Sengoku Basara Notes
FIRST EPISODE
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GENERAL NOTES
Sengoku Basara is based on a series of Playstation 2 games set in the Sengoku, or Warring States, period of Japan’s history. The first game was brought to the US as Devil Kings, but was heavily adapted to remove all historical references.
The original games themselves played fast and loose with history as it is, although their stories are based on actual people and events from that period.
The first episode features one of the five Battles of Kawanakajima, which were fought by the Takeda and Uesugi clans between 1553 and 1564. However, several historical innaccuracies exist; for instance, Date Masamune was not born until 1567, and there is no evidence that he and Sanada Yukimura ever fought each other.
Japanese horses of the period did not come equipped with handlebars, either.
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CLANS AND DAIMYO
At this point in Japanese history, the various Japanese fiefdoms were ruled by clans, which were led by feudal lords known as daimyo. The clans and daimyo shown in this episode are:
Azai clan – Azai Nagamasa
Mouri clan – Mouri Motonari
Chousokabe clan – Chousokabe Motochika
Tokugawa clan – Tokugawa Ieyasu, Honda Tadakatsu
Oda clan – Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide
Takeda clan – Takeda Shingen, Sanada Yukimura
Date clan – Date Masamune, Katakura Kojurou
Uesugi clan – Uesugi Kenshin
All of these figures are important, but some are better known than others.
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THE WOODPECKER STRATEGY
This was used in the real battle at Kawanakajima.
Woodpeckers “peck” tree trunks to surprise insects into flying out. The woodpecker is then able to feed on the previously safe insects. Likewise, Takeda’s plan is to force Uesugi Kenshin’s army to retreat from the high ground so the rest of his forces can attack them.
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BISHAMONTEN
Bishamonten is the god of warriors in Japanese mythology, originally a Buddhist figure.
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SARUTOBI SASUKE
Sarutobi Sasuke is a legendary ninja, said to have been the foremost of the Sanada Ten Braves, a group of legendary ninjas who served directly under Sanada Yukimura. While his existence has been the subject of great speculation over the years, certain scholars argue that he might indeed have existed.
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IMAGAWA YOSHIMOTO AND HOJO UJIMASA
Imagawa Yoshimoto was one of the most powerful daimyo in Japan at the time of this episode. The Imagawa Clan was allied with the Hojo Clan.
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THE BATTLE OF OKEHAZAMA
Episode 02 deals with the Battle of Okehazama, which was a major battle between the Oda Clan (led by Oda Nobunaga) and the Imagawa/Hojo Clans.
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SECOND EPISODE
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FUURINKAZAN
The Fuurinkazan (which translates to “Wind, Forest, Fire and Mountain”) was the battle standard used by the Takeda Clan. The name is drawn from the The Art of War, a famous Chinese war treatise. The traditional translation of the relevant section, from the chapter concerning the maneuverability of an army, is:
“Let your rapidity be that of the wind; your compactness that of the forest; In raiding and plundering be like fire; in immovability like a mountain.”
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FUMA KOTARO
The leader of the esteemed Fuma clan of ninjas took on the name “Fuma Kotaro” after taking over from the previous leader. The Fuma Kotaro featured in Sengoku Basara is most likely the fifth leader of the clan.
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DON’T THEY SAY THE LAST ONE IS LUCKY?
This line references the Japanese proverb, “nokorimono ni wa fuku ga aru” (残り物には福がある), which translates literally to “Luck is in the leftovers.” The idea is that even if you are the last to get your food, you may still be fortunate.
A rough English equivalent might be “He who laughs last, laughs loudest.”
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NOUHIME
Nouhime is introduced towards the end of this episode. She was the wife of Oda Nobunaga.
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MAEDA KEIJI
Maeda Keiji, who is featured in the “next episode” teaser, was historically a samurai who served under Oda Nobunaga. He did not, however, have a monkey for a sidekick, which he does in Sengoku Basara 2 (the game in which he first makes his appearance)!
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THIRD EPISODE
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THE MAEDA CLAN
The relationship between Keiji, Toshiie and Matsu as portrayed in the anime is slightly different from historical fact. Toshiie and Matsu were indeed married; however, Keiji was effectively their nephew as he was adopted by Toshiie’s elder brother. Toshiie’s name in childhood was “Inuchiyo,” hence why Matsu refers to him by that name.
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WHETHER THE DICE ROLLS ODD OR EVEN…
At the end of the episode, Keiji refers to the traditional Japanese gambling game Chou-Han. Participants bet on whether the sum of two concealed dice will be odd or even; it is entirely a game of chance.
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