Introduction, characters, and styles
This synopsis is Copyright 1993, by Steven E. Barnes. Permission
is granted to reproduce this material for non-commercial uses.
----------------------------------------------------
Ryuuken training Roah as a child
Background:
In the year 199X, the earth was devastated by a nuclear war. The
story revolves around Kenshiro, inheritor of the deadly martial
art Hokuto Shinken.
Characters:
Kenshiro
Youngest of four adopted brothers, Ken is the inheritor of Hokuto
Shinken. He is grim figure, haunted by the memory of his dead
fiance Yuria. On his chest are seven scars which form the Big
Dipper, the symbol of Hokuto Shinken.
Raoh
The eldest brother, Raoh is a proud and ruthless conqueror, who
also goes by the title Ken'ou (Fist King).
Toki
The second brother, Toki is a gentle master of the healing arts,
who is dying of radiation sickness. Despite his illness, he is
still an amazingly skillful warrior.
Jagi
The third brother, Jagi is petty bully who never truly mastered
the art of Hokuto Shinken. He is insanely jealous of Ken, and
impersonates him in order to destroy his reputation.
Bat and Lynn
Two children who follow Kenshiro throughout his adventures. Bat
is an expert thief and mechanic. Lynn is a young child, who pos-
sess some empathic powers; at times, Ken is able to sense when
she is in danger.
Yuria
Ken's fiance, who committed suicide.
Shin
Master of Nanto Konyouken ("Southern Cross" Lone Eagle Style).
Ken's former friend, who abducted Yuria from him, and later died
at Ken's hands.
Rei
Rei is the master of Nanto Suichou Seiken ("Southern Cross"
Waterfowl Style). After the abduction of his sister, Rei became a
ruthless mercenary; while living with Ken, Bat and Lynn, he re-
gained his humanity.
Mamiya
A woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Yuria. On her
twenty-first birthday, she was abducted by Yuda. After the har-
rowing experience, she abandoned femininity, took up weapons, and
became the protector of her village. At first, she falls in love
with Ken, but later realizes that it is Rei who loves her.
Aili
Rei's sister. She was abducted by Jagi and sold into slavery.
After witnessing so much horror, she felt there was nothing worth
seeing, and blinded herself. Since then, she has become passive
and apathetic, uninterested in the world around her.
Amoeba
Originally a student of the Nanto Seiken School, Amoeba is expert
at imitating the appearance and martial arts techniques of oth-
ers. He considers himself a genius, capable of doing anything.
He has adopted the identity of Toki, ruining his reputation and
performing horrible research into the secrets of pressure point
techniques.
Yuda
Master of Nanto Koukakuken ("Southern Cross" Red Crane Style).
Yuda is vain and treacherous; he considers himself to be the
strongest and most handsome of all men.
Martial Art Styles
"In the heavens there exist two pole stars;
namely, Hokuto and Nanto
As in all things, two opposites are one;
man and woman, yin and yang, the Diva Kings A and Un
And also the lethal arts of Hokuto Shinken and Nanto Seiken!!"
Hokuto Shinken ("Northstar" God Fist) originated in China 2000
years ago. Due to its extreme lethality, it is only taught from
father to son. Only one son can inherit the full knowledge; in a
dispute over succession, the losers must have their "fists
sealed" (removal of memories, or destruction of their hands).
Hokuto Shinken provides its practitioners with many abilities,
most notable is a knowledge of pressure points. Striking the
correct points can cause such effects as paralysis, blindness,
and total bodily destruction. In addition, a normal human can
only use 30% of his natural abilities; training in Hokuto Shinken
can give access to ones full abilities. The inner secret of the
art is an ability to learn the techniques of an opponent after a
single battle.
Nanto Seiken ("Southern Cross" Holy Fist), in contrast, had 108
different schools. In ancient times, an emperor owned a castle
with six gates. At each gate, a martial arts master was appoint-
ed commander of the guard. From their training, the six primary
styles of Nanto were developed. Nanto styles specialize in slic-
ing and piercing attacks, and have an associated avian totem.
----------------------------------------------------
Astrological Data
The symbol of Hokuto Shinken is a portion of the constellation
Ursa Major, the seven stars known as the "Big Dipper". This con-
stellation is of extreme importance to Chinese astrologers, as
its tail points to the current position in the lunar zodiac. In
Hokuto no Ken, these stars are considered unlucky, causing death
and misfortune. For this reason, the lives of Hokuto practition-
ers are filled with tragedy and conflict.
Next to the main constellation is a smaller star named Shichousei
(Death-omen Star); it is said that those who are able to see this
star are destined to die within one year.
The symbol of Nanto Seiken is a portion of the Sagittarius con-
stellation. These six stars form the constellation Nanto (South-
ern Ladle), one of the 28 Lunar Mansions of Chinese Astrology.
The Nanto school has six major styles, each corresponding a star
in the constellation. This astrological connection influences
the destinies of the Nanto masters.
Character Star Destiny
Shin Junsei Martyr's star; will live and die for love
Yuda Yousei Bewitching star (also called the Star of
Betrayal)
Rei Gisei Star of Righteousness; will live and fight
for the sake of others
Shuu Jinsei Star of Benevolence; will protect the
hopes for the future
Sauzar Kyokusei/Shosei "Pole Star"; star of emperors, gen-
erals and dictators
Kyokusei is the ruler of Nanto; the remaining five stars are his
guardians. For this reason, none of the Nanto masters can oppose
Sauzar. Sauzar's style is also associated with the Southern
Cross,
Note that the series claimed that six Nanto masters exist; pic-
tures of them would show the outlines of six burly men. To the
best of my knowledge, only five of them have appeared. It is un-
clear whether this is a continuity error, or whether the authors
consider Yuria to be the sixth Nanto master. Yuria is not a mar-
tial artist, although she may have possessed some empathic heal-
ing powers. Her star was
Jibo no Hoshi (Star of the Affectionate
Mother).
Japanese astrology is based upon Chinese systems, although some
western ideas have been adopted in modern times. However, the
mythology of Hokuto no Ken seems to be primarily the invention of
the authors.
in Chinese astrology, the night sky is divided into five palaces.
The sun is primarily in the south, and so this direction is gen-
erally associated with the good things in life. Imperial build-
ings face the south, whereas commonors face the north, to receive
the Emperor. The south is symbolized by the bird.
Since north is the opposite of south, it is associated with
malign influences; north is symbolized by the turtle, or the Dark
Warrior.
While Hokuto no Ken seems to incorporate this symbolism, it is,
in fact inaccurate. Hokuto (the Big Dipper) is not in the north-
ern section of the sky, but rather the central region. Likewise,
Nanto, despite having the character for "south" in its name, is
actually in the northern region. A final source of confusion is
the association of Nanto with the Southern Cross. Since these
constellations are nowhere near each other, it has caused some
arguments among fans about which European constellation
corresponds to Nanto.
--
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Edited by Steve Pearl- Moderator, rec.arts.anime.info
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