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Komachi Onozuka
Komachi Onozuka (♫) Komachi Onoduka | |
|---|---|
 Komachi Onozuka in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody Guide of the Sanzu RiverMore Character Titles | |
| Species | Shinigami |
| Abilities | Manipulation of distance |
| Occupation | Carries Dead Spirits to the Yama (Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu) |
| Location | Sanzu River, Buddhist river analogous to the River Styx |
Music Themes | |
| Show Music Themes | |
Appearances | |
| Official Games | |
| Show Official Game appearances | |
| Print Works | |
| Show Print Work appearances | |
Komachi Onozuka (小野塚 小町 Onozuka Komachi) is widely known in Gensokyo as being a slacker shinigami. Her pace of working is slow and when the "flower incident" hit (for each new cycle of the sexagenary cycle, a great many spirits are 'produced' in the outer world that migrate here - the number of years which corresponds to the product of the three lights, four seasons, and five phases), she didn't feel any urgency and kept going at her own pace or outright ran away from work at times. This huge quantity of spirits that hadn't yet been brought to the Yama for judging led to all the flowers of all seasons blooming as they got possessed. Maybe she spends too much time around the dead, as she sure does talk about death and suicide every other sentence when not complaining about her workload. Still, she's a rather carefree individual.
Contents |
General Information
Possessions
- Scythe
Komachi possesses a large scythe. It seems to be mainly for the service of facing them towards the deceased and making them rejoice in the fact that "there really are such things as shinigami."[1] In actuality, it is somewhat well-received. However, in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, it was very greatly utilized as a weapon.
- Coins
She disseminates a great amount of coins as danmaku. These coins are received from the deceased as "ferriage," and becomes the shinigami's earnings as-is. The deceased with high virtue possess a lot for ferriage, and because of this ordinarily shinigami transported the deceased with a priority on those with high virtue. However, for Komachi, as "the life story of bad guys are also interesting", she was chastised by Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu for having not enough greed. It is unclear whether or not she re-collects the coins that she uses as danmaku. [2]
- Boat
The boat that Komachi rides on is a special boat that can cross the Sanzu River, and it is a provision from hell. It is worn-out, but since she is not able to have a new one at her discretion, she reluctantly continues to use it. It is self-styled as the "titanic of Sanzu".
Other than with this special boat, one cannot cross the Sanzu River at all, and it seems that however one swims, one would sink. Also, due to this nature, the spirits those who are unwilling to pay the fare are thrust into the water mid-way, drown, and without even finally arriving at Higan, and where they tire of swimming, they would be eaten up by large fish and water dragons that have become extinct in the outside world.
Incidentally, the reason she cannot acquire a new boat to replace her worn-out one at her discretion is the magnification in the number of deceased and the resulting necessary expansion of hell, so hell is presently suffering economic difficulties, so it seems that they cannot pay much attention to brand new boats of shinigami.
Ability
- Ability to manipulate distance
It is literally an ability to manipulate the space between the present location and the destination. This is an ability used in being the boat person of the Sanzu River, although it is unknown whether other shinigami boatpeople of the Sanzu River like Komachi would also possess this power. With this ability, she can change the length of a path, affect apparent distance, so she can make it look as if you're staying in the same place when you're really getting closer or farther away; and to make it seem as if you never get closer or can never get away.
- Eye that can see the lifespan of humans
This is also as literally stated. Although she said, "will you give half your remaining lifespan for this eye?" but its relatedness to the shinigami of a certain note is unclear.
Concept
Name
Her name may somehow be connected to 小野小町 (Ono no Komachi). As said in link, "She was noted as a rare beauty; Komachi is a symbol of a beautiful woman in Japan." 小町 is not a common term for beauty, but it can be used to mean a "belle", the "town beauty", or the prettiest girl in town. As with many Japanese names, 小野塚 小町 doesn't quite mean anything specific. The difference between the names of Ono no Komachi and Onozuka Komachi is that 塚 is added after Ono. 塚 (mound) is a character that is used in Muenzuka, it might have a connection considering the theme of the game. 小町 has adopted the meaning beauty, and is written with the characters small and town. 小野 is written with the characters small and field, field having a connotation of countryside.
Appearance
In both Phantasmagoria of Flower View's and Scarlet Weather Rhapsody's official art, Komachi has red eyes, short pinkish red hair with two ponytails tied by two double hair beads. She wears a white dress with a blue vest overtop and has an obi belt with a large coin tied in the center. She also carries a scythe with a wisp-like bending on the end.
Her alternative outfit in Phantasmagoria of Flower View is same as her usual outfit, except her hair beads are yellow, and her vest is green. Her alternative outfit in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody is same as her usual outfit, except her dress is red instead of blue, and she has pink hair.
Story
- Phantasmagoria of Flower View
- Main article: Phantasmagoria of Flower View Story
- Scarlet Weather Rhapsody
- Main article: Scarlet Weather Rhapsody Story
In Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, Komachi is on her "free time" as she wonders about the sudden changes in weather until Youmu informs her that someone is killing ghosts in order to manipulate the temperaments. She begins her "work" at the bamboo forest before she goes to investigate the Hakurei Shrine's condition, where Tenshi appears to keep her promise to Reimu of rebuilding the Shrine. She calls out Tenshi's immortality as a sham and states her lifespan is already over before challenging her to a battle. Although Tenshi was defeated in the battle, Komachi is unable to send her to the Netherworld as she is simply a ferry guide shinigami rather than a reaper.
Relationships
She is Eiki's subordinate and is scolded daily for her laid back lifestyle.
She is also seen chatting with the souls of the departed as she ferries them across the Sanzu River
Spell Cards
| Name | Translated | Comments | Games | Stage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total: 15 | ||||||
| 投銭「宵越しの銭」 | Throw Away "Yesterday's Money" | PoFV | Use | |||
| 死神「ヒガンルトゥール」 | Death "Higan Retour" | PoFV | Use | |||
| 死歌「八重霧の渡し」 | Death Song "Ferriage in the Deep Fog" | StB SWR GoM |
St. 10 Use — | |||
| 古雨「黄泉中有の旅の雨」 | Old Rain "Rain in the Afterworld Journey" | StB | St. 10 | |||
| 死価「プライス・オブ・ライフ」 | Death Price "Price of Life" | StB GoM |
St. 10 — | |||
| 舟符「河の流れのように」 | Nautical Sign "Flow of the River" | SWR | Use | |||
| 薄命「余命幾許も無し」 | Poor Fate "Short Life Expectancy" | SWR | Use | |||
| 霊符「何処にでもいる浮遊霊」 | Spirit Sign "Abundant Floating Spirits" | SWR | Use | |||
| 換命「不惜身命、可惜身命」 | Exchange "Unpitiable, Pitiable Life" | SWR | Use | |||
| 恨符「未練がましい緊縛霊」 | Malice Sign "Irresolute Bound Spirit" | SWR GoM |
Use — | |||
| 死符「死者選別の鎌」 | Death Sign "Scythe of Final Judgement", Death Sign "Scythe that Chooses the Dead" | SWR SWR |
Use Story | |||
| 地獄「無間の狭間」 | Hell "Narrow Confines of Avici" | SWR | Use | |||
| 霊符「古き地縛霊の目覚め」 | Spirit Sign "Awakening of the Ancient Earthbound Spirits" | SWR | Story | |||
| 魂符「魂の遊戯」 | Soul Sign "Game of the Soul" | SWR | Story | |||
| 魂符「生魂流離の鎌」 | Soul Sign "Scythe of Wandering Spirits" | Soku | Use | |||
Additional Information
- Komachi shares the same name with Ono no Komachi, but her personality is rather similar to Ono no Komachi's grandfather, Ono no Takamura, who was said, due to his extraordinary skill and knowledge, to shuttle the hell in order to support Yama with the judgments every night.
- There is a shinkansen named Komachi after Ono no Komachi. Poor humor, but it's not entirely impossible that ZUN referenced this as her ability to the extent of manipulating distance.
- Komachi's boat, referred to as the Titanic by herself, is a small wooden one . According to Perfect Memento her boat is rowed by hand.
- Regardless of Komachi's own official profile which says the width of the river changes by her mood it is also mentioned in some of the Phantasmagoria of Flower View dialog, especially between Eiki and Sakuya, that the width of the river depends at least partly on the actual ghost being ferried; "A river's width is the same as the breadth of the soul's history. How you lived decides the width of the river." This could imply that only one ghost is ever on board at once to avoid conflicting river-widths from ghosts who lived very different lives being on board at the same time, and thus she would not need a large boat.
- The Last Word theme in Imperishable Night, 東方妖怪小町 (Touhou Youkai Komachi), contains the exact kanji (小町) for her name. This fact has been used in the titles of several Komachi doujins.
- In Scarlet Weather Rhapsody, she mentions that it would be very convenient if she were to have a book which brings death to anyone whose name is written on it. This is a reference to the anime series Death Note which also features shinigami.
- One of Komachi's skill cards in Touhou Hisoutensoku enables Komachi to ram her opponent with her boat. It is mentioned in the skill card explanation that Eiki gets angry with her using the boat on land, thereby wearing it down.
- Komachi's lazy streak might have been inspired by Fanon Meiling, who's infamous for her naps.
Fandom
- Fanart tends to portray Komachi as being very large-chested perhaps based off the remark of her being "Tall and Imposing" in PMiSS. Her art depiction in Scarlet Weather Rhapsody is remarkable for being one of the few characters with a visible bust. For reference, SWR's art has Reisen being as flat as Suika.
- In Fanon, Komachi's already considerable lazy/napping streak is exaggerated to often absurd levels, having her nap most of the day away. Her Yukkuri is asleep 95% of the time.
- She is also shown in fanon to tease Eiki about the differences in bust size. As it's fanon Eiki in most of these cases, this usually ends painfully for her as she hits or pokes Komachi with her Rod of Remorse.
- Komachi is sometimes paired up with Yuugi (Powerful, shapely women) or Meiling (Strong, redhead, shapely, lazy). Up to Touhou Hisoutensoku's release, fans were looking forward to how the two would interact. Sadly all they got was some vs mode win lines.
- She is also sometimes seen as a big sister figure to Cirno or other 'younger' characters. This may have been inspired by Komachi's win line against Cirno saying she'd be her playmate. Surprisingly, the trend didn't pick up after 12.3's release.
Official Profiles
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○三途の水先案内人
小野塚 小町（おのづか こまち） Onozuka Komachi
能力：距離を操る程度の能力
距離を操る程度の能力を持つ。
している。彼女の気分次第で、河幅や深さが変わる。余りにも生前悪 いことをし過ぎていたら、河を渡ることが出来ない事もある。
お金と言っても、故人の財産ではなく、故人の事を心から慕っていた 人の財産の合計である。ちなみに罪の量で裁くことは、彼女の仕事で はなく河を渡った後の話である。
金ではなく、身の回りの人間の財産の合計に見合ったお金になってい る事に驚かされる。
持ちの少なさに驚くこともあるという。
途中で落とされるだろう。河幅は果てしなく広くなり、泳ぎ疲れたと ころを、河に棲む絶滅した大型魚や水竜に喰われてしまう。
今回、幻想郷が花で埋め尽くされてしまったのは、彼女の仕事が許 容量をオーバーしてしまったからである。余りにも死者の魂が多すぎ て、冥界に渡れない魂が幻想郷に取り残され、途方に暮れた霊魂達が 身近な花に身を寄せたのだ。
彼女のボスに当たる四季映姫の目にとまり、怒られてしまうのだった。 |
Guide of the Sanzu no Kawa
Komachi Onozuka Species: Shinigami Ability: Manipulating distance A youkai that provides passage for the river between Gensokyo and the other side. She has the ability to manipulate distance. When a person dies, their spirit must cross the river to the Netherworld. It is Komachi's duty to ferry the dead across the river. The width and depth of the river changes depending on her mood. Also, if someone has done too much evil during their lifetime, they may even not be able to cross the river. A shinigami judges one to be good or bad not by the amount of crimes, but by money. That is to say, not the money that the deceased may have had while they were alive, but rather the total amount of those who yearned and missed that person from the bottom of their hearts. By the way, judging the amount of crimes of the dead is not Komachi's job and would be handled after crossing the river, but that's a story for another time. After death, when she requests a passage fee from them, people tend to be surprised since the money they have on hand doesn't correspond to their own assets, but on the assets of his or her surrounding friends. Very rich people tend to be despised during their life, and are astonished to see how little they have after death. Komachi always demands those she guides to pay all the money they have, and anyone who hesitates to pay the full sum is dropped into the river midway through the journey. The river is made infinitely wide, and the unfortunate spirit is soon consumed by huge fishes and water dragon which were extinct in world of the living. The reason Gensokyo got buried under a sea of flowers this time was because her workload went way beyond what she could handle. There were so many dead spirits that some of them were not handled in time and were left in Gensokyo, and in this puzzled state these dead spirits possessed nearby flowers. Komachi thought that it was just a temporary issue, and worked at her own pace without the slightest bit of worry. However, it soon caught the eye of her boss, Eiki, and she got a good scolding because of that. |
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○三途の水先案内人 小野塚 小町（おのづか こまち） 種族：死神 特に道の長さが変わる。 追っても近づかず、逃げても離れずで人間に恐怖心を与える。 性格：気前がよいが、調子がよい。 明るく、江戸っ子っぽい気前の良さがある。 相手をおだてたり、小咄をしてみたりと一緒にいると楽しい。 これは、死神全般の性格ではなく、彼女の性格。 |
The Sanzu Ferryman Komachi Onozuka Race: shinigami Especially the ability to change the length of a path. Her ability to make it seem as if you never get closer or can never get away Personality: good-natured, but laid back. She clearly has a very "Edoite"-like good nature about her. Enjoys riling up her opponents and telling anecdotes. Not all shinigami are like this; this is her own personality. |
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小野塚小町 拓落失路の死神 三途の河の渡し守をつとめる死 |
Onozuka Komachi
The ill fated and unsuccessful shinigami A shinigami that ferry souls over the Sanzu river. She slacks and takes extra breaks whenever her boss -the yama- is not watching her. Shinigami are considered a natural enemy to hermits, however Komachi isn't the one that is a threat to Kasen's lifespan. |
Official Sources
- 2005/08/14 Phantasmagoria of Flower View - キャラ設定.txt (official profile)
- 2005/12/30 Shoot the Bullet - Stage 10 Spell Card comments
- 2006/12/26 Strange and Bright Nature Deity - Chapter 4
- 2006/12/27 Perfect Memento in Strict Sense - Komachi Onozuka
- 2008/02/09 Silent Sinner in Blue - Chapter 9 (cameo)
- 2008/05/25 Scarlet Weather Rhapsody - おまけ.txt
- 2008/07/22 Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth Chapter 14 (cameo)
- 2009/07/28 The Grimoire of Marisa - Komachi Onozuka's Spell Cards
- 2009/12/26 Oriental Sacred Place - Chapter 6
- 2010/11/25 Wild and Horned Hermit - Chapter 3
- 2011/03/28 Wild and Horned Hermit - Chapter 5
References
- ↑ Perfect Memento in Strict Sense: Perfect Memento in Strict Sense/Komachi Onozuka
- ↑ Phantasmagoria of Flower View: Eiki's Scenario
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This page is part of Project Characters, a Touhou Wiki project that aims to write proper descriptions for all official characters of Touhou Project. |
