#Ronin Tama

[storiesfromhalcyontale]

How the chess pieces fall

Inevitably, the game is always won either by yourself or your opponent. It’s how we play that sets the stage for the game to be interesting, it’s how the chess pieces fall. You either see yourself win, or you fail and become one of the many pieces that fall. You must use your fellow peers to your advantage to get the best possibility at success, even if it ruins their lives.

Or so I thought.

I sat in the cafeteria eating a pizza and drinking Randor Splash as I glared over at a particular group that were studying for upcoming exams, I didn’t understand. I severed that orphan’s connections with Ronin and yet he’s gotten new friends. The Dreemur child and the scholar, they’ve become friends and in actuality better friends than Ronin ever was. Mainly because he didn’t turn on Sho for power which annoyed me because no matter how hard I tried to reset the status quo and make Shoto alone again it always came off flat. I don’t understand what the Dreemurr child saw in Shoto but it clearly made him more social and clearly more outgoing than the time he and Ronin weren’t friends.

“Eren, you're staring at Sho again.” Aiya mentioned as she tapped my shoulder, I turned to Aiya as I sighed.

“Sorry. I’m just annoyed that Shoto has new friends somehow.” I grumbled, “All that hard work I did to separate him and Ronin was for nothing.” “I say drop it now Eren.” Aiya reassured me, “I’m ninety-nine percent sure you’ve completely demolished their friendship.” This was true, there was no possibility that Shoto and Ronin would ever become friends again. The betrayal that he did was impossible for Shoto to forgive him for. “Still, it’s really annoying.” I stated. 

I should probably talk about the figurative elephant in the room, yes I did torment Shoto awhile after he found me and Aiya tormenting a kid. That’s when he decided to give Ronin the ultimatum between me and Aiya or himself. Ronin, for being a good guy, is a coward so he chose power over friendship. And that’s how Shoto became lonely, his friend chose power over his friendship with him. A fatal human flaw I saw first-hand that day, it was funny for me but not for Shoto. “It’s still annoying that he’s able to be happy with his friends.” My grasp on Shoto was loosening, my tactics of control by presenting myself as a perfect student whilst hiding my true personality behind a facade. Mainly because I’m from a rich family and they help fund the school but also it helps develop a fake layer of trust for me to manipulate people, it worked for Ronin at least and I was able to puppet him to make sure he was separated from Shoto.

I looked away from the group of three and turned my attention to Ronin, having just left the lunch queue with just a chocolate cookie and he looked quite annoyed. Maybe because the queue was quite long today.

“That took ages…” Ronin, quite annoyed, took a seat next to Aiya and began eating, “I swear multiple younger years pushed in front of me.” Aiya turned to Ronin. 

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” She stated kindly. I, however, kept silent, I was disinterested in the conversation. I wasn’t tired or anything, just disinterested. I was planning on how I could separate Shoto from his friends again but nothing was coming to my mind. Unlike Ronin, Asriel is a good kid and Akemi is a scholarly kid. Both compliment Shoto’s personality perfectly.

I could be in a checkmate here.

A loss against the most idiotic boy in this academy in the game he doesn’t even realise he’s playing. There’s no way I was going to lose to him! Yet, this weird loss interests me.

How could someone like him, someone who isn’t as smart as his other friends, beat me? That was something I didn’t understand. Akemi was just as smart as me and Asriel is new on the block yet Shoto was able to become friends with them, and he was doing this by being a genuinely good person. Not even playing the figurative chess game that is life, just living. That’s why I envy Shoto, he’s too nice and he’s not even using it to his advantage. He could be up there with me! And yet… he chooses to be genuine. I turned to look at Ronin who was now looking in the same direction I was a moment ago. I decided not to say anything, as I couldn’t be too bothered to hear him talk about how guilty he was that he abandoned Sho. He could just leave, it wouldn’t make much difference to me. But he’s too attached to the power that being friends with me has. I looked back over at Shoto.

There’s still a game here, a game that I was now losing.

[talesofedo]

Hi there! You can delete this if it’s a stupid question, as this may be a result of me not being able to read but…

I read once that Yamanami Keisuke was the Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi and I got super confused as I thought the only Vice Commander was Hijikata in Kondo’s faction. Then I read something else that said he was the Secretary General of the Shinsengumi which only served to confuse me more because it left me wondering where he sat on the chain of command if he was arguing with Kondo and Hijikata against the relocation to Nishihonganji Temple. Then I read something else that said that Yamanami was the Vice Commander BEFORE Hijikata was and Hijikata got the title AFTER Yamanami’s seppuku. Then I read something that told me that, after the Iwaki Incident, Yamanami changed positions due to his arm being crippled and received what was essentially a figurehead position until his seppuku. …And, well, now my head’s spinning.

In less words, a TLDR if you will: What was Yamanami Keisuke’s position in the Shinsengumi and did it change after his injury?

(Please help me I’m so confused.)

Hi, Confused Anon. 😊

In spring 1863 when the Mibu Roshigumi was formed, both Hijikata Toshizo and Sannan (Yamanami) Keisuke served as Kondo Isami's vice commanders (副長 fukucho). I think that's pretty smart, actually, having two trusted individuals to take on those duties together.

Later in 1863 Sannan was appointed president (総長 socho) alongside Kondo Isami. This is where it gets a little nebulous for me as well because that either occurred after the the Coup of August 18 (which was actually in September by the modern calendar) when the Mibu Roshigumi became the Shinsengumi, or after the assassination of Serizawa Kamo in October.

So, either in September or October 1863 Sannan went from fukucho to socho. How that was different from a practical standpoint - in other words, how his tasks and duties were different, I have no idea.

In January 1864, Sannan was injured in the Iawki Incident when he and Hijikata attempted to capture a group of ronin. It was here Sannan's sword was broken - there's a period illustration of it already on this tumblr if you can manage to find it.

After this, Sannan all but disappears.

In February or perhaps March 1864, Tomizawa Masaki (an acquaintance from Tama) visited the Shinsengumi and made a special note that he did not meet Sannan, who was said to have been ill and not seeing any visitors at the time.

Then, in July 1864 Sannan famously did not participate in the Ikedaya raid. Around this time, Sannan's name also seemed to disappear from the unit rosters, as if he was not carrying out any official duties.

He was also experiencing conflict with Kondo Isami about some of the Shinsengumi's policies, long before it came to the disagreement about the Shinsengumi's move.

At one point in 1864, Sannan was demoted from the position of socho back to that of fukucho, but I'm not certain of the specific date for that. It might have been after Ito Kashitaro's group joined the Shinsengumi in October 1864.

TL;DR: He was fukucho alongside Hijikata from spring 1863 to September/October 1863 when he became socho. After he was injured in January 1864, he started to disappear from the Shinsengumi's rosters and eventually returned to being fukucho, maybe around October 1864, but possibly earlier.

[theyilinglaozus]

I mentioned this briefly over on MDL yesterday, but since I'm back from my theatre trip I figured I'd say a little something about the Shōgun finale here too.

I've seen quite the divide in how people felt about the ending; some hated it whilst others, myself included, loved it.

I think one of the things that some people feel disappointed by is the fact we never got to see the battle of Sekigahara that the show was building up to. Yet the truth is that Shōgun was never going to show it, because in terms of the story the viewer didn't need to see the battle to know the outcome.

The story was always about Toranaga and the journey he takes towards becoming Shōgun. He is a master strategist, and has been playing the game of war from the very start, just silently and through methods of politics rather than by the sword. He uses every person to his advantage, moving them like pieces on a board for his endgame, even those who he is closest to. Sure, there are moments he likely doesn't account for - the death of his son and the appearance of Blackthorne, for instance - but like any strategist of his level he either adapts them into his plans, or finds a way to use the moment in his advantage. That's what strategists do.

We don't need to see the battle of Sekigahara, because by the end of the show Toranaga has already won. This is what he tries to tell Yabushige before his death. Toranaga's explanation here reminds me to the moment he's talking to his son, with this quote:

'Why is it that only those who have never fought in battle are so eager to be in one?'

War is inevitable, but Toranaga is trying to minimize the number of those who have to die because of it. After all, his goal is for a peaceful era for Japan.

Mariko's death was the final act of Crimson Sky. Her death shakes the foundations enough to cause action to happen, because her death should not have been allowed to happen. Ishido knows this, which is why he sends his ronin to capture, not kill. Mariko's death, while tragic, is the final nail that sparks change. Ochiba, mourning the death of her childhood friend, decides to tell Toranaga in secret not to send the Heir's army to aid Ishido in battle, meaning that without his banner Ishido's war is no longer a lawful one.

While Mariko's death is a tragic one, it is not a meaningless one. It does not feel cheap, and the finale episode allows the viewers to mourn with those who knew and loved or respected her. I thought this was quite beautifully done, as even though she wasn't present in the episode, her spirit was still there, so she was still very much there. Some of the cinematography beautifully alluded to this, especially in moments like when Blackthorne and Fuji are sitting together in silence, yet there's one seat left -- Mariko's. Blackthorne even says then, 'no translator', because once Mariko had been a bridge of communication and understanding between them.

Another thing which I see a lot of confusion upon is Blackthrone's flash-forward scenes -- did he ever return to England? The answer, in my opinion, is told in the finale episode too. No, he didn't. Toranaga tells Yabushige that Blackthorne will never leave Japan, and in the scenes with an older Blackthorne, we see he's holding Mariko's cross. Yet he drops it into the water, showing that he lets it go. The episode title is 'a dream of a dream', and that's what Blackthorne's flash-forwards are: dreams. Another life, another path - but not this one.

The characters of Shōgun are based on real-life people in history -- it's actually really fascinating, and I've been learning more and more about their real-life counterparts whilst following this gem of a show. If you're interested in learning more, look up names like Tokugawa Ieyasu, Miura Anjin (William Adams) and Hosokawa Gracia (Akechi Tama).

All in all, Shōgun to me leaned more into the political intrique side of war, which for some people will be fascinating, and for others, not so much. But this show has so many layers and so much hidden within it, I can see it being one that's analysed for years to come.

[visionkept]

It was the most special day! Kazuha had to get the perfect gift for them so of course everything was handmade with a touch of Kaedehara flare. Some Sakura mochi made in the shape of little kitty cats and bunny rabbits, topped with cute garnishes. Took a lot of time to shape them just right but Kazuha was proud of himself.

The next gift was something a bit more lasting. With some help from other artisans along their travels he spun a woven bracelet made from many multi colored threads. All each a color for the places they have traveled together. The bracelet was long showing just how much the pair have traveled, a beautiful array of colors. With their travels in Fontaine it ended in beautiful shades of blues.

“Happy birthday Tomoya.”

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY TOMOYA !

Waking up by Kazuha’s side felt like a gift itself, a quiet blessing that filled the morning with warmth and peace. And this SPECIAL DAY was no different. Within their handmade tent both ronins rested right until the gentle daylight sun hit their features. Groggy tones and tired mumbles were exchange, a few pecks spared along the way. Their feline friend right in the middle, curling up to both in an attempt to catch their attention ( it was working ). Tomo wouldn’t have minded if the entire day had unfolded just like that, sharing one lazy birthday TOGETHER.

But needless to say, Kazuha wouldn't let that be one ordinary morning.

When the fellow ronin left the bed to prepare their gifts, Tomo simply muttered a fruitless 'stay' that fell short on their intentions. Kazuha left, with the promise of returning soon enough, and Tomo as reply, resumed their sleep moments later. For two hours they slept. . . or tried to at least. With the other missing, it wasn't as easy and Tomo, desperate for the time to pass by, played with their 'daughter' on the meantime. Soon after, Kazuha came back with something in hand.

❝ Heh, it's like one small piece of you. ❞ Sakura mochis with a theme of rabbits. ❝ and you too, Tama. ❞ Some others shaped as cats. The first one that catches their eyes becomes their little test subject for a continuous squeeze and stretch, their inanimate features molding to the touch. Although they were meant to be eaten, Tomoya took greater delight in the CUTENESS they possessed. Ah ! Eating them felt like a crime, but leaving Kazuha waiting might be an even greater offense. The eagerness in scarlet hues grew by the second and though he didn't say anything, the blond could tell what he was thinking; 'Take a bite, Tomoya ! Take a bite !'

And that's what they do, taking one bite before the second makes the mochi vanish from plain sight. It's good, DELICIOUS, their palate always so welcoming to Kazuha's culinary skills. Another, this time a rabbit, ends in their mouth right after. The third one is not so different from the rest, except for Tomo making their partner feed it to them with a pleading look ( taking advantage of their special day to be pampered ? GUILTY AS CHARGED ). ❝ Taking care of me like this. My, oh my. I might start to believe that you like me ~ ❞ He does and Tomoya knows that already, playfully teasing him in a way comes natural to them, just like old times. Kazuha huffs and in between the older's loud cracked laugh and their attempt to prompt a kiss, the young hero slides the bracelet on them, THE SECOND GIFT.

❝ Oh - ❞ The lively tone changes to a tender one, red and pinks suddenly invading their features. On their wrist rested multicolored threads with a symbolism behind them, the kind only the two would understand. Their travels turned into a bracelet, a story told in shades of turquoise, yellow, purple, green, and blue. It warms their heart in ways they can't describe. ❝ It's so. . . ❞ Their arm raises yet the bracelet stays, Tomo lets the rays of sun caress it and for a moment they feel blessed. Everything they have been through TOGETHER was now set properly on their wrist. ❝ Kazuha, THANK YOU. I love it. ❞ And that 'I love you' is better said in actions than in words, leaning down to meet his lips and seal them together. What a wonderful birthday they would spend together, one of MANY TO COME.

[mybeingthere]

Asako Iwasawa is a contemporary Japanese painter from Akabane, Tokyo. She graduated from Tama Art University’s Department of Design, then established a design "Water Studio" studio with a friend.

During this time, Iwasawa discovered a passion for kimono design and joined the batik studio Kimono Dye Laboratory. Iwasawa spent 10 years living in the countryside, indulging her love for nature. Working as a farmer, she became acquainted with the beautiful and harsh realities of the natural world.

Iwasawa looks beyond the physical reality of the natural world and portrays the spirit of nature in her paintings. In her words, “nature is full of thrills and wonders that fuel my imagination.”

[third-new]

Moku will include the Tama Meme console launch pad for launch on Ronin

Moku is revealed Tama Memethe first launch button launch console Sky Mavis' Ronin blockchain network. This marks an important milestone in Ronin's roadmap as it moves to become an open blockchain, inviting even wider collaboration within its ecosystem. Sky Mavis is the creator of the popular Axie Infinity games that started the blockchain games craze in 2021 and created Ronin to allow a wider…

[newtras]

Moku will include the Tama Meme console launch pad for launch on Ronin

Moku is revealed Tama Memethe first launch button launch console Sky Mavis' Ronin blockchain network. This marks an important milestone in Ronin's roadmap as it moves to become an open blockchain, inviting even wider collaboration within its ecosystem. Sky Mavis is the creator of the popular Axie Infinity games that started the blockchain games craze in 2021 and created Ronin to allow a wider…

[satrthere]

Moku will include the Tama Meme console launch pad for launch on Ronin

Moku is revealed Tama Memethe first launch button launch console Sky Mavis' Ronin blockchain network. This marks an important milestone in Ronin's roadmap as it moves to become an open blockchain, inviting even wider collaboration within its ecosystem. Sky Mavis is the creator of the popular Axie Infinity games that started the blockchain games craze in 2021 and created Ronin to allow a wider…

[cienie-isengardu]

Luffy and Zoro, equality presented by Wano Arc...?

The feeling of equality between Luffy & Zoro has been sitting on my mind a lot lately, so I finally decided to write down my chaotic thoughts on that matter. 

First, to be precise: I’m not talking about power levels between Straw Hats because One Piece proved on many occasions that power alone is not a good measure how one character will fare in a fight or that beating X does not automatically guarantee beating Y. In Thriller Bark Perona took down Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and Franky without a problem, but lost to Usopp out of all people. At the same time, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji will always be the main fighters of Straw Hats no matter the gap of power between them. Everyone is powerful on their own, but they may fare better in different fighting settings. I personally tend to think that Luffy and Zoro are closer to each other in terms of power, raw strength and will, but this is not exactly the matter of equality I wish to talk about. What I wish to talk about is how the Wano arc set Luffy and Zoro apart from the rest of the crew in a more tangible (visual) way.

Even before Wano Arc, Luffy and Zoro were singled out by narrative on various occasions. The most memorable is: the first meeting with Shichibukai (and Mihawk acknowledging them both), taking a beating in Mock Town to Nami’s dismay and Bellamy Pirates’ amusement, earning the title of Supernova and with that becoming part of the Worst Generation, independently attacking Charlos/Tenryūbito (though sadly, Zoro was stopped by Bonney) or killing together a dragon on Punk Hazard. In all cases, Luffy and Zoro were set apart from the rest of the crew and even other pirates, sharing unspoken understanding of other actions and needs or becoming a part of something bigger and more dangerous. 

Luffy will always be the captain (leader) and as the main character, the hero saving the day at the end of the arc. At the same time, Zoro may never be officially called the vice captain by other crew members (which is fair, Straw Hats Pirates don’t care nor have any need for ranks) but narrative puts him as the protector of crew (i.e. Kuma), the leader in the absence of Luffy what consistently is marked by narrative boxes (i.e. “Zoro team”,”Zoro side”) and the layout of frames (Zoro taking the central position that normally belongs to Luffy) or even having some confrontation with the final boss (Arlong, Hody). Zoro is also treated like the voice of reason; even if his words are harsh and emotionless, he will speak what must be said for the Luffy and crew’s sake (Alabasta, Davy Back Fight Arc, Water 7, Enies Lobby, Zou). He is also the one that provides Luffy comfort and support in dire situations (Usopp leaving the crew). 

Luffy cares equally about his nakama, yet the narrative likes to single out Zoro as someone usually standing by him but also as someone taking Luffy’s position of captain very seriously. Further details adding to the feeling of equality set up by narrative include the visuality of their most notable scars (under left eye/left eye and middle of chest), the running joke of people mistaking Zoro for an actual captain of Straw Hats Pirates or acknowledging him as a dangerous “beast”, Luffy and Zoro’s very similar mindset and attitude towards fighting powerful enemies and all the parallels in which both captain and first mate* did the same things on various points in the manga or color spreads/covers (x)(x)(x)(x)(x)(x).

In general, the story established how despite their different nature of extrovert and introvert,  Luffy and Zoro are similar when it comes to the serious and trivial matters about whose I could talk for days. What is vital though, for years such treatment of Zoro created the feeling of equality between him and Luffy. Not in the power sense per se because narrative has never been objective about that, but how they progress from rookies to men getting closer and closer to fulfilling their dreams.

And now the Wano Arc seems to single them out in ever more visible ways.

For one, anime dropped the individual eye catchers for the whole crew, except for Luffy and Zoro. At the end of each, all Straw Hats are showed standing together:

In both cases, Zoro is on Luffy’s right and both carry similar looking katanas: Kitetsu II and Sandal Kitetsu III. The swords may have different colors, but their tsuba have the same patterns, which double the feeling of equality between those two. 

Manga provides similar moments, starting with chapter 912

and cover of volume 91 (which was used for Luffy’s eye catcher apparently) and inside illustration included in volume 92

Then from all the crew, only Luffy and Zoro were pretending to be ronin (the masterless samurai), seen in box info

while the rest Straw Hats played the role of ninja (Chopper), kunoichi (Nami), ghost (Brook), geisha (Robin), toad oil salesman (Usopp), carpenter (Franky) and soba cook (Sanji). Even Law, another Supernova and equal to Luffy, hid his identity pretending to be some sort of wandering monk. And thinking logically, Law would be better ronin because unlike Luffy, he knows how to use sword in fight. 

Another visually prominent detail - Zoro and Luffy are the only one Straw Hats who have kimonos with ornaments resembling the sun that may be a symbol of the coming dawn, foretold by Lady Toki. A dawn that will end Kaido and Orochi’s reign on Wano.

Luffy’s ornament is straight taken from the crest of the Kozuki clan (and resembling the symbol Alabasta Kingdom). I have much more to tell about Zoro’s design but that will need wait for another time. For now, though it looks much sharper is no less reminiscent of the same solar symbol. Adding to the sign their status of ronin and we may call Luffy and Zoro, figuratively speaking, the samurai bringing sun (hope, new era, peace) to a country plunged in darkness, most likely in nearest future fulfilling late Kozuki Oden’s desire to defeat Kaido and open Wano  to world.

Of course, all Straw Hats, Heart Pirates, Minks and people of Wano are working together to defeat Kaido but Luffy and Zoro were visually set apart from everyone from the beginning of the arc. There is also their personal, strong connection to Oden’s children: Momonosuke and Hiyori who both were very impressed and protected by Luffy (Momonsuke) and Zoro (Hiyori).

Another detail binding Luffy and Zoro more to Oden and setting them apart from the rest of characters are new things they have acquired through the course of the arc. Namely, the better understanding & advanced techniques of Busoshoku Haki (Luffy) and late Oden’s great sword Enma (Zoro). Both things are capable of hurting Kaido.

Usually, during the arc, Luffy gets separated from the crew for the longest part of the story. And indeed, he gets struck first in prison (where he managed to win over imprisoned there samurais) and now, during battle, is running to face Kaido escorted only by Jimbei and Sanji (who wandered away in chapter 997). Surprisingly, Zoro too was separated by quite a long period of time, in which he met and befriended Yasue, Hiyori and Toko before he rejoined the crew for the final battle. Luffy and Zoro are the Straw Hats that openly admit they want to face Kaido in fight.

Another detail setting them apart from the rest of the crew: interacting with (and in case of Zoro, beating down) other Supernovas. They met Hawkins at the beginning of arc and fought him (Sanji too, met Hawkins and Drake once in public baths but ran away, securing Nami, Robin and Shinobi well being), then Killer and Kid before and during battle, Apoo and Drake which whom they had small crash, but now Drake were working with Roronoa against Apoo. Ironically, Drake is a friend with Coby who is a friend of both Luffy and Zoro. Coby literally met those two before Nami debuted. Also, the Supernovas allied with Luffy are learning in hard way that dealing with Zoro is not less stressing that working with Luffy.

How the Wano arc will turn out will show the upcoming chapters, for now though, not only Straw Hat has a strong connection to people of this land. For one, there is Tama, that both Luffy and Zoro came to like very much and literally started wreaking havoc in enemy territory because of her. Twice. Then there is mentioned connection to Oden - symbolic samurais of dawn and carrying Momonosuke and Hiyori’s wish to defeat Kaido and save the country but also Zoro’s personal connection to Shimotsuki clan that was hinted time after time and briefly explained in SBS that may or may not play bigger role, especially since Shimotsuki clan support Kozuki family. Which only adds to the whole connection between Luffy and Zoro and (good) people of Wano.

I feel like Wano arc was set up to establish the equality of Luffy and Zoro, not in the power sense that so many fans love to argue about, but as the relationship between them. Not just as captain and (powerful) subordinate but more like partners, the way Roger and Rayleigh or Kid and Killer are seen. The manga put a lot effort in creating parallels and the visual similarity between those two characters to dismiss the potential hints of Luffy and Zoro slowly falling apart from the crew in the sense of the role they will play in this and maybe future arcs.

[batskeeart]

Inktober 2018 [Day 10] Gintoki Sakata

Happy birthday to the best Samurai ever!

[shinsengumi-archives]

I found the twitter account of one one Okita Mitsu’s descendants https://twitter.com/oki045/status/1259145304651083778?s=61&t=dgsv3BtuXS1AGH5aV7mp3A

Thanks for sharing this!

Okita Ikuo (沖田郁雄) is the great-great-grandson of Okita Mitsu. He actually really looks like that famous composite photo commonly mistaken for Souji 😅

According to this article, he’s the current head of the Okita family. His father was Okita Tetsuya (沖田哲也), a scholar of public administration, emeritus professor at the Faculty of Political Science and Economics at Meiji University, and Director of the Center for lnternational Programs (1, 2) focusing on Canadian Studies, who passed away in November 2000 (obituary).

From a quick Google search, according to Linkedin, Okita Ikuo works as a private secretary at the House of Councillors. After seeing other photos of him on his Instagram and Facebook, I think he kind of looks like these 2 possible photos of Okita Souji 😅

Here's what I learned from his tweets about the Shinsengumi:

He donated a photo of Okita Mitsu to the Shinsengumi Hometown History Museum in Hino. (source). “I wondered if I could have sent Mitsu back to her hometown. I don't really know if Hino was her true hometown, but at least she returned to the place where she spent time with Souji.” (source)

“There are no photographs or portraits of Souji.” (source)

“According to the scraps of lore passed down in the Okita family. Mitsu liked to gather people and have banquets. It's said that she gathered the "continental ronin" [T/N: Japanese who lived, traveled and conducted political activities in continental Asia from the early Meiji period to the end of World War II, in other words, colonists] at her son's house in Dalian and took care of them. Well, Souji was also helped by Yagi-san and other caretakers, so maybe she was paying it forward for their kindness to her brother. It's interesting to think about it.” (source)

Okita Souji was also fully-licensed at the Chiba Dojo. (source)

Okita Souji was a tall man for his time. (source)

It's been handed down in the Okita family that Souji used to slay people right after smiling and laughing in his daily life. (source)

“Inoue Genzaburo was not a good-natured uncle like he’s often portrayed in dramas. He was a staunch swordsman like a warrior from the Warring States period.” (source)

He confirmed that Okita was at Ikedaya according to the information passed down in his family (source)

“Kondo Isami vaguely dreamed that Hijikata Toshizo would reach Goryokaku and that the peasants and local samurai of Tama would decide the fate of the country. Ryoma acted early on with the awareness that commoners would become involved in politics. It was an awareness that Souji couldn't reach.” (source)

As a descendant of the Shinsengumi, he is deeply offended by the presence of Yasukuni shrine [T/N: this is the WW2 war criminal shrine, also enshrined members of the anti-Shogunate side who died during the Bakumatsu] for insulting and defaming the Shinsengumi. He believes State Shintoism is the pinnacle of cowardice for taking advantage of the fact that ordinary people would not sue (source). He would never visit Yasukuni because he’s a descendant of the opposing side, he’s Christian, he believes it would be better to thank those who had a higher mortality rate than the soldiers, such as transport crews, and he couldn’t forgive the suicide attackers. (source)

In the past, the Shinsengumi were portrayed as villains and didn't play a big role. Thanks to Shiba Ryotaro's novels, they became popular. He’s grateful as a descendant of the Shinsengumi. (source)

The families of the core members of the Shinsengumi were not descendants of Takeda Shingen's surviving vassals, rather vassals of Hojo. (source)

“As a descendant of the Shinsengumi, it is a family motto handed down from ancestors to beat off the "patriots" of the Meiji Restoration.” (source)

“Why does the Okita family, who is based in Tama, live in Tsurumi, Yokohama? That's because Tsurumi used to be a part of Tama.” (source)

“The Shinsengumi was a group of young people. I'm sure there were some serious historical dramas, but it couldn't have been without romantic elements.” He supports the idea of love stories involving Shinsengumi, and said this in response to someone making music for a romance novel series about the Shinsengumi (source)

Okita Souji’s descendants could visit his grave any time (source). For everyone else, it’s only open on the anniversary of his death. (source)

A crowd lining up to visit Okita’s grave on the anniversary of his death (source)

[visionkept]

Animals are drawn to those with a KIND HEART and in Tomoya's humble opinion, it couldn't be more true. As a matter of fact their keen sense was sharper than those of a human's ( and a puppet's as well ), capable of seeing past facades and deceptions. If Tama and her attention seeking group of strays had approached him so rakishly then Tomo could afford to trust a WANDERER like him even if it's just for a fleeting moment. ❝ It seems that we have something in common. ❞ A quiet laugh does come to soothe their senses before they take the chance to sit right next to the other. There's a considerable space between the two and Tomo would keep it that way for good measure. ❝ You could say that Tama is one pampered princess. ❞

As if she had been called over, the white coated furball makes her way up to her owner's lap defying the prior dissatisfaction they held for her shameless actions. She is well aware that the ronin couldn't stay mad for long and to persuade this change a light tap on their hand prompts them to scratch her head ( if that didn't sell it fully then the PURRS emitted shall do the trick ). ❝ I have had her since she was a kitten so you could say she's sort of my RESPONSIBILITY. ❞ This, however, doesn't make them entirely liable for any of her elaborated schemes. ❝ Is any of these troublemakers yours ? ❞ Considering how thin and squalid some of them looked, they doubted it. ❝ Or could it be that you are instead interested in adopting one of them ? Maybe the one begging for your attention could be a good match. ❞

He shook his head, dark blue ends tickling fair-skinned cheeks. A hand to come up and push the hair back but to no avail. It fell right back in place as if permanently fixed there. " No need to apologize. I'm used to this sort of thing. " One of the strays nudged at his hand in a plea for attention. Though he gently pushed them away, they only came right back and nudged at him harder. After a moment of hesitation, the wanderer obliged and began to pet its head. With a sigh, he went on. " This seems to happen everywhere I go. Eventually, you learn to just go along with it. The food won't be anything I miss. " Rather, it wasn't something he needed to begin with. The fish they feasted on now was something he'd gone out of his way to acquire just for them. But none would hear that tale.

" You said the white one is yours ? You take good care of her. " He could tell at a glance that she must have belonged to someone, but chose to ignore this initially. After all, the others still needed to eat. And there wasn't any way he could purposely exclude her for this fact alone. He wasn't so cruel.

[visionkept]

OPEN DYNAMICS your muse can have with their favorite ronin ( aka. hopefully Tomo ).

Does your muse require a BODYGUARD ? A knight in shining armor ? Then Tomo's your man ( not a man but you get what I mean ) ! Pay them to protect you at the low cost of thousands of mora. This package includes Tomo doing their job and pretending they are doing it just for the sake of money when in reality they CARE A LOT and will even risk their life to save your muse if needed. Bonus points if this does becomes SLOW BURN.

If your muse is a NOBLE or someone with a HIGH RANKING position I got good AND bad news: The good ones, they won't care about your fancy title and they WILL treat you like an ordinary person and NOT some golden statue that has to be revered, on the other hand they will find a way to get on your nerves as they love making fancy nobles break from character.

Tomo would actually be a great sword arts teacher. Want to wield a sword ? Tomo will help you with it. Want to cut your enemy in half ? Tomo WON'T help with that but they'll teach you the basics to attack and defend yourself.

RIVALS. Spar together, break each others' noses, go to the limits of life and death in a one of a kind rival encounter !

This is more of a shipping one so. . . princess x scoundrel dynamic . . . I rest my case, your honor *drops mic*.

TRAVELING PARTNERS. Our muses should travel around TEYVAT in a self discovering trip where one of them discovers the meaning of life or whatever, I just want them to have fun and feel that they got a friend to TRUST.

ENEMIES. That's it, you know there's nothing healthy in this point.

This is for the single parent AU: help their ass raise baby Tama. Become the auntie / uncle or whatever the heck the bab needs really.

[mybeingthere]

TAKEDA, HIDEO (1948 - PRESENT)

As one of Japan’s most important creative minds, Hideo Takeda's work invariably speaks to a global audience. Over his long career, Takeda has inhabited multiple identities and worked with innumerable media. His art is firmly rooted in the creative potential inherent in crossing boundaries and the freedom that comes with the refusal to be categorized. As a satirist, cartoonist, printmaker, photographer, illustrator, comedian, provocateur, and as both a citizen of Japan and a citizen of the world at large, the only persistent qualities of Takeda’s artistic output are flexibility, adaptation, and surprise.

Born in Osaka in 1948, Hideo Takeda was accepted to the prestigious Tama Art University, where he completed his degree in sculpture. It was his drawings and works on paper, however, that propelled Takeda into the spotlight, and shortly after graduation he received the prestigious Bungei-Shunju Cartoon Award in 1976. Combining the aesthetics of traditional prints, western cartoons, and textile patterns, Hideo Takeda’s prints are startling, boldly graphic, often surreal, and subtly beautiful. After a career of more than forty years, Takeda enjoyed a one-man show at the British Museum and his work can be found in the permanent collections of multiple prestigious institutions.

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

The Voyage So Far: Wano (Part One)

east blue (1 | 2) || alabasta (1 | 2) || skypiea || water 7 || enies lobby || thriller bark || paramount war (1 | 2) || fishman island || punk hazard || dressrosa (1 | 2) || whole cake island || wano (1 | 2)

shirahoshi seeing the sun for the first time is really a relatively minor and understated thing, among all the chaos and revelations of reverie, but it strikes me as one of the most meaningful little moments in the arc. 

i LOVE the luffy fanclub. i love that a meeting of the world leaders winds up being a who’s-who with assorted friends of one of the world’s most notorious criminals, and it brings me SO much joy to see them meeting each other and being able to connect. i feel the same way about coby and rebecca meeting.

in general, and i think i said this at marineford too, i love that the one piece world is developed and interconnected and alive enough to allow for these sorts of interactions. 

fucked up that this was almost a hundred chapters ago and we still have no clue what the fuck was up with this, isn’t it? 

i do find the introduction of im fascinating. up until this point we’ve had two presumed final villains- blackbeard and akainu- who were first established pretty far back at jaya and enies lobby (in robin’s flashback) respectively. meanwhile, im isn’t even seen until chapter nine hundred and something. it feels very late-game, but at the same time, their existence doesn’t contradict anything previously established, and in fact jives pretty well with a lot of information more recently revealed in dressrosa. 

in any case, when in doubt i do trust oda knows what he’s doing when handling his story, and i’m very excited to see what he does with this.

wano is SO PRETTY. i mentioned this before in fishman island, but i think wano is definitely the prettiest setting in the series to date. i think it’s obvious oda was both very excited to draw it and put a lot of work and research into his depiction of it, and wow does it pay off. wano is so bursting with life and detail, and frequently looks like an ukiyo-e painting come to life, and just- wow wow wow.

i love zoro and luffy’s reunion so much... i love how happy they are to see each other. it’s only been, what, a couple weeks in-universe? but luffy is pulling the full tackle-hug like he did for sabo at dressrosa. i love them.

i really like the outfits in wano, too!! zoro’s ronin look in particular i think suits him very well, and i also love luffy’s patchy yukata and robin’s geisha getup and they’re just very cool. this also applies to the non-strawhat wano characters, for the record, and kind of ties back to what i was just saying about wano being so full of detail. it has a very specific look, and everything from the outfits to the way things like the fire and the waves are drawn folds very neatly into that aesthetic. 

as i’m writing this i just finished on the paramount war posts, so with that fresh on my mind, i have to say i really like the way ace (or rather, his memory) is incorporated into wano. he’s not really a major presence- that is, the fact that he was there before luffy has no real bearing on the plot. but there are people who knew and cared about him and remember him fondly, tama and yamato, and it just really helps add to this feeling that ace was a person and his life and death had real and lasting affects. 

and it adds, too, to the fact that even if it took ace way too long to realize it, he was so thoroughly loved everywhere he went. 

i have a lot of thoughts on the intersection of food and heroism in one piece (i keep trying to compile a coherent meta post on the subject and mostly failing). but i’ll settle for saying that in wano luffy is a hero by his own definition, as someone who shares food with others, and i doubt he realizes that, but i think it’s really interesting. 

i know luffy’s fight with kaidou is kind of controversial in fandom but i love it, personally. it feels like a logical outcome for luffy to get his ass kicked the first time he tries to go up against a yonkou singlehandedly! he got wrecked when he tried to throw down with a shichibukai the first time, too, and this is just the next logical step from that. 

luffy’s always been an underdog starting from nowhere and working his way up and up and up, and i love that for him. of course he’s going to get messed up the first time he tries punching an entire order of magnitude above his weight class. and then he’s going to get up and try again, and again, and again until he wins. 

the act structure of wano is really neat, i think. it helps such a long and complicated arc feel a lot more structured and less interminable than it might otherwise, and it also gives specific breaks where we can cut away to the story happening on the outside world. 

honestly i really like the whole udon prison segment. it’s fun! i like it for similar reasons i like the colosseum mini-arc in dressrosa, honestly, which is that there’s no real stress because we know luffy is the scariest person there by a country mile so we can just watch him go ham, and that’s fun. it consistently cracks me up that absolutely nobody is worried luffy’s in jail. they’re all just like “yeah, he’ll be fine.” and they’re right! he’s having the time of his life!

wano’s cast is fascinating, because almost nobody is who they first appear to be. almost everyone is wearing masks, whether literal or not- fitting, for an arc structured after a kabuki play. everyone is playing roles, from hiyori to denjirou to kanjurou to yasuie, and everyone lies. 

this entire sequence at orochi’s party is one of my favorites in the whole arc- in fact, it was my favorite, until we reached a certain part i’ll get to in the next post. everything from komurasaki standing up for toko and slapping orochi to denjirou “killing” her to robin getting caught by the oniwabanshu and dissolving into petals to nami calling down a massive lightning bolt to cover their escape- it’s really good. 

i’ve written extensively before about the smile fruits and the themes of smile and laughter in one piece and how important the freedom to feel and express emotion is. suffice it to say that for all the atrocities orochi commits against the people of wano, it’s feeding the smile fruits to the people of ebisu town that is his greatest crime, and the revelation of just what happened to those poor people ratchets up the tragedy of wano tenfold.

i do think it’s interesting to think about how if denjirou had been just a little less committed to his role, zoro would’ve killed orochi right here. it really drives home that orochi is nothing- he’s weak, he’s cowardly, he’s just lucky and clever and cruel enough to be able to get much more powerful people to do his work for him. 

it’s infuriating that someone like him has been able to hold such power over the lives of the people of wano and ruin them so thoroughly, and that’s exactly the point. 

wano is the arc where oda says you Will care about the supernovas and i’m like yeah

hey, another of my all-time favorite luffy panels!! i honestly just think this one sums him up as a character in a line more than almost any other- “i’m always free.” 

just look at the detail on kidd’s metal hand holy shit holy shit. on occasion certain panels jump out at me that remind me that oda really is just, a genius at drawing on a technical level, even setting aside his writing and storytelling chops, and this is one of them. 

oda is really, really good at creating the sense of a darkest hour- a time when all hope seems lost. the other best example in the series is in water seven, when the crew seems to be falling to pieces, merry is marked for death, robin’s gone, and the aqua laguna is coming. here, too- nobody comes to meet the akazaya nine, and the one chance they’ve waited twenty years and staked their lives on seems in danger of slipping through their fingers-

but the point of making it so all seems lost is so that when hope does appear, it shines all the brighter, and feels all the more triumphant. it’s always darkest before the dawn, and we all know how wano has been waiting for the dawn. 

[danwhobrowses]

One Piece Chapter 1004 - Initial Thoughts

We keep on rolling to 1004

Last time we continued with the fight as Luffy ran out of gas, leading to some hype and highly anticipated moments, so let’s see if they unfolded in 1004

Spoilers for Chapter 1004, Support the Official Release too!

A nice Chopper cover this time, looks like you get enough value for your money with that bag of rumble ‘candies’

The chapter title also raised a brow, lots of theories could indeed come to fruition

I TOLD YALLS ASSES THAT SPEED WILL COME BACK! THERE’S HORSELINA!

So of course, Speed is the ‘enemy ship’ that let Tama in, makes sense since she’s their master so they can’t pull the ‘you’re too young card’ on her

She’s also hard at work using her DF, Kibi Dangos all around!

Sometimes all a girl needs is a supportive family of a Tengu sensei, a pet dog and baboon, a tea shop grandma, a caring horse lady, crazy pirate brothers, a samurai aunt, a ronin uncle and your very own army of human/animal hybrids

Tama wanting to see Momo as Shogun was a pretty big statement too

I do particularly love that Speed, Gazelleman and Daifugo - who were all minor characters in the last 2 acts of Wano - are coming in big clutch for Tama, Oda doesn’t forget

Also funny is there different methods, Speed is all ‘this is a special dango that makes you stronger’, Gazelleman is just all ‘have this snack’ then there’s Daifugo that’s just ‘EAT YOUR DAMN DANGOS’

Over to Franky vs Sasaki though and Sasaki’s defence is pretty strong, but General Franky is also pretty strong too

Cheap shot though, the Armored Corps holding General Franky down to be charged by Sasaki, looks like this Flying Six member doesn’t share the honour rules that Franky does

Fortunately Nami, Usopp and Tama are riding in...aaaand they’re being chased

OR ARE THEY!?

Nami and Usopp’s chaotic grins are great behind Determined Tama

SMILE ATROCITIES, ATTACK!

And then Sasaki wipes his own men out XD

I have mixed feelings about Thunder Lance Tempo, on the one hand Yay Nami! but on the other Nooo Ulti!

Usopp as well using his salt sniping skills but this time with Dangos...another Thriller Bark callback in Wano...

Oooof, got him in the fleshy belly. I doubt he’s done though, if Ulti can take a lightning bolt through the chest then Sasaki can deal with a belly slice

Not looking good with Sanji though...well, depending on your point of view, should’ve used the Raid Suit

Maria wants Sanji to betray Robin? Ha, good luck with that

Sanji doing the badass face there too

Magical Squirrel Girl and maybe-maybe-not-CP0 Bao Huang has found the Scabbards though due to her mouse spy

Whoa now hold up, who as that Bird person with the eye tags that is an epic design!

Second floor treasure room huh? Guess that means no Yamato :/ shame

Wonder if Marco is the one keeping King’s hands full

That girl is wearing an earpiece for sure, maybe it’s a den den mushi earring, or an earworm SMILE....they do keep bringing attention to it

Maria to face down the Samurai, Sanji may yet get a reprieve

Ten people huh? Reminder that the Akazaya are only 8 at the moment; Kin, Denjiro, Inu, Neko, Kiku, Izo, Raizo and Kawamatsu, so that means 2 other people are tending to them

Hidden Person is the final panel

NOOOOOO NOT ANOTHER BREAK!

So...no Hybrid form this week...or next week, maybe not even next chapter. We seem to have used this as respite to show the movements of the lower floors, but right now we’ve only really covered Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Franky. This does leave open Chopper (and Drake and Marco), Brook and Robin, Carrot and Wanda, Jimbei and Yamato, on the enemy side we have yet to see movements from Queen, Hawkins, Apoo, Jack or Who’s Who either.

There was a lot of love about the chapter though, revenge of the Queen of Beasts! Tama is directly working to shift the black tiles white as she is practically absorbing Kaido’s armies into the alliance’s. Now the SMILE atrocities are on our side, but there is still the matter of the Tobi Roppo and the Lead Performers, but this is indeed a turning point CP0 may not have anticipated from their reviews last chapter.

As for the person helping the Scabbards, they do look feminine and have one long bit of hair drooping down, people are saying Hiyori though I wouldn’t put it past it being Robin and Brook, Robin would want to find a treasure room for any intel and her and Brook would attend to the Akazaya if they saw them, on top of this it can lead to the confrontation that Black Maria wants; Robin vs Maria. This could also bring Sanji back from his rough spot in the raid, he started strong but in the face of his simpness he fell from grace, but if he escapes Maria and is confident that Robin can handle the giantess then perhaps he can move towards other fights.

This being said, the fact that we left the top of the dome with Luffy exhausted and Kaido in Hybrid form does worry me greatly, who knows how long it’ll be before we see Luffy and Zoro again, and what state they could be in.