Chikuma Koshirou

Chikuma Koshirō (Japanese: 筑摩 小四郎, hiragana: ちくま こしろう, rōmaji: "Chikuma Koshirou") a major character featured in the Japanese anime "Basilisk Kouga Ninpou Chou" (known in English as "Kouga Ninja Scrolls"). Although his standing within the Iga's hierarchy was that of a mere "gennin" (a ninja footsoldier), Koshirou's prodigious talent was enough for his leader Ogen to include him among the ten elite warriors chosen to represent their clan of Iga Tsubagakure against the elite ten of the rival Kouga Manjidani clan.

Character Overview

Koshirou's technique enables him to create miniature tornadoes with his breath which suck his enemies in and then shreds them to pieces. He also wields a pair of kama hand scythes which Koshirou is able to use either in close combat or even throw like boomerangs. After being blinded by Kouga Gennosuke his other senses adapt to compensate although he's nowhere near as capable with his blindness as Muroga Hyouma.

Koshirou and Oboro grew up together and despite the difference in their stations she sees him almost as an older brother. Koshirou himself is completely devoted to Oboro and may even hold romantic feelings for her. On the other hand, as Yakushiji Tenzen's apprentice he's obligated to follow his sensei's orders regardless of how he personally feels. He's also the love interest of Oboro's bodyguard and confidant Akeginu although he's more or less oblivious to it otherwise. In the anime, Koushiro is an expert woodcarver and after being blinded, learns to carve with equal skill using his sense of touch alone.

In the Japanese original anime, he is voiced by Wataru Hatano.

Manga

Of all the characters in Basilisk, Koshirou differs the most between the anime and the original manga. In the manga, Koshirou shares Tenzen's sheer ruthlessness and arrogance in combat while the anime depicts him as being more reluctant to fight any battle where his opponents would suffer an overwhelming disadvantage, prompting Tenzen to lecture him on how chivalry has no place in a war between ninja.

Additionally, Koshirou's manga self doesn't seem to have any apparent romantic feelings for Oboro. He still cares for her deeply (despite still trying to assassinate Gennosuke behind her back), yet those feelings are kept mostly as platonic friendship or lord/lady respect. Koshirou is also the centerpiece of several scenes in the anime that never occurred in the original manga, like his encounter with a little child whose father would be sacrificed by Tenzen during his fight with Kasumi Gyoubu.

Alternate information

Koshirou was included in the live-action movie "" although several changes were made to his character. The biggest was that Koshirou was part of the Kouga ninjas, had a beard and did not use his kamaitachi technique. Instead, he wields dart shuriken and a pair of kama (hand scythes) attached to chains. He eventually grows frustrated at Gennosuke's unwillingness to fight, and leaves the group to fight the Iga ninjas by himself to be eventually defeated by Oboro.

Koshirou in the novel is more similar to the manga than the anime. His feelings for Akeginu is that of a younger brother, so he remains unaware of her more romantic sentiment. Like the anime and manga, he is Tenzen's student/servant (Tenzen having trained him ever since he was a child) but he still tries to stop Tenzen from raping Oboro. Like the manga and anime, he never gets quite used to being blind. Instead of two hand scythes, Koshirou in the novel wields one large two handed scythe that's far too heavy to be thrown but is much better suited for close range combat.

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
*Ten Shimoyama (Director) Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (DVD) Japan. 2005