"Everything starts from a loss." Since I'm back from a road accident at work and then forced home with an unknown number of points in mind, the only solace I have left is to watch anime and read manga. With the proverbial
timing of fate, the day of the accident was released
Shigurui 12 , I could only days after my cousin unleashed after the purchase, and then, bolstered by the moral reading, today I am in the mood to talk about this series of Yamaguchi-sensei, who now runs the Italic newsstands for nearly three years.
The manga is based on the first chapter of the novel
Suruga-jo Gozen Jiai ("The Tournament of Martial Arts at the Castle of Suruga [before the Lord]") on a series of meetings among the best fencers in the region called for his delight the young and sadistic governor of the province at the time, Tadanaga Tokugawa. The special
of this tournament is that, unlike the usual practice, the contenders will use swords with blades of living, not the classic wooden swords usually used for the duels of the day: the conclusion of the infamous tournament, one of the few currently documented cruelty Tadanaga , opens the novel and it sounds like a real war report:
"Total number of contestants: 22
, divided into 11 groups.
8 have died in defeat.
6 were killed each other during the clash at the same time.
2 were executed by firing squad.
6 survived, two of them seriously injured. " Shigurui is based on the first chapter of this Grand Guignol of Edo era,
Sakanagare Mumy ("the contradictory of Darkness" is the name of the sword style developed by Seigen, one of the protagonists), which focuses on the feud and Kakegawa discord between the two ex-comrades of the same school of sword-ryu Kogan, the austere and virtuous Gennosuke Seigen, involved in a spiral of revenge, until their last, final battle in that tournament. How will you
repeated ad nauseum, the term "Shigurui" the work's title comes from a song of 'Hagakure
:
"The Way of the Samurai is this: crazy pace as next death. A person who behaves like this can not be killed even by ten opponents. " The original term" Shigurui "is composed of two kanji," Death "and" Crazy "and is understood here as an individual so drunk" death "to act not only as if to throw away his life to challenge it, but most use it to throw away the lives of his enemies: a state of" drunkenness of violence "that make us forget to be deadly, and run the risks during a direct confrontation.
I think the best word to describe the state of mind with which she prepared to fight with real swords, risking death, just to amuse his master ... Because the strict label Edo, fight in a battle or to entertain your man was practically the same thing: obedience did not allow protests.
A large number of masochists were happy to submit to the whims of a small number of sadists
.
However, this particular "state of mind" also implies un'istintività unusual: the shots of the characters inspired by this "crazy pace as the face of death" are unpredictable, lethal, and there even if not directly linked to an ethical or moral superstructure how can it be loyalty to a boss or an ideal, in other words, it becomes "shigurui" where the action is left behind the thought, where the meat in his animal instincts and deep than the speed of mental synapses in manifesting itself.
And this manifestation of "death instinct" is the same, always and of course, with the death of the opponent.
... Claro, no?
Here now a quick overview of the protagonists of the tragedy with some hints of plot, I put them there in order to "plot" (not "narrative"), in order to clarify the course of events:
Kogan Iwamoto Kogan is the master of the two main characters, a crazy old man now suffers from senile dementia who spends most of his waking life to:
1. Pee pee
2. Mate with his mistress
3. Eating junk
school students refer to this state of dementia as "lethargy" in certain intervals of time in fact, Kogan returns polished and in those periods is responsible for imparting lessons to his students and leave orders for the management of the gym . Kogan
students are completely, totally and utterly loyal to his sensei in tips that border on mysticism and the total subjection: being mentally unstable, Kogan is doubly dangerous because they always able to perfectly execute the techniques with which he became famous years and at the same time completely unaware of what happens around him. When
Kogan is "in itself" behaves in a violent, domineering and terribly disrespectful of the slightest moral qualms among human beings: his students, especially those closest to him, are humiliated, beaten and abused by ruthless old man, his character is suspicious, nervous and impatient in nature, that of a brutal father-master by vocation. Kogan
The school is considered the school "official" of the feud, and the extreme skill of his students and the originality of his style is described as "unparalleled" and then "stumbled".
The training considers the main part of its foundation, the clash with rival schools opponents, whose representatives are held in high regard by students to Kogan: peremptory order for the teacher, they should never be killed, but necessarily "embellished" or deprived of an eye, an ear or chin stored by tremendous punishment, to take their opponents 'signs' of the treatment-Kogan Ryu is an effective way to "advertise" the invincibility of their actual style.
Kogan is a man who, like many samurai active in the Sengoku period, "was made by himself, and tries to instill this" urgency of survival even in her students with training on the edge of death.
In youth, Kogan has made a name for challenging from time to time the best swordsmen in the province, including the legendary Yagyu Munenori.
The two had a fight prior to the granting of the office of master swordsman of the Tokugawa, and Munenori Kogan was able to fly, but conceded a draw to not embarrass the samurai rank much higher in exchange for favors. Munenori
Kogan offered to present to the future shogun, but the old fox suggested, noting the marked deformity of the hands of Kogan, to hide his sixth finger at the meeting not to offend the view of the sophisticated high-ranking samurai; doing so, however, has angered the vassal who would interview him for a possible use:
"Miserable. Taiko-sama (Toyotomi Hideyoshi, then regent) has
the same number of your fingers. What makes you think that their view is a source of offense? " This was the straw that broke the camel's back in the morality of Kogan, because of this dirty trick which was the victim, the awareness that he did escape fame and wealth a narrow margin, has led to forms of misanthropy and outright contempt for the next even more extreme.
The author says that Kogan is the true villain of the story, but it is obvious that his wickedness is the result suffered an injustice, the loss caused by the inability to take advantage of an opportunity, dug up the theme again and again throughout history.
MY Iwamoto My
is the only daughter of Kogan.
Since there have an idea of \u200b\u200bthe father, you can well imagine how he see in her daughter no more than a uterus with legs designed to produrgli heirs.
The interest and importance Kogan gives his daughter is virtually zero, and not infrequently expresses his contempt for such an "heir of Series B", implying that, like any warrior family, a male was the rightful heir and favorite to advance the good name of the family.
Because of this useless daughter, Kogan is forced not only to postpone the presentation of the new heir to the competent authorities, but also take the trouble to select between a husband worthy students of the school.
Mine is fully conscious of its role in the family as well as in the society of Iwamoto: marriages purely sexual acts were so focused on producing an heir, and this awareness as well as the continued presence of males on his property, has made full Mie indifferent to the male human body and helped to psychologically weaken, the day her husband was ejected and punished by her father, she found herself the victim of an acute form of anorexia that forced her flesh.
His body is now unfit to host life as a reflection of this "waste" which was forced by fate: Very soon you will change your feelings of love in hatred, not by his will but by the will of the label: his father's death at the hands of her ex-future-My husband put in a situation where the rationality of hatred will be presented as the only lifeline to his already precarious mental balance.
IKU Iku is the lover of Kogan.
once worked in a fabric shop for kimono, but the role of Mistress of the Tiger "and the rumors according to which approach it would lead to death because the bearer of bad luck, have relegated her to call home while waiting or Gifts Kogan.
Bella as submissive, Iku is the portrait of "woman's boss" which is intended for those approaching death is initially unaware Iku behind the series of murders which have occurred involving its legitimate boyfriends there is a hand of the same students Kogan, but when Seigen, the newcomer, I'll explain, the woman will not only return to feed and obsessive feelings to the limit for the young man who sees her as a "normal woman", but also the obvious resentment of Kogan.
In fact, director of the murders and his trusted disciple Gonzaemon, which is responsible for the supervision of Iku and is found to punish anyone who comes close.
Gonzaemon Seigen begins to doubt, and takes him by inviting him to give up Iku for obvious reasons, but Seigen blatantly denies any involvement with the woman. As is
Kogan crazy but not stupid, she realizes the betrayal of Iku and organize a great feast for two, consisting of beatings and rapes, not after having been personally involved in the weakening of Seigen, of course, the fact that the two infervorerà even more to get revenge.
Iku is naturally hated by Mie for his role, now mistress of her father, now her future husband, and finally an accomplice to the murder of his father.
Formally similar, the two women instantly arise as opposite poles of the same coin (a "sexual" and the other essentially pure, a mature and charming, the other young and pretty, an ordinary citizen, the other heir to a samurai family ...), which is the utilitarian role of women in that period.
expendable pawn in the hands now Kogan, now Seigen hours than anyone else we sleep together, Iku is certainly the most psychologically supine character of the series, the one modeled more effectively by the conventions of the time, even inside her burning bombastic passion that she does not know how to deal with: Mie and is characterized by this degree of "instability" to make it in a certain sense even if deep surface, Iku has the consistency of a damp cloth on the floor, and is in some sense this its tasteless to make fascinating uselessness.
Seigen Iraq And here, the stone of scandal Shigurui of
!
Seigen is introduced as a ronin fascinating that one fine day he decides to challenge the school Kogan, after having humiliated the student experienced Gennosuke breaking two fingers after using his own technique against him, however, is defeated by the master Gonzaemon, and After this defeat, revealing he decided to become a student of Kogan.
Seigen is introduced as the son of wealthy merchants, but it is actually the son of a whore, nothing more than dead meat from humble origins, fed by hatred for the upper class of the samurai, the beautiful Seigen how skilled he decided to climb the ladder Social and overcome those who looked down through his ability and cunning.
His entry into the school Kogan is certainly the beginning because of his extraordinary career.
During the beginning of his training starts addocchiatre properties Kogan, his daughter and her lover: Iku seduces and makes his woman behind the teacher, and then starts to move in order to win favors with the Kogan ' goal of becoming heir.
He has only a little over a year to learn all the techniques of the school and outperform the devout but moderate in the eyes of Gennosuke Kogan, who impressed by the undeniable talent Seigen award him his heir, and then invariably betrothed Mie. Now
to Seigen remains only to wait for the final secret of the art teaching, and then its welcome Iwamoto in the clan will be effective ... Unfortunately for him however, Kogan reveals the treachery of Iku and prepares for revenge against Seigen with the help of his trusted disciples, and Gennosuke Gonzaemon head.
the evening of the ceremony for the teaching of the secret and deadly "Nagareboshi" Kogan swells barrel Seigen by his disciples, then tortured him with Iku and finally showed him the technique, but using it as a target, depriving him of sight. Reduced
two rags, Gonzaemon directs the two into a temple for protection, only to reveal that this is a trap: there Seigen Iku was raped and beaten by some thugs.
After this additional treatment, they try to find salvation through the forest; around them other fools, but this time Seigen try to defend themselves despite blindness: his sword will be stuck in a tree trunk, and mania to free and defend, in the backlash of the liberation of the blade, mowing opponents with an extraordinary power: so came the basis for his technique "Mumy Sakanagare, which then gives the title to the chapter of the original novel.
With a new technique, powerful new allies and a traitor within the dojo, Seigen is preparing its revenge: the first eliminates all students to Kogan, and then, make sure you have removed and Gennosuke Gonzaemon, moves to kill the 'hated Kogan.
In a tremendous battle, has the best Seigen and disappears after revenge, leaving My father's blood soup in her wedding dress and Gennosuke outside of himself to do mouth-to mouth mutilated corpse of his beloved master.
Because the show is indecent, the school is closed and Gennosuke is imprisoned by the prefect of the city. The next day
Gonzaemon can return, but it's too late: his piercing cries against the locked doors of the dojo ringing in the ears of Mie and Gennosuke. Forte
of victory, the approval of Tadanaga and protection of the blind Kengyou, private doctor Tadanaga and supreme head of the organization of the blind Toudouza, Seigen if going through a castle with servants and maidens available but despite being released by Kogan can not do without being annoyed by the persistent existence of Gennosuke. Meanwhile, Mie send a letter to the governor of revenge of the feud, calling for the chance to avenge the death of his father: after an initial rejection, which is revealed to have been chosen by Gennosuke Kogan as his successor for quite some time now, the governor changed his mind and agrees to the duel after Gennosuke slicing the front of the guy on the list to be the new "master of the sword of the city" after he insulted the memory of his teacher.
Seigen is also a winner here, will deprive Gennosuke the left arm and also be able to kill Gonzaemon; defeat My push and Gennosuke, theoretically now husband and wife, in reality the chaste Vergara ever, to live in disgrace and poverty, under the amused gaze and serene of higher-ranking samurai Seigen. But
Tadanaga a special decree of the duel and the castle of Suruga are in the air ...
Seigen is a character with which they could sympathize, since his hatred and behavior have been urged by their refusal to fund the Gennosuke against him, but his character arrives, narcissistic and selfish make it completely incompatible with the idea classic "poor man who seeks a social climbing" which belongs to the same Kogan, and that usually helps to sympathize with a character. During
reading, Seigen is paradoxically characterized as an "antagonist", a particle in the crazy life "serenity" of Iwamoto & Co, although on the whole does nothing to deserve the hatred of the player, in fact.
Its comparison with his nemesis and poignant Gennosuke is obvious: on the one hand, the austere and stoic Kogan pupil of the other, a man who makes his passions and ambitions of the fuel of his life. Where
Gennosuke is rigid and true, Seigen is dynamic and enterprising Seigen Gennosuke considered an idiot, Gennosuke Seigen considered a coward.
Convinced that both origins samurai, Seigen hates Gennosuke example because of what he has always hated: a person who consider themselves superior by right of birth, the need to humiliate Gennosuke part from this inferiority complex of Seigen, a sense of "lack" that the immediate focus on the success of the first material and spiritual.
Gennosuke Fujiki Gennosuke is, pure and simple, the exact nemesis Seigen.
honest and devout man of few words, respectful and deferential, embodies the toes to the ends of the samurai code of honor. Since
of few words and not showing interest in worldly things, it is considered late by the inhabitants of the city, but other students as well as his trusted friend and mentor Gonzaemon, they know perfectly well that Gennosuke more than just a good guy is the embodiment of pure crystalline and cold cruelty Kogan, a "Tiger of the Tigers."
Seigen Contrary to popular belief, Gennosuke was none other than the third child of a miserable peasant family, already considered stupid by his parents.
One day after being beaten by the son of the vassal for trivial reasons, he decided, as well as driven by a strange instinct still incomprehensible to him, to smash the kid's head against a wall, killing him.
kill the only son of a samurai family was not really a great idea at the time, so the parents of Gennosuke, trying to spring up the ass, well they decided to hang upside Gennosuke down the pine tree in front of the house, showing their sympathy for the reckless actions of their son moron.
chanced that the samurai in charge of investigations for the death of the little shit was just Kogan: after arriving in the presence of pine, having heard the whining and the parents have ensured that it was quite Gennosuke to "punish" the heir to the clan Fujiki - freed the child from the ropes with his sword and took it with him. Liquid
the death of the kid as an accident and suggested to Fujiki Gennosuke as their child-rearing, then once it reaches the right age, he made sure that the boy was entrusted to him as his disciple.
Gennosuke, reborn as a samurai by the intervention to Kogan, the student is a fortiori more attached and affectionate all'instabile old man is in charge of his care and personal hygiene as was his father, and when he sleeps the browning properly swords ... The closed-minded and samuraiesca of Gennosuke is nothing but the manifestation of his gratitude for Kogan, prior to its happiness, its true aim is to preserve the welfare and good name of the clan Iwamoto: recognizing the future in Mie, respects and honors the girl as a guarantor of the heritage of the clan. Even Gennosuke
as Seigen, aspires to become heir to Kogan, and the emphasis with which he wishes, though always behind the veil of his silence, revealing the human side of the boy.
Contrary to Seigen however, does not aspire to the legacy of Gennosuke Kogan Goduria for simple or personal need to feel better than others: the idea of \u200b\u200bbeing able to mix his blood with that of his benefactor fills him with joy, to contribute to the prestige of the clan Iwamoto fills him with pride.
"Iraq, Fujiki Gennosuke born samurai. A samurai is like this shell. The only way for a man born into the samurai is to protect the family lineage. That's all." After being downgraded to be "survived" the avenger duel against Seigen and forcing her pimp to death by the error of assessment of doctors, Mie and Gennosuke, now heirs of nothing, are preparing to commit suicide last day on which he is allowed to stay in the old residence Iwamoto ... However, an envoy of the governor, warning them that Gennosuke is forced to re-examined Seigen to even the score after his dishonorable survival. My
Gennosuke and they refuse, saying it's okay for them and Seigen is too strong for their chances, but the guy explains that it is the direct order of the Tokugawa, implying the absolute obedience. My
Gennosuke and then begin a miserable life in the country, rented by a farmer, surrounded by the disdain of villagers, who now are not afraid to rage over who once dominated them from above, waiting for the decisive battle.
Suruga finally receive an invitation to the tournament Sunpu the palace, and here begins the final act of vengeance ...
After all, as Iku, even Gennosuke is a pawn now for Kogan, now my ... But his strength and determination give positive aura that recognize it as a "hero" even if the bottom is no less obsessed and cruel Seigen.
The narrative alternates between the real history embedded in numerous flashbacks to each other, to detect small fragments hours on one character or helping in the understanding of characterization. The plot of
Nario is of course well structured and organized, and the style and solid substance give Yamaguchi the evocation of the historical novel.
As usual, it is the dominant third-person narration than dialogue, but the wise choice of rhythmic page layout creates a sense of lightness and simplicity, then transcribed the songs never sound heavy or too long, or even worse, " bulky "compared to the dialogues, which are actually very few.
Yamaguchi's style is always solid and detailed, more grotesque than realistic.
Expressions such as environmental details are always rendered with painstaking meticulousness that tend to mar what would represent a mixture of soaking it all dark and visceral that harmonizes well, not just the offal exhibited more pages, but especially to the office prior to physical violence, at that time.
violence.
Shigurui is certainly a crude and cruel in its series cynical portrait not only of society at the time, but also the hierarchical ties that underpin the ethics of the whole society of Japan, and that obviously have the highest manifestation in final codification of bushido made by the Tokugawa.
Many dwell on the many scenes of dismemberment and quartered by the corolla as a rotting frame, identifying the NonPlusUltra of "violence" in the strict sense of this manga, but I do not.
The true violence of this work is psychological: the subjection of students to Kogan, the ambition of Seigen, the role of women who see themselves only made in view of their marriage, the acquiescence must show that great men in front of the characters of higher rank them.
But there are limits to "blame" the highest offices of a particular social class; in
Shigurui as they are "justified" by a strange "madness" that characterizes them: we have the example of the dementia Kogan, retaliation of his undeniable genius martial, but also in behaviors "surreal" to Tadanaga not portrayed as a "bad" as such that just loves the humble subject, but a purely sadistic villain who saw the torture, physical or psychological, inflicted on those who ail, some form of "beauty."
Cruelty, suffering and "violence" are therefore not in the mere "display" offal and massacres, but in the moral and spiritual suffering of his characters:
"Although the audience appeared to say that a demonic bull that the demon has killed three lancers with a single blow of a wooden sword, the demon that has gnawed a samurai in two with his bare hands, all these are mere illusions.
Such hallucinations can not reach my eyes .
you you're debating. No matter what others think, you're debating you, unlike like a true samurai. " In the work there is also an original interpretation of the concept of "sexuality" as a factor of excitement, taking the reference to sadism and masochism, the author imbues the relationship between the characters with these veiled erotic suggestions: Mie dreams of being killed by Seigen bare hands after he stripped naked and grabbed her breasts, Gennosuke sprays of seed while doctors try to segargli the arm bone to suture the wound, Gonzaemon eat by cutting it's nipple Iku Kogan, then there is the effect of "perfume" of Seigen Kogan students on the day of his arrival at the dojo ...
At the same time, however, the actual sex are treated with grotesque touch if not purely negative: the understanding between the scenes Kogan / Iku, Seigen / Iku and Seigen / All-girl-of-country, there is a sort of castration among the reports deemed "important": My mother see that suicide, castration "literal" of Gonzaemon once said goodbye to his true love to focus on the teachings of Kogan, of the same "caste" My first night of Gennosuke and finally alone ... There is a "shame" that more modesty in the sense that innocent, is another form of sadism author's feelings toward the "pure" of the stars, more like the repression that a consciously chosen chastity.
Norio is a left-wing writer, known for "cruelty" of its work and care in its historical reconstructions, punishing his characters also punishes the conventions to which they cling: they illusion that social advancement is a method of rescue, but as society itself is running, you can not do unless the rot with her, and indeed, higher than salt, more harm is done when it smashes you right-to-earth you belong. Yamaguchi
we know it, love stories with happy endings and love the heroes in this work made a superhuman effort not to give us any glimmer of hope or salvation, the approach with these samurai, "true" facts of the visceral fears and passions and instinctual, it is totally different from that which manages the heroes who seek to oppose an enemy defined but still "salvageable" by the force of justice. In
Shigurui no justice, no hope.
Only the "loss" and the inability to become aware.
only witnesses to life of what are the tormented father Garai, then a drifter in search of just easy, and the handsome Yuki, a child abducted by criminals Garai and his friends with the intention to apply for a juicy ransom as the younger brother of the famous Tamanojo kabuki actor. 
Yuki, of altrocanto, is a wonderful character. 
Paradoxically, however, compared to the plethora of characters "small small" universe MW, with their pettiness and weaknesses, Yuki is a character fundamentally honest and pure in its nihilism. 
addition to this factor of "involuntary," which certainly does not justify the horrific actions of Yuki but it certainly helps to see the character in a different perspective, be sure to dress Yuki Tezuka with a deep love and sweet Garai, a Full and honest sentiment that contrasts completely with the way the other guy is his many lovers, both women and men. 