#actually Kichou was Nobunaga's legal wife

[kurozero]

- After everything, it's you, Kich... - No! In appearance, in name... I am not the person I was before. - Is that so...? Then you won't come and stay by my side?

[toreii]

Kichou in real life is Nōhime, Nobunaga’s legal wife. (An open discussion)

Like with all history, a good chunk of it is all hearsay and word of mouth. If there isn’t a credible first hand account, it’s usually a rumor which started some time after the fact that the people in question are long dead. In my time reading just about anything and everything Sengoku, I read that one of the beliefs why Nobunaga and Nōhime never had children was because Nōhime was actually a man.

I seriously wouldn’t put it past Nobunaga to marry a man. As great of a man, daimyo, and warlord that he was, I also recognize the not so glamourous side of him. He was egnimatic, larger-than-life, a damn genius, and too good for the time period he was born in. But, he was also barbaric, outlandish, a hideous brute, and a terrifying demon. Let’s also not forget that it’s rumored that Nobunaga practiced shudō with Ranmaru—an act that is viewed as pedofilic in today’s age, but was a practiced norm in 16th century Japan. Who would question such loyalty? Ranmaru died an honorable death following right after his lord. It was only after their deaths did the people stop and question such loyalty. Was there more to Nobunaga and Ranmaru than meets the eye?

Returning back to Nōhime, when studying Nobunaga’s life, one might think “What was his married life like?” Surely, the man had to be married, and he was. But, his marriage to Kichō was more political than actual love. Nobunaga needed someone like Saitō Dōsan to back him up politically considering the frail state the Oda clan was in. There was an internal power struggle—one that Nobunaga had to deal with from a very early age. Many in the Oda clan were unhappy with Nobunaga being Nobuhide’s heir. They rejected the idea of Nobunaga stepping in and taking control. Nobunaga needed to think and act fast, and the best way to make an ally in Sengoku Japan was through marriage.

So, Saitō Dōsan sent Kichō and Nobunaga was legally wed to secure his alliance with the Viper of Mino. As expected of any marriage, people wonder “Where are the kids?” The stated fact here is that Nobunaga and Nōhime never had any children. There are assumptions mainly that Nōhime was unable to get pregnant. However, some historians hypothesized that Nōhime was never actually a woman. Nōhime was actually a man which is why he and Nobunaga never conceived because they were physically unable to do so. And the thing about Nōhime is that she is a mystery. Not a lot is known about her. After the Honnō-ji attack, she disappears from history. Some people claim she was at Honnō-ji and died. Others claim she instigated the attack with Mitsuhide (very unlikely). Some say she fled Azuchi once word of Nobunaga’s death reached the castle. And others claim she became a nun and changed her name surviving the Sengoku period living a quiet life until her death.

All one can do is entertain the rumors. In this case, we can entertain this trope just as many series have turned Nobunaga into a woman. Supposedly, he did dress up as a woman and danced outside in the streets. Or, how some entertain the rumor that Mitsuhide was in love with Nobunaga and that’s why he killed him. Not because Nobunaga threw his fancy chinaware into a pond, or had his mother killed because of a botched ceasefire, or because Nobunaga publically humiliated and kicked Mitsuhide for a teensy comment the man said. Of course, these are all rumors, too.

I think at this point we just romanticize the Sengoku period as much as we want. Whether it’s true or not, we love the idea of what ifs. We run with these rumors, and create stories to satisfy that curiosity. Man or woman, I have been waiting since I first began playing Ikemen Sengoku to see Nōhime. I have always loved Nōhime in general. I don’t even think Nobunaga deserved her, but I’m just an observer so what the hell would I know.😆 I’m so glad and thankful Cybird is finally giving me the two people I always wanted aside from Nobunaga’s mustache: Ranmaru and Kichō💕