Line #123 Manga/TheYagyuNinjaScrolls


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px_the_yagyu_ninja_scrolls.jpg]]
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3	->''"They must be punished by the hands of women"''
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5	''The Yagyu Ninja Scrolls: Revenge of the Hori Clan'' (Y十M ～柳生忍法帖～ Y- Jū -M - Yagyū Ninpōchō) is a manga series by Masaki Segawa (author of ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}''), which was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Young Magazine'' from 2005 to 2007 and compiled into 11 volumes. It is based on a novel of the same name from Futaro Yamada's Ninpōchō series.
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7	In the Nineteenth Year of Kannei (1642), a rebellion by the Hori clan against Katō Akinari, the daimyo of Aizu, has been suppressed through the intervention of the Tokugawa shogunate. Placed into the custody of the Seven Spears, Katō's brutal group of personal enforcers, the Hori men are dragged to the Tōkei-ji "Divorce Temple" at Kamakura where the Hori women had been hiding. Despite a law passed by the former shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu forbidding men to enter the temple, the Seven Spears force their way in and brutally slaughter the Hori women before their husbands and brothers, and then proceeding to murder them too. The massacre is stopped only by the intervention of Princess Sen, the Tōkei-ji Temple's guardian and older sister to the reigning shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Unfortunately, though the Seven Spears agreed to depart, only seven of the Hori women survived.
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9	In retribution for the violation of Tōkeiji Temple and those who she had taken under her care, Princess Sen sends a message to the famous monk Takuan Sōhō to locate one person who can train the seven Hori women in the arts of ninjutsu to seek their revenge. The one chosen is Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, son of Yagyū Munenori and former instructor to the shogun. With Jubei's instruction and guidance, the Hori women begin their war against the Seven Spears and ultimately Katō himself.
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11	----
12	!!This show provides examples of:
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14	* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The hannya mask worn by Jubei is the most blatant computer-rendered detail in the story. Presumably this is to express how eerie "Hannya Mask" looks to his enemies.
15	* AbusiveParents: Jubei's dad, Yagyu Munenori once knocked his eye out during a training session. Dohaku as well, even though he treats Oyura well enough. What else do you call a guy who raises his daughter to be a sex toy for a creep like Akinari, just for the purpose of having a child, and shows no concern for her being raped or killed?
16	* TheAce: Jubei. Interesting case, though as when the series starts he seems untouchable. As the series goes on, he reveals he's as fallible as anyone else, his incredible skills aside
17	* {{Acrofatic}}: Otori might be on the heavy side, but she's the most agile of the Hori women.
18	* ActionGirl: The girls get there.
19	* AgeWithoutYouth: Dohaku and Tenkai are 108 years old, despite their immortality. They look it. TruthInTelevision as Priest Tenkai died at the age of 107.
20	* AlasPoorVillain:
21	** Once Jyonshin's final attack dog is fatally injured but still attempts to return to the Spears and inform them of the Horis' location, both Jubei and Takuan lament having to slay such loyal and expertly-trained animals.
22	** [[spoiler:Oyura takes a killing blow from her own father to save Jubei, who she had come to admire. Although he was disturbed by her earlier actions, Jubei is moved by her sacrifice and is last seen reflecting on how he has to pray for her soul.]]
23	* AmbiguouslyBrown: Hiraga Magobei of the Spears is curiously quite dark skinned.
24	* ApologeticAttacker: Jubei is not happy having to kill Jyonshin's dogs. He apologizes to them, saying they're magnificent creatures and wishes they had a more worthy master.
25	* AttemptedRape: The Spears and Akinari freaking love trying.
26	* BadBoss: If you're not one of the Spears or Dohaku, working for Akinari REALLY sucks.
27	* BadassFamily: the entire Yagyu clan. Jubei actually decides against asking them to shelter the Hori women because he's worried they're so honorable and skilled, the entire clan would be after Akinari's blood and ruin the women's revenge.
28	* BadassInDistress: When Jubei gets in a tight spot at points, the girls are there to rescue him.
29	%% * BaldOfEvil: Ichiganbo.
30	* BareFistedMonk: Washinosu Rennsuke of the Spears needs nothing more than his bare hands, feet and incredible strength to fight.
31	* BatmanGambit: Jubei is good at this. [[OldMaster Takuan]] is ''great'' at it.
32	* TheBeastmaster: Gusoku Jyonshin Isn't a good fighter, but has under his command three dogs the size of cows.
33	* BenevolentBoss: For the Spears, Akinari is really lenient and gets on well with them. The only one he ever abuses is Jyonshin and that's only after he'd been publicly humiliated. Might alsohave something to do with Jyonshin being the smallest and weakest of the lot.
34	* BerserkButton: For Dohaku, it's to wreck his plans at merging Ashina and Kato. For Jubei, it's to threaten or harm the Hori women. For the Hori women, it's the Seven Spears and Akinari. For Akinari and the Seven Spears, it's the Hori women and Hannya Mask. For Ginshiro it's...well, anything, really.
35	* BewareTheNiceOnes: Jubei is a laid-back fellow, but do NOT cross him.
36	%% * {{Bifauxnen}}: Sakura.
37	* BigBad: Ashina Dohaku. He emerges in the second half of the series to steal the villainous spotlight from Akinari.
38	* BigBeautifulWoman: Otori is certainly quite plump, but she's still extremely attractive
39	* BigBrotherInstinct: Jubei develops one towards the Hori women.
40	* BlessedWithSuck: Neither Ashina Dohaku or priest Tenkai can die while the other lives. Though they feel one another's pain. This can create significant drawbacks. It's one that Dohaku loves using to torment his brother.
41	* BloodKnight: Some of the Seven Spears have shades of this, most notably Ginshiro, Rennsuke and Koshichiro. Jubei has minor shades of this, as he really, really wants to fight Koshichiro and only takes the job to help the Hori women initially because he's thrilled by the notion of a challenge that might take his life.
42	* {{Bookends}}: The first and last Spear member is killed by [[spoiler:all 7 Hori women impaling them from several directions]].
43	* BreakTheCutie: Otone goes through this after being raped by Akinari. She gets better.
44	* BrokenBird: Some of the Hori women, and Otone, can come across this way.
45	* CainAndAbel: Dohaku and Tenkai had been enemies from the time they were born.
46	* TheCaligula: Akinari. Loves taking advantage of his position to rape, torture and abuse whoever he can.
47	* TheChessmaster: Ashina Dohaku. Jubei has shades of this, but he's also really good at improv.
48	* ClingyJealousGirl: Some of the Hori women turn into this for Jubei when they think he shows favoritism.
49	* CoitusUninterruptus: Oyura and Akinari will get it on no matter who's around, even if it's Oyura's own father.
50	* ColdBloodedTorture: Oyura's hobby. The Spears like it as a past time, but she's the master.
51	* CombatByChampion: Koshichiro desperately wants to fight Jubei. Jubei wants to fight him just as badly.
52	* CombatPragmatist: Jubei knows the women can never defeat the Spears in a fair fight. Solution? Don't fight fair. The women also get into the spirit themselves.
53	* DeathEqualsRedemption: [[spoiler: Oyura dies in Jubei's arms, even receiving a kiss from him to purify her soul. It's a really sudden and bizarre redemption for a character who up until a few chapters ago was as evil as any of the other villains.]]
54	* DisabilitySuperpower: Koshichiro only has one arm, but is quite easily on par with Jubei himself.
55	* DirtyCoward: Gusoku Jyonshin of the Seven Spears is the most craven of the lot. Akinari, when you strip away his official status and his bodyguards, is like any other cowardly bully as well.
56	* TheDragon: The Spears function as this for Akinari, but most specifically Koshichiro. Later on, Dohaku takes this role, although he's really..
57	* DragonInChief: Dohaku takes the reins of main villain from Akinari shortly after his introduction, being far, far more dangerous than Akinari ever managed. Akinari does little more than bury himself in pleasure and let Dohaku do the heavy lifting from that point on.
58	* DramaticUnmask: During his confrontation with Dohaku and the remaining Spears, Jubei lifts his large straw hat to reveal he's [[SubvertedTrope still wearing his hannya mask under it]] (to the reader it even looks like it materialized between panels). The Spears are mad at this and soon cut the mask for real. As Jubei expected, they did know of his reputation.
59	* TheDreaded: Ashina Dohaku is this before he appears and proves all the horrible things you've heard of him are true.
60	* DrillSergeantNasty: Jubei.
61	* DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler: ALL of Takuan's monks get this, and they ALL GoOutWithASmile.]]
62	* EmbarrassingNickname: The Hori women ask Takuan to name a pet bird they had been entrusted with. Takuan names it "Shichirou" since they're seven (shichi) women, but Jubei suddenly asks for a recount. Takuan then makes fun of him, remembering Shichirou was Jubei's own nickname when he was a child.
63	* EvilGenius: Dohaku. 108 years of hellish training and experience will do that
64	* EvilTwin: Ashina Dohaku, or Ashina Hotaru is this for Priest Tenkai, or Ashina Heitaro.
65	* FanDisservice: Any sex scene with Akinari and Oyura is just...creepy.
66	* FanService: Isn't it convenient Sakura, Ochie and Ofue had to rescue Jubei while completely naked at one point...
67	* FatBastard: Shiba Ichiganbo is a hulking, grotesque pig of a man. Though unusually for this trope, he's one of the most clever of the Spears.
68	* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler: Oh, boy, does Akinari wish they'd just killed him. Instead he's stripped of land and title and exiled to the land his son controls. His son who hates his guts. And is now the Daimyo. And knows daddy just cost him a lot of his inheritance...]] Princess Sen opines seppuku would have been a mercy.
69	* {{Fingore}}: Akinari bites off the finger of one of his concubines during a nightmare.
70	* GagNose: Twin brothers Tenkai and Dohaku have noses nearly as long as their heads.
71	* GenkiGirl: Ofue can have shades of this at times.
72	* GoodIsNotNice: Jubei can be nasty sometimes. Princess Sen as well, though given who she's nasty to, it's understandable.
73	* GoodScarsEvilScars: Jubei has his missing eye and [[spoiler: A new scar over it from his duel with Koshichiro later.]] Koro Ginshiro has a nasty one that pretty much cuts his face in two.
74	* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler: Priest Tenkai dies smiling, content that he's defeated Dohaku at last.]]. Also a villainous example in [[spoiler: Rennsuke, who realizes that Jubei Yagyu is his true enemy and killer, after Oshina and Otori mortally wound him. He dies content at being defeated by Japan's greatest swordsman.]]
75	* GroinAttack: Jubei inflicts one on [[spoiler: Akinari. There was much rejoicing.]]
76	* GuileHero: Jubei concocts multiple underhanded gambits to defeat the Spears.
77	* HairTriggerTemper: Good lord, it seems anything will piss Ginshiro off. His fellow Spears occasionally have to restrain him from giving lip to people who can order their deaths.
78	* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler: Magobei is split right down the middle.]]
79	* HandicappedBadass: Jubei has no issues fighting with his remaining eye closed. He can even deflect arrows!
80	* HappilyMarried: Osawa, Oshina and Okei were before the series start.
81	* HighHeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: Oyura gets one of the most bizarre, sudden ones ever. Jubei, who's spent three solid days refusing Oyura's aphrodisiac-driven sexual advances, looks just as confused by this turn of events as Douhaku.]]
82	* HeroicSacrifice: Jubei is ready to attempt one at points. The kindly, bumbling monks are also more than willing to give their lives, and do, to help the Hori women. [[spoiler: It's not in vain either. These guys have no skills, no physical ability and still manage to buy Otori and Oshina the chance to kill Rensuke with their own lives. The remaining monks die taking down the Ashina clan henchmen. Tenkai also pulls this to bring down Dohaku once and for all.]]
83	* HiddenDepths: Jubei acts like a lazy, careless oaf, but in reality he's a kind man with a strong sense of justice who'd die for what he believes is right.
84	* HighlyVisibleNinja: Jubei in his Hannya Mask disguise...this is intentional as he wants to be seen and wage psychological warfare.
85	* HimeCut: Princess Sen and several of the Hori Women.
86	* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Sending your men into the divorce temple, Akinari? Well,it's true you had the right to destroy the Hori men, but violating sacred orders for a personal grudge? This sure came back to bite ya.
87	* HonorBeforeReason: On both sides. Honor is occasionally prioritized over practicality, and arguably the whole premise is this, because Sen decides not to ask the Shogun, her younger brother, for help, specifically so the girls can take their vengeance. The Spears are subject to this at times, too as some act out a bit when the honor of the Ashina clan or Akinari's honor is threatened.
88	* HumiliationConga: Akinari has a really, really rough time. [[spoiler: First his men start dying. Then he's delivered in front of Sen's temple like a common criminal. Then he recovers a bit after fleeing to Aizu. Then Jubei cuts his dick off. Then his final Spears are killed. THEN Princess sen arrives to deliver formal judgment that he's stripped of all lands and titles and left to the mercy of the son who detests him after he lost 3/4s of the guy's inheritance.]]
89	* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: Pulled at various points by Akinari and the Spears. Usually it ends very poorly for them.
90	* IWantGrandkids: Rather...sinister version of this from Dohaku. He really wants Akinari and Oyura to have a child together, so Dohaku can merge the bloodlines of the Ashina clan and the Kato bloodline, giving him his own line of puppet rulers through Aizu forever.
91	* MadeOfIron: One of Dohaku's techniques is this, 'Leaden Body.' What's better than being immortal and having the ability to harden your body to trap your enemy's sword inside you...
92	* OhCrap: Everyone gets subject to this, but Akinari has truly hilarious shocked moments.
93	* KarmicDeath: The whole premise of the series is for the Hori Women to deliver these. [[spoiler: they succeed with only the exception of Koro Ginshiro, who Jubei has to kill himself during an emergency situation.]]
94	* TheManBehindTheMan: It becomes abundantly clear Dohaku is the true ruler of Aizu.
95	* MasterSwordsman: Jubei, of course. Uroshido Koshichiro and Ashina Dohaku as well.
96	* ObfuscatingInsanity: Otone pretends to have come completely unhinged following Akinari's abuse of her, and plays the role of crazy-lady to the hilt when she and Takuan are "visiting" Akinari's castle. She pees on some of the guards, casually exposes herself when threatened with molestation by others, hits on Akinari himself in front of Oyura--and, incidentally, wanders around and outside the castle at will.
97	* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Koshichiro feels this way about Jubei even before he knows his identity. The Hori Women are meant to kill all the Spears as well. Princess Sen thought they had to die at the hands of those seven.
98	* OffWithHisHead: Dohaku orders three of his female slaves to be beheaded and puts them on public display to provoke Takuan. In response, Takuan and Jubei kill three of his soldiers and place their heads in the same spot while also warning the population of the Ashinas' evil. Dohaku then beheads 5 women. And Takuan chops 7 mooks. 10 poor women. 13 bad guys. At this point even Akinari thinks things are going too far when Dohaku orders the deaths of 15 more slaves.
99	* OldMaster: Takuan. Dohaku is a villainous example.
100	* PapaWolf: Hori Mondo was this for Ochie. For a man to defy his lord for the sake of his daughter? Was something only a man with balls of titanium would have done. When Akinari demanded Ochie be presented as his concubine, Mondo's response was a very elegant 'go fuck yourself, you sick bastard.'
101	* PerpetualSmiler: Both Jubei and Takuan always have a sly smirk on their faces.
102	* PetTheDog: Gusoku Jyonshin's only minor redeeming trait is his affection for his attack dogs seems to be genuine.
103	* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Akinari stops at nothing to rape whatever woman he comes across and his henchmen constantly provide him with concubines to be abused and killed. At one point, they even force the concubines to rape men to death in order to spin rumors about Princess Sen. Then once they get to the Ashina clan's castle they find it similarly chock-full of disposable women, with Dohaku's daugther having been raised to enjoy raping and torturing men.
104	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Entire premise of the series, and a well deserved one.
105	* ScaryBlackMan: Weirdly enough, Magobei.
106	* SelfMutilationDemonstration: After Takuan outwits Dohaku and the Spears and is allowed to pass through their territory while clearly hiding the Hori women, Dohaku "apologizes" for the disrespect of his fellows by commiting seppuku, impaling his own chest. Takuan becomes unnerved by how it clearly doesn't fatally injure Dohaku.
107	* SingleStrokeBattle: How the battle between Jubei and [[spoiler:Koshichiro]] turns out. [[spoiler:Jubei takes a hit to the eye he already lacks and manages to seemingly deal a lot more damage to Koshichiro, who just stands there in complete shock until Jubei calls the Hori gals to finish him off.]]
108	* SinisterScythe: The eldest of the Spears, Daidoji Tessai, wields a kusari-gama.
109	* ShrinkingViolet: Oshina is the most timid of the Hori women and rarely speaks.
110	* SinkOrSwimMentor: Jubei comes across as this. No mercy while you're training.
111	* SlashedThroat: An amusing use of this is when Jubei puts his sword against the neck of a guard he's interrogating and then spins him around, just barely avoiding to outright kill him.
112	* SleazyPolitician: Akinari comes off this way when he's at court.
113	* SmugSnake: Akinari gives himself far too much credit. Most of the Spears as well.
114	* StalkerWithACrush: Ginshiro has a fixation on Sakura. Jyonshin also seems to have a thing for Ochie.
115	* StrokeTheBeard: Jubei spends most of his first appearance with his hand welded to his PermaStubble as he thoughtfully contemplates the seven women of the Hori.
116	* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler: Oyura takes Dohaku's sword that he intended for Jubei.]]
117	* TakingYouWithMe: Unusual example. [[spoiler: Tenkai spiritually overpowers Dohaku, allowing Jubei to deal a mortal wound that will mean Tenkai's own death as well.]]
118	* TeamPet: Shichiro the nightingale
119	* TookALevelInBadass: All the Hori women, and Otone as well.
120	* TrainingFromHell: Oh, boy, is Jubei a fan of this. Not just the Hori women. In the past, it's mentioned he beat a student until he couldn't stand during a spar. That student was the Shogun.
121	* UndyingLoyalty: Rare villainous examples. The Spears have no redeeming features as human beings, but their loyalty to Akinari is no act. even the idea of Akinari's honor being threatened is enough to make Rennsuke snap. However, Ginshiro's loyalty is to the Ashina clan first. If the Ashina are victorious, he has no qualms risking Akinari's life. Jubei's loyalty to the Hori women runs deep as well. He is perfectly willing to sacrifice his life for theirs.
122	* UnholyMatrimony: They aren't married, but Akinari and Oyura fit the bill for a little while.
123	* TheVamp: Oyura, Dohaku's daughter.
124	* ViewersAreGeniuses: There are a lot of nods to Japanese history, cultural symbolism and other things that aren't explained and that the viewer is just expected to know. [[spoiler: When Jubei tells the Hori women to fight Koshiro and Ginshiro while Akinari is his hostage, he says he'll fight them next, after killing Akinari. He is essentially forcing them, as honorable retainers to allow the Hori women to kill them. The explanation goes unsaid. That's just one example.]]
125	* VillainousBreakdown: Akinari and several Spears tend to undergo this. [[spoiler: Dohaku undergoes a massive one after his plan, decades in the making, is undone. At his own hand accidentally.]]
126	* VillainousValor: Most of the Spears are not cowards.
127	* WeaponSpecialization: Ichiganbo of the Spears uses a whip as his primary weapon.
128	* WellDoneSonGuy: Akinari has a LOT of issues with his father. His own son utterly detests him for his evil, too.
129	* WorthyOpponent: Jubei's respect for Koshichiro's skill makes him view him as this. Koshichiro feels the same way. Jubei, however, has no qualms granting Koshichiro an ignominious and humiliating end though.
130	* WhatTheHellHero: Jubei gives an epic one to Otori and Oshina for their jealousy towards Okei. Jubei also gets a few himself for occasional carelessness, but gives a very notable one to Tenkai for his brief breakdown as well.
131	* WholesomeCrossdresser: Sakura disguises herself as a young samurai occasionally.
132	* YouFool: Dohaku really lays into the surviving Spears for their carelessness.
133	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Strongly implied Dohaku would pull this on Akinari and definitely stated he'd pull it on Akinari's natural heir Akitomo after Dohaku got the child he wanted.
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Context Manga / TheYagyuNinjaScrolls