Kaisen Azuma
Kaisen Azuma a̠zɯᵝma̠ ka̠isẽ̞ɴ | |
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Kaisen in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle | |
Character Titles | |
Three-legged Moon Seeker | |
Information | |
Species | Sacred Animal (Toad) |
Abilities | Gathering financial fortune |
Occupation | Shikigami |
Location | Dragonfly Castle |
Music Themes | |
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Kaisen Azuma (東 海仙 Azuma Kaisen) is a sacred toad and one of Garaiya Ogata's shikigami. They're the third stage boss of the haze route of Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle.
General Information[edit | edit source]
Personality[edit | edit source]
Kaisen is responsible and straightforward and thus, is often irritated at Kujiru's impulsiveness. They hold their master Garaiya in high regard and often picks fights with Kujiru, since both want to be favored by their master. Both shikigami have a fierce rivalry and are often seen insulting each other. Kaisen also has a complex that they are more underdeveloped compared to Kujiru.
Abilities[edit | edit source]
Kaisen's overall power is considered significant due to their high strength and knowledge in Taoist arts. They also have a certain degree of clairvoyance, although its accuracy is rather low.[1]
- Gathering financial fortune
Kaisen is able to bless those who are lucky, with fortune and happiness, upon other things, which may be a manifestation of this ability.[1]
- Changing forms
As a shikigami, they also have the ability to change into a human form. Their true form is seen in Garaiya's character art, where they are seen to be a toad riding on their master's head.
Background Information[edit | edit source]
Origin[edit | edit source]
Kaisen is based on several Chinese and Japaneses sources:
- Jinchan
Kaisen is mainly inspired by the Chinese mythological creature known as Jinchan (金蟾 Lit. "gold/golden toad"). A toad that has three legs, two front legs and one hind leg, which is positioned like a tadpole's tail at the back of the toad. This is referenced in Kaisen only having three limbs, one of their legs we see in-game being a prosthetic, as well as in their title "Three-legged Moon Seeker".
Jinchan is also related to the Chinese Daoist and legendary immortal Liu Haichan (劉海蟾), whose first name translates to sea toad and is considered an embodiment of the Chinese God of Wealth. In the folktale Liu Hai Tricks Jinchan (劉海戲金蟾), it is said Liu tamed a malevolent and greedy three-legged toad after fishing it out of the east sea. It became Jinchan and was henceforth the immortal's companion, following Liu wherever he went. Kaisen's relationship with Garaiya may be a reference to this myth.
Additionally, it is said that Jinchan spewed treasure from its mouth with each step that it took after Liu, benefiting the poor wherever it went. This is likely referenced in Kaisen's ability to "gather financial fortune".
- Gama-sennin
In Japan, Liu Haichan inspired the mythological Daoist immortal Gama-sennin (蝦蟇仙人 Lit. "Toad Daoist Immortal"), who in turn inspired parts of Kaisen's character.
Gama-sennin appears in the legends surrounding Taira no Yoshikado (平 良門), the legendary hidden eldest son of Taira no Masakado who similarly learns toad magic from the immortal and uses his powers in an attempt to avenge his father.
In the 17th century yomihon novel series "The Tale of Utou Yasutaka's Loyalty" (善知安方忠義伝) by Santō Kyōden, this teacher figure is instead a 3000-year old toad spirit named Nikushi-sen (肉芝仙) who lived on Mount Tsukuba (筑波山) and taught toad magic to Yoshikado's sister Nyozou-ni (如蔵尼) as well, later possessing her to transform her into Takiyasha-hime (滝夜叉姫), whom Taira no Chouki is based on. This would explain Kaisen having a part in training Chouki, as well as their spell cards that reference Mt. Tsukuba.
- Seia-jin
Gamma-sennin is said to command the youkai Seia-jin or Chinwa-jin (青蛙神 lit. "(green) frog god"), which plays a role similar to that of Jinchan, though it originated from a Chinese novel of the same name rather than from Jinchan. It is said that the house that Seia-jin appears in front of will have its family blessed with financial fortune and happiness, this is again referenced in Kaisen's ability.
- The Chinese "Lunar Spirit"
Kaisen may also be inspired by the Chinese concept of the "lunar spirit" (月精), the spiritual essence of the moon. There are three major candidates as to who this spirit is, the Chinese Moon Rabbit (月兔), the moon goddess Chang'e (嫦娥) and an unspecified toad.
This toad is sometimes said to be what Chang'e transformed into after flying to the moon, but modern Feng Shui instead equates the lunar toad with Jinchan. This may explain why Kaisen is called the "Moon Seeker" in their title.
The concept of the lunar essence is believed to have arisen as the counterpart to the "solar essences" (日之精), the "three-legged crows" (三足烏) that lived in the suns.
When spread to Japan, these three-legged crows fused with the divine messenger bird of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu, the Yatagarasu (八咫烏), who is sometimes said to be the sun itself. If the lunar spirit is extended to be the counterpart of the Yatagarasu as well, this may explain Kaisen's status as a "sacred animal".
Name[edit | edit source]
Their full name is Kaisen Azuma (東 海仙). "Azuma" is a common family name, used in Western Japan and the Ryukyu Islands, meaning East. While the characters for "Kaisen" mean ocean and a sage or an enlightened person respectively.
Design[edit | edit source]
Kaisen has short brown hair and brown eyes, wielding a kama-juumonji spear (鎌十文字槍) with one of the blades turned around, which looks identical to that of Garaiya's. They dress in grey and brown clothing with tadpole ornaments and a hat composed of numerous tadpoles. Truth be told, Kaisen's left leg is a prosthetic, which they try to conceal with a pair of long grey boots. In their animal form, Kaisen is a white toad as big as Garaiya's head, missing their left hind leg and with five tails.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle
While Taira no Chouki was training under the tutelage of Garaiya, the Dragonfly Castle appeared before Chouki, which Garaiya took as an omen acknowledging them as the New Emperor. The idealistic Garaiya wanted for the emperor to be a “hero figure” to Mugenri, but unknown to them, Chouki actually had no interest in ruling. Knowing that Fumikado will eventually come to the castle and fight for the emperor’s title, Chouki waited for them inside the castle, with the intention to kill and have revenge on Fumikado.
Meanwhile, Garaiya sends Kujiru and Kaisen to recruit followers to their cause and monitor the Senri Shrine and its new employees. However, the reckless and overconfident Kujiru went on their own, separating them. After Kujiru and Kaisen are defeated by the heroes, they go back to Garaiya and tell them what happened. Garaiya and their shikigami (back in animal form) fight against the heroes in order to prevent them from reaching Chouki and the Dragonfly Castle, but is defeated easily, since Garaiya was weakened due to using most of their power to enhance Kujiru and Kaisen.
Relationships[edit | edit source]
- Kujiru Kesa
Kujiru is Kaisen's subordinate. However, they seem to have little respect for them and disobeys them, because Garaiya favors Kujiru rather than Kaisen. Because of this, Kaisen is jealous of them and both are always seen bickering or insulting each other, much to Garaiya's chagrin.
- Garaiya Ogata
Kaisen is one of Garaiya's shikigami. The toad holds them in high respect and often picks fights with Kujiru in order to get their master's approval.
- Taira no Chouki
Despite the Dragonfly Castle's revelation to Chouki, Kaisen does not trust them and thinks that Garaiya was wrong for siding with them.[2]
Additional Information[edit | edit source]
- Kaisen, along with Kujiru, lacks a common phrase in their theme that most people associated with the Youkai Alliance have, this is because they were bound by their shikigami contacts to Garaiya, and did not join on their own accord.[3]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
An illustration featuring Medias Moritake, Yago Ametsukana, Kurohebi, Taira no Chouki, Kujiru Kesa, Para and Kaisen Azuma on Pixiv FANBOX, indicating that they would be excluded from a certain "side project" that JynX was working on at the time. The image is pixellated as the clear image was uploaded as a donors-exclusive image.
Spell Cards[edit | edit source]
Name | Translated | Comments | Games | Stage | ||
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Total: 7 | ||||||
奇術「蝦蟇雨あられ」 | Strange Art "Toad Downpour" | BPoHC | St. 3: E/N | |||
蛙術「月に有るカエル」 | Frog Art "The Frog on the Moon" | BPoHC | St. 3: H/U | |||
跳薬「筑波の蝦蟇油」 | Leaping Medicine "Tsukuba Toad Oil"[a] | BPoHC | St. 3: E/N | |||
酔踊「ぴょんぴょん酔狂道化」 | Drunken Dance "Eccentric Boing Boing Antics" | BPoHC | St. 3: H/U | |||
「シロクのガマ」 | "Shiroku Toad"[b] | BPoHC | St. 3: E/N | |||
霊獣「青蛙神の欲」 | Spirit Beast "Desire of Qīng Wā Shén"[c] | BPoHC | St. 3: H/U | |||
筑波のガマ油 | Tsukuba Toad Oil[a] | BPoHC | Upgrade |
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A local cure-all from Mount Tsukuba.
- ↑ A rare toad said to live around Mount Tsukuba, named for its four (四 shi) and six (六 roku) toes.
- ↑ Qīng Wā Shén (lit. "The Frog God") is in reference to a Chinese short story by Pu Songling.
Official Profiles[edit | edit source]
月を仰ぐ三つの足 東 海仙 |
Three-legged Moon Seeker Kaisen Azuma |
Official Sources[edit | edit source]
- 2015/06/04 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle - Official Profiles, Haze Stage 3 Boss
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Interview with JynX (2021): Haze Route, Question 245
- ↑ Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Shrine Team's Haze Scenario - Stage 3
- ↑ Peing: 28 April 2019
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