#Siegfried Line

[theworldatwar]

US soldiers advance in to Germany through the anti-tank defences of the Siegfried Line - 1945

[federer7]

A boy at the Siegfried Line, German built fortifications on the Belgian-German border, 1947

Photo: David Seymour

[pomornika]

[bookloversofbath]

Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II :: Belton Y. Cooper

Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II :: Belton Y. Cooper

[roominthecastle]

[shelbyxhughes]

The Remains of the Day (1993)

All Creatures Great and Small (2020)

“It's about the little moments, isn't it? That relationship, there's a sort of Remains of the Day element to it.”

- Jamie Crichton. (X)

[owlsie-hoot]

"You'll feel like a new woman."

[gecemi09]

Siegfried reuniting w his daughters was such a rushed scene. With how finding her father was a big part of Kiana's motivation in the early chapters and how badly they left things off, I was expecting a more tearful reunion you know? Like "I'm sorry"s and "I missed you so much"s. Also with Bianka...like she just said some random ass poetic bullshit. If they hadn't told me she was his dauughter before I would NOT have understood it in that scene. Also them just brushing over the fact that the og Kiana is back?? Siegfried reuniting w his daughter who was lost and possibly dead after years and he's just like "yeah cool" like wtf??? The writers of Moon Arc when I catch you..

[carbone14]

Char M4A3 (76) Sherman à l'angle de la rue Schillingsstrasse et Trierbachweg dans le quartier de Gürzenich à Düren tirant sur des allemands retranchés – Campagne de la ligne Siegfried – Bataille de la forêt de Hürtgen – 14 décembre 1944

Photo via https://www.worldwarphotos.info/

[saeraas]

the mha collab event confirmed getting siegfried, zooey and lobelia in the actual event but jjk collab got no one except Meteon, Friday and Tyra in fate episodes? maaaaaaaan this sucks

[smallpotato80]

What he meant to say is, “Choose me! Love me!” Not 🥸

[agnerd-bot]

Fate Fanservant: Ichikawa Kumehachi, First and Last of the Women Actors(Pretender)

Ascension Stages:

First Stage: Ichikawa’s first ascension is that of a black-clad stage hand, a black cloak covering most of her body, save for a stylized kabuki mask covering her face, and geta sandals on her feet. She holds a parasol behind her, patterned with snapdragons and spider lilies.

Second Stage: Ichikawa’s black cloak has been unbuttoned, and her mask has been removed, revealing a young woman with dark purple hair tied up into a spiky ponytail. Ichikawa’s umbrella has been split into two, revealing there to have been a hidden blade within.

Final Stage: Ichikawa is now dressed within the armor of Musashibou Benkei, wearing a mix of red plate armor and a black priest’s cloth. Her ponytail has lengthened, now hanging down to the small of her back. A black conical hat rests atop her hair, patterned red and black. On her face, red and white kabuki paint has been applied, and over half of her face is an oni’s mask, her eyes peeking out from underneath. Ichikawa’s umbrella is replaced with a longsword and a naginata, and five other weapons can be seen carried on her back.

Theme:

First Ascension Theme: Teen Titans-Master Of Your Fate

Second Ascension Theme: BIOSHOCK RAP by JT Music - "Masquerade" (A Sander Cohen Song)

Final Ascension Theme: Broly Rap (Remix) | “Legend” | Daddyphatsnaps (Dragon Ball Super)

Traits:

Class: Assassin / Pretender Alternate Class: Caster, Avenger True Name: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX / Ichikawa Kumehachi Source: Historical Fact Region: Japan Alignment: True Neutral / Chaotic Evil Attribute: Man

Known as: The Ninth Danjūrō, The Revitalization of Kabuki, The Savior of Kabuki’s Golden Age, The God of the Stage / The Female Danjūrō, Onna Danshū, First and Last of the Women Actors

Voice Actress: Honda Takako Deck: QQAAB

Parameters: Strength: D Endurance: C Agility: C Mana: E Luck: D NP: EX

Passive Skills:

??? C/First and Last of the Women Actors C:

The skill of an actress without peer, a performer who redefined what it meant to be an onnagata. With her on the stage, women once again were able to perform alongside men in kabuki, which hadn't been possible since the age of Izumo-no-Okuni, when kabuki itself was founded. The Meiji period brought many changes to the world of kabuki. Women returned to the stage for the first time in decades, adaptation of Western plays became part of the culture of Japanese theater, and Ichikawa Danjūrō IX made history by being part of the very first film caught on camera.

However, like all things, this time in the spotlight for Kumehachi was never meant to last. Time went on, and for many, the novelty of women in kabuki slowly died down. While she was among the first of the women actors, she was also destined to be among the last, with the resurgence slowly dying down until only a minority of women now perform. Kumehachi herself eventually faded into obscurity, being overshadowed by Kawakami Sadayakko. However, as an actress, for the briefest of times, Kumehachi was able to shine on stage and entranced Japan as one of the first women actresses of kabuki. Despite the fact she has been forgotten by history, this simple fact is enough to ensure Ichikawa Kumehachi a place within the Throne of Heroes, no matter how small.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases Damage Against Gold Rarity Enemies. -Increases Damage Against 'Divine' and 'Threat to Humanity' Enemies. -Increases Damage Taken by 'Performer' Enemies [Demerit].

Territory Creation (Stage) C:

While Ichikawa never had any Magecraft talents in life, as a master of the kabuki arts, she has a talent for transforming the stage into new and fantastic lands on which to perform. She could melt into roles and scenery perfectly, creating a simple wooden platform into a massive battleground through her performances.

In her case, her 'territory' is that of a stage, directed and set up by her kuroko assistants for her to perform as the lead actress. Those who watch her perform become entranced, trapped within the worlds she weaves with her voice and body, just as she did years ago in her prime.

(FGO Effect:) -Increases own Arts performance by 6%. -Increases own critical star generation rate by 6%.

The Mad Dance of Yasuna B:

The final performance she ever made in her life. A role of a madman, driven to the absolute deepest pits of despair and anguish after the loss of the love of her life. A song of rage, of sorrow, a song of what was once there and what is now lost. A lifetime of changes, regrets, triumphs, and failures, all laid bare on the stage before those who behold her bewitching dance.

To the people she lost, to the dreamers rejected, she dedicates this to them.

(FGO Effect:)  -Increases own debuff success rate by 8%. -Increases own NP generation rate when taking attack by 18%.

Active Skills:

Kuroko B:

A variation on the Espionage skill, as a kabuki actress, Ichikawa has worked both as a main attraction on the stage and the backstage crew handling the props and instrumentals. This manifests as the Kuroko skill, named after the stagehands in kabuki theater who were meant to be ignored by the audience as they did their work. This allows her to become an entity that cannot be seen or interacted with by normal means, fading away into an unknown layer of the world unseen by human eyes. As a result, she can easily escape potentially lethal situations by merely fading into the background, becoming an entity that can strike at any time and disappear in a mere moment's notice.

As a consequence of this ability, she also cannot directly interact with other people in this state either, though she can manipulate objects to an extent, not unlike a phantom. Those with strong enough magical perceptions can see through this layer, revealing her location.

(FGO Effect:) -Increase Critical Star Generation for three turns. -Apply Evade to self(2 times, 3 turns).

All the World’s a Stage B:

An ability that allows the user to see through deceptions and lies, this power is not dissimilar to that of the Fairy Eyes possessed by the Fae of Britain. Danjūrō IX sees the world as nothing but another stage to perform upon, filled with actors pretending to fill roles, and ideals that are little more than hollow motivations. The world is filled with nothing but lies and deceptions, empty promises and shallow goals, and through the eyes of an actor, these falsehoods are easily revealed.

In a world that is nothing but a stage, the only one who can see the props are the actors. The only people who know that they're on a set are the performers.

(FGO Effect:) -Remove one latest buff from all enemies. -Apply Ignore Invincible to self for three turns. -Increase own Arts Card Effectiveness for three turns.

Instructions for Onnagata A+:

To be an Onnagata is to be able to blend in within one's own character near-seamlessly. To take on an entirely new identity, gender, sexuality, or even species, and become someone entirely different. The Ichikawa Danjūrō line of actors was among the greatest at this talent, transcending the very concepts of humanity itself for the sake of their art form, becoming demons, warriors, and princesses all to tell grand tales of humanity's greatness.

This skill is less of a magical ability and more of a testament to Danjūrō IX's talent as an actor. With simple changes in posture, tone of voice, and gesture, Danjūrō IX can easily make it appear that she is an ally even in the midst of a group of enemies. This ability goes beyond that of a disguise and becomes akin to taking on a new identity entirely.

Indeed, so great was Ichikawa Kumehachi's talents that it was near-impossible to tell the difference between her and her male counterparts while on stage. A master of deception and the arts, she was one of the few acclaimed actresses in the short period that women were allowed to perform Kabuki, and is one of the few surviving names of that time.

(FGO Effect:) -Give self 'Male' trait for one turn. -Increase Attack for all 'Male' and 'Non-Gendered' allies for three turns. -Increase NP Gain for all 'Male' and 'Non-Gendered' allies for three turns. -Increase Critical Damage for all 'Male' and 'Non-Gendered' allies for three turns. -Apply NP Seal self for one turn [Demerit].

Noble Phantasms:

Noble Phantasm: Kabuki Jūhachiban - The Eighteen Finest Kabuki Arts True Name: Kanda Gekijô - Behold the Stage Where We Stake Our Claim Rank: C Maximum Targets: — Range: 50m

Classification: Anti-Army(Self)

An army of Wraiths taking the form of kuroko, the black-clad stagehands of kabuki theater. They do not typically manifest in physical bodies to attack like other Anti-Army Noble Phantasms. Rather, these shadowed stagehands serve as workers in the background, setting the stage for Kumehachi's performances whenever they are needed, constructing sets, props, and narrating the stories she is acting out. With mere wooden props and paintings, they can summon bolts of thunder or powerful waves to drown her enemies. Trapdoors can open out of nowhere for her to escape through. Stage lights can shine down to blind her opposition, and ropes and pulleys can be used to make it seem as she can soar through the air.. Most opponents cannot see or interact with these crew members, and so many enemies initially mistake Ichikawa as a powerful mage at first glance.

If they are needed, these shadows can manifest themselves within the physical world, much like how Ichikawa can enter their world of the background. While they lack any significant power, they make up for it through their incredible ability to disguise themselves as others, melting into the roles they have made and spreading disinformation and confusion to enemies. In an absolute emergency, these Wraiths will dive in front of an enemy attack to shield the Ninth Danjūrō from harm, appearing as if out of nowhere before enemy eyes.

Each and every member of this army of Wraiths is a member of Ichikawa's troupe of all-female actors. The women who dreamed of making a name for themselves on the grand stages of kabuki, only to be rejected and abandoned when they were deemed 'too old' to exude innocence and purity as they had when they were younger.

Rather than being mindless executors of their dear friend Kumehachi's will, they are her chosen family, aiming to support her in any way they can from the shadows. For if nothing else, her existence as a Heroic Spirit gives them the one solace they need, proving that they existed and they had made a name for themselves. In turn, Kumehachi's own bitterness and anger is fueled in part by how the world of kabuki came to shun her sisters, abandoning them carelessly as if they were nothing more than toys it got bored with. This bond persists long after the death of these actresses so many years ago, a defiant shout into the void.

They are the dreamers, the hopeful, a family of those abandoned and forgotten by human history.

Noble Phantasm: Momijigari - A Fine View of the Maple Leaves True Name: Onna Danshū - An Actress’s Stories Lost to Time Rank: EX Maximum Targets: 150 Range: —

Classification: Anti-Narrative

A powerful and dangerous Reality Marble representative of Ichikawa's true outlook of the world. It manifests when she selects a doorway and marks it with the symbol of the Ichikawa Family Crest. Named after the kabuki play which was turned into the oldest surviving film in Japanese history, those who pass through this doorway enter the Reality Marble, where the Noble Phantasm rejects the 'Mystery' of anything that enters through the doorway, converting all mystics and similar powers into 'fantasy' and reducing any hero that enters to a mere human. Noble Phantasms are reduced to mere smoke and mirrors. Mystic enchantments are left as makeup and lights. Weapons become merely fanciful props of plastic and wood. The inverse of this becomes true as well, as wood and sticks become blades capable of cleaving through heavy armor, and two-dimensional sets transform into dense forests or deep pools of water.

Victims who are drawn into this Noble Phantasm slowly forget who they are, what their purpose is, and the idea of there even being a world outside of the stage. They become yet another actor on the set, meant to follow the script, perform their heart out, and take a bow at the curtain call.

Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of this Noble Phantasm is how all, no matter their strength, no matter their legend, no matter their mysticism, can be caught within the spell of the stage.

Power is meaningless. Legends are meaningless.

The only meaning to be found in the world, is that there is no meaning at all.

It's all just another lie.

However, there does exist an ‘out’ of some sorts against this Noble Phantasm. Because this Noble Phantasm reduces everything to a ‘performance’, Servants with histories of being actors and performers on stage have the ability to counter it. Actors like Mata Hari and Shakespeare can actually match Kumehachi blow for blow on stage, meaning they can use Onna Danshū’s power against her.

Even then, only the finest actors will be able to truly match Kumehachi’s skill on the stage. It is not enough to speak falsehoods or play pretend while acting on the stage. It is to be willing to lose yourself completely and totally in your performance, risking your very identity to entertain others and to create a work of art. Such is the way of the actor. Such is the way of Ichikawa Kumehachi.

(FGO Effect:) -Ignore own Attack Debuffs for one turn. -Ignore enemy Defense Buffs for one turn. -Ignore Class Disadvantage for one turn. -Reduces one enemy's Arts resistance by 20% for 3 turns. -Deal heavy damage to one enemy.

Noble Phantasm: Kanjinchō - Endless Blank Pages of Humanity True Name: Kanjinchō - I Enter the World With No Real Face Rank: B- Maximum Targets: 1 Range: —

Classification: Anti-Unit(Self)

Named after the play so heavily guarded by the Danjūrō line of actors, Kanjinchō is a Noble Phantasm that allows the user to essentially ‘transform’ themselves into a role to be played, mimicking a person of her own choosing. Not only does this Noble Phantasm serve as a near-flawless means of disguising herself, Ichikawa can also channel the abilities of the person she is acting as, albeit to a much lesser degree. Uniquely, unlike Holmes's Empty House or Yan Qing's Doppelgänger, Ichikawa can actually copy the Noble Phantasms of an enemy Servant with this power. Because of this, Ichikawa actually can combat Servants normally above her paygrade when she takes on a role, though her acting abilities have their own limits. For example, even if she took on the appearance of Gilgamesh, the comparative weakness of her Spirit Origin would make it obvious to anyone facing her that she isn't the real thing, and the abilities she uses would be far weaker.

However, despite the versatility that her Noble Phantasm provides her, it seems she always tends to default to a single hero when in combat: Musashibou Benkei, the main character of Kanjinchō and retainer of Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune. Is it merely a personal attachment to the role defined by the Danjūrō line? Is it simple hero-worship? Or is it something else?

In life, Kanjinchō was the performance that led to Ichikawa Kumehachi’s relationship with Ichikawa Danjūrō IX to crumble. The theater-master was outraged at anyone daring to perform the signature play of the Danjūrō line of actors. So Kumehachi was expelled. It mattered not if Kumehachi herself was forced to perform the play, the insult had been made. While the two eventually were able to reconcile, this incident has left its mark on Kumehachi’s incarnation as a Servant, with the actress using it to take the form of her grudge against her former master, as well as Kabuki as a whole. She has chosen the role of Benkei as her preferred role both as reverence for the great hero of the famed play, as well as a means of spiting her former master. While the real Benkei was made famous for his loyalty to his master, this false Danjūrō takes this form as an act of rebellion.

Voice Lines:

Summoned: Hello, hello~! Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, great hero of Kabuki's rebirth! So, so~! This is Chaldea, is it? I’ve heard so many great things about this place! Well, I hope you treat me well! We’re partners now, after all! I, the theater-master, and you the loyal patron!

Level Up 1: Hwachaaaa! The Great Danjūrō grows stronger still!

Level Up 2: Thank you for patronizing my humble performances, Master. As a reminder, every little bit helps to make our stars shine even brighter~!

1st Ascension: Oh, whoops! It seems like my little disguise has been revealed. Sorry for deceiving you, I had to put on that outfit of mine for some personal reasons. But now, I arrive, like a delicate flower reaching full bloom! I hope my being a woman didn’t surprise you that much. That aside, how do I look? I could easily perform as one of the great Sanhime, don’t you agree?

2nd Ascension: The performing actresses of Kanda Gekijô thank you for your patronage! While we are currently working behind the scenes for our next production, allow me to regale you with some of the greatest works of my repertoire. *ahem* ... Eh? Now's not the time? Haaaaah, you sure are a spoilsport!

3rd Ascension: The armor of Musashibō Benkei… In life, this role was my last performance before I died. I suppose it’s only fitting that it is my greatest performance as a Servant as well. Osu! Just as Benkei served the great Yoshitsune, I too will serve you faithfully! I arm myself with the Seven Weapons of the honored monk, and I will stand and defend until the last!

4th Ascension: ...so this is as far as I go, hm? My, how troublesome. I was hoping I wouldn't reach my limits this soon. I had plans to elevate my troupe to even greater heights. I suppose it can't be helped, though, can it? Even the talented, even the hard-workers, we all have a place where we eventually stop... However, I will say this: thank you for taking us all this far.

Fight Start 1: So you’re my audience this evening? Wonderful!

Fight Start 2: What shall we do today? Shall we do something fantastical?

Fight Start 3: It’s time to raise the curtain on another show tonight!

Skill 1: Cue the music!

Skill 2: Cue the lights!

Skill 3: Cue the makeup!

Command Card Select 1: Oh, it appears it’s my scene!

Command Card Select 2: This is the part where you fall down.

Command Card Select 3: I hope you remembered to rehearse!

Command Card Select 1(Third Ascension): Halt, for just a minute!

Command Card Select 2(Third Ascension): This blade is too precious to cut scum like you!

Command Card Select 3(Third Ascension): Benkei, guide my weapon fair and true!

Noble Phantasm Select 1: For this next performance, I will need a volunteer from the audience!

Noble Phantasm Select 2: Don’t be shy, now! Let’s put on a show!

Noble Phantasm Select 1(Third Ascension): The last performance of my life… And the last performance of yours!

Noble Phantasm Select 2(Third Ascension): I am… Musashibou Benkei!

Attack 1: Tut-tut, it looks like rain!

Attack 2: Seiiiyah!

Attack 3: Whoops! Hot hot hot hot!

Attack 4: Wait a minute! Could you die for me?!

Attack 5: Behold! The shining golden castle!

Attack 6: Seven Gods of Fortune, bless me this day!

Attack 7: Unleash! The god of dragons, destroy them all!

Extra Attack 1: Behold, the beauty of the kabuki arts!

Extra Attack 2: Suisen! Kyokubai! Lower the curtain!

Noble Phantasm 1:

Struggle all you want, despair as you please, rejoice however you see fit...

But in the end, we all have to take the final curtain.

It's all just a show, and we are but actors on the stage.

So make your vows, and take your bows.

For in the end... we are destined to be forgotten.

Noble Phantasm 2:

What is the stage? What is reality?

The line between both is blurred.

All the world's a stage…

And the stage is another world…

Momijigari…

Let us dance under the maple leaves.

Noble Phantasm 3(Third Ascension):

I have no true face. I have no true self.

All I can do is take on the role of another.

Such is the path I have taken as an actor.

Now then… Regale me with your applause.

Kanjinchō.

Noble Phantasm 4(Third Ascension):

I have lost my way. My face is no longer my own.

Who am I?

Who are you?

It matters not, we all melt away into our roles in due time.

Such is the price to pay to be an actor.

Kanjinchō!

Damage from Noble Phantasm: All part of the show folks!

Regular Damage: Owowowowow! Watch it, you could’ve hurt me!

Defeated 1: Welp, that’s my scene done with…

Defeated 2: This is why I don’t work with amateurs.

Victory 1: An encore? Oh no, I couldn’t possibly!

Victory 2: Thank you! Thank you! You’re too kind!

Bond Level 1: Hey, Master… Have you ever tried to learn an instrument when you were young? I’ve had the urge to start teaching again, something I hadn’t done in a long while. Care to learn a bit about the arts? We can start off with something simple if you’d like.

Bond Level 2: Now, let’s begin the lesson. Read through this script, and start with a few lines from the paragraph here. … …hmmm. I must say, you’re surprisingly restrained during this. I must admit, I expected you to be louder and more wild. While that may be suitable for a quiet piece, this scene requires more emphasis. Can you do that for me? … That’s more like it! From the top!

Bond Level 3: Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ I must say, you’re progressing quite well. You still have a long road to go before you can master even the basics, but you certainly have been keeping at it longer than I expected you would. …hah. You almost remind me of the students I watched when I was a child…

Bond Level 4: ‘Why did I choose to take on the identity of a man?’ …hah. I got asked that a lot. ‘She left something behind in her mother’s womb’, ‘Alas, if only she had been born a woman’, ‘If she had been a man, her acting would have surpassed mine’... The world around me decided that I was only valuable if I was a man. So, I took on the name of a man to match what they believed I should be.

Bond Level 5: Another performance, another role, another identity I melt into to the cheers of the crowd. But… All the same, I sometimes wish to be recognized as myself. As the Ichikawa I was born to be, rather than the Ichikawa the world deems I should be.

Dialogue 1: *sigh* What a pain. I was hoping to rehearse our next production in the simulator, but apparently, some numbskull broke it again. We really should do something about those repairs…

Dialogue 2: Oh, Master! I’ve come up with a new play idea! I was inspired by your work in the field! I call it, “Farming: A Master’s Slow Descent into Madness!” What do you think?

Dialogue 3: Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~ Oh, Master! Have you come to hear my performance? It’s just practice, but I’d love to put on a little show.

Dialogue 4 (If you have Musashibou Benkei or Ushiwakamaru): …Master. Do my eyes deceive me or is the hero of Kanjinchō standing before me? Quick, quick, get me a pen and paper, I must have their autograph!

Dialogue 5 (If you have Kijyo Koyo): The mountain oni Momiji, before my very eyes. I must say, she is as beautiful as the legends say, perhaps even more so. …eh, that aside, why can she turn into a tyrannosaurus rex? Was that always the case? Should I get new props?

Dialogue 6 (If you have Izumo no Okuni): Izumo no Okuni… The fair maiden who invented the art of Kabuki itself. Hoo… My, I’m honored to be in the presence of the great brothel maiden herself!

Dialogue 7 (If you have Sasaki Kojirou): A Phantom Servant? Ah, a man who has no true face, no real identity. Lost to time itself, and forced into another man’s role. I suppose it’s not unlike being an actor, is it?

Dialogue 8 (If you have Nagao Kagetora): Eichigo’s Almighty God of War… is a woman? I suppose I have no room to be surprised, but that’s certainly unexpected. I wonder if I can get her to join our troupe…

Dialogue 9 (If you have Yan Qing): Ah, a fellow actor! What a pleasure it is to make your acquaintance! I must say, with a build like yours, you may be able to be a rising star! …eh? ‘108 Stars of Destiny’? You mean you’re already in the big time?!

Dialogue 10 (If you have Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart): My, so many talented musicians have made their mark on human history, haven’t they? None so much as Mozart… How interesting, a man tied to the world of demons instead makes his mark on humanity on his own merits.

Dialogue 11 (If you have William Shakespeare): Ah, William Shakespeare, yes! His writings had made it overseas to Japan when I was active. I must say, It has been interesting adapting his work to kabuki’s stage. I wonder if he’s making more plays as a Servant…

Dialogue 12 (If you have Mata Hari): Eeeeeek! Master, save me! The mightiest of all Servants has come to pass judgment on us! I’m helpless against her sheer power! … Hahahahaha! Oh, don’t give me that look, I’m just having some fun!

Dialogue 13 (If you have Elizabeth Bathory or Nero Claudius): Geh… So loud! At the very least, could you learn to carry a tune before squawking like a drunken goose? Your singing is an offense to the Gods of Music!

Dialogue 14 (If you have Scheherazade): 1001 tales from the Middle East. My, my, she must be quite talented to tell 1001 stories straight each and every night. Our troupe could use a narrator like that? Eh? ‘The stage is much too dangerous, I could die of stage fright’?

Dialogue 15 (If you have Miss Crane): Ah, so there’s a seamstress of great renown making shop within Chaldea? I’ll have to talk shop with her sometime. After all, our troupe is always in need of expert costumers to provide us with outfits. I wonder if she’ll give me a discount for my looks. After all, I’ve been known to be quite charming~!

Dialogue 16 (If you have any “Shining! Grail Live!! ~Crane Idol's Return of a Favour~” Servants): Oh, so Chaldea had its own idol event, did it? … I must warn you, ladies. Do not simply go onto the stage and presume it to be a casual event. To take your place in front of the crowd requires commitment, and more than that, an understanding of your purpose. To forget that is to spit onto all who came onto the stage before you.

Likes: The world of the arts is something so beautiful, so exquisite, that it defies anything. Humanity is one of the few species in this universe that can truly produce art for art’s sake. If nothing else, that is something worth cherishing, no?

Dislikes: …if there is one thing that is truly unforgivable in this world, it is those who disrespect those that came before them. To trod on the history and the sacrifices we have made as people and leave them in the dust. Promise me, Master, that you will not be one of those people.

About the Holy Grail: Hm? What would I wish for if I had the chance? Why, Master, that’s just- …I suppose I do have one wish. In life, I sought to tear down the divides people had put on the arts. Young and old. Man and woman. Nobility and peasants. I wanted the chance to make a world for the arts where all could join in, unabated. Of course, that dream was simply that, a dream.

During an Event: Where there is a celebration, actors are soon to follow! Come Master! Let us perform a wondrous scene!Birthday: Happy birthday, young Master. I would be remiss if I didn’t give you a gift this day, no? After all, you have been so kind to patronize my troupe for this long. Allow this humble theater-master to regale you with a song and dance of my own creation.

Profile:

Default:

A strange and mysterious Servant in the Kabuki-za Singularity, an enigmatic phantom directing a performance based on the Chaldeans and their adventures. The ninth of a line of famed kabuki actors taking the name Ichikawa Danjūrō, and the fifth son of Danjūrō VII, Danjūrō IX was the beloved star of Kabuki's Golden Age.

The son of the Seventh Danjūrō, Danjūrō IX was seen as a genius who helped Kabuki thrive during the Meiji Period, developing katsureki plays, bridging the gaps between traditional kabuki and new innovations, connecting Eastern theater with its Western counterparts, and even reinstating women back into kabuki after over two hundred years of their initial banishment from the stage.

It was for these bold movements and others that Ichikawa Danjūrō IX was seen as the Savior of Kabuki's Golden Age, an actor without parallel that fearlessly steered the art in the raging storm of the Meiji Era.

Bond Level 1:

Height/Weight: 165cm • 50kg Source: Historical Fact Region: Japan Alignment: True • Neutral Gender: Female

"What's this? The almighty God of the Stage is a woman? Hahahaha! I guess you saw through my disguise already, didn't you? Let's just keep this a secret between us for now, eh?"

In life, the Ninth Danjūrō was a very stoic and serious man. He served as a pillar upon which kabuki itself was supported, calmly and hopefully bearing the weight of the art with grim seriousness. Only the most dedicated and talented could become a student under his wing, and even then, his students knew his reprisals could be swift and harsh.

As a Servant, however, it seems Danjūrō IX has become a lot more carefree and lackadaisical, cracking jokes and running around aimlessly and without regard for how others see him. Despite her quirks, though, it's unquestionable how much skill for the arts she has.

Oh, and he's also a woman, apparently.

I know this is par for the course in this series, but still, what the hell?!

Bond Level 2:

It is said that Danjūrō IX had a distaste for the 'shipbrought things' imported from the West. When asked if his performance of the play Momijigari could be filmed for posterity, the Ninth Danjūrō was said to have reacted with disdain and disgust. As a man who sought to create plays based off of Japan's own culture and historical roots, the concept of using foreign innovations and inventions to disrupt kabuki's norms and traditions was insulting. Eventually, he relented, on the condition that it was merely meant for posterity as opposed to public viewing.

Yet, despite this outlook the Ninth had on the foreign goods, he also was as influenced as any other during the changing Meiji Period. In this era, Western plays such as the performances of William Shakespeare made it to Japan, as well as many other works, which ended up influencing his work, even with Danjūrō's own patriotic fervor for Japan. The Western dramas were said to have inspired his creation of katsureki, historical plays meant to be as accurate as possible, a living history of Japan's own culture.

An interesting paradox, a hatred of the foreign innovations from overseas, and yet, a willingness to learn from them and adapt them to help Danjūrō's kabuki grow and evolve.

Bond Level 3:

Danjūrō IX can often be seen conversing with her stagehands when not performing or practicing for her next role. In particular, he talks with Ichikawa Suisen II and Ichikawa Kyokubai II, his two daughters. While they were unable to perform on stage with their father as actresses that often, they did often have roles as stage hands and minor performers, helping their father in his major productions.

In life, the Ninth Danjūrō had attempted to bring women back to the stage of kabuki, starting with his two daughters, before eventually expanding to help form a women's troupe with his pupil, Ichikawa Kumehachi. However, many criticized Danjūrō for this, deeming it an invasion of the typically male-dominated kabuki. Many of the female actresses of this era were seen as novelty and little else, with many fading from the public view and being forgotten.

Ultimately, Danjūrō's hopes for a kabuki where men and women could share the stage and thrive together could be considered unsuccessful, with women in kabuki continuing to be a rarity. However, there still exist many female acting troupes to this day.

Danjūrō's dreams may lay dormant for now, but they are undeniably still alive.

Bond Level 4:

The Kabuki Jūhachiban is an assembly of eighteen plays strongly associated with the Ichikawa Danjūrō line of actors. Chosen by actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII, these plays are seen to be representative of the greatest kabuki has to offer to the world. Of the five, Shibaraku, Narukami, Sukeroku, Ya-no-Ne, and Kanjinchō are the most sacred among them, even being used in ceremonies to name new recipients of the Ichikawa Danjūrō title.

Kanjinchō in particular was a favorite of the Ninth Danjūrō, as it was an invention of his father, the Seventh Danjūrō, adapted from the noh theater play Ataka, as an attempt to challenge the perceptions of kabuki. He protected his role as Benkei devoutly and dutifully, as well as Kanjinchō as a whole, taking it as a deep personal insult whenever someone took the role without his permission. There have been multiple accounts of Danjūrō expressing outrage at those who performed the play, with the ninth even going so far as to expel students who had done it without permission, no matter the circumstance.

To the Danjūrō line, Kanjinchō is not merely a play, and Benkei is not merely a role. Rather, it is the very definition of who they are and their pride as actors.

Bond Level 5:

A statue cast of bronze, a tall, imposing figure stands over the populace. Face set in a heavy scowl, an impenetrable helmet atop his head, an artful fan held in his right hand and an imposing blade set in his left. One can almost hear the music playing as this veritable giant of a man storms into the hall of the villains, intent on avenging the dishonor they have given to him. This is Ichikawa Danjūrō IX. This is the great hero Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa. This is kabuki, in its distilled form.

The man known as the Ninth Danjūrō left behind a shadow large and imposing, cast over all who would succeed him. He was a man who took the world of kabuki by storm, deftly changing it while still rooting it to the people and culture that it was born from. From his students, to his children, to anyone who would take up the name of Danjūrō, anyone who knew of his legacy bowed their heads and wept upon the death of the Great Danjūrō.

For who could ever follow in the footsteps of the Savior of Kabuki?

Extra:

So, here I am. The Savior of Kabuki's Golden Age, soon to pass away on my deathbed. I suppose this was meant to be some day. No man is meant to live forever.

Ahhhhh... Such a shame. While I can safely say I've done enough to have honored my predecessors, I suppose there is something I can't help but doubt in my life. The newspapers cry that I am kabuki's greatest actor. My fellows of the stages revere me as a god. The world says that I am the man who steered kabuki into salvation, that has ensured its future. And yet...

Did I really change anything in the end? Or did I just delude myself into believing I did anything important?

I have failed so much in this life. I had attempted to revolutionize the art with my katsureki, but many have brushed them off as boring and uninteresting. I had attempted to reconnect with kabuki's roots by advocating the return of women to the stage, but my actions were met with anger and jeers. I had attempted to preserve our country's history by rejecting the Western innovations, and yet it seems even I could not help but be swayed by the influence of the foreigners.

I wanted to do so much, I wanted to change as much as I could, I wanted to make the world better for my students and my children... And yet, here I am, laying on my deathbed with all these regrets.

Ah, such a shame... What an old fool I am, to lay here with these thoughts.

In the next life... I hope I can do better for my students.

Voice Lines (Post-True Name Illumination):

Summoned: Hello, hello~! Ichikawa Danjūrō IX, great hero of Kabuki's rebirth! ...ehehehe. Oh. It's you. What a joke, to think that I would end up partnering with a fool such as yourself. I suppose an actress can't be too choosy about the role she takes on. Allow me to do my introduction again. ahem Hello, hello~! It is I, the great female Danjūrō! Ichikawa Kumehachi at your service! Please take care of me, oh great Master of Chaldea! So, will that suffice for now?

Level Up 1: Oh, you've chosen to level me up? Forgive me if I don't prostrate at your feet for this.

Level Up 2: Tch. Someone turn down the lights in this place already. Those sparkles get on my nerves.

Level Up 3: Ohhhh congratulations, I've leveled up. *clap*

Level Up 4: Time marches on, with or without me...

1st Ascension: Awww... I quite liked that stuffy old outfit... I suppose it can't be helped, can it? You seem all too eager to strip me down. Oh, is that a blush I see? Hehahaha... You truly are incorrigible, Fujimaru.

2nd Ascension: Wh-what?! M-my Spirit Origin is changing! My clothing, it's shifting! What is this?! It's... It's... It's a lie! Aww... is that disappointment I see on your face, Fujimaru? Don't tell me you actually thought I was serious now.

3rd Ascension: Benkei's armor, huh... Tch. Old bastard... Even now, you intend on overshadowing me, do you? Or is this your pathetic attempt at an apology? Fine, fine... A performance is a performance, after all. If the world wishes me to play the grand heroine, then who am I to deny my audience? 

4th Ascension: ...what, are you expecting something profound? Do you believe that your actions here have any meaning? Do you believe that you can ever unlock my 'true feelings'? The only truth is this, Fujimaru: everything you've done, everything you've said, every single droplet of power you've gifted to me... It means nothing. The world forgot me. The world will forget you. So please, stop wasting your time. You're embarrassing us both.

Fight Start 1: So, you’re my audience this evening? Wonderful…

Fight Start 2: And so the curtain rises on another performance of ours.

Fight Start 3: Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, the Ichikawa Girl’s Troupe presents… The truth of this cruel world.

Skill 1: Places, everyone!

Skill 2: I’ve rehearsed this perfectly!

Skill 3: Fufufufufufu…

Command Card Select 1: Sei-yoh!

Command Card Select 2: Come, little puppet… Let me cut your strings.

Command Card Select 3: *snaps fingers*

Command Card Select 1(Third Ascension): The truth has come out.

Command Card Select 2(Third Ascension): The story has reached the climax.

Command Card Select 3(Third Ascension): It is time for this play to end.

Noble Phantasm Select 1: Showtime!

Noble Phantasm Select 2: Master of the arts… Pleaser of crowds… I am… Ichikawa Kumehachi!

Noble Phantasm Select 1(Third Ascension): Let us unfurl the blank subscription list.

Noble Phantasm Select 2(Third Ascension): So begins the grand finale!

Attack 1: The waterfalls of Monk Mongaku!

Attack 2: Yaegaki’s mourning blade!

Attack 3: The boiling pot of Ishikawa Goemon!

Attack 4: Take their heads! Tomokirimaru!

Attack 5: Shine, Kinkakuji!

Attack 6: Behold, the grace of the Sanhime! One! Two! Three!

Attack 7: The Advent of the God of Fire! Now comes the final blow!

Extra Attack 1: Time for the performance of a lifetime! Kanda Gekijô!

Extra Attack 2: Kikuko, Satõ, let’s end this with a bang!

Extra Attack 1(Third Ascension): This is my hanamichi!

Extra Attack 2(Third Ascension): Now… I shall take your head! SEIIIIIII!

Noble Phantasm 1:

There is no truth to this world.

We live a life wholly made out of fantasies and stories.

Gods and heroes have no power here.

Mysticism and weaponry mean nothing.

You are all simply actors on a stage.

And I... the lead role.

Noble Phantasm 2:

Behold, the emblem of humanity's sin.

The hopeful... The dreamers...

All of us who were promised fame and glory...

All of us who were denied it in the end...

Now... We will take our revenge on this twisted world.

Onna Danshū no Mukashi.

Noble Phantasm 3:

Do you seek the truth? Are you looking for answers to your pain?

Let me show you the reality of this life:

This world is built on nothing but lies.

Onna Danshū no Mukashi.

And so the curtain falls once more.

Noble Phantasm 4(Third Ascension):

When the curtain rises, I disappear into my role.

When the curtain falls, I cease to exist.

I was forgotten by the world, and so will you.

A blank list written by humanity.

Kanjinchō.

Noble Phantasm 5(Third Ascension):

You don't seem to get it, do you…

The emotions you feel... The lives you've touched... The people you've killed…

They didn't mean anything. Not really.

Once an actor steps off of the stage, they've ceased to be.

Once a person dies, they never truly existed.

Such is the cruelty of the world.

Damage from Noble Phantasm: Gnnnh… No…!

Regular Damage: Is that the best you can do?

Defeated 1: Just another performance… Just another meaningless death.

Defeated 2: Tch… The curtain call was early this time.

Victory 1: You see it now, don’t you? It’s all just another performance in the end.

Victory 2: Welcome to the troupe. You’re not going to be leaving any time soon…

Bond Level 1: Hmph. What, have you come to watch me perform? This is nothing but a rehearsal, and yet you're seated on the floor like a child. ...fine then, you can stay if you like. Feel free to talk and observe as you wish. I wouldn't be much of a performer if distractions like this bothered me, now would I?

Bond Level 2: “Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” ...feh! And that fool has the gall to lecture me on my world views. I will admit though, I quite enjoy the chance to read the other plays Chaldea has to offer. it gives me some good material to work with...

Bond Level 3: Do you remember what it's like? To dream like a child dreams? When I look at your face. When I see into your eyes, I'm reminded of what it was like to be young. To have dreams for the future. ...may those eyes never change, for your sake.

Bond Level 4: ...why. Why do you insist on watching me? Do you think that doing this makes any sort of difference? What you do doesn't matter. What you say doesn't matter. What you think doesn't matter. Humanity forgot me. The world forgot me. ...you will forget me. Everyone forgets, in due time.

Bond Level 5: “Feeling as though they had trod on the tail of a tiger, and slipped through the jaws of a dragon, they departed for the Province of Michinoku…” ...and scene. And so, the story ends, as it always does. With a dance on the stage, surrounded by stars that fade out one by one. Such is the nature of the world, such is the nature of humanity... Fleeting, transient, and ultimately left to be forgotten in the rivers of time itself. ...but I suppose that's what makes these stories worth telling. So go, ye heroes, go and die, and perhaps for the briefest of moments, your name will be remembered...

Dialogue 1: I must say, it’s quite enjoyable to read the plays and songs written by the other Servants here. I wonder if I could commission a script from one of the authors here… It would certainly be interesting to see how much they differ from the kabuki arts. Of course, none of them could ever hope to compare…

Dialogue 2: It seems many so-called ‘heroes’ call Chaldea home. What a shame… To see so many people delude themselves into thinking they can change their own fate.

Dialogue 3: One, two, three, one, two, three… Come on, girls, focus. I know you can do better than this! …oh, Ritsuka, fancy meeting you here. Yes, we’re simply holding a rehearsal in your room, sorry, you’ll have to come back later.

Dialogue 4: Kikuko, I thought I told you that Momijigari requires a maple branch. So why did you give me a sakura branch?! … The name is Momijigari! Of course it matters! …ugh, sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you. Would you please get me the right prop this time?

Dialogue 5 (If you have William Shakespeare): Ohhhhh? That bastard Willy’s here too?! Heh, awfully smug to be walking around like he owns the place. I think I should go say hi. He’s annoying, but the blabbermouth is more fun than you’d ever be.

Dialogue 6 (If you have Izumo no Okuni): The great founder of kabuki herself. I suppose I do owe her quite a lot, considering my own history. And yet… I can’t help but find her frustrating. So… Very… Frustrating.

Dialogue 7 (If you have Mata Hari): Why, if it isn’t Margaretha. You know, our troupe could use someone like yourself. You’d be right at home among the ladies here. No? Ah, such a shame. But the offer still stands, Margaretha. If you ever wish to join us, we will welcome you with open arms.

Dialogue 8 (If you have the Phantom of the Opera): Erik, you bastard, what are you doing out and about? Ain’t a guy like you better suited behind the scenes? Eh? Doesn’t my outfit and history make me fit better for the job? You rat bastard, when did you get such a smart mouth?!

Dialogue 9 (If you have Oberon): The first Pretender, eh? A man trapped between two realities that have been lost to time and space. How tragic… How fun… Hehahahahah… I think it’d be fun to mess with this guy, don’t you?

Dialogue 10 (If you have Don Quixote): That old fool… Of all the Servants in the world, he’s the only one I can’t touch at all. Is his will simply that impenetrable? Or is it because he’s simply too inane for my Noble Phantasm to affect him? Either way, Ritsuka, don’t put me backstage with him, it’s not gonna end well.

Dialogue 11 (If you have Sherlock Holmes): The man who can unlock all mysteries… And yet cannot solve his own problems. Hoo~! I must say, it’s quite interesting to see a dog that chases every tail but his own!

Dialogue 12 (If you have Ashiya Douman or either Koyanskaya): You know, it’s almost sad to see those two simpering fools cloying around you, acting like they’re your friends. No, to refer to either of these dopes as ‘actors’ is an insult to any fool that has stepped on stage. At least a fool can drop their pants for a cheap laugh. … I wonder if I can convince them to do the same…

Dialogue 13 (If you have Musashibou Benkei): Musashibou Benkei… No, I suppose the proper title to refer to him would be Hitachibou Kaison, wouldn’t it. He and I are similar, don’t you think. Perhaps too similar…

Dialogue 14 (If you have Antonio Salieri): Another man, another genius, another person cruelly abandoned and trod upon by humanity. Forever left standing in the shadow of a ‘shaper of the arts’. Such a shame, his music is much more palatable to me than that flamboyant manchild’s, to be sure.

Dialogue 15 (If you have Yù Tù): Another figure who made her life known by identities. Gods, devils, mortals, all new roles, new masks to put on and act in. But which one is real? Are any of them real? Who can tell… I don’t think even she knows at this point.

Dialogue 16 (If you have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern): Oh god, it’s these two again… They certainly made excellent patsies in that Kabuki-za affair, but I have enough headaches to last a lifetime, and I don’t need these two making more. …hm? Do I want to play Questions? What kind of idiocy is that?

Dialogue 17 (If you have Czernobog or Awilix): So, even the gods can be forgotten by the cruelty of this world… Humanity can be so cruel, can’t it? To abandon even the ones who helped shape their existence. What hope have we mere mortals, then?

Dialogue 18 (If you have Coyolxāuhqui): A goddess, seeking to overhaul the cruelty of human history, to make a world where her own people are not forgotten. …hah. To think that there were like-minded individuals here in Chaldea all this time. I think this gives me an idea for a new play.

Likes: Something I like…? Well, isn’t it obvious. Ever since I was young, I grew up on the arts, flitting from teacher to teacher, picking up new names and new experiences. Despite everything, I truly did love kabuki and the world it opened up to me. … Such a shame that the world of kabuki didn’t love me back.

Dislikes: If there’s one thing I refuse to tolerate in this world, it’s people who half-ass things. There are those in this world that give their everything to their lives, living and dying for them. To do anything without aiming to be the best you can possibly be is nothing more than an insult to those before you that have failed.

About the Holy Grail: The Holy Grail… An artifact said to be able to pierce even time and space in order to grant the wisher’s deepest desires. …what a farce. Dreams, wishes, all that is to be left to the children and the foolish, is it not?

During an Event: Where there’s festivities and fun to be had, singing and dancing is soon to follow close behind, no? I’m not much for parties and celebrations myself, but I suppose it’s my job to entertain.Birthday: Another year has passed, another step closer until the world deems you of no use anymore. …what, me? Bitter? No, I’m fine, I’m fine, go and enjoy your cake and flowers, and whatnot.

Profile (Post-True Name Illumination):

Default:

A famous actress from the Meiji period, said to be among the first women to become kabuki actresses since the shogunate banned them from performing for fear of harming public morality. She was one of many women who made their name known as an actress and changed the landscape of kabuki itself.

Born Yokota Kei to a poor samurai household, she adopted many names over the course of her career as an actress. Keihachi, as a student of the local dance master Bandō Meihachi where she learned to make a living, and later Bandō Keihachi under Bandō Mitsue, who introduced her to the art of kabuki. Iwai Kumehachi, as a student of Iwai Kameseburo III, who taught her how to become an actor. "The Female Danjūrō", by many critics who had come to respect her rising status as an actress. Shōei and Shōjo from Danjūrō IX. And of course, the name that came to define her existence until the day she died: Ichikawa Kumehachi.

Student, teacher, daughter, mother, wife, widow, star, wash-out. Names upon names falling from the lips of the people around to adorn her like an empress's crown.

And each and every one, like any role, eventually faded away.

Bond Level 6:

Height/Weight: 165cm • 50kg Source: Historical Fact Region: Japan Alignment: Chaotic • Evil Gender: Female

By any metric, she is probably among the weakest Servants to face in combat. She has no military experience, no talent for magecraft, no superhuman ability, and unlike other servants like Shakespeare or Mata Hari, she does not even have the benefit of being a well-known name in the modern day. By all accounts, she shouldn't even be a Servant in the first place.

And yet she persists, carrying on with the confidence and dignity of any of the warriors and kings within the Throne of Heroes. She carries on as she always has, clawing her way up to the top by any means necessary, defiant of all who dare say she has no claim.

It matters not if she does not belong on this stage. She has been summoned forth to perform, and the show must always go on.

Bond Level 6:

While many Servants enjoy the new advancements mankind has accomplished, and easily adapt to the changes brought about in the era they were summoned in, Kumehachi is very much the opposite. While the era she made her name in was marked by changing viewpoints and defiance of the norm, Kumehachi often had trouble adapting to the newer styles that became popular as she grew older, and was often a champion of the older and more traditional styles of kabuki. As she grew older, her role was phased out bit by bit until she fell into obscurity.

This style of thinking still persists as a Servant, as she often struggles with reconciling the changes the modern day has brought with the 'good old ways' of her prime. Even relatively older advancements such as sound and color in film is regarded as an astonishing advancement for her, given that the oldest surviving film in Japan was recorded almost 14 years before her eventual death.

"Fascinating... So the directors paint the film after recording, do they? My, they must take some time to finish all that work. I suppose I can respect this new technology for that dedication alone."

She has a lot of catching up to do, to say the least.

Bond Level 6:

Kumehachi is not a traditional fighter by any description. Unlike the combat skills honed for years by many other Servants, her style of combat is much more flamboyant, more wild, more fantastic than any real combat style ever would be, an art of a different kind. The little combat knowledge she does have comes from watching her father, a samurai, practice.

However, because of the decades of honing her body as a dancer, as well as the practiced scenes she commits to every day for her performances, Ichikawa Kumehachi has made her own style of combat. While she stands little to no chance in a direct fight on a battlefield, with her Noble Phantasm, she becomes a force to be reckoned with.

The false steps, practiced from memory for years, become just as much truth as the schoolings from the masters.

Bond Level 6:

Like many Pretender-Class Servants, Ichikawa Kumehachi's Spirit Origin has been combined with another historical figure, though unlike her fellows, Kumehachi has been merged with a figure she knew quite well: the man whose existence overshadowed her own legacy: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX.

While the ninth Danjūrō did take Kumehachi on as his own disciple, the two never performed on stage together, with many wondering if the great actor was ashamed of having to work with the female actress, even despite his dreams of having women return to kabuki's stage and his continued praise of Kumehachi's own talents. These rumors only grew louder once Danjūrō had Kumehachi expelled from his tutelage for a time when she played Benkei in Kanjinchō without Danjūrō’s permission.

Kumehachi has begun to believe these whispered stories herself, and has openly come to disdain her old master, taking on his identity as Ichikawa Danjūrō IX to mock the man who overshadowed her, hateful and bitter at the man who not once truly seemed to acknowledge her enough to perform with her.

But... is disdain truly what the ninth Danjūrō had for Kumehachi? No one may ever know.

Bond Level 6:

"Maybe if she were some 20 years younger...  It looks as though she will soon die. Why must she work? Is it because she is poor? As she gets closer to death, she becomes greedier."

The very last years of Ichikawa Kumehachi's life was that of a slow and tragic decline. While her status as 'the female Danjūrō' was once a sign of prestige and talent, in her later years, the title only served to overshadow Kumehachi, denying her the new opportunities her younger peers found for themselves. Rumors spread about her, disparaging her for continuing to perform even in the presence of younger, more beautiful actresses.

And yet, despite the jeers, the insults, and the inability to move upwards, Kumehachi continued to act until the day she died, taking with her the legacy of the female kabuki performers.

In essence, Kumehachi is a Servant defined by the changing landscapes of history. She gained her fame by being the first to truly adopt and embody the new changes in kabuki, and she ultimately was tossed to the wayside by further change, becoming the First and Last of the Women Actors.

It is then that Ichikawa Kumehachi came to realize the truth of the acting world, and humanity at large:

Even those who work their hardest can't all excel, and even those who excel can't guarantee that they will be remembered, and even those who are remembered will be forgotten.

Extra:

As a forgotten starlet in a very brief window in kabuki's history, Ichikawa Kumehachi should well and truly be impossible to be summoned as a Servant. She lacks any real impact on Proper Human History, she lacks any fame or iconography to be remembered by, and what little fame she does have is often just a smaller role in a larger cultural shift in the Meiji Period. Even her death was well and truly unremarkable, dying in a hospital after collapsing from the strain of her final performance. Simply put, her being placed into the Throne of Heroes is nothing short of a miracle.

However, through the wishes of the fellow actresses Kumehachi performed with in life, and even through the hopes of her mentor, Danjūrō IX, Kumehachi was given a second chance at life. Her heart, filled with mourning and bitterness at how human history had treated her and her fellows, had come to resent the idea of the Throne of Heroes, and Heroic Spirits at large. When the Last Master of Humanity had arrived in her Singularity, Kumehachi sought to deconstruct them, tearing apart each and every facet of their achievements and their history, all in an attempt to prove it meant nothing in the end. That the world would abandon them as easily as it had abandoned her.

But all the same, to dance upon the stage, to roar with a defiant fury, to scream into the uncaring world that you are here and you will let anyone who can hear know it, even if it means being silenced once more...

Is that not what it means to be a performer?

"If nothing else... Let's enjoy ourselves tonight. Teachers... Daughters... Sisters... Lovers... Whatever your place within our troupe, let us all agree: we will not go out quietly this time."

[n41r]

I just got up and the first post I see is your video of your fight against Red Dragon back in December? AAAAAA, thanks a lot for the subtitles since it's a bit hard on to pick up what each characters are saying! Wait... wait, hold on a sec? Did you say you were planning to fight Demon King Mus instead of Red Dragon there? Cuz ohmygosh, you're way too lucky on Red Dragon's EX not landing on any attacks there. Just got an imagination that it's like Pandora playing a prank on you instead of giving out Mus, he gives you Red Dragon after you scanned the cards because he sees the command reels just wayy too timing precision based and just goes "Hohoho, let me give you Red Dragon instead and go easy on you a little bit!" aka giving you the first anime battle being Red Dragon. But it actually went on way too luck based there XDDD

Fun fact: If you defeat an enemy that's darkened out so only their one/two person figures are revealed (I like to call them boss enemies), your name will be engraved on the boss section for other players to see when passing by without playing the game. Dunno how that works as of now but hey, getting one bragging rights about how you defeat the said boss enemy with what Oreca monsters you use is amazing enough! Thanks a lot for the video and out of curiosity, what apps you edit the videos out and how the heck you can both record and hit the buttons so fast?! Not to mean offense but wanna try to do that too aaaaaa-

Yea, some of my squad's reels kinda suck lmao- This was result of my anxiety ridden panic, in which I choose to do slime levelling without thinking because I was afraid the machine at my local arcade might suddenly disappear o<-<

Lady luck really smiles on me that day- All of Red Dragon's missing EX moves, nobody get KO'ed, This is one of my fav fight after Salamander-

I edited my video on laptop actually, my phone is probably not strong enough for vid editing apps-

I used AviUtl for my editing but I can't really recommend that one because it's not exactly user friendly and requires lotsa of experimenting

I would recommend either Filmora or Capcut I never actually use Capcut, but I've seen some tutorials and see how the UI looks like, and it looks pretty beginner friendly to me

Also not sure if it's relevant, but I used to play rhythm games, so button spamming is my specialty- /slapped

[hassiegfrieddoneanythingwrong]

Day 149: Considering that a few certain Servants got new expressions and several got new voice lines during the CBC event on JP, is it possible to give him some love as well? Please? Please Lasengle?

[roominthecastle]

[switch]

You know I have to send Kriemhild and Siegfried (and Hagen) — but I’m curious what you think about David and Solomon.

i'll hit you with david and solomon in a reblog in a minute so this post doesn't get too long even under a readmore

kriemhild:

favorite thing about them

CUTE konoe ototsugu goth girl (with the tongue piercing)

least favorite thing about them

she is dangerously close to encroaching on vlad's niche gameplay-wise but i have a bigger problem in that department so it's fine........... for now. also traum association but she's one of the ones that got out a lot better.

favorite line

OTP

obviously siegfried can be there but what about altera. what about her. i think they look cute together.

favorite picture of them

THE

TONGUE PIERCING

siegfried:

favorite thing about them

good design. good concept (when he's not in apoc hell). he's funny.

least favorite thing about them

partially responsible for vlad's no good very bad day in apocrypha. sentenced to jail for vlad crimes.

favorite line

OTP

him and kriemhild are cute, obviously. besides the obvious, i also see a decent amount of vlad artists ship siegfried and vlad. it's cute, i'm down with it.

brOTP

also him and vlad. i would just like it if him and vlad got to hang out more again. ever.

favorite picture of them

this is nice art. i like his ponytail.