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Okita Souji
Full Name: Okita Soujirou Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi
Real Name: Julian Ikeda
Room: n/a
Age: 21
Hair Color: Purple
Eye Color: Purple
Height: Average (between 5'5 and 5'8)
Backstory
Born in Edo in the early 1840s, not much is known about Okita’s past before he joined the Shinsengumi. The Shinsengumi were an elite force of samurai under the Aizu provincial lord that helped police Kyoto and promote the power of the Tokugawa shogun. During the Bakumatsu rebellion, when imperialists attempted to topple the Tokugawa government, the Shinsengumi were the ones to protect it – the dogs of the government, as some said.
Although we know Okita has an older sister, no other mention of family is ever given in the series. At age 9, Hijikata Toshizou told him to make a decision on whether or not to pick up the katana and become a samurai. Obviously, he did, but it is never revealed why. The protagonist, Tetsu, asked him for his reason at one point and Okita refused to tell him under the guise that his answer could not become Tetsu’s answer. However, he later tried to tell Tetsu that everyone had their own reasons, however silly or outrageous they might seem. He hinted that his reason would probably make people laugh at him, but never explained any further than that. Hijikata may be the only one who knew why he decided to become a killer, but Okita never gave a concrete answer so the viewers are left to wonder about Okita’s motivations.
Although his reasons are unknown, 9 years later, Okita Soujirou attained mastery of the Tennen Rishin Ryu style of swordsmanship. His specialty was a three pronged attack that was rumored to hit the neck, left and right shoulders almost simultaneously. When the Shinsengumi were formed, he became Captain of the First Squadron and acted as a teacher in the Shinsengumi dojo. He was a natural genius when it came to all forms of fighting and was one of the deadliest members of the special police force.
When Hijikata Toshizou, Kondou Isami and other members of the original Roshigumi force in Edo split off and created the Shinsengumi, Okita was with them. It was when he was still in Edo that he stopped calling himself Soujirou and went under the name Souji. On February 8, 1863, the Shinsengumi moved to Kyoto to protect the city from the Choshu rebels, support the Bakufu, and the Aizu clan lord. They set up their main headquarters at the Mibu Temple. Living in Kyoto was ideal for Souji with his love of Japanese sweets (wagashi). He loved to play with the children in Kyoto, but told them to call him Soujirou to disassociate himself from the demon killer Shinsengumi captain, Souji. Being one of the youngest and deadliest members in the Shinsengumi, brought him a great deal of fame, as did his position as the Captain of the First Squadron. He was well known enough that Tetsu, not knowing Okita’s identity, said he wanted to fight the killer swordsman Okita Souji once he entered the Shinsengumi.
There were actually two sections of the Shinsengumi, Kondou’s faction and Serizawa Kamo’s main group – both under the orders of the Aizu daimyo, Matsudaira Katamori, and stationed in the Mibu area of Kyoto. They were ordered to enforce the peace and keep the Choshu rebels from returning to the Imperial Court from which they had been expelled. Unfortunately, Serizawa acted too recklessly and too violently for the Aizu clan lord’s tastes. His violence earned the Shinsengumi the nickname “the Wolves of Mibu” (in Japanese, Miburo). In 1863, Kondou’s group was told to assassinate him. Four people were chosen for the job – Kondou himself, Vice-chief Yamanami Keisuke (also called Sannan), Vice-chief Hijikata, and Okita. Okita was with Hijikata when they killed their former leader.
1864 was when 15 year old Ichimura Tetsunosuke arrived at the Shinsengumi headquarters at the Mibu Temple, carrying a signboard and demanding to be enlisted. Okita noticed, took an interest in Tetsu’s feisty nature, and followed after him once he had been rejected. They met up again on the banks of the river when Okita threw a bone for his pet piglet, Saizou, and the piglet hit Tetsu in the forehead. Okita saw Tetsu’s potential from the beginning and was the one who convinced the Vice-chief Hijikata to allow the boy to enlist. He was the one who watched him closest, guiding him on his path to becoming a soldier while also trying to help him heal the emotional scars left from witnessing the murder of his parents. Tetsu was also the only one who consistently asked to train with Okita, and, finding this amusing, the swordsman agreed.
When Hijikata allowed Tetsu to enlist, he said that the boy reminded him of Okita in the way that youthfulness masked his maturity. Okita only laughed and replied that Tetsu reminded him of “someone else,” while pointedly looking at Hijikata. However, the fact that Tetsunosuke reminded Hijikata of Okita sets up the parallel between the two characters. Okita encouraged Tetsu to follow his dreams and become a Shinsengumi warrior, but eventually learned that Tetsu paradoxically refuses to kill despite his cries for revenge. At fifteen years old, Tetsu was older than Okita when he picked up the sword, but both Hijikata and Okita worried that the idealistic and pure Tetsu would become a demon killer like Okita. Okita believes that Hijikata thinks him a mistake, letting a 9 year old begin a life of killing.
The series itself only covered the period of time before the Ikedaya Incident, where Okita and other Shinsengumi fought a bloody battle with the Choshu rebels hiding out there. In the days prior to the Ikedaya Incident, Okita led the raid on the Masuya that captured the Choshu supporter who ran the store. Okita, however, did not participate in the raid, letting his men take out their frustrations and grief without him. The raid was partially in retaliation for the Masuya having been responsible for the death of Ayumu, the Shinsengumi’s cook and a female shinobi. The capture and subsequent torture of Masuya Kiemon gave the Shinsengumi all the information they needed to root out the Choshu at the Ikedaya. Hijikata discovered that the Choshu plan was to set fire to the capital, kill the Aizu daimyo in the confusion, and steal the Emperor. To stop this, the Shinsengumi split into two groups and searched the city for Yoshida and his rebels. Kondou, along with Okita, found them at the Ikedaya and the battle ensued.
During his fight with Yoshida Toshimaro, the Choshu leader, at the Ikedaya, Okita finally coughed up blood and weakened due to the disease. Yoshida took advantage of this lapse and almost killed Okita, wounding him and nearly crushing his chest. Tetsu rushed in to save his friend and mentor, and ended up fighting Yoshida. At one point, Tetsu managed to take off Yoshida’s arm, but stopped short of killing him. He wanted to know why Yoshida killed his parents and why Yoshida hadn’t killed him, but Yoshida claimed no knowledge of that affair. Shocked, Tetsu lost the advantage and Yoshida took it, grabbing a blade in his teeth and pushing Tetsu over. Tetsu proved incapable of killing Yoshida despite the predicament, and Okita took the rebel leader’s head to save him.
In the time leading up to the Ikedaya Incident, Okita contracted tuberculosis – an incurable disease at the time. He tried his best to hide the disease, making up excuses about choking on tea or having a cold, so he didn’t worry the others and so he didn’t show weakness. Hijikata, however, had a sinking suspicion that the coughs indicated tuberculosis, and throughout the series attempted to cure him with powdered medicines mixed with tea. Okita refused to acknowledge the disease even after the Ikedaya and Hijikata continued to attempt to cure him with various remedies. The series ended at the Gion festival with Okita, Hijikata and Kondou sitting on the roof drinking sake together, and Tetsu bringing them up some sweets and tea after finishing up at the festival himself.
Personality
There are two completely different halves to Okita. One the one hand, he’s compassionate and kind, loves children and is seemingly carefree. When he’s off duty and wearing his usual light colored kimono, he’s often seen with his pet piglet, Saizou, playing games with neighborhood children or relaxing in his room. He loves sweets, especially Japanese sweets (wagashi) and dango, and can act extremely childishly when he feels like it. He looks extremely effeminate, and his actions match the look – he sits, drinks, flirts and sometimes runs like a woman. Quick to laugh and toss around jokes, he also likes to irritate and poke fun at the others. He is extremely close with the higher ups in the Shinsengumi, but especially so with his mentor, Hijikata Toshizou. They are often seen together, talking, planning, fighting side by side, or just lounging together in their off hours. Okita will often bring Hijikata tea or rub his shoulders for him. He sees beneath Hijikata’s normally terse and cold exterior to the kind person beneath, and loves to be near him both as a friend and a pupil. Since they are so close, he teases Hijikata the worst out of all of them, but also cares the most for him. Usually his teasing has an ulterior motive of cheering the person up, or distracting them from whatever is troubling them.
Despite his outwardly flighty personality, he is actually a very observant and intelligent person. He’ll do what it takes to protect the ones he loves and to protect those he thinks needs protecting. He isn’t one to trouble others with his problems, and dislikes talking about his own past. He will, however, help others behind the scenes to resolve their problems or to regain their former vitality through elaborate and often comical set-ups. He doesn’t believe that the answers are ever simple and is rather insightful into people’s motivations, feelings and personalities.
The other side of Okita is a killer. As the captain of the First Squadron of the Mibu Shinsengumi, he is extremely skilled with any sort of sword – boken, shinai or katana – and knows how to fight when disadvantaged without one. As one of the shogun’s men, he is ruthless and efficient, killing anyone in the Shinsengumi’s way or anyone who could potentially threaten the group. He doesn’t shirk from giving an order that will result in the complete annihilation of the enemy and follows the code set by the Shinsengumi. Okita refuses to think of himself as human because of this, saying that he is “not the child of humans, but demons.”
He is extremely dangerous when this part of his personality is in control because he cannot match his power to the power of his opponent. In other words, he’s incapable of “taking it easy” on other people. He is an excellent teacher, but no one wants to spar with him because they’ll often walk away with serious injuries even if wearing protection.
Okita can switch quite easily from one persona to another – at one point smiling and laughing at an intruder and in the next second pulling his sword and going for the man’s throat, and vice versa. Overall, he is good-natured, protective and dedicated to the Shinsengumi’s goals of stopping the Choshu rebels from usurping the Shogun’s power.
At Landel's
[coming later: Here is where you talk about how Landel's has affected your character thus far, what relationships they've developed in the RP, or how their powers are affected, blahblahblah. XD Whatever works.]
Real Name: Julian Ikeda
Room: n/a
Age: 21
Hair Color: Purple
Eye Color: Purple
Height: Average (between 5'5 and 5'8)
Backstory
Born in Edo in the early 1840s, not much is known about Okita’s past before he joined the Shinsengumi. The Shinsengumi were an elite force of samurai under the Aizu provincial lord that helped police Kyoto and promote the power of the Tokugawa shogun. During the Bakumatsu rebellion, when imperialists attempted to topple the Tokugawa government, the Shinsengumi were the ones to protect it – the dogs of the government, as some said.
Although we know Okita has an older sister, no other mention of family is ever given in the series. At age 9, Hijikata Toshizou told him to make a decision on whether or not to pick up the katana and become a samurai. Obviously, he did, but it is never revealed why. The protagonist, Tetsu, asked him for his reason at one point and Okita refused to tell him under the guise that his answer could not become Tetsu’s answer. However, he later tried to tell Tetsu that everyone had their own reasons, however silly or outrageous they might seem. He hinted that his reason would probably make people laugh at him, but never explained any further than that. Hijikata may be the only one who knew why he decided to become a killer, but Okita never gave a concrete answer so the viewers are left to wonder about Okita’s motivations.
Although his reasons are unknown, 9 years later, Okita Soujirou attained mastery of the Tennen Rishin Ryu style of swordsmanship. His specialty was a three pronged attack that was rumored to hit the neck, left and right shoulders almost simultaneously. When the Shinsengumi were formed, he became Captain of the First Squadron and acted as a teacher in the Shinsengumi dojo. He was a natural genius when it came to all forms of fighting and was one of the deadliest members of the special police force.
When Hijikata Toshizou, Kondou Isami and other members of the original Roshigumi force in Edo split off and created the Shinsengumi, Okita was with them. It was when he was still in Edo that he stopped calling himself Soujirou and went under the name Souji. On February 8, 1863, the Shinsengumi moved to Kyoto to protect the city from the Choshu rebels, support the Bakufu, and the Aizu clan lord. They set up their main headquarters at the Mibu Temple. Living in Kyoto was ideal for Souji with his love of Japanese sweets (wagashi). He loved to play with the children in Kyoto, but told them to call him Soujirou to disassociate himself from the demon killer Shinsengumi captain, Souji. Being one of the youngest and deadliest members in the Shinsengumi, brought him a great deal of fame, as did his position as the Captain of the First Squadron. He was well known enough that Tetsu, not knowing Okita’s identity, said he wanted to fight the killer swordsman Okita Souji once he entered the Shinsengumi.
There were actually two sections of the Shinsengumi, Kondou’s faction and Serizawa Kamo’s main group – both under the orders of the Aizu daimyo, Matsudaira Katamori, and stationed in the Mibu area of Kyoto. They were ordered to enforce the peace and keep the Choshu rebels from returning to the Imperial Court from which they had been expelled. Unfortunately, Serizawa acted too recklessly and too violently for the Aizu clan lord’s tastes. His violence earned the Shinsengumi the nickname “the Wolves of Mibu” (in Japanese, Miburo). In 1863, Kondou’s group was told to assassinate him. Four people were chosen for the job – Kondou himself, Vice-chief Yamanami Keisuke (also called Sannan), Vice-chief Hijikata, and Okita. Okita was with Hijikata when they killed their former leader.
1864 was when 15 year old Ichimura Tetsunosuke arrived at the Shinsengumi headquarters at the Mibu Temple, carrying a signboard and demanding to be enlisted. Okita noticed, took an interest in Tetsu’s feisty nature, and followed after him once he had been rejected. They met up again on the banks of the river when Okita threw a bone for his pet piglet, Saizou, and the piglet hit Tetsu in the forehead. Okita saw Tetsu’s potential from the beginning and was the one who convinced the Vice-chief Hijikata to allow the boy to enlist. He was the one who watched him closest, guiding him on his path to becoming a soldier while also trying to help him heal the emotional scars left from witnessing the murder of his parents. Tetsu was also the only one who consistently asked to train with Okita, and, finding this amusing, the swordsman agreed.
When Hijikata allowed Tetsu to enlist, he said that the boy reminded him of Okita in the way that youthfulness masked his maturity. Okita only laughed and replied that Tetsu reminded him of “someone else,” while pointedly looking at Hijikata. However, the fact that Tetsunosuke reminded Hijikata of Okita sets up the parallel between the two characters. Okita encouraged Tetsu to follow his dreams and become a Shinsengumi warrior, but eventually learned that Tetsu paradoxically refuses to kill despite his cries for revenge. At fifteen years old, Tetsu was older than Okita when he picked up the sword, but both Hijikata and Okita worried that the idealistic and pure Tetsu would become a demon killer like Okita. Okita believes that Hijikata thinks him a mistake, letting a 9 year old begin a life of killing.
The series itself only covered the period of time before the Ikedaya Incident, where Okita and other Shinsengumi fought a bloody battle with the Choshu rebels hiding out there. In the days prior to the Ikedaya Incident, Okita led the raid on the Masuya that captured the Choshu supporter who ran the store. Okita, however, did not participate in the raid, letting his men take out their frustrations and grief without him. The raid was partially in retaliation for the Masuya having been responsible for the death of Ayumu, the Shinsengumi’s cook and a female shinobi. The capture and subsequent torture of Masuya Kiemon gave the Shinsengumi all the information they needed to root out the Choshu at the Ikedaya. Hijikata discovered that the Choshu plan was to set fire to the capital, kill the Aizu daimyo in the confusion, and steal the Emperor. To stop this, the Shinsengumi split into two groups and searched the city for Yoshida and his rebels. Kondou, along with Okita, found them at the Ikedaya and the battle ensued.
During his fight with Yoshida Toshimaro, the Choshu leader, at the Ikedaya, Okita finally coughed up blood and weakened due to the disease. Yoshida took advantage of this lapse and almost killed Okita, wounding him and nearly crushing his chest. Tetsu rushed in to save his friend and mentor, and ended up fighting Yoshida. At one point, Tetsu managed to take off Yoshida’s arm, but stopped short of killing him. He wanted to know why Yoshida killed his parents and why Yoshida hadn’t killed him, but Yoshida claimed no knowledge of that affair. Shocked, Tetsu lost the advantage and Yoshida took it, grabbing a blade in his teeth and pushing Tetsu over. Tetsu proved incapable of killing Yoshida despite the predicament, and Okita took the rebel leader’s head to save him.
In the time leading up to the Ikedaya Incident, Okita contracted tuberculosis – an incurable disease at the time. He tried his best to hide the disease, making up excuses about choking on tea or having a cold, so he didn’t worry the others and so he didn’t show weakness. Hijikata, however, had a sinking suspicion that the coughs indicated tuberculosis, and throughout the series attempted to cure him with powdered medicines mixed with tea. Okita refused to acknowledge the disease even after the Ikedaya and Hijikata continued to attempt to cure him with various remedies. The series ended at the Gion festival with Okita, Hijikata and Kondou sitting on the roof drinking sake together, and Tetsu bringing them up some sweets and tea after finishing up at the festival himself.
Personality
There are two completely different halves to Okita. One the one hand, he’s compassionate and kind, loves children and is seemingly carefree. When he’s off duty and wearing his usual light colored kimono, he’s often seen with his pet piglet, Saizou, playing games with neighborhood children or relaxing in his room. He loves sweets, especially Japanese sweets (wagashi) and dango, and can act extremely childishly when he feels like it. He looks extremely effeminate, and his actions match the look – he sits, drinks, flirts and sometimes runs like a woman. Quick to laugh and toss around jokes, he also likes to irritate and poke fun at the others. He is extremely close with the higher ups in the Shinsengumi, but especially so with his mentor, Hijikata Toshizou. They are often seen together, talking, planning, fighting side by side, or just lounging together in their off hours. Okita will often bring Hijikata tea or rub his shoulders for him. He sees beneath Hijikata’s normally terse and cold exterior to the kind person beneath, and loves to be near him both as a friend and a pupil. Since they are so close, he teases Hijikata the worst out of all of them, but also cares the most for him. Usually his teasing has an ulterior motive of cheering the person up, or distracting them from whatever is troubling them.
Despite his outwardly flighty personality, he is actually a very observant and intelligent person. He’ll do what it takes to protect the ones he loves and to protect those he thinks needs protecting. He isn’t one to trouble others with his problems, and dislikes talking about his own past. He will, however, help others behind the scenes to resolve their problems or to regain their former vitality through elaborate and often comical set-ups. He doesn’t believe that the answers are ever simple and is rather insightful into people’s motivations, feelings and personalities.
The other side of Okita is a killer. As the captain of the First Squadron of the Mibu Shinsengumi, he is extremely skilled with any sort of sword – boken, shinai or katana – and knows how to fight when disadvantaged without one. As one of the shogun’s men, he is ruthless and efficient, killing anyone in the Shinsengumi’s way or anyone who could potentially threaten the group. He doesn’t shirk from giving an order that will result in the complete annihilation of the enemy and follows the code set by the Shinsengumi. Okita refuses to think of himself as human because of this, saying that he is “not the child of humans, but demons.”
He is extremely dangerous when this part of his personality is in control because he cannot match his power to the power of his opponent. In other words, he’s incapable of “taking it easy” on other people. He is an excellent teacher, but no one wants to spar with him because they’ll often walk away with serious injuries even if wearing protection.
Okita can switch quite easily from one persona to another – at one point smiling and laughing at an intruder and in the next second pulling his sword and going for the man’s throat, and vice versa. Overall, he is good-natured, protective and dedicated to the Shinsengumi’s goals of stopping the Choshu rebels from usurping the Shogun’s power.
At Landel's
[coming later: Here is where you talk about how Landel's has affected your character thus far, what relationships they've developed in the RP, or how their powers are affected, blahblahblah. XD Whatever works.]
OverlordMandee |
Latest page update: made by OverlordMandee
, Jun 23 2008, 10:06 PM EDT
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