Michael Hopcroft Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Earlier this week I finally got a complete set of an anime series that has not yet been released here called Asagiri no Miko ("Miko of the Morning Mist"), about a group of Shbinto priestesses battling a dark god trying to envelop the world into a 'twighlitght mist" of nothingness. I highly recommend this series to anyone why\o has even the slightest interest in incorporating Japanese mysticism into their game. It shows some character who take iot very sreiously and are powerful, some who take it lightly and are still powerful, and characters who have fallen into the dark corners of the struggles among the gods. There is a lot of comedy, but there is also a lot of tragedy involved as well. Even the bad guys are capable of both sacrifice and love. (the twilight Miko are fascinating characters in their own right). There is also one lesson here for gamemasters in any genre -- save the best for last. The series ends in a sotry-arc that runs six episodes that nearly ends in the destruction of the world, and the final redemption is not through shamanic powers but through a force that can best be described as the power of pure, unselfish love. Difficult to game, true, but it makes for an extreley satisfying conclusion to a story, which is fatre all what a campaign is. The lesson? When it's time to bring your campaign to an end, come up with an ending that will tug at the heartstrings as well as the powers of the characters. Make your final challenge a test of loyalty, hope and courage as much as a test of power. Save the best for last! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intrope Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Re: Miko of the Morning Mist That sounds quite good, thanks for the recommendation! BTW, do you have any idea if it's been licensed for US release? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted July 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Re: Miko of the Morning Mist That sounds quite good' date=' thanks for the recommendation! BTW, do you have any idea if it's been licensed for US release?[/quote'] Not that I am aware of. The epsidoes are only 15 minutes long, so it may ahve slipped under the anime companies' radar. A great pity if so; this is a good show that deserves a US release. Two words that explain its best chance of getting one: Megumi Hayashibara. The legendary seiyuu (Lina Inverse and Ranma-chan among other classic roles) plays the eldest sistser and lends her J-Pop credentials to both the opening and closing themes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamamura Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Re: Miko of the Morning Mist But on a positive note Risky Safety made it the US even though it has 10 minute episodes. So there might be hope if alot of buzz is generated about it. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intrope Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Re: Miko of the Morning Mist Steel Angel Kurumi and Adventures of Mini-Goddess were also brought over, even with their short episode lengths (Mini-goddes eps are about 5 minutes long!) So there's reason to hope, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuSoardGraphite Posted July 3, 2004 Report Share Posted July 3, 2004 Re: Miko of the Morning Mist Wow. That sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the heads up Mike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted July 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2004 Re: Miko of the Morning Mist Wow. That sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the heads up Mike! You're welcome. I can't wait for writeups of characters like Yuzu (a pheonomenally powerful but immature miko who gets embarassed really easily when something everyone knows -- that's she's been head-voer-heels in love with Hiro for years -- is mentioned.) and Hiro (a boy whose left eye can see into the spirit world and has a vital role to play in the impending destruction of the world). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dauntless Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Re: Miko of the Morning Mist If you're curious about real-world Shinto beliefs (and therefore of real world Japanese mysticism), I might recommend the book, "The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido" by William Gleason. Morihei Ueshiba was predominately a Shintoist, and not a Zen Buddhist, despite his early training in Buddhism. In fact, he was an ardent supporter of the Omoto-kyo branch of shintoism up until his death. He often began his training in Aikido by chanting while holding his sword saying, "Let the dance of the Gods begin". It's a fascinating read and insight into the esoterics of Shintoism. While it's very light on going into detail of the some of the o-kami (Gods) of Japan, it does give a very indepth look into the true mysticism of Japan's Shinto beliefs. No talk of Oni or anything like that, but there is some revelation about what kami truly are if you really read between the lines (and most of Ueshiba's students came to firmly believe O-sensei himself was a kami). You can also download the Kojiki (The record of ancient teachings), which is akin to the bible of Imperial Shintoism, off the net for free. BTW, there's several different "interpretations" of Shintoism, just like there are different interpretations of Christianity. Speaking of endings of series, I've always loved how the Japanese do end their series. None of this Superman #1000 stuff. As Neil Gaiman once said when asked what makes a good story, "A beginning, a middle, and an end". I think all good stories need a permanent closure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.