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Please note that the Character List will be an ongoing project throughout the course of Gate 7's publication. Updates will be made as often as possible. If you see any mistakes or would like to make a contribution, please contact one of the moderators or comment here.
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Takamoto Chikahito // 高本 致佳人 "The Kyoto I want to know isn't like this." A third-year high school student who loves ancient history, Chikahito has finally convinced his mother to allow him to travel alone to--and eventually live in--the city of Kyōto. He is an ordinary young man (despite his tendency to cry at the drop of a hat): History is his best subject in school, English is his worst, and he has no girlfriend. While visiting the Kitano Tenman shrine, Chikahito stumbles into a supposedly-sealed-off area under attack by mysterious creatures. He is rescued by three "hanamachi" operatives, and comes to be swept into their lives. At the Urashichiken, the headquarters of the hanamachi, Chikahito largely serves as a cook and an attendant to Hana. Due to his previous job experience at a Tōkyō coffee shop, his culinary creations are tasty and attractively-presented to boot. Chikahito shows a strange resistance to the powers of the hanamachi group: Tachibana was unable to erase his memory of the events at the Kitano Tenman-gū, and Sakura has thus far failed to keep him out of the barriers set up around the strange creatures. This is entirely out of keeping with his actual knowledge of the hanamachi and of life in general, since he often forgets obvious facts (e.g., that Kyōto universities have spring break at the same time as high schools) and confuses word meanings. Despite this, his knowledge of Sengoku and Tokugawa-period history is admirable, and he can reference Chinese classical history, as well. |
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| ① While living in Tōkyō with his mother, Chikahito studied at the private "Cross Academy," the same school Watanuki Kimihiro, Doumeki Shizuka, and Kunogi Himawari of xxxHOLiC attended. ② He also lived in the same apartment building as Watanuki, Motosuwa Hideki (Chobits), and Hanato Kobato (Kobato.). However, it is unclear (and even doubtful) that all four were living there at the same time. |
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Hana // はな "Hana is here. Waiting." The small and quiet Hana is the vanguard of the hanamachi group, which is called upon to exterminate such beings as the ones Chikahito saw at the Kitano Tenman-gū and Yasui Engiri shrine. Ze fights swiftly and expertly with whatever weapons Sakura and Tachibana create for hir, and can also create spells using a magatama and the "myouhou" technique. Hana loves to eat noodles (including nabeyaki udon, nishin soba, and ramen of all sorts), and can easily devour two servings at a time. In fact, zie will even drop hir professional duties and head off to the nearest noodle shop if left unaccompanied, and can be easily called out with the promise of food. Hir personality is noticeably inhuman: ze speaks only in short sentences (always referring to hirself in the third person), and acts very much like a cat. In line with this, zie often wears animal-based clothing, mimicking whatever animal zie's dressed up as (e.g., making clawing gestures while wearing a cat hat, or leaping about like a frog when wearing frog pajamas). This is also a reference to hir special ability of mimicking hir enemy's attacks, "summoning" previously-fought monsters in battle. Hana claims that Chikahito is the same as zie -- "nonexistent;" later on, zie is the one who proposes that Chikahito live in the Urashichiken, and happily accompanies him throughout the city. Zie states her reason for being in the Urashichiken as "waiting" for someone; as it turns out, zie is waiting alongside another version of hirself who lives inside dark dreamscape, and who openly weeps at the prospect of never seeing this person again. This self wears courtly Heian-period dress and speaks much more intelligibly than Hana. |
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| ① When the first details of Gate 7's story were revealed in December 2008, Hana was listed as the main character (and was also the only one mentioned). Ze was described as "a high-school girl hailing from Kyoto, the daughter of a temple caretaker...[whose] peaceful ways give her the self-control to act in the hidden realm [of dreams]." While little is known about hir current personality, hir character design has changed significantly: in the first released Gate 7 illustration, ze had multiple long braids, brown eyes, and a different facial structure. ② Hana was also supposed to have a "totem" or guide for hir journeys into dreams which took the form of a black calf. It is currently unknown whether or not the totem is still in the story. ③ While Hana was initially stated to be a "girl" in the first synopsis for Gate 7, CLAMP's official page for the series lists hir as "genderless." Given how little we know about the character thus far, we will use the genderless pronouns "ze" and "hir" for now. ④ "Myouhou" (妙法), literally meaning "mysteries" or "excellent method," is most famously recognized as part of the Japanese name for the Lotus Sutra ("myouhourengekyou"). Hana has thus far used five different myouhou techniques: kamaitachi, kasha ("fire chariot"), modoridori ("returning bird"), fuuka ("flower wind"), and hanakago ("flower cage"). ⑤ Hana's alignment with yin and yang is currently unknown, but the second chapter suggests that zie represents the concept of wuji. Hidetsugu confirms this. ⑥ Hana's name was given to hir by Tachibana and Sakura. Date Masamune’s oni Kurikara later refers to hir as a “thing,” and Chikahito himself likens hir to a stray cat. It is unknown what these observations entail. |
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Tachibana // 橘 "You got a problem with that?" A college student, Tachibana works alongside Hana and Sakura in the hanamachi group. He represents the solar element (yang), and generates Hana's weapons whenever ze faces an opponent of the lunar genus. Outside of battle, he is highly capable: he can "analyze" the creatures fought by the group, quickly gather information about a given person from the Internet and the hanamachi's information network, and even erase memories at a touch. Despite coming across as unsympathetic, Tachibana is very gentle and patient with Hana, often making sure that she's dressed for the weather and generally happy. Conversely, he can't stand Chikahito, and still views him as an outsider who has blundered into the Urashichiken and consistently put Hana in danger. Tachibana's irritation stems not only from his genuine concern for Hana's safety, but from his grief and frustration over the kidnapping of his twin sister Sugihime by the Tokugawa clan: he joined the Urashichiken in order to find her and rescue her. Tachibana is, for the most part, a blunt and irritable young man who nonetheless feels a strong sense of duty and compassion toward his two teammates. The worst part of his personality comes out in the morning: he needs to get a caffeine jumpstart before beginning his day, come hell or high water. | |
| ① "Tachibana," which here means "wild/mandarin orange," most often occurs as a surname. However, it is also occasionally used as a given name (especially for men). Taking Sakura's name into consideration, we can't yet definitively say what the case is for this particular Tachibana. ② In Daoist philosophy, yang (陽) represents the sun, masculinity, mountains, fire, the sky, and aggressiveness. |
 | Sakura // 桜 "I'm troubled...I'm troubled so much I might forget to hold back." A large man with a genial, easygoing disposition. Representative of the lunar element (yin), Sakura generates Hana's sword (supposedly from nothing) whenever ze faces an opponent of the solar genus. He is also in charge of generating barriers, and is quite proficient at it. Sakura's true power, however, is to become one with his weapons: for example, Tachibana can transform his arm into a massive, alien-looking claw. This procedure, the transfer of a yang weapon to a person aligned with yin, is highly dangerous to the user, and has apparently caused some catastrophe in the past. Sakura is very open to explaining the hanamachi's motives and techniques, and ultimately welcomes Chikahito into their group when Hana suggests that he live with them; he later gives Chikahito the girlish moniker "Chika-chan." He is also capable of calming Tachibana and others down with his level-headed reason, and evidently loves Tachibana and Hana as much as if they were family. Outside of the hanamachi, he works as a male attendant to the maiko and geiko of Kamishichiken. It is worth noting that Sakura may have a partner outside of the hanamachi, as he mentions that he can't sleep without the warmth of another person. As it turns out, Sakura has multiple partners throughout Kyoto, but only maintains skin contact with them in order to get to sleep. His oni, which he now considers lost, helped him sleep prior to its capture, disappearance, or death. | |
| ① While "Sakura" (here meaning "cherry blossom") is most often used as a female given name, it also rarely occurs both as a male given name and as a family name. Considering that Tachibana is most likely referred to only by his surname, it's possible that Sakura is only giving a surname, as well. They could also be using wacky pseudonyms. ② Sakura shares his name (whichever one it is) with three other CLAMP characters: Kinomoto Sakura, the heroine of Cardcaptor Sakura, Princess Sakura of TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, and the princess's clone. ③ In Daoist philosophy, yin (陰) represents the moon, femininity, valleys, water, the earth, and passivity. |
 | Hidetsugu // 秀次 "Good, good. Real bosom buddies, aren't you?" The owner of the Urashichiken, with a very poor concept of personal space. He uses very casual speech and smiles almost constantly, leading Chikahito to quickly peg him as "shady." Like Sakura, Hidetsugu can generate barriers -- but only with the assistance of a blood-sealed oni or spirit. Even then, his barriers are imperfect and not guaranteed to last. "Hidetsugu" is in fact a false name given to this man by the oni Mikoto, who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Sengoku period; the fact that she contracted with him despite his lack of blood connections to the Toyotomi family indicates that he is truly worthy of being with her. Hidetsugu has stepped up to his role as best he can, but often indicates a deeper disconnect from his previous incarnation than other oni-users: he can't bring himself to hate "his" former enemies, and even looks upon "his" own grave with no apparent discomfort. This, however, could simply be due to his genial nature. | |
| ① Hidetsugu, a given name, is spelled with the characters for "beauty/excellence" and "next." The name is famously associated with Toyotomi Hidetsugu, a 16-century retainer (and nephew) of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Momoyama-period daimyo who continued Oda Nobunaga's unification of Japan and oversaw the beginning of the rigid societal structure and political system of the Tokugawa period). Due to both his family connections and high level of competence, Hidetsugu was appointed regent to the Emperor in 1591, and managed domestic affairs while Hideyoshi carried out his ill-fated military campaigns in Joseon Korea. However, he was accused of planning to overthrow his uncle only four years later, and was forced to commit ritual suicide; every member of Hidetsugu's household was executed by Hideyoshi's order. It is revealed in Chapter 3 that Toyotomi Hideyoshi himself contracted the oni Mikoto, and that his nephew Hidetsugu would have inherited her were it not for the birth of Hideyoshi's son Hideyori. |
 | Mikoto // 神言 "Would it be agreeable if I cursed him through kotodama, Hidetsugu?" The oni (隠威, literally "hidden menace" or "hidden majesty") summoned by Hidetsugu in order to confirm Chikahito's nature as "nothingness" (as opposed to yin or yang). She has been "passed down" through a blood pact with the Toyotomi family since the Sengoku period, with her most famous contractee being the daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi. However, while she technically has a pact with "Toyotomi Hideyori," a real descendant of the family, she refuses to honor it due to her deeming him "unworthy;" instead, she holds a pact with Hidetsugu, who is not related to the family at all. Mikoto speaks in literary, archaic Japanese, using "yoi" instead of the more modern "ii" for "good" (unlike Hana) and the unusual copula "de aru." Interestingly, her own name is made up of the characters for "divinity" and "word," referencing the fact that kotodama -- word power -- is her specialty. She is also a skilled gatherer of information, and serves almost as an informational hub for the Urashichiken. Mikoto is affectionate and somewhat condescending to Hidetsugu, and is also on very friendly and casual terms with Hana, with whom she makes silly jokes. No one else is spared from her dry, sarcastic sense of humor. | |
| ① Kotodama (言霊), spelled with the characters for "word" and "soul/spirit," is the Shintō belief that words and names contain both magical and spiritual power. Upon Chikahito's screaming himself silly over her horns, Mikoto essentially asks Hidetsugu if she can curse him using special words. CLAMP heavily utilized the force of kotodama in xxxHOLiC, and to a lesser extent in TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE. |
 | Akechi Mitsuhide // 明智 光秀公 "Being constantly in motion...is depressing." Despite his mild face and humble language, Akechi often manages to come across as deeply condescending. He personally finds battle irritatingly boring, and wishes that he could cultivate the tranquil life of a scholar. Despite his leanings toward pacifism, unfortunately, Akechi has no qualms with death and destruction so long as they further his goals. Outside the world of political and spiritual intrigue, he teaches chemistry at Chikahito and Iemitsu's new high school. This does not particularly bother him (though he either fails to or pretends not to recognize Iemitsu). Hidetsugu clearly recognizes Akechi upon sighting him, while Akechi himself mentions Sakura and Tachibana by name, indicating that he has a history with the Urashichiken. (Hidetsugu remarks that he hated Akechi in a former life, but judging by his geniality in the face of his "enemy's" attacks, he does not quite feel that hatred anymore.) The oni Akechi uses, "Enka" (炎禍, literally "flaming calamity"), is unusual in that it mirrors his appearance (save for pointed ears and a more fancy outfit). He uses this being to seek out the most powerful oni in existence: Dairokuten-Maou, the personal oni of Oda Nobunaga. Unlike Tokugawa Iemitsu, Akechi merely wants to capture the oni and Nobunaga's corpse for the sake of enriching his own knowledge. For this purpose, he also seeks out the divining powers of Mikoto, and has attempted to capture her for himself. | |
| ① Akechi has a notably pretentious name which results in the literal, whopping translation of "Prince Light Excellence of the Bright Intellect family." He is named for Akechi Mitsuhide, a general who fought under -- and later fatally betrayed -- Oda Nobunaga, the daimyo responsible for the beginning of Japan's unification from the Sengoku period to the end of the Tokugawa period. Nobunaga was notably succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the uncle of Hidetsugu's possible namesake. Akechi Mitsuhide gained a remarkable amount of trust from his lord, being the first of Nobunaga's retainers to receive a castle of his own. Increasing animosity between the two, however, led Mitsuhide to betray Nobunaga and orchestrate his death, rushing to Kyōto to be named shogun by Emperor Ougimachi in 1582. Unfortunately for him, his reign as shogun lasted only thirteen days before his defeat (and possible death) at the Battle of Yamazaki. ② Akechi uses unusual terms to refer to Sakura and Tachibana: ukon no sakura and sakon no tachibana. These refer to the sakon no sakura (左近の桜, lit. "left-side cherry tree") and ukon no tachibana (右近の橘, lit. "right-side mandarin tree") that were placed east and west, respectively, of the southern stairs leading to the Throne Hall of the Heian Palace in Kyōto. Why Akechi switched the cherry tree and the orange tree is unknown: he may be implying something about Sakura and Tachibana, or CLAMP may simply have confused the two. |
 | Enka // 炎禍 "Mitsuhide…if…if you talk like that, you’ll be misunderstood again." Though Enka(literally "Flaming Calamity") has the ability to conjure up massive flames -- flames which may have been responsible for the burning of Honnou-ji, the temple in which Oda Nobunaga was forced to commit suicide -- he has a notably weak and pliable personality. Enka appears to care deeply for Akechi's well-being, a sentiment matched only by his great love of sweets: Akechi can easily push his oni to produce more powerful attacks simply by promising him sweets with tea after the battle. Enka's subservience is conveyed not merely by his easy tendency to weep and get flustered, but by the very shape of his speech balloons: while Mikoto's speech is represented by sweeping lines indicative of gusts of wind, Enka's speech balloons have no defined shape and are drawn with scratchy, wobbly pen strokes. This is the first instance in the series of characters' speech being differentiated from each other in such a graphic manner. | |
| ① While it was Akechi Mitsuhide who betrayed Nobunaga and led the siege on Honnou-ji, the actual burning has been attributed to Mori Ranmaru, one of Nobunaga's pages, who was ordered to set light to the temple in order to prevent Akechi's forces from taking Nobunaga's head. It is currently unknown whether CLAMP has made a mistake, or whether they are suggesting an alternate cause of the fire. ② Enka is the only oni known to resemble its contractor; he may have adopted this appearance as a sign of his admiration for Akechi. |
 | Hosokawa Tama // 細川玉 "Complete and utter idiots." An ostentatiously-dressed young woman with an imperious demeanor, Tama -- also known by her previous incarnation's baptismal name "Gracia" -- is an oni-wielder whose allegiances are currently unknown. She harshly belittles Date Masamune upon meeting him in Kyoto (though her insults only run the gamut from "idiot" to "idiot"), and attempts to steal Kurikara. Despite being quick to insult her foes' abilities, Tama herself is prone to making poor decisions. By her own admission, this incarnation is the first to actually fight on the battlefield; as such, Tama shows signs of recklessness and short-sightedness. In attempting to capture Kurikara herself, she fails to consider that the oni would attack her in retaliation (he does so, vehemently); by the end of her battle with Masamune, she seems exhausted, hoping that Masamune will give up on his own. | |
| ① Hosokawa Tama, one of Akechi Mitsuhide's daughters, was fifteen years old when she married the feudal lord Hosokawa Tadaoki (then also fifteen), who fought under Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Roughly four years later her father betrayed Oda Nobunaga, forcing Tama to enter confinement in the Hosokawa household. In 1587, after hearing of Christianity and of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's proclamation against that religion, she converted and received the baptismal name Gracia. (Whether or not "Gracia" is Gate 7 Tama's baptismal name or a convenient alias is unknown.) Gracia ultimately accepted death by the hand of her husband's retainer when Ishida Mitsunari took the Hosokawa family hostage in 1650, part of his campaign against Tokugawa Ieyasu. Coincidentally, Hosokawa Gracia was the ancestor of Empress Shōken, the highly-influential consort of Emperor Meiji. ② Due to rapidly-shifting personal and military relations during Hosokawa Gracia's life, her Gate 7 incarnation's alliances have yet to be determined. Her husband Tadaoki served under Oda Nobunaga and refused to assist Akechi Mitsuhide in his betrayal, and later went on to fight with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. However, it was Hideyoshi who issued the anti-Christian proclamations that perhaps drove Gracia to convert, and Tadaoki himself cultivated a friendship (and evidently some debts) with Hideyoshi's unfavored nephew Hidetsugu. In the last decade of Gracia's life, Tadaoki allied with Tokugawa Ieyasu, and fought for the Tokugawa against the Toyotomi in the Seige of Osaka -- during which Sanada Yukimura and his greatly-outnumbered army (including, according to legend, the Sanada Ten Braves) led a heroic and ultimately failed struggle against the Tokugawa forces for almost two years. (Sanada would die at the Battle of Tennoji-guchi in 1615.) Date Masamune also fought for the Tokugawa, and led his army personally against that of Sanada Yukimura. While Tokugawa Iemitsu was born several years after her death, Tama may be unwilling to ally with him due to his previous incarnation's harsh anti-Christian policies. This is dependent on a) whether or not she is a Christian in this incarnation (improbable) and b) whether or not she has read of Iemitsu's reign (probable). |
 | Nigemizu // 逃水 "Yes, mistress." Gracia's oni Nigemizu takes the form of a voluptuous woman with a massive tattoo of a praying mantis snaking from her backside to her chest. This is her weapon: Nigemizu can control and generate numerous praying mantes -- all of the consistency of ink -- that attack with their sharp claws. She can also dissolve and reform the mantes at will, and is capable of disintegrating herself in order to create illusions with ink. Nigemizu is a noticeably subservient oni with little to say on her own; her speech bubbles have the appearance of ripples on water, a callback to her name (literally "escaping water"). She follows Gracia's every command without question, and appears shocked and distressed when her mistress is badly harmed by Kurikara. | |
| ① Nigemizu's name is a play on words: the character 逃 (tou) sounds the same as 透, which is used in the Japanese word for "permeability" (透水性, tousuisei). When used as a name, 逃水 would typically be pronounced using the Chinese reading of the characters, tousui; nigemizu is the Japanese reading, and is homophonous with the word for "mirage" (逃げ水). |
 | Date Masamune // 伊達 政宗 "If you try giving Hana an injury that'll scar, I'll cut you right in two, right here." The reincarnation of Date Masamune wields the oni Kurikara -- literally, as a large two-edged sword; he was required to give up one of his eyes in payment to contract with it. With Kurikara, he is able to cut through one of Enka's walls of fire, and Akechi himself considers him to be enough of an "annoyance" as to warrant a tactical retreat. As such, Masamune's reckless and insulting attitude toward his enemies -- both in battle and in other matters -- may be well-warranted. While not a member of the Urashichiken itself, Masamune is on good terms with the group, providing assistance with both combat and information. (He has a very strong crush on Hana, whom he calls his "little kitten; the "little kitten," while grateful for his help, does not seem to share his feelings of affection.) Despite being on good enough terms with Hidetsugu for the latter to call him "Maa-kun," Masamune considers Chikahito to be his enemy in love, and openly threatens to strike him down. Masamune, originally from Sendai, lived in Tokyo with his retainer, adviser, and pseudo-parent Katakura, and attended the 6th grade there. Having lied about his age (and not for the first time), Masamune is now attending high school in Kyoto and cultivating a second image of a "diligent and innocently pure" honor student. | |
| ① Date Masamune, the daimyo of Sendai, was famous for his military prowess, his ruthlessness, and his patronage of the arts and foreigners in his domain; he served under both Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu, and was reputedly a loyal and highly capable general. He is by far one of the most popular and romanticized figures of the Sengoku period, and as such is surrounded by as much legend as actual history. Ironically, while the real Date Masamune protected Christian missionaries and even wrote to Pope Paul V himself, the Masamune of Gate 7 spends three chapters in combat with the reincarnation of the Christian Hosokawa Gracia. |
 | Katakura Kojuurou // 片倉 小十郎 "The rest of the job is to scold and scold Masamune-sama." Masamune's retainer, Katakura Kojuurou acts as a "scabbard" for the oni Kurikara, absorbing it into his body in order to "feed" it with spiritual energy. It is this ability to continually nourish Kurikara that gives Katakura the right to take the name "Kojuurou." Katakura's other duties largely involve taking care of Masamune himself, looking after the wellbeing of both his lord and whatever innocent people who have been unlucky enough to incur his lord's wrath. Despite his peaceful nature, Katakura does not hesitate to discipline Masamune with his fists (admittedly a necessity). | |
| ① The heads of the Katakura clan, each given the name "Kojūrō," served as retainers to the Date clan through the beginning of the Meiji period. This Katakura is most likely the reincarnation of Katakura Kagetsuna, the first head of the clan of the Tokugawa period and the senior retainer of Date Masamune. Only ten years older than his lord, Katakura served Masamune faithfully as a selfless attendant and strategist, and fought by his side in many of his battles. |
 | Kurikara // 倶利伽藍 "Do not touch me." Kurikara is a remarkably powerful oni, capable of cleaving Nigemizu's "minions" in twain and even blowing away its enemies through the sheer force of its voice. As such, it demands a high price from its wielder: not only did Masamune have to give up his right eye, but his retainer Kojuurou constantly feeds it spiritual energy when it is "sheathed" inside his body. For this Kurikara is highly loyal to Masamune -- even if it questions Masamune's infatuation with Hana. | |
| ① Kurikara may be a reference to the Fudo Masamune, one of the swords forged and signed by the unparalleled 13th-century swordsmith Masamune (正宗); the sword is engraved with an image of the deity Fudo Myo-o, who in another personification is known as the Dragon King Kurikara. Interestingly, the sword was purchased by Toyotomi Hidetsugu in 1601. |
 | Tokugawa Iemitsu // 徳川 家光 "Look…if you don’t have something, you want it, right?" A cruel, selfish, and sadistic young man, Tokugawa Iemitsu commands the bloodthirsty oni Mitsuha – a creature that has thus far only appeared as a gathering of blood-stained wings. Mitsuha demands human sacrifices as payment for its contract, and Iemitsu has no qualms with allowing it to devour men, women, and children as it pleases; the oni typically targets tourists, who are reported as missing upon their disappearances (as their bodies are never found in the real world). It seems that Iemitsu desires Nobunaga’s oni as well, and – being a man who always wants what he can’t have, and who always gets what he wants – has been taking more concrete steps toward finding it. He has kidnapped Tachibana’s sister Sugihime and her far-seeing oni, and has relocated to Kyoto in order to monitor the actions of the Urashichiken. Having met Chikahito by chance, Iemitsu evidently wants to use him as a means of getting closer to the Urashichiken: he has transferred to Nishijin Academy under the alias "Aoi Yuu," and is in Chikahito's year. He evidently has nothing to fear from being out in the open, as simply changing his eye color from violet to light brown was enough to convince Chikahito that he was an ordinary student. (For his part, Chikahito accepts “Yuu” as a normal boy due to his fear that Tachibana may think he was lying about having seen Tokugawa Iemitsu.) | |
| ① The real Tokugawa Iemitsu, third shogun of the Tokugawa bakufu, was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada, who in turn was the third son of the bakufu’s founder, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hidetada, much like his father before him, abdicated his position as the second shogun in favor of Iemitsu – only to continue to wield influence over the government for nearly ten more years until his death. Iemitsu was initially named “Takechiyo,” the name his grandfather Ieyasu had as a child; similarly, Iemitsu’s “reign” was marked by his codification and reinforcement of the unofficial policies set forth by his grandfather. These included a strong central government, the “hostage” system that demanded that local lords (daimyo) alternate residences between their home domains and the capital Edo, and a firm foreign policy that sharply limited international trade and attempted to stem the spread of Christianity through force. ② Weirdly, “Mitsuha” and variant spellings of 三葉 are normally used as girls’ names. Mitsuba is the Japanese name of Cryptotaenia japonica, otherwise known as Japanese chervil, Japanese parsley, or honeywort; the characters 三葉 literally mean “trefoil” or “three-leaved,” a reference to the three hollyhock leaves of the Tokugawa clan crest. ③ Given Tokugawa Iemitsu’s harsh policies on foreign trade and Christianity, the fact that Mitsuha preys on tourists may be a sign that Gate 7’s Iemitsu is a xenophobe. |
 | Yagyuu Juubei Mitsuyoshi // 柳生 十兵衞 三厳 "Isn't it pointless?" Juubei is one of Tokugawa Iemitsu's two closest attendants, and serves as a mouthpiece for the pair. She is quite knowledgeable about the motives of other oni-wielders due to her "talent:" she can see into the barriers created by anyone weaker than her, regardless of how far away said barriers are. As a result of this ability, the sclera of her left eye is blackened, with the left pupil seemingly glowing from within. While she treats Iemitsu with the respect appropriate to a lord, Juubei also appears to understand him well. He talks to her freely about his plans and desires. | |
| ① The first Yagyuu Juubei Mitsuyoshi, a man, was one of the most mysterious and highly-romanticized samurai of the early-to-mid Tokugawa period. He supposedly counseled Tokugawa Iemitsu, and trained him in sword combat along with his grandfather Ieyasu and father Hidetada. Iemitsu abruptly dismissed him in 1631 for unknown reasons. |
 | Tenkai // 天海 "Tenkai and Jyuubei, Iemitsu's wings." --Caption for chapter 7's splash page Tenkai, who never speaks, is the second of Tokugawa Iemitsu's closest attendants-cum-bodyguards. He is responsible for generating barriers around the areas where the oni Mitsuha feeds -- barriers strong enough that the Urashichiken, or any other known faction, cannot even sense that they exist. He is the only attendant seen touching Iemitsu, cautiously holding his hand after coming to his "aid" following Iemitsu's first meeting with Chikahito. | |
| ① The historical Tenkai was a highly-accomplished Buddhist monk whose life spanned the end of the Warring States period and the reigns of the first three Tokugawa shoguns. He served as a consultant to Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu, and was responsible for reconstructing and establishing several prominent Buddhist temples. Some fiction writers have speculated that Tenkai was in reality Akechi Mitsuhide; it is obvious that CLAMP does not subscribe to this notion. ② Tenkai's eyes are always covered by either sunglasses or, in his one splash page, bandages. Given that Juubei's eyepatch covers her "talent" and strangely-colored left eye, Tenkai most likely has a special ability associated with both eyes. |
 | Sanada Yukimura // 真田 幸村 "Not even once have I regretted it." Sanada "Yukimura," real name Nobushige, is a kindergarten teacher, whose charges are genuinely fond of him. Unfortunately, he is also an extreme pushover, to the extent that even five-year-old children can boss him around. (Chikahito personally finds it relieving that there's at least one person in the story who's wimpier than him.) Outside of the kindergarten and in the realm of the oni-wielders, Yukimura is a deeply-proud, taciturn, and skilled fighter, insisting that a member of the Urashichiken best him in battle before agreeing to assist them against the Tokugawa. He ultimately engages Sakura in physical combat, dodging attacks and dealing swift and powerful kicks with ease. Yukimura seems to view Hana with an odd compassion, asking hir whether or not zie’s in the Urashichiken by hir own will. He refuses to fight against hir once zie admits that zie is staying with the Urashichiken while zie waits for hir unknown person. | |
| ① Shockingly, Yukimura knows Sakura's real name -- but whether this is due to Sarutobi Sasuke's information-gathering or personal knowledge is unknown. ② There is some confusion over Yukimura's sex. |
 | Engetsu // 偃月 "Only the ones who can become one with the oni can inherit it." --Tachibana Sanada Yukimura's oni, which requires that its users physically merge and fight together with it. Engetsu, the only oni thus far that takes the form of an animal, is of the lunar genus, and is represented by onibi (鬼火, lit. "ghost/devil fire"). As such, the oni speaks in flames when merged with Yukimura; it does not appear to be capable of speech when separated from its wielder. Much like Mikoto toward Hidetsugu, Engetsu is affectionate toward Yukimura -- a bond likely strengthened by the fact that both suffer the same wounds when fighting. It often appears in the real world alongside its master, bounding about at his feet. Strangely, Hana knew Engetsu's name prior to Sakura's battle with Yukimura. Combined with Yukimura's questions about hir own name and involvement with the Urashichiken, this may indicate a deeper affinity between Hana and oni than has been previously suggested. | |
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 | Sarutobi Sasuke // 猿飛 佐助 "It's common that people who are said to have existed didn't exist, or people who shouldn't have existed really did exist. Especially people like us, right?" Sarutobi Sasuke, the main speaker for the Sanada Ten Braves, conducts investigations for the group. (Chikahito is deeply touched by the fact that Sasuke, a ninja, looked up information about his personal life.) Kirigakure Saizou criticizes him for his chattiness and willingness to reveal personal information (e.g., the names of the Braves) to strangers. Sasuke often injects levity into tense situations, making wisecracks when he can. With that said, he seems to have both the closest relationship to and the greatest knowledge of the Braves' leader, Yukimura, and quickly becomes more serious when Yukimura is genuinely threatened. | |
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 | Kirigakure Saizou // 霧隠 才蔵 "We will do nothing but obey Yukimura-sama's will." The sharply-dressed Saizō is something of the tertiary leader of the Sanada Ten Braves, acting as a dour counterweight to Sarutobi Sasuke. Reserved in speech but quickly irritated in face, he is particularly unwilling to give information or immediate assistance to the Urashichiken. When Yukimura "fuses" with Engetsu, Saizō takes on the same wounds as his leader: whenever Yukimura is cut, he is cut; whenever Yukimura bleeds, he bleeds. Considering this along with his exhortation to always follow Yukimura's decisions, Saizō is arguably the most loyal of the Braves. | |
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 | Miyoshi Seikai // 三好 清海 "Finally -- !" One of twins, Seikai is virtually indistinguishable from his brother. His face may be a little more lean -- but who can tell? | |
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 | Miyoshi Isa // 三好 伊三 "Finally -- !" One of twins, Isa is virtually indistinguishable from his brother. His arms may be a little more muscular -- but who can tell? | |
| ① Unlike Sarutobi Sasuke and Kirigakure Saizō, the other members of the Sanada Ten Braves have occasionally only served as "filler characters." While their role may become more important in later chapters, it is safe to assume that Isa and Seikai are filler characters in the fullest sense of the term: they literally fill up much of the negative space in the Braves' group shots. |
 | Anayama Kosuke // 穴山 小助 "Finally -- !" Apparently the youngest member of the Braves, Anayama Kosuke is somewhat shy, always keeping his eyes covered with the brim of his baseball cap and looking away when he's introduced to the Urashichiken. However, Kosuke admires his leader as much as the other Braves, and is the first to reach and catch Yukimura when he collapses following the fight with Sakura. | |
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 | Unno Rokurou // 海野 六郎 "Finally -- !" Unno Rokurou's most outstanding attribute among the Sanada Ten Braves is his dedication to covering his eyes: he not only wears sunglasses, but has grown his bangs out to cover the sunglass lenses, as well. (He will surely be rewarded for this in the future!) He almost perpetually wears a glum expression, save for when Yukimura fuses with Engetsu. | |
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 | Kakei Juuzou // 筧 十蔵 "Finally -- !" Kakei Juuzou is more genial than the rest of the Sanada Ten Braves, tipping his cap to the Urashichiken and smiling slightly throughout the two groups' introduction to each other. He appears to be the oldest member of the group. While not quite matching up to Unno Rokurou in his dedication to covering his eyes, Juuzou makes up for it by keeping a second pair of goggles strapped to his cap. | |
| ① Juuzou bears a strong resemblance to one of the members of Shogo's gang in the Hanshin Republic, one of the worlds visited by the main characters of TSUBASA RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE. If this was intentional on CLAMP's part, then Juuzou could be considered Gate 7's first "crossover" character. |
 | Nezu Jinpachi // 根津 甚八 "Yukimura-sama!!" Nezu Jinpachi is a pretty cool guy. He's a chain smoker and isn't afraid of anything. This cool guy doesn't have time for business outside of the Sanada Ten Braves, but if you're lucky, he might just turn around and acknowledge your existence with a nod and a slight smile. Watch that picture for five more seconds. There you go. | |
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 | Mochizuki Rokurou // 望月 六郎 "Yukimura-sama!!" Mochizuki Rokurou largely acts as Sasuke's "yes man" in the Braves, frequently backing up even his smaller observations. | |
| ① It has been mentioned before that Sanada Yukimura's oni is represented by onibi. Weirdly enough, film director Mochizuki Rokurou directed the award-winning 1997 film Onibi. |
 | Yuri Kamanosuke // 由利 鎌之助 "Yukimura-sama!!" Yuri Kamanosuke, despite being a man in her earliest incarnation, is arguably the only female member of the Sanada Ten Braves. She seems to be about as genial toward the Urashichiken as Kakei Juuzou, and nearly swoons when Yukimura fuses with Engetsu. | |
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 | Chikahito's mother // 高本 -- "...I thought she'd cry, at least." --Chikahito Given name currently unknown, Chikahito's mother has recently decided to take a company transfer overseas -- without her son. While she gave in to Chikahito's desire to study in Kyōto, she apparently did so on the expectation that he wouldn't be able to find housing in a different prefecture (and would thus be forced to return to Tōkyō). Chikahito thus managed his transfer to a different high school and city entirely on his own. |
| Sugihime // 杉姫 "For that purpose, what did Iemitsu do to Sugi this time...?!" --Tachibana Tachibana's beloved twin sister, and a highly-talented seer. She herself is an oni contractor; it was her oni that was able to find the location of Mara and Nobunaga's corpse, and it was unfortunately her oni that led her to be captured by the Tokugawa. Tachibana deeply hates the Tokugawa for this, and joined the Urashichiken with the sole purpose of rescuing his sister. Sugi's name is derived from the Cryptomeria japonica, and together with those of Sakura and Tachibana forms a pun: all three names consist of one kanji, and all are partially formed from the "tree" radical (木). Ironically, the cryptomeria typically grows taller and stronger than cherry and mandarin orange trees, and is the national tree of Japan. |
| Oda Nobunaga // 織田 信長 "If Lord Iemitsu desires Lord Nobunaga's corpse and Mara...it'll be war." --Hidetsugu Oda Nobunaga (1534 – 1582), a masterful and ambitious daimyo and military leader, began the unification of the feuding domains of Japan through warfare and political maneuvering -- a process that would be completed by his allies Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. (Interestingly, Ieyasu’s family – the Matsudaira – had long feuded with the Oda, and Nobunaga nearly succeeded in taking Ieyasu as a hostage when the latter was a child.) He was ultimately betrayed by his subordinate Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnoji in Kyoto, and either died by his own hand or in the burning of the temple. Nobunaga’s life has been extensively glamorized and embellished, and there are nearly as many myths circulating about the man as there is actual biographical information. Nobunaga himself crafted his own image for political purposes: the Oda clan claimed to be descended from the lauded Taira and Fujiwara, a claim which is currently difficult to verify. (As evidenced by Matsudaira Motoyasu’s name change to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the imperial court was willing to produce illustrious family histories for a certain price; while Nobunaga did not have his name officially changed, it is possible that it was he who made the connection to the Taira clan.) In Gate 7, Nobunaga was the contractor of the most powerful oni known to exist, which disappeared along with his body in 1582. Numerous factions are currently attempting to reclaim the oni and use its power for their own purposes. |
