| かすが Kasuga | |
| |
| 4-Kanji Description: | 月下為君 |
| 4-Kanji Translation: | Master's Servant Under the Moonlight |
| Weapon: | Ringblades Two sets of four kunai attached by a wire (since SB2) |
| Element: | Darkness Light (since SB2) |
| Faction: | Uesugi |
| Series Debut: | Sengoku BASARA |
| Playable Debut: | Sengoku BASARA |
| Games: | Sengoku BASARA Sengoku BASARA 2 Sengoku BASARA 2 Heroes Sengoku BASARA X (Kenshin's Assist) Sengoku BASARA Battle Heroes Sengoku BASARA 3 (NPC) Sengoku BASARA Chronicle Heroes Sengoku BASARA 3 Utage Sengoku BASARA 4 (NPC) Sengoku BASARA 4 Sumeragi |
| Anime: | Sengoku BASARA Samurai Kings Sengoku BASARA Samurai Kings 2 Sengoku BASARA The Last Party Sengoku BASARA Judge End |
| Seiyuu: | Natsuko Kuwatani |
| Voice Actor: | Venus Terzo (Devil Kings) Stephanie Sheh (Samurai Heroes/Samurai Kings/2) |
| Television Actor: | Ochiai Kyoko |
| Stage Actor: | {{{stage actor}}} |
| Character Theme: | {{{character theme}}} |
Kasuga is a fictional ninja introduced in Sengoku BASARA. Her name is a reference to Kenshin's main fortress, Kasugayama Castle.
Description
Kasuga was originally from the same ninja village as Sarutobi Sasuke, and the two had an amiable relationship. Eventually she was sent on a mission to kill Uesugi Kenshin. However, before she could kill Kenshin, Kasuga fell in love with the samurai lord. Kenshin pardoned her and took her in as a ninja. However, because of her failure to assassinate Uesugi, she was banished from her village. From then on Kasuga served Kenshin and became his most loyal ninja. In Sengoku BASARA 4 Sumeragi, it is also said that it was when she entered Kenshin's employ that she "became human", due to the love she felt for her lord- in comparison, Sasuke "became human" due to having Kasuga to worry about back in their village.
Kasuga often gushes about her lord Kenshin, going so far as to have "delusional" episodes where she calls out his name as she braces herself tightly. When these episodes occur, sometimes other notice and find amusement, while at other times those around simply brush it off. When alone around Kenshin and not on the job, she tends to be quite amiable- but can become very reserved when Kenshin dotes upon her. However, if Kenshin goes too far with his compliments, Kasuga may have one of her episodes. It is known that her love for Kenshin is such that she harbors a desire to marry him, as evidenced from her route in Sengoku BASARA 4 Sumeragi.
That being said Kasuga can be very dour, whether on the job or not. She clearly takes her job seriously and is powerful enough on the battlefield to be called a "goddess" by some Uesugi retainers. She isn't humorless, however, and has been known to act sassy towards both enemies and allies alike. She is not without kindness, however, and displays warmth towards those in the Uesugi army and concern for her allies. She in fact seems to loathe killing, only doing so in order to achieve the world Kenshin wants,
Kasuga has a rivalry with Sasuke, in no small part due to the friendship they shared. Sasuke often teases her, both about her skills and in a mocking romantic fashion, which Kasuga reacts to with great irritation. It's clear she still harbors some warm feelings towards him, however, as she does not hesitate to assist him at times when he is not acting against Kenshin. She also has a rivalry with Nōhime, due to the other woman's role as Nobunaga's love interest and protector, and their similar personalities.
Kasuga is known to be a very beautiful woman, often complimented as such by Kenshin. But she is noted by other characters to have a very suggestive appearance- much to her chagrin- due in no small part to her low-cut bodysuit.
In the first Sengoku BASARA she wields two small ringblades in a fashion similar to Sasuke's shuriken, but in later titles, she wields two sets of four kunai attached by a wire. In Sengoku BASARA 3 Utage, her personal item allows her to bind enemies with the wire- while, in Sengoku BASARA 4 Sumeragi, her attacks by default can bind enemies. Like Sasuke with his crow, she can glide down using an owl familiar.
Role in Games
In Sengoku BASARA 3, Kasuga only appears in one stage (unless selected as an ally). In the Battle of Kawanakajima-Tundra, after the player defeats Keiji the first time and Kanetsugu Naoe, she will appear at the North-West side of the battlefield, opposite from a returned Keiji. As you fight her, she has unique lines for each character but will promise Kenshin's protection at least once. After her defeat, her lines presume she retreats instead of dies, with the exception of when you're fighting as Ishida Mitsunari. Once she and Keiji have both been defeated, Kenshin appears on the battlefield.
Kasuga is a playable character in Sengoku Basara 1 & 2. She is demoted to NPC for Sengoku BASARA 3, but is made playable in Sengoku BASARA 3 Utage. In this expansion, she does not have her own story, but appears once again in Kawanakajima-Tundra, as well in the Kyoto Fireworks Festival stage alongside Keiji. The player can unlock her for Free Mode and Unification Mode by clearing the stories of Sarutobi Sasuke or Tachibana Muneshige.
Skills
Mitsugi: Byakuya (Secret Rites - White Night)
Dives underground, slides forward and suddenly jumps out of the earth again to make an attack from below.
Mitsugi: Rakusei (Secret Rites - Falling Star)
Throws a few wire-tied kunai into the front arc and draws enemies closer. The number of thrown kunai increases after levelling up.
Mitsugi: Tsukirin (Secret Rites - Full Moon)
Performs rapid, upside-down spinning kicks at the enemies. At the end, a kick is delivered that knocks enemy away and flips back on foot. More spins can be performed after leveling up by immediately tapping the s-string buttons for a few times after pressing the skill buttons.
Mitsugi: Yamikeshi (Secret Rites - Darkness Dispel)
Weaves a large box of light-imbued in the front art to catch and hit the enemies that are caught inside. Pressing the skill button again detonates the box, and sends the enemies flying. More wires can be woven into the box by immediately tapping the s-string buttons for a few times after pressing the skill buttons.
Mitsugi: Mikagami (Secret Rites - Beautiful Mirror)
Sends forth a rainbow-coloured clone of light. It hits all enemies in its track by performing a spinning dance along the track. Multiple clones can be sent after leveling up by immediately tapping the s-string buttons for a few times after pressing the skill buttons.
Mitsugi: Murehotaru (Secret Rites - Firefly Group) or Amata Hotaru (Many Fireflies)
Chargeable. Spins on the spot and throws an array of light shuriken the automatically attack the nearest group of enemy. They will continue to fly around on their own and attack for a few seconds Full charge throws 8 shuriken.
Historical Information
Kasuga
女 taken to radicals or it may be written in the following characters 九能一, which can be translated as "a person with nine talents". Kunoichi style is klilling at close distance using poisons, ordinary things (such as hair pins, geta or fans), weapons that can be easily hidden under clothes (needles, kunai) and even kisses. To get close to the target kunoichi usually take on the appearance of a servant, geisha, fortuneteller, etc. That is why kunoichi learn etiquette, poetry, dancing, ikebana and tea ceremony. Kunoichi exploit all the ways of a woman – feign fits of hysterics and fear, faint, beg for mercy, seduce and so on. As soon as the adversary believes that he deals with a weak and fragile woman, he is a dead man. When training a kunoichi the master should keep in mind that she (as any other human) can fall in love with a target. So the master usually tries to make his student love him and thus avoid future problems. If kunoichi still falls in love with a target, her master has to eliminate her.
Gallery
