Ikki Tousen Characters and Water
It seems as if every time Hakufu gets into the water she comes out with an epiphany. After her battle with Taishiji, and while sitting in her bath, the light bulb came on and she decided she wanted to be a strong fighter like Taishiji. And there was the time after her battle with the students at Youshu school (who backstabbed Tishiji) she jumped into the water near the hospital all excited to be fighting in the Big Fighters Tournament.
There must be something to the Japanese baths and hot springs. It seems as if every time any anime character gets into a bath or hot springs their worries and troubles are washed away and clarity is returned to them. Take Ryofu at the hot springs in disc 3 of the Water Wars. She is sad, depressed, and disheartened by her fate but once she emerges from the hot springs, her spirit is renewed and she is ready to take on Totaku or anyone else for that matter.
And there is Ryomou. She was very distraught by the fact that she had been beaten by Kakuka from Youshu and Ryofu previously. She had serious doubts about her fighting abilities. It wasn’t until she first, had the fighting challenge with Master Choko (being toss into the water) that her fighting spirit started to re-ignite and her fighting spirit (and softer personality) finally started burning hot after she was in the hot springs with Hakufu and her mother.
The Japanese bath and hot springs make our favorite anime characters better. If they are seriously beaten up, it heals their wounds and their pride. If they are stressed or overworked it restores peace and tranquility to their soul. Oh, and I mustn’t forget they also allow us to see a different side of our characters (if you get what I mean. Like the backside, etc).
So, to the Japanese bath and hot springs I thank you for providing relaxation and comfort to our favorite characters and returning them to their magnificent glory (now if only I could find myself a hot springs, oh well).
T.A.G.
