Utawarerumono

Utawarerumono is set in feudal Japan where the “humans” have tails and animal-like ears. Hakuro seems to be the only normal human. He is constantly haunted by images of a raging beast, and always finds himself at the center of conflict. The story is full of strong enemies and big battles, with excellent battle scenes. The action is fast-paced and each battle has it’s own nuances which Hakuro must used his wisdom and cunning to overcome the enemy. The story also has a softer side with Elalu and Amaru, his adopted family. Elalu seems to think of Hakuro as a love interest, but Hakuro calls her his little sister. Amaru calls Hakuro daddy. All the greatest warriors find themselves strangely driven to support Hakuro. What is the mystery this man holds behind that mask?

Utawarerumono is a story that begins in a small village where a mysterious man awakens.  He does not remember who he is or where he is, but he has a strange mask on his face that he cannot remove.  He was found and healed by a woman named Lady Tuskaru, a famous healer, and the grandmother of Elalu and Amaru.  He quickly is adopted into their family, and soon discovers that the village they live in is ruled by an oppressive feudal lord.  Hakuro, as Lady Tuskaru names him, stands up against the sound of the lord to defend Elalu.  This boy destroys a shrine, which enrages the goddess of the forest, Mutikapa.  The goddess is a massive white tiger than cannot be harmed.  She first attacks and destroys a nearby village, killing all of them, and then comes to Tuskaru’s village.  Hakuro cannot stand to see the village suffer as the people huddle in their homes and wait to die, so he stands up to Mutikapa.  Just as she is about to kill him, it begins to rain and she runs off.

Shinai vs Bokken - Why I Chose Shinkendo

Almost 3 years ago, my wife (then fiancee), and I decided we would like to learn Japanese sword.  This desire stemmed from our frequent renting of anime from the local video store.  We became enamored with the stories of feudal Japan, the brave Samurai who fought for honor and their daimyo, and the cool sword moves that are often shown in the movies, such as Kill Bill.  We realized that movies and anime tend to over exaggerate sword technique, but nonetheless we were still interested in learning.  We were feeling that we needed something active to do together, and I, being a former student of Tae Kwon Do, thought martial arts would be the best way to go.  Not only would we be exercising, but we would be learning something new, and learning it together.

Lessons From the Dojo: Commonly Used Japanese

When practicing Japanese martial arts, there are many phrases heard in the dojo. These phrases have meaning, and we use the Japanese instead of English to maintain the tradition of our training.

Before we begin, there are a few annunciations that are commonly misinterpreted. In Japanese there is no R or L sound. In Romanji, or Romanised Japanese, R and L make a D sound. The vowels all have specific sounds that do not change.

A - Ah as in father
E - Eh as in cake
I - Ee as in seek
O - Oh as in low
U - Oo as is lose

Samurai Seven

Samurai Seven is an anime based on the masterpiece by Akira Kurosawa called Seven Samurai, and is produced in the United States by Funimation.  This anime has it all for the true anime fan; swords, girls in skimpy clothing, guns, and giant robots.  The creators of this anime managed to take Kurosawa’s story and tell it in a new way, yet remain true to the greatness of the legendary film.