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Aug. 3rd, 2010 09:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oneasthousandNAME: Val
JOURNAL:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lanoyee
EMAIL: yumejin@gmx.net
AIM: Kikoujutsuka
WIKI NAME: N/A
CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER NAME: Anotsu Kagehisa
FANDOM: Blade of the Immortal
CANON: Volume 21, at the end of the Prison Arc.
WHAT THEY LOST: His ability to fight with anything other than a standard issue Japanese sword. Because he makes it a point to NOT fight with a Japanese sword, so he'd hate that. He'd hate that kind of a lot.
ABOUT THE CHARACTER: Anotsu Kagehisa is twenty-two years old, a prodigy with the sword, and the leader of a sword school that is more of an amoral gang of incredibly capable fighters than anything else. In this position, he is more serious than most young men his age would be, and he has grand plans and grand ideals, as well as a very firm idea of what he wants in life, what he approves of, and what he does not approve of.
His main belief, upon which his school, the Ittō-ryū, is founded, is that for a warrior, the only thing that should count is whether they can win a fight. This is, in the beginning, introduced in direct contrast to the sword school the main character, Asano Rin, hails from – a school that put a lot of emphasis on form and „class“. There's a reason, too: their grandfathers once both were students at said school, the Mutenichi-ryū, and competed for the role of successor to its leader. After an altercation, however, Anotsu's grandfather is expelled from the school, on the grounds of having „no class“, seeing as he was fighting with two swords, one of which was a „barbarian“ blade. This haunted him forevermore, and he passed his mentality on to his grandson, who is now out to prove that their way is the better one.
So intent was he on restoring his grandfather's honor that one of the first things he did after taking over the Ittō-ryū was the destruction of the Mutenichi-ryū-dōjō. He and his men killed all students as well as the master and his wife, leaving only their daughter alive to tell the tale. (And boy, does she ever – more on that later.) This shows a few defining characteristics of Anotsu, as well: that he's not afraid to go over dead bodies if it suits his purposes, and it sheds some light on the complicated relationship he had with his grandfather. For his grandfather was abusive toward him, and young Anotsu held him in contempt, thinking him a senile old man; yet, he later reveals that he also felt indepted to him – for once a parent or grandparent bestows their legacy upon a child, said child is obligated to live in the name of said legacy, no matter what. Or so he says. However, because of his experiences, he is also of the opinion that a parent shouldn't impose their unfulfilled wishes upon their children – at least not unless they attained something themselves. This is why he's not eager to have an heir, himself.
He thinks he's not quite ready for that yet, for his goals are set higher than just leading a bunch of misfits; rather, he wants to reform the Way of the Sword itself. In his opinion, the samurai class has, since the peaceful era of the Tokugawa started, degenerated into mere play and merchandise. Thus, he thinks it's time to make people recall what sworsmanship is really all about, and to whip the lazy samurai class back into shape. To this end, he gladly accepts the offer of a bakufu official to make the Ittō-ryū become the official sword school of the bakufu quite gladly. Sadly, it turns out to be trap, and soon he and his men are hunted by the bakufu.
Because for all his apparent maturity and holier-than-thou attitude – well, okay, so it's not really holier-than-thou. He knows he's got flaws, and he knows exactly what scum some of his underlings are, and he's aware of how he's hurt others. He can just be very arrogant about it. Anyway, he is still quite young, and it often shows. As such, it may happen that he is surprisingly naive, as shown in the upper example.
He is also quite often, for all intents and purposes, a cocky boy. He will make sarcastic remarks at a high-ranking bakufu official and seems to find some pleasure in challenging fate. Another thing he finds pleasure in is causing mayhem.
Still, for all that he likes it, he is not without morality. There is one moral standard that his Ittō-ryū is set to adhere to, and this is: always fight one-on-one, and no attacking unarmed people.
All of that rolled into one also makes him into a charismatic leader, which is where part of his success comes from. He's good at making speeches that are filled to the brim with fire and pathos, he's good at saying things that sound mighty cool, and somehow he managed to keep some very unruly people under his control.
It helps that he isn't exactly dumb. He is on his best way to being a mastermind, always keeping the bigger picture in sight and making his plans accordingly. He can be a schemer, and he can be manipulative, though he is also often quite straightforward. In this, he's not always mindful, and he certainly prefers to cut to the chase – however, the government's betrayal has left its mark on him. It's shaken him and his absolute certainty of himself, which had already been under attack ever since Manji started killing several of his men.
Now, he doesn't exactly go unchallenged. And the number one challenger in this manga is a young, tiny girl named Asano Rin. Who wants no less than to kill him for what he did to her. This does not faze him much, as she is no great fighter and thus no threat to him. Still, from the first time they meet again, after two years have passed since the incident, she intrigues him. If only because she doesn't seem to adhere to her sword school's rules as strictly as her ancestors did. And when they end up travelling through the mountains of Japan together and she both wants to kill him and spares him, because he fell ill with tetanus, both of them gain a new kind of respect for each other.
Which, finally, brings me to the last: Anotsu and the ladies. It deserves a paragraph in its own. See, he's kind of funny about women. There is one woman, Otonotachibana Makie, who may just be the most important person in his life. When they were children, she rescued him from a wild dog, and, during a trial by his enraged grandfather, slew fifty more in one night. Since then, he has been utterly in awe of her. He yearns for her talent, knowing at the same time he can never attain it – so he wants her. Both sexually and romantically, for one, but he kind of fails at spitting it out, seeing as he's a little emotionally repressed. He also wants her in his Ittō-ryū, and this is the crux of their relationship. She doesn't want to keep fighting and killing, but for him, it is, for a long time, the only way of wanting her he can admit to. And he is very imposing and oppressive about it: he keeps her indebted her to him by buying her free of the brothel she worked at and continuing to throw money at her even afterward, and he finds her again and again, never allowing her to stay away.
In relation to women in general, he does seem to have a certain steretyped notion of them; such as when he tells Rin, who proposes to join his group, that it was predictable that she would try to trick him that way; „typical women's thinking“.
Yet he also seems to think more highly of women than most men in his era. This shows especially when he asks his bride-to-be, Hisoka, whether she isn't bothered by some men making decisions about her life. He is also very quick to openly fanboy women who show admirable skill; it happens with Makie, his disciple Dōa („learning to move like that from life!“), and even Rin.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE: The autumn air was crisp that afternoon, and the teahouse was quite full. Or, well – maybe it wasn't really autumn; it was late in the year and getting to be quite cold, but you couldn't call it winter yet. In any case, it was the perfect time to order your sake hot. So did Anotsu Kagehisa, as many did, on an afternoon when he didn't have much more to do.
Or made a good impression of it, anyway. Even when his body was resting, his mind was not; it was busy with thoughts and philosophies, plans and schemes and foresight. They had gone underground, he and the people he led, for they had turned from the hunter into the hunted. By necessity, it was a time where he had to stay idle, much as he preferred action. However, if he had any say about it – and he would – in the end, the result would be worth it.
It was good that life had taught him to be patient.
There was a small world in his sake cup, on the surface of the liquid that caught the bright sunlight. A fleeting thing, only existing until he picked the cup up and emptied it. Not unlike a lot of things in life. Perhaps not unlike his very own place in the world, and his Ittō-ryū. He smiled to himself and thought it was fine either way. It was a shame he hadn't attained his goals, not the way he wanted to, but he was flexible, and he now had a name and a reputation and, if nothing else, he would teach the bakufu a lesson. As part of his actions of conquest.
And perhaps as his last.
FIRST-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
[The journal is recording, and the voice it catches comes in from a slight distance.]
What is the meaning of this? Who brought me here? Do you not have the courage to show your face?
[A dry laugh, and even in this single sound, arrogance is evident.]
My reputation must be getting ahead of me. I suppose I don't blame you for knowing whom you are dealing with.
Well, then, depending on what your answer is, I shall spare you.
JOURNAL:
lanoyeeEMAIL: yumejin@gmx.net
AIM: Kikoujutsuka
WIKI NAME: N/A
CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER NAME: Anotsu Kagehisa
FANDOM: Blade of the Immortal
CANON: Volume 21, at the end of the Prison Arc.
WHAT THEY LOST: His ability to fight with anything other than a standard issue Japanese sword. Because he makes it a point to NOT fight with a Japanese sword, so he'd hate that. He'd hate that kind of a lot.
ABOUT THE CHARACTER: Anotsu Kagehisa is twenty-two years old, a prodigy with the sword, and the leader of a sword school that is more of an amoral gang of incredibly capable fighters than anything else. In this position, he is more serious than most young men his age would be, and he has grand plans and grand ideals, as well as a very firm idea of what he wants in life, what he approves of, and what he does not approve of.
His main belief, upon which his school, the Ittō-ryū, is founded, is that for a warrior, the only thing that should count is whether they can win a fight. This is, in the beginning, introduced in direct contrast to the sword school the main character, Asano Rin, hails from – a school that put a lot of emphasis on form and „class“. There's a reason, too: their grandfathers once both were students at said school, the Mutenichi-ryū, and competed for the role of successor to its leader. After an altercation, however, Anotsu's grandfather is expelled from the school, on the grounds of having „no class“, seeing as he was fighting with two swords, one of which was a „barbarian“ blade. This haunted him forevermore, and he passed his mentality on to his grandson, who is now out to prove that their way is the better one.
So intent was he on restoring his grandfather's honor that one of the first things he did after taking over the Ittō-ryū was the destruction of the Mutenichi-ryū-dōjō. He and his men killed all students as well as the master and his wife, leaving only their daughter alive to tell the tale. (And boy, does she ever – more on that later.) This shows a few defining characteristics of Anotsu, as well: that he's not afraid to go over dead bodies if it suits his purposes, and it sheds some light on the complicated relationship he had with his grandfather. For his grandfather was abusive toward him, and young Anotsu held him in contempt, thinking him a senile old man; yet, he later reveals that he also felt indepted to him – for once a parent or grandparent bestows their legacy upon a child, said child is obligated to live in the name of said legacy, no matter what. Or so he says. However, because of his experiences, he is also of the opinion that a parent shouldn't impose their unfulfilled wishes upon their children – at least not unless they attained something themselves. This is why he's not eager to have an heir, himself.
He thinks he's not quite ready for that yet, for his goals are set higher than just leading a bunch of misfits; rather, he wants to reform the Way of the Sword itself. In his opinion, the samurai class has, since the peaceful era of the Tokugawa started, degenerated into mere play and merchandise. Thus, he thinks it's time to make people recall what sworsmanship is really all about, and to whip the lazy samurai class back into shape. To this end, he gladly accepts the offer of a bakufu official to make the Ittō-ryū become the official sword school of the bakufu quite gladly. Sadly, it turns out to be trap, and soon he and his men are hunted by the bakufu.
Because for all his apparent maturity and holier-than-thou attitude – well, okay, so it's not really holier-than-thou. He knows he's got flaws, and he knows exactly what scum some of his underlings are, and he's aware of how he's hurt others. He can just be very arrogant about it. Anyway, he is still quite young, and it often shows. As such, it may happen that he is surprisingly naive, as shown in the upper example.
He is also quite often, for all intents and purposes, a cocky boy. He will make sarcastic remarks at a high-ranking bakufu official and seems to find some pleasure in challenging fate. Another thing he finds pleasure in is causing mayhem.
Still, for all that he likes it, he is not without morality. There is one moral standard that his Ittō-ryū is set to adhere to, and this is: always fight one-on-one, and no attacking unarmed people.
All of that rolled into one also makes him into a charismatic leader, which is where part of his success comes from. He's good at making speeches that are filled to the brim with fire and pathos, he's good at saying things that sound mighty cool, and somehow he managed to keep some very unruly people under his control.
It helps that he isn't exactly dumb. He is on his best way to being a mastermind, always keeping the bigger picture in sight and making his plans accordingly. He can be a schemer, and he can be manipulative, though he is also often quite straightforward. In this, he's not always mindful, and he certainly prefers to cut to the chase – however, the government's betrayal has left its mark on him. It's shaken him and his absolute certainty of himself, which had already been under attack ever since Manji started killing several of his men.
Now, he doesn't exactly go unchallenged. And the number one challenger in this manga is a young, tiny girl named Asano Rin. Who wants no less than to kill him for what he did to her. This does not faze him much, as she is no great fighter and thus no threat to him. Still, from the first time they meet again, after two years have passed since the incident, she intrigues him. If only because she doesn't seem to adhere to her sword school's rules as strictly as her ancestors did. And when they end up travelling through the mountains of Japan together and she both wants to kill him and spares him, because he fell ill with tetanus, both of them gain a new kind of respect for each other.
Which, finally, brings me to the last: Anotsu and the ladies. It deserves a paragraph in its own. See, he's kind of funny about women. There is one woman, Otonotachibana Makie, who may just be the most important person in his life. When they were children, she rescued him from a wild dog, and, during a trial by his enraged grandfather, slew fifty more in one night. Since then, he has been utterly in awe of her. He yearns for her talent, knowing at the same time he can never attain it – so he wants her. Both sexually and romantically, for one, but he kind of fails at spitting it out, seeing as he's a little emotionally repressed. He also wants her in his Ittō-ryū, and this is the crux of their relationship. She doesn't want to keep fighting and killing, but for him, it is, for a long time, the only way of wanting her he can admit to. And he is very imposing and oppressive about it: he keeps her indebted her to him by buying her free of the brothel she worked at and continuing to throw money at her even afterward, and he finds her again and again, never allowing her to stay away.
In relation to women in general, he does seem to have a certain steretyped notion of them; such as when he tells Rin, who proposes to join his group, that it was predictable that she would try to trick him that way; „typical women's thinking“.
Yet he also seems to think more highly of women than most men in his era. This shows especially when he asks his bride-to-be, Hisoka, whether she isn't bothered by some men making decisions about her life. He is also very quick to openly fanboy women who show admirable skill; it happens with Makie, his disciple Dōa („learning to move like that from life!“), and even Rin.
THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE: The autumn air was crisp that afternoon, and the teahouse was quite full. Or, well – maybe it wasn't really autumn; it was late in the year and getting to be quite cold, but you couldn't call it winter yet. In any case, it was the perfect time to order your sake hot. So did Anotsu Kagehisa, as many did, on an afternoon when he didn't have much more to do.
Or made a good impression of it, anyway. Even when his body was resting, his mind was not; it was busy with thoughts and philosophies, plans and schemes and foresight. They had gone underground, he and the people he led, for they had turned from the hunter into the hunted. By necessity, it was a time where he had to stay idle, much as he preferred action. However, if he had any say about it – and he would – in the end, the result would be worth it.
It was good that life had taught him to be patient.
There was a small world in his sake cup, on the surface of the liquid that caught the bright sunlight. A fleeting thing, only existing until he picked the cup up and emptied it. Not unlike a lot of things in life. Perhaps not unlike his very own place in the world, and his Ittō-ryū. He smiled to himself and thought it was fine either way. It was a shame he hadn't attained his goals, not the way he wanted to, but he was flexible, and he now had a name and a reputation and, if nothing else, he would teach the bakufu a lesson. As part of his actions of conquest.
And perhaps as his last.
FIRST-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE:
[The journal is recording, and the voice it catches comes in from a slight distance.]
What is the meaning of this? Who brought me here? Do you not have the courage to show your face?
[A dry laugh, and even in this single sound, arrogance is evident.]
My reputation must be getting ahead of me. I suppose I don't blame you for knowing whom you are dealing with.
Well, then, depending on what your answer is, I shall spare you.
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no subject
Date: 2012-11-06 11:32 pm (UTC)