Kakuriyo Novel Volumes 7-11 Heavy Spoilers

A part of my Kakuriyo novel collection: Volumes 7-10. 

This post contains HEAVY spoilers. You’ve been warned. 

I’m at the moment translating Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi Vol 7 Ch 1, following on the surprising news from Raijū in Vol 6 Ch 10. There is no Ōdanna-sama in Vol 7 Ch 1 because of what happened in Vol 6 Ch 10, but we do have Aoi feeling his loss (which is great from the viewpoint of story development, but it’s still painful). In the same chapter, one of my 2nd most favourite characters, i.e. Byakuya-san (yep, now I actually have Byakuya and Hatori competing with Ginji for the runner-up in my heart), is in charge of the move to rescue Ōdanna and Tenjin-ya. Byakuya is actually going to be very active in this quest, hence he’s going to be a very close ally of Aoi’s. Surprising, really, because he was very cold when we first met him… (but then we realised he was a cat-lover, and I always forgive cat-lovers…).

But because there is no Ōdanna-sama in the next few chapters, I actually cheat-read (or shall I say jump-read) to Volumes 8, 9 and 10… to find out what happened to Ōdanna-sama. Now, if you have read Vol 6 Ch 10, you will know that Ōdanna-sama is now missing because of a grave secret that he’s been keeping until Raijū found it out. Now, I don’t know yet how that Raijū-me (in Japanese, oftentimes, if you add め ‘me’ after a name, it actually is a curse-suffix) found out about Ōdanna’s secret, but it did cost our darling Master his position and his freedom (read on and you’ll agree). But I do know several things from the cheat-read of Vols 8-10… not just about Ōdanna-sama, but also Aoi etc… which I am dying to discuss with someone. At least, dying to write down so I don’t keep it to myself. 

With the holiday coming to an end, my translating speed will be vastly reduced. I don’t want to keep you tethered to a spoilers hook while I can just spoil it… plus, it will be a good few months (if not the whole year) before I can finish reading the remaining of the novel volumes properly to understand the details of the main events. 

Thus this post. I cannot keep this secret for too long anyway… wonder how Ōdanna-sama kept his secrets for centuries if not a millennium…

But it doesn’t mean that I will abandon translating some important chapters. We owe it to Aoi and Ōdanna and the whole Kakuriyo friends to understand how they eventually arrive at those events… thus, I will continue translating and/or summarising chapters. I just need to share these secrets and spoilers with you now… and then I’ll return to translating Vol 7 Ch 1 soon. I trust that you will still want to read chapters in Volumes 7-10 chronologically as they become available… But in the meantime, if you are very curious like me, these are the spoilers for Volumes 7-10. Heavy spoilers ahead, but I’ve put the spoilers script now to make it easier for you to decide whether you’ll read it or not.

(please note that the spoilers cannot be opened if you use the embedded Blogger "Translate" function to read this post. For that, you need to read the post in English... sorry...)

Part 1: Spoilers related to Ōdanna-sama and Aoi

First spoilers: Ōdanna-sama’s favourite food. This one is rather trivial, but it is something that has bugged Aoi for almost a year, so let’s get it out.

Spoilers:

Negi tamago-yaki, or Japanese omelette with chopped spring onions

I think it’s in Vol 9, because in Vol 10, Aoi already knew about Ōdanna’s favourite food. After I learned about it, when I re-watched Ep 1 of the anime again, I realised that the first thing that Ōdanna ate out of Aoi’s bento was actually the tamago-yaki. 

Edit 23 June'21: Now I think Ōdanna-sama's favourite food is either any egg dishes in general or omellette. Read Vol 9 Ch 6 for the hints.

This is not the first bento that Ōdanna got from Aoi,
but see what he aimed to pick with his chopsticks...

Second spoilers: Ōdanna-sama’s real name. This one is big. 

Spoilers:

His real name is Setsu 刹, which means “temple”, as in a Buddhist temple, or the “central pillar of a pagoda”. Scroll down to read the next spoilers about Ōdanna-sama’s secret to learn how he got that name; you’ll see how that name befits him, considering how central Ōdanna-sama is to Tenjin-ya. It’s a beautiful name befitting his character.

Third spoilers: Ōdanna-sama’s secret that caused him to becoming a fugitive. This one is massive. The Kakuriyo Japanese Wiki page was the first to spoil me about Ōdanna’s secret, but I only started to grasp its magnitude upon further reading the novel.

Spoilers:

Centuries ago, if not a millennium ago, Ōdanna-sama was a jyaki, jaki or gaki 邪鬼, an evil spirit who lived underground where Tenjin-ya was later built. According to Kappapedia, jaki (also called Amanojaku) are evil, but after getting trampled by the Four Heavenly Kings, they repented and then served Lord Buddha by carrying lanterns. Sometimes jaki is also called the Hungry Ghost. 

[Update 15 March 2021]: Upon skimming the end of Vol 9, I now realised that Ōgondōji-sama actually found Setsu as a little jyaki (as in, he was not a grown-up jyaki when they met). Ōgondōji-sama also did not name the little jyaki 'Setsu'; it was the name he was born with because his jyaki tribe is actually a 'Setsuki' or a tribe of jyaki living in temples. So, 'Setsu' was really Ōdanna's real name, so to speak. He still grew up to be a character befitting his real name. [End of update 15 March 2021]

The thing is, every ayakashi in Kakuriyo dislikes – if not hates – jaki/gaki/jyaki. Thus the reason why Ōgondōji-sama and Ōdanna-sama never revealed the latter’s true past. It also explains what Ōdanna-sama said in Ep 20 of the anime when he and Aoi visited the Dragon Palace. He said that he grew up amongst miasma. Since he was actually a jaki, I can now understand what he meant. A jaki wouldn’t grow up amongst roses; he would instead grow up amongst (or was formed by) those miasma. 

In Ep 20, Ōdanna-sama said he grew up amongst miasma

See, this Heian-era scroll below shows quite a scary gaki…which is a far cry from our Ōdanna-sama. However, if before he became Ōdanna-sama he was like that, I can understand how Ōdanna-sama was reluctant about telling Aoi his past.

Courtesy of the Kyoto National Museum, source

In fact, after checking Vol 4 Ch 9 p 332, I can confirm that the oni that Ōdanna-sama killed in Ep 20 anime WAS actually a jyaki　邪鬼... 

In Vol 4 Ch 9 (anime Ep 20), Ōdanna and Aoi visited the Dragon Palace and Aoi was attacked by an oni. In the anime, Aoi just said “oni!”. BUT in the novel, she actually realised it was a jyaki (p 332). The kanji 邪鬼 is clearly written many times in that section. That 邪鬼 jyaki even said this to Ōdanna: 「ふざけるな！お前だって、お前だって、”同族” のくせに！」

“Gimme a break! You, you’re actually the same tribe as me!"

When I watched the anime, I thought the oni referred to Ōdanna being the same with him, an oni. But the oni's words actually mean that Ōdanna was also a jyaki (that jyaki would recognise Ōdanna as another jyaki on the spot, being from the same 'species'). The anime purposely did not translate the jyaki as jyaki… so that when the jyaki said that Ōdanna was like him, people don’t immediately link it to the latter being a jyaki!

In fact, this scene at the Opening 1 of the anime may have been spoiling Ōdanna's secret. Is this his actual jyaki form...? It is very similar in shape to the dishevelled hair of the jyaki that attacked Aoi...

Fourth spoilers: We know from the summary of the Gaiden that Aoi would marry Ōdanna-sama. But how did he re-propose?

Spoilers:

Well, he didn’t. Aoi beat him to it. She reverse-proposed him first in Vol 10 Ch 5. They have met again in Vol 9 Ch 1, when he answered her questions (including about his pact with Shirō), but not about his real name. However, somehow they got separated again, with Ōdanna being locked into a hellish cave (or an underground, same-same…). In Vol 10 Ch 5, with the help of her friends (IINM, either Ōgondōji-sama or Byakuya showed her the cave), Aoi found Ōdanna in a hellish cave where he was sort of locked down for his punishment of him being a jaki. I choked on my tears when reading this chapter last night, for it was so sad and beautiful. Ōdanna was so surprised to find Aoi in his jail-cave, particularly when Aoi called him with his old name, Setsu. From the cheat-read, I don’t think Aoi knew that Ōdanna’s name was Setsu because he told her, for in Vol 10 Ch 5, he was actually surprised to know she knew.

[Update 15 March 2021]: Upon skimming Vol 9 Ch 7, I now realised that it was Ōgondōji-sama who showed Aoi the scene where the zashiki-warashi met Setsu for the first time. Aoi 'saw' the little jyaki telling Ōgondōji-sama of his real name, but the former couldn't quite catch his name. It was only at the end of that chapter that Aoi realised what Ōdanna's real name was... it was 'Setsu' 刹. So, in Vol 10 Ch 5, when Ōdanna-sama was surprised that Aoi called him with his old name, he was surprised because he actually didn't get to tell her that before he was whisked back to Yōto. [End of update 15 March 2021]

Nevertheless, Ōdanna told Aoi to leave. Repeatedly.

“Why have you come to this place? This is not a place for you. Go home at once. I’m already… already…”

But Aoi was having none of that. Instead, she called him with his real name again, and then told him that she wanted to marry him. Her words were:

“I love you. Please make me your bride.”

He was still unmoved. A few lines later, he told her to go back home again. 

“Go home, Aoi. I don't love you. The marriage is but an ‘engagement’, that’s all.”

But it seems Aoi saw through Ōdanna-sama’s lies. She knew he loved her just as much as she loved him. And she finally won her argument. Ōdanna-sama mellowed down and relented. He did ask her though:

“Aoi… Me being like this, is this alright for you?” 

The JP version is "...Aoi. Konna ni boku de, ii no kai?". "Konna ni" means "like this", but I think Ōdanna meant "like this" to be his whole package, i.e. him being a fugitive, a former jyaki, and might have no future at all in Kakuriyo.

Aoi has her answer ready.

“If it’s not with you, Ōdanna-sama, I’m not getting married. I don’t think I’ll ever love this way again.”

And this is another important bit, again thanks to the Brazil FB page: After stating those lines, to show Ōdanna that she meant business, Aoi actually kissed him! Like, aggressively on the lips! Complete with her yanking Ōdanna's collar to get closer to his lips! OMG, I may need to just translate the entirity of that bit in Vol 10 Ch 5 just for the kiss! Even Ōdanna-sama commented on how aggressive that kiss was!

And finally, finally Ōdanna-sama said this:

“Aoi, I’m so happy to learn about your feelings for me. As for me, you are truly my beloved.”

And I wailed cos I cannot speak of this to a living person within a 10 m distance! And I wish my Japanese is waaaay better so I can just gulp all Volumes 7-10 in one go and digest it all for you!

Fifth spoilers: The food that Ōdanna-sama gave Aoi when she was an abandoned child?

Spoilers:

It is the seed of his own spiritual power. His own life-force, so to speak. I haven’t got the details, but Vol 9 Prologue has it. The JP Wiki entry of Kakuriyo also said that, because preparing this meal was very difficult, Ōdanna-sama's life has been cut short to prepare this meal.

Sixth spoilers: Regarding the pact between Ōdanna-sama and Tsubaki Shirō…

Spoilers:

Well, it’s not JUST with Shirō. Ōdanna-sama seems to have given his words that he would protect Aoi to another person. That person is none other than Tsubaki Kyōtarō　津場木杏太郎, Aoi’s missing father! Kyōtarō actually introduced Ōdanna-sama to Aoi in the very first line of the first page of Vol 9. I haven’t got the details yet (still have to read that chapter), but the chapter was narrated by Ōdanna-sama himself, and he knew that Aoi was Kyōtarō’s beloved daughter.  Oh my… what an interesting addition…

Seventh spoilers: How come Aoi found Ōdanna-sama in the place described in the 4th spoilers above? 

Spoilers:

In Vol 9 Ch 6, somehow the Royal troops found out Ōdanna's hideout in the Cultural Gate. To secure Aoi's safety, Ōdanna agreed to return to Yōto with the Royal troops, leaving Aoi devastated. Later, Aoi regrouped with Tenjin-ya and with her allies in Yōto (including, of course, Ritsuko-san, plus the Second Prince, so that Aoi etc could sneak into the Palace dungeon to find Ōdanna.

 

Part 2: Spoilers related to supporting characters

Now, in addition to those heavy spoilers above, there are some spoilers that I’d like to share with you here. They are not lighter per se, but they are important IMO. I only put the spoilers tag for the ones I consider major, but all of them are of course spoilers.

First: Akatsuki and O-Ryō eventually dated. There is at least one chapter in Vol 10 dedicated to just both of them, and I’d like to read and translate it if I have the power, time and energy to do so.

Second: with regards to Nuioin-sama and Ritsuko-san…

Spoilers:

In the Gaiden, we will learn that Ritsuko-san finally passed away a while after Aoi and Ōdanna-sama got married. Her passing impacts our couple a lot, but it brings them closer as well. After all, just like Nuioin-sama, Ōdanna-sama will have to live a much longer life than Aoi, and he has to see her passing too one day. I don’t know more about Ritsuko-san’s passing, but I am surprised that she did pass away in the Gaiden. I thought she would live longer… hence I’m sad…

Third: About Byakuya-san...

Spoilers:

He apparently used to have a human wife. The human wife died long ago, but I'm not sure whether it was before or after he joined Tenjin-ya. It's in Volume 7, so I have to just be patient and read through the volume (and I say "I" have to be patient because I mean it... I need to just pace myself cos there's no way I gobble the whole volume with my current level of Japanese...)

Fourth: on a lighter note, Ginji actually has a driving licence in our world! I have no details about it, but we’ll learn about it in Vol 10, most likely after we have dealt with the Raijū business. 

Fifth: It seems Kasuga and Kiyo (her husband from the Northern Land) will have a child in Gaiden. Would be interesting to see Aoi’s and Ōdanna-sama’s child too, but I suppose I’m happy that the novel ends here.

Well, that’s it for the spoilers. I will add more spoilers as I do jump-reading, particularly regarding Ōdanna's case.

By the way, Yūma Midori sensei has written another light novel (with 10 volumes as well IINM) called the “The Diary of an Asakusa Oni-bride” (浅草鬼嫁日記). It’s a reverse-Kakuriyo whereby an oni by the name of Shūtendōji 酒呑童子 came to our world to live with the girl of his dream. Oni Shūtendōji is a friend of Ōdanna-sama, and they would meet up every now and then whenever the latter visits Utsushiyo. That would be a nice cross-over, though judging from the artwork of the  Asakusa Oni-bride Diary, I find Ōdanna-sama (at least his physical description) a much more appealing oni to me…

And I actually have vol 7 of the "Asakusa Oni Bride"! It was mistakenly sent to me in lieu of Kakuriyo vol 7, but the kind seller said I could keep it... You can see Shūtendōji sleeping next to the pretty girl

Anyway, I’ll keep translating whenever I have time. I think I should be able to push through Vol 7 Ch 1 just around the first week of January, but I will be less productive with the translation afterwards. An Utsushiyo girl must tend to herself eh…