Those who did NOT make the connection with all the oni traits she has exhibited over the years is clearly not getting enough 2hu in their daily nutrition
Those who did NOT make the connection with all the oni traits she has exhibited over the years is clearly not getting enough 2hu in their daily nutrition
Rather I was expecting a twist. The manga introduced an oni drink that makes people as rowdy as Oni, but it also had healing powers. The healing powers were so great that a missing limb would be preserved regardless of where it might be, but the unfortunate catch was that as soon as you were healed, you would turn into an Oni.
I haven't been keeping up with that particular series, as it seemed to have stalled a few years ago. If there's been any updates, fine, or confirmations, fine. If Zun was poking fun at an obvious non-mystery, fine, but if he wanted to play it seriously, he could have done so.
Kasen references one of the Devas, but with a twist. A twist within a twist. That's all I was thinking. I don't see why people have to be upset over some idle speculation.
I haven't been keeping up with that particular series, as it seemed to have stalled a few years ago.
You and me both. I take it we are hovering over the same source but find ourselves blueballed for an expansive period of time. A twist of a twist would be cool. If Kasen´s arm alone became an oni and on top of that, one of the Devas while she herself was not one. I would be open to that, but the allergenic reactions to beans and fish heads, Mamizou´s harassment, you would have to have some fineline excuses for all of this.
Throwing my two cents here, I think people put a bit too much weight on whether Kasen is an oni or not. The way I see it, the whole poorly kept secret is just a red herring to the fact that she's one of the Sages of Gensokyo and that she was quite ruthless back then (assuming that's what the Arm of Ibaraki-Douji represents). That's a lot more interesting, imo.
WaHH chapter 49 reveals that to be exactly the case. Although the arm is also revealed to be a separate (and truly evil) entity from Kasen.
Valentine322 said:
Throwing my two cents here, I think people put a bit too much weight on whether Kasen is an oni or not. The way I see it, the whole poorly kept secret is just a red herring to the fact that she's one of the Sages of Gensokyo and that she was quite ruthless back then (assuming that's what the Arm of Ibaraki-Douji represents). That's a lot more interesting, imo.
My personal theory is that Kasen was an oni, but had (most of) her powers sealed off when her arm was cut off, like how her namesake had his powers weakened and was effectively defeated after his arm got cut off. She was left dying so she took a page out of the humans' book and practiced hermitcraft in order to avert her death, ironically putting her on Hell's hit list (like all hermits). The path of the hermit is a human one, however, and walking said path aligns Kasen's thoughts and sympathies with that of a human (albeit an 'enlightened' one), which is why she's ostensibly on the side of (Gensoukyou's) humans throughout her interactions with Reimu/Marisa/Yukari/Sanae, and nags the first two (and Sanae sometimes) all the time on how to be 'good humans' (zeal of the convert, methinks) and is fine with white lies and deceiving other people ("for their own good") all the time (onis hate lies).
(The other theory is that Kasen is putting up an act in order to take over Reimu's shrine, presumably to recover her arm, but while I think this is part of her motives, Kasen's newfound zeal is also genuine as you can often see her concern for humans [like in the stone sakura and hell gold cases] even when she's alone and talking to herself, with nobody to put up an act for. She also wouldn't be suffering such an identity crisis or object so strongly when Yukari assumes Kasen was still on the side of the youkai.)
This also accounts for her interactions with Komachi. There wouldn't (potentially) be assassins out for Kasen if she's just an oni posing as a hermit, and Komachi's allusions to her 'unnaturally' extending her lifespan (and all that karma business) wouldn't make sense either. It also fits with how Kasen is also ostensibly seeking to enter heaven as a celestial, like other hermits. (She could be lying to Tenshi, but there's nothing to gain by lying to Komachi who was also present.) She's keeping her options open in case her "recover her arm" plan failed to work out.
So, to me the current Kasen is kinda in a limbo state, neither fully an oni or a hermit, but has elements of traits from both.
Of course, now that her arm is back, and seems to have regenerated her old oni body and is fighting Reimu... things get more complicated. Kasen's loyalties are now conflicted. She has to decide between going back being an oni youkai sage, or staying as a pseudo-hermit with her current loyalties. She might also be trying to have her cake and eat it too (regain her old powers/vitality while still practicing hermitcraft?), but the fight going on between Reimu and her arm definitely complicates things.
Edit:
To add to the above, Kasen may also be a former human turned into an oni, like the mythological Ibaraki-douji. Sealing her oni powers off would then revert her back into a human or pseudo-human. The distinction is mostly academic in the context of my speculation above, though.
