So, in the EPCOT interactive game DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, there are seven countries with a different mystical artifact- the Seven Plunders of the World- hidden in each one. It’s basically a scavenger hunt, and the player (‘Adven-sharer’, as the Ducks call them) looks for clues to help the Ducks find each treasure and thwart a variety of villains from stealing them. The enemies are a mix of regular/recurring villains and one-time villains from certain episodes. The seven countries in the game are Mexico, Norway, Germany, France, Japan, and China.
When I watched all the videos of them on YouTube, I was delighted to learn that Gyro and Fenton are in the game too! They aren’t in every country/mission, though- Gyro is in the France mission and Fenton is in the Japan mission.
…I was shocked that Gyro isn’t in the Japan mission, because of his significant association with Japan revealed in the season 3, episode 6 episode ‘Astro B.O.Y.D.’! ‘Astro B.O.Y.D’ took place in Japan, which was not only where Gyro suffered a traumatic past that changed him for the worse (his backstory is so good, and explains why he became the embittered, distant, and seemingly arrogant present-day Gyro), but also where he ended up gaining closure about his past, the beautiful beginnings of much-needed character development and healing, and the beautiful beginnings of a relationship with his robot son Boyd at the end of the episode. If Gyro had’ve been in the Japan mission of DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, maybe we could have also gotten a Boyd reference or even a cameo, which would’ve been fantastic because that little guy and his relationship with Gyro are both criminally overlooked.
It turned out that Gyro's role in DuckTales World Showcase Adventure (where he still wasn't given much character development, but was still hilariously snarky as usual XD) was in the France mission instead.
Sooo, no Gyro (or Boyd) in the Japan mission. But surely Akita is the bad guy for that one, right? You know, this guy? Guy responsible for forcing Boyd to be a killer robot and destroying Tokyolk?
I mean, that should've been the obvious choice, right?? Sure, he’s only a one-time villain, but three other one-time villains were brought back for the game to represent their respective nations (Toad Liu Hai for the China mission, the Kelpies for the United Kingdom mission, and Hecka- one of the Valhalla wrestlers the family faced in ‘Rumble for Ragnarok’- for the Norway mission).
Wrong! The villains for the Japan mission were the Beagles and Mark Beaks (which make zero sense), who’d teamed up to steal the Illustrated Scroll of Quackagawa from the temple where it was stored. (More ‘Astro B.O.Y.D.’ erasure, ugh) Turns out Ma Beagle had Beaks design a robot lookalike of Webby to steal the treasure and frame the real Webby at the same time. The plan was for the Beagles to sell Beaks the Scroll so he could “add it to his extensive collection of rare historical manga.” Ok, then…
Well, neither Gyro, Boyd, or Akita were even mentioned in the Japan mission, but we did get one reference to ‘Astro B.O.Y.D.’! A very quick image of Inspector Tezuka (silent recycled footage from that episode) while Dewey was explaining that “local police think that the real Webby took the Scroll because the bot looks exactly like her.” So, that was pretty neat!
Ok, I admit that Fenton was the second-best choice for the Japan mission. Fenton’s role in this mission? Well... once Beaks learned how dangerous the Scroll’s powers were, he stupidly decided to use the robot to activate those powers because “that story would be trending for at least an hour!” So, they needed a “robot expert” to help them stop the robot.
Still, you’d think Gyro would be that robot expert, right? I mean, duh. It’s Gyro, c’mon, who else?! DX All the more reason for him to be in this mission, and they blow it again. It takes place in Japan and involves an evil robot, and they don’t use him??
(At this point, Fenton should have reminded them that Gyro's the real robotics expert)
Well, ok, by “robot expert”, Huey was actually hinting that Fenton could handle it because he’s Gizmoduck (which Dewey clarified)- a superhero in a robotic suit of armor, which would be more than a match for the robot imposter of Webby. Fair enough, I admit. I mean, Fenton’s role in this does make sense when you consider that. But still… it’s Gyro, man.
Quit squandering all these perfect opportunities to feature him (and Akita), DuckTales team!! DX
And even if Gyro still was banned from Japan at the end of 'Astro B.O.Y.D.' (even tho he was instrumental in saving the day and it was revealed the '2-BO' incident was neither his or Boyd's fault), there was no reason for Akita not to be in the Japan mission!!
Oh, and this post also explains how it was also a missed opportunity for them to reveal Akita ending up in F.O.W.L. in the show.
43 notes
·
View notes
Kaisen Azuma
We gone over Kujiru last time, so it's time to go over their sworn rival and fellow shikigami under their master Garaiya Ogata:
Three-legged Moon Seeker — Kaisen Azuma
Name
Their family name, Azuma (東), means "east", and is a common Japanese family name, specifically in western Japan and the Ryukyu Islands. In their given name, Kaisen (海仙), the characters mean "sea" (海) and "enlightened person" (仙).
The latter specifically refer to the xiān (仙) of Chinese conception, it refers to different things depending on the context, but most notably and relevant to us, are enlightened hermits that have achieved immortality and wield powerful magic, often Taoist in nature.
Title
Kaisen's title, the "Three-legged Moon Seeker" (月を仰ぐ三つの足), is technically the "Three Legs That Seek the Moon", to be direct, but this ordering is chosen to sound more poetic.
Additionally, we shout take a look at the verb ao-gu (仰ぐ), which has the following meanings:
(Physically) look up to
(Metaphorically) look up to; respect
Seek (for help, for knowledge, etc.)
Turn one's head upwards and drink in one gulp
Out of all four, 2 and 3 seem like the most likely meanings. as the moon seems to be a symbol for the "emperor" or even just "authority" in Mugenri/Len'en.
In the translation, 3 is chosen, likely because Kaisen didn't actually respect the "emperor" on their side of the war. In fact, Kaisen doesn't even agree with trusting Chouki as the new emperor, despite having personally trained them prior.
Species and Abilities
While Kaisen shares similarities with many other animal youkai, like having animal characteristics and being able to transform into an animal, they are technically a "sacred animal" (霊獣). However, what this means isn't exactly clear.
Kaisen is quite high in their overall abilities, they're a poerful fighter and have a number of abilities, including their knowledge of Taoist arts, ability to use shikigami of their own and their clairvoyance, though the accuracy can apparently be a bit lacking.
Their main ability, the one listed on their profile, is to "gather financial fortune". They are able to bless those who are lucky with fortune and happiness, upon other things, which is likely a manifestation of this ability.
As a shikigami, they are considered more powerful than Kujiru. Unfortunately, they require more spiritual energy to activate and activate their own shikigami in turn, this ends up being less efficient than Kujiru and leads to the latter being more convenient for Garaiya.
Mythological Bases
Kaisen actually a number of mythological bases, from both Chinese and Japanese sources, which make them a very interesting character, at least in my opinion. So let's take a look at them!
Jinchan, the Money Toad
Kaisen is predominantly based on a mythological Chinese creature known as Jinchan (金蟾 lit. "gold/golden/money toad"). It's a toad that has three legs, two front legs and one hind leg, which is positioned like a tadpole's tail at the back of the toad.
This is referenced in Kaisen only having three limbs, one of their legs we see in-game being a prosthetic, as well as in their title "Three-legged Moon Seeker".
Below: A Jinchan statue from the behind, used in Feng Shui to attract wealth to the household.
Jinchan is also related to the Chinese Taoist and legendary immortal Liu Haichan (劉海蟾). His first name translates to "sea toad" and is considered an embodiment of the Chinese God of Wealth.
In the folktale Liu Hai Tricks Jinchan (劉海戲金蟾), it is said Liu tamed a malevolent and greedy three-legged toad after fishing it out of the east sea with a string of coins.
It became Jinchan and was henceforth the immortal's companion, following Liu wherever he went. Kaisen's relationship with Garaiya may be a reference to this myth.
Below: Liu carrying the toad in his arm after fishing it out.
Additionally, it is said that Jinchan spewed treasure from its mouth with each step that it took after Liu, benefiting the poor wherever it went. This is likely referenced in Kaisen's ability to "gather financial fortune".
Gamma-sennin, the Toad Hermit
In Japan, Liu Haichan inspired the mythological Taoist immortal Gama-sennin (蝦蟇仙人 Lit. "Toad Taoist Immortal"), who in turn inspired parts of Kaisen's character.
Gama-sennin appears in the legends surrounding Taira no Yoshikado (平良門), the legendary hidden eldest son of Taira no Masakado who learns toad magic from the immortal and uses his powers in an attempt to avenge his father.
In the 17th century yomihon novel series "The Tale of Utou Yasutaka's Loyalty" (善知安方忠義伝) by Santō Kyōden, this teacher figure is instead a 3000-year old toad spirit named Nikushi-sen (肉芝仙) who lived on Mount Tsukuba (筑波山).
Below: Nikushi-sen (upper-centre) teaching Yoshikado (right of Nikushi-sen) toad magic.
He taught toad magic to Yoshikado's sister Nyozou-ni (如蔵尼) as well, later possessing her to transform her into Takiyasha-hime (滝夜叉姫), whom Taira no Chouki is based on.
This would explain Kaisen having a part in training Chouki, as well as their spell card that reference Mt. Tsukuba, Leaping Medicine "Tsukuba Toad Oil". I should note that it's also a reference to a local cure-all from Mt. Tsukuba.
Seia-jin, the "Chinese" frog "god"
Gamma-sennin is said to command the youkai Seia-jin or Chinwa-sen (青蛙神 lit. "(green) frog god"), also simply known as Seia (青蛙 lit. "(green) frog), which plays a role similar to that of Jinchan. Indeed, despite having "god" in its name, it is but a youkai.
Both Seia-jin and Gamma-sennin are actually said to be "Chinese", but it's fairly certain that they are actually Japanese inventions.
Particularly, Seia-jin can be traced back to a Chinese novel of the same name, which tells of several tales related to the mythical beast. However, it was never worshipped as an actual deity in China.
It is said that the house that Seia-jin appears in front of will have its family blessed with financial fortune and happiness, this is again referenced in Kaisen's ability.
Summary: Taoist Hermit/Toad Familiar Pairs
It is in reality just as possible that JynX only based Kaisen on one of these Taoist hermit/toad familiar pairs, since the Chinese pair pretty heavily inspired the Japanese pair.
However, if I had to narrow it down, I'd actually say that Kaisen's based on the Chinese Jinchan but the Japanese Gamma-sennin. Only Jinchan is is said to have three legs, while Gamma-sennin's role in mentoring Taira clansmen parallels the story of Len'en directly.
It's just as possible that these two are what JynX ultimately ended up focusing on, but given the intertwined nature of these four it would realistically be impossible to pinpoint unless we learn more about Kaisen, or even get a direct answer from JynX.
No matter what the truth really is, the idea behind Kaisen's main inspiration should be clear enough.
Bonus: The "Lunar Spirit"
Here we get into slightly shakier territory: I believe that Kaisen may also be inspired by the Chinese concept of the "lunar spirit" (月精), the spiritual essence of the moon.
There are three major candidates as to who this spirit is, the Chinese Moon Rabbit (月兔), the dark parts of the moon, the moon goddess Chang'e (嫦娥) and an unspecified toad, the light parts of the moon.
Below: A bronze mirror depicting Chang'e (left), the moon rabbit (right) and the toad (bottom-center) surrounding a sweet osmanthus on the moon.
This toad is sometimes said to be what Chang'e transformed into after flying to the moon, but modern Feng Shui instead equates the lunar toad with Jinchan. This may explain why Kaisen is called the "Moon Seeker" in their title.
The concept of the lunar essence is believed to have arisen as the counterpart to the "solar essences" (日之精), the "three-legged crows" (三足烏) that lived in the suns (multiple because Chinese mythology tells that there used to be 10 of those).
When spread to Japan, these three-legged crows fused with the divine messenger bird of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu, the Yatagarasu (八咫烏), who is sometimes said to be the sun itself.
If the lunar spirit is extended to be the counterpart of the Yatagarasu as well, this may explain Kaisen's status as a "sacred animal".
Minor Theory: Kaisen's Role
I have a small theory on Kaisen's role as a sacred animal based on the idea that the lunar toad could be extended to be the counterpart of the Yatagarasu.
Let's first learn more about the Yatagarasu: In Japanese mythology, it is most famously the divine messenger bird of the sun goddess Amaterasu (or, depending on the source, Takagi-no-Kami, the second god to come into existence).
It was a gigantic bird who guided Kamuyamato Iwarebiko-no-Mikoto (神倭伊波礼琵古命) through the dangerous lands of Yamato to a suitable place to set up his government as the legendary 1st emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇).
Below: The Yatagarasu guiding Iwarebiko (center).
My theory is that perhaps Kaisen is a similar being, this time of the moon rather than the sun, a divine messenger sent to guide Mugenri's "true emperor".
This may explain why they are the "moon seeker", as well as why they were against following Chouki as the new emperor, as they may have a sense for who is meant to be, or at least suitable to be, the emperor of Mugenri.
Note: Tsukuyomi in Mugenri
If Kaisen truly is a sacred animal sent by some deity on the moon to guide Mugenri's "true emperor", it may be that they are in fact sent by the Shinto god of the moon, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto (月読命).
This ties quite neatly into this theory I had about the origins of Mugenri, particularly the bit near the end where I suggest that Tsukuyomi may be the god of Mugenri as a whole.
Tsukuyomi being the "supreme" god of Mugenri may also explain Mugenri's association between the moon and rulership, in opposition to the outside's sun as the symbol of authority, in Japan at least.
Additionally, the Japanese royal family, the one in reality I mean, trace their own ancestry back to the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu.
Maybe a similar thing once happened or is meant to happen with Mugenri? Perhaps Kaisen's role is to look for a descendant of Tsukuyomi and guide them to become the emperor of Mugenri?
We obviously have no way of knowing right now, but it's a fun possibility to consider nevertheless.
Ending
And that's all I have on Kaisen! A lot of mythology and quite a bit of theory this time, but with such a mysterious character it is indeed quite fun to speculate a slight tad.
As usual, I hope you enjoyed~! :)
7 notes
·
View notes