Tropes Media Browse Indexes Forums Videos Ask The Tropers Trope Finder Media Finder Trope Launch Pad Tech Wishlist Reviews Tools
Cut List New Edits Edit Reasons Launches Images List Crowner Activity Un-typed Pages Recent Page Type Changes Changelog
Tips
Creating New Redirects Cross Wicking Tips for Editing Text Formatting Rules Glossary Edit Reasons Handling Spoilers Word Cruft Administrivia FAQ
Tropes HQ
About Us Contact Us Advertise DMCA Notice Privacy Policy Report Bug
Go Ad-Free Changelog
  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Highlight Links
 

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Characters / Musashi

Go To

    open/close all folders 

     Main Characters 

Miyamoto Musashi

The eponymous hero, Yoshikawa Eiji's fictionalised version of legendary sword saint, Miyamoto Musashi. He starts the story as Shinmen Takezō, a brooding and misunderstood young man with a savage talent for the sword. Over the course of the story he encounters a wide range of friends, mentors, followers and opponents, all of whom inspire him towards his goal of mastering the Way of the Sword.

  • Adaptational Deviation: Miyamoto Musashi was a real man, who's exploits were as remarkable, if not more-so, than his fictional counterpart. But this Musashi is a fictional counterpart, and much of his story, his interactions and personality, are the creation of author Yoshikawa Eiji.
    • The historical Musashi's childhood name was Shinmen Bennosuke, not Takezō. The use of Takezō is likely rooted in the fact that the kanji for 'Musashi' can be read as 'Takezō'.
  • The Anti-Nihilist: Musashi's faced time and again with the meaninglessness of his desire to become invincible, along with the fact that his search for strength has cost him the lives of hundreds of people for no reason whatsoever and separated him from the one woman he truly held any affection for. But Musashi never backs down; even when confronted with how small he is in the grand scheme of the endless universe, and no matter how many times his ideals get insulted or proven false, he always picks himself back up and does his best to learn from his past mistakes.
  • Big Brother Mentor: to Jōtarō and later Iori.
  • Blood Knight: At first; during his younger years as Takezō Shinmen, he willingly risked his life in meaningless battles solely for the instant gratification he gets from bloodshed. As time goes on and he gradually grows more enlightened, he actually expresses discontentment towards his life of violence and actively seeks to solve problems without needlessly hurting others.
  • Break the Haughty: Musashi's greatest flaws are his overconfidence in his skills and his constant desire to prove himself. It is only when he suffers his first real defeat at the hands of Inshun that he recognizes the value of respecting his opponents and how narrow-minded his own view of his swordsmanship truly was.
  • Byronic Hero: Introspective? Yes. Intelligent? In the heat of battle, he proves to be quite the Genius Bruiser. Arrogant? His extreme desire to prove himself tends to overshadow his more sensible side. Extremely passionate about his dreams? Understatement of the century. Intensely dedicated to his own philosophy, without any concern for any established standards set by society? Yup. The only things he distinctly averts from the Byronic archetype is being cynical and sexually active; on one hand Musashi's one of the most optimistic characters in the whole series, and in the other he constantly rejects women's advance on him because he just wants to focus on the way of the sword.
  • Character Development: Musashi starts out the series as a violent youth looking for glory and to prove himself as the strongest warrior in the land. As his martial prowess grows, he also learns a lot from all the people he meets (both warriors and otherwise) and gradually realizes the value of life and the importance of solving problems without violence.
  • Chaste Hero: In contrast to Matahachi, Musashi constantly rejects women's advances and a couple of marriage proposals. He wants to stay focused and live by the sword.
  • Combat Pragmatist: Musashi occasionally eschews fighting purely honorably in favor of using what simply works.
  • Desperately Seeking A Purpose In Life: The whole novel centers around him seeking the Way of the Sword as he spent most of his youth just purposelessly killing others like a savage. At first, he comes to the conclusion that he must slay everyone at the top in order to bolster his own standing, but later on understands that his relentless killing of numerous samurai has trapped him in an endless spiral of death.
  • Fastest Gun in the West: A samurai version of this trope. As his reputation grows, ronin hoping to make a name for themselves seek him out and try to kill him. Needless to say, they all fail.
  • Foil:
    • To Matahachi. Matahachi is a hedonistic man who largely pursues temporary pleasures to fill the hollow void he's left in himself, constantly indulging in self-pity and fuming over the success of others, outright willing to steal other samurai's names in order to better his own lot in life—it's telling that it takes the death of his mother, as well as whole years of lying to her and nearly everyone around him to get him to start manning up. Musashi, on the other hand, relentlessly tries to better himself as a warrior without much concern for how others view him, willing to learn from every single misstep he makes while out on his quest and freely putting himself in less-than-ideal situations all to gain a better understanding of his swordsmanship and his place in the world.
    • To Kojirō Sasaki. Kojirō is an arrogant, boastful sadist; Musashi a humble, unpretentious vagabond. Their passion for the sword is the one thing the two have in common.
    • To Jōtarō and Iori. Their enthusiasm on following the path of the sword and being his apprentices is a reminder of when he was a kid like them and wanted to live by the sword, but still was innocent and not tainted by the evilness of the world.
  • Freudian Excuse: Bullied into submission by his abusive father, Takezō spent his younger years filled with fury, and vented out his rage on those around him simply for the sake of doing so.
  • Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Takezō endured a protracted version of this trope, with Takuan basically taunting him, berating him, and even hanging him from a tree for days, just to hammer into the boy's head that his life is not something to be wasted so foolishly.
  • Honor Before Reason: Subverted. Musashi is a Combat Pragmatist, and so doesn't normally care for traditional codes of honor when it comes to the battlefield. However, whenever someone challenges him, Musashi doesn't even consider the notion of running away, and even in defeat constantly seeks ways to better himself as a warrior. Gradually, he comes to view his opponents less as stepping stones towards his personal glory, and more as avenues to help better himself as a person.
  • Hot-Blooded: Musashi's defining element in his early years.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: Musashi's initial goal is to become the greatest warrior in all of Japan, and to this end goes to various schools and faces his contemporaries simply to prove himself better.
  • It's Not You, It's My Enemies: Though Musashi at times catches himself wanting Otsū to accompany him throughout his travels, the knowledge that he can die at any moment in his journey causes him to steady his hand.
  • Living Legend: Eventually, Musashi's name becomes so well-known that samurai from far and wide come for his head in their own desperate attempts to claim glory.
  • Lonely at the Top: Though Musashi tries to keep it under wraps, it's clear that he dearly misses Otsū's presence—but believes his journey to be of more paramount importance. Over time, he becomes more comfortable with his feelings towards Otsū and even outright acknowledges feeling wistful without her, expressing regret over always causing her to worry for him.
  • Love Is a Weakness: Musashi gradually grows more and more drawn to Otsū as the story goes on, and on numerous occasions has expressed how he feels that his desires for her (both sexual and romantic) are detrimental to his quest, if not outright perverse. But with Character Development he comes to accept his feelings towards her and even express some regret that his years-long quest to better his skills has ultimately been time spent being separated from the woman he loves.
  • Master Swordsman: He begins the novel as a skilled swordsman, and eventually manages to become a One-Man Army capable of killing dozens of opponents at once.
  • Meaningful Rename: at the start of the story he goes by his birthname, Takezō Shinmen. Some time later the monk Takuan makes him turn his life around, and renames him Musashi Miyamoto: "Musashi" is an alternate reading of the Japanese characters of "Takezō", and Miyamoto due to Miyamoto village being Musashi's birthplace.
  • Mook Horror Show: The Yoshioka battle, full stop.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: After cutting down 12 year-old Genjirō to win the duel at Ichijoji, Musashi is left guilt-ridden at this act, even if he tries to justify it as being the only way to win. He says a tearful prayer for the child's soul.
  • No Badass to His Valet : Musashi comes across as either a savage killer or peerless warrior, depending on who you ask, but his Trickster Mentor Takuan Sōhō sees him for what he really is: A frightened, confused youth with something to prove. Despite how easily he could maim or murder the monk, Takuan continuously criticizes and taunts Musashi from their very first meeting, utterly unfazed by the latter's empty threats. This is also the case with Otsū, as while Musashi can easily cut a man down without a second thought, Otsū really only sees him as her childhood friend Takezō.
  • No Social Skills: Musashi isn't the most socially gracious of people. He has little time for the extremely dense etiquette of the samurai class and routinely upsets others with his unpretentious and sometimes direct behavior.
  • Nominal Hero: The story doesn't really try to frame Musashi as necessarily heroic, and a lot of his more gruesome actions in the heat of battle (such as his slaughtering of anyone and everyone pursuing him during the manhunt for him in Miyamoto at the start of the story, or later the murder of Genjirō, the 12-year-old heir to the Yoshioka clan) are presented as bluntly and brutally as possible.
  • Old Master: In'ei and Sekishūsai are this to him, learning a lot about life from them.
    • On the contrary, his own father Munisai Shinmen was an Evil Mentor, hurting him physically and psychologically.
  • One-Man Army: Musashi cuts down the entire Yoshioka school after diving right into their center at the start of the conflict and mortally wounding their leader. This single-handedly catapults him to a national figure and doubles as a Crowning Moment of Awesome.
  • Running Gag: The literary Musashi retains his real-life counterpart's infamous tendency to arrive extremely late to set duels.
  • Single-Target Sexuality: Otsū's the only one on his mind, even after years of his own deliberate separation from her.
  • Slasher Smile: In his younger years, Musashi's love for intense mortal combat would make itself clear on his face. He slowly grows out of using it when he comes to recognize the weight of violence and slowly begins moving towards a Martial Pacifist route.
  • Sociopathic Hero: Early on, Musashi's concerns lie heavily towards bettering himself as a warrior, and while he does care about other people (such as Otsū, Matahachi, and Jōtarō), he treats most as either in his way or a new challenge. His learning empathy and compassion is one of the cornerstones towards his transformation into both a better samurai and a better person.
    • His actions during the duel with the Yoshioka school at Ichijoji Temple certainly put him in this light.
  • Star-Crossed Lovers: Musashi and Otsū are mutually attracted to one another, and miss each other dearly, but thanks to Musashi's constant drive to better himself as a swordsman are always driven apart. As Musashi comes to humble himself and understand the cost of violence, he becomes more comfortable with his feelings towards Otsū.
  • Took a Level in Badass: Keeps getting more and more Badass over the course of the story.
  • Walking the Earth: Musashi lives as a vagabond, seeking out the strongest opponents all over Japan.
  • Warrior Poet: He lives by the sword, paints, carves Buddha statues, practices calligraphy, engages in philosophical conversations and to top it all, he even learns agriculture.
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: Musashi's driven to become the strongest warrior in all of Japan, and to this end he overcomes obstactle after obstacle, never letting his failures overcome him and always working towards self-improvement as a warrior. It gets to the point where people are taken aback by his unnatural determination, some even calling him foolish for clinging to such outdated ideals.
  • Worth Living For: Though Musashi cares little for his own life and is perfectly content with losing it in a fine duel, the moment he thinks about Otsū, he gives everything he has to survive.
  • Younger Than They Look: Described as long-limbed, tall (at 6', especially for the time he lived) and muscular. His features are described as looking 'larger than life'.

Hon'iden Matahachi

Takezō's childhood friend who persuades him to leave Musashi village and join the war, thus setting of the events of the story. A decent person deep down, Matahachi continually lets himself and others down due to his very weak moral fiber.

  • Butt-Monkey: He's a Dirty Coward through and through, and a petty, wretched lowlife to boot. His envy, self-pity, inferiority complex and laziness are his defining characteristics. Yet he's also a deeply frightened, guilt-ridden, self-loathing fool with a childhood of ostracism and an overbearing bully of a mother. Overshadowed by his best friend and spurned by his childhood crush after abandoning her for someone else, his entire life has been highlighted by inadequacy and misjudgment. He brings most of his own trouble on himself, but he's just a sad, weak man looking for validation in all the wrong places.
  • Can't Catch Up: Matahachi is repeatedly telling himself he can do whatever Takezō, that he'll make something of himself. He never does. As Musashi's fame grows, Matahachi only sinks further into resentment and self-pity.
  • Character Development: Subverted time and again. For every opportunity the story throws at him to steer him towards the right path, he quickly gives in to his weaker qualities and ultimately makes life worse for himself. until finally, after his arrest for his part in an assassination attempt on the Shōgun and Takuan spares his life (much like he did for Takezō years prior), Matahachi finally learns the value of life and settles down with Akemi to raise their baby.
  • Cowardly Lion: Tragically subverted. Whenever Matahachi is faced with a adversity or danger, he feels compelled to save the day or take a stand. He never does, and it haunts him every time.
  • Crazy Jealous Guy: Despite the fact that Matahachi Really Gets Around, he finds himself constantly envious of Musashi and Otsū's relationship, and gets even more aggravated when he acknowledges that his cowardice is the reason Otsū and Musashi grew closer in the first place.
  • Dirty Coward: And it fuels his inferiority complex to Takezō/Musashi.
  • Foil: To Musashi naturally. They both start out at the same place. Musashi pursues martial perfection, often living like an ascetic and choosing to live in privation even when better options are available. On the other hand, Matahachi ends up wallowing in worldly pleasures, taking every advantage of every opportunity to make himself more comfortable.
  • Glory Seeker: Leaves Miyamoto village and go to fight in the battle of Sekigahara to make a name for himself. He fails pretty badly.
  • The Hedonist: Pretty much every time Matahachi sees an opportunity for immediate satisfaction, he takes it. It ends up biting him in the ass every single time.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: He measures himself to Musashi constantly, to the point of depressing himself—especially when he sees just how dedicated Musashi is at trying to better himself as a warrior. It drives him insane that though the two grew up together, his own failures and weaknesses are ultimately what prevent him from making a name for himself.
  • Miles Gloriosus: He borrows Sasaki Kojirō's identity for a while to live off his reputation. It gets complicated (and very bad for Matahachi) when Kojirō himself shows up...
  • Pet the Dog: Matahachi's truly not a terrible person. He's just so desperate for validation of his own existence that he's willing to indulge in cruel or dishonorable acts to fill the void. It's clear, however, that he ultimately does care for those around him, and while the story frames his weaknesses as unfortunate characteristics, he's always presented with an opportunity to redeem himself.
  • True Companions: For all of Matahachi's contempt and jealousy towards Musashi, it's clear that they're both inseparably tight friends and will always have each other's backs through thick and thin.

Otsū

An orphan raised at the temple in Miyamoto village, Otsū is a childhood friend to Takezō and Matahachi. She was originally betrothed to Matahachi, but he broke off their engagement to run away with Okō. She realises she is actually in love with Takezō, now Musashi, and leaves Miyamoto to join him when he heads out to make his name as a swordsman.

  • Arranged Marriage: Was originally betrothed to Matahachi, who in a moment of weakness ran off with another woman—essentially abandoning Otsū.
  • Determinator: No potential suitor or patron, no scheming bandit, no resentful ex or resentful ex's revenge-crazed mother, not illness, not heartbreak, not hell nor high-water will keep Otsū from Musashi.
  • Parental Abandonment: She was found on the steps of the Shippōji with only a flute. And poor Otsū's abandonment issues only continue...
  • Prone to Tears: Otsū's journey is one of constant heartache and abandonment, and the tears flow pretty freely. One can hardly blame her, though...
  • Silk Hiding Steel: Though a young woman travelling alone (or with a plucky Kid Sidekick) throughout the less-than-safe byways of Feudal Japan, Otsū shows an inner strength unmatched by almost any other character.
  • Single-Target Sexuality: Otsū is fixated on Musashi and won't give anyone else a second glance.
  • Spirited Young Lady: Through all her hardships Otsū maintains her determination, purity of heart and earnest nature.
  • Yamato Nadeshiko: A bit more rugged than the usual version, due to her traveling, but many characters who meet her often comment on her poise and beauty, even in unusual situations.

Takuan Sōhō

An eccentric young monk at the Shippōji Temple in Miyamoto village, Takuan becomes a mentor to Musashi, Otsū, and a number of other characters over the course of the story.

  • Adaptational Deviation: Takuan Sōhō was a real historical figure, a respected Zen Buddhist and author of 'The Unfettered Mind', a treatise on Buddhist philosophy. Whilst he was known to many of the characters he is acquainted with in the book, there is no evidence that he ever met the historical Miyamoto Musashi.
  • Badass Pacifist: "He cut me down with his mind!!"
  • Bullying a Dragon : A Buddhist monk with no combat training, he nevertheless mocks, scolds and even challenges a violent young swordsman who practically leaves a path of corpses everywhere he goes. Most of his shenanigans are actually just an unorthodox approach to guidance, as he actively seeks to help Musashi realize who he really is, but that doesn't make it any less brazen.
    • This is true to history, as Takuan Sōhō was respected by warlords and samurai for his frank, astute advice.
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Takuan's goofy, even childish behaviour at times hides the insightful and often ruthless sage within.
  • Trickster Mentor: To Musashi and Otsū. Takuan routinely mocks, confounds and plays with his young mentees. Even if he is trying to teach them, it doesn't make him any less of a jerk.
    • Eccentric Mentor also applies, given his predilection for goofy behaviour at times.

Sasaki Kojirō

Musashi's main rival and destiny-writ opponent. A prodigious young swordsman, much like Musashi he travels Japan honing his swordsmanship. He is extremely handsome and charming, but arrogant, sadistic and a borderline psychopath. His signature weapon is his no-dachi (longsword) nicknamed "The Drying Pole".

  • Absent Animal Companion: When we first meet Kojirō he has a pet monkey. The monkey then disappears, never to be seen again!
  • Adaptation Deviation: Accounts of the historical Kojirō are so wide-ranging it's hard to portray him without this trope! His age is given as anywhere between 18 and 50 when he fought Musashi on Funashima; his trademark weapon ranges from the Drying Pole of the manga and novel to the shikomitsue (cane-sword); there is even some doubt over whether his name was Sasaki Kojirō at all.
    • He and characters inspired by him are variably portrayed as having some manner of handicap or sickness. Takehiko Inoue's manga adaption 'Vagabond' portrays him as a deaf-mute. In the novel Kojirō has no such ailments, although an argument could be made over his mental health...
  • Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: He'll boast to anyone in earshot of his combat prowess, and is generally condescending to anyone he meets. His arrogance is not without cause, however.
  • Becoming the Mask: He never quite redeems himself for all his evil deeds, but toward the end of the novel, it becomes apparent that Kojirō's new position as the Shogun's sword instructor has had a positive effect on his behavior. His new station requires him to act in a more dignified manner, which has eventually become natural to him.
  • Blood Knight: He shares Musashi's intense love of combat, and constantly is in search of enemies as strong as himself if not stronger to better his swordsmanship.
  • Big Bad: He is Musashi's final opponent in the novel, and aids Osugi and the Yoshiokas in a number of their plots against him.
  • Foil: To Miyamoto Musashi. Kojirō's foppish dress-sense and arrogant demeanour contrast Musashi's unpretentious, humble outlook. Kojirō charms then uses and abuses people, where Musashi keeps them at arms length. Their passion for the sword is the one thing the two have in common.
  • Genius Bruiser: He is so perceptive and attuned to the sword that he can learn entirely new techniques in the midst of battle.
  • Hyper-Awareness: His skills are on-par with Musashi's, if not outright surpassing them, and it's thanks to his ultra-perceptive nature that he's been able to survive multiple gory battles throughout Japan.
  • Master Swordsman: Musashi's only true rival throughout the book.
  • Moral Sociopathy: Kojirō has quite strong feelings on the moral failings of others and doesn't mind letting them know it, even as he indulges in sadistic cruelty, emotional manipulation and (implied) rape.
  • The Pretty Guys Are Stronger: His effeminate, foppish appearance leads many to underestimate him. Mistake.
  • Rape as Drama: He ties up and rapes Akemi, afterwards having no idea why she doesn't like him. The narration reveals that the rape was Kojirō's idea of love, and that he doesn't appreciate how different it is from how ordinary people have sex.
  • The Sociopath: Kojirō's an arrogant, thrill-seeking sadist who doesn't really empathize with much of anyone throughout the novel. His idea of "love" is to bind and rape Akemi, and later he helps set up the massive duel at Ichijoji—in which dozens of men are killed—just to have a fun spectacle to watch.
  • Villain Has a Point: Kojirō's an asshole through and through, but he's not always wrong when he's arrogantly scolding others:
    • When he catches Matahachi in the act of impersonating him, Kojirō mocks him and likens him to a kitten playing at being a tiger. Given Matahachi's general conduct throughout most of the novel, it's hard to argue.
    • After Musashi wins the duel at Ichijoji, Kojirō rants to several restaraunt patrons about how vile it was for Musashi to kill 12 year-old Genjirō, the last heir to the house of Yoshioka. The narration notes that Kojirō's speech is largely honest, implying that he is genuinely disgusted by the child's killing.
    • When the swordsmen of the Obata school ambush him while he's staggering home after a night of drinking, he successfully fights them off, and then rightly berates the rest of the Obata men as cowards for having attacked him in such a dishonorable way.
  • Worthy Opponent: As much as he and Musashi dislike one another, their encounters always reflect an unflinching respect for the other's abilities.

Aoki Jōtarō

Miyamoto Musashi's first disciple. The young son of Aoki Tanzaemon, the captain charged with capturing Takezō, Jōtarō's father abandoned him after his disgrace and loss of position in Mimasaka. Jōtarō is working as an errand-boy when Musashi meets him in Kyōto. Seeing something in the boy, Musashi ends up adopting him as his disciple.

  • Adaptation Deviation: The historical Miyamoto Musashi had amongst his early disciples a man named Aoki Jōemon, although beyond this there are little to no similarities with Jōtarō. It is perhaps more likely that author Yoshikawa wanted to give Musashi a Kid Sidekick and simply named him after one of the historical Musashi's followers.
    • Given the historical Musashi had two adopted sons (Mikinosuke and Iori) and the fictional Musashi takes two boys as disciples (Jōtarō and Iori), it is possible Jōtarō took some small inspiration from Mikinosuke.
  • Bratty Half-Pint: To an extent. Jōtarō is a fiercely loyal and kind-hearted kid, but he does have a bit of a smart mouth on him, has no qualms about talking back to his elders, and a tendency to sulk and whine. Despite caring for her deeply, he is a bit of a Jerkass to Otsū on occasion.
    • Ventures close to Mouthy Kid territory. Jōtarō has a strong sense of right and wrong and calls out Musashi and Otsū and other adults for their foolishness and hypocrisy at times.
  • Foil: For Musashi. Though not violent or aggressive like the young Takezō, Jōtarō does provide Musashi with a reflection into his own boyhood (and the boy he still is in the earlier story.) Jōtarō occasionally shows the same recklessness in his willingness to risk his safety to stand up to wrong-doing, such as his challenging of Matahachi when he tries to abduct Otsū, and when he tries to stop Akemi being raped.
  • Forced into Evil: After becoming separated from Musashi and Otsū on the road to Edo, Jōtarō falls in with a master thief named Daizō, who essentially kidnaps him and 'adopts' him under pain of death. When we finally catch up with Jōtarō after a Time Skip, he's doing his new master's bidding, embroiled in a plot to assassinate the shōgun. Luckily he is rescued by Takuan in his usual sensitive manner.
  • Kid Samurai: Bokuto 'n all! And given the novel was written in the 1930s, he might well be the Trope Maker!
  • Kid Sidekick: To Big Brother Mentor Musashi and Otsū
    • Also something of a Reckless Sidekick at times, given he'll stand up to wrong-doing adults only to get slapped down on almost every occasion.
  • Parental Abandonment: His father left him after losing his position. The innkeeper he worked for (and presumably acted as his guardian) basically kicked him out and told him to leave and follow Musashi. On top of that, Musashi himself is not the most reliable Parental Substitute...
  • Prone to Tears: Though he doesn't cry quite as often as his manga counterpart, under that smart-mouthed, bratty facade is still a pretty emotional and empathetic boy.
  • Tag Along Kid: Travelling with Musashi and Otsū in a world of swordsman, warrior-monks and bandits, Jōtarō certainly qualifies as this.
  • The Apprentice: He's Musashi's only disciple for the majority of the story, until he's kidnapped by criminals and Musashi takes on Iori.
  • Wide-Eyed Idealist: A young boy desperate to be a samurai, Jōtarō has a very idealised view of what it means to be a warrior and a man.

Hon'iden Osugi

The cantankerous and tyrannical matriarch of the Hon'iden family, and sworn enemy of Musashi and Otsū. She leaves Miyamoto village in search of her wayward son Matahachi, and to seek revenge on Musashi and Otsū.

  • Determinator: Absolutely relentless in her pursuit of 'justice' against Musashi and Otsū.
  • My Beloved Smother: And how! Osugi dotes over Matahachi, dogs his every step, berates him and guilt-trips him, and yet refuses to believe him guilty of any wrong-doings to the point of delusion, projecting all blame onto Takezō/Musashi and Otsū. And through it all she remains blind to her son's own repeatedly self-destructive cries for help and her own part in his misery.
  • Never My Fault: Never Matahachi's fault, rather. He abandons the family and runs off with Oko and Akemi, and she blames Musashi for leading him astray.
  • The Resenter: She blames Takezō/Musashi and Otsū for every ill that befalls Matahachi, her and her family in general, and will not hear otherwise.
  • Revenge Before Reason: Her utter hatred of Musashi and Otsū and need to punish them blinds her to the fact they've done nothing to wrong her or her family.
  • Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: This. In Spades.
  • Selective Obliviousness: Refuses to acknowledge that Matahachi was the one who betrayed Otsū and Musashi had no part in it.

Akemi

Daughter of Oko. A young girl whose father was murdered by the bandit Tsujikaze Tenma, she and her mother have resorted to looting the corpses of dead samurai to make ends meet. They take in Matahachi and Musashi after Sekigahara. Akemi and Oko later move to Kyōto with Matahachi. She is courted by Seijūrō but in love with Musashi.

Previous

Index

Next

  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Wide Load

Important Links

Ask The Tropers Trope Finder Media Finder Trope Launch Pad Tech Wishlist Reviews Go Ad Free!
Crucial Browsing
Resources
Top