#redesignconcept

[scarpuppi]

Kokushibo Redesign

Concept art and drabbles under the cut. Warning for spoilers!

I wanted to draw him in a formal style that was popular amongst samurai of the Sengoku Period. The kataginu is meant to be tucked into the nagabakama but I wanted a more casual look I decided to give him nagabakama instead of hakama because I like the idea of him moving around slowly. Also, if he grows, they will look like hakama!

I also gave him a wakizashi (short sword). It was typical for samurai to have both a katana and a wakizashi. That said, I think Kokushibo would come to resent the sword after his transformation. It is a symbol of his inadequacy compared to Yoriichi as well as a reminder of how he was fated to die young.

So, I have this idea that he would delegate his blades to extensions of himself! He could separate himself into three parts, one for each pair of eyes. His upper pair representing yang energy, the lower pair representing yin energy. I’m a big fan of hinamatsuri dolls so I designed the counterparts to be reminiscent of them. I think it would be an interesting comparison to Yoriichi Type 0. I had an idea that they might actually be small dolls that Kokushibo carved himself, then he just transfers flesh to them as he does his sword.

I wanted to play with different shapes for the dolls and make them distinctly different. Yang energy is connected to masculinity, positivity, and sharp angles. Yin energy is connected to femininity, negativity, and curved shapes. I gave them small hands to make them appear more delicate. But they’re anything but!