Ok, so I want to talk about the new units for the jp new year event.
This years bigger theme is animals and ofc they all have some neat symbolism. There are other part, such as the flowers, that I sadly can’t discuss right now. Maybe in another post…
Ok, so first off: Dostoyevsky. This one is honestly the easiest of the five, since his asigned animal is the rat. No one should be surprised at this point as Fyodor has been associated on multiple occasions with rats. In the western hemisphere rats have a negative connotation. They are associated with death and decay. In Japan however the rat or nezumi is a symbol for wealth and succsess. Fitting for the mastermind manipulator Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Next, Shibusawa Tatsuhiko. This one, too, is relatively easy. Here the crow seems to be more prevalent as a symbol of death, seeing as Shibusawa was ultimately “already dead”, only still being able to act thanks to the Draconia. However, there is in Japan also the idea of the crow as a messenger of the gods or a representative of divine intervention. It might be a stretch to say, but maybe this is also a reference to Shibusawa being “saved by an angel”, a divine messenger.
Edit: As anon correctly observed, the crow in Shibusawa’s illustration has 3 legs. This is no error on the artists side.
I forgot to mention it, but in Japan the three-legged (or tripedal) crow is callled Yatagarasu. The appearance of this “eight-span crow” is seen as evidence of Heaven’s will or as proof for divine intervention in human affairs. And Yatagarasu as crow-god in Japanese Shinto is specifically a symbol for guidence. This actually strenghtens my theory of the three-legged crow as a metaphor for Shibusawa being “saved by an angel”.
But the Yatagarasu also has another older meaning. It may not be as celebrated today, but the crow is said to be a mark of rebirth and rejuvenation. The relation of Shibusawa’s character to this particular fact is quite obvious. I mean, how many times has he been killed and came back in one form or another XD
Now we’ll get into the nitty gritty, so buckle up:
Wisdom, Cunning, Adaptability, Strategy – all traits commonly associated with foxes. And all attributes I would assign Dazai, with his ability to seemingly think three steps ahead of everyone around him.
And he also shares a certain duality foxes possess in Japan.
On one hand Dazai is a kind of guardian and guide to the ADA, and Atsushi in particular. Just like Inari-foxes guard Shinto shrines devoted to Inari Ôkami and serve as their messenger. On a side note: Inari’s foxes are also pure white just like the one in Dazai’s illustration.
On the other hand, there exist other more mischievous foxes too. These foxes allude to the more mysterious and sly connotations they often embody in Western culture. Using illusions and deception to play pranks on unsuspecting humans, or in some cases even lure them to their untimely death. I’d argue this too is part of Dazai’s character as he plays tricks on others (often at Kunikida’s or Chuuya’s expense) on multiple occasions, but his wit and sharp mind also forces his enemies to their knees.
Chuuya has the honor of being portrayed with the Koi. Koi, for those who do not know, are quite powerful fish, demonstrated by their ability to swim against currents and even travel upstream. This in turn makes them strong symbols for good fortune, success, power and perseverance. It’s undeniable that Chuuya’s ability For The Tainted Sorrow – and especially its true form Corruption – makes him a force to be reckoned with. The koi fish is also a common yakuza tattoo. The relation here to Chuuya’s position as Mafia Executive is pretty easy to see.
Interestingly enough, a legend about Koi exists as well. It tells of a huge school of koi swimming upstream the Yellow River in China. Reaching the waterfall at end of the river, many of the koi turned back. But a single koi persevered and eventually reached the top of the waterfall. The gods, recognizing the koi for its determination, turned it into a dragon. Once again, it might be a stretch to say, but this could also be a subtle nod to Chuuya’s battle with Shibusawa’s dragon form – a “small fish” taking on a dragon.
(Side note: a koi swimming with lotus flowers symbolizes beauty that comes out hard circumstances, representing pain, struggle and growth. And if that doesn’t perfectly describe Chuuya, I don’t know what does. I mean, hot damn XDD)
And last, but not least, we have Odasaku. And this one is like a punch to the gut on all kinds of levels – so get ready for the Feels™ .
First of all, to identify the kind of crane Odasaku is portrayed with: judging by the snow white colour with black on the wing secondaries, as well as the patch of red on its head, it is save to say it is a red-crowned crane aka a tanchôzuru. This is of importance as this specific type of bird is said to live for 1000 years – a cruel irony considerind Odasaku’s fate. But this is just the beginning.
Red-crowed cranes have the ability to fly high for miles without tiring, making them a symbol for strength. Flawless is a good representation for that strength, as it makes Odasaku almost undefeated in combat with the exception of another ability of the same kind (we all know the one). It’s a sign for the mental fortitude Odasaku has, too, as a member of the Port Mafia.
Cranes are said to grant favors in return for acts of sacrifice. It is possible to see this as a reference to Odasaku’s death, where his ultimate sacrifice makes Dazai respect Odasaku’s last wish. Dazai changes his way to “be on the side that saves people”, to “save the weak, and protect the orphans”.
I’ll be honest this, together with the fact that red-crowned cranes mate for life, really gets the Odazai shipper part of my brain going.
But there is one last part I haven’t mentioned yet: The story of Sadako and the thousand paper cranes. Suffering from leukemia as a result of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and knowing she was dying, Sadako undertook to make a thousand origami cranes before her death at the age of 12. After she passed away, Sadako as well as cranes beame a symbol for the innocent victims of war. And this should sound familiar. Kousuke, Katsumi, Yuu, Shinji and Sakura – the five orphans Odasaku took in after the Dragon Head Conflict were killed in front of Oda to provoke him into destroying Mimic, the organization behind the murder. They were killed as means to an end. Innocents sacrificed in a war they had no part in.
So being portrayed with cranes in his New Year Illustraition is, in the end, a metaphorical picture for Odasaku with his children. Yeah… let that one sink in :)
I would love to further expand on the new units, like the meaning of the flowers, but this post is already long enough as is, so I’ll leave that for another day, maybe…
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