Miscellaneous Archives - Page 2 of 23

YumeTwins Magical Moon Festival Box

By DoubleSama | September 17, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

What’s In the Box?!

YumeTwins was kind enough to send me their September 2022 box to review. This box’s theme is Magical Moon Festival. That means all the goods within the box connect to the Tsukimi (月見 / つきみ) holiday in some way. In case you aren’t familiar, tsukimi is the Japanese word for moon viewing.

If this is your first exposure to YumeTwins, it’s a monthly subscription box service. Every box has a different theme and comes with 5-7 items. This Magical Moon Festival box is my second YumeTwins box. Last year, they sent me their Magical Level Up box.

It’s time to answer the big question, what’s in the Magical Moon Festival box? This box includes the following:

Magical Moon Festival Booklet
Rilakkuma Dango Plushie
Rilakkuma Rabbit Candy Bottle
BT21 Cooky Magnetic Cable Wrap
Mt. Fuji and the Moon Sticky Notes
Kirby Japanese Pattern Stationery

Before getting into these items, I want to mention how the box itself has changed since last year. The Magical Moon Festival box is slightly smaller than the Magical Level Up box. But, the quality of the box increased. The cardboard is thinner, yet sturdier. The design on the box looks nicer. And their logo is actually reflective (though you can’t tell in the picture).

Something I like about YumeTwins is that the packaging itself is aesthetically pleasing. They’re not sending a boring brown or white cardboard box. That wouldn’t be very kawaii. They take the time to make the box look good.

Magical Moon Festival Booklet

Once again, the booklet that came with the YumeTwins box impressed me. Everything about these booklets is great. And I love how every box gets a unique logo that’s displayed on the cover of the booklet. The Magical Moon Festival logo is clean.

Inside the booklet, there are pages that describe the products found within the box. That’s great and all, but what makes these booklets so special are the other pages.

For example, there are 2 pages that explain what Tsukimi is, its origins, and how it’s celebrated. You’ll also notice that there are quite a few Rilakkuma products within this box. Well, the booklet also contains 2 pages explaining the character Rilakkuma.

Another page in the booklet tells the story of The Rabbit on the Moon. This page includes a blurb about something I’ve written about before. That’s the fact that Sailor Moon’s name, Usagi Tsukino, comes from this story. Unfortunately, there are no Sailor Moon products this time around.

Lastly, the booklet contains instructions for making your very own Tsukimi Dango. Now, I’m no chef, but these instructions seem easy enough that even I could make them. If I do, you’ll see it on Instagram.

Rilakkuma Dango Plushie

Every YumTwins box comes with one item that’s a YumeTwins exclusive product. This month’s exclusive product is the Rilakkuma Dango Plushie. It’s 22cm (8.7in) long, making it the largest item found within the box.

There’s not really much else to say about this item. It’s a plushie, it’s cute, and it’s not edible despite being dango.

What I will say is that while this is an exclusive item, some months feature an original item instead. The Magical Level Up box I got last year included a YumeTwins original Magical Nyan Nyan Plush. And next month’s box includes an original Magical Nyan Nyan Halloween Plush.

Rilakkuma Rabbit Candy Bottle

The Rilakkuma Rabbit Candy Bottle is easily my favorite item from this month’s box. It’s a small, glass jar with a Rilakkuma character (bunny version) rubber stopper for a lid. There are also four possible characters you could get. These are Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, Kiiroitori, and Chairoikoguma

As you can see, I got the Rilakkuma bottle, which is actually the one I like the most. Kiiroitori seems like the best character. But, I think the Rilakkuma lid looks the best of the four options (shown in the booklet).

Something else I like about these lids is that the character’s legs are sticking out from the bottom of the lid too. This isn’t a Rilakkuma lid. Rilakkuma is the lid — or is at least stuck within the lid.

Oh, and since this is a candy jar, it actually comes filled with individually wrapped candy. They’re peach hard candies with Rilakkuma branding on them. I’m not much of a sweets person, but I tried one and they’re pretty alright. If you’ve had peach candy before, that’s what they taste like.

I’m not sure what I’m going to put in the jar once the candy runs out. But, it’s going to stay on my desk regardless of what I use it for.

BT21 Cooky Magnetic Cable Wrap

Next, we have the BT21 Cooky Magnetic Cable Wrap. Apparently, Cooky is a character created by Jeon Jungkook of the K-pop group BTS. Don’t cancel me for this, but I know nothing about BTS. I’ve never heard a BTS song, and I probably never will.

I guess I could use this item to manage the cables in my office. Currently, I’m using binder clips to hold my cables together. But, the issue with using Cooky as intended is that he’d be behind my desk and out of sight. For now, I have him hanging off one of Rilakkuma’s bunny ears.

Mt. Fuji and the Moon Sticky Notes

I know you’re supposed to use sticky notes to write things down. But, I think I’d have a hard time writing on and tearing off these Mt. Fuji and the Moon sticky notes. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t want to mess up how nice they look by using them.

The sticky notes are contained within a cover that has gold or silver foil stamping. Not only does this protect the notes inside, but it also makes it look nicer.

If you’re wondering why the moon is orange on these sticky notes, the booklet has an explanation. I wasn’t aware of this before, but in Japan, they view the moon as orange. The more you know.

Kirby Japanese Pattern Stationery

Kirby Seigaiha Wave Pattern Notebook from the YumeTwins Magical Moon Festival Box — Kirby Seigaiha Wave Pattern Notebook

The final item in the Magical Moon Festival box is a Kirby Japanese Pattern Stationery item. There were 3 possible stationery items to get. There’s a Kirby Dango Notebook, a Kirby Seigaiha Wave Pattern Notebook, and a Kirby Dango Drawstring Pouch.

As you can see, I got the Kirby Seigaiha Wave Pattern Notebook.

Before I went through the specific items in my box, I wanted the drawstring pouch. But, once I actually had the notebook in my hands, I realized I like it more than the pouch. I don’t have any use for the pouch. I do have uses for notebooks.

Conclusion

Once again, I had a great time opening my box from YumeTwins. Yes, the items within the box can be fun or even useful. But, for me, the best part about receiving a YumeTwins box is the experience of opening it. It’s fun.

The next box’s theme is Kawaii Halloween Party. So if you’re interested in that, you’ll want to subscribe to YumeTwins before October 15, 2022. And if you subscribe via one of the links on DoubleSama.com, you’ll be helping to support this blog.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server to discuss anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

How Naruto’s Chakra System Functions as a World-Building Tool

By DoubleSama | September 5, 2022 | Comments 2 comments

Power Systems and World Building Continuity

Back in 2020, I wrote an article about world building in anime. I discussed how story, characters, locations, culture, and scale all play a role. But, one thing I left out of that article was how a power system can be one of the most effective forms of world building.

Obviously, power systems don’t apply to all anime. They don’t even apply to most anime. But, a power system is instrumental to the world building of my favorite anime series, Naruto.

So, today, I’ll be exploring how the chakra system from Naruto, Shippūden, and Boruto helps to build the world. More specifically, I’ll be focusing on how it’s used to expand the scope of the world. What we know about chakra evolves throughout the series, but never feels like it breaks the rules.

Laying a Foundation for the Chakra System

We’re introduced to the concepts of chakra and natures almost immediately in Naruto. In the very first episode of the series, we learn about the Shadow Clone jutsu. This is a jutsu that uses chakra but involves no transformation in nature.

It doesn’t take long for nature transformations to show up, though. By Episode 5, we see Sasuke use the Great Fireball Technique against Kakashi. So, right from the start of the series, we could see that elemental jutsu were possible. But, at this stage, we didn’t have much in the form of explanations.

Sasuke using the Great Fireball Technique from the anime series Naruto Episode 5 — Sasuke using the Great Fireball Technique

Chakra natures aren’t formally explained until pretty far into the series. But, even before that occurs, we know that there are differences between the natures. Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water are the natures that encompass most of the jutsu we see early on.

These five basic chakra natures are the foundation upon which the rest of the power system is built. That’s not to say they’re the only basic chakra natures. But, I’ll get to that soon.

Building Upon the Chakra System

It doesn’t take long for the first expansion of the chakra system to appear. In Naruto Episode 13, we see our first Kekkei Genkai, Haku’s Ice Release. Though, at this point in the series, it’s referred to as a “secret jutsu” instead of a Kekkei Genkai.

Kekkei Genkai are the next logical step within the chakra system. We had basic chakra natures, and now we have combined chakra natures. Haku’s Ice Release is a combination of Water and Wind Release. This sets the stage for later Kekkei Genkai nature transformations.

Haku using the Crystal Ice Mirror jutsu from the anime series Naruto Episode 13 — Haku using the Crystal Ice Mirror jutsu

Some examples that show up later in the series are Lava Release and Magnet Release. Lava is a combination of Fire and Earth while Magnet is a combination of Wind and Earth. There are many other combined chakra natures like these. And after seeing a few, you can start to figure out how they’re created.

If you already know about Ice, Lava, and Magnet Release, it’s not hard to figure out Boil Release. It’s just a combination of Water and Fire.

With Kekkei Genkai established, we’re then introduced to Kekkei Tōta, which are the next step up. Kekkei Tōta combine 3 basic chakra natures instead of 2. That makes sense, right? If 2 natures can be combined, why not 3?

Expanding the Scope of the Chakra System

The chakra system as I’ve explained it so far is surprisingly limiting. There are only 5 basic natures and only so many ways they can combine. So, you might expect that we’d learn of all the possible combinations and that would be the end of it.

Well, it’s time to expand the scope of the chakra system. And this expansion happens in two ways. First, there’s the introduction of additional Kekkei Genkai created from the same combinations. The most famous examples of this are Wood Release and Mud Release.

Both of these natures combine Water and Earth. So, does that mean that anyone who can use Wood Release can also use Mud Release? No. A key part of Kekkei Genkai is that they’re unique to specific bloodlines. So different bloodlines have access to Wood and Mud Release.

A reanimated Hashirama Senju using the Deep Forest Emergence jutsu from the anime series Naruto Episode 71 — A reanimated Hashirama Senju using the Deep Forest Emergence jutsu

The other way the series expands the system is by introducing Yin and Yang natures. These are basic natures just like Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water. So, shouldn’t their introduction break the rules of the world? Not exactly.

You see, Yin and Yang natures are separate from the elemental natures. They don’t interact with the strength/weakness chart of the elemental natures. And they also don’t combine with the elemental natures. So, they don’t interfere with the rules already in place.

Additionally, they help to explain some jutsu that seemed to fall outside of the rules. The Shadow Paralysis jutsu is one such example. Now, instead of saying it’s a natureless jutsu, we can point to it being a Yin Release jutsu.

Applying the Chakra System to Characters

Up to this point, I’ve explained how the expansions to the chakra system never broke the rules of the world. With each expansion, the system gained more depth. And with an understanding of that depth, viewers can make predictions about unknowns.

But, there are times when these predictions fail. And Wood Release is the biggest culprit of this in Naruto. We know Wood Release is a Kekkei Genkai of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. But, his granddaughter, Tsunade, can’t use it. In fact, nobody else in the Senju bloodline can.

The explanation for this? That simply being a member of a specific bloodline doesn’t guarantee a Kekkei Genkai. So, is this an issue with the world building? Not yet.

Yamato using the Domed Wall jutsu from the anime series Naruto: Shippūden Episode 41 — Yamato using the Domed Wall jutsu

There are other characters we meet who can use Wood Release despite not being members of the Senju clan. Yamato is the most important. Now, when he’s introduced, it’s easy to think that this breaks the rules of the world. But, that’s not the case.

Yamato can only use Wood Release because he has the DNA of Hashirama implanted into him. And that logic is the same for most other characters who can use Wood Release. Generally speaking, they all have Hashirama’s DNA or are the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails.

There’s one exception to the rule who I’ll get to in a bit.

Kekkei Genkai Without the Bloodline

I mentioned that Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails can use Wood Release even without Hashirama’s DNA. This isn’t a phenomenon unique to the Ten-Tails. Multiple of the Tailed Beasts have Kekkei Genkai that they pass on to their Jinchūriki.

Three other Tailed Beasts also have Kekkei Genkai. These are Shukaku with Magnet Release, Son Gokū with Lave Release, and Kokuō with Boil Release. This means that the Jinchūriki of each of these Tailed Beasts can also use these chakra natures.

Naruto using a Lava Style Rasenshuriken from the anime series Naruto: Shippūden Episode 242 — Naruto using a Lava Style Rasenshuriken

Technically speaking, Naruto is the Jinchūriki of all 9 Tailed Beasts (not the Ten-Tails). Because of that, and the chakra he received from Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, he has access to a lot of chakra natures. Naruto can use Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Water, Lava, Magnet, Boil, Yin, Yang, and Yin-Yang Release.

However, the only chakra nature Naruto can use naturally is Wind Release.

At this point, it’s a bit strange to look back at the history of chakra natures in Naruto. Seeing Naruto be able to use this many natures doesn’t at first seem like it fits within the rules set at the start. But, even at this point, none of the rules have been broken.

So, now we need to make the jump to Boruto.

Does Moegi Break the System?

Look, I know a lot of people hate Boruto. But, one of my favorite things about watching it is seeing how it sticks to the system set up throughout Naruto. This is why the chakra system is such a great tool for world building.

I can see characters use a jutsu and figure out what chakra natures they must have based on it. Or I can see what clan a character is from and infer their chakra natures and jutsu. And for the most part, these kinds of predictions work.

There’s one exception, though. And, of course, this exception ties back to Wood Release.

Moegi using the Gravel jutsu from the anime series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 212 — Moegi using the Gravel jutsu

For some unknown reason, Moegi can use Wood Release. She’s not related to Hashirama. She’s not the Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails. And, as far as we know, she doesn’t have Hashirama’s DNA implanted in her. So, is the chakra system finally broken? Maybe.

It’s been a few years since Moegi’s Wood Release was revealed and we still don’t know how she has it. The series as a whole is coming up on its 20th anniversary this October. And in all that time, Moegi’s the one character who seems to break the rules.

Even filler characters follow the rules of the chakra system. So, let’s hope that one day we get an explanation for Moegi. It could be as simple as saying that she does have Hashirama’s DNA in her. But, we’ll also need an explanation for why that’s the case.

Conclusion

Not every anime can use a power system as a tool for world building. Generally, this is something reserved for shounen battle series. Not only because they’re the ones that have power systems, but also because they’re long. It takes a lot of time to make a power system complex and consistent enough for this.

That’s not to say you need hundreds of episodes. Fullmetal Alchemist does a good job in about 50 episodes. But, even 50 episodes is longer than most anime.

If you enjoyed this article, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content.

What Role Will Shanks Play in the Future of One Piece?

By DoubleSama | February 25, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

“Red-Haired” Shanks

As a disclaimer, I’m not caught up on the latest chapter of the One Piece manga. So, while I find it unlikely to be the case, something I theorize about in this article may already be based on outdated information.

Also, yes, this article is based on manga content so there may be some spoilers for anime watchers. With that said, today I want to both explain my theory regarding the role Shanks is going to play in the future as well as attempt to discredit some other theories I’ve seen.

I believe that Shanks is going to be killed before Luffy reaches him, or at least before we get a fight between Luffy and Shanks. It seems like a lot of people disagree with that.

"Red-Haired" Shanks from the anime series One Piece — “Red-Haired” Shanks

Before I get into why I believe this, we need to go over some of the basics of the pirate known as “Red-Haired” Shanks. Shanks is a former apprentice of the Roger Pirates and current captain of the Red Hair Pirates. He’s also one of the Four Emperors who rule over the New World.

Shanks is also potentially the strongest of the Four Emperors. And if he’s not, he’s the most influential at the very least. He was able to put a stop to the Summit War against the Marines and was able to persuade Kaido not to participate in the war somehow.

And finally, Shanks is the one who gave Luffy his straw hat. He gave Luffy the straw hat and made a promise to Luffy that the straw hat would be returned to Shanks when they met as equals on the sea.

So, naturally, it would make sense that Luffy and Shanks are eventually going to go head to head, right?

Why Luffy’s Promise to Shanks Doesn’t Matter

One argument I’ve seen for why Luffy and Shanks have to eventually go head to head is because of their promise. Luffy’s supposed to return the straw hat to Shanks when they’re equals.

And since this is Luffy, he’ll obviously want to fight against Shanks — even if it’s just a friendly match with no real stakes. I’d like to see Luffy fight against Shanks. But I’m not convinced that we’re ever actually going to see it happen.

Why? Because Luffy’s promise to Shanks doesn’t matter. To realize this, you just have to look at what the straw hat Shanks gave to Luffy represents. That straw hat was given to Shanks by Roger and then to Luffy by Shanks. It represents passing the torch to the next generation.

Shanks giving his straw hat to Luffy from the anime series One Piece — Shanks giving his straw hat to Luffy

Roger gave Shanks the straw hat to symbolize that he was entrusting Shanks with the future. And Shanks gave Luffy the straw hat for the same reason. So it would make no sense for Luffy to give the straw hat back to Shanks once they met on the seas as equals.

Let’s say I’m wrong about Luffy and Shanks meeting up as equals and fighting. Even in that situation, Shanks wouldn’t take the straw hat back from Luffy. He never intended for that to actually happen when he gave the straw hat to Luffy.

But, then why did the two of them make that promise? Well, that promise has been one of the driving forces behind everything Luffy has done since. Shanks gave Luffy the goal of becoming his equal so that Luffy would become strong enough to fight against the evil of the world.

Shanks doesn’t need to fight Luffy. Luffy reaching the level of an Emperor of the Sea means Shanks already achieved his goal.

Shanks Will Be Killed by the Worst Generation

It makes sense for Luffy to fight and defeat the other three Emperors. Blackbeard is arguably the main villain of the series (Akainu and Im are also contenders), so Luffy is going to fight him. I don’t have any doubts there.

As for Big Mom and Kaido, I think they’re going to be defeated by Luffy by the end of the Wano Arc. Despite what Law and Kid did to Big Mom, Luffy has been Big Mom’s main rival ever since Fishman Island. Luffy explicitly stated that he was going to take down Big Mom — so he will.

And since Kaido is the oppressor of Wano, it only makes sense for Luffy to be the one to defeat him because that’s how it always works. Any time the Straw Hats arrive at an island and there’s a ruler who needs to be overthrown, Luffy is the one to do it.

Just look at Alabasta and Dressrosa as examples.

Eustass "Captain" Kid from the anime series One Piece — Eustass “Captain” Kid

However, just as Luffy has reasons for taking out those three Emperors, there are two other characters whom I’d argue have reasons for taking out Shanks. I mentioned the Worst Generation in the title of this section because I think it’s either going to be Blackbeard or Eustass Kid.

Blackbeard and Shanks have fought before, with Blackbeard wounding Shanks. And considering I can’t see Blackbeard achieving his goal with Shanks still around, it makes sense that he’d go after Shanks.

Eustass Kid already tried to take down Shanks and lost an arm in the process. He has a vendetta against Shanks now. And if we consider that Oda originally planned for Kid to be Luffy’s main rival, having Kid take out Shanks would be a great way to put them at odds after the events of Wano.

Conclusion

What role do you think Shanks is going to play in the future of the series? I’m thinking that the defeat of the Red Hair Pirates is going to be used to set up a fight between Luffy and either Blackbeard or Kid.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and Toma for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month, as well as Key Mochi~ for supporting at the Senpai tier. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Ancient Weapons in the One Piece World

By DoubleSama | February 11, 2022 | Comments 0 Comment

Three Ancient Weapons

Although I’ve only recently finished the Whole Cake Island Arc of the One Piece anime, I am up to date on the events of the manga. So, this article is going to include spoilers up to the latest chapter (1040). You’ve been warned.

Now, it looks like we’re going to have the second ancient weapon of the series revealed fairly soon in the manga. And before that happens, I wanted to explain some of my theories surrounding these weapons.

But first, what is an ancient weapon?

An ancient weapon is a weapon created by, or originating from, the ancient civilization that was destroyed during the Void Century. There are three such weapons, named Poseidon, Pluton, and Uranus (Uranos?).

These weapons are said to be the most powerful things on the planet, capable of destroying everything. And because of that, the World Government is very interested in them. They don’t want these weapons to fall into the hands of pirates and they also want to use them for themselves.

Poseidon

Poseidon is the only current ancient weapon we know we’ve seen in the story so far. There are no theories to be had about this one. The true nature of the weapon Poseidon is that it’s a mermaid princess with the ability to talk to and control the Sea Kings.

There’s not always a mermaid princess alive with this ability, but there currently is: Shirahoshi. It’s also implied that the world government, or at least Im, knows that Shirahoshi is the ancient weapon Poseidon.

Even with this knowledge, it’s unclear exactly what they could do to Shirahoshi. Ideally, they’d like to take her power. But I don’t think that’s possible. At best, they could threaten or torture her to force her to control the Sea Kings on their behalf.

Alternatively, they could simply kill her so that she can’t use the Sea Kings against them.

Sea Kings at Fishman Island from the anime series One Piece — Sea Kings at Fishman Island

What’s important about Shirahoshi being Poseidon, though, is that it serves as the basis for my other theories. Ever since we learned the true nature of Poseidon at Fishman Island, I’ve thought that the other two ancient weapons would probably be similar.

Poseidon isn’t a physical weapon. It’s a person, or rather an ability that a person has that allows them to do or control something. In my mind, the same would then be true for Pluton and Uranus, despite there seemingly being evidence to the contrary in prior arcs.

I’ll also say now that it’s possible Joy Boy was the original user of all three ancient weapons. We know he has a connection to Fishman Island because of the Noah, which was created to be pulled by Sea Kings.

Pluton

Pluton is the first ancient weapon we heard about way back in Alabasta. It’s also the ancient weapon I believe is going to be revealed soon in the manga. This is probably the most interesting ancient weapon currently because we know a lot about it, but not exactly what it is.

So, what do we know about Pluton?

First, we know that Robin actually knows Pluton’s whereabouts. She’s known this ever since Alabasta. Second, we know that Pluton is a warship of some kind; there were even blueprints for it before Franky burned them.

This may seem obvious at this point in the manga, but ever since the Zou Arc when Momonosuke spoke to Zunesha, I’ve thought their connection would turn out to be what we know as Pluton. I even mentioned this briefly in my Zou review.

Zunesha destroying Jack's ship from the anime series One Piece: Zou — Zunesha destroying Jack’s ship

Momonosuke can talk to and control Zunesha just as Shirahoshi can talk to and control the Sea Kings. Both of them use the Voice of All Things to achieve this. And while Zunesha isn’t a literal battleship, it functions as one. It roams the seas, has people living on it, and can attack at Momonosuke’s order.

We know that the Minks who live on Zunesha are allied with Wano. Also, we know Zunesha is connected to Wano in some other way. And in the latest manga chapter, it was even revealed that Zunesha was Joy Boy’s “companion.”

Now, “companion” doesn’t really mean ship. But wouldn’t the Straw Hats consider the Going Merry and the Thousand Sunny their companions?

Also, while there were blueprints of Pluton, implying it really is a ship, that doesn’t stop Zunesha from being Pluton. Zunesha could be a ship that was given a mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and forced to wander the seas as a punishment for being so destructive as a battleship.

That would line up with the themes of Water 7 in which the World Government tried to argue that objects themselves could be “evil.”

Uranus

Uranus is the final ancient weapon we know nothing about. Because it’s named after the Greek god of the sky, most people assume it can fly. Some people have even suggested that it’s Eneru’s ship the Maxim or that it’s the Moon itself. I don’t agree with those two theories, though.

It probably won’t surprise you at this point to learn that I believe Uranus is someone with the ability to talk to and control a living creature. What is that creature? I think it’s whatever hatched from the giant egg we’ve seen on Roger’s ship the Oro Jackson.

And, specifically, I’m going to assume it’s a dragon. Many have theorized that the Celestial Dragons are thus named because they once had dragons. The egg on Roger’s ship is probably the last of those dragons and I’m guessing he stole it from the Celestial Dragons.

A giant egg on Roger's Oro Jackson ship from the anime series One Piece — A giant egg on Roger’s Oro Jackson ship

Now, if that dragon is one part of Uranus, who’s the person who can control it? I think the most natural answer is Vivi. The royal family of Fishman Island possesses Poseidon, the Kozuki Clan of Wano seems to possess Pluton, and so I’m guessing the Nefertari family of Alabasta “possesses” Uranus.

They don’t physically possess it currently. But I’m guessing they were meant to be the protectors of it and Vivi is the one with the power of Uranus. That would explain why Im has taken an interest in Vivi.

Aside from Vivi, my next best guess is Dragon (Luffy’s dad). He has the name and can seemingly control the wind — probably via a Devil Fruit. But aside from that, and having the Will of D, I don’t think he really fits.

Conclusion

Let me know in the comments if you have different theories regarding the ancient weapons. I’m pretty confident in my theories for Pluton and Uranus, though. Pluton seems almost guaranteed at this point, and there’s a lot of evidence for Uranus as well, I think.

If you enjoyed this discussion, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Is Kisame Hoshigaki a Sage?

By DoubleSama | February 9, 2022 | Comments 2 comments

What is a Sage in Naruto?

Let’s just answer the question from the title right now. No. Kisame Hoshigaki is not a sage. But, that’s not a very fun answer. And since the latest arc in Boruto has me thinking about Kisame, I figured it’d be fun to make an argument for him being a sage.

Before I get into that, though, I should probably explain what a sage is within the Naruto universe. A sage is someone who has the ability to absorb and use chakra from the nature around them.

Every living thing has chakra within it, even if they can’t directly mold that chakra like Rock and Metal Lee. Even those two can still use chakra by releasing their Eight Inner Gates. But a sage can use both the chakra stored within their body and the chakra outside of their body.

Kabuto Yakushi's Snake Sage Mode from the anime series Naruto: Shippuden — Kabuto Yakushi’s Snake Sage Mode

Often, when this nature chakra is absorbed into the body (called Sage Mode), it causes the user to develop animal-like traits. The more the nature chakra overwhelms them, the more animal-like they become. Kabuto (pictured above) gained snake traits, while Jiraiya and Naruto gained toad traits.

The traits one develops are connected to how they learned to use Sage Mode. If Konohamaru were to learn Sage Mode from the monkeys, like Enma, he would gain monkey traits. But, achieving a “perfect” sage mode can eliminate these traits, as seen with Hashirama Senju and Koji Kashin.

Additionally, sages generally excel in jutsu that relate to their particular type of Sage Mode. Orochimaru (formerly) and Kabuto could use a bunch of snake jutsu. And Jiraiya could use a bunch of Toad jutsu. If only there was a slug sage to use slug jutsu.

Tailed Beast Without a Tail

Kisame Hoshigaki is known as the Tailed Beast without a tail because of his massive amounts of chakra. I want to bring this up for two reasons. First, all sages must have a massive amount of chakra so that they aren’t overwhelmed by the nature chakra they absorb.

Second, it’s very possible that some of Kisame’s massive chakra reserves aren’t his own. Yes, he has a lot of chakra. But Tailed Beasts have insane amounts of it. How could one person have that much without being a Jinchūriki?

The answer is simple: They absorb chakra from their surroundings. If Kisame was a sage, that would perfectly explain how he never runs out of chakra despite expending huge amounts of it constantly. Nobody aside from Jinchūriki and sages can do what Kisame does — and we know he’s not a Jinchūriki.

Kisame holding Samehada from the anime series Naruto — Kisame holding Samehada

Consider for a moment some of the things we’ve seen Kisame do that use up his chakra. For starters, merely holding his sword Samehada drains his chakra. Samehada is a living weapon that feeds on the chakra of its wielder. And anyone who doesn’t have enough chakra will be sucked dry.

On top of that, we’ve even seen Kisame use extremely large-scale Water-style jutsu. In his fight against Team Guy, Kisame flooded the entire battlefield to give himself an advantage. And after doing that, he summoned a bunch of sharks and continued to use other jutsu.

The source of Kisame’s chakra has, unfortunately, never been confirmed. But, it seems pretty clear that even if Kisame isn’t actually a sage, he’s was a prime candidate to become one simply due to his chakra.

Oh, and he can use four chakra natures, which also shows that he’s exceptionally skilled when it comes to chakra usage.

Shark Sage Kisame

Clearly, if Kisame was a sage, he would be a shark sage. He has the traits of a shark, has a summoning pact with sharks, and uses a bunch of shark jutsu. Also, even his sword is shark-themed.

As for his physical traits, Kisame has gills that allow him to breathe underwater. It’s unclear if the gill slits we see below his eyes are functional. But even if they aren’t, we know he has functional gills on his shoulders, as pictured below.

Additionally, Kisame has sharp teeth, though this can be discounted because that’s a common trait within the Hidden Mist Village. Even the current Mizukage has sharp teeth, and there’s no reason to suggest that he’s a sage of any kind.

But, Kisame’s shark traits do make it seem like his body has been altered due to his use of nature chakra just like Orochimaru, Kabuto, Jiraiya, and Naruto.

Kisame showing off his gills from the anime series Naruto Shippuden — Kisame showing off his gills

It’s pretty crazy that I have to say Kisame isn’t a sage when he checks literally every box. The only thing that’s missing is official confirmation that he is one. But, unfortunately, there’s one more nail in the coffin for Kisame’s sage dreams.

If everything I’ve described so far was all there was to it, we could safely assume Kisame is a sage. However, the Boruto anime series messes this all up. We can’t assume Kisame is a shark sage anymore because there are other characters with the same traits in Boruto who clearly aren’t sages.

Shizuma Hoshigaki, a relative of Kisame, also has a shark-like appearance and could wield Samehada. But I don’t think anyone would argue that he’s a sage. And then there’s a member of the Funato clan in the current arc who also has fish traits, such as gills on his neck. And again, I can’t see anyone arguing he’s a sage either.

Conclusion

What do you think of Kisame Hoshigaki’s sage status? Have I convinced you that he is in fact a sage despite what Boruto would have you believe? Personally, I still like to think Kisame is a sage even if it’s not confirmed.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and Toma for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

What’s In the Box?!

Magical Moon Festival Booklet

Rilakkuma Dango Plushie

Rilakkuma Rabbit Candy Bottle

BT21 Cooky Magnetic Cable Wrap

Mt. Fuji and the Moon Sticky Notes

Kirby Japanese Pattern Stationery

Conclusion

Power Systems and World Building Continuity

Laying a Foundation for the Chakra System

Building Upon the Chakra System

Expanding the Scope of the Chakra System

Applying the Chakra System to Characters

Kekkei Genkai Without the Bloodline

Does Moegi Break the System?

Naruto Chakra Nature Quiz

Take Quiz

Naruto Chakra Nature Quiz

Take Quiz

Conclusion

Join Server

Discord Community

Join Server

“Red-Haired” Shanks

HobbyLink Japan

Shop Now

HobbyLink Japan

Shop Now

Why Luffy’s Promise to Shanks Doesn’t Matter

Shanks Will Be Killed by the Worst Generation

Conclusion

Three Ancient Weapons

Poseidon

HobbyLink Japan

Shop Now

HobbyLink Japan

Shop Now

Pluton

Uranus

Conclusion

What is a Sage in Naruto?

Tailed Beast Without a Tail

Shark Sage Kisame

Conclusion

About

Sitemap

Contact