Hooaka Shitodo
Hooaka Shitodo ɕito̞do̞ ho̞ːa̠ka̠ | |
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![]() Hooaka in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle | |
Character Titles | |
Cool-Headed Hot-Heeled Thermal Runaway | |
Information | |
Species | Magician |
Abilities | Controlling hot and cold |
Birthday | 7 April |
Location | Shitodo House |
Music Themes | |
Appearances | |
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Hooaka Shitodo (鵐 頬赤 Shitodo Hooaka) is the second youngest of the Shitodo siblings, the others being Aoji Shitodo and Kuroji Shitodo. They have a carefree and eccentric personality. They are the fourth stage boss of Evanescent Existence, the first game of the Len'en Project, later returning as a playable character in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle.
General Information[edit | edit source]
Personality[edit | edit source]
Hooaka is a carefree person, whose personality changes depending on the mood of the situation. They are so carefree that they don't care much about Kuroji's amoral methods to gain money or bothering to remember Aoji's name.
According to Kuroji, they aren't very smart, but they are still a powerful magician, enough to be called the "Air Master" (エア・マスター Ea Masuta), which is also their musical theme. According to JynX, they're called this due to having a reputation for being able to understand the mood in the air.
Abilities[edit | edit source]
- Controlling hot and cold
Hooaka is a magician and can control certain elements, but apparently their strong point is heat magic. As shown in their spell cards, they can control hot and cold, resulting in steam and gas. They invoke certain kinds of magic by harnessing the mood of the situation, but with magic outside of that range, they can't read the mood and thus can't cast the spells.
- Spreading Wings
Once Hooaka has sufficiently blended in with the world they are in, they are capable of spreading red and blue wings on their back. While it remains unclear what exact purpose they serve, they appear to allow them to use more of their power, with Hooaka saying that "they mean I'm fighting a little bit seriously".[1]
According to Hamee, Hooaka has two spirits and the strength of two people in one body, but what this means is unknown.
Background Information[edit | edit source]
Name[edit | edit source]
Their full name is Hooaka Shitodo (鵐 頬赤 Shitodo Hooaka). Their given name Hooaka (頬赤), which literally means "cheeks red", is the Japanese word for the chestnut-eared bunting, a kind of bird. Their family name Shitodo (鵐) is an archaic way to refer to meadow buntings in general.
Design[edit | edit source]
They have short wavy red hair and red eyes. They wear the characteristic Shitodo outfit: a black necktie with puffy shorts and a long, hooded, green jacket.
In their Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle appearance, their right arm, which had been cut off, is always hidden out of view and there are red and blue wings behind them, symbolising heat and cold respectively.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Evanescent Existence
Like everyone else, Hooaka and their siblings are spirited away to Mugenri and ends up in a forest.
While trapped in the space, they run into Tsurubami Senri disguised as Tsubakura Enraku. By now, the fake Tsubakura is getting tired of fighting with all the people they spirited away, so they and Hooaka pass each other. However, the fake Tsubakura changes their mind and decides to fight against Hooaka, calling it "the sauce on top" of their own victory. Hooaka takes it literally and believes the fake Tsubakura is talking about a real sauce, so both engage in a nonsensical conversation about sauce. Hooaka notices at the last minute that the fake Tsubakura is looking for a fight, but realizes too late and gets defeated. After that, the fake Tsubakura comments that "the sauce was alright", prompting Hooaka to ask where the sauce is. Noticing that Hooaka took their words literally, the priest flies away.
After being defeated by Tsubakura, they run into Yabusame. They tell Yabusame that Tsubakura beat their little sibling Aoji Shitodo and some other people on the way to Mugenri. Without much left to do, the two fight and Hooaka is defeated again. Eventually the Shitodo siblings reunite and set up in Mugenri.
- Earthen Miraculous Sword
Hooaka, along with Aoji Shitodo are only mentioned in the prologue. Apparently, the Shitodo siblings have problems adjusting to Mugenri and Hooaka, because of their lazy personality, doesn't do anything, much to Kuroji's chagrin. In order to advertise their family and have some funds, Kuroji decides to resolve the incident.
- Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle
Suzumi Kuzu barges into the Shitodo House and attacks the Shitodo siblings, resulting in Hooaka's arm being severed. With their ability to rewrite memories, the Shitodo siblings forget about the encounter, but for some reason they remember the words "The mirror of Heaven shall split". The siblings go to the Senri Shrine to treat Hooaka's injury and inform Yabusame and Tsubakura about the words. Since Saragimaru ran away from the Shitodo House to assist Yaorochi, Kuroji goes with Aoji and Hooaka to find more ways to gain easy money.
In all routes, Hooaka and their siblings deal with a few youkai and some of their human acquaintances, trying to steal valuable things in the process (such as the Harujion or Yaorochi's Tasouken). At the end of the Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle routes, Hooaka and their siblings find out about the war sides and the motives of the Imperial Military and the Dragonfly Army, but Kuroji decides to stay out of it, stating that they only care about their own wellbeing doesn't care about what happens to Mugenri, while Aoji and Hooaka express their interest to return to the Outside World. In the end, they meet Suzumi again, forcing the Shitodo siblings to remember they were attacked by Suzumi earlier that day. Suzumi reveals their intention to make Tsubakura's life a living hell and after a hard fight, Suzumi erases their memories again (with Aoji being the only one who vaguely remembers).
Relationships[edit | edit source]
- Aoji Shitodo
Hooaka often teases Aoji, calling them "Aoki".
- Kuroji Shitodo
Hooaka often teases Kuroji, making fun of their height and calling them "Kuro-jii".
- Hoojiro Shitodo
They are siblings. However, Hooaka's thoughts on Hoojiro are unknown.
Additional Information[edit | edit source]
- Their sudden disappearance to Mugenri along with the rest of the Evanescent Existence cast is known to have made a huge news story in the Outside World.[2]
- Hooaka was originally planned to be the stage 3 boss in EE, but was moved up one stage so that fake Tsubakura Enraku would be the final boss in the trial version of the game.[3]
- When asked about whether the wing-like objects seen behind Hooaka in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle were related to them being a magician, JynX mentioned that they are not a magician strictly speaking, although it remains unclear what a magician is within Len'en in the first place.[4]
- Hooaka, much like the rest of the outsiders from Evanescent Existence, has likely been to other dimensions prior to arriving at Mugenri, as Tsubakura points out that their wings have become able to be deployed a lot faster in Mugenri than in other worlds.[1]
- Hooaka's spell card background seems to feature the plant myosotis scorpioides, commonly known as the "forget-me-not". Forget-me-not is referenced in their spell cards Cold Flower "Scorpion Grass" and Cold Flower "Forget-Me-Not".
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Hooaka in Book of the Cafe
Acrylic Figure of Hooaka
Spell Cards[edit | edit source]
Name | Translated | Comments | Games | Stage | ||
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Total: 15 | ||||||
冷牌「時限式な昇華」 | Cold Card "Timed Sublimation"[a] | EE BPoHC |
St. 4: E/N St. 4: E/N | |||
冷牌「シューティングミスト」 | Cold Card "Shooting Mist" | EE BPoHC |
St. 4: H/U St. 4: H/U | |||
冷壁「ホワイトアウト」 | Cold Wall "Whiteout"[b] | The Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle upgrade is simply titled Whiteout (ホワイトアウト) Upgraded Flash Bomb |
EE BPoHC BPoHC BPoHC |
St. 4: E/N/H/U St. 4: E/N/H/U Upgrade Use | ||
冷華「勿忘草」 | Sub-Zero Flower "Scorpion Grass"[c] | EE | St. 4: E/N | |||
冷華「フォーゲットミーノット」 | Sub-Zero Flower "Forget-Me-Not"[c] | EE | St. 4: H/U | |||
冷熱「五月雨ボイラー」 | Hot and Cold "Samidare Boiler"[d] | EE BotC |
St. 4: E/N Use | |||
昇華「初春の霜柱」 | Sublimation "Frost Needles in Early Spring" | EE | St. 4: H/U | |||
噴火「水蒸気爆発」 | Eruption "Steam-Blast Eruption" | Bomb (BotC) | EE BPoHC BotC |
St. 4: E/N St. 4: E/N Use | ||
村雨「放射冷却熱輻射弾」 | Passing Shower "Radiative Heat and Cooling Shot" | EE BPoHC |
St. 4: H/U St. 4: H/U | |||
「ヒートランス【極小】」 | "Heat Lance [Minimum]" | Bomb (BPoHC) | BPoHC BPoHC |
St. 4: E/N Use | ||
魔槍「ブリューナク・ミニマム」 | Demon Lance "Brionac Minimum"[e] | BPoHC | St. 4: H/U | |||
「両極翼」 | "Bipolar Wings" | Flash bomb | BPoHC | Use | ||
ダブルミーニング | Double Meaning | BPoHC | Upgrade | |||
オーラウィンド | Aura Wind | BPoHC | Upgrade | |||
双極 | Bipolar | BotC | Inherent Trait |
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Sublimation is the transition of a solid directly to a gas, without ever being in a liquid state.
- ↑ A whiteout is a weather condition in which the contours and landmarks in a snow-covered zone become almost indistinguishable.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The spell title reika (冷華), which literally means "cold flower", is also a pun on "sub-zero (temperature)" (零下), pronounced the same way. The more difficult versions of the card use the English phrase "forget-me-not" written in Katakana, whereas the easier versions of the card use the Japanese name of the flower, wasurenagusa (勿忘草).
- ↑ Samidare refers to an early summer rain, or something repetitive but not long-lasting, which may be a reference to the spell pattern.
- ↑ "Brionac" is the name of a magical spear owned by the deity Lugh of Irish mythology
Official Profiles[edit | edit source]
◯4面ボス 頭寒足熱で熱暴走 鵐 頬赤(しとど ほおあか) |
◯ Stage 4 Boss — Cool-Headed Hot-Heeled Thermal Runaway Hooaka Shitodo |
頭寒足熱で熱暴走 鵐 頬赤 |
Cool-Headed Hot-Heeled Thermal Runaway Hooaka Shitodo |
頭寒足熱で熱暴走 鵐 頬赤 |
Cool-Headed Hot-Heeled Thermal Runaway Hooaka Shitodo |
Official Sources[edit | edit source]
- 2013/11/18 Evanescent Existence - Official Profiles, Stage 4 Boss
- 2013/11/18 Earthen Miraculous Sword - Prologue
- 2016/12/01 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle - Official Profiles, Prologue, Scoundrel Team scenarios, Possible Stage 4 Boss
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Shrine Team's Neutral Scenario - Hooaka Shitodo
- ↑ Interview with JynX (2017): Len'en Miscellaneous, Question 77
- ↑ Twitter user @Urabou_: "[...] Also, the music room description of Hooaka’s theme in EE introduces them as the stage 3 boss, was that their original placement?"
JynX's Twitter: "[...] Hooaka was indeed originally the stage 3 boss. Though I wanted the last boss of the trial version to be Tsubakura (fake), so I made Hooaka the stage 4 boss. That mistake is a remnant of this lol." - ↑ JynX's Twitter: "Hmm~. you might be quite sharp~? Well, there are several reasons as to why Hooaka is a magician in the first place. Although strictly speaking, they're not a magician at all. Details will be revealed in the Past Arc~."
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