#genji monogatari emaki

[crazyfox-archives]

A pamphlet from the Tokugawa Art Museum (徳川美術館) in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, featuring a scene from “The Tale of Genji” (源氏物語) by Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部) as depicted in the illustrated handscroll “Genji Monogatari Emaki” (源氏物語絵巻) produced around 1120-1140

Acquired at the museum November 27, 1994

[tetrachromate]

The more I think about and familiarise myself with it, the more I come to think that Japanese Heian culture did not emerge solely through an internal isolationist process. Looking at late tang/five dynasties/early song iconography in Dunhuang, the Famen Temple garments and comparing to 11th-12th century Heian scrolls like Prince Shotoku, the Genji Monogatari Emaki, the Northern Fujiwara clan Chuson-Ji temple donations, and other miscellanea and there are so so many commonalities and emerging trends- increasing use of goldwork in textiles, bigger, often giant floral/geometric medallion motifs, wider proportions, low hanging sleeves, stiffened rather than soft headpieces, more prominent cross-collar garments with wide collars, e.t.c. In addition to the well documented monastic exchanges which took place, bringing updated tea culture and mainland chinese buddhist texts and schools of thought. Which is interesting because so much of what you hear is just the opposite- that the Heian period was when Japanese culture finally "properly" developed its own aesthetic sense and practice. But there has always been continual economic and cultural exchange in east asia! You can't really understand any state or region without acknowledging that, but people keep trying to do so with Japan, for what I think are underlying very problematic reasons

[raiko-huyiro]

Imperial court in Kyoto

Genji Monogatari Emaki

published by the Tokugawa Museum in Nagoya

Japan, 1937

[proficient-in-hoarding-deadlines]

Do you ever see an unfunny meme

and feel the overwhelming urge to destroy its (attempt at) humor by treating it as a research prompt? That happened to me recently when I saw this:

If I had to place my discontent with the punchline, it’s that it enforces a stereotype instead of breaking it. What’s more, as one of my friends noted upon seeing the meme, it employs the picture to power the punchline. The style of ukiyo-e prints does generally make faces look similar.

The only catch is, there are other ways to distinguish characters in a picture, and ukiyo-e artists weren’t afraid to overuse them in order to make everything crystally clear to everybody even half-literate. The first clue are the clothes & accessoires. They let the viewer guess the characters' gender and social status. The style of the clothes and its colour, as well as the presence of heraldic symbols or class symbols (like swords) are the things to look at. If we’re talking famous characters, they may have certain fixed poses/attires/objects by which they are easily recognized. Another important clue is when the artist puts the name of the person in the picture right next to them on a special plaque.

All this is not to say that all faces in ukiyo-e prints are the same. Sure, from early on in Japanese visual art there is a trend of drawing faces in as few and as simple lines as possible (引目鉤鼻, hikime kagibana, or, "slit-eyes and hook-nose")*. But by the late Edo period (to which this print belongs) it is customary to add some individuality into the characters’ features. I think the influence of Sharaku’s caricature-like portraits** here.

In my experience, the two types of sword-wielding characters that come up in such prints are famous martial heroes and actors. The actual warriors are often depicted alone in detailed, dynamic poses***, while actors can come in groups, acting out famous scenes from various plays. (Needless to say, prints were published in thematic albums). In this particular print, we see a pair of actors. First, they are wearing some elaborate costumes (not regular clothes, nor armour, as it would be appropriate for famous warriors). Second, their faces are clean (and warriors in prints are often bearded and wild-looking to reflect their warlike attitude). Third, the pose looks theatrical in its stillness. Certainly, the artist was good enough to make it as dynamic as was custom for that period, should that have been necessary. Also (and this is more of a gut feeling) the bamboo and the lantern in the background seem like something to do with the theater, too.

Now, the only question that remains is, what’s the play? To answer it I had to scroll quite a bit through google images search until I found the original. It, as expected, came with many inscriptions.

Utagawa Kunisada, 1856

As the cool red lion-plaque in the right corner indicates, the series this print is from is called Seven calligraphic variants of the iroha (清書七伊呂波). Next, a title says that what we see is a scene for the character tsu (つ) from the Kabuki play Tsuzure-no nishiki (襤褸錦, roughly translates as "The brocade of rags"). Which explains the clothes. Next to the title of the play the names of the characters are listed. The black squares on the left (to the best of my understanding) contain the names of the actors.

More pictures and links under cut!

*hikime kagibana

a close-up of a court lady from Genji monogatari emaki, 12th century (source)

**an actor's portrait by Sharaku

Arashi Ryûzô II as Ishibe Kinkichi, 1794 (source)

***a warrior print

石橋山伏木隠　大場三郎景親 (Ishibashiyama: hidden under a bowed tree; Ōba Saburō Kagechika), by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, mid-19th century (source)

And also

the same scene from Tsuzure-no nishiki in larger scale (same artist, but from about 30 years earlier). The lantern, bamboo and the straw... something seem to indeed be stage decorations/props (source)

P.S. Just remembered that i made another iroha-related post a while ago

[chromolume]

12th century illustration of The Tale of Genji

[fujiwara57]

emaki 絵巻 - peinture en rouleau : “Eight Views from The Tale of Genji”(Genji monogatari hakkei 源氏物語 八景)

Ishiyama Moroka 石山師香 (1669 - 1734).

Moroka était aussi courtisan que peintre et poète. sa formation artistique venait de la branche de Kyōto 京都 de l'école de Kanō-ha 狩野派. Dans ce travail de jeunesse, il a limité les éléments narratifs à l'extrême droite de chaque scène, laissant ainsi plus de place à la brume et aux éléments de paysage abrégés dans une soie autrement vide. Son rouleau manuscrit est peut-être le plus ancien exemple de peinture de Genji «Huit vues».

Source : https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/53012

[arsnovacadenza]

Can you talk more about Yoshitsune related media? Care to share resources? I was thinking about reading the Tale of the Heike. Is it interesting?

Oooo boy I'm mostly a beginner in this subject and I'm not sure if I'm of much help. I usually go ask @daeva-agas for more historical things but I do have some suggestions.

For starters, I suggest going around Japanese Corpus for Genpei War-related historical figures. It’s a Wiki edited by Japanese people who read untranslated resources. From there I found out that there are actually more works abt Genpei Literature than just the Tale of Heike. They are:

Azuma Kagami, mostly about the founding of the Shogunate and beyond, which means there will be Yoshi appearances here and there. Lately, people have been recognizing its flaws as well as its merit as an important historical document. So, take information from this text with a grain of salt.

The Tale of Hogen, detailing the Hogen rebellion (July 28 – August 16, 1156). A prelude to the The Tale of Heiji.

The Tale of Heiji, recording the Heiji rebellion (1159–1160) in the form of an emaki or painted narrative handscroll. This, my friend, is the point where daddy Minamoto no Yoshitomo was defeated by the Taira while they spared his sons Yoritomo, Yoshitsune, and Noriyori.

Genpei Seisuiki (The Rise and Decline of the Minamoto and Taira Clans). Not sure if there’s any info in English about this text.

Gikeiki, a military book mainly focused on legends about Yoshitsune and his retainers. This is the one that provided a lot of inspiration for kabuki and noh plays about Yoshitsune. Translated in English under the title of Yoshitsune: A Fifteenth-Century Japanese Chronicle

And about Heike Monogatari/Tale of Heike. To be fair, I haven't gotten around to reading that one because It's VERY hard to get a physical copy here in Indonesia. What you're most likely to find, however, is the modern translations by Eiji Yoshikawa by the same title. From what I understand, it's a sort of modern retranslation from previous translations.

AND OOH FUN FACT My dad used to have a copy of Minamoto no Yoritomo and a big-ass hard-copy of Heike lying around in my old house. Dunno where it is right now since we moved like ten years ago. It's a shame I wasn't into Japanese history as I am now :')).

Now, for fictional media that should at least walk you through important events in the Genpei War:

Historical Jdramas Taira no Kiyomori and Yoshitsune. Note that Yoshitsune and Yoritomo’s first meeting doesn’t happen in Kiyomori until Ep. 47 or so.

The Shanaou Yoshitsune manga. From what I read, it tries to be faithful to historical records regarding the events in Yoshitsune’s life (training with monks, going to Oushuu Hiraizumi to gain Fujiwara no Hidehira’s support), but instead of the actual Ushiwakamaru/Yoshi, the protagonist is a young street urchin named Hyouta who looks identical to Ushiwaka. Basically, it’s a switcheroo with Hyouta replacing Ushiwaka as the heir of the Genji while Ushiwaka gets to live free from the Heike/Taira.

The ongoing The Heike Story anime by Science Saru. It’s told from the perspective of a blind lute player named Biwa who can see the future and tells her predictions to Taira no Shigemori (Taira no Kiyomori’s son) regarding the Taira’s future. Totally on my watching list.

The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail, a 1945 film by Akira Kurosawa. It was based on a kabuki play about Yoshitsune and Benkei’s escape from Yoritomo. Not sure if it’s up your aisle, but worth watching if you love Benkei and Yoshitsune’s relationship.

Then, here are some of the more batshit-insane fictionalized depictions of the Genpei Wars:

My personal favorite, ride-or-die Takashi Miike film Sukiyaki Western Django. As its name suggests, it’s a tale of the Heike and Genji IN THE WILD WEST. The plot is a rehash of the Spaghetti Western classic A Fistful of Dollars but with Heike Monogatari characters. Here you’ll be introduced to Yoshitune, Benkei, Shizuka Gozen, Nasu no Yoichi, Taira no Shigemori and even Taira no Kiyomori.

Kurozuka, a horror manga and anime series about Kurou/Yoshitsune and Benkei escaping from Yoritomo’s pursuit. They meet a girl named Kuromitsu who’s a vampire of some sort. Then Yoshi gets yeeted into the distant post-apocalyptic future.

The playstation games Genji: Dawn of the Samurai and Genji: Days of Blade where you control Yoshitsune and Benkei (and Shizuka in the second game) as they face the Taira clan using stones that can slow down time during battle. You’d probably know Days of Blade from that E3 meme with the Giant Enemy Crab. 

The otome/dating sim for girls game Birushana Senki on Switch. From what I can tell, it follows girl!Yoshitsune from her first encounter with Benkei up to the naval battles. You get to romance Taira no Tomomori or his brother Noritsune, Benkei, and uh, Yoritomo.

Otome game Ikemen Genjiden where you get to romance Yoshitsune instead. It’s a what-if scenario in which Yoshitsune is revived from his suicide attempt after fleeing from Yoritomo. There are yokai involved. 

Gojoe, which I just discovered today on TvTropes. So, apparently it’s about Benkei who’s now a repentant monk and Yoshitsune who’s now a power hungry mystic warrior after his death.

The old Namco game series  Genpei Touma Den in which you’re a resurrected Taira no Kagekiyo who’s out for Minamoto blood including Yoshinaka, Yoritomo, and Yoshitsune himself. Everybody wears creepy kabuki and noh-inspired face paint and it’s awesome.

There’s probably a lot more I haven’t covered. So if you guys happen to know better resources about Yoshitsune, feel free to message me. Also, don’t hesitate to correct me if I got any information wrong.

I hope this helps, anon! 

[divine-entertainment]

This is a great post, but I think it should be clarified that Izayoi is definitely a princess from the Heian era (794-1185). Not only does she wear the juunihitoe but you can also see that her hair is extremely long and falls loose down her back, a luxury that only noblewomen could afford given their priviledged and sedentary lifestyle. 

This is a scene from the Genji Monogatari Emaki which is an actual representation of the time of the famous novel.

The princess shown during the events of Inuyasha has shorter hair tied in a tail and you can see from her sleeves that she isn’t wearing as many layers as Inuyasha’s mother. 

Another hint of the Heian period is the standing curtain (kichou) next to Izayoi which is typical of the time. Curtains were used to enclose private spaces and women hid behind it all the time, even during public or official events, to be granted privacy. 

The other princess, however, is sitting next to a multi-paneled screen (byoubu) that was very popular in the Muromachi period (1336–1573) and in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573–1603) for the wealth they symbolized and their artistic value derived from the high quality material used to decorate them, like gold leaf that helps light up dark spaces.

While Izayoi is clearly a Heian princess - and that would make Inuyasha much older than the debunked 150-200 years old - I also think that Rumiko Takahashi (and Sunrise) didn’t put too much thought into making the timeline fit with her character’s age since her statements about the characters as well as demon aging are quite contradictory. What’s important for her is that she portrayed Inuyasha as a 15 year old both physically and mentally, because that’s how she wants us to envision him.

Character Ages

It's always difficult to determine how old something is when it doesn't age the way a human does.  And you can't really cut a youkai in half and count their rings, either (well, maybe you can with Bokusenou).  So how old, exactly, are the characters in the series?

None of the youkai characters are given "temporal" ages, only human equivalent ages.

And, in fact, Kagome and Kohaku are the only recurring characters whose ages are given explicitly in the manga.

KAGOME どうして忘れるのかってことすら考えたこともなかった。　十五歳になった今日までは。 Doushite wasureru no ka tte koto sura kangaeta koto mo nakatta.  Juugosai ni natta kyou made wa. I never even thought about why I'd forget.  Until today, when I turned fifteen.

KOHAKU-PAPA おまえももう十一だ。　そろそろ実戦に出ねばな。 Omae mo mou juuichi da.  Sorosoro jissen ni deneba na. You are already eleven.  It's about time you participated in a real battle.

All of the other characters' ages come from the Zusetsutaizen Ougikaiden (Inuyasha Profiles) book.  From this book we get:

Humans Kagome - 15 Miroku - 18 Sango - 16 Kohaku - 11 Kikyou - 18 Bankotsu - 17 Jakotsu - 20 Renkotsu - 24 Suikotsu - 26

Non-human characters are only given human equivalent ages:

Non-humans Inuyasha - 15 Shippou - 7 Kouga - 15 Sesshoumaru - 19 Naraku - 23 Kagura - 17 Kanna - 10

But what about actual ages for the non-human characters?  Is there any way to figure that out?

Naraku's group is pretty easy.  We know Naraku was created from Onigumo shortly before Inuyasha was sealed, so Naraku himself is 50 years old.  All of his incarnations like Kagura and Kanna were spawned from him, which make them all less than a year old.

But when most people ask this, they're usually wondering about characters like Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Shippou.  Characters who are known to have biological parents and therefore most likely had a natural birth.

The manga gives us little clue to these, but the anime is more adventurous when throwing around dates.  The third movie places Inuyasha's birth 200 years before the main series, making him 150 years old minus the 50 years on the tree.

Which is... honestly difficult to believe.  Inuyasha has been depicted as learning and interacting with people at the same level as a human, and given the fact that it took him less than a month to warm up to and trust Kagome, and he learned eleventy billion attacks over the course of a year, if he'd seriously been alive for 150 years prior to that, he should have had WAY more street smarts and been WAY more jaded than he was at the beginning of the series.

So, given the fact that Inuyasha gave no indication that he had significantly more life experience under his belt than a human of his apparent age, from a characterization standpoint it doesn't seem possible for him to be much older than he looks.

So what's the obsession with 200 years?  It probably has to do with what Inuyasha's mother is depicted as wearing, which is a Heian-era 12-layer robe (juunihitoe/十二単).

The Heian era was 794-1185, whereas the series takes place sometime between 1543 and 1553.  So asserting Inuyasha's birth as being "200 years ago" STILL doesn't put it anywhere near the Heian era.  Not to mention princesses in the main series are still depicted as wearing layered robes similar to Inuyasha's mother's, such as the princess Kotatsu wanted to paint:

Therefore, I'm going to make the non-expert assertion that the anime is talking out its ass when it throws around ages like "200 years" for Inuyasha, and figure it's much more likely his mom just had a thing for retro clothing (hell, the Profiles book says she was from a ruined noble family, so it's quite possible she couldn't afford new clothes).

There does seem to be a bit of a disconnect between what Takahashi considers "old" vs. what the anime considers "old".  For example, the epilogue drama "Asatte" casually pegged Jaken's age at 700-800 years old!  Really?  Really?!  Whereas the manga considers this to be a sufficiently old youkai:

BAKE-NEKO くくく…　齢三百年のわらわに比べれば…　そのような猫又なぞ子猫も同然… Kukuku.... Yowai sanbyakunen no warawa ni kurabereba... sono youna nekomata nazo koneko mo douzen... Heh heh... Compared to a 300 year-old like me... that two-tailed cat is nothing but a kitten...

So, hey, now we know Kirara is significantly less than 300 years old (ha, suck on that, anime filler that depicted her as Midoriko's familiar).

Beyond that, the anime also gave us the Hyounekozoku (Panther Deva) story, which spoke of a war between Sesshoumaru and the cats while Inuyasha was sealed.  Shippou had no recollection of this war because he was too young, so the anime at least believes Shippou to be less than 50 (which is, again, understandable.  He, like Inuyasha, doesn't seem to be much older than he looks).

But then we've got Sesshoumaru.  Unlike Inuyasha, he seems to know much more about the world and has much more experience than a typical 19 year-old.  Well, we already know he's older than 50 due to the fact that he wasn't sealed for 50 years and we know he and Inuyasha interacted prior to the sealing.  And since he's older than Inuyasha, and Inuyasha is at least 15, that pushes Sesshoumaru's age to at least 65.  But beyond that, there's really no other indicators as to how old he might actually be.

Takahashi, do you have any input?

七宝、殺生丸、鋼牙など��妖怪は、何十年何百年単位で生きてそうなので、やはり読者の皆様の見た目で判断していただければと思ってます。

As for youkai like Shippou, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga, they can live for dozens or hundreds of years, so I think it would be best for the readers to make their own judgements based on appearances.

... Right.

[crazyfox-archives]

A scene from the “Bridge Maiden” (橋姫 “Hashihime”) chapter of “The Tale of Genji” (源氏物語) by Murasaki Shikibu (紫式部) as depicted in the illustrated handscroll “Genji Monogatari Emaki” (源氏物語絵巻) produced around 1120-1140

From the collection of the Tokugawa Art Museum (徳川美術館) in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture

[maiji]

While looking up Genji Monogatari papers and translations, I kept running into these reverse otome games (basically dating sims with genderbent versions of Genji’s lovers) and getting super amused. And then @atorier sent me more lol

As a comic artist and writer, I love seeing the different takes of these characters! It's really neat to consider how the character designers might have approached interpreting/translating their personalities and stories, the creative license they took with the historical clothing, and even which characters the team picked in order to create what they felt would be a well-rounded cast for the game experience within their budget.

My thoughts comparing the designs below. Bear in mind I've read Genji but haven't actually played any of these games - I'm commenting mainly on character origins and character design, and aesthetic appeal of the art for me personally.

The games are (this is also the order in which the comparison images appear)

Reverse Genji Romance by Genius, Inc., 2016 - this one’s available in English. I’ll refer to this as “Romance” for laziness/ease of typing.

Reversed Tale of Genji by Ciagram, 2017 - I’ll call this Ciagram

Genji Koi Emaki by Quinrose, 2015 - Koi Emaki

The Tale of Genji Reverse Love Song~ Love Messages by éterire, 2015 - Love Song

Thank you atorier for help with links and translations lol

Murasaki no Ue

Originally: Genji's true love. He basically raised her to be his perfect woman, but she still has a mind of her own (at least privately) when it comes to his bad woman-chasing habits. Heavily associated with the colour purple because of her name, which comes from Genji comparing her to a purple flower (her resemblance to Fujitsubo, who is associated with wisteria).

What I think: If it’s a Tale of Genji game, must be there in some fashion. Positioned as main or most prominent love interest and gets the big picture on the box. Design-wise, possibly the most approachably attractive of the love interest options. Heian period version of the super handsome boy next door, maybe childhood friend. Purple every freaking where.

Actual designs from Romance, Koi Emaki, Love Song:

Thoughts: Surprisingly the Ciagram game doesn't include Murasaki, but it does seem to actually focus more on the early parts of the story when Murasaki would technically be too young to be an actual love interest (if we care about accuracy), but most of my other boxes seem to be checked. I think with a character as well-known as this, you need to take an expected and safe approach. Love Song is the most “out there” interpretation, and the clothing gets a bit generically frilly (which fits the aesthetic of the other characters in the rest of this game, it seems, just not to my taste). Koi Emaki, aside from having “anime hair under cap” syndrome (which tends to give me cognitive dissonance, but I appreciate that it’s way easier to make characters look different than historically accurate hairstyles), has the closest to historical accuracy design. Romance’s take is the most interesting to me though, even if the giant beads are a bit much. It’s like a barrier. Like how are you supposed to get close to him without smacking into them?

Rokujo no Miyasukadori

Originally: High ranking and very elegant and refined older woman. She's the respected widow of a Crown Prince and one of Genji's first affairs. His disrespect of her reveals her dark aspect: her festering hatred and resentment cause her living spirit to subconsciously attack, harm and even kill some of Genji's other lovers.

What I think: Must include because this character has huge potential - can do drama and cool supernatural stuff in the story. Long haired older man. Elegant, sophisticated, regal, serious, but maybe has an unexpected side if you piss him off. Outfit should be faux imperial or something.

Actual designs from Romance, Ciagram, Koi Emaki, Love Song:

Thoughts: So interesting! Long silver/white hair is pretty typical older handsome dude + sexy and dangerous fare, so it's easy to see why Genius went with that. The fur treatment on the robes is also kind of cool, and I would honestly probably never have thought of doing a light colour palette for this character. Overall I find this design unexpected and rather inspired. The Ciagram version, in contrast, is much more sombre (the entire game has a much darker tone in the art) and somewhat sad - I do like it, and it might be more true to the original character, but I don’t know that I would've gone this route with this context because there are so many other characters that could take a similar treatment. Genji Koi Emaki and Reverse Love Song, again, start to bleed down the path of getting too frilly and fanciful for me. Koi Emaki’s gives an almost overly reserved or priestly effect with the elaborate braided hair and the plain white kariginu when surrounded by much more colourful characters. Also, I would’ve shied away from purple hair, because purple is such a prominent loaded colour association for so many other key characters. Aoi no Ue

Originally: Genji's first wife. The marriage was arranged - he was much younger than her, and everyone thought she'd go to the Heir Apparent (Suzaku Emperor) instead. She's very cold to him, but bears him a son, and he only realizes his love for her and his regret when she dies soon after.

What I think: Third character who should be included in a Tale of Genji game. Aoi rounds out a basic pool nicely with Murasaki and Rokujo in terms of offering a player relationship options with different dynamics. This design should convey Cool, arrogant, standoffish tsunderish maybe big brother like guy. That’s all I got.

Actual designs from Romance, Ciagram, Koi Emaki, Love Song:

Thoughts: I don't care much for the tsundere type of character, and Aoi isn’t that top of mind for me in the original story either, but I find the Romance design very striking. It's one of my favourites of all the character designs discussed here. I like the implementation of the colour palette a lot, I like the take on the kariginu, and the tassley things are cool. I can’t see much of the Ciagram design, but the hairstyle is a neat alternative take that doesn’t feel too out there/modern. I don’t have particular feelings about the Koi Emaki one, but the beauty mark under his eye (which you can’t see at this size) is a nice touch, I always forget about the option of incorporating things like that. The Love Song one I find a bit odd. The hair and the eyes actually convey the impression of a character that seems very gentle and soft. Doesn’t really seem to match the general associations one would have with this character. Yugao

Originally: A frail, pretty woman who was loved by Genji's friend/rival To no Chujo, she went into hiding when harassed by his wife. Genji notices her after she catches his attention by sending him a poem. They fall deeply in love without knowing each others’ actual identities, and they probably would have had a long relationship together, but she dies suddenly when Rokujo's spirit possesses her.

What I think: Mysterious dude. Looks quiet and gentle, unassuming. If we want a physically weak character, or a route needs to end with a tragic death, I’d make it his. Design needs to incorporate floral motif because of the significance of the flower to her symbolism.

Actual designs from Ciagram, Koi Emaki, Love Song:

Thoughts: Hmm. This is very interesting as we seem to have quite a departure in the designs, though they all have a relatively non-aggressive vibe, and they all incorporate a floral motif in a fairly subtle way, which is nice. I hands-down like the Ciagram version the most, though it’s mainly for reasons beyond how well the design actually works lol (it’s just the type of character I gravitate towards visually, not specific to the character in question hahaha. Also more tassley earring things! I wanna do designs with them now). Koi Emaki takes a shota character approach, not my thing but I understand why it would make sense with this character. The approach is more lighthearted/cheerful than I’d associate with a character this tragic. Love Song is... I dunno, I find it odd again. Characters with light hair tend to convey a kind of energy with their design because it makes them brighter and more visible, so it wouldn’t have been my immediate choice. Actually, if you showed me this design and Love Song’s Aoi design and asked me to guess who’s who, I would have guessed they were for the opposite character. While making this post I even kept doublechecking in case I had just pasted them into the wrong collage.

Akashi no Onkata

Originally: Humble, beautiful, immensely gifted lady with unconventional highly spiritual parents who live faaaar away from the imperial court. Genji meets and falls in love with her while he's in exile. She bears him a daughter who is fated to become Empress.

What I think: Modest, humble attire possibly reflecting long distance from fancy court life (both socially and travel-wise). Musical instrument is mandatory, or at the very least, great calligraphy and poetry skills.

Actual designs from Romance, Koi Emaki (I cropped it out but he’s holding a biwa/lute in the background), Love Song: 

Thoughts: OK, they all fit in various degrees, but I personally don't really care for any of them lol. Romance’s' take is too cutesy (it does offer a version of humble and shy, but you can also do that without making a character look 12... visually I'm guessing they may have had him fill the type of role Yugao does in Genji Koi Emaki, the cuter shota-ish characters). Genji Koi Emaki's approach is visually interesting, but I find a bit too casual/laid back/frivolous in the tone it conveys, and makes me think more of a travelling minstrel. Reversal Love Song’s is maybe the closest to the non-image I had in my head, but the art style renders the eyes and expressions for all the characters in a manner that’s very aloof and extremely out of place for this character, and doesn't convey much distinction between characters. All that said, Akashi’s my favourite lady so more likely than not I'm probably disappointed because of my biased high expectations - aka. doesn't look like the kind of guy I would be interested in lmao (the approach of the Ciagram Yugao is what I would have hoped for)

Oborozukiyo

Originally: Would-have been consort to the Suzaku Emperor and sister of Genji’s nemesis the Kokiden Consort. Genji's drunk and messes around with her, they fall in love and continue their very risky affair. Word accidentally gets out, Genji is exiled, Oborozukiyo's standing is ruined.

What I think: Could also be mysterious, but a more forward/confident kind of mystery than Yugao. Stylish, very romantic, maybe playful. I don’t really have a clear picture for this character, but I’d start with nice wavy hair, a lunar motif and night incorporated somehow (maybe a darker colour palette).

Actual designs from Ciagram, Koi Emaki, Love Song:

Thoughts: This one’s especially intriguing to me because my mental image of this character wasn’t as strong as for many of the others, and I really had to think about it. I’m not that surprised that this is one of the most divergent designs. Since the relationship was Genji's most public scandal, it seems like some games have taken the opportunity to interpret her reversed character as coming off sexy and coy lol. Ciagram and Koi Emaki made him an older male character - I didn’t really think about that. Love Song makes him look fiery/cocky. All have dark clothing or a dark cloak. Interestingly, two games modify the name, dropping the beginning or the end so that he's just Oboro ("Misty/Hazy") or Tsukiyo ("Moon Night").

Fujitsubo no Miya

Originally: Young Consort and Empress to the Kiritsubo Emperor (Genji’s father) after Genji’s mother dies. She was Genji's first love. He has an affair with her and their child is the Reizei Emperor. She avoids his advances after that, and becomes a nun when the Kiritsubo Emperor dies. Murasaki is said to resemble her.

What I think: Whatever Murasaki looks like, like that. Only older. And a different shade of purple.

Actual designs from Romance, Ciagram, Koi Emaki:

Thoughts: Yep. Just not as purpley as I anticipated (maybe for the better). Can’t really compare the Ciagram one to anything - we do have purple, but the design doesn’t seem to have much embellishment, which is surprising considering the character’s backstory. I think Koi Emaki’s complements their Murasaki design very nicely, though feels more imposing than I would have thought for this character. Romance’s evokes their Murasaki design more subtly, which is really impressive; would have been nice to see more purple in it. Interesting that 2 of the games include him, and appears to be a non-playable character in both. 

General thoughts/other stuff: I think the Genius game has the best balance of art and design, including some of the most interesting takes on Heian court attire without veering too much into “what is going on” generical fantasy-land. I also like the approach of the character designs of the Ciagram game, which have a more realistic/mature look and are darker (palette wise) in tone, more to my taste. Genji Koi Emaki also does a good job with the outfits, though I prefer the aesthetics of the previous two games mentioned. Reversal Love Song’s designs lean way more generic fantasy than I'd prefer for something of this nature. To no Chujo (Genji's best friend/rival) usually appears to be your genderbent lady friend/competitor, but interestingly enough, Love Song doesn't genderbend him and makes him a love interest. Ciagram's game includes Koremitsu (Genji's loyal retainer), also appearing in his original gender:

He was one of my favourite characters and I like his design here too, though this take on him is more casual and “fun buddy” than I would have gone. 

Lots of ideas and good food for thought to take to my own character designs!

[shiwasujuun]

Yumeiro Cast List Songs

GUIDE:-

If last post only listing the vocal’s and no BGM, this list will be list all YC’s songs. Both vocals & BGM. Except the collab’s 

List will be based on the ‘theater’ or ‘stage’ name

Part given based on the released CD...or not

?? means either I’m not sure the title or not sure how to write down

Yumeiro Team: Asahina Kyoya (CV: Ohsaka Ryota), Fujimura Iori (CV: Hanae Natsuki), Tachibana Sousei (CV: Toyonaga Toshiyuki), Sakuragi Hinata (CV: Uemura Yuto), Shindo Kaito (CV: Hayashi Yuu), Amamiya Jin (CV: Ono Yuki), Jogasaki Subaru (CV: Hatanaka Tasuku)

GENESIS Members:  Kuroki Ryosuke (CV: Furukawa Makoto), Haiba Takuma (CV: Saito Souma), Aizawa Yutaro (CV: Suzumura Kenichi), Shiramuku Rei (CV: Yamashita Daiki), Sudou Gaku (CV: Hirakawa Daisuke)

Will be update times by times

PART 1

The AUDITON

Main: CALL HEAVEN!! (By: Yumeiro Team) BGM: Curtains Open

 PHANTOM of the MASQUERADE

Main: PERSONA+MYSTERY (By: Tachibana Sousei, Sakuragi Hinata, Amamiya Jin) BGM: Behind the Masquerade

Haru no yoru no yume no gotoshi

Main: Sakura yo Kaore Ai Kaore (By: Fujimura Iori, Tachibana Sousei, Jogasaki Subaru) BGM: Shizu

 BULLET

Main: SECOND INNOCENCE (By: Amamiya Jin, Fujimura Iori, Shindo Kaito) BGM: Car chase!

Peter Pan

Main: Sora Kara Hajimaru Monogatari (By: Sakuragi Hinata, Asahina Kyoya, Amamiya Jin) BGM: The clash of sword

SUPER ROCK MUSICAL

Main: Hadaka no Kokoro (By: Shindo Kaito, Asahina Kyoya, Jogasaki Subaru) BGM: Opening LIVE

 The Last Second

Main: SKY BEATER (By: Jogasaki Subaru, Tachibana Sousei, Sakuragi Hinata) BGM: Running through the blue sky

Princess KAGUYA

Main: Gekkou Road (By: Asahina Kyoya, Fujimura Iori, Shindo Kaito) BGM: Meguriai

Ayakashi Otogizoushi

BGM: AYAKASHI

PART 2

HELLO, WE DANCE!

Main: Mysterious Mission (By: Sakuragi Hinata) BGM: Horror’s Party

BOYS IN WONDERLAND

Main: WhisperLand Boys (By: Asahina Kyoya, Tachibana Sousei) BGM: Shiro shippo wo oikakete

 Hoshi mau seiya ni ~Cadeaux de Noel blanc~

Main: Holy Melody Night (By: Jogasaki Subaru, Amamiya Jin) BGM: Nuit de Neige

Shichifuku raigou

Main: CALL HEAVEN!!~NEW YEAR 2016 ver~ BGM: Ete ni makuage

 CITY OF SWEETS

Main: Sekai wa koi to Sweets&kiss (By: Fujimura Iori, Shindo Kaito) Another version: Sekai wa koi to Sweets&kiss ~Valentine 2017~ BGM: Lolipop’n World

 Shijin Ranbu

BGM: Shijin Ranbu

Out of The Blue

Main: Sunshine World Tour (By: Yumeiro Team) Another ver: Sunshine World Tour #2 BGM:

 Shitsuji Reversible

Main: Renkyuukan no Tapestry (By: Fujimura Iori, Tachibana Sousei) BGM: Yes, Your…

Kaitou shinshi no kyoushikyoku

Main: Bara to Koi to Shouri to Wana to (By: Amamiya Jin) BGM: Blackstar

Miezaru te ~THE HOSPITAL~

Main: Stronger than Medicine? (Tachibana Sousei, Sakuragi Hinata) BGM: Hakui no kyuusoku, THE HOSPITAL

 Wind-Wind Symphony!

BGM: Wind-Wind March!

PART 3

Anata (??)

Main: NEVER END STORIES (By: Yumeiro Team)

 Alternative War

Main: Hot Chord Crisis (By: Fujimura Iori, Jougasaki Subaru, Sakuragi Hinata) BGM: Dr. Faceless, Justice be here!

 Golden Mirage

Main: Sand Mirage (By: Asahina Kyoya) BGM: Dance in the Mirage

Braves of Twilight

Main: Sekai ni dakare horobiru mae ni (By: Asahina Kyoya, Shindo Kaito) BGM: Battle in the Abyss, Gate of Dawn

 Zipangu ~ Hiizuru-koku no kamigami ~

Main: Kamigami no Sen’en (By: Shindo Kaito) BGM: Souken Kagura

 Shichisai sen emaki(??)

BGM: Shichisai no Jin

 FLIGHT IMPOSSIBLE

Main: Final Approach (By: Jougasaki Subaru, Shindo Kaito) BGM: Bright Wing

Saihate no hitobito ~ The Miserable ~

Main: Hitobito yo kanata e no michi yo (By: Shindo Kaito, Sakuragi Hinata, Amamiya Jin) BGM: Nagare no Hate ni

 Seiya no Love Letter

Main: Saigo no Lonely Christmas (By: Asahina Kyoya, Fujimura Iori, Tachibana Sousei, Sakuragi Hinata, Shindo Kaito, Jogasaki Subaru, Amamiya Jin [each have their own version]) BGM: Santa-san no Oshigoto

Shiro no Ouji to Inori no Otome

BGM: Hakuchō no ouji tachi

Blood Linkage

BGM: Shinku no butou, Tran no WALTZ

 Tragedy of D

BGM: Nazodarake no puzzle

PART 4

RISING ~Shinsengumi~

Main: Hihanoboru Dare no Tame ni ka (By: Asahina Kyoya, Amamiya Jin) BGM: Daybreak ~AKATSUKI~

 Romeo&…

Main: Phantom Rain (By: GENESIS members)

 GENJI Monogatari

Main: HIKARI HIKARU HIKARI (By: Kuroki Ryosuke) BGM: Koto no Oto

HIKARI -Dream-

Main: Kouran no Hibi (By: Asahina Kyoya) BGM: Hikari no Moto ni

[processes]

feels very japanese e-makimodo perspective and matisse theme inclusion at the same time (subjects in a single piece, incl. a figure, a still life, and a landscape - usually through a window)

E-maki: In the last century of the Heian period, the horizontal, illustrated narrative handscroll, known as e-maki (絵巻, lit. "picture scroll"), came to the fore. (wiki)

Emperor calls Kaoru to play Go, Genji Monogatari Emaki, 12th century

Quai St. Michel, Drawing Studio, Matisse, 1916

Fernando Cidoncha Pérez  

[jorgyuforg-blog]

Genji Monogatari Emaki

“Waste of Weeds”

“Evening Mist”

“Bracken Shoots”

“Ivy” 

“Ivy”

Heian Period, 1120-1140

[3naess]

Ch. 15 – 蓬生 Yomogiu ("Waste of Weeds"). Scene from the 12th century illustrated handscroll Genji Monogatari Emaki kept at the Tokugawa Art Museum

Unknown painter

[chromolume]

12th century illustration of The Tale of Genji

[fujiwara57]

emaki 絵巻 - peinture en rouleau : “Eight Views from The Tale of Genji”(Genji monogatari hakkei 源氏物語 八景) 

Ishiyama Moroka 石山師香 (1669 - 1734).

Moroka était aussi courtisan que peintre et poète. sa formation artistique venait de la branche de Kyōto 京都 de l'école de Kanō-ha 狩野派. Dans ce travail de jeunesse, il a limité les éléments narratifs à l'extrême droite de chaque scène, laissant ainsi plus de place à la brume et aux éléments de paysage abrégés dans une soie autrement vide. Son rouleau manuscrit est peut-être le plus ancien exemple de peinture de Genji «Huit vues». 

Source : https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/53012