She might not be an Oni.

She's the horned hermit. Now who has horns?

Schrobby said:

She's the horned hermit. Now who has horns?

And this is only one out of the almost 10 implications that she actually almost positively, undoubtedly possible, potentially definitely be an oni.

Scans of the recent chapters lead me to think that she is not an oni. She's lived for hundreds of years, she knows Suika and Yuugi, but when the healing sake was introduced it was pretty much revealed that she was using it to keep her arm in one piece no matter where it may be. She's been drinking it regularly, retaining her youth, all in the hopes of one day finding her arm and when she does find it and heals the injury, she will, to her chagrin, become an oni.

The title of the series alludes to that outcome. She will become a wild, horned, hermit contrary to the calm and serene demeanor she has now.

Why would an Oni who lost an arm stop being an Oni?
BTW, Kasen is probably (very much so) based on Ibaraki-doji, an Oni who lost an arm in a fight, but got it back later.

Schrobby said:

Why would an Oni who lost an arm stop being an Oni?
BTW, Kasen is probably (very much so) based on Ibaraki-doji, an Oni who lost an arm in a fight, but got it back later.

She didn't stop being an Oni. She never was an Oni. She's probably a human, always has been. At least that's what I've been lead to believe based on the healing sake exposition. She wants her arm back and when she does get it, it will come at a price; becoming a rowdy, fun-loving Oni. That's the punch line to the entire manga. XD

And while she might be based on another character, that doesn't mean she is exactly the same as them.

Steak said:

She didn't stop being an Oni. She never was an Oni. She's probably a human, always has been. At least that's what I've been lead to believe based on the healing sake exposition. She wants her arm back and when she does get it, it will come at a price; becoming a rowdy, fun-loving Oni. That's the punch line to the entire manga. XD

And while she might be based on another character, that doesn't mean she is exactly the same as them.

You can't become an oni if you already are one.

Diabolicwave said:

You can't become an oni if you already are one.

She's not an Oni.

Steak said:

She's not an Oni.

Keep telling yourself that. The only proof that you have is her words. Even though Komachi states that Kasen is out of hell's jurisdiction to hunt. Kasen never did state that she is, was, nor will be human. You don't exactly have to be human to consider yourself a hermit.

Except, there's another effect to drinking that healing sake. It makes one become like an oni in mind. Becoming an oni when an injury is healed is secondary to this.

Guess what happens to Kasen when she drinks it? Absolutlely nothing.
Mind you, this is the same person who claims to drink it regularly to keep her arm intact.

I'm not here to make a call for or against. I honestly wouldn't care what she ends up being. However, that evidence is not substantial enough to go either-or in this case.

I tend to stick to Perfect Memento for as long as Akyuu allows. Her header for the section is "Somewhat Peculiar Humans" but I focus more on the concept of lifestyle. Whether or not Oni can be Hermits conceptually (Byakuren thinks a number of Tengu are Hermits) Hermitage is decided as a state of being as opposed to a straight-up species; people pull off becoming a Hermit much like Magicians work to become Witches. The lifestyles as written according to Touhou lore are rather opposed to one another, especially the sutra recitation part. I am not suggesting that Oni could possibly not be smart or devoted enough to pull it off, but that it does not mesh with their party, drink, fight, honesty attitudes as written. Kasen does not act much like an Oni with or without the healing sake and, to preserve her Hermit status, classic Oni-like behavior might interfere.

All it really changes is whether or not we still have two Devas of the Mountain to meet, or just one, and we've not even been formally introduced to the third if it is Kasen.

FJH said:

I tend to stick to Perfect Memento for as long as Akyuu allows. Her header for the section is "Somewhat Peculiar Humans" but I focus more on the concept of lifestyle. Whether or not Oni can be Hermits conceptually (Byakuren thinks a number of Tengu are Hermits) Hermitage is decided as a state of being as opposed to a straight-up species; people pull off becoming a Hermit much like Magicians work to become Witches. The lifestyles as written according to Touhou lore are rather opposed to one another, especially the sutra recitation part. I am not suggesting that Oni could possibly not be smart or devoted enough to pull it off, but that it does not mesh with their party, drink, fight, honesty attitudes as written. Kasen does not act much like an Oni with or without the healing sake and, to preserve her Hermit status, classic Oni-like behavior might interfere.

All it really changes is whether or not we still have two Devas of the Mountain to meet, or just one, and we've not even been formally introduced to the third if it is Kasen.

That was what I was trying to say since conceptually to be called a hermit is to be given a title like mistress, lord, master, sir, madame, etc... What I wanted was more proof to his claim which I know is not there. While the proof to her being an oni is still speculation at best. At best we can determine that her false arm is of youkai descent from when she touched the Hakurei Orb.

Steak said:

She didn't stop being an Oni. She never was an Oni. She's probably a human, always has been. At least that's what I've been lead to believe based on the healing sake exposition. She wants her arm back and when she does get it, it will come at a price; becoming a rowdy, fun-loving Oni. That's the punch line to the entire manga. XD

And while she might be based on another character, that doesn't mean she is exactly the same as them.

At any rate, she's very oni-like. She has an intense aversion to beans, and she is close friends with Yuugi, and is (was) hiding from Suika.