TOUKEN RANBU : HISTORY OF JAPANESE TRADITIONAL SWORDS I
By byzeeamy.blogspot.com - October 09, 2016
This game is about Swords because if we see the translation for Touken Ranbu itself, Touken (刀剣) means swords and Ranbu (乱舞) means boisterous dance, there are 7 swords and every sword has the representative in the form of character, no I mean IKEMEN/GOOD LOOKING character (kyaaa XD) and we called them Toudanshi, which are the abbreviation of Touken (Sword) and Danshi (Man) . Those swords are the Japanese traditional sword. They are Tantou, Wakizashi, Uchigatana, Tachi, Oodachi, Yari and Naginata.
1. Tantou (短刀)
First we have Tantou, which is the short blade. Tautou ( 15 – 30 cm) commonly referred to as a knife or dagger. The main function of Tantou is for stabbing because of its length makes easier for us to stab someone, and also the edge can be used for slashing as well. So this sword is seriously killer weapon, but unfortunately because it easy to pierce, Tantou was used to be used by the Samurai Warrior for Seppuku (suicide).
In Touken Ranbu it so easy to get tantou especially when you are still in lower level or even in high level tantou possibly to come out . Since tantou is the smallest sword, they are always drawn as short boy
前田藤四郎と申します。藤四郎の眷属の末席に座するものです。 大きな武勲はありませんが、末永くお仕えします
My name is Maeda Toushirou. I am the one with the least accomplishments in the Toushirou family. Although I don't have any outstanding achievements, I will serve you for eternity.
2.Wakizashi (脇差)
Next is Wakizashi, means side inserted sword with blade length between 30-60 cm. Wakizashi usually was being worn together with katana as the symbol of Samurai Warrior of feudal Japan. Wakizashi as a back up or auxiliary swords of Katana. Katana was the big and long sword meanwhile Wakizashi was the short version of katana. Because of that, this pair of swords were called daisho (big-little). Even Wakizashi was used for close quarters combat to cut off head a defeated enemy and also for committing Seppuku ritual (suicide).
Wakizashi in Touken Ranbu has the best scouting point. Let me tell you, scouting is used for troops formation before we encounter the enemy. The biggest scouting point, the best formation you will have.
僕はにっかり青江。元は大太刀の大脇差さ。 うんうん、君も変な名前だと思うだろう？ ･･････でもさ、にっかりと笑った女の幽霊を斬ったのが由来、と聞いてまだ君は笑っていられるかな？
I am Nikkari Aoe. I'm an Oowakizashi that was once an Ootachi. Yes, yes, you think my name is strange as well, don't you? But well, I wonder if you can still laugh about it when you find out that it originates from killing the ghost of a laughing woman.
3. Uchigatana (打刀)
Continue to the next sword, Uchigatana (60 – 70 cm) means sword to strike with. This sword was the descentdent of Tachi (next we’ll discuss this sword (^0^). Uchigatana first appeared in Kamakura Period and used by individuals of low status or rank. At that period Uchigatana was not made in high quality , but in Muromachi Period, Uchigatana were produced in higher quality because Samurai warrior started to use Uchigatana as the additional sword of Tachi. Compare to Tachi, Uchigatana is more convenient to use because it is shorter than Tachi.
Uchigatana is the starter in Touken Ranbu, like I’ve mentioned before if Uchigatana is convenient so it can be said as the middle-sword, not really short or long.
俺は山姥切国広。足利城主長尾顕長の依頼で打たれた刀だ。･･･山姥切の写しとしてな。 だが、俺は偽物なんかじゃない。国広の第一の傑作なんだ･･････！
I’m Yamanbagiri Kunihiro. I was forged at the request of the lord of Ashikaga castle, Nagao Akinaga... as a copy of Yamanbagiri. However, I’m no fake! I’m Kunihiro’s first masterpiece...!
4. Tachi (太刀)
Talking about Tachi, actually this sword was forged during the Koto Period and the style of tachi comes from Katana. But the blade of these two swords were different. The length of tachi between 70 – 80 cm. Due to the long length, tachi was worn hung from the belt with the cutting-edge down and it was also kinda heavy, so cavalry was used to be more effective in defeating enemies.
In Touken Ranbu, tachi have a high HP, Impact and Leadership. However, their mobility, scouting and camouflage skills are low, though higher than that of oodachi.
俺の名は三日月宗近。まあ、天下五剣の一つにして、一番美しいともいうな。 十一世紀の末に生まれた。ようするにまぁ、じじいさ。ははは
My name is Mikazuki Munechika. I'm one of the five great swords of Japan, and well, I'm also said to be the most beautiful. I was born near the end of the 11th century.
私は、一期一振。粟田口吉光の手による唯一の太刀でございます。 吉光は短刀の名手でして、弟達はおおむね短刀です。
主だった豊臣秀吉は私を自分に合わせて磨上げて、今の姿になりましたが……その頃の思い出は、大阪城と一緒に焼け落ちました
主だった豊臣秀吉は私を自分に合わせて磨上げて、今の姿になりましたが……その頃の思い出は、大阪城と一緒に焼け落ちました
I am Ichigo Hitofuri. I am the only Tachi made by the hand of Yoshimitsu of Awataguchi school.
Yoshimitsu is a master of Tantou, and thus my younger brothers are generally Tantou.
My former master, Lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi had me adjusted to fit him, and I became this current form.... However, the memories of that time were burnt down along with Osaka Castle.
5. Oodachi (大太刀)
This swords if you see the name dachi (太刀) and tachi (太刀) sound are familiar and even if you look at the kanji, they are EXACTLY the same. Oodachi means large or great swords and also known as nodachi (野太刀) means field sword. The length of Oodachi between 65 – 70 inches or around 165–178 cm. Oodachi not only use for fighting but also for ceremonial matter, as a votive offering to a shrine as well as a display in temple dan some Oodachi was used in prayer before the warrior encounter the battle.
I seriously love Oodachi, because if your Oodachi level are high enough, they can defeat 3 enemies with one strike only.
私は太郎太刀。見た目の通り、とても人間には使えるはずのない大きさで、それ故に奉納された刀です。 ……でも、私を実戦で使った人間がかつていたんですよね。
彼はいったい、何者だったのでしょうか……？
I am Taroutachi. As you can see from my appearance, my large size makes it so that humans should not have been able to use me. Thus, I was a sword dedicated to the gods.
... however, there was once a human who used me in actual combat.
アタシは次郎太刀。見ての通りの大太刀さ。 兄貴の太郎太刀同様に奉納されてるけど、兄貴と違って、頑張ればまだ使えないこともない大きさなんだ。 と、言ってもやっぱりデカいんだけどね！
I'm Jiroutachi. As you can see, I'm an Ootachi. I was dedicated to the gods just like my big brother Taroutachi, but unlike him, my size isn't something that prevents me from being wielded with a little effort. I really am pretty big, though!
6. Yari (槍)
Differ from other swords, Yari was the sword in the form of lance or the straight-headed lance. The length of the shaft could reach 1 meter to over 6 metre, meanwhile for the blade could up to 3 feet or more. Like Tachi, since Yari was long and heavy, cavalry was needed to knock down rivals.
They are one of the rarest sword and the only type with a range of vertical in Touken Ranbu.
三名槍が一本。御手杵だ。槍身は他二本よりでかく、重いんだが、機能は刺すことに特化してるんだ。 そんなわけで、細長く手杵みたいな鞘を使ってたことからこの名がついた。……までは良かったんだけどなあ。
参勤交代用に、名前を強調したでっかい鞘が作られちゃって、これが重いこと重いこと……
参勤交代用に、名前を強調したでっかい鞘が作られちゃって、これが重いこと重いこと……
I am one of the Three Great Spears. Call me Otegine. My spear body is bigger and heavier than the other two, but my specialty is my functionality in piercing.
For that reason, I got the name from my thin and elongated, pestle-like scabbard... before then, it was nice.
Because of the Sankin-kotai, they fitted on me a huge scabbard from which my name was based, and it is really, really heavy...
7. Naginata (薙刀)
Naginata is one of the traditional Japanese swords in the form of Pole weapon. The unique side of this sword was if other swords were commonly used by men, but Naginata can be used by both men and women. Even Naginata become the symbol weapon of the onna-bugeisha-archetype; a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility. Naginata for men was called ō-naginata and for women called ko-naginata. The blade of ko-naginata was smaller than ō-naginata. Compare to others traditional Japanese swords, Naginata is the heaviest and more slower. The blade only could reach 30 – 60 cm and for the shaft length between 120 – 240 cm with oval shape.
In Touken Ranbu, there only 1 Naginata, that is Iwatooshi and I ALREADY HAVE HIM \(^o^)/ !!!! I love how he attack enemies with horizontal attack.
がはははは！ 俺は岩融！ 武蔵坊弁慶とともに９９９の刀を狩った薙刀よ！並大抵の人間では俺を振るうことなど不可能！ 主よ、俺を楽しませてくれるかな！？
Gahahahaha! I'm Iwatooshi! I'm the naginata that, together with Musashibou Benkei, won against 999 swords! It's impossible for an ordinary human to wield me! Master, I wonder if you'll amuse me!?
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