)

Basically Romeo and Juliet but if they were ninjas. families. I could give a bit more detail but honestly that pretty much covers it and I already said this ramble wasn't really gonna be too plot focused.

Art - 3 / 5 stars

Sort of overtly digital in a scanny kind of way that I usually wouldn't like but for the most part it was solid enough where it counted.

Action - 4 / 5 stars

Ultra vibes, especially for how short it was, just 34 chapters but they used them extremely well as pretty much from the jump the atmosphere was constantly building. Fight scenes were clear although not very consistently fluid but the core choreography of the fights was definitely there. Something I really liked was how it could have easily been done as a standard tournament type beat or your average battle royale but all the confrontations were pretty dynamic throughout the story, shuffling through 1 v 1s, gang v 1s and gang v gang seamlessly. not to mention the pretty cool and unique techniques they all had.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

Actual old school ninja stuff which was very cool although ultra hyper specific. Basically there were 20 main characters with 10 on each side, all having some unique jutsu that they alone could use. This could've made stuff play out in a sort of almost obvious rock paper scissors type thing but the way they introduced/removed characters throughout the story and juggled opposing character interactions was just so well done that it never got boring.

Philosophy - 4 / 5 stars

Tbh most of the cast didn't have all that much about them philosophy wise. As I said this was a kind of Romeo and Juliet type beat so besides the main pair they all just hated the other family. There's some very light sprinkling of something you could probably call philosophy through the rest of the main cast as their individual jutsu sort of mirrors their beliefs, so you could almost say they're all literal embodiments of their beliefs but that's not exactly a one size fits all thing and is probably more of a stretch than anything. In any case this gets a 4 because of how moved I was by the main pairings actions. especially because of how little chapters there were so it hit all the more. If I go into detail about such actions it'd be spoilers so what can I say but to go check it out.

#1) Tekken Chinmi (story & art by Takeshi Maekawa{breakshot, #1 S2R8}, read 131/158)

A talented lad named chinmi is seen in action by a traveling monk who invites him to further train at his temple. Simple shonen type beat except the hero’s journey isn't really thrust upon him, he kinda just actually goes on the journey willingly which is kinda refreshing. #end the era of child soldiers.

Art - 4 / 5 stars

Really easy to digest, kinda toony but well proportioned, has a really smooth old school vibe to it like you look at it and immediately succumb to the propaganda that everything really was better back then.

Action - 4 / 5 stars

Great all round, great choreo, great flow, pretty solid dynamics and I really dug how they showed that lessons learned in one thing can typically be applied to every other thing. As in he'd learn a martial art skill and it'd help him improve in a day to day situation or vice versa.

Technique - 5 / 5 stars

Widely varied, usually unique and v cool, as in they had from a Poison hand guy, to a one legged cane weilder and even someone who used a one finger technique. It was really great and sort of inspiring to see him improve step by step, from teacher to teacher and from fight to fight. Really loved that when he got new techniques he didn't just spam that from then on, he stuck with sharpening himself holistically and never using more force than necessary. Also dug that even though he was definitely quick on the uptake for story's sake there wasn't anything he ever just got immediately. He'd always have to take the time to sit and think through how to get some desired effect, which is what gave rise to his sometimes unique applications of certain techniques.

Philosophy - 5 / 5 stars

Loved how close they made everything to nature, nature even being his teacher a few times. Again the philosophy here was so great I want it to speak for itself but I loved the hammering of the importance of both body and mind. the philosophy here was definitely right up there with shinji though it felt a bit warmer here for lack of a better word.

honourable mentions:

Tenjo Tenge & Record of Ragnarok

btw this is a list of 5 with 2 hms but in total I read 15 new manga this month and maybe you wanna see the rest for yourself, for holistic, comparative or some other reason but in any case you can see those and all my other reads on anilist which is in my bio on all social media I'm on so yh

ofc I do some extra kinda off cuff rambles afterwards so you can listen in for that but if not have a good one regardless, hope you enjoyed this and hope you tune into the next 🍻

[whoishotteranimepolls]

"Who's Hotter?" Battle of the Anime Ninjas

*Edit the Kakashi photo was changed after complaints

[vvitchgrindergeneral]

Joanie Zamboni's top fantasy novels

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Lyonesse (aka Suldrun's Garden) by Jack Vance

The Dying Earth by Jack Vance

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. Howard

Seek the Throat From Which We Sing by Alex C.F.

The Kouga Ninja Scrolls by Futaro Yamada

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

[delightfullybritishgoldar]

Currently Watching

Kamen Rider

Kamen Rider (1971)

OOO

Gavv

Metal Hero

Tokyuu Shirei Solbrain

Super Sentai

Kagaku Sentai Dynaman

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger

No.1 Sentai Gozyuger

Ultraman

Leo

Other

Chojin Barom One

Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop

Kankyou Choujin Ecogainder

Message from Space: Galactic Wars

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

Watched

Gamera

Gamera, the Giant Monster

Gamera vs. Barugon

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Gamera vs. Viras

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Gamera: Super Monster

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Gamera 2: Attack of Legion

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris

Gamera the Brave

Gamera Rebirth

Garo

Chapter of the Black Wolf

Beast of the Night

Red Requiem

Kiba Gaiden

Makai Senki

Soukoku no Maryu

Yami wo Terasu Mono

Tougen no Fue

Zero - Black Blood

Makai no Hana

Gold Storm Sho

Biku Yamigirinochi

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Zero - Dragon Blood

Kami no Kiba

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P GARO: Saejima Kouga

Gekkou no Tabibito

Versus Road

Hagane wo Tsugumono

Godzilla

Godzilla 1954

Godzilla Raids Again

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Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

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Son of Godzilla

Destroy All Monsters

All Monsters Attack

Godzilla vs. Hedorah

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Terror of Mechagodzilla

The Return of Godzilla

Godzilla vs. Biollante

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah

Godzilla vs. Mothra

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah

Godzilla 2000: Millennium

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Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla

Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

Godzilla: Final Wars

Shin Godzilla

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle

Godzilla: The Planet Eater

Godzilla: Singular Point

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Godzilla 2014

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Godzilla vs. Kong

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ZO

J

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Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger

Juken Sentai Gekiranger

Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters

Ressha Sentai ToQger

Uchu Sentai Kyuranger (7 times)

Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger

Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger

Mashin Sentai Kiramager

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X

Orb

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Taiga

Z

Trigger

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Shin Ultraman

Other

8 Man: For All Lonely Nights

Akiballion – Battlemaids of Akihabara

All About Mighty Lady

Ayakashi Tometsu-Den Kougaiger

Battle Strike Team: Giant Saver Watch - Official YouTube Link

Brahman - Legendary Hero

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Choukou Senshi Changerion

Chouseishin Gransazer

Chouseishin Series: Genseishin Justirisers

Chouseishin Series: Chousei Kantai Sazer-X

Chiến Đội Vệ Thú    Watch - Official YouTube Link

Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!

Chō Ninja Tai Inazuma!! Spark

Chousoku Parahero Gundeen

Cutie Honey: The Live

Daimajin Kanon

Dark Soldier D

Demonic Heroine in Peril

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Dengeki!!! Strada 5

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Dream Guardian    Watch - Official YouTube Link

Eiyou Senshi Carrotman

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Gappa - The Triphibian Monster

Houjin Yatsurugi

Jikuu Keisatsu Wecker

Jikuu Keisatsu Wecker D-02

Kaiju Hunter Mitsurugi

Kaiketsu Zubat

Kamen Teacher

Kamen Tenshi Rosetta

Kani Goalkeeper

KIGAI - Paranormal Town

Koakuma – Sweet Devil

Kodai Shoujo Dogu-chan

Lady Battle Cop

Legend Hero Samgugjeon    Watch - Official YouTube Link

Madan Senki Ryukendo

Mars Men

Meatball Machine

Mechanical Violator Hakaider

Metal Kaiser

Mighty Lady Sparkle

Mikadroid

Miracle Bunny

Mirai Ninja

Moon Mask Rider

Ork Watch - Official YouTube Link

ORK's Room Watch - Official YouTube Link

Red Lilac - Dream of Shudder

Rise! Dharuriser

Robocon's Greatest Adventure

Sentika F8ABA6 Jisariz Watch - Official YouTube Link

Shibuya Fifteen

Shichisei Tōshin Guyferd

Shougeki Gouraigan

Shoujo Commando Izumi

SSSS.Gridman

Submersion of Japan

Taroman: A Taro Okamoto Style Tokusatsu Drama

Tekkouki Mikazuki

Tetsujin 28

The Great Yokai War (Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare)

The High School Heroes

The Immortal Red Fox Watch - Official YouTube Link

The Super Rider V3

Tochiongar Seven    Watch - Official YouTube Link

Toei's Spider-Man

Tokusatsu Gagaga

Ultra Super Fight

Voicelugger

VR Troopers

What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?

Wingman

Zan Saber 2

Zebraman

Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City

Zeiram

Zeiram II

On Hold (Pending New Translated Episodes)

Avalon, Knight of the Round Table Watch - Official YouTube Link

Houou Shinken Widenger   Watch - Official YouTube Link

[commander-steel]

Flame of Recca - Nadare

°DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION °

#MyArt #flameofrecca #recca #hanabishirecca #nadare #flamedragon #hokage #kouga #iga #ninja

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[ckret2]

"I have seen some internet sources saying that IRL the name “Kohga” means “old river.” I don’t know how true that actually is on Earth (I’d welcome confirmation or disproving)"

I don't know as much as Japanese language/history as an expert but by golly I know a lot more than nothing, so lemme see if I can tackle this. (idr how much japanese u know so if I over-explain forgive me, i'm doin like my math teachers said and showing my work)

"Kohga" can also be romanized as "Kouga" or "Kōga" depending on a translator's preference; in hiragana it's literally spelled こ·う·が "ko·u·ga". However you spell it, the う/h/u/¯ just means "the previous vowel is twice as long." In this post I'm gonna be spelling it Kōga for surprise reasons that will be important later.

The Kōga school of ninjutsu was named for the Kōka district (Kōga/Kōka, same word, same kanji, it just traditionally gets spelled different in English depending on if you're talking about the ninja or the place). 甲賀 is the kanji used for "Kōga/Kōka as in the ninja/district."

I can't find a definition for 甲賀 that means anything except "this is the name of the district & its ninja"

Individually, 甲 (usually "kō") means "armor," "carapace," or "high (pitch/voice)"; it's also an alternate way to spell kabuto/"helmet", and it's used by itself as a calendar date and as a musical term. 賀 (ga) means "congratulations" or "joy," and used by itself it can also mean "celebration."

Since I can't find a direct translation, the compound 甲賀 "armor"+"joy" is probably following in the grand Japanese tradition of "don't you think these two kanji look and sound nice together? ♡" rather than actually forming a word. Japanese can be really flexible with the kanji used to spell names, for both places & people.

古川, pronounced "furukawa," means "old river." "Furukawa" can less commonly be spelled with the kanji 古河 (川 means river/stream and 河 means river). the kanji 古河 is also used as a name for people, and when it's used for a name it's pronounced Koga or (less commonly) Kokawa or Kōga.

Confusing bonus detail: 古河 also happens to be the name of the Koga district, a different district from 甲賀/Kōka.

Confusing bonus detail #2: the kanji combo 古賀 (that's "old"+"joy") is another, arguably more common way to spell Koga the name for people (at least, I was able to find a lot more Kogas named 古賀 than named 古河). Like 甲賀, I also wasn't able to find a definition separate from "that's a name" for the compound 古賀, so it seems to be another "these kanji go nice together" name.

And this is where spelling it ō rather than oh becomes important, because ō is the spelling for Kōga-the-ninja-school used in important reference materials like, say, Wikipedia. Since diacritic marks are often treated as optional in English ("naive/naïve" or "facade/façade" are viewed as equally correct; ¯ isn't used in native modern English words and is often ignored in loan words like Maōri), it'd be easy to overlook that Kōga and Koga are different words with different pronunciation. Sometimes English resources just straight up don't indicate long vowels in Japanese romanizations, so there may be places online where Kōga just gets spelled Koga.

So I assume "ninja school Kōga was named for its home district" -> "[no actual definition for the word Kōga because it's just a name]" -> "here's a district named Koga" -> "[plus sometimes the name Koga shares a kanji in common with the name Kōga]" -> "district Koga is spelled with the same kanji as the word for 'old river'" is how some online resource reached "the name Kohga means 'old river' [for lack of any other apparent definition]." There's at least one site out there that indiscriminately lists a TON of meanings/spellings for the name Koga/Kouga, including both 甲賀 and 古河, with no clarification on the differences.

(Now, all that said: 甲賀 is already used as a place name IRL, so as far as I'm aware there's no good reason they can't have named an old river 甲賀 Kohga even if it doesn't mean old river. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I like the headcanon and if nothing else, it works as a pun. The 古河 furukawa koga named 甲賀 kohga.)

Another tiny nighttime headcanon, this time about the origin of the name Kohga! Now, there’s been plenty of other people explaining on Tumblr and elsewhere that the names “Kohga” and “Yiga/Iga” were inspired by real world Japanese ninja clans/the regions where they lived. That’s the very cool Doylist explanation. This post isn’t about that, it’s for a Watsonian explanation, in my own lil’ AoC-timeline ‘verse, as always.

The original Master Kohga, as I’ve said before, was the Chief of the major Sheikah settlements around Satori Mountain at the time of the ancient King’s betrayal. His full name—because as we know from the monks in BotW the Sheikah had family names 10,000 years ago—was Mogg Kohga.*

So where did that name come from? Welllllll…. I have seen some internet sources saying that IRL the name “Kohga” means “old river.” I don’t know how true that actually is on Earth (I’d welcome confirmation or disproving), buuuut…

I headcanon that the river that flows near Satori Mountain, that separates its environs from Central Hyrule, was once called the Kohga River. And much like a human on Earth might be named Jordan, Mogg Kohga was named for that river.

I also headcanon that the river’s path once ran closer to the Mountain, through the area now called Nima Plain,** but that at some point in the intervening 10,000 years it changed course, leaving that area a wider, low, grassy plain and, to the south, Dalite Forest. (It also flooded the very old Sage Temple area and created the moat around the Colosseum that was built much later.) But at the time Mogg Kohga lived, the river he was named for was quite a boon to the Sheikah living on and near Satori Mountain.

And now it’s called the Regencia River. Three guesses why. …okay if you said “because the ancient Hylian monarchy wanted to wipe the Sheikah and their culture off the map (literally) and ‘Kohga’ is a distinctly Sheikah name while ‘Regencia’ sounds Hylian and noble,” you win the prize of me saying, “you are smart and know how imperialism works!”

Any-wayyyyy…. Every Master of the Yiga Clan since then has taken on the name Kohga when they ascend to the position. 1) In honor of the first Master, 2) so they can do a kinda “from the ashes of one comes the next” thing, and 3) as an up-yours to the Hylian Royal Family that changed the name of the river. THE Kohga might be all but erased, but A Kohga will always exist in the shadows…

Added super bonus headcanon! I said in my tags on this post that this obviously means every Master Kohga once had a name that was NOT Kohga. Well! Once each successive Master ascends…. That original name just kind of goes away, other than in prior records. Nobody is supposed to—allowed to, really—address the Master by their former name. Of course plenty of people will know the old name, that goes without saying. Everyone in the Clan at the time of the ascension who’s old enough to understand what names are, don’t be silly! But it’s kind of like a culturally-enforced deadname. If someone calls a Master Kohga by their before-name, they’ve got to ignore it or correct that person, etc. You can’t call them by it behind their back, either. Doing so is considered really rude, taboo even. That’s not their name anymore.

So now for juuuust a little thing to think about. :)

Imagine you’re the Heir, and the unthinkable—or at least, something you’ve never really wanted to think about—has just happened. Your father, Master Kohga, is dead. He wasn’t even old! He was cut down, murdered, in his prime, only seventy-five! And you? You’re just twenty-five, and sure you’re big and strong and know all this powerful magic…you’ve been trained practically from birth to one day take over the Clan…. You’re capable, you think. You’ve got to be. But…it wasn’t supposed to happen yet. For decades, even. Not like this. Not like this.

But you pass the tests, and you ascend, and…Master Kohga is your name.

You liked your before-name. Loved it, even. Your Mama chose it, and she’s been…off, lately, weak for no reason anyone can tell…. And now not even she is allowed to call you by your…shoot, do you have to stop thinking of it as your “real” name too? Really? Nobody can use it anymore. Or any of your old nicknames, either. Your friends, your now-former mentors, people who’ve known you all your life. Nobody.

You liked being [Redacted].

You can’t be [Redacted].

You are Master Kohga.

~~~

*Family names apparently went first in ancient Sheikah custom. I assume this is so based on the two Dueling Peaks monks being canonically twin brothers: Shee Venath and Shee Vaneer. There is also a group of three monks with the family name Shae: Loya, Mo’sah, and Kenath. Aaaand there’s Dah Hasho and Dah Kaso, Kah Yah and Kah Okeo, Kema Kosassa and Kema Zoos, Maag No’rah and Maag Halan, Shai Utoh and Shai Yota…yeah. Guess being high-ranking martial artists and technicians and devout Hylia followers may have run in families!

**Interestingly, “Nima” is the given name of Monk Tutsuwa Nima, who gives Link a test of strength at his shrine at the Spring of Power in Akkala. I just noticed this tonight. Hmm…perhaps the area by the shore of the Kohga River was already named Nima something-or-other, and this monk was named for the geographical area too? Or both man and area are named for something else, that “Nima” means in Ancient Sheikah…? Still, kinda funny that I’ve been like “lol the Sheikah used to live at Satori Mountain” and it turns out an area near Satori Mountain has the same name as a monk…astfgldsksksd this kind of thing Happens to Me.

[samurailoveballadhistory]

Sssh, ssh, nobody talk about Nobunaga, or else it will really start to become annoying to see his name being mentioned everywhere. That, or accidentally make him look even more like the ninja-killer everyone think he is, even though he isn’t. 

I kid. It’s just that the people of Kouka eventually aligned themselves with the Oda, so Nobunaga is actually relevant to matters of the Kouka region.

The Rokkaku clan was lord of the Southern region of Oumi province, where Kouka happens to be situated in. Technically Kouka is a separate entity from Rokkaku, but they do have close relations. When Nobunaga came into conflict with the Azai-Asakura alliance, being that the Azai were lord of Northern Oumi, eventually conflict involves the Rokkaku clan. After being defeated by Shibata Katsuie, the Rokkaku effectively surrendered (on paper it’s a “peace treaty”). Later on, some of the clan members tried to rise up again, but was suppressed and the Rokkaku clan was ruined. Some of the remnants actually took refuge in Kouka, until Hideyoshi came to power and these men were called to enter his service.

Now, onto Kouka. Long-time SLBP players, or players reading Saizo’s route, might remember this region being named as “Koga” before. Koga/Kouga is what this area is classically known as in texts and in various older mainstream media, but more recent research found that the proper reading is “Koka/Kouka”, and so a lot of newer materials made the switch. 

As I said, they’re a separate entity, to the point of being able to shield the Rokkaku family members and not fall into ruin alongside them. In the early days of the Sengoku, in the 1400s, many clansmen of Kouka supported the Rokkaku in battle, and their prominence rose through this connection. Possibly due to the Rokkaku’s high standing in the shogun’s court. Among these “53 Kouka clans” associated with the Rokkaku, a number of them ended up being direct shogunate vassals themselves. The people of Kouka aren’t “nobodies”. Historical research has found numerous ruins of castles in the area, and some even boasted incredibly large earthen fortifications that are much bigger than castles in the more “metropolitan” areas.

Much like its neighbour Iga, it’s believed that the people of Kouka were jizamurai who were governed by a council of clan elders. I’m not really sure who are the members of this council, though, and whether the 53 clans hold more prominence in this council or not. Funny thing, the man often believed to be “the real life Sarutobi Sasuke” was from the Mikumo family, who is in fact one of the 53. Another of the 53 clans was the Ban family, also sometimes known as the Tomou family (sometimes they’re counted among the more elite “21 clans”). They were thought to be related to the Takigawa family, where Keiji is from before his adoption into the Maeda. 

[potate-tayto]

Has anybody seen Basilisk cuz I have not met a single person who has seen this anime and I can talk to them about it.. especially Hotarubi and Yashamaru 

[unblinded-by-nostalgia-blog]

The Story

The story is a (yawn) retelling of Romeo and Juliet...with nin...zzz...ja...zzz...

Even though it has ninja and samurai in it, it is so freaking boring! With uninspired writing, uninteresting powers and dull fight scenes, it's no wonder that I almost fell asleep reading this. And the plot holes. Oh, boy the plot holes.... And some of the scenes are so goddamn stupid. Such as a ninja fucking another ninja, while another ninja who has poisoned breath when the is sexually aroused (this sounds like more like a dumb Hentai) because he will die if he fucks her. Have none of the ninja figured out that you don't need to cum inside her to pass on an heir. All you have to do is jerk off till you are close to cumming (when she doesn't know) then when you are close, run to her room and cum on her pussy, not in her. It's not as likely to get her pregnant than putting it in, but it's better than getting poisoned and having one shot in impregnating her! This is basic sex ed! In fact, you have a better chance of getting an heir with her that way instead of one minute of glory in her!

The Characters

The characters are given very little to no personality, then they are killed off a minute later and the novel tries to make you care, but you can't because we know nothing about these characters and the novel has given us very little reason to care! And the characters are just so gotdamn stupid! All of this bullshit in this novel is easily avoidable.

The Illustrations

There are no illustrations in this novel. But if there were... They'd probably be okay.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this novel is just crap. The story is a dumber version of Romeo and Juliet. In fact, the Romeo and Juliet about the Gnomes is a better version, and it's more entertaining as well! Watch that instead of reading...THIS!!!

The Story 0.5/5 The Characters 0.5/5

Overall 0.5/5

[ghostfriendly5]

Do you have any other OTPs besides Fighter x Warrior?

1. Hige X Blue (Wolf's Rain), sad-clown survivor redeemed by the love of a good woman, star-crossed werewolves who won't have paradise without each other.

2. Roy Mustang x Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist) another smiling but inwardly tormented heroic war criminal with a seriously devoted sniper to save him. Love playboy guy - serious girl pairings (Harry and Susan have some of this).

3. Oscar Francois de Jarjayes x Andre Grandiere (Rose of Versailles) Mary Antoinette's devoted transexual bodyguard and her lovelorn stableboy. So much passion, so much tragedy, we will not see their like again.

4. Akeginu Iga x Koushirou Chikuma (Basilisk) An earnest young genin ninja in love with a sweet and innocent ninja princess...and the voluptuous femme fatale ninja bodyguard of said princess, seeking a good man. Something like Oscar and Andre in their fatal conflicts of loyalty, with an even more tragic conclusion, but a very lovable couple of honourable murderers.

5. Triela X Hilshire (Gunslinger Girl) the cyborg warrior princess and her strait-laced handler, trapped into working for the Italian government death squad that rebuilt her after mutilation and torture by human traffickers. A bond of comradeship and love all the more perfect for its impossibility.

6. Miki Sayaka x Sakura Kyouko (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) Late entry on the yuri side, magical girls in love; the tragic knight and ragamuffin warrior princess with a heart of gold. Protect their smiles.

...and also Kirika x Mireille (Noir), Jenny Dolittle x Lynn Lambretta (Bodacious Space Pirates), Jacuzzi Splot X Nice Hollystone (Baccano) Izuku x Ochako (BHA), Naruto x Hinata (Naruto) and, for a last nod to Fighter and Warrior with another Kung Fu princess and baby faced idealist, Alphonse Elric x Mei Chang.

[comicalcarnival]

100% serious art meme from twitter

[yosoiii]

Exciting series about the fight between “i keep my hair inside a bag” and “you should go to sleep” ninja clans

[shirtoid]

Ninja Scroll by FunTimesTees

[inuh]

[ytoccc]