Tsurubami Senri

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闡裡せんり 鶴喰つるばみ
Tsurubami Senri
sẽ̞nɾi t͡sɯᵝɾ̠ɯᵝβa̠mi
EE
BPoHC
Tsurubami Senri
Character Titles
The Inexplicable Hakama
Information
Species Human
Abilities Manipulating letters, raising poultry
Birthday Unknown[1][2]
Occupation Shinto priest, youkai exterminator
Location Senri Shrine (Currently on vacation/holiday in the Outside World)
Music Themes
  • インディスワールド ~ Monochrome_eye (EE, disguised as Tsubakura Enraku)
  • 永劫舞踏機関 〜 Shall_We_Dance!! (EE)
  • 壊れかけの永劫舞踏機関 (BPoHC, impersonated by Suzumi Kuzu)
Appearances

Tsurubami Senri (闡裡 鶴喰, Senri Tsurubami) is a human Shinto priest and the previous head of the Senri Shrine.[3] They used to be a feared dictator who ruled over Mugenri. Together with their best friend and closest ally Tenkai Zuifeng, the two ruled with an iron fist until Tsurubami decided to leave for the Outside World and spirited away Tsubakura Enraku and Yabusame Houlen in their place. Story-wise, they are said to be a "super important character".

General Information[edit | edit source]

Tsurubami is the official Shinto priest and head of the Senri Shrine who was the dictator that led Mugenri. Tsurubami's initial and only appearance in the Len'en Project is in Evanescent Existence, where they were a playable character, albeit disguised as Tsubakura Enraku, as well as the Extra Stage boss. Despite the singular appearance, they are an incredibly important character,[4] getting mentioned frequently throughout the series, especially from Tenkai Zuifeng in Reactivate Majestical Imperial and Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle.

Ever since the start of Earthen Miraculous Sword, Tsurubami has not appeared in Mugenri because they are on vacation in the Outside World. Before they left, they tested the strength of Tsubakura Enraku and Yabusame Houlen to see if they are capable of taking care of the Senri Shrine and Mugenri, which was their intention during Evanescent Existence. As such, they decided to give Tsubakura and Yabusame the role of Shinto priests, where Tsubakura is Tsurubami's successor who takes care of the traditional priest roles and Yabusame takes care of house chores. It is said that Tsurubami's extended absence has led to the collapse of their rule, as well as the balance of Mugenri,[5] leading to their influence no longer being relevant.[6] Many people are relieved that they're gone, allowing some people to feel free going on the loose.[7] However, once the priest left, everything started spiralling out of control with incident after incident.

They love Mugenri,[1] and they were a tyrant who ruled over it with an iron fist, oppressing its people and youkai. This was done with Tenkai Zuifeng, a co. dictator acting as Tsurubami's right-hand person.[8] Because of this, many youkai who were targeted hid away during the day, fearful of them.[9] This was only to an extent, as they were not that concerned with directly ruling everything, but practically nobody would have dared to go against Tsurubami's word.[10] On the flipside, Tenkai believed that there were merits in Tsurubami's rule in trying to bring unity, and wasn't happy with Yabusame loafing around as a new Senri Priest, suggesting that if they don't do their job properly, Mugenri would collapse in on itself.[11] Whether Tsurubami's way of doing things was right or not can be said to depend largely on one's viewpoint.[12]

While Tsurubami hails from the Outside World,[13] they haven't left Mugenri since they entered it until the events of Evanescent Existence.[14] Apparently, they went to the outside to search for something,[15] and supposedly for "revenge",[16] and are working hard for a particular goal. Unfortunately, they are no longer familiar with the Outside World, and so they're having a tough time living there mostly due to the lack of relying on their abilities.[17] Even though it is mentioned numerous times that Tsurubami is on vacation, they are not relaxed.[18]

Not much is known about Tsurubami's history prior to the events of the games. What is known is that Tsurubami initially lived in the Outside World, eventually succeeded in ownership of the Senri Shrine, went out of their way to conquer Mugenri, and previously ruled over the Dragonfly Castle.[19] They also antagonized some factions, such as the rulers from Devanagara.[citation needed]

It's unknown which generation of priest they served as or when Tsurubami became a priest, but there were at least three who came before them.[20] They already knew their loyal ally and partner, Tenkai Zuifeng, when they were starting out. They helped each other on multiple occasions,[7] including resolving incidents together,[21] and they bonded as fellow outside-worlders.[13] In addition, Tenkai's family has ties with the Senri Shrine, which could be the reason for them becoming acquainted.[22]

Personality[edit | edit source]

Tsurubami is a confident, energetic and dutiful person who tends to get carried away easily. They're prone to start arguing, become outraged, or even attack someone for incomprehensible reasons.[23] Despite this, they are devoted to their job as the Senri priest as they are considerably militant, though they're still too willful and inconsiderate of others.[9] According to Tenkai Zuifeng, Tsurubami is very carefree and often makes decisions on pure whims. Tsurubami enjoys walks and naps, but also seems to dislike weaklings and the idea of being alone.[1] They also have neat handwriting when taking time to write, but they tend to be sloppy.[24]

During Evanescent Existence, they deal with problems by manipulating others to act and resolve things for themselves. They have a well-deserved reputation of being oppressive, manipulative and a dictator, and thus many humans and youkai in Mugenri feared – and probably hated – Tsurubami due to their immense power and unpredictable personality. They have a really bad reputation in Devanagara.

When disguised as Tsubakura Enraku in Evanescent Existence, their personality was the same as their real self, appearing more joyful than the real Tsubakura.

Abilities & Strength[edit | edit source]

JynX has explicitly stated that Tsurubami is the strongest character in the Len'en Project.[25] They have yet to show their ultimate strength, which is thought to be more powerful than the entire world's military combined, including nuclear weapons.[18] It is said that Tsurubami would be nothing if it weren't for their strength, and that strength could be on the par with the second- and third-generation priests of the Senri Shrine, although not as strong as the first-generation priest.[20] They are undefeatable, with JynX prompting that they're incredibly tough in a head-on fight,[26] since both humans and youkai cower in fear of their sheer power and tyrannical rule.

In Evanescent Existence, Tsurubami mentions that they'd easily kill Tsubakura if they used their full power.[27] Tsubakura mentions that they don't want to fight Tsurubami knowing they can't win.[28] Even Tenkai Zuifeng, who is a powerful character, knows that they have no chance against Tsurubami.[15] The only person thus far who is capable of fighting them is Xeno a due to their ability to manipulate probability. They have battled each other to death while drawing many times, impacting the area around them,[29] although it's left open as to whether Tsurubami was going easy or not.[23] While this is hardly a display of strength, Tsurubami's shown to not take any battle damage in their post-fight dialogue, making them the only character thus far with this distinction.

In Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle when the protagonists fight "Tsurubami", they all question why they are still managing to fight on. Suzumi Kuzu was able to use Tsurubami's power for some time, but was unable to master them.[30] In Evanescent Existence, Suzumi questioned why Tsurubami was going easy, to which Tsurubami answered that they didn't want to show their full power to whose nature they didn't understand. Suzumi gave the nod that they didn't know their power.[31] This could in turn explain that, when Suzumi disguised as Tsurubami, they were not able to use their full power due to not having the information necessary to replicate it.

Tsurubami's strength may come to a point where Tsurubami has a hard time going easy on people. They already dislike weaklings.[1] When going up against the cast of Evanescent Existence, they were holding back to give the new arrivals a fighting chance in order to gauge their strength. Beforehand, Tsurubami simulated the events, and was going too easy, having to boost up their power a little bit in order to get through the events.[16] In the Extra Stage, Tsurubami mentions "I'm going to get tired, having to hold myself back in one fight after another like this," giving the impression that it would be easier if Tsurubami was to fight harder in the next fight.[27]

It is possible for Shion to eat Tsurubami's soul to get strong, but not become as strong as Tsurubami themself.[32] JynX finds Tsurubami's abilities to be the most interesting due to having a wide variety of applications.[33] Since Tsurubami is currently in the Outside World, most of their abilities are unusable outside Mugenri, although they should be able to use some of it.[17][34]

Manipulating letters

Tsurubami needs to write in ink in order to activate their talismans. With this, it appears to allow them to disguise as people such as Tsubakura Enraku, by imitating their appearance and attacks. As shown when they transform into Tsubakura, they write an incantation on a piece of paper using ink. With it, they can turn between Tsubakura and themself quickly within an instant as the clothes melt away and change shape into something else.[35][16] Unclear if it relates to this ability, Tsurubami is able to materialise a sword made of ink, and make practical use of it.[36]

Additionally, the ofuda strips that surround Tsurubami are designed to be their weapons, in which they can write words on.[37]

Raising poultry

Tsurubami is capable of "raising poultry", but this is mostly a metaphor as it should not be taken literally. According to JynX, they have the "ability to unlock and realize potential". Tsurubami is able to unlock and realize the potential of another person. They do so by touching someone or something while thinking about it, and may in addition make use of a special barrier known as the Curtain of Awakening. After realizing it, they make it so that they too can use that strength.[9] They can even use or imitate the ability of others who already have special abilities.[38] However, the ability is useless if someone doesn't have potential.[36]

As such, they created spell cards based on each character they battle during Evanescent Existence.[39] For example, Hot & Cold "Dim Room" is based on Hooaka Shitodo's powers and Whirlpool Card "Spiral Galaxy Barrier" is based on Clause's powers.

Abilities as a Senri priest

As the Senri priest, Tsurubami uses ofuda paper charms and is trained in youkai extermination techniques. As such, it's described that their duties involve "mostly incident resolving, maintenance of public order and maintaining the Mugenri Barrier," as well as performing exorcisms and good-luck charms.[40]

They also display aptitude with shikigami, since they own the familiar of the shrine, Jinbei. They also have shikigami of various fairies and some ink cores. JynX mentioned in an interview that the ink bird was intended to be one of Tsurubami's shikigami,[41] which could give the assumption that all ink cores are, as well.

As stated, one of their jobs is to maintain the Mugenri Barrier. With this, they can travel between Mugenri and the Outside World. However, they cannot do this whenever they please as even they can find it difficult. Due to this difficulty, they were not able to send the humans from Evanescent Existence back to the Outside World.[42] All of the locations in Evanescent Existence were spaces created by Tsurubami, and the location of Stage 3 is a corridor connecting these spaces as a shortcut that only Tsurubami can enter (although Yabusame Houlen was also able to access this place as well).[43] The bad ending of said game also stated that Tsurubami "lied down in a dimension gap",[16] indicating that Tsurubami can indeed use gaps to travel to different places.

An important symbol related to the Senri as a whole is the "eye", which is always shown as half-closed with a black background. It's mainly seen on Tsurubami's and Tsubakura's hat. Tsurubami also shows an eye on the palm of their hand during Evanescent Existence in a way that shows its importance.

Background Information[edit | edit source]

Origin[edit | edit source]

Tsurubami is likely based on the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the "great unifiers" of Japan. Their biggest commonality being that both Tsurubami and Ieyasu conquered their land by force and subsequently ruled it with an iron fist. In addition, Ieyasu’s advisor was the Buddhist priest Tenkai, whom Tenkai Zuifeng, Tsurubami's best friend and right-hand man, was based on. While not directly related, many of Tenkai's spell cards reference Nikkō Tōshō-gū, where Ieyasu was entombed and enshrined.

Tsurubami may have also taken inspiration from Daijin, a character from Emergency Everyday‎, on the idea of disguising as another character.

Name[edit | edit source]

Their full name is Tsurubami Senri (闡裡 鶴喰). Their given name Tsurubami (鶴喰) is an actual name in Japanese, where the first kanji means a stork or a crane, which are large, long-legged, long-necked birds. The second kanji means to "eat" or "drink". The kanji in their surname Senri (闡裡) literally means "clarify" and "reverse" or "inside" respectively.

It is said that Tsurubami's name itself processes great power in Mugenri.[3] Tsubakura Enraku mentions that they are unsure which is scarier between "Tsurubami" and "Senri".[44] Haiji Senri, a huge fan of Tsurubami, decided on changing their surname to reference Tsurubami's, although they modified the kanji rather than have a direct copy. They changed their name on a whim while Tsurubami was the current priest.[45]

Design[edit | edit source]

Tsurubami has short, black wavy hair and pitch-black eyes, where even their irises are pure black, referencing their monochromatic theme. Their hair in particular bristles up, making it hard to tidy up, and that they are sloppy at looking after it.[46]

They are dressed in a stylised uniform which resembles Heian period clothing such as a talisman-covered kariginu (狩衣, lit. "hunting dress") or a suikan (水干, lit. "dried with water"). Kariginu or suikan were worn for everyday clothes by the male kuge (公家, lit. "people of the Imperial Court"). The white uniform is modified, having it almost open on the front with an attachment around the chest area, and a V-shape cut on the back of it. Underneath is a dark green hakama (), short enough to give the appearance of a skirt. A small, purple cloth is also wrapped around their waist. Under the kariginu/suikan is some red sparking from the neck and shoulder areas.

Tsurubami wears an unusual hat, likely to be a kanmuri (遠紋, lit. "distant clan emblem"), a small lacquered hat with a "knob" on the back. Typically also with a ei (, lit. "hat tail") on the back, which is present on Tsurubami's. These hats were originally worn in formal situations by nobles in ancient Japan. The kanmuri requires a red band to keep it stable on their head, as revealed on one of the ending images of Evanescent Existence. It has an Eye of Senri on the front as an emblem to symbolize the Senri Shrine. This eye on their hat bears a strong resemblance to the Patagon Tribe's eyes in the game Patapon, but it may be a mere coincidence as it is unknown exactly where the eye comes from.

Strangely, six scripts of ofuda wrap around their body, which have red strokes with an arrow pointing at the end, with Japanese charms written on them. They hold a metallic, red rod in their left hand that's likely to be based on a kawahoriōgi (蝙蝠扇, lit. "bat fan"), and an "eye" in the palm of their other hand close to their chest. They also wear white footwear.

Disguises

Suzumi Kuzu's disguise as Tsurubami in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle is pretty much the same as the real Tsurubami. However: they are left without a stick or an Eye of Senri in both of their hands, there are four ofuda scripts instead, the hakama is considerably shorter, and the hat's band is white. Instead of seemingly random symbols written on the ofuda scripts, the words "Bird of Unreality" (無現乃鳥, Mugen no tori), along with an Eye of Senri, and "Tsurubami" (鶴喰, Tsurubami) are written on two of them.

Tsurubami takes on Tsubakura Enraku's appearance during Evanescent Existence. Their hat appears to have an Eye of Senri on it, which they close while talking to the characters from the outside world.[47] Strangely, their eyes appear a brighter color than they or Tsubakura have.

Appearances[edit | edit source]

Fake Tsubakura Enraku
Real Tsubakura Enraku
Tsurubami disguised as Tsubakura Enraku in EE (left), compared with the real Tsubakura (right)

Evanescent Existence[edit | edit source]

Tsurubami was the culprit behind the events of Evanescent Existence. They spirited away Tsubakura Enraku, Aoji Shitodo, Hooaka Shitodo, Kuroji Shitodo, Kurohebi and Clause to the land of Mugenri. After placing them in different spaces across the Dimensional Cave to train their newfound abilities, Tsurubami took Tsubakura's appearance and started to pick fights with the outsiders in order to test their strength. They were testing to see if one of these outsiders were capable of taking their current job as the shinto priest of the Senri Shrine.

Main Scenario
Fake Tsuba's boss sprite in EE
Fake Tsuba's back sprite in EE

Tsurubami is a playable character, albeit disguised as Tsubakura, in the main scenario of Evanescent Existence; the real Tsubakura is playable in the extra stage. However, they cannot be played with until you complete the Extra stage with Yabusame Houlen, thus also completing the main scenario with them.

Tsurubami started the journey by picking a fight with Kurohebi in the Dimensional Cave, then with Aoji in their personal spaces. Eventually on Stage 3, when Tsurubami enters the Interconnecting Corridor (a dimension that only Tsurubami has authority to enter), they run into Yabusame Houlen, who had used their ability to cross dimensions in order to search for Tsubakura. They asked each other questions, then ended up fighting. During Yabusame's scenario when Tsurubami is the boss, they made use of Tsubakura's spell cards. They also used talismans for their attacks, foreshadowing that Yabusame is actually fighting Tsurubami, not Tsubakura. After the fight, Tsurubami disappeared without warning, but they were captivated by Yabusame's abilities, calling them a "flying natural wonder".

By the time they picked on Hooaka, they were getting tired of seeking people and they wished to finish soon, but they defeated both Hooaka and Kuroji nevertheless. After dealing with the outsiders, the priest decided to return to the Senri Shrine, which appeared to everyone else as a sun that casts a shadow. However, on the way, they ran into Clause, who believed that the portal was a star and that they would gain power from it. Annoyed, Tsurubami fought them and revealed to them that they had been impersonating Tsubakura all along.

Extra Stage
Tsurubami's boss sprite in EE

Tsurubami is the Extra stage boss or the "true" final boss of the game. Here, the real Tsubakura finally crosses into Mugenri, and since their impostor and Yabusame previously defeated everyone, Tsubakura didn't have to fight the game's cast. They realized that someone has been impersonating them and went to confront that person, arriving at the Senri Shrine's grounds. Tsurubami revealed that their reason for spiriting everyone away was to find a temporary successor. Angered, Tsubakura fought against Tsurubami. The priest had ten bizarre spell cards to use against Tsubakura, but Tsubakura "defeated" them despite their serious strength. However, Tsubakura was still upset, because the priest was actually holding back. In the end, Tsubakura agreed to be their replacement.

Shortly after, Yabusame arrives. Tsubakura told the priest to give them a hard fight. When Yabusame eventually arrived at the Senri Shrine's grounds in their scenario, they transported to a strange place called the Mugenri Barrier, which Tsurubami did not give permission to enter. Yabusame first thought that Tsubakura changed their appearance, but soon realized that the priest was not Tsubakura, like they had previously thought and demanded the real one. When the two fight, Tsurubami used the same set of 10 spell cards, but was again "defeated". They went to tell Tsubakura, but the young scientist was already gone, not before leaving Yabusame a mocking note.

It was then here Tsurubami was in a dilemma between the two, but they eventually gave both Tsubakura and Yabusame roles as a priest of the Senri Shrine. They were well-prepared before leaving,[48] thus left for the Outside World. When Tsurubami closed the spaces, all the outsiders were sent to Mugenri.[49]

Suzumi's Scenario

This specific scenario takes place after Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle, where Suzumi uses their powers to visit past memories through reading a book containing someone else's memories to collect information on the game's events. At the point where Tsurubami would meet Yabusame on Stage 3, they instead meet Suzumi Kuzu, who quickly learnt that the "Tsubakura" was a fake. Tsurubami was thrown off-guard and decided to capture them, seeing that Suzumi knowing too much was a problem. They eventually retreat knowing that Suzumi is quite powerful.

Later in the Extra Stage, Suzumi and Tsurubami meet again, questioning each other about their actions and motives, with neither giving an answer. Tsurubami intentionally lost to Suzumi, not wanting them to learn their full power. Suzumi hoped to use Mugenri's spell card rules to force Tsurubami to speak, but since they were technically outside of Mugenri, the plan backfired. They thought about killing Tsurubami, but was reminded by them that they are too weak to be able to do so. Although frustrated, Suzumi left.[31]

Suzumi may or may not have re-attempted this scenario to make Tsurubami react differently, as it would have been much of a hassle, along with time to consider.[50]

Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle[edit | edit source]

Suzumi Kuzu disguised as Tsurubami in BPoHC, but with their eyes glaring through

Tsurubami returns as the first Extra+α boss in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle. To encounter Tsurubami, the player requires defeating Xeno a on the previous stage, the Extra Stage, on every run the player attempts, providing that Yago Ametsukana and Haiji Senri have also been defeated at least once. After the battle, this is revealed to be fake, as it was Suzumi Kuzu who was disguised as Tsurubami. Because of this fact, information provided by this Tsurubami should be taken with a grain of salt as it may not represent the real Tsurubami.

Elsewhere, Tsurubami is mentioned occasionally throughout the game by other characters, especially through Tenkai Zuifeng. It's also revealed by Tenkai Zuifeng that they were the former ruler of the Dragonfly Castle until they left.

Extra Stage+α

Returning from the outside world very suddenly, "Tsurubami" meets the playable teams far down the Shrine Road with the intention of being antagonising. The outsider humans fill "Tsurubami" with questions about how to return back to their world, while the Mugenri residents are confused about why the priest would return so soon.

  • With the Shrine Team, "Tsurubami" announces that since they've returned from the Outside World, the current priests need to "disappear". The two parties fight, with "Tsurubami" promising to give the outsiders their freedom if they win.
  • With the New Emperor Team, "Tsurubami" reveals that they've just come back to check on Mugenri's situation. Taira no Fumikado introduces themselves by announcing that they'll replace the Senri Shrine in uniting Mugenri, which upsets "Tsurubami", prompting them to attack the trio.
  • With the Preschool Team, Tenkai in particular gets angry at "Tsurubami" for returning without anything, since it took a lot of sacrifices to get them out. They suddenly realised that it should be technically impossible for Tsurubami to return, to which "Tsurubami" became disappointed at the fact that they've been found out. However, their reaction ironically convinced Tenkai that it truly was Tsurubami after all. Still angry at "Tsurubami", Tenkai challenges them to a duel, knowing full well that they're no match against Tsurubami.
  • With the Scoundrel Team, the Shitodo siblings wonder whether they, along with Tsubakura and the rest, get to return home to the Outside World. "Tsurubami" answers that they do not plan to return to being the Senri Shrine priest again, so Tsubakura and Yabusame will need to continue doing their new jobs. The trio decides that they don't want to return either and the topic instead shifts to what "Tsurubami's" goals are, and the trio duel "Tsurubami" in order to force the answer out of them.
  • With the Secret Team, Suzumi Kuzu knew immediately that "Tsurubami" was just a disguise by a clone of themself who escaped previously. Tired of the whole ordeal, they had no interest in the clone acting and wanted to get straight to battling.

Once "Tsurubami" was defeated, their eyes turned red, and "Tsurubami" lets go of their disguise and revealed themself to be, in reality, Suzumi Kuzu (or more specifically, Arde). Suzumi disguised as Tsurubami to prank the protagonists. Their disguise was precisely detailed that even Yabusame Houlen couldn't see through the disguise. Tsubakura Enraku also worked out that this wasn't a mere disguise, suggesting that Suzumi actually became Tsurubami via one of Arde's abilities.[28] Tenkai especially was upset for being forced to fight Tsurubami, as they were insisting that it was indeed the real Tsurubami. Later on, for all intents and purposes, Yabusame should be the only playable character to remember Suzumi transforming into Tsurubami.

Gameplay-wise, the battle mostly contains six spell patterns that are re-used from Tsurubami's previous appearance Evanescent Existence, similar to all other returning characters in the game, along with a unique final spell. Interestingly when playing on normal Extra mode, their first/third non-spell and second spell card have purple and red bullets rather than black and white, which both foreshadows Suzumi's presence and decreases health damage. This disguise could be an explanation to have Tsurubami appear in the game, since story-wise they are still supposed to be in the outside world at this point, allowing every Len'en character to appear in the game.

Relationships[edit | edit source]

Tenkai Zuifeng

As stated before on this page, Tenkai knew Tsurubami for a long time and was close enough to them to be considered their right-hand person and be similarly feared across Mugenri.[8] When both battled, Tenkai would usually lose and get upset about it,[15] but nonetheless hold Tsurubami in extremely high esteem and miss the adventures they departed on together.[51] Tenkai believes Tsurubami's approach of using force to unify the people had merit,[11] and that Mugenri has gotten lonelier without them around. It appears that Tenkai is also the only one who knows the real reason why Tsurubami left Mugenri.[15]

It's unknown what exactly Tsurubami thinks of Tenkai, but they call them by their last name, Zuifeng, as a sign of their special relationship and because they like the sound of it.[52] In addition, they both have the ability to turn monochrome based on the same principle[53] and have similar spell cards with a crane motif. Distinctly, Tenkai's spell card "The Twin Cranes" is very similar to Tsurubami's Crane's Cry "Lamentations of the Crane's Cry" as it represents Tsurubami more than Tenkai in terms of aesthetics. Despite being friends, Tsurubami did not make Tenkai the temporary priest of the Senri Shrine because they did not have the qualities of a priest.[54]

Jinbei

Jinbei is Tsurubami's shikigami familiar. However, they aren't their personal shikigami; they have been the Senri Shrine's shikigami for generations.[55] Jinbei doesn't usually talk a lot about Tsurubami because it is unnecessary, but could prattle on about them if needed.[56] Despite being the shikigami, they do not know when Tsurubami will return from the outside world.[57]

Tsubakura Enraku & Yabusame Houlen

Tsubakura Enraku and Yabusame Houlen are Tsurubami's temporary replacements as youkai exterminators. Despite Tsubakura's anger towards Tsurubami for impersonating them, they volunteered to replace Tsurubami as the current priest. Tsubakura and Tsurubami share a lot in common, ranging from appearance to their monochrome theme.

In the case of Yabusame, Tsurubami was initially surprised to see them cross into their corridor and the Mugenri Barrier and considered them an intruder, but ended up assigning them as Mugenri's substitute priest. It's implied that the reason why Tsurubami agreed to let Yabusame stay is because their powers are similar to Tenkai's.

Xeno a

Xeno a and Tsurubami first met at the casino in Devanagara where Xeno a worked. As they started quarrelling, a fight ensued, which the casino dealer fled partway through out of sheer terror. Xeno a, whose probability-altering ability made everything go their way for their entire life, experienced their first actual battle and fear of death. The thrill and possibility of injury and death, which they thought they would never experience, made Xeno a challenge Tsurubami multiple times afterwards, reaching a neutral draw every time. Despite never reaching a true conclusion, they kept battling solely for the enjoyment of it. It's unknown what Tsurubami thinks of Xeno a, but they were presumably on good terms as sparring partners. As Tsurubami left Mugenri, Xeno a became depressed at the prospect of returning to their usual life until they found their new opponents in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle.[23]

Haiji Senri

Haiji Senri is Tsurubami's biggest fan. Tsurubami saved Haiji at some point but isn't particularly fond of them according to Tenkai.[58] Haiji is so obsessed with them that they decided to copy their surname on a whim during their reign.[45] They frequently hung around the Senri Shrine's former priests, even Tsurubami,[59] and are one of several people who got a close look at the course of Tsurubami's conquest of Mugenri.[60]

Suzumi Kuzu

There is a possible relationship between Suzumi Kuzu and Tsurubami, although Tsurubami did not recognise Suzumi.[31] Suzumi was able to disguise as Tsurubami during Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle, with the disguise being near-perfect to the extent that Suzumi could use Tsurubami's abilities temporarily, but not master them.[30] In addition, Suzumi's unlock message, The reverse shall be clarified... uses the kanji for "Senri" (裡を闡らかに・・・, Ura wo akiraka ni) - the On'yomi reading for is Ri, while the reading for is Sen.

Tsugumi Umatachi

Certain characters have noted that Tsugumi Umatachi had once "meddled with Tsurubami's affairs" in the past, implying that there is some sort of vitriolic relationship between Tsugumi and Tsurubami.[61][62] They apparently had a battle with each other.[63]

Hibaru Kokutenshi

Hibaru made an unsuccessful attempt to kill Tsurubami at some point.[64] Tsurubami did not attempt to punish them for unknown reasons.[65]

Additional Information[edit | edit source]

  • Tsurubami is the only character throughout the Len'en Project who does not appear in Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle as their true self. They are frequently mentioned, and Suzumi Kuzu disguises themself as them during a boss fight.
  • Tsurubami is one of the few characters to use ofuda in their danmaku.
  • It appears that Tsurubami, although very minorly, is able to speak English, as shown in the extra stage of Evanescent Existence.
  • If the spell cards used by Tsurubami when disguised as Tsubakura are indeed theirs, then Tsurubami has the most spell cards in a single Len'en Project game.
  • Tsurubami is one of the few characters to know the existence of the Dimensional Cavern.[66]
    Tsurubami changing to monochrome
  • Tsurubami's spell card "Bird's Eye -Black Eye-" left the biggest impression on JynX because of how they could represent an eye with danmaku.[67]
  • Tsurubami's in-game sprite becomes black and white when moving, giving a nod to their monochrome scheme. Tenkai Zuifeng and Haiji Senri are also capable of doing this.
  • When JynX compared characters for their self-worth, they compared Tsurubami to the moon.[68]
  • Even though they get a new portrait for BPoHC, the boss sprite is the same one from EE, showing them front-facing with their red rod in hand that the portrait does not have.
  • In the A World Outside Fantasy album, Tsurubami was the only character left with an unknown date of birth.[1] This is because Tsurubami themself does not know their own birthdate.[2]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Spell Cards[edit | edit source]

Spell Cards
Name Translated Comments Games Stage
Total: 28
Original spell cards :15   Imitating Tsubakura Enraku: 13
「モノクロムレイ」 "Monochrome Ray" Impersonating Tsubakura Enraku, Bomb (EE) EE
EE
St. 3: E/N
Use
无牌「玄鶴-徒花-」 Nothingness Card "Mysterious Crane -Fruitlessness-"[a] Impersonating Tsubakura Enraku EE St. 3: E/N
无牌「玄鶴-帚木-」 Nothingness Card "Mysterious Crane -Hahakigi-"[a][b] EE St. 3: H/U
墨牌「ピクチャーインク」 Ink Card "Picture Ink" EE St. 3: E/N
墨牌「エンボディインク」 Ink Card "Embody Ink" EE St. 3: H/U
黒牌「暗転車輪」 Black Card "Fadeout Wheel" EE St. 3: E/N
花牌「暗転墨花」 Flower Card "Fadeout Ink Flower" EE St. 3: H/U
闡牌「墨と銀」 Clarity Card "Ink and Silver" EE
BotC
St. 3: E/N
Use
闡牌「墨黒銀雪」 Clarity Card "Ink-Black Silver Snow" EE St. 3: H/U
玄牌「モノクロムストーム」 Mysterious Card "Monochrome Storm" 〃, Bomb (BotC) EE
BotC
St. 3: H/U
Use
「ブラックアウト」 "Blackout" 〃, Flash bomb (BotC) EE
BotC
St. 3: E/N/H
Use
終幕「ゲームオーバー」 Closing Curtain "Game Over" EE St. 3: U
暗牌「サーチクレッセント」 Darkness Card "Search Crescent" Based on Kurohebi's power. EE St. Ex
玄牌「モノクロムビヴァレンス」 Mysterious Card "Monochrome Bivalence" Based on Aoji Shitodo's power; Impersonated by Suzumi Kuzu (Arde) (BPoHC Only) EE
BPoHC
BotC
St. Ex
St. Ex+α
Use
影牌「寄る年波と離れぬ血」 Shadow Card "Blood that Cannot Escape from Advancing Age" Based on Tsubakura Enraku and Yabusame Houlen's power;〃 EE
BPoHC
St. Ex
St. Ex+α
冷熱「ディムルーム」 Hot and Cold "Dim Room" Based on Hooaka Shitodo's power. EE St. Ex
隠彩「ブラインドファイアー」 Shrouding Paint "Blind Fire" Based on Kuroji Shitodo's power; Impersonated by Suzumi Kuzu (Arde) (BPoHC Only) EE
BPoHC
St. Ex
St. Ex+α
渦牌「渦状銀河結界」 Whirlpool Card "Spiral Galaxy Barrier" Based on Clause's power. EE St. Ex
鶴唳「鶴鳴の歎」 Crane's Cry "Lamentations of the Crane's Cry"[c] Impersonated by Suzumi Kuzu (Arde) (BPoHC Only); Bomb (BotC) EE
BPoHC
BotC
St. Ex
St. Ex+α
Use
刻牌「時を告げない時計」 Engraving Card "The Clock that Doesn't Tell Time" EE
BPoHC
St. Ex
St. Ex+α
鳥の目「黒い瞳」 Bird's Eye "Pitch-black Eye" Bomb (BotC) EE
BotC
St. Ex
Use
「无現刻印【空人】」 "Non-existent Seal [Empty Being]" EE St. Ex
「ヴァーテックス・エミット」 "Vertex Emit" Impersonating Tsubakura Enraku, Flash bomb (EE) EE Use
墨牌「黒曜刀」 Ink Card "Obsidian Blade"[d] Impersonated by Suzumi Kuzu (Arde) BPoHC St. Ex+α
鶴の一声 The Crane's Verdict[e] BPoHC Upgrade
収穫者 The One who Harvests[f] Impersonating Tsubakura Enraku BotC Inherent Trait
攻撃命令 Attack Command BotC Use
舞踏 Dance BotC Inherent Trait

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Mysterious Crane (玄鶴, Gengaku) is mentioned in several Chinese texts regarding the mythological longevity of cranes. The Sancai Tuhui mentions that cranes turn black at 360 years of age; while the Gujinzhu writes that they turn white at 1000 years of age and black at 2000. Once a crane turns black, it is referred to as "Mysterious Crane". May be a reference to Tsubakura and Tsurubami's monochrome theme.
  2. Hahakigi (帚木, literally "broom tree") refers to a certain tree which was popularized in a poem by Sakanoue no Korenori as a symbol of something or someone who can't be reached.
  3. "Lamentations of the Crane's Cry" (鶴鳴之歎) is a phrase that refers to the laments of talented people not made use of, typically in the context of service to the royal court.
  4. Despite that Suzumi is the only one seen using this spell, JynX confirms that this is indeed a spell card that the real Tsurubami owns.[69]
  5. A Japanese expression that refers to the words from someone in power that decides a course of action, regardless of any other opinion or ongoing discussion.
  6. Taken from the stage 3 title of Evanescent Existence, The One who Interferes and the One who Harvests (介入者と収穫者) ~Curious Encounter~.

Official Profiles[edit | edit source]

Official profiles
 〇EXボス  不可解な袴

  闡裡 鶴喰(せんり つるばみ)
  Senri Tsurubami

  種族:ヒト
  能力:文字を操る的な能力、家禽を育種する的な能力

  玄鳥に変装していた謎の人物。
  当人は異世界の先にある国『无現里(むげんり)』を
  牛耳る神社『闡裡(せんり)神社』の神主だと名乗る。
  かなりの武力行使派であり、どうやら力でこの世界の住人を
  ある程度抑制していたらしい。
  それ故、格好の標的である妖怪達はこの神主が怖くて
  日頃はこそこそ暮らしていたという。
  玄鳥の姿をしていた理由は不明だが、
  どうやら藪雨達の力を試していたらしい。
  藪雨達がそれなりの力を持っているのが分かって満足した様子で、
  バカンスを楽しむために藪雨達数名に仕事を押し付けて
  外の世界に旅立っていった。
  色々と理由があるらしいが、あまりにも勝手すぎる。

  自分以外のモノの潜在能力を開放し、
  育てた後はその能力を自分も使えるようになるとのこと。

◯ Extra Boss — The Inexplicable Hakama

Tsurubami Senri

Species: Human
Ability: Something like manipulating letters; Something like raising poultry

A mysterious person who was disguised as Tsubakura.
They call themself the head priest of the "Senri Shrine",
the shrine that leads "Mugenri", the land that lies beyond this other world.
They're considerably militant, and it appears that they were oppressing the people of this world to some extent.
The youkai of Mugenri, who were especially targeted, were so scared of Tsurubami that they hid away during the day.
Their motive for taking on Tsubakura's appearance is unclear;
it seems like they were testing Yabusame's and the rest's abilities.
They verified that they had power, and they were satisfied.
In order to free up time to go on vacation,
they forced jobs onto Yabusame and several of Yabusame's friends,
and started off towards the Outside World.
It seems they have their reasons, but they're still way too willful and inconsiderate of others.

They release and help realize the potential of someone else
and afterwards can make it so that they too can use that strength.

不可解な袴

闡裡 鶴喰
Senri Tsurubami
●種族
ヒト
●能力
家禽を育種する
    的な能力など

先代闡裡神社神主であり、无現里を支配していた独裁者。

とある理由にて无現里の外に用事があったため、
玄鳥を无現里に連れ込み、神主代理を押し付けて
その間に无現里の外に行っている。

无現里においては、その名前自体が強い力を持っている。

The Inexplicable Hakama

Tsurubami Senri
●Species:
Human
●Abilities:
Something like raising poultry; etc.

They are the previous head of the Senri Shrine, and a dictator who ruled over Mugenri.

For some reason, they had business outside of Mugenri,
so they brought Tsubakura into Mugenri, forced the position of head priest onto them,
and left Mugenri for a time.

In Mugenri, their name itself possesses great power.

  不可解な袴

  闡裡 鶴喰

  種族:ヒト
  能力:文字を操る的な能力
家禽を育種する的な能力
  趣味:散歩 昼寝
  好きなもの:无現里
  嫌いなもの:弱いやつ 孤独
  推定誕生日:?????

The Inexplicable Hakama

Tsurubami Senri

Species: Human
Ability: Something like manipulating letters
Something like raising poultry
Hobbies: Walks, naps.
Likes: Mugenri
Dislikes: Weaklings, solitude.
Estimated date of birth: ???

Official Sources[edit | edit source]

Official sources

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 A World Outside Fantasy: False Spirit Account - Tsurubami Senri
  2. 2.0 2.1 Interview with JynX (2021): Tsurubami ♡, Question 192
  3. 3.0 3.1 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Official Profiles - Tsurubami Senri
  4. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 33
  5. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Prologue (Demo)
  6. Interview with JynX (2021): Characters, Question 123
  7. 7.0 7.1 Reactivate Majestical Imperial: Shrine Team's Extra Scenario
  8. 8.0 8.1 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Official Profiles - Tenkai Zuifeng
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Evanescent Existence: Official Profiles - Tsurubami Senri
  10. Interview with JynX (2021): Tsurubami ♡, Question 194
  11. 11.0 11.1 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Neutral Scenario - Yabusame Houlen
  12. Interview with JynX (2021): Tsurubami ♡, Question 193
  13. 13.0 13.1 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Neutral Scenario - Clause
  14. Interview with JynX (2017): Extra Bosses, Question 59
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Extra Scenario
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Evanescent Existence: Tsubakura's Bad Ending
  17. 17.0 17.1 Interview with JynX (2017): Extra Bosses, Question 60
  18. 18.0 18.1 Peing: 18 April 2019
  19. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Haze Scenario
  20. 20.0 20.1 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Neutral Scenario - Tsubakura
  21. Interview with JynX (2017): Preschool Team, Question 35
  22. Reactivate Majestical Imperial: Official Profiles - Tenkai Zuifeng
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Official Profiles - Xeno a
  24. Peing: 3 February 2019
  25. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 21
  26. Interview with JynX (2021): Characters, Question 124
  27. 27.0 27.1 Evanescent Existence: Tsubakura's Extra Scenario
  28. 28.0 28.1 Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Shrine Team's Extra Scenario
  29. Peing: 22 February 2019
  30. 30.0 30.1 Interview with JynX (2017): Suzumi, Question 66
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 Evanescent Existence: Suzumi's Extra Scenario
  32. Interview with JynX (2017): Shrine Team, Question 28
  33. Interview with JynX (2017): Miscellaneous, Question 139
  34. Interview with JynX (2017): Extra Bosses, Question 4
  35. Evanescent Existence: Tsubakura's Good Ending
  36. 36.0 36.1 Peing: 10 February 2019
  37. Interview with JynX (2017): Extra Bosses, Question 58
  38. Book of the Cafe: Back Issue EE Tsubakura's Route - Extra Stage
  39. Interview with JynX (2021): Tsurubami ♡, Question 195
  40. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 30
  41. Interview with JynX (2017): Development and Design Decisions, Question 102
  42. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 34
  43. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 16
  44. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Skill Upgrades
  45. 45.0 45.1 Interview with JynX (2017): Extra Bosses, Question 55
  46. Interview with JynX (2021): Tsurubami ♡, Question 197
  47. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 32
  48. Interview with JynX (2021): Tsurubami ♡, Question 191
  49. Interview with JynX (2021): Shitodo Siblings, Question 168
  50. Interview with JynX (2021): Characters (Suzumi), Question 271
  51. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Haze Ending
  52. Peing: 8 February 2019
  53. Interview with JynX (2017): Miscellaneous, Question 75
  54. Interview with JynX (2021): Tsurubami ♡, Question 189
  55. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 31
  56. Interview with JynX (2021): Jinbei, Question 199
  57. Peing: 28 April 2019
  58. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Brilliant Extra Scenario
  59. Interview with JynX (2021): Extra Stage, Question 263
  60. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Official Profiles - Haiji Senri
  61. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Neutral Scenario - Tsugumi Umatachi
  62. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: New Emperor Team's Neutral Extra Scenario
  63. Interview with JynX (2021): Tsugumi, Question 231
  64. Brilliant Pagoda or Haze Castle: Preschool Team's Neutral Scenario - Hibaru Kokutenshi
  65. Interview with JynX (2021): Hibaru, Question 213
  66. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 15
  67. Interview with JynX (2015): Question 46
  68. Interview with JynX (2021): Characters, Question 122
  69. Peing: 25 February 2019