#okami thunder edge

[ultimate-sword-showdown]

Round 1, Match 18: Thunder Edge vs. Kusabimaru

Thunder Edge

From: Ōkami

Wielder: Amaterasu

Thunder Edge is the ultimate glaive in Ōkami, representing Kusanagi no Tsurugi of the imperial regalia of Japan alongside the rest of the game's glaives. Obtained after defeating Orochi at the peak of his power, it crackles with lightning and can be used as a portable source of the element, which Amaterasu can conduct with her Celestial Brush for use in both battle and traversing the world and its puzzles.

Kusabimaru

From: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Wielder: Wolf

Wolf’s primary weapon. "The name Kusabimaru beseeches, "A shinobi's role is to kill, but even a shinobi must not forget mercy," a mantra the blade itself may manifest."

[ewanandlianne]

【 Okami Fanart / Thunder Edge 】

[mosswild]

Some stills of the Amaterasu and Waka bonus skins for Kunitsu-gami: Path of the Goddess. Please enjoy looking at all the details!

In-game, Thunder Edge even makes the same zapping noises as it does in Okami. In place of the original cloud in the middle of the glaive, you can see the currently equipped tsuba (sword guard). I really love how these designs were adapted to the game's own world.

[satoshi-mochida]

Angelian Trigger launches December 12 in Japan - Gematsu

Psuedo-3D-2D-style 3D shoot ’em up Angelian Trigger will launch for Switch on December 12 in Japan for 4,950 yen, developer PiXEL announced.

A limited edition will also be available for 8,800 yen, which includes a copy of the game, an art book, two original pin badges, a pair of original 3D glasses, an Eames Detective Agency certificate, and a special box.

Here is an overview of the game, via PiXEL:

Story

Wati is a large city on the planet Galadsik where the Eames Detective Agency is located. While the agency is facing financial difficulties due to an influx of small cases, like investigating infidelity and finding missing pets, a request comes in from an anonymous client to investigate the green planet Sarius. Despite the unsettling indicators, such as Sarius being under the control of the Planetary Industry Minister Wizria and the client being anonymous, Mia and Sheryl take off to Sarius. This was the trigger that led them into a major conspiracy.

Gameplay

Angelian Trigger is a 3D shooting game in which you run through the screen while shooting down enemies. Each planet consists of four stages, and a stage is cleared by defeating the boss at the end. Both Story Mode and Arcade Mode contain a total of 24 stages. Arcade Mode also has unique bosses. Mia can double jump and wields two guns, while Sheryl can fly and wields a large cannon. Since each protagonist plays differently, the same stages and enemies offer a different gameplay experience depending on the character. Additionally, you can gain an edge in combat with help from your support robot O-P2, offering backing like cover fire and force fields. With homing lasers that let you lock onto multiple enemies, and bonus points when defeating groups of enemies, Angelian Trigger offers a sense of both speed and exhilaration.

Staff

Character Design: Akihiro Kimura (ZAVAS, Emerald Dragon, Alshark, Alnam no Kiba: Juuzoku Juunishinto Densetsu)

Music: Akari Kaida (Darkstalkers, Resident Evil, Breath of Fire III, Okami)

Sound Effects

Ayako Saso (Rolling Thunder 2, Ridge Racer series, Street Fighter EX series, beatmaniaIIDX series)

Takashi Okamoto (12sound) (Made in Abyss Binary Star Falling into Darkness, Gotopazu, OBAKEIDORO)

2D Animation: Yukito Tanaka

Background Art: Tomoyuki Kanazawa

Effect Design: Kazue Arai

Director: Hidekuni Sasaki

Ending Theme “HERE WITH ME”: Miho Morikawa

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery. Visit the official website here.

Release Date Trailer

[shootingxstardust]

Okami Amaterasu

Origin of all that is good and mother to us all.

Name :Amaterasu, other aliases include Ammy, furball, Snowball, and Snowy. In her past life she was called Shiranui

Skills: Ink Bullets, Sunrise: (The power to summon the sun), Power Slash: (The Power to cut through objects like hard rock with the swipe of her Celestial Brush tail), Cherry Bomb: (The ability to summon large bombs), Green Sprout Bloom: (The ability to make withered trees and planted areas bloom again. She can also sprout trees from the ground) Green Sprout Water Lilly: (The Ability to summon large Lilly pads to travel across the water) Green Sprout Vine: (The ability to summon vines to pull herself to higher places.) Water Sprout: (The ability to control the flow of water and create large fountains.) Deluge: (The ability to call upon rain)  Gale Storm (The ability to summon gusts of wind, including winds sharp enough to slice foes), Inferno: (The ability to control flames), Crescent: (The ability to call upon the moon, changing day to night) Veil of Mist: (The ability to slow down time) Cat Walk: (The ability to walk on walls), Thunderstorm: (The Ability to control the flow of electricity and summon bolts of lightening) Blizzard: (The ability to freeze foes , and summon large icicles.)

Divine instruments: Holy Reflector: (Divine Retribution, Snarling Beast, Infinity Judge, Trinity Mirror, Solar Flare) Rosary Beads:( Devout Beads, Life Beads, Exorcism Beads, Resurrection Beads, Tundra Beads.) Glaive: (Tsumugari, Seven Strike, Blade of Kusanagi, Eighth Wonder, Thunder Edge.)

Bio:

After a vicious, and long battle with Orochi( an evil eight -headed serpent), alongside the warrior Nagi, Amaterasu fell to an almost dead slumber until she was revived a hundred years later. Traveling with her bouncing friend Issun, Amaterasu seeks to rid the land of Nippon of evil and the monsters who wish to plunge the world into a massive cursed zone. Using her powers she must  purify the lands to allow nature to flourish once more.

[galaxydusking]

an assortment of okami doodles i did after Stray Bead Hell

[unhoitettu]

[phen-akism-deactivated]

Inktober day 6: sword Some okami today!

[chaosspear]

1,2,10

1. fuc kkk,, @werewolfsona I see you in my notes a lot and you look really cool and when you reblog my art you say the nicest things and I daskjfhdjkwould liketo chat sometime a a a

2. jdkafh i’m just gonna just list my mobile tabs because I just turned on my computer to do this so I got nothing open--

what do medibang fonts look like, cute ceramic animal esty shop, the fuckignfjhd haikyuu stageplay, a gay mosaic skirt that I want to buy when I obtain money, the wiki articles for heaven’s arena, the hxh timeline, alluka, Reason, Nagareboshi Kirari, cardcast deck editor apparently, “turtleneck and skirt”, linkin park 80s remix I STILL haven’t listened to, the hxh manga online, two astrology pages, “okami hd thunder edge”, make me feel x blow remix, “lisa meme”, kcai award

,,,jesus

10. FUCKKKKKK well if we go old, let’s go OLD

And.... the og

[saturnshari]

for the okami ask meme: multiples of 5?

OHHMMGMGMG there are so many things Iove abt Okami so here I go:

- the Sumi-e art style. Having first exposure to it in Okami was really wonderful . I was rly intrigued by it and found it so beautiful

-the soundtrack!!!! Odnsjajjsjsjsjd those traditional instruments I love them!!! My favorite tracks are probably Ryoshima Coast, Dragon Palace, Extermination of Ninetails, Waka’s theme, Orochi’s 1st battle theme, and a lot more ksjsnanana

- the celestial brush gods!! I like the concept of them and how they are fragments of the whole

- the weapons!! Thunder edge is my absolute fav. but i also really like Solar flare

- THE MOON TRIBE!!!! this is why I want Okami 2 bc we got so little backstory on the Moon Tribe. Like, why are remnants of their existence in Nippon? What caused the cataclysm? Why was there a cataclysm?? Why tf is Orochi a “mosnter of the moon”? So many questions

- the species of Nippon!! You have humans, Dragonians, Celestials, Moon Tribe, Poncles, Oina, a Wood Sprite, and various demons!! My favorites are the Moon Tribe (ofc) and the Dragonians bc their designs are v nice

- outfits!!! I like to motif that the characters have which is Incorporated in their designs!! Himiko’s flaming mirror, Sakuya’s little curly wood branch, Otohime’s crown (?) and fins, Kushi’s sake barrels, Tuskle’s owls (those r my fav) and ugh I could go on. They add more personality to the character.

- Waka. I love. Him. So much. From his voice to his outfits and his hair just HHHHH and his elf ears omg

- I love the Celestial Brush. The concept and using it in gameplay. It’s very unique and is definitely one of the things that really make Okami stand out and my #1 favorite game of all time- minor characters like Tsubaki and Sazanka (Camille and Camilla), and Komuso that keep appearing throughout the game. I like it. They’re nice

- the folklore!! i love learning abt gods, myths and legends!! Okami got me really into studying Shinto mythology and though i don’t study it now, i did check out so many books and looked online to learn

lmao this is so long and i wanted to say more but here!!! thank you for asking!!

[ultimate-sword-showdown]

Round 3, Match 5: Thunder Edge vs. Buster Sword

Thunder Edge

From: Ōkami

Wielder: Amaterasu

Thunder Edge is the ultimate glaive in Ōkami, representing Kusanagi no Tsurugi of the imperial regalia of Japan alongside the rest of the game's glaives. Obtained after defeating Orochi at the peak of his power, it crackles with lightning and can be used as a portable source of the element, which Amaterasu can conduct with her Celestial Brush for use in both battle and traversing the world and its puzzles.

Buster Sword

From: Final Fantasy VII

Wielder: Cloud Strife

The Buster Sword is a massive and rather unwieldy-looking broadsword. It originally belonged to Zack Fair before being gifted to Cloud. The two holes above the hilt can be used to hold materia.

[bubblebaath]

also heres a wip of a weird fire version of thunder edge okami fake glaive

[neonpiegon]

Japan

Research Essay - missing some pictures from the original document.

Japan is an archipelago on the eastern edge of Asia, formed by 4 main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, plus nearly 4,000 other smaller islands. It has a population of 126,168,156 people, and its area is comparable to that of California or Germany. As a country, it is completely sea-locked, with its nearest neighboring countries being the Siberian region of Russia to the north, North and South Korea and China to the southwest. Almost four fifths of Japan’s land is covered with mountains and forests – the largest mountain range being the Japanese Alps. Japan has about 200 volcanoes, 60 of which are active, with Mt. Fuji being the most famous one and the highest mountain.

Japan has 47 prefectures contained within 8 regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu.

Humanity in the Japanese archipelago can be traced back to 30,000 B.C. However, the country’s history in itself would rather be explored some time before the 2nd century, during the Jomon and Yayoi Periods, where communities first begin to establish and see the appearance of metallurgy and agriculture. This is the foundation of Japan. The Kofun Period, before the year 538, was when the Yamato clan had great control of the island of Honshu. From 538 to 710 came the Asuka Period, in which the history was enriched with and influenced by the already established Chinese civilization. This period saw the introduction of Buddhism, writing, architecture and sculpture. After that, with the Nara Period came the affirmation of the central power of the emperors, plus the construction of the first capital in Nara and its great temples. The Heian Period came after Nara, from 794 to 1085. The capital was relocated to what is today known as Kyoto. Japan was heavily influenced by China and adopted its style of power, where the clan Fujiwara ruled. With the Kamakura Period, which ran until 1336, the imperial court’s power faded to give place to the samurai clans and the first government of warriors. The Muromachi Period (1336-1491) introduced Japanese feudalism and the fusion of the culture of the samurai and the court, resulting in arts such as the tea ceremony and Noh theater. However, the central power disappeared in The Sengoku Jidai (1491-1603), due to repeated civil wars. Here appeared the Daimyo Warlords, the first contact with Europeans and the introduction of Christianity. In the Edo Period, from 1603 to 1853, Japan was unified under the 3rd Tokugawa Shogunate (government of warriors) and the power was installed in Tokyo. The borders of Japan were completely closed to foreigners and Christianity was prohibited. The country was urbanized and rich merchants developed, just like the Kabuki theater and Nihon printmaking. At the end of Edo, The Bakumatsu (or Late Shogunate, 1853-1868), Japan was forced to open its borders by the Americans, leading to the overthrow of the Tokugawa. This began modernization and industrialization in Japan. The Meiji Era, from 1868 until 1911, restored imperial power and relocated it to Tokyo (previously known as Edo). That is when electricity and the railway first arrived. Japan conquered Korea and Taiwan and was victorious against the Russian Empire and China. In the Taisho Era (1911-1926), the democratic system was first implemented. The Showa Era (1926-1989) began the imperialistic politics and military government and the expansion policy towards China, which involved Japan’s entry in WW2. After its defeat in 1945, the reconstruction of the country was managed under American trusteeship. The Heisei Era (1989-2019) is marked by economic crisis and natural disasters, but also the influence of Japan over the rest of the world. On May 1st, 2019, Emperor Naruhito acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne, beginning the Reiwa era.

Logically, the official language of Japan is Japanese. The language is based on writing syllables in Hiragana, the traditional set of symbols, and Katakana, mainly used for words that do not exist in traditional Japanese (for example, the word “television” is written as “terebi.”). Japanese also uses Kanji, which is a set of thousands of Chinese characters that have been imported to the Japanese language. Most of the meanings remain the same, but their pronunciation has been adapted to being read in Japanese syllables. Kanji is used to “simplify” Hiragana (i.e. instead of writing two or three characters in Hiragana, you would write only one character of Kanji,) and for proper names.

The most predominant religions are Shinto and Buddhism, respectively. Buddhism was introduced through mainland Asia in the 6th century, but Shinto is almost as ancient as Japan itself. Even though these are the two major religions in Japan, religion on its own does not play a heavy role in the everyday life of Japanese people. Shinto literally means “the way of the Gods;” Japanese gods are called “Kami.”

The core of Shinto are beliefs in the mysterious creation and harmonizing power (musubi) of the kami, and the truthful way or will (makoto) of kami. The nature of kami cannot be fully explained in words because the kami transcend the cognitive faculty of humans. Parishioners of a shrine believe that kami are the source of human life and existence. Each kami has a divine personality and responds to truthful prayers, and may reveal makoto to people and guide them to live in accordance to it. In Shinto, it is commonly said that “man is kami’s child.” First, this means that people are given life by kami and that their nature is therefore sacred. Second, it means that daily life is made possible by kami, and, accordingly, the personalities and lives of people are worthy of respect. Individuals must revere the basic human rights of everyone (regardless of race, nationality, and other distinctions) as well as their own. The concept of original sin is not found in Shinto. Purification is considered symbolically to remove the dust and impurities that cover one’s inner mind.

In Shinto, all the deities are said to cooperate with one another, and life lived in accordance with a kami’s will is believed to produce a mystical power that gains the protection, cooperation, and approval of all the particular kami.

Notable kami revered at Shinto shrines include: Amaterasu Omikami (the Sun goddess), Inari Okami (god of rice and agriculture), Izanagi (the first man), Izanami (the first woman), Tsukuyomi (the Moon god), Raijin (god of lightning, thunder and storms), and many more.

Shinto is also described as a religion of tsunagari (continuity or communion). The Japanese, while recognizing each human being as an individual personality, do not take each to be a solitary being separated from others. On the contrary, one is regarded as the bearer of a long continuous history that comes down from one’s ancestors and continues in one’s descendants.

In practice, Shinto does not have a weekly religious service like in Christianity. People may visit shrines at their convenience. Some may go to shrines on the 1st and 15th of every month, and on rites or festivals (matsuri) several times a year. Devotees may pay respect to the shrine every morning. The Japanese usually have their wedding ceremonies in Shinto style and pronounce their wedding vows to kami. Shinto funeral ceremonies, however, are not popular. Most of the Japanese are Buddhist and Shintoist at the same time and have their funerals in Buddhist style. A traditional Japanese house has two family altars: one, Shinto, for their tutelary kami and the goddess Amaterasu Omikami, and another, Buddhist, for the family ancestors. Pure Shinto families, however, will have all ceremonies and services in Shinto style.

Each Shinto shrine has several major festivals each year, including the Spring Festival (Haru Matsuri), Autumn Festival (Aki Matsuri), Annual Festival (Rei-Sai), and the Divine Procession (Shinko-Sai).

At festivals, Shintoists may perform different types if rituals at the shrine, such as: Purification, Adoration, Offerings, Prayers, Sacred Music and Dance, Feast (naorai), etc.

As history has shown, Japanese people are very proud and respectful in their everyday life, as such many customs and manners have been developed that many foreigners may think of them as strange or unnecessary. At the start of a meal, it’s common to say in a brief prayer pose “itadakimasu” (I humbly receive). When eating dinner, it is inappropriate to eat directly from common dishes (where everyone can grab a portion of food), as you should put your portion on your plate first, and to reach for the item closest to you and at the top of the plate. If someone else is picking food from a common dish, give them some space. Also, playing with chopsticks, or using them for anything other than eating, is considered disrespectful, because the chopsticks may contain your saliva or traces of food and so they should be flung around in the air as little as possible; use chopstick holders whenever you’re not eating. Do not try to stab food with your chopsticks. If a chopstick is messy, let it be messy, and do not try to pass food chopstick-to-chopstick, as it resembles a funeral. At dinner parties, it’s somewhat rude to pour your own drink. As such, you should pour everyone else’s drink except yours, someone will notice and pour your drink. Walking and eating is seen as sloppy. “Gochisosama Deshita” (It was a feast) is used to thank someone for preparing a meal or for paying the bill (someone else paid) and compliment good service (paid yourself). The traditional Japanese diet consists of minimally processed, seasonal foods served in a variety of small dishes. This style of eating emphasizes dishes’ natural flavors rather than masking them with sauces or seasonings. The diet is rich in steamed rice, noodles, fish, tofu, natto, seaweed, and fresh, cooked, or pickled fruits and vegetables but low in added sugars and fats. It may also contain some eggs, dairy, or meat, although these typically make up a small part of the diet.

Keigo (honorific language) is a polite level of speech that includes different levels of humble, formal and respectful terms. It is complicated to master this level of speech, even for native speakers of Japanese, as some situations may not require it or the incorrect term was used. However, it is considered very rude to avoid using keigo. It is most appropriate to address someone by their last name followed by the polite suffix “-san.”

Oseibo and Ochugen are winter and summer gifts respectively given at year-end and around Obon (Festival of the Dead) given to relatives, neighbors and anyone who has helped you out in the past year, such as a doctor or teacher.

When greeting, the Japanese understand that foreigners tend to shake hands; nonetheless, shaking hand is more usual for business introductions. The usual way to greet is a bow, the deeper the bow, the higher the respect given… or the higher the shame felt by the person bowing, according to the situation. Bowing can go from just slightly nodding your head downwards, to being in a 90 degrees angle directly looking down, and a lazy bow is considered disrespectful. Getting on your knees (seiza) with your head down is used in deep prayers or when begging for forgiveness, as if you are experiencing intense shame. Bowing and shaking hands at the same time is seen as awkward. The formal bow is usually 45 degrees.

Try not to touch another person, as the Japanese are generally uncomfortable with physical interaction. Pointing is also considered rude and threatening. Instead, people tend to indicate directions with an open hand or even avoiding gestures at all. When feeling uncomfortable, the Japanese tend to be indirect and try to avoid conflict where possible, dropping subtle hints about their feelings rather than direct, bold statements. Japanese people are very patient and resist honking at other drivers out of irritation. Brief honks and light flashing is most often used in friendly gestures, such as warnings. When accepting a call, try to be discrete and very quiet, and not to talk on the phone on a train or in a café. In an elevator, the person closest to the buttons operates the doors and should help people select their floor. The person nearest to the door should also be the last one to get off. It is customary to take off any backpack on a crowded train and hold it in your hands. Many taxi doors in Japan are automatic, and the driver will get a little upset if you operate the door yourself. Tipping servers at restaurants or taxi drivers can be considered insulting or at least confusion. Walking and smoking is viewed as dangerous and inconsiderate, being the idea that you could accidentally burn someone on a crowded street. In Japan this is taken very seriously, and it might even be illegal to walk and smoke in some areas.

When entering a home and many establishments where you can rest, the entrance will have a space to change your shoes for indoor slippers. This is done as to not to bring the impurity and uncleanliness of the world into your home. Tatami floors (made from rice straw or compressed wood chips) are common on traditional households, and no kind of slippers or shoes should walk upon them. Bathroom slippers are exclusive for use in washrooms and bringing them into other rooms in considered shameful. In Japan, bathing is seen as a relaxing leisure activity rather than an act of cleansing. One must completely shower with soap before entering a bath; this applies for home baths and public hot springs (onsen). There may also be available garden slippers for balcony, garden or outside use. Japanese cultural activities, such as theatre and tea ceremony tend to require formal wear. Restaurants and office work usually do too.

Because the Japanese have a deep philosophical approach to graphic designs of all kinds, they value their national flag for its simplicity, striking contrasts, and appropriate symbolism. The “hot” red of the sun symbol contrasts with its “cool” white background, and the circle of the sun contrasts with the rectangle of the flag itself. The pole on which it is to be officially hoisted is rough natural bamboo, while the finial at the top is a shiny gold ball.

It is considered extremely racist and disrespectful to compare a Chinese person, or any other person of Asiatic features, to a Japanese person, as it is done so by so many ignorant people. One of the main reasons for this comes from an event during World War II, when the Japanese army invaded the village of Nanking (or Nanjing), resulting in the mass murder, burning, looting, and rape of its villagers. This event is infamously known as the Nanking Massacre or Rape of Nanking.

After World War II, Japan had a radical change to its whole country and people. All large cities (except for Kyoto), the industries and transportation networks were severely damaged. Japan basically lost all the territory acquired after 1894. In addition, the Kurile islands were occupied by the Soviet Union, and the Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, were controlled by the USA. Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1972. Over 500 military officers committed suicide right after Japan surrendered, and many hundreds more were executed for committing war crimes. A new constitution went into effect in 1947: The emperor lost all political and military power, and was solely made the symbol of the state. Universal suffrage was introduced and human rights were guaranteed. Japan was also forbidden to ever lead a war again or to maintain an army. Furthermore, Shinto and the state were clearly separated. Especially during the first half of the occupation, Japan's media was subject to a rigid censorship of any anti-American statements and controversial topics such as the race issue. With the peace treaty that went into effect in 1952, the U.S. occupation ended. Japan's Self Defense Force was established in 1954. After the Korean War, and accelerated by it, the recovery of Japan's economy flourished. The economic growth resulted in a quick rise of the living standards, changes in society and the stabilization of the ruling position of the Liberal Democratic Party. Japan's relations to the Soviet Union were normalized in 1956, the ones to China in 1972. The 1973 oil crisis shocked the Japanese economy which was heavily depended on oil. The reaction was a shift to high technology industries.

After previous bans for publishing and censorship from the fascist period of WWII in Japanese media were lifted, the animated film industry and manga (basically, Japanese comics) began to flourish, but not before having to deal with the repercussions of the war. Gojira (Godzilla) was created as a metaphor to represent the use of nuclear weapons against the Japanese at the end of World War 2 and has now developed to be recognized as an official citizen of Japan. Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy and known in Japan as the God of Manga and Godfather of Anime, led the manga explosion of what would one day become one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world. Animation mainly took off in the 60’s and 70’s, when technology made it more accessible to produce the shows and to consume them. In contrast to western animation, which is generally directed to be “family friendly,” Japanese animation and manga can virtually explore any theme imaginable, from daily life as a middle school student to the psychological repercussions of war crimes while attempting to kill God to cleanse yourself of all sins and restart the universe.

In the modern day, Japan is known for being one of the most technologically advanced and civilized countries in the entire world, with even the crime rates being virtually null. Japan is naturally beautiful, with enough forests, mountains and lakes for a lifetime, and the metropolises of Japan are no exception to being astonishing, vibrant, and adventurous. Just the history of the country and learning its language are enough reason to gain interest in this wonderful land. After someone experiences the land that brought to life Godzilla and Mobile Suit Gundam, nobody would think about leaving. It’s the nest of the whole anime industry, with the most kawaii (cute) of souvenirs and , which I would one day want to visit myself.

Bibliography

Toyoda, Takeshi; Notehelfer, F.G.; et al. (1998-2020). Japan, history. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Japan/History

Hirai, Naofusa. (1999-2019). Shintō. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shinto

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (1998-2020). Nanjing Massacre. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Nanjing-Massacre

Spacey, J. (2009). 50 Japanese Manners and Customs. Japan Talk. https://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/japanese-manners-and-customs

Lonely Planet. (n.d.). History. Lonely Planet. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/japan/narratives/background/history

Japan Experience. (2020). Timeline of Japan’s History. Japan Experience. https://www.japan-experience.com/to-know/the-history-of-japan/history-of-japan-timeline

Petre, A. (2019). What Is the Japanese Diet Plan? All You Need to Know. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/japanese-diet

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Geography. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1000.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Religion in Japan. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e629.html

Japan Guide. (n.d.). Japanese Language. Japan Guide. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e621.html

National Geographic. (n.d.). Japan. National Geographic Kids. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/japan/

Japan Rail Pass. (n.d.). Regions of Japan. Japan Rail Pass. https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/regions-of-japan

[fukouna-yuki]

This had been a sword I was working on for my 4th year open studio project as a side thing. Below is a caption that I’ve taken from my blog:

“Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, also known by its more contemporary name, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, or "Grass-cutting-sword", is an important relic and weapon in the country of Yutakawa, and the world of An Domhan. It is based upon and is created in the same way as the real-life legend in the Kojiki states that it was, taken from one of Yamata-no-Orochi's tails by Susanoo and brought to Amaterasu as a gift so that she may forgive his past transgressions, which included destroying her rice fields, pooping in her palace, flaying the 'heavenly piebald horse' (天斑駒 ame-no-fuchikoma) and throwing the resulting skin at the loom of one of her weaving maidens, killing them. This was all done because he had won a trial by pledge to prove his sincerity that involved taking each other's possessions and chewing them to produce Gods and had won because he produced 3 goddesses, beings of the right gender since producing females Gods proved his sincerity. Weird world, ain't it?    

In my interpretation, among Ame-no-Murakumo's greatest powers include an ability so powerful, that it was locked away within the most powerful dragons, one that was around before the universe even began, by primordial, malevolent forces to keep it away from the Gods. That way, no uprisings from them could occur before they were finished their billion-upon-billion year-long recovery from the creation of our universe. This ability is that of complete entropy. Souls, light-matter, and dark-matter never really go away, rather they are recycled. For souls, this takes on the form of reincarnation, a well-known concept in Yutakawa. However, if something is capable of entropy, it is capable of completely erasing something from existence. Under the right conditions, Ame-no-Murakumo allows its user to perform Saishū-tekina Owari (最終的な終わり, The Ultimate End), something that can erase Great Old Ones, and even Outer Gods from existence. These two groups had destroyed the previous homeworld of the Gods we know today but were driven back by the creation of this universe since its creation had created so much light matter as to not only destroy a good deal of dark-matter that these Gods were protecting themselves with and heavily damage them in the process, but it also created a protective field around the universe, preventing major influxes of dark-matter from entering. This did not manage to kill many important players, though, so they remain dormant until the time to strike is nigh, something that would be ruined if Ame-no-Murakumo were to be uncovered again.    

This depiction I have made has made it out to be a longsword, which is rather anachronistic considering that the sword in our reality came about before the Yayoi even touched Japan, and according to eye-witness by Shinto priest Matsuoka Masanao, the real sword looks more appropriate for something from antiquity. This depiction is merely its "true form". which it takes on when wielded either by Gods or by someone who possesses the Saishū Reikon (最終霊魂, Final Soul), the catalyst for creating the universe that we know of. Otherwise, it takes on a form that is more true to previous descriptions given by Matsuoka Masanao. This form is also the result of various upgrades, turning it into its peak form thanks to the work of the best divine swordsmiths one can envision, like Masamune and his descendants, as well as a plethora of exotic materials like Hihi'irokane, explaining the lvl.8 placed next to it.              

Even for a longsword, one may say that this is an especially large and heavy example since longswords are typically 100-130 cm long and 1-1.5 kg in mass; contrary to what many people may think, even the massive greatswords like zweihanders are not supposed to be heavy at all, and typically range between 2-3.2 kg. The length and mass of this form is taken with the understanding that the person who is wielding it is of exceptional strength and constitution, allowing them to wield even a weapon such as this one-handed with ease while still being able to create an imposing image and deliver devastating slashes while two-handing it; though I would say that the length Ame-no-Murakumo is at would be the upper limit one can achieve with a one-handed weapon without making it look ridiculous. The shape of the blade was inspired in part by the Insular Celtic bronze swords, which were leaf-bladed to add more cutting power to weapons that were short by necessity, though my greatest inspiration was that of Okami, a game that focuses on Japanese mythology. In it, the protagonist, Amaterasu, who takes on the form of a white wolf, can wield 3 weapon types, all based on the imperial regalia of Japan. These include the reflectors, based on the mirror Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡), rosaries, based on the Yasakani no Magatama (八尺瓊勾玉), and finally the glaives, themselves based on Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. However, what is weird about them is that some of their shapes, like that of the final glaive, Thunder edge, or that based on their concept art, don't look much like the imperial regalia. This has made me speculate on the name as well, since the glaive weapon type doesn't look like glaives at all, rather like swords. It all came together when I saw the hoko yari, a primitive form of Japanese spear with a leaf-bladed shape, akin to the weapon Thunder-edge. Perhaps they named the weapon type after the hoko yari, given the spearheads could be mistaken as swords. In any case, it was that weapon type, along with other depictions of early Japanese swords and my personal liking of leaf-bladed swords, that inspired the leaf-blade shape to my interpretation of Ame-no-Murakumo.”

[darkscaleswriter]

Meme prompt: 10 convoluted, discombobulating reasons why Keith needs a Keyblade.

...I will admit right now that I had no idea what a Keyblade was, so I had to look it up.  :P  As far as I can tell, they’re giant magical keys that people use as weapons?

As far as a fic about this would go, however, I feel like it would just be  about how Keith collects all the weapons and he especially loves anything with a blade.  Keith is that one guy who pulls out an entire armory whenever the characters are surrendering and someone goes "give us all your weapons" or something, which is a trope that I totally love.

Headcanon that Keith’s knife collection is scarily extensive and he is very proud of it.  He has a special section that he reserves for collecting life-size replicas of weapons from games/anime/etc. and it includes such gems as a combat-ready Master Sword from LoZ: Twilight Princess and Thunder Edge from Okami, but...

He doesn’t have any Keyblades, because for some reason he can never find them, and one of these days he’s going to save up enough money to commission someone to make them.  Because he wants those Keyblades, darn it.

Ask meme is here!

[astro-onechampionship]

Agilan Thani Grateful For A Whirlwind 2019

Agilan “Alligator” Thani earned a big win to close 2019 in style.

Earlier this month at ONE: MARK OF GREATNESS in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian welterweight edged out undefeated American newcomer Dante Schiro in a back-and-forth thriller.

Thani, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, was able to hold his own against Schiro, a notable wrestler, for most of three rounds. He used a stout grappling game plan to smother the American en route to a split-decision victory.

Despite the win, the 24-year-old walked away from the bout with several takeaways.

“It was supposed to be a fight that I wanted to dominate from start to finish, but I did not manage to do it. I was a bit sloppy here and there, and I rushed too much. But it is okay,” he said.

“I learn new things every time, and I picked up something new from this fight too. I’ve got a lot of things to work on, as usual. I realized that I am giving my back away too easily, and this is something I really need to change moving forward.”

Thani started 2019 on a high note, as he returned from back surgery to topple Yoshihiro “Sexy Yama” Akiyama via unanimous decision in June.

However, just months later in October, the Malaysian’s dreams of a winning streak were snapped after a close split-decision loss to Japanese icon Yushin “Thunder” Okami.

His timely win against Schiro was a welcome respite from a whirlwind year, and Thani is now ready to start 2020 on solid footing.

“I came back from surgery and won two fights. I don’t have easy fights anymore – I battled against former champions, current champions, and dangerous newcomers,” he said.

“Now I want to go home and rest so I don’t re-injure myself and injure other stuff as well.”

This victory also helped the local hero put aside any fears of competing in his home country, especially since his past two matches in Malaysia did not go his way.

“I had a really big phobia fighting here because I lost my last two matches. I was nervous, but I kept my cool. The moment I saw the stadium fully packed, I could hear everyone cheering very loudly,” he said.

“In short, it feels good to win in Kuala Lumpur again.”

Thani will heal up and resume his hunt for the welterweight gold, and he promises to be a better version of himself the next time he steps into the ring.

“First, I need to rest. After that, I want to work on every skill and aspect of the sport,” he said.

“Then, I want to come back and fight the top guys in my division.”

In the meantime, ONE Championship returns to action on 10 January for ONE: A NEW TOMORROW at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Download the ONE Super App to watch all the action live and for free.

Read More From ONE Championship:

The Coach Who Gave Direction To Agilan Thani’s Life

Courage Has Powered Agilan Thani Through His Martial Arts Career

Agilan Thani Overcame Injury And Depression To Return Stronger