Akeginu

Akeginu (japanese: 朱絹, hiragana: あけぎぬ, rōmaji: "Akeginu") a major character featured in the Japanese anime "Basilisk Kouga Ninpou Chou" (known in English as "Kouga Ninja Scrolls"). Akeginu was chosen to be one of ten ninja to represent the Iga Tsubagakure clan against the chosen ten of the rival Kouga Manjidani clan. The kanji forming her name translates to 'red silk' which matches her technique and her manner of dress.

Character Overview

As the bodyguard and confidant of Princess Oboro, Akeginu is more forgiving of Oboro's lack of ninja skills than the rest of their clan, caring for her almost as an older sister. Regardless, her first loyalty is to the whole of Iga. So when word of the Hattori truce's cancellation reaches her, Akeginu holds no reservations about deceiving Oboro while aiding her comrades in their attempt to assassinate the Koga ten - including Oboro's lover Gennosuke. In light of her obligations, Akeginu does feel sympathy for Oboro's predicament and is the only member of the Iga ten besides Koshirou who doesn't ostracize Oboro after she makes the decision to seal her eyes. She even keeps safe from the other Iga the flute Gennosuke left in Tsubagakure so that Oboro would have a memento of her lover after the war ended.

A highly attractive woman, Akeginu (like Kagerou, her counterpart in the Koga ten) is representative of the traditional concept of the Kunoichi in her ability to use her sex appeal against members of the opposite sex. In battle, her technique grants her control over her blood; secreting it out of her pores and allowing her to squirt it into an opponent's face to distract them or create a fine mist to grant her the cover to move and attack in near complete stealth. Additionally, her technique can be used to "tag" any opponent who specializes in covert movement (as evidenced by her aide in Yakushiji Tenzen's fight with Kasumi Gyoubu). She's also in love with Tenzen's student Chikuma Koshirou, whom she had wished to marry in the future.

In the anime, Akeginu is voiced by Misa Watanabe.

Manga

Although she serves as Oboro's attendant in both the manga and anime, Akeginu's relationship with her is more distant in the manga where she doesn't seem to display any concern for Oboro other than her professional duties and is quite less emotional than her anime incarnation. An example would be when she and Oboro stumble upon Koshirou's corpse and Akeginu stabs Hyouma's body in her fury. When Oboro says that disgracing Hyouma after he fought so valiantly against Koushirou was an offense to Koushiro himself; Akeginu in the anime begrudgingly accepts that Oboro was correct, while in the manga she bitterly scolds Oboro for saying something so idealistic in the midst of such a bloody conflict.

Alternate information

Despite the prominence of her role in both the anime, manga, and the original novel; Akeginu was not included in the live action film "" where her role as Oboro's attendant was handled by a highly altered version of Hotarubi, played by Erika Sawajiri.

In the original novel, despite Oboro considering her a close friend, Akeginu gradually becomes more and more disgusted with Oboro's hesitance to fight and, like the rest of Iga, considers her a liability. After encountering Lady Ofuku, Akeginu agrees to join forces with the Takechiyo faction wholeheartily, as it would allow her the freedom to kill the remaining Koga by leaving Oboro in their hands. She is also described to be an elegant beauty with extremely pale skin, big and red lips and large black shining eyes.

References

*Fumitoro Kizaki (Director). Basilisk-Koga Ninpocho [TV-Series] GONZO/Kodansha/Japan Digital Concepts: Japan. 2005
*Masaki Segawa (Manga-Ka). Basilisk-Koga Ninpocho [Manga] Kodansha: Japan. 2003-2004
*Futaro Yamada (Author). Koga Ninpocho [novel] Japan. 1958