WAY OF THE NINJA: KUNOICHI

Another aspect of the Ninja that I find very intriguing and incredibly cool are the KUNOICHI. I am still learning more and more about the Ninja and have a long ways to go but at this moment I am aware of the two sexes of Ninja: SHINOBI (the quintessential male ninja) and KUNOICHI (the indomitable female ninja). Ninja is really a blanket term for those who practice the art of Ninjitsu. There are of course hierarchies within the ninja clans and different roles and jobs therein. Breaking it down to the basics you have your Shinobi and Kunoichi.

From my research into Japanese history and mythology there once was a time before the influence of Buddhism and the powerful patriarchal society Japan became where women shared a more equal role with men. Many of the ancient gods in Japanese mythology are in fact goddesses and the figure of the woman was held high and cherished. Most of this changed with the introduction of Buddhism and Japanese men became the dominate figures.

Shiki ~ a playable kunoichi from SNK video games

I find it interesting that of the two central warrior types in Japanese history, the Samurai and the Ninja, only the Ninja allowed women to become full fledged warriors alongside the men. Very few warrior classes in the history of the world allowed women to fight and die on equal terms with the men. I say equal terms because that is what they'd have me believe and that is what I hope was true. The fact of it is that much about the Ninja is a highly romanticized depiction. Much of what we think we know is derived from what we've seen in the movies and video games, books and animation.

The Kunoichi within the ninja clan were just as much warriors and assassins as the men were. To have an exceptional beauty as a woman was both a blessing and a curse. If you were a particularly beautiful woman you became a sort of "undercover agent." Using your good looks as a weapon of infiltration into the enemy's ranks, the Kunoichi would pose as Geisha or Courtesans, earning favor with powerful political figures and generals. They would earn the confidence of these men, learning what they could by being flies on the wall or spying from the shadows late at night. Lords and Generals would hardly think twice about divulging information in front of their favored mistress because of the very low opinion most men had of women at the time.

Hibana from the video game Nightshade (Kunoichi)

The Kunoichi would then relay the information to her fellow ninja and the information would then find its way to the opposing side. Being a deep cover ninja was an extremely dangerous occupation. If the Kunoichi were caught, or any ninja for that matter, the men and women were executed, many times in gruesome ways. Being a Kunoichi required many skills and an unbelievable amount of self-control and willpower.

You also had to be physically prepared. If you were found out you had to escape immediately. In some cases you had to fight your way to freedom through an endless amount of hired Yakuza and Ronin, and sometimes the lord's closest Samurai warriors. Unless you wanted to die in some humiliating horrible execution the Kunoichi had to possess the fighting skills, stealth, and physical endurance to escape from the heart of an enemy city. If you were an undercover Kunoichi you needed to be a virtual warrior goddess to survive.

Not only were the Kunoichi used for espionage, but they were also fighting on the front lines. Many lords and generals hunted the ninja, in some cases wiping out entire clans, man, woman, and child. The Kunoichi had be strong on the battlefield as every bit as the men. They mastered hundreds of weapons and fighting techniques, the most obvious being the use of swords, daggers, kunai (throwing knives), shurikens (throwing stars), kodachi (short swords), kusari-gama (chain and hook), and many many more. Hand to hand combat as well was essential.

Taki from Soul Calibur is an example of the overtly sexual Kunoichi

The Kunoichi were dangerous women living in a dangerous world. Again much of what I'm saying here is the popularized and romanticized version of these women. Nowadays the Kunoichi have been extremely sexualized. Most of the female ninja in video games are objectified and oversexed. It's actually quite difficult to find a depiction that isn't overtly sexual. But looking at the subject closer there is a legitimate basis for the Kunoichi's strong sex appeal. Their sex was one of their weapons. The more beautiful the woman, the more deadly she had to be.

I love Ninjas (obviously). The Shinobi are extremely cool and the Kunoichi are just as badass! I love these ninja warrior women. In video games, books, comic books, animation, or film. Whether it's a fictionalized version or the real deal, the Kunoichi are something to behold.

Street Fighter's very own Kunoichi ~ Ibuki

WRITTEN IN BLOOD: VIKING VS NINJA

The Preface: So it's 6:00 am and I'm tired and bored at work. I'm going through the daily routine and suddenly a thought occurs to me: How cool would it be to see a Viking fight a Ninja? I wonder who would win? So, just in passing, I ask one of my coworkers what they think. They say, "The Viking would definitely win. They're way stronger and meaner." Another coworker overhears this and steps in saying, "No way! The Ninja would kill the Viking before the Viking even knew he was there!"

I asked another associate who they think would win in a fight between a Viking and a Ninja. Then I asked another. And another. I started taking a tally and keeping track of which warrior received how many votes. By the end of the week I asked almost every coworker, nearly 90 people. Before we continue let me just say that: yes I am aware of the tv show Deadliest Warrior. But know this, I have always asked these kinds of questions even before that show. Here are the results of my little impromptu survey:

VIKING VERSUS NINJA

Viking                                                                  Ninja                                                          Undecided
   36                                                                        46                                                                    1

What the hell is the matter with you, NinjaMitche?

1

ADVANTAGE: NINJA

Most of my coworkers felt, purely on gut instinct, that the Ninja would take down the Viking. Their reasonings were typically that the Ninja is far more stealthier and had access to a larger array of weapons. The Ninja is the master of the 1000 Ways of Death. Many mentioned how the Ninjas would be smarter, taking out the Vikings as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Those voting for the Vikings felt that the Ninja wouldn't stand a chance against the Vikings strength and berserker rage! Many felt that the Vikings had more history and more experience than the Ninja, raping, pillaging, and killing. They were bigger, stronger, and physically superior in every way to the pajama wearing little Ninjas.

What does this say about the voter's psychology?  Ninjas and Vikings are fairly prevalent in pop culture today. The Television show Vikings along with Marvel's Thor films have kept Viking life and mythology fresh in our minds (regardless of how fantastic and inaccurate the depiction). Likewise there are several Ninja shows, Naruto, Basilisk, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to keep these assassins on our minds as well.

It was interesting to look at the people casting their votes and explaining why. I think it's a fair assumption to say some of the people voting for Vikings reflected these qualities. Thinking that seemed to say if you are physically stronger you can accomplish much. Whereas with those who voted for the Ninjas believed that using your mind you could defeat any opponent. Whether this is true or not of my coworkers inner feelings and psychology, I cannot say. But it was an interesting perspective to look at them through.

FYI in case it wasn't obvious, I voted for Ninja. And you better believe that I'm writing this is full ninja garb while listening to the Shinobi soundtrack.

THE BATTLE: Being the person that I am I found myself wanting to see this battle play out before my eyes. As far as I know this match up hasn't been done before. So, exercising a little creativity, I decided to write out my fictional battle between the Vikings of legend and the Ninjas of myth based on the results of my coworkers and this survey. The following is my idea of how the fight would go:

THE STORY

In the year 999 A.D. Leif Erikson left Greenland and set sail for Norway. A terrible storm blew his ship way off course. Another ship was sent after him, a ship full of the fiercest vikings the Norsemen have ever known. Their ship too encountered a powerful storm at sea, a storm so great in fact the men aboard believed it to be the fury of Odin himself. The storm took control of their ship and did not let up for many months.

While Erikson landed in the Herbrides the other ship was blown far southeast. Lost at sea for months on end, the viking warriors arrived in a strange land populated with a race of people the likes of which they had never seen. The vikings came ashore during a battle between villages. They themselves were attacked by mistake. The vikings defended themselves and more. They pillaged the villages and defeated both militias. During the battle the vikings entered a blood-rage state of mind, going berserk, and set out to conquer this vile land for Odin!

Their carnage spread to peaceful neighboring villages and many innocents were slaughtered. One night, while the vikings slept, a small group of warriors clad in black made their way into the camp. The berserkers awoke to the sounds of their fellow warriors screaming. A battle erupted and the small band of ninja were killed but not without taking several vikings with them. The vikings sought out their would-be assassins, tracking them to a small seemingly quiet village. The vikings came in destroying everything in their path. But they found no sign of the ninja. 

Suddenly above them on the rooftops the ninja appeared surrounding the viking horde. A rain of arrows fell down upon the men of the north. The vikings suffered heavy casualties, only a small contingent escaping. They fled into the forest directly into another ambush. The ninja appeared out of the shadows, coming at them with shurikens, spears, swords, and more. The vikings held their swords and shields high and decimated the small band of ninja. The little men in pajamas were no match for the strength and ferocity of the blonde giants.

With their numbers down to only a few, the surviving vikings returned to their ship. Once aboard they prepared to set sail. One viking noticed something strange about the water, a black substance floating all around the ship, smelling of oil. He looked ashore seeing a lone ninja standing on the beach, a candle in hand. The ninja dropped the candle in the water and the sea around them burst into flames. The fire climbed the sides of the ship. The leader of the vikings looked about frantically for a means of survival. When he called upon his men for assistance no one answered. He walked out onto the deck seeing the bodies of fellow vikings, all slain. Standing before him was a single ninja holding a bloody sword.

They both held up their weapons and charged toward one another. The ninja was no match for the viking's berserker strength and ferocity. Instead she used his bulk and heavy weight against him. She out quicked him. She stabbed him hundreds of times but he refused to go down. What he couldn't hit with his sword he kicked and punched knocking her across the wooden deck of the ship. They both fought with everything they had as the boat burned down around them. All her determination, all her willpower, all the strength within her nimble body, she left none of it unused. His blood and the blood of his brothers soaked the deck of the ship. Both only had strength left for one last attack. He charged at her roaring in defiance. She dashed at him silently pouring everything she had left into this final attack. 

The berserker fell face down on the deck, wounds gushing forth the last bit of life left within him. He died knowing he had given his all, a death worthy of entering the great halls of Valhalla. He was greeted by Thor and Balder and host of other gods and lusty wenches. Awaiting him at a grand banquet were his fellow vikings. 

The ninja cut a hole in the bottom of the ship, swam beneath the flames, and back to shore. She returned to the hidden village of her clan a hero and became the clan leader. She and her warriors succeeded in defending Japan from the giants of the north and would continue to protect Japan from the shadows.

What do you think? Who would you bet on in a battle between a Viking and a Ninja? Feel free to cast your vote in the comments below!

TALES OF ZATOICHI ~ PART 28: ICHI

Among the badass characters of cinema only one is blind, a master swordsman, biwa player, expert gambler, and masseur. There truly is no other character quite like the incredible Zatoichi. There's a reason why this character was a world wide phenomenon. I'm ashamed to say I've only just been intimately acquainted this last year with the infamous blind swordsman. We'll get to the real meat and potatoes of Zatoichi in another post. This post we'll be focusing on the 2008 film (the 28th film on the subject of Zatoichi) titled simply ICHI.

With the passing of the legendary Shintaro Katsu (the man who originally portrayed Zatoichi and up until 2003 the only actor to ever play the character) the series was laid to rest for a time. In 2003 a new film with a different actor attempted to reboot the franchise. In 2008 the franchise dramatically changed. Zatoichi was now a woman.

The basic plot is this: Ichi was born blind, a Goze (blind woman). When she was an infant she was rescued by the real Zatoichi and taken to live with a group of goze. She looked to him as her savior, mentor, and father. From time to time he'd leave and return over the years. He taught her his trade, to master his swordsmanship, and how not to be a victim in a harsh world. Living among the other goze she learned to play an instrument called the shamisen (a three stringed instrument similar to the lute). After a performance she was raped by a patron. Reaching for her sword, she slew the degenerate, her first kill. The laws of living with the goze require one to be celibate and therefore she was banished from the house.

In the dead of winter with nothing but her sword and shamisen, having experienced the single worst day of her life, Ichi set out to find her mentor, Zatoichi. Finding refuge where she could, and following rumors of the whereabouts of a talented blind masseur, Ichi eventually found herself within a small village beset by a gang of ruthless mercenaries called the Banki-to led by the powerful swordsman Banki. The Banki-to and the village's ruling yakuza family are at war, with the former proving stronger.

Ichi befriends a trouble man named Toma, a son of a swordmanship dojo and a master swordsman in his own right. Because of an accident as a young man where he accidentally killed his mother, Toma will never draw his blade again. On the way out of the village Ichi slays four Banki-to with lightning fast speed. These kills were mistakenly attributed to Toma. The local yakuza hire Toma to get rid of the Banki-to once and for all. It all ends in a showdown in the street between Toma, the yakuza, and Banki and the Banki-to with Ichi rushing to save Toma. You'll have to watch to see how it ends.

Having seen all the Zatoichi films prior to this one, I must say that I'm cool with the change. I'm all for badass ladies and actress Haruka Ayase is definitely that. She's pretty and withdrawn and very deadly in this film. As far as taking up the mantle she plays it with respect and a powerful seriousness. Shintaro Katsu always had an air mischief about his portrayal which is lacking in hers. But she's not playing the same character. She's acting as his successor and a woman whose life has been full of misfortune and tragedy. The damage she has sustained shows on her face and in her actions. She does a wonderful job throughout the entire film.

The humor is brought to the film through the character of Toma and a young boy who has lost his mother. The film follows closer to a classic Zatoichi film in plot and flow. In channeling the essence of Zatoichi the film succeeds. We are even shown flashbacks of Zatoichi and his training of Ichi. So Zatoichi is indeed in this film. The story is one succession. Ichi is now the one we will follow and the one to continue Zatoichi's legacy.

Before we leave I should note the violence in the film. The violence in Zatoichi films are typically either muted, in which case we see swords swinging and men falling. Or it is accentuated, in which case we see copious amounts of blood and severed limbs. This film falls under the latter. There's plenty of blood and the swordplay is badass. I'd call it either PG-13 or R rated violence. Plenty of wicked sword action to wet the appetite! All in all I really enjoyed it. A worthy addition to the franchise.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

KAIJUOLOGY: DOGORA ~ THE SPACE MONSTER

Subject: Dogora

Documentation: Dogora The Space Monster (1964), Godzilla: Monster of Monsters (NES video game 1988)

History: In 1964 the world suffered an attack from one of the most bizarre creatures ever witness. Dubbed Dogora by the Japanese scientists who discovered the beast, this strange jellyfish like creature of outer space origin first appeared in the skies above Japan. The beast is one of the largest kaiju on record dwarfing the likes of Godzilla, Biollante, and virtually every terrestrial kaiju in existence. Its body is soft and malleable consisting of a central mass (the body) and numerous tentacle like arms.

Dogora is at home in the vacuum of outer space as well as Earth's atmosphere. The beast has an ability to move through space and our atmosphere easily, traveling under its own power by as of yet unknown means, moving through space and our skies like a jellyfish moves through water. The extent of the creatures strength has not been accurately measured either. Dogora, at the height of its destructive rampage, lifted the entire Wakato Bridge, a structure two kilometers long weighing several hundred tons. Its strength capacities haven't been fully measured but it is believed the creature could lift a kaiju as large as Biollante with ease.

In the 1964 event the creatures (multiple Dogoras) were discovered in orbit just beyond our planet's atmosphere. Many satellites in orbit were destroyed due to impacts with the body of the creature. The creatures have a hunger for carbon based materials, (whether the creatures need a certain amount of carbon to survive or are simply attracted to the element is unknown at this time) attacking coal mines and factories across Japan. Diamonds were also subject to their attention. The beasts demonstrated a telekinetic ability and suction to steal the coal and diamonds, absorbing the material into their bodies. Their telekinesis ranged from floating a single human being through the air to lifting entire buildings off the ground.

The body of the beast, as previously stated, is flexible. During an attack the beasts were bombarded by artillery of the Japanese Self Defense Forces. The result was the seeming destruction of the creatures, only to discover that the beast had merely divided itself into hundreds or smaller beasts, a kaiju size mitosis of sorts. Salvation was discovered in the form of wasps. The venom of wasp stings contained a chemical which reacted with Dogora's body resulting in a crystallization of its form. The chemical was synthesized and weaponized by the Japanese and the Dogora threat was ended. The crystallized remains of the Dogora monsters were collected for further study and quarantined.

Review: Dogora is one of the most unique and interesting monsters in the entire Toho kaiju stable. Dogora has an interesting design and unique power set. The possibile threat of a hunger for carbon has frightening possibilities too (What if Dogora decided to snack on all carbon based materials including human beings?! The threat level just jumped WAY up!). Dogora is a kaiju rarely seen and rarely used but is so rife with potential. A modern reinvention of the kaiju could be something awe-inspiring and wicked cool.

A fairly accurate size comparison of Godzilla and Dogora as depicted in the NES video game

The special effects used to bring Dogora to life in the film are something to behold too and begs the question "How'd they do that?" With today's special effects Dogora could make for one incredible adversary for Godzilla. The only time Godzilla and Dogora have ever battled was in the NES video game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters. Godzilla only fights little Dogoras but it should be noted that in the background of the Dogora level is one massive Dogora monster dwarfing Godzilla in size!

Mothra traversing the Dogora level in the NES game Godzilla: Monster of Monsters

In summary Dogora needs another movie and is a kaiju dying to get back in the game! Also worthy of note is that the original Dogora film is unlike any other kaiju film in that it doesn't present itself as a kaiju film but rather a heist film. Just another nod to how amazing director Ishiro Honda and crew were, already trying to reinvent the kaiju genre (much Marvel Studios is doing with super hero films today. Ant-Man is said to be a heist film too!).

Threat Level: 10 out 10 (Extinction level threat)

Art by Yasushi Torisawa