Yes, I know I’m a nerd. If you didn’t know this fact already, you will by the end of this post.
Right, so I’ve been watching Bleach off and on the past two days… so much that I had a dream about Ichigo whispering “Bankai!” over and over in my ear. (Yes, I’ll admit I’ve had a crush or two on an anime character here and there.) In Bleach, there are swords called Zanpakuto that many of the characters use to fight one another. “Each Zanpakuto is a manifestation of its owner’s soul, and has a unique name which is required for a Shinigami to learn in order to use Shikai and Bankai. As such each Zanpakuto has unique abilities that match their owner’s characteristics and personality…” (see “Zanpakuto” link above). So the question was put to me: If you had a Zanpakuto, what would it look like and what would its powers be?
At first, I thought about it half-jokingly. “Whatever it would be,” I said, “it would confusing, complicated, or both.” But then, after the question wasn’t just dropped, I decided I wasn’t mentally stable enough to wield such a sword, but it was pointed out that characters like Kenpachi and Mayuri are certainly not stable enough to wield one, either, but they do. Well, then, if they can have one, I can, too! ^_^
So, after some thought, this is what I’ve come up with. Shikai stage requires the owner learning the sword’s name (with the notable exception of Kenpachi, of course); my sword’s name would be Ku_so_ka (which means “visionary” in Japanese), upon which it would become a naginata (photo). The shikai could be activated by saying “See, Ku_so_ka.” I chose the naginata because it was used by women in the Samurai class. In fact, “a functional naginata was often a traditional part of a samurai daughter’s dowry. Although they did not typically fight as normal soldiers, women of the samurai class were expected to be capable of defending their homes while their husbands were away at war. The naginata was considered one of the weapons most suitable for women, as it allows a woman to keep opponents at a distance, where any advantages in height, weight, and upper body strength would be lessened.” As the name implies, each cut inflicted on an enemy would create visions; that is, the naginata would be poisoned with a fast-acting hallucinogen to disorient the enemy.
In the Bankai stage (achieved by saying “Bankai” while holding the shikai Ku_so_ka), the naginata transforms into multiple bo-shuriken (photo) made of steel and one double-edged tanto (photo), which is a short Japanese sword similar to a dagger. The bo-shuriken can be directed by pointing the tanto and do not need to be physically wielded to be dangerous. I figure that if I can’t kill someone without touching them (as with a naginata), I might as well get up close and personal (with bo-shuriken and a tanto). The bankai form of Ku_so_ka is also drugged, but with a milder hallucinogen and a stronger poison that causes death more quickly than in the shikai form.
Hahahahaha. I’m such a nerd. If I lived in Bleach, I’d probably be one of those poor souls who gets eaten in the first episode, not a shinigami… but one can always dream, right? LOL.
