tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post3151091694270806654..comments2024-01-13T07:55:22.943-05:00Comments on Stealing Knowledge: Taira no Masakado: History vs. Legend (vs. Lemon)Eirikrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12708584583156602408noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post-56751857522654612352017-08-12T22:47:18.168-04:002017-08-12T22:47:18.168-04:00Hey Simfusui, the post is finally finished! :) Che...Hey Simfusui, the post is finally finished! :) Check it out: http://eirikrjs.blogspot.com/2017/08/kcn-liii-mystery-demons.html<br /><br />And thank you for recommending this Masakado one! :) Eirikrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708584583156602408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post-61366949626175715232017-08-02T19:38:01.618-04:002017-08-02T19:38:01.618-04:00Sorry about the delay. Given those circumstances,...Sorry about the delay. Given those circumstances, you did a fantastic job on this article! I've sent it around to my friends, even those who are non SMT fans, as it's a very concise and nicely organized rundown of Masakado's life and legacy. I do look forward to your Mizuki blowout. Keep up the good work!Simfusuihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05040408184500175661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post-50689032307859243272017-07-28T01:42:50.805-04:002017-07-28T01:42:50.805-04:00Thanks for commenting! :)
Honestly, it took writ...Thanks for commenting! :) <br /><br />Honestly, it took writing this article to really truly understand any of the interpretations of Masakado. I always felt that SMT was just doing their best to hype him up, so to speak, and while that does happen to excess in certain games, at least now I now where the idea came from. <br /><br />I noticed your Mizuki avatar--stay tuned to here or Kaneko's Crib Notes on Tumblr, as we are going to have a huge Mizuki-SMT blowout! Eirikrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708584583156602408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post-81122712778819831512017-07-27T21:17:54.805-04:002017-07-27T21:17:54.805-04:00"Masakado's next appearance in Japanese p..."Masakado's next appearance in Japanese pop culture has probably been his most influential: The mid-80s novel series Teito Monogatari by Hiroshi Aramata."<br /><br />Sorry...you were probably already thinking about that when you wrote the above statement. This dualistic quality (guardian entity vs raging ghost) is what I find most fascinating about the myth. Hence the reason I wanted to highlight that aspect of his appearance in TEITO as well. I think it's a reason a Western audience might have difficulty understanding his role in the story of TEITO MONOGATARI (and judging from your descriptions, I'm guessing SMT as well) since he comes off of such an ambiguous entity. Im curious about your thoughts on the matter however.Simfusuihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05040408184500175661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post-90613123359680479482017-07-27T20:38:07.019-04:002017-07-27T20:38:07.019-04:00"Following the influence of Teito Monogatari,..."Following the influence of Teito Monogatari, SMT endorses the supernatural Masakado. However, in most cases he tends not to follow the vengeful spirit mold, and is instead typically depicted more favorably as a guardian of the city or the personification (or voice) of Tokyo itself."<br /><br />I think this was also most likely the influence of TEITO MONOGATARI as well. The good guys of the novel worship Masakado as a guardian spirit who defends Tokyo; some of them are even his descendants. Kato by contrast wants to turn back the clock and revert Masakado back to a vengeful spirit by disturbing his grave to utmost and all that.Simfusuihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05040408184500175661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post-33100629716458573842017-06-30T23:10:33.826-04:002017-06-30T23:10:33.826-04:00Well, it is a Japanese product mainly for a Japane...Well, it is a Japanese product mainly for a Japanese audience, so I can't say I entirely disagree... :p <br /><br />Oddly, a Kewpie doll of Masakado has that same crest: https://68.media.tumblr.com/d8b037b7a63d355415fb19a525fdcc2d/tumblr_inline_osc11wqd5Y1sr9owj_540.jpgEirikrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708584583156602408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5102004681763150356.post-33634065694677234392017-06-29T07:03:29.483-04:002017-06-29T07:03:29.483-04:00Although it doesn't make much sense in strange...Although it doesn't make much sense in strange journey, I think Masakado's strength in IV is just meant to be relative to tokyo. We are told at times that gods have different power levels based on location - which is probably the reason given for why the angels despite being depicted as a kind of universal presence hadn't taken everything over before the events of the games. They have the most power, by being a kind of force that is not limited by location, but its not quite enough that turning everyone against them at once would be viable. In IV, tokyo is one of the few places left, and masakado's power is relative to this.<br /><br />The neutral side is kind of weird in general with this, with its figures being mainly transhumans, but for the most part relatively obscure ones that don't really seem to capture something with a universal enough scale as the plot seems to call for. It seems like atlus wants, but isn't good at expressing, the story to have a more particularist slant. But this is entirely lost on the western audience mainly. Who wouldn't care if the games weren't in tokyo, even though interviews act like this is a necessary staple of mainline. And so masakado as an alleged guardian of tokyo and historical figure who became seen as a protector spirit as an obvious, yet odd choice for what they want. <br /><br />IVA depicts the diamond realm of 1 and 1s en no ozuno as now working with steven on a multiversal level to do things. But that is again odd, since he is a relatively obscure figure who would have no relevance at all to say worlds where everything went down in a place that wasn't in japan. And yet, if you are using historical figures you always will run into the issue of them potentially seeming more particularist than universal. Lao tsu was at least a little wider scope, but hasn't been back since i. Neutral often tries complaining about being the weakest side in the conflict, yet part of this is because they seem to have no wide reaching group to draw on, and are limited to whoever is wherever they are. And steven. They should really be depicted more like a cohesive side, but again that runs up against some kind of thematic point that atlus is trying to make about it being a hidden path. A point that again, doesn't really make much sense, since not only is it the closest to ethics as your average person would already see them, but for a game taking place in japan the side most associated with its own religion would seem the most standard to them, not hidden.<br /><br />An interesting side aspect of this is that since spirits that retain a human identity are associated with neutral, this leads to a conspicuous absence of them on the other sides. They are missing a chance to make some christian saints into demons who work for the law side. Joan of arc is even in the game, but as a totally unrelated figure.<br /><br />One thing I could never find the answer to though, is why maskadao's soul hackers design has the Katakura clan crest on him. As far as I could find any sources about, he is not associated with this clan. And while various symbols that were japanese clans do show up being used out of context (I.E. the messians using the triforce symbol as a logo) it seems more odd to do this with an actual japanese historical figure who was associated with someone else. It'd be like depicting joan of arc with an Irish flag with no explanation.inanimate objects with a scary facehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17314874118855715226noreply@blogger.com