DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS is based on an award winning, bestselling novel entitled TEITO MONOGATARI (TALE OF THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL), authored by bibliophile and folklore scholar Hiroshi Aramata It was published in Japan in 12 volumes from 1985--1989. Though a fantasy novel, the plot is somewhat complicated, involving a huge number of historical characters and popular folklore concepts from the country's past. It's also a very long book, spread across 12 volumes totaling about 3000 pages of text. This book was a big sensation in its native country, selling over 3.5 million copies in its first few years of publication and winning the National Grand Prize for Science Fiction (the Nihon SF Taisho Award, which is also what NEON GENESIS EVANGELION won). Since it was such a big hit, producers started funding money into making cinematic and visual adaptations of the story. DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS was the animated adaptation released in 1991-1992, but it's not complete as it only adapts the first 1000 pages (books 1-4) of the novel.
The novel has never been translated because publishers fear Westerners would never understand the story as it is weighed down heavily with numerous Japanese-specific cultural references. The animated adaptation was localized to appease the growing anime market in the US. The problem is with a story this complicated, things don't translate so easily into the visual medium. The story had to be shortened considerably and much exposition had to be left out. In order to provide more entertainment, many of the supernatural elements were exaggerated using the freedom allowed by animation. This might be entertaining for a viewer versed in the original novel, but it is distracting for a newcomer trying to understand the story.
There is also the problem of cultural differences too. Contrary to derisive criticisms by Western anime fans, the subject matter of the story is not "random", but is based on real Japanese folklore and history. Many of the characters that populate the story (Eiichi Shibusawa the industrialist, Koda Rohan the writer, Gakutensoku the robot, etc.) are historical and much of the supernatural elements (onmyodo, kimon tonkou, etc.) are taken from old folktales, esoteric practices, etc. Thus is it much easier for a Japanese viewer to digest the plot, since he/she would most likely had exposure to these references through their education (high school, college), their community, or other culturally informative sources. Also they would have had access to the original novel. It is near impossible to expect this of Western viewers though.
Compounding the problem is the fact that when Streamline brought the show to the US, they tried to "simplify" it for US audiences by eliminating many of the Japanese specific references from the dialogue of the English dubbed version. This prevented English viewers from even having the chance to research the story as the references were missing. Those who want to watch DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS as originally intended must watch the Japanese or English subtitled version.
The novel has never been translated because publishers fear Westerners would never understand the story as it is weighed down heavily with numerous Japanese-specific cultural references. The animated adaptation was localized to appease the growing anime market in the US. The problem is with a story this complicated, things don't translate so easily into the visual medium. The story had to be shortened considerably and much exposition had to be left out. In order to provide more entertainment, many of the supernatural elements were exaggerated using the freedom allowed by animation. This might be entertaining for a viewer versed in the original novel, but it is distracting for a newcomer trying to understand the story.
There is also the problem of cultural differences too. Contrary to derisive criticisms by Western anime fans, the subject matter of the story is not "random", but is based on real Japanese folklore and history. Many of the characters that populate the story (Eiichi Shibusawa the industrialist, Koda Rohan the writer, Gakutensoku the robot, etc.) are historical and much of the supernatural elements (onmyodo, kimon tonkou, etc.) are taken from old folktales, esoteric practices, etc. Thus is it much easier for a Japanese viewer to digest the plot, since he/she would most likely had exposure to these references through their education (high school, college), their community, or other culturally informative sources. Also they would have had access to the original novel. It is near impossible to expect this of Western viewers though.
Compounding the problem is the fact that when Streamline brought the show to the US, they tried to "simplify" it for US audiences by eliminating many of the Japanese specific references from the dialogue of the English dubbed version. This prevented English viewers from even having the chance to research the story as the references were missing. Those who want to watch DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS as originally intended must watch the Japanese or English subtitled version.
It was the first novel to popularize several then-obscure esoteric/mythical topics such as "onmyodo" mysticism (yin yang divination) and feng shui mythology in Japanese popular culture. Prior to this novel, these topics were generally not discussed a lot in modern fiction. Onmyodo was generally a considered more of a sterile practice about calculations and astronomical phenomena, and the magical side of it was rarely explored. It wasn't until this novel came along where people started to get excited about the fantastic qualities of these subjects and explore them greatly. If you look at the Wikipedia page about Onmyodo, you'll notice a ton of modern pop works dealing with the subject:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onmy%C5%8Dd%C5%8D
Beyond that the novel was also simply a heavily researched piece of historical fiction mythologizing a lot of modern Japanese history in ways that were interesting and new. Likewise it also popularized early modern historical subjects like Gakutensoku, Japan's first modern robot, that the post-war generation was not terribly familiar with.
Beyond that the novel was also simply a heavily researched piece of historical fiction mythologizing a lot of modern Japanese history in ways that were interesting and new. Likewise it also popularized early modern historical subjects like Gakutensoku, Japan's first modern robot, that the post-war generation was not terribly familiar with.
As stated above, TEITO MONOGATARI represents the beginning of the movement which produced several works dealing with the onmyoji magic that DO have fan followings in the West. Examples include Baku Yumemakura's ONMYOJI series, CLAMP's TOKYO BABYLON and X series, Sacnoth's SHADOW HEARTS series, Hiroshi Shiibashi's NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN's series, and Atlus' SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI series. This is evidenced by the fact that almost all the aforementioned franchises tend to reference TEITO MONOGATARI in one way or another (Kato himself makes an appearance in TOKYO BABYLON manga, the feng shui references in X, the military officer sorcerer antagonist named Kato in SHADOW HEARTS, a volume of the light novel spinoff of NURA bearing the title TEITO KOI MONOGATARI, and the heroic occult practitioner in military garb Raidou Kuzunoha in the SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI series). To be a fan of the genre and ignore TEITO MONOGATARI would be like ignoring the works of Lord Dunsany in the history of the high fantasy genre, or ignoring John Polidori's story "The Vampyre" in the history of the modern vampire genre. Can't be done.
No. Much of the fan service/ero-guru violence in the anime was a stylistic decision made to appeal to a more "adult" demographic, the same folk who would be watching sensational films like NINJA SCROLL and WICKED CITY, which like this kind of entertainment.
The original novel was intended for a more general audience and is actually quite a dry experience for the most part. It's a very slow paced work, heavy on dialogue and historical infodumping. This is because the work was partly conceived as a pedantic introduction to topics like onmyodo and feng shui (the author was a nonfiction writer before he started this work) in addition to being an entertainment piece. The climax of Episode 1 of the anime doesn't occur until about 300 pages in the novel, and most of the stuff leading up to it is exposition.
The original book does have some dark subject matter. However it's not handled as graphically as the anime portrays it. For example (SPOILERS) the details of the incest subplot are never explored throughout the first 3 books and the whole affair isn't finally revealed until the middle of the 4th book. The act of Yoichiro very cruelly violating his sister as shown in the anime doesn't happen in the book.
It also bears mentioning that the most popular adaptation of this story in Japan was not the anime, but the live action film known in the West as TOKYO: THE LAST MEGALOPOLIS. Although that film also stylizes the content of the original book to some extent, it doesn't go to the same extremes as this anime and is far cleaner overall.
The original novel was intended for a more general audience and is actually quite a dry experience for the most part. It's a very slow paced work, heavy on dialogue and historical infodumping. This is because the work was partly conceived as a pedantic introduction to topics like onmyodo and feng shui (the author was a nonfiction writer before he started this work) in addition to being an entertainment piece. The climax of Episode 1 of the anime doesn't occur until about 300 pages in the novel, and most of the stuff leading up to it is exposition.
The original book does have some dark subject matter. However it's not handled as graphically as the anime portrays it. For example (SPOILERS) the details of the incest subplot are never explored throughout the first 3 books and the whole affair isn't finally revealed until the middle of the 4th book. The act of Yoichiro very cruelly violating his sister as shown in the anime doesn't happen in the book.
It also bears mentioning that the most popular adaptation of this story in Japan was not the anime, but the live action film known in the West as TOKYO: THE LAST MEGALOPOLIS. Although that film also stylizes the content of the original book to some extent, it doesn't go to the same extremes as this anime and is far cleaner overall.
Uh...NO. The anime only loosely adapts the first 1/3RD of the original novel. That's still a lot of story left to cover. When I say "loosely", I mean it is heavily compressed and stylized so it can't be considered a totally accurate representation of the novel anyways. To watch DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS and assume that's all there is to the story would be like watching Rankin Bass' animated THE RETURN OF THE KING and assuming that's all there is to the LORD OF THE RINGS saga. It might be a decent introduction, but it's not the whole thing.
That's the problem. Neither the original novel nor any of the adaptations of the latter parts of the book have been translated into English.
In Japan though, the best option for a visual continuation of the story would be Yohsuke Takahashi's manga TOKIO WARS, which adapts books 5 and 6: http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/htm/4776794144.html
The film TOKYO: THE LAST WAR (TEITO TAISEN) is also an adaptation of book 6, but it deviates greatly from the source material.
There is currently a small Facebook group dedicated to getting the novel translated into English: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Translate-TEITO-MONOGATARI-into-English/122760147810664
In Japan though, the best option for a visual continuation of the story would be Yohsuke Takahashi's manga TOKIO WARS, which adapts books 5 and 6: http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/htm/4776794144.html
The film TOKYO: THE LAST WAR (TEITO TAISEN) is also an adaptation of book 6, but it deviates greatly from the source material.
There is currently a small Facebook group dedicated to getting the novel translated into English: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Translate-TEITO-MONOGATARI-into-English/122760147810664
I would really recommend you watch the film ONMYOJI (2001) before you go anywhere near this anime. The film deals with a lot of the same mythology that this story references, but is a much cleaner, much more comprehensible, and entertaining introduction to it:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0355857/
Consequently, I will referencing this film a number of times throughout the rest of this FAQ.
Royall Tyler's folktale collection JAPANESE TALES contains a number of classic stories, some of which directly inspired the plot of DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS: http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Tales-Pantheon-folklore-library/dp/0375714510
Consequently, I will referencing this film a number of times throughout the rest of this FAQ.
Royall Tyler's folktale collection JAPANESE TALES contains a number of classic stories, some of which directly inspired the plot of DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS: http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Tales-Pantheon-folklore-library/dp/0375714510
I will defer to a comment that popped up one of my blog posts regarding this matter. The comment I am going to refer to was actually in response to another poster's comment who didn't understand the cultural reference either and complained that it didn't make any sense. Here is what he said:
"*I'm a pretty staunch Catholic. And my point is still this: there is no really good reason why people should be worshipping somebody like him [Masakado] in Japan. I award you no points, Japan. *You haven't actually explained WHY he's popular. Only why Japanese people have a flawed system of belief, putting their prayers towards a warmongering lunatic. There's nothing good about what he did. Nothing. I award you no points. All you did was serve to confuse me more."
Another poster responded to the above comment with (I thought) was a very nice explanation of the whole Masakado phenomenon to Western audiences:
"OK. You may be Catholic, but you have to remember something. Japan is NOT. Regardless of how highly you view your own religion, it is inappropriate to impose Catholic viewpoints and values over a work that does not come from a Catholic culture and has literally nothing to do with Catholicism. You can point fingers all you want, but there's no justification in doing so.
As for the worship of Masakado, I'm pretty sure there's a decent point that hasn't exactly been communicated here. The idea of "worship" in Japan is very very different from "worship" in Christianity. That does not make it a "flawed system of belief." Masakado is not some kind of saint that intercedes on behalf of the Japanese people. He was also not some "ruthless warlord," "barbarian," or "warmongering lunatic" as you stated before...
...Far from a "warmongering lunatic," he was simply a samurai that led an unsuccessful rebellion against the central government. Just because he was a revolutionary and ended up failing doesn't mean that he was a villain, a barbarian, or a lunatic. If no one in America (think Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, etc.) had ever bothered to revolt against England, then America as we know it would never have existed (and neither would any of us). At one point, all of America's founding fathers were all on the proverbial "same side of the fence" as Masakado. The only difference is that they won and he didn't. If Washington and Franklin had lost the fight against England, would they be called "warmongering lunatics?" Main Point: This cannot simply be boiled down to good vs. evil, and you cannot judge Masakado based on Doomed Megalopolis alone.
Furthermore, after Masakado's death, he was NOT vilified, as you might expect from a slaughtered revolutionary. Absolutely to the contrary, Masakado's spirit was enshrined so that it might be satiated. If it was satiated properly, the Japanese people would not risk his spirit turning into a wide variety of malignant forces that were thought to cause disastrous events. Part of keeping Masakado's spirit satiated is maintaining his shrine, presenting offerings, and other such practices. This does NOT equate to worship in the Christian sense of the word. It follows a thousand-year-old tradition of what might be best called "spirit placation." When the spirit of a deceased historical figure such as Masakado (or Sugawara no Michizane, or all of the World War II deceased that are venerated at Yasukuni Shrine) is thought to have been sufficiently quelled, the vengeful spirit is then believed to transform into a noble and benevolent kami. In Masakado's case, when his sprit was thought to have been appeased, he was venerated---again, not worshiped---as a guardian spirit of the capital itself. As to why he is popular, his shrine has been maintained since it was first established, well over a thousand years ago. Since then, the Japanese have been venerating Masakado's now-benevolent spirit as the protector of the capital. Main Point: The word "worship" in the Christian sense does not apply here and CANNOT be applied here. This ties in with my first point about it being inappropriate to judge works completely devoid of Catholicism (or even Christianity for that matter) based on Catholic values...
...Continuing on, "rousing Masakado's spirit" (that is, Kato's goal) means reversing Masakado's transformation into a benevolent kami and protector of the city. For example, it might involve the desecration of Masakado's shrine, the desecration of his body, or simply reminding his spirit of his ancient human desire to overthrow the Japanese government. This is what Voilodion [the author of the blog] refers to above and what you say "IS NOT A GOOD THING." To that, I certainly agree, but again, it's not the same as "worship" in any Christian sense, and I CANNOT overemphasize that point enough. "
These were originally copied and pasted from here, a link which has since been taken down: http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/response-to-sages-doomed-megalopolis-review-1
Here are some other blog posts about Masakado: http://smt.blogs.com/mari_diary/2004/09/the_legend_of_w.html
http://rurousha.blogspot.jp/2013/08/masakados-head-haunts-otemachi.html
Here's the Wiki article about Kanda Myojin shrine, where Masakado is worshiped:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanda_Shrine
This is his English bio:
http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Samurai-Warrior-Masakado/dp/047176082X
The point is though that the relationship the Japanese have with Masakado goes beyond simply a matter of "good" or "evil". This is of course, one of the issues that DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS' source material, TEITO MONOGATARI touched upon.
"*I'm a pretty staunch Catholic. And my point is still this: there is no really good reason why people should be worshipping somebody like him [Masakado] in Japan. I award you no points, Japan. *You haven't actually explained WHY he's popular. Only why Japanese people have a flawed system of belief, putting their prayers towards a warmongering lunatic. There's nothing good about what he did. Nothing. I award you no points. All you did was serve to confuse me more."
Another poster responded to the above comment with (I thought) was a very nice explanation of the whole Masakado phenomenon to Western audiences:
"OK. You may be Catholic, but you have to remember something. Japan is NOT. Regardless of how highly you view your own religion, it is inappropriate to impose Catholic viewpoints and values over a work that does not come from a Catholic culture and has literally nothing to do with Catholicism. You can point fingers all you want, but there's no justification in doing so.
As for the worship of Masakado, I'm pretty sure there's a decent point that hasn't exactly been communicated here. The idea of "worship" in Japan is very very different from "worship" in Christianity. That does not make it a "flawed system of belief." Masakado is not some kind of saint that intercedes on behalf of the Japanese people. He was also not some "ruthless warlord," "barbarian," or "warmongering lunatic" as you stated before...
...Far from a "warmongering lunatic," he was simply a samurai that led an unsuccessful rebellion against the central government. Just because he was a revolutionary and ended up failing doesn't mean that he was a villain, a barbarian, or a lunatic. If no one in America (think Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, etc.) had ever bothered to revolt against England, then America as we know it would never have existed (and neither would any of us). At one point, all of America's founding fathers were all on the proverbial "same side of the fence" as Masakado. The only difference is that they won and he didn't. If Washington and Franklin had lost the fight against England, would they be called "warmongering lunatics?" Main Point: This cannot simply be boiled down to good vs. evil, and you cannot judge Masakado based on Doomed Megalopolis alone.
Furthermore, after Masakado's death, he was NOT vilified, as you might expect from a slaughtered revolutionary. Absolutely to the contrary, Masakado's spirit was enshrined so that it might be satiated. If it was satiated properly, the Japanese people would not risk his spirit turning into a wide variety of malignant forces that were thought to cause disastrous events. Part of keeping Masakado's spirit satiated is maintaining his shrine, presenting offerings, and other such practices. This does NOT equate to worship in the Christian sense of the word. It follows a thousand-year-old tradition of what might be best called "spirit placation." When the spirit of a deceased historical figure such as Masakado (or Sugawara no Michizane, or all of the World War II deceased that are venerated at Yasukuni Shrine) is thought to have been sufficiently quelled, the vengeful spirit is then believed to transform into a noble and benevolent kami. In Masakado's case, when his sprit was thought to have been appeased, he was venerated---again, not worshiped---as a guardian spirit of the capital itself. As to why he is popular, his shrine has been maintained since it was first established, well over a thousand years ago. Since then, the Japanese have been venerating Masakado's now-benevolent spirit as the protector of the capital. Main Point: The word "worship" in the Christian sense does not apply here and CANNOT be applied here. This ties in with my first point about it being inappropriate to judge works completely devoid of Catholicism (or even Christianity for that matter) based on Catholic values...
...Continuing on, "rousing Masakado's spirit" (that is, Kato's goal) means reversing Masakado's transformation into a benevolent kami and protector of the city. For example, it might involve the desecration of Masakado's shrine, the desecration of his body, or simply reminding his spirit of his ancient human desire to overthrow the Japanese government. This is what Voilodion [the author of the blog] refers to above and what you say "IS NOT A GOOD THING." To that, I certainly agree, but again, it's not the same as "worship" in any Christian sense, and I CANNOT overemphasize that point enough. "
These were originally copied and pasted from here, a link which has since been taken down: http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/blogs/latest/entry/response-to-sages-doomed-megalopolis-review-1
Here are some other blog posts about Masakado: http://smt.blogs.com/mari_diary/2004/09/the_legend_of_w.html
http://rurousha.blogspot.jp/2013/08/masakados-head-haunts-otemachi.html
Here's the Wiki article about Kanda Myojin shrine, where Masakado is worshiped:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanda_Shrine
This is his English bio:
http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Samurai-Warrior-Masakado/dp/047176082X
The point is though that the relationship the Japanese have with Masakado goes beyond simply a matter of "good" or "evil". This is of course, one of the issues that DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS' source material, TEITO MONOGATARI touched upon.
A few of them are listed in the "Trivia" section of this page, however they will be repeated here for completeness' sake. Note that this list may not be complete:
The character of Taira no Masakado is based on a historical figure and contemporary deity:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira_no_Masakado
http://www.mackinnon.org/masakado-waley.html
The old man who organizes the Tokyo Improvement Committee is industrialist Eiichi Shibusawa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiichi_Shibusawa
The man who proposes the radical concept of the "underground city" to the Tokyo committee and later becomes one of the heads of the subway project is physicist Torahiko Terada:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torahiko_Terada
The man who finds Yukari by the riverside (just before she vomits up the worm) and subsequently becomes one of the main activists in the battle against Kato is the renowned author Rohan Koda:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koda_Rohan
The doctor who takes care of Yukari in Episodes 1 and 2 is physician and author Ogai Mori:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogai_Mori
Historically, Ogai Mori and Rohan Koda worked alongside each other and were close correspondences (hence the reason the first doctor Koda takes Yukari to after he's found her unconscious by the riverside is Ogai).
The fortune teller seen in Episodes 2 and 3 who advises Keiko about her mission is classic author Izumi Kyoka:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izumi_Kyoka
The poem he recites and his speech about the "Power of Kannon vs. the Power of Kishin" are all derived from his writings.
The businessman who is the head of the underground railroad project is tycoon Noritsugu Hayakawa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metro_Ginza_Line
The inventor and his robot which appear in episode 3 are biologist Makoto Nishimura and his most famous creation Gakutensoku, Japan's first modern robot:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gakutensoku
Yasumasa Hirai, the onmyoji and Kato's enemy in the first episode is fictional. However his character is representing the Tsuchimikado Family, which historically was disbanded at the end of the 19th century:
http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=366
The founder of the Tsuchimikado Family was Abe no Seimei and Hirai is his direct descendant. Thus Hirai could also be interpreted as a "modern day" Seimei Abe:
http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=404
The character of Taira no Masakado is based on a historical figure and contemporary deity:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira_no_Masakado
http://www.mackinnon.org/masakado-waley.html
The old man who organizes the Tokyo Improvement Committee is industrialist Eiichi Shibusawa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiichi_Shibusawa
The man who proposes the radical concept of the "underground city" to the Tokyo committee and later becomes one of the heads of the subway project is physicist Torahiko Terada:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torahiko_Terada
The man who finds Yukari by the riverside (just before she vomits up the worm) and subsequently becomes one of the main activists in the battle against Kato is the renowned author Rohan Koda:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koda_Rohan
The doctor who takes care of Yukari in Episodes 1 and 2 is physician and author Ogai Mori:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogai_Mori
Historically, Ogai Mori and Rohan Koda worked alongside each other and were close correspondences (hence the reason the first doctor Koda takes Yukari to after he's found her unconscious by the riverside is Ogai).
The fortune teller seen in Episodes 2 and 3 who advises Keiko about her mission is classic author Izumi Kyoka:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izumi_Kyoka
The poem he recites and his speech about the "Power of Kannon vs. the Power of Kishin" are all derived from his writings.
The businessman who is the head of the underground railroad project is tycoon Noritsugu Hayakawa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metro_Ginza_Line
The inventor and his robot which appear in episode 3 are biologist Makoto Nishimura and his most famous creation Gakutensoku, Japan's first modern robot:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gakutensoku
Yasumasa Hirai, the onmyoji and Kato's enemy in the first episode is fictional. However his character is representing the Tsuchimikado Family, which historically was disbanded at the end of the 19th century:
http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=366
The founder of the Tsuchimikado Family was Abe no Seimei and Hirai is his direct descendant. Thus Hirai could also be interpreted as a "modern day" Seimei Abe:
http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=404
Not at all. In Japanese folklore, the pentagram relates to the Chinese principles of "Wu Xing" (The Five Elements) a mnemonic device used in Taoism and other fields. One of the ways this concept was translated to Japan was in the form of onmyodo (yin yang magic), a form of divination and occultism mixing Chinese and Shinto philosophies. Those who practiced onmyodo were known as onmyoji (yin yang masters). The greatest onmyoji in Japanese folklore was Seimei Abe, whose personal symbol was the pentagram.
Kato is an onmyoji and he claims descent from the clan of Seimei Abe, hence the reason he is adorned with pentagrams (two on his hands, and the star on his military cap). Kato's opponent in the story is Yasumasa Hirai (the old magical man), who is the OFFICIAL descendant of Seimei Abe. Likewise Hirai is also adorned with pentagrams on his outfit and uses them to execute his magic.
When referring to the pentagram as Seimei Abe's personal mark, the symbol is referred to as the "Seiman".
Kato is an onmyoji and he claims descent from the clan of Seimei Abe, hence the reason he is adorned with pentagrams (two on his hands, and the star on his military cap). Kato's opponent in the story is Yasumasa Hirai (the old magical man), who is the OFFICIAL descendant of Seimei Abe. Likewise Hirai is also adorned with pentagrams on his outfit and uses them to execute his magic.
When referring to the pentagram as Seimei Abe's personal mark, the symbol is referred to as the "Seiman".
Not according to the source material. Although in the anime, he definitely comes off like that in some ways (disappearing and reappearing anywhere he chooses, visiting people in spiritual planes of existence, etc.).
General descriptions of the work refer to Kato as a majin (demon man/sorcerer), ala Dracula or Melmoth the Wanderer. We know he's a sorcerer...so that reason is obvious. However in the original novel (and even in the Japanese version of the anime), Kato is occasionally referred to as an "oni", the Japanese demon. In Japanese folklore, a person who was consumed with hatred throughout their life could transform into an oni. Kato, by virtue of his intense hatred for the Japanese Empire, naturally fits that profile. In the original novel, Kato eats human organs to sustain his magic. Cannibalism is another trait of classical oni. The original work also describes how he uses certain magical techniques to maintain his youth and vitality.
On the subject of Dracula there are even more parallels. Recall that in Bram Stoker's original work, Dracula was described as a sorcerer AND a vampire. In TEITO MONOGATARI, Kato is a sorcerer AND an oni. Both characters are amalgamations of magical mastery and bestial folklore creatures with a civilized air about them (Dracula poses as a nobleman, Kato poses as a First Lieutenant). The DRACULA connections might not be unintentional. Though the subject matter of the novel has nothing to do with vampires, author Hiroshi Aramata's personal mentor in college was Hirai Teichii, the scholar responsible for translating Bram Stoker's classic novel into Japanese: https://books.google.com/books?id=93lKCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA174&dq=hiroshi+aramata&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-quEVdyLIpfjoATtvY2ABA&ved=0CFAQ6AEwCTiCAQ#v=onepage&q=hirai&f=false
The character of Kato might have been Aramata's homage to his mentor's legacy. Notice how in the story, "Hirai" is also the name of the wise old sage who's Kato's nemesis. Another tribute perhaps?
General descriptions of the work refer to Kato as a majin (demon man/sorcerer), ala Dracula or Melmoth the Wanderer. We know he's a sorcerer...so that reason is obvious. However in the original novel (and even in the Japanese version of the anime), Kato is occasionally referred to as an "oni", the Japanese demon. In Japanese folklore, a person who was consumed with hatred throughout their life could transform into an oni. Kato, by virtue of his intense hatred for the Japanese Empire, naturally fits that profile. In the original novel, Kato eats human organs to sustain his magic. Cannibalism is another trait of classical oni. The original work also describes how he uses certain magical techniques to maintain his youth and vitality.
On the subject of Dracula there are even more parallels. Recall that in Bram Stoker's original work, Dracula was described as a sorcerer AND a vampire. In TEITO MONOGATARI, Kato is a sorcerer AND an oni. Both characters are amalgamations of magical mastery and bestial folklore creatures with a civilized air about them (Dracula poses as a nobleman, Kato poses as a First Lieutenant). The DRACULA connections might not be unintentional. Though the subject matter of the novel has nothing to do with vampires, author Hiroshi Aramata's personal mentor in college was Hirai Teichii, the scholar responsible for translating Bram Stoker's classic novel into Japanese: https://books.google.com/books?id=93lKCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA174&dq=hiroshi+aramata&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-quEVdyLIpfjoATtvY2ABA&ved=0CFAQ6AEwCTiCAQ#v=onepage&q=hirai&f=false
The character of Kato might have been Aramata's homage to his mentor's legacy. Notice how in the story, "Hirai" is also the name of the wise old sage who's Kato's nemesis. Another tribute perhaps?
This is hinted at in the anime, but never fully expounded upon or made clear. This is the transcript of Hirai's letter in the anime which attempts to "explain" Kato's origin:
"Lieutenant Katos birthplace was RYUJIN VILLAGE in Wakayama prefecture. According to the legend, Ryujin Village was also the birthplace of SEIMEI ABE, and at the same time, the TSUCHIMIKADO FAMILY came from there originally. Ryujin Village is a holy place which is famous among people. The one who founded the place was the ancestor of asceticism, EN NO OZUNU. You can go to the back of the forbidden place, MT. KOYA, from the village, therefore, the legend says that KOHBO-DAISHI KUKAI received a message from NANDA, THE DRAGON KING, in a dream and opened the place. There is no Kato family in Ryujin Village. There is no Kato in the ancient documents. However, this village is close to the place where ascetics have trained, and there were many rumors in that village about strangers who sometimes appeared in the nearby mountains and used magic. I believe Kato is the descendant of the ancient people who never obeyed the founder, and he inherited both the curse and the magic of the KIBI. The only other key to solving the mystery of Yasunori Kato, is the curse. That is all."
Now, obviously this is full of cultural references and very compressed (much like other aspects of the anime). Two things to focus on though:
"Lieutenant Katos birthplace was RYUJIN VILLAGE in Wakayama prefecture. According to the legend, Ryujin Village was also the birthplace of SEIMEI ABE, and at the same time, the TSUCHIMIKADO FAMILY came from there originally."
Hirai is the head of the Tsuchimikado Family, remember? So apparently, Kato has some ancient ties to Hirai's family and even Seimei Abe. This accounts for where he gets his onmyodo magic from.
What's especially confusing is this last statement:
"I believe Kato is the descendant of the ancient people who never obeyed the founder, and he inherited both the curse and the magic of the KIBI. The only other key to solving the mystery of Yasunori Kato, is the curse. That is all."
Notice how Hirai says "curse" twice in two different contexts? What is this "curse" he's referring to? Are there two different curses or one? Also, who is the "founder"? The anime (at least in the subtitles) doesn't bother to elaborate on any of this, making the intentions of the writers a little blurry. However, this statement does make it clear though that this "curse" precedes Kato and it may be the key to solving the mystery of his power.
So taken by itself, the anime doesn't really explain Kato's background all that well. In fact, taken by itself, the explanations in the anime might leave you with more questions than answers.
Obviously the novel probes much deeper into Kato's past and motivation than the anime. For example regarding Kato's motivation to cripple Japan, Hirai directly says:
"From the viewpoint of onmyodo of the Tsuchimikado line, an oni is a transparent genie that onmyoji manipulate. The term oni means the indigenous people of the water or mountain. It could be a descendant of Chinese, Korean or naturalized Japanese who did not worship the imperial court...He [Kato] is a descendant of those who rebelled against the imperial court in ancient times. Kato is a villain who inherited the grudge and the heresy from them and will endanger the unbroken Japanese Imperial line. He is probably not a Japanese subject." (translated by Dr. Noriko T. Reider)
That makes a little more sense. Kato is the demonic incarnation of the curse of 2000 years: the curse of the native tribes who lived on the Japanese islands before they were integrated into or exterminated by the Yamato Court, which eventually becomes the Japanese Empire. The novel also displays Kato as sympathetic to the causes of Chinese and Korean groups fighting Japanese oppression (an aspect of the story never brought up in the anime).
"Lieutenant Katos birthplace was RYUJIN VILLAGE in Wakayama prefecture. According to the legend, Ryujin Village was also the birthplace of SEIMEI ABE, and at the same time, the TSUCHIMIKADO FAMILY came from there originally. Ryujin Village is a holy place which is famous among people. The one who founded the place was the ancestor of asceticism, EN NO OZUNU. You can go to the back of the forbidden place, MT. KOYA, from the village, therefore, the legend says that KOHBO-DAISHI KUKAI received a message from NANDA, THE DRAGON KING, in a dream and opened the place. There is no Kato family in Ryujin Village. There is no Kato in the ancient documents. However, this village is close to the place where ascetics have trained, and there were many rumors in that village about strangers who sometimes appeared in the nearby mountains and used magic. I believe Kato is the descendant of the ancient people who never obeyed the founder, and he inherited both the curse and the magic of the KIBI. The only other key to solving the mystery of Yasunori Kato, is the curse. That is all."
Now, obviously this is full of cultural references and very compressed (much like other aspects of the anime). Two things to focus on though:
"Lieutenant Katos birthplace was RYUJIN VILLAGE in Wakayama prefecture. According to the legend, Ryujin Village was also the birthplace of SEIMEI ABE, and at the same time, the TSUCHIMIKADO FAMILY came from there originally."
Hirai is the head of the Tsuchimikado Family, remember? So apparently, Kato has some ancient ties to Hirai's family and even Seimei Abe. This accounts for where he gets his onmyodo magic from.
What's especially confusing is this last statement:
"I believe Kato is the descendant of the ancient people who never obeyed the founder, and he inherited both the curse and the magic of the KIBI. The only other key to solving the mystery of Yasunori Kato, is the curse. That is all."
Notice how Hirai says "curse" twice in two different contexts? What is this "curse" he's referring to? Are there two different curses or one? Also, who is the "founder"? The anime (at least in the subtitles) doesn't bother to elaborate on any of this, making the intentions of the writers a little blurry. However, this statement does make it clear though that this "curse" precedes Kato and it may be the key to solving the mystery of his power.
So taken by itself, the anime doesn't really explain Kato's background all that well. In fact, taken by itself, the explanations in the anime might leave you with more questions than answers.
Obviously the novel probes much deeper into Kato's past and motivation than the anime. For example regarding Kato's motivation to cripple Japan, Hirai directly says:
"From the viewpoint of onmyodo of the Tsuchimikado line, an oni is a transparent genie that onmyoji manipulate. The term oni means the indigenous people of the water or mountain. It could be a descendant of Chinese, Korean or naturalized Japanese who did not worship the imperial court...He [Kato] is a descendant of those who rebelled against the imperial court in ancient times. Kato is a villain who inherited the grudge and the heresy from them and will endanger the unbroken Japanese Imperial line. He is probably not a Japanese subject." (translated by Dr. Noriko T. Reider)
That makes a little more sense. Kato is the demonic incarnation of the curse of 2000 years: the curse of the native tribes who lived on the Japanese islands before they were integrated into or exterminated by the Yamato Court, which eventually becomes the Japanese Empire. The novel also displays Kato as sympathetic to the causes of Chinese and Korean groups fighting Japanese oppression (an aspect of the story never brought up in the anime).
Kato is attempting to awaken Masakado using his own magic, but he pushes it too far and ends up waking all the spirits around him instead. The live action adaptation of the story even explains that since Masakado's spirit is so powerful, his grave acts a hub for all the lesser spirits scattered around Tokyo. This is why there are so many spirits in the vicinity of his gravesite.
Most likely it was Masakado's grave since she's pointing in the direction of the Ministry of Finance. Yukari is psychic, so she is very sensitive to the presence of Masakado's spirit since he is so powerful. This is confirmed later on in the show when Yukari is walking near the grave and receives a powerful vision that causes her to pass out.
This is a reflection of misogynistic cultural attitudes of the Meiji Era. There was a very blatant power imbalance between male and female members of the family. Once again, this is another cultural reference that the anime expects you to know before you watch it. From this site:
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/WR-04.html
"...the Meiji Civil Code of 1898 which gave the male head of the family absolute authority over family members. Men had the sole right to control family property, determine where each family member could live, approve or disapprove of marriages and divorce, and control inheritance. The male head of each household was authorized to control his household members and assets. If a woman who had children divorced, she normally had to leave them with her former husband and his family. One provision stated: Cripples and disabled persons and wives cannot undertake any legal action."
You can imagine it would be very easy for a male family member to abuse this power. Likewise, the offense Tatsumiya commits against his sister later on it the anime was also a very possible event back in those days. Because of the balance of power, he could have conceivably gotten away with it without any legal action used against him.
"...the Meiji Civil Code of 1898 which gave the male head of the family absolute authority over family members. Men had the sole right to control family property, determine where each family member could live, approve or disapprove of marriages and divorce, and control inheritance. The male head of each household was authorized to control his household members and assets. If a woman who had children divorced, she normally had to leave them with her former husband and his family. One provision stated: Cripples and disabled persons and wives cannot undertake any legal action."
You can imagine it would be very easy for a male family member to abuse this power. Likewise, the offense Tatsumiya commits against his sister later on it the anime was also a very possible event back in those days. Because of the balance of power, he could have conceivably gotten away with it without any legal action used against him.
In the original novel, Yukari and her brother are the direct descendants of the Masakado family, but Yukari also has the benefit of being a powerful psychic. This combination makes her an ideal medium for Masakado's spirit.
Early on in the novel, Kato tries to use magic on Yoichiro Tatsumiya, but realizes that he is too weak to use as a medium. Later on, Yukari passes out near Masakado's grave to an intense vision sent to her by the spirit. Kato sees this and realizes that she possesses special extrasensory capabilities, and thus that would make her a much better medium to communicate with Masakado's spirit.
Presumably for the sake of compression, the anime omits the detail about Yukari being a descendant of Masakado. Thus in the anime, it seems the only reason Kato wants to use Yukari is that she has psychic powers which were activated during a dramatic encounter with her brother during their youth. Not much of an explanation, but that's the anime for you.
Early on in the novel, Kato tries to use magic on Yoichiro Tatsumiya, but realizes that he is too weak to use as a medium. Later on, Yukari passes out near Masakado's grave to an intense vision sent to her by the spirit. Kato sees this and realizes that she possesses special extrasensory capabilities, and thus that would make her a much better medium to communicate with Masakado's spirit.
Presumably for the sake of compression, the anime omits the detail about Yukari being a descendant of Masakado. Thus in the anime, it seems the only reason Kato wants to use Yukari is that she has psychic powers which were activated during a dramatic encounter with her brother during their youth. Not much of an explanation, but that's the anime for you.
Those are shikigami. A shikigami is a spiritual familiar which onmyoji can summon and control. They're just like the birds, horses and other magical creatures which wizards in Western mythology (like Merlin) can command. One of the ways in which an onmyoji can summon a shikigami is by writing a certain magic symbol on a piece of paper and chanting something causing the paper to transform into the creature the sorcerer desires. Shikigami can appear in a variety of forms (like birds, humanoid creatures, etc.), so they could also be considered shapeshifters. Likewise in this anime, Kato's shikigami are portrayed as shapeshifting amorphous blobs which change form depending on the situation.
Notice that Yasumasa Hirai also uses shikigami. His appear in the form of white birds.
In folklore, the number of shikigami an onmyoji could summon at once usually reflected how powerful he was. For example, Seimei Abe was said to be able to command as many as 12 shikigami at once. If you notice earlier on in the anime (when Kamo tosses the paper mannekins out the window), 12 is also about the same number that Hirai can command. Now, as we see later on, Kato can command tons of shikigami, maybe even hundreds. What does that say about Kato's power level?
Notice that Yasumasa Hirai also uses shikigami. His appear in the form of white birds.
In folklore, the number of shikigami an onmyoji could summon at once usually reflected how powerful he was. For example, Seimei Abe was said to be able to command as many as 12 shikigami at once. If you notice earlier on in the anime (when Kamo tosses the paper mannekins out the window), 12 is also about the same number that Hirai can command. Now, as we see later on, Kato can command tons of shikigami, maybe even hundreds. What does that say about Kato's power level?
It should be pretty evident to the viewer that this whole scene is an illusion given that the next thing we see is Narutaki lying on the ground perfectly unscathed (minus the damage to his glasses and the psychological trauma). The main point of this scene is to show Kato trying to separate Narutaki from Yukari (as Narutaki is fiercely protective of her), so he can get Yukari into an isolated area to inject the kodoku (worm toxin) magic into her.
There's a certain onmyodo technique called "maboroshi" which involves the caster creating an illusory space in which he/she has total control over. "Zones of illusion" are not uncommon in anime featuring onmyoji; the main plot of episode 9 of the 2001 series X is all about an onmyoji trying to escape from a maboroshi spell. Even if the anime doesn't label it as such, that is clearly what is going on here: Kato is creating an illusion to confuse and distract Narutaki. He does the same thing in the next scene to Yukari (when she encounters the dancing children), however the main difference is that he enters the illusion directly so he can inject the kodoku magic into her.
This whole scene though is a stand in for a scene in the novel where KATO takes Yukari on a date to see a kabuki play. After the play, he gives her a sweet which is really the seed of the kodoku magic. Presumably the writers of the anime didn't bother with this because they wanted portray Kato as mysterious as possible, and the idea of him taking Yukari on an afternoon date would be a bit awkward.
There's a certain onmyodo technique called "maboroshi" which involves the caster creating an illusory space in which he/she has total control over. "Zones of illusion" are not uncommon in anime featuring onmyoji; the main plot of episode 9 of the 2001 series X is all about an onmyoji trying to escape from a maboroshi spell. Even if the anime doesn't label it as such, that is clearly what is going on here: Kato is creating an illusion to confuse and distract Narutaki. He does the same thing in the next scene to Yukari (when she encounters the dancing children), however the main difference is that he enters the illusion directly so he can inject the kodoku magic into her.
This whole scene though is a stand in for a scene in the novel where KATO takes Yukari on a date to see a kabuki play. After the play, he gives her a sweet which is really the seed of the kodoku magic. Presumably the writers of the anime didn't bother with this because they wanted portray Kato as mysterious as possible, and the idea of him taking Yukari on an afternoon date would be a bit awkward.
That is the incarnation of a the worm poison magic ("kodoku") that Kato used to hypnotize Yukari. "Kodoku" is the Japanese derivative of Chinese "Gu" magic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_(poison)
"Kodoku" is traditionally just a harmful spell cast using fluids from bugs. But the spell can also incarnate itself into an animal (into a big worm for example). Earlier on, we see Kato injecting the seed of this magic (represented as an eyeball) into Yukari's mouth.
Magic or curses which assume the physical shape of worms or other animals is not an uncommon motif in Japanese folklore. The film ONMYOJI (2001), based on a series of incredibly popular fantasy novels written in the wake of TEITO MONOGATARI's success, features a subplot where a nobleman is cursed by the ghost of his lover. In this film, the curse first manifests itself as a large gourd growing on a tree in the nobleman's yard. The hero of the story exorcises the curse by putting a charm on the gourd, chanting a spell and cutting it open. Inside the gourd is a live snake, the true physical form of the curse. Likewise in DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS, the worm living inside Yukari's stomach is the true physical form of the curse Kato was using to hypnotize her.
The phallus head was purely a stylistic addition by the animators to make the creature more disturbing. Recall that DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS was released in 1991, only four years after the financial success of the depraved direct to video production LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND. Japanese animators were still experimenting with the kind of content they could insert into these "mature" cartoons. DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS is not a hentai, but it was intended for a more "adult" audience; the same kind of audience that now classic violent, sexualized anime such as WICKED CITY and NINJA SCROLL were intended for.
In the original novel, the creature was described as a shapeless orange mass about the size of a small mouse.
Some skeptical Western viewers may still wonder at what possible cultural relevance could the image of a woman vomiting up a big worm have. Once again, the answer lies in the folklore which inspired TEITO MONOGATARI. The classic medieval folktale collections UJI SHUI MONOGATARISHU and KONJAKU MONOGATARISHU feature a variety of stories with subject matter ranging from the whimsical to the bizarre and grotesque. These were ADULT folk tales, not sanitized for kids. You had stories about invasive snakes giving monks fellatios, goddesses collecting their husbands' semen in buckets, traveling peasants who masturbate into onions and the young women who get pregnant from eating them, and monks with huge noses housing colonies of live white maggots. The grotesque subject matter in Setsuwa literature is such a defining trait of the genre that studies have been written about it:
http://www.amazon.com/Ambiguous-Bodies-Reading-Grotesque-Japanese/dp/0804759758
Hiroshi Aramata studied all these stories before he wrote TEITO MONOGATARI and wanted his novel to evoke some of their bizarre atmosphere. TEITO MONOGATARI can be seen as sort of a speculative "continuation" of these old folktales. In the context of the weirdness they present, the sight of a young woman puking up a big worm would not have seemed too out of place.
"Kodoku" is traditionally just a harmful spell cast using fluids from bugs. But the spell can also incarnate itself into an animal (into a big worm for example). Earlier on, we see Kato injecting the seed of this magic (represented as an eyeball) into Yukari's mouth.
Magic or curses which assume the physical shape of worms or other animals is not an uncommon motif in Japanese folklore. The film ONMYOJI (2001), based on a series of incredibly popular fantasy novels written in the wake of TEITO MONOGATARI's success, features a subplot where a nobleman is cursed by the ghost of his lover. In this film, the curse first manifests itself as a large gourd growing on a tree in the nobleman's yard. The hero of the story exorcises the curse by putting a charm on the gourd, chanting a spell and cutting it open. Inside the gourd is a live snake, the true physical form of the curse. Likewise in DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS, the worm living inside Yukari's stomach is the true physical form of the curse Kato was using to hypnotize her.
The phallus head was purely a stylistic addition by the animators to make the creature more disturbing. Recall that DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS was released in 1991, only four years after the financial success of the depraved direct to video production LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND. Japanese animators were still experimenting with the kind of content they could insert into these "mature" cartoons. DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS is not a hentai, but it was intended for a more "adult" audience; the same kind of audience that now classic violent, sexualized anime such as WICKED CITY and NINJA SCROLL were intended for.
In the original novel, the creature was described as a shapeless orange mass about the size of a small mouse.
Some skeptical Western viewers may still wonder at what possible cultural relevance could the image of a woman vomiting up a big worm have. Once again, the answer lies in the folklore which inspired TEITO MONOGATARI. The classic medieval folktale collections UJI SHUI MONOGATARISHU and KONJAKU MONOGATARISHU feature a variety of stories with subject matter ranging from the whimsical to the bizarre and grotesque. These were ADULT folk tales, not sanitized for kids. You had stories about invasive snakes giving monks fellatios, goddesses collecting their husbands' semen in buckets, traveling peasants who masturbate into onions and the young women who get pregnant from eating them, and monks with huge noses housing colonies of live white maggots. The grotesque subject matter in Setsuwa literature is such a defining trait of the genre that studies have been written about it:
http://www.amazon.com/Ambiguous-Bodies-Reading-Grotesque-Japanese/dp/0804759758
Hiroshi Aramata studied all these stories before he wrote TEITO MONOGATARI and wanted his novel to evoke some of their bizarre atmosphere. TEITO MONOGATARI can be seen as sort of a speculative "continuation" of these old folktales. In the context of the weirdness they present, the sight of a young woman puking up a big worm would not have seemed too out of place.
Hirai is performing the monoimi ceremony. The monoimi ceremony is an onmyodo ritual which involves a period of seclusion (a day or several days) for a victim afflicted by a curse of other negative influences (like pursuit by a demon). Hirai is performing the ceremony to protect Yukari from Kato's influence.
Traditional monoimi usually requires the victim to be alone in the room for the period of time. Clearly Yukari is not as members of the Tsuchimikado clan and Hirai himself are present.
There is a reason for this though. This scene is inspired from a story in the classic medieval collection the UJI SHUI MONOGATARISHU. In the original story, the great onmyoji Seimei Abe spends all night defending a young chamberlain from an evil shikigami sent by an enemy onmyoji in the same way that Hirai defends Yukari in DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS. In the original story, Abe no Seimei's magic was so powerful that the curse reflected back and killed the enemy onmyoji who cast it. This is probably what Hirai hopes to do with Kato's magic.
Of course that doesn't happen. Kato interrupts the ceremony before it can be finished and Hirai's plans are foiled.
Traditional monoimi usually requires the victim to be alone in the room for the period of time. Clearly Yukari is not as members of the Tsuchimikado clan and Hirai himself are present.
There is a reason for this though. This scene is inspired from a story in the classic medieval collection the UJI SHUI MONOGATARISHU. In the original story, the great onmyoji Seimei Abe spends all night defending a young chamberlain from an evil shikigami sent by an enemy onmyoji in the same way that Hirai defends Yukari in DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS. In the original story, Abe no Seimei's magic was so powerful that the curse reflected back and killed the enemy onmyoji who cast it. This is probably what Hirai hopes to do with Kato's magic.
Of course that doesn't happen. Kato interrupts the ceremony before it can be finished and Hirai's plans are foiled.
Magic.
The scene can also be interpreted as symbolic however (and this is most likely what the writers had in mind). In Shinto, the hamaya (decorated arrow) is a sacred tool used to dispel evil influences. This is probably why Hirai uses it as a last resort against Kato. When Kato reverses this sacred article back at Hirai, the greatest onmyoji in Japan, he is showing that any attempts to exorcise him are futile as the curse fueling him is far stronger than anybody could anticipate (see above about Kato's reasons for wanting to destroy Tokyo).
The film ONMYOJI (2001) also has a similar scene where a hero uses a magical arrow to kill an evil sorcerer fueled by a vengeful curse. Just like in DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS, the arrow has no effect on the sorcerer and gets tossed back at the hero.
However the symbolism in this scene is secondary compared to the dramatic implications for the rest of the story. Hirai, Japan's greatest onmyoji and servant to the Emperor himself, has been felled by some heretical sorcerer in a single night. Dialogue in the second episode indicates that not once during the entire history of the Tsuchimikado Family going all the way back to its founder Abe no Seimei (about 1000 years ago) have the members of the family ever lost a battle against an enemy mystic. Kato's victory heralds the destruction of the family, and by extension, the destruction of the Japanese Empire's supernatural security.
It should be noted though that this whole moment with the arrow is a stand-in for a scene in the original novel where Kato's hand gets chopped off by Koda Rohan. THAT scene was the author's way of referencing the legend of Watanabe no Tsuna and his encounter with the oni Ibaraki at Modoribashi Bridge (a classic folktale):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watanabe_no_Tsuna
The scene can also be interpreted as symbolic however (and this is most likely what the writers had in mind). In Shinto, the hamaya (decorated arrow) is a sacred tool used to dispel evil influences. This is probably why Hirai uses it as a last resort against Kato. When Kato reverses this sacred article back at Hirai, the greatest onmyoji in Japan, he is showing that any attempts to exorcise him are futile as the curse fueling him is far stronger than anybody could anticipate (see above about Kato's reasons for wanting to destroy Tokyo).
The film ONMYOJI (2001) also has a similar scene where a hero uses a magical arrow to kill an evil sorcerer fueled by a vengeful curse. Just like in DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS, the arrow has no effect on the sorcerer and gets tossed back at the hero.
However the symbolism in this scene is secondary compared to the dramatic implications for the rest of the story. Hirai, Japan's greatest onmyoji and servant to the Emperor himself, has been felled by some heretical sorcerer in a single night. Dialogue in the second episode indicates that not once during the entire history of the Tsuchimikado Family going all the way back to its founder Abe no Seimei (about 1000 years ago) have the members of the family ever lost a battle against an enemy mystic. Kato's victory heralds the destruction of the family, and by extension, the destruction of the Japanese Empire's supernatural security.
It should be noted though that this whole moment with the arrow is a stand-in for a scene in the original novel where Kato's hand gets chopped off by Koda Rohan. THAT scene was the author's way of referencing the legend of Watanabe no Tsuna and his encounter with the oni Ibaraki at Modoribashi Bridge (a classic folktale):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watanabe_no_Tsuna
Kimon Tonkou (the Japanese derivative of Qimen Dunjia, literally something like "strange gates escaping technique") is a form of divination involving astrological calculations and directional planning. In application, it can be used as a spell to manipulate movement and space. For example in ancient Chinese literature, it was associated with people moving very fast and traveling great distances in a short period of time. Earlier on during their battle at the riverbank, Hirai discovers that Kato is very familiar with this technique as he uses it to transform Hirai's shikigami into a magic area where he can teleport away.
Anyways, Hirai's apprentice Kamo takes the secrets of the technique to create the sealed area used to trap Kato at the climax of Episode 2. Surprisingly, the sealed area is actually more powerful than Kato's magic as it renders him helpless! In this sealed area, the physics of space are confounded and movement leads you around in a circle. In order to escape from the spell, Kato has to pass through the eight floating gates in a specific order. Thus, he sends out his shikigami to scout out the correct path. Kamo, on the other end though, chants to dispel Kato's shikigami so he can't discover the proper order of the gates.
But there's more! In the original book, they discuss how the great Chinese strategist Zhuge Liang was highly versed in Qimen Dunjia, and how he used this technique to create his "Stone Sentinel Maze" as seen in the Chinese national epic ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS by Luo Guanzhong. In DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS, Kamo sets up the magical trap by organizing piles of rocks around the area. Yup...he's recreating Zhuge Liang's Stone Sentinel Maze to use against Kato. Even if the anime doesn't make the connection, that's basically what the trap is: the Stone Sentinel Maze. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Sentinel_Maze
Anyways, Hirai's apprentice Kamo takes the secrets of the technique to create the sealed area used to trap Kato at the climax of Episode 2. Surprisingly, the sealed area is actually more powerful than Kato's magic as it renders him helpless! In this sealed area, the physics of space are confounded and movement leads you around in a circle. In order to escape from the spell, Kato has to pass through the eight floating gates in a specific order. Thus, he sends out his shikigami to scout out the correct path. Kamo, on the other end though, chants to dispel Kato's shikigami so he can't discover the proper order of the gates.
But there's more! In the original book, they discuss how the great Chinese strategist Zhuge Liang was highly versed in Qimen Dunjia, and how he used this technique to create his "Stone Sentinel Maze" as seen in the Chinese national epic ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS by Luo Guanzhong. In DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS, Kamo sets up the magical trap by organizing piles of rocks around the area. Yup...he's recreating Zhuge Liang's Stone Sentinel Maze to use against Kato. Even if the anime doesn't make the connection, that's basically what the trap is: the Stone Sentinel Maze. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Sentinel_Maze
This is all based off of Feng Shui:
"Rivers and mountains are always described as the blood of the dragon, while the earths terrain was always the dragons skin...
...Chinese feng shui masters find sky dragons in cloud formations, EARTH DRAGONS [emphasis added] amongst rocks and landscape configurations and water dragons in the swirling waters of rivers and lakes...
...Yang energy flows through earth pathways that we call DRAGON VEINS [emphasis added]. The dragon vein creates the formation of the mountain. "
http://www.wofs.com/index.php/fs-fine-points-regularfeatures-46/593-tips-on-looking-for-the-dragons-lair
"During the Qin Dynasty (221 207 BC), the concept Dimai (the veins of the earth), was mooted. It was believed that the earths energy, similar to blood circulating in the body, is distributed across the land via earth veins. Those who harness the energy from these veins will prosper...
...During the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 24 A.D.) the combined study of geography and astrology, the study of heaven, earth and their relationship to man developed. This is well known as Kanyu . More detailed study of the mountain ranges of China was also carried out and this marked the beginning of the term 'Dragon Veins'."
http://www.chinatownology.com/fengshui.html
"Rivers and mountains are always described as the blood of the dragon, while the earths terrain was always the dragons skin...
...Chinese feng shui masters find sky dragons in cloud formations, EARTH DRAGONS [emphasis added] amongst rocks and landscape configurations and water dragons in the swirling waters of rivers and lakes...
...Yang energy flows through earth pathways that we call DRAGON VEINS [emphasis added]. The dragon vein creates the formation of the mountain. "
http://www.wofs.com/index.php/fs-fine-points-regularfeatures-46/593-tips-on-looking-for-the-dragons-lair
"During the Qin Dynasty (221 207 BC), the concept Dimai (the veins of the earth), was mooted. It was believed that the earths energy, similar to blood circulating in the body, is distributed across the land via earth veins. Those who harness the energy from these veins will prosper...
...During the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 24 A.D.) the combined study of geography and astrology, the study of heaven, earth and their relationship to man developed. This is well known as Kanyu . More detailed study of the mountain ranges of China was also carried out and this marked the beginning of the term 'Dragon Veins'."
http://www.chinatownology.com/fengshui.html
This is Gakutensoku, Japan's first famous robot created by noted biologist Dr. Makoto Nishimura. Check the link above. Historically, the robot was lost during a tour in Germany. TEITO MONOGATARI, being an alternate history saga of course, provides an alternate explanation for the robot's disappearance.
In the context of the anime, the reason seems to be that Kato's magic failed. The magic itself used to impregnate Yukari is referred to as the "magic of King En" ("King En" is believed to refer King Wen of Zhou) and is derived from ancient China. "King En" is ancient history (circa 1100 BC).
In the scene just after Kato cuts off Yukari's body from Masakado's spirit, Kato sees a vision (it has to be a vision since, unless Kato has x-ray vision, he can't see through her) that Yukari will become pregnant with child. He naturally assumes this is his child (because he had cast the spell earlier on her) and proudly declares "I have already accomplished the magic of the Hidden King." Overcome with confidence, Kato leaves the scene and doesn't stop to consider that the child might belong to someone else.
Later on, when Dr. Ogai Mori tries to diagnose Yukari as pregnant, he can't come to a solid conclusion. Of course, that's probably because she's not pregnant at that point in the story. Then later that night, Yoichiro has his way with her and that's when she gets pregnant. Later on, Keiko reveals to Kato that Yukiko is not his child and Kato is furious because he never expected his magic to have failed him.
In the scene just after Kato cuts off Yukari's body from Masakado's spirit, Kato sees a vision (it has to be a vision since, unless Kato has x-ray vision, he can't see through her) that Yukari will become pregnant with child. He naturally assumes this is his child (because he had cast the spell earlier on her) and proudly declares "I have already accomplished the magic of the Hidden King." Overcome with confidence, Kato leaves the scene and doesn't stop to consider that the child might belong to someone else.
Later on, when Dr. Ogai Mori tries to diagnose Yukari as pregnant, he can't come to a solid conclusion. Of course, that's probably because she's not pregnant at that point in the story. Then later that night, Yoichiro has his way with her and that's when she gets pregnant. Later on, Keiko reveals to Kato that Yukiko is not his child and Kato is furious because he never expected his magic to have failed him.
YES. Because Yukiko isn't Kato's daughter his efforts to manipulate her and by extension his plans in the last 3 episodes are always foiled.
--In Episode 2, Kato tries to awaken Masakado using Yukiko as a medium. However, because Yukiko is not really his daughter, his attempt backfires and Masakado zaps Kato for bugging him.
--In Episode 4, Kato has to possess Yukari (the only other psychic around) to feed Yukiko data about the moon. He cannot directly manipulate Yukiko because she is not his daughter. Thus his efforts at performing the calculations necessary to move the moon around are slowed. Keiko points this out directly to him in the nightmare, but Kato refuses to believe the truth.
In the novel, the incest subplot has much greater consequences throughout the last 70 years of history which the book chronicles. For example, the revelation has tragic repercussions on Narutaki who's life becomes fueled by resentment over the loss of Yukari. He eventually starts dabbling in magic himself, and his selfish actions actually have major national consequences, going so far as to entangle the Emperor of Japan. Yukiko of course grows up into an adult who's (understandably) quite estranged from her parents. She eventually becomes romantically involved with one of the young leaders of the 1936 military coup d'état (which also has national consequences): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_26_Incident
This actually turns out to be a bad thing for Tatsumiya. Later on, Tatsumiya runs afoul of the military group and gets killed.
Of course, because the anime's story ends at 1/3rd of the way in, we don't get to see any of these plot points.
--In Episode 2, Kato tries to awaken Masakado using Yukiko as a medium. However, because Yukiko is not really his daughter, his attempt backfires and Masakado zaps Kato for bugging him.
--In Episode 4, Kato has to possess Yukari (the only other psychic around) to feed Yukiko data about the moon. He cannot directly manipulate Yukiko because she is not his daughter. Thus his efforts at performing the calculations necessary to move the moon around are slowed. Keiko points this out directly to him in the nightmare, but Kato refuses to believe the truth.
In the novel, the incest subplot has much greater consequences throughout the last 70 years of history which the book chronicles. For example, the revelation has tragic repercussions on Narutaki who's life becomes fueled by resentment over the loss of Yukari. He eventually starts dabbling in magic himself, and his selfish actions actually have major national consequences, going so far as to entangle the Emperor of Japan. Yukiko of course grows up into an adult who's (understandably) quite estranged from her parents. She eventually becomes romantically involved with one of the young leaders of the 1936 military coup d'état (which also has national consequences): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_26_Incident
This actually turns out to be a bad thing for Tatsumiya. Later on, Tatsumiya runs afoul of the military group and gets killed.
Of course, because the anime's story ends at 1/3rd of the way in, we don't get to see any of these plot points.
There is nothing in the story to indicate that Kato's power is confined just to Tokyo. In Episode 2, we find that Kato was amplifying earthquake waves from Dalian, China to create an earthquake in Tokyo. Clearly, Kato had to be in China to accomplish this feat. Likewise, he can pursue Tatsumiya and his family wherever they move to.
No. He only hoped to shift the moon's position slightly closer to the earth. Torahiko Terada explains earlier on in the episode that shifting the moon closer to the earth would create unbearable friction between the two globes, causing the moon to rebound farther out into space. Kato hoped to use this disturbance to irritate the "firmament dragon" (aka the "sky dragon") to the point where it would cause a natural disaster which would wipe out Tokyo. Thus, the moon would only be a catalyst for this upcoming disaster, not the direct cause of it.
Of course (probably for drama), the anime shows the moon getting really close by the end of the episode. However, as Kato predicts, it does rebound.
Of course (probably for drama), the anime shows the moon getting really close by the end of the episode. However, as Kato predicts, it does rebound.
This is actually pretty simple if you're familiar with Buddhist mythology. At the end of the anime, Keiko becomes a Bodhisattva and she channels the power of the Goddess of Mercy, Kannon (aka Guan Yin).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisatva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannon
In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is a pretty powerful being. Likewise Kato an oni, despite all his power and all, is still helpless before her presence.
However a Bodhisattva is determined to spread compassion to all living creatures, INCLUDING demons. Thus Keiko channeling Kannon shows this by "hugging" Kato.
Remember, Kato is an oni who is fueled by an angry curse dating back 2000 years. However, the mercy and compassion of a bodhisattva is INFINITE, so even a 2000 year old curse is insignificant compared to that power. The curse is dispelled. Without the curse, the hatred fueling Kato dissipates. Kato was an oni who could only exist because of that curse. Without that, he has no more reason to exist. Thus he dissipates, as does Keiko along with him as she has accomplished her mission.
Regarding Keiko's nudity at the end, it must be remembered that in Japanese art, nudity is often a symbol of purity. This is apparent even in shows aimed at younger audiences, such as SAILOR MOON (in there, the heroine becomes nude during her transformation sequence into a virtuous warrior). A more classic example though would Koda Rohan's novella "Love Bodhisattva". This supernatural romance, a tale of a sculptor who falls in love with a statue of a woman he creates, ends with the vision of a naked bodhisattva ascending to heaven with her lover. Whether the creators of DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS were directly inspired from this novella or not is unknown, although it is tempting to believe that given that Koda Rohan is one of the major supporting characters in the anime. In Buddhism, one really doesn't get much more "pure" than a Bodhisattva. Thus, Keiko's nudity symbolizes her newfound infinite compassion and virtue as an enlightened being.
Of course, it should be noted that this isn't faithful to the original novel though since the story technically doesn't end at that point. In the original novel, Kato escaped to Manchuria with Keiko in tow. This leads to the events in book 5.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisatva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kannon
In Buddhism, a Bodhisattva is a pretty powerful being. Likewise Kato an oni, despite all his power and all, is still helpless before her presence.
However a Bodhisattva is determined to spread compassion to all living creatures, INCLUDING demons. Thus Keiko channeling Kannon shows this by "hugging" Kato.
Remember, Kato is an oni who is fueled by an angry curse dating back 2000 years. However, the mercy and compassion of a bodhisattva is INFINITE, so even a 2000 year old curse is insignificant compared to that power. The curse is dispelled. Without the curse, the hatred fueling Kato dissipates. Kato was an oni who could only exist because of that curse. Without that, he has no more reason to exist. Thus he dissipates, as does Keiko along with him as she has accomplished her mission.
Regarding Keiko's nudity at the end, it must be remembered that in Japanese art, nudity is often a symbol of purity. This is apparent even in shows aimed at younger audiences, such as SAILOR MOON (in there, the heroine becomes nude during her transformation sequence into a virtuous warrior). A more classic example though would Koda Rohan's novella "Love Bodhisattva". This supernatural romance, a tale of a sculptor who falls in love with a statue of a woman he creates, ends with the vision of a naked bodhisattva ascending to heaven with her lover. Whether the creators of DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS were directly inspired from this novella or not is unknown, although it is tempting to believe that given that Koda Rohan is one of the major supporting characters in the anime. In Buddhism, one really doesn't get much more "pure" than a Bodhisattva. Thus, Keiko's nudity symbolizes her newfound infinite compassion and virtue as an enlightened being.
Of course, it should be noted that this isn't faithful to the original novel though since the story technically doesn't end at that point. In the original novel, Kato escaped to Manchuria with Keiko in tow. This leads to the events in book 5.
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By what name was Doomed Megalopolis (1991) officially released in India in English?
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