Dōgen Takayanagi

Dōgen Takayanagi
Tenjho Tenge character
Dōgen Takayanagi in the manga.
First appearance	Volume 4, Page 74
Created by	Oh! great
Voiced by	Japanese Kinryuu Arimoto English Steve Kramer
Profile
Notable relatives	Mitsuomi Takayanagi (Son) Masataka Takayanagi (Son)

Dōgen Takayanagi (高柳 道現, Takayanagi Dōgen^?) is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is the former head of the Takayanagi Family.

Character outline

Dōgen is the father of Mitsuomi Takayanagi and Masataka Takayanagi. He typically wears a hat, that casts a shadow over his face and glasses. He is a bald, elderly appearing man, who typically carries a cane with him. He was best friends with Kaima Natsume, until Kaima was killed by Shin Natsume. After Kaima's death Dōgen essentially raised Shin and trained him in the martial arts. This enabled Shin to steal the Takayanagi Family secret technique, the Forged Iron Needle Attack.

Dōgen typically acts as a catalyst to the story. Whenever the big events take place Dōgen usually makes an appearance. He typically handles things indirectly, merely pulling strings so things will go his way. If that doesn't work he is not above more direct intervention.

He, at times, seems like he is a relatively good person; however, he will do immoral things to get what he wants. In Dogen's eyes the ends justify the means. During his time as the head of the Takayanagi Family, he gathered power users from all over the world, so he could study the resonance effect. He has an obsession with the idea of the creation of a "True Warrior", a god-like warrior essentially. He attempted to make his eldest son, Mitsuomi into one. He seems to believe that in order to make a true warrior, there must be an evil to fight. He let Shin become that evil, as he allowed Shin to kill innocents in hope that it would force Mitsuomi to fight him. These less than moral means backfired, leading to Mitsuomi's heart condition and the eventual removal of Dōgen from power by Mitsuomi.

He has since been living in an apartment with Masataka and working in the business sector. Although no longer powerful, he still intends to create the true warrior. This time by twisting Ichiyo Nagi's plan to destroy all the Red Feathers. He has teamed with Mitsuomi to make this happen, however Mitsuomi intends to carry out the plan as originally intended, unlike his father.

Techniques & Abilities

Dōgen likely uses the style of the Takayanagi Family, but he also knows other martial arts such as aikido. ^[1] He may be an old man, but he is still a very skilled martial artist.

Techniques

Uraate (裏当て^?)

Translation: "Backing"

CMX translation: "Reverse Striking"

This is fulcrum-based transference skill; an example of Ki transmission that teaches one to shift the point and force of impact by striking the dead center of an object. At expert-levels, a practitioner can transmit the force of impact wherever they please, as long as a medium exists to transmit their power through. This technique forms the basis for most Ki-based techniques used throughout the series.

Dōgen attacks Mitsuomi in the anime.

Ryuukei Qigong - Tashinkou

CMX Translation: Dragon Style Qigong Forged Iron Needle

This technique is the greatest of secrets within the Takayanagi clan, passed down for generations. It is a technique which uses the fulcrum-based transference skill of "reverse striking" to transmit the user's power through the air. This is achieved by collecting the rotational force of one's motion until it forms unto a needle, forged by their own ki. At that point, that collected atmospheric force would then be directed from the circular motion into a straight line (via punch), where it is sent barreling into the target.

Ki Dome

The name of the technique is never said, but Dōgen can make a dome of ki around himself. In the anime, it seems to be used as some kind of protective shield, although it wasn't effective against Mitsuomi. In the manga it can knock back those around him preventing them from attacking.

Super Wave (Suupaa Ha)

An attack that involves Dougen striking the target with extreme force using his palm. It carries enough force to blast cars away, as well as the Susanoo incarnation of Souichiro quite easily.

Synopsis

Dōgen initially appears living with his youngest son, Masataka, but his importance was not revealed until the flashback.

Shin was supposed to be killed by the other founding families since he awakened the power of the Dragon's Eye at the age of 10, since they correctly feared he couldn't handle it. After he killed his parents, he ended up in the detention of Sōhaku Kago, Sohaku was going to have Shin fight Makiko Nagi, so she could steal the power of the Dragon's Eye. Dōgen intervened saving Shin; he subsequently raised Shin himself and trained him in martial arts for reasons other than he has let on.

Anime and OVAs

Flashback Arc

As Shin entered Todo Academy, Dōgen ordered Mana Kuzunoha to date him, so Shin can be under constant supervision. Mana eventually does fall in love with Shin, but still carries out her duties. Dōgen allowed Shin to keep Reiki, and evil ceremonial Nodachi despite the risks. As Reiki allows power users to use their power effortlessly, which lead to the likely hood Shin will lose control to his dragon and go insane.

Dōgen hires Fu Chi'en to train Mitsuomi with the aid of the technology provided by Pei. He planned to make Mitsuomi the ultimate warrior. Dōgen believed to do this, Mitsuomi would have to have an evil to fight and he would let Shin becoming that evil. He encouraged the insanity of Shin in an attempt to force Mitsuomi to fight him. This plan had a setback when, Mana gave Mitsuomi a video to watched that showed Shin's habit of killing innocents for a "distraction". This revelation to Shin's insanity caused Mitsuomi to be instilled with fear and inspired Bunshichi to fight Shin. Bunshichi tracks down Shin and finds him talking to Dōgen. A fight ensues, with Bunshichi coming out on top. During the fight, Reiki is taken away from Shin and he regains some semblance of sanity.

As Shin was no longer acting evil, Dōgen attempted to make Shin crazy again in the hopes he would kill innocents and Mitsuomi would have to fight him. Initially, he tried to return Reiki to Shin ^[2] saying he could kill as many people has he liked, but Shin rejected that offer.^[3] Dōgen elects to go the even less moral road, ordering Fu Chien to attack Shin's sister, Maya Natsume. It worked rather well, in his rage Shin's Dragon's Eyes activate Reiki without being in possession of it and he goes on a rampage. Mana runs to get Mitsuomi, but as he arrives Shin had been calmed down by Maya. Mitsuomi is called out to by Maya making Shin jealous. Shin reactivates his Dragon's Eyes and blasts Mitsuomi with a large quantity of ki, leading to his heart condition. At the hospital, Dōgen is truly remorseful for having gotten his son injured.

After Mitsuomi fights Shin to determine the President of the Executive Council and Shin's death, he stages a coup d'état on his father removing him from power. Dōgen attempts to attack Mitsuomi, but is met with the Forged Iron Needle Attack and realizes he can't win. Mitsuomi then steps up as the head of the Takayanagi Family. On the way out, it is revealed that Dōgen was able to sneak out a copy of the data of his research from the main computer. ^[4] Dōgen then proceed to tell Masataka that their path diverge from Mitsuomi and that he should no longer to associate with his brother.

Manga

The Takayanagi Family has historically been supported by the 12 Founding Families. Sōhaku created a new alliance of the families consisting of the head's children. Sohaku later assisted Mitsuomi as he overthrew Dōgen.

F Arc

Dōgen later appears as a favor to Souchiro's mother, Makiko, to train Souchiro to use his demon exorcist powers. Dōgen admits having made mistakes of the past and wants to undo them by assisting the Juken Club in their training for the tournament. Souchiro refuses to train with them. In an attempt to reveal Souchiro's power, Dōgen has the former 12 Founding Family heads don masks and attack him. Dōgen even pretends to hold Makiko hostage, inciting Souichiro to awaken his powers. This eventually leads to Souchiro's agreement to train.

Sohaku Arc

While Maya, Mitsuomi, and Madoka go to rescue Souichiro and deal with Sōhaku. Most of the some members of the Juken club and the Executive Council sit in front of the school's gate and wait. During this time, Dogen arrives in a chauffeured car his wearing his clothes that his used to wear before being overthrown. He states that he wants to help out, by revealing the contents of the data chip F tried to take from the Enmi Family. He goes on to explain that the Takayanagi family had always paid close attention to the Red Feather Resonance Effect. Wondering what would happen if the active power users were gathered in one place, Dogen decided to an experiment with the school as the location. He found out that with the right variables, seventy percent of his simulations revealed it would cause people's unique dormant abilities around the world to wake up. All the data from these simulations concerning the unique powers that had been collected was stored on the Takayanagi Famiy's computer system, but he managed to lock the system before being overthrown by Mitsuomi. He reveals the chip F is after contains a copy of all that data.

Dogen is featured in an omake at the end of volume 13. It starts off with Dogen thinking about his financial situation since he can't even afford to buy Masataka new underwear. While on the way to work on the train, he stops a guy from groping a young female, who seems to be a secretary at the company that Dogen works. The guy tries to get revenge by bringing his friends to try to attack Dogen in a parking lot, but are defeated. The young woman watching Dogen happens to also witness a drug deal. For this reason she is kidnapped and was going to be murdered. This causes Dogen to chase down the kidnapper's car on motorcycle and stop them. In the end however, he ends up being late for work again and has to work overtime to prevent his salary from being reduced by his boss.

Tournament Arc

Dōgen's latest appearance may be the most surprising. As Shirō Tagami and Emi Isuzu enter a limo with Mitsuomi, Shiro is shocked to see Mitsuiro Tokuan Shōjō and Hirohiko Myouun Kabane in the limo as well; Mitsuomi tends to dislike members of Red Feather Families. Shiro is most perplexed as to why Dōgen is in the limo as well.^[5] It seems that he has been working with Mitsuomi, by overseeing plan that is being put into action to eliminate red feathers. He reveals that this plan was isn't his own, but actually is very detailed and specific strategy of Ichiyō Nagi that he found in the Takayanagi library. Dōgen did update the plan by doing analysis of the data with the present situation to run scenarios on the Takayanagi supercomputer; this is what is contained on the chip F was after. He tells Emi, Shirō, and Shinobu that after 400 years all the pieces for the plan are finally together and all they have to do is play their respective roles.

Although he is working with Mitsuomi to put Ichiyo's plan into action, Mitsuomi and Dogen have distinctly different intentions. Ichiyo's plan involves a large concentration of ki, special powers, and bringing these powers into the forefront. By collecting all these powers in one "form" they can all be destroyed at once. Dogen believes that form will be a preverbial "god", essentially the "True Warrior" he tried to turn Mitsuomi into. He intends to control this true warrior to regain power. Mitsuomi says that if you have a means for the creation of a god, its logical that you also have the means to destroy one. If the true warrior is created Mitsuomi plans to destroy it himself, completing his plan in the process. The members of the Executive Council have developed a great distaste for Dogen as a result of his intentions; Shiro Tagami comments that he would gladly kill Dogen when he is no longer useful, despite the dishonor of it.

References

1. ^ "Tenjho Tenge" Manga; volume 8 tankōbon (Chapter 46, Page 27).
2. ^ "Tenjho Tenge" Manga; volume 7 tankōbon (Chapter 40, Page 20).
3. ^ "Tenjho Tenge" Manga; volume 7 tankōbon (Chapter 40, Page 28).
4. ^ "Tenjho Tenge" Manga; (Chapter 73, Page 06).
5. ^ "Tenjho Tenge" Manga; volume 16 tankōbon (Chapter 98, Page 126).