Mino Nenki

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Mino Nenki (japanese: 蓑 念鬼, hiragana: みの ねんき, rōmaji: Mino Nenki) a character featured within the Japanese anime Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls. Nenki was one of ten ninja selected by his leader Ogen to represent their clan of Iga Tsubagakure against the chosen ten of the rival Koga Manjidani clan.

Nenki's simian features, excessive body hair, and use of a bo staff in combat cause him to bear a strong resemblance to Sun Wukong, the monkey king of Chinese Mythology. His personality is prideful which often makes him underestimate his opponents and leads him to act carelessly in battle. While he defers to the command of Yakushiji Tenzen over that of Princess Oboro, Nenki is comparatively more patient with Oboro's indecision than the majority of the Iga; viewing her infatuation for Gennosuke as a childish phase born out of her sheltered view of the world and believes that as time goes by she'll eventually grow out of it.

Although lethally proficient with his staff, Nenki's greatest weapon is the control he exercises over his own hair. Draping down his back in a tangled mat, Nenki is able to straighten his hair and manipulate it as a grasping tool. His hair is also strong enough to swing him from tree to tree (leaving his hands free for combat) or even to wrap around an enemy and crush them like a Boa Constrictor. Beneath his robes, his body is covered in coarse fur that can be stiffened into needles to skewer any opponent that gets too close and also provides protection from certain techniques. In the manga, Nenki's hair reflects his moods; writhing wildly whenever he becomes enraged or excited.

In the Japanese original anime, he is voiced by Kenji Utsumi.

[edit] Battles

Nenki VS Shogen (episode 3): Along with Koushiro, Rousai, and Hotarubi, Nenki was sent by Tenzen to seek out Kazamachi Shogen and take the Koga's battle scroll. Attacking from above, Nenki missed cracking Shogen's head open with his staff by mere inches before he, Rousai, and Koushiro became ensnared in Shogen's glue net. Fortunetely, Hotarubi escaped capture and distracted Shogen enough for her to throw one of Koushiro's hand sythes to Nenki, who caught it with his hair and then plunged the blade straight into Shogen's forehead. After Shogen threw the Koga's scroll to his comrade Jimushi Jubei, Nenki whipped his hair around and used Koushiro's scythe to slash them all free of the net.

Nenki VS Koga Shinobi (episode 5): Under the command of Tenzen, Nenki was part of the five man raid that launched a sneak attack on Manjidani. After their presence was announced by Kasumi Gyoubu, the Iga found themselves surrounded by the Koga ninja and promptly threw themselves into battle. With his hair acting as extra limbs, Nenki seized and strangled multiple Koga shinobi before snatching up their dropped weapons to use against their comrades. When the Koga ten in Manjidani joined the fight, Nenki retreated along with the rest of the Iga.

Nenki VS Okoi (episode 6, 8): Following the failed attack on Manjidani, the Iga came across Okoi who had stopped to drink from a river while on her way to Tsubagakure to check on Gennosuke. Seeing a chance to salvage some measure of victory, the Iga revealed themselves and Tenzen attempted to persuade Okoi to accompany them back to Tsubagakure. Okoi didn't fall for it however and escaped into the trees. Nenki vaulted after her with his staff and pursued her, his hair effortlessly swinging him from tree to tree. As Okoi landed on a branch, Nenki seized it with his hair and snapped it in an attempt to make her fall. Okoi quickly righted herself though and hurled a trio of kunai at him. Pretending to be hit, Nenki tricked Okoi into dropping her guard which allowed him to hurl his staff into her stomach. As he revealed that he had caught her kunai with his hair (including two with his nose hair) Nenki hurled the knives but missed as Okoi plummeted unconscious to the ground. Nenki probably would have killed her right there (or done something worse to her) if Tenzen hadn't stopped him, saying Okoi would be the perfect bait to bring Gennosuke under control.

After returning to Tsubagakure, Nenki left Okoi stripped and tied up in the clan's salt shed to keep Oboro from learning what had happened. Nenki would later go to check to see what was taking Rousai and Jingoro so long in their interrogation of the prisoner and was almost gutted when Okoi leapt out and slashed at him with Jingoro's knife; breaking his staff and the belt tying his kimono closed. As Okoi pulled back for a second attack, Nenki recovered and disarmed her, allowing him to seize her around the throat and left breast. Although Tenzen had ordered Nenki not to kill her, Okoi attempted to use her blood drain technique and Nenki decided to end the fight by triggering his body hair to stiffen, mortally wounding Okoi as his hair impaled her across her entire body.

Nenki VS Hotarubi (episode 8): A humorous moment designed to lighten the mood following Okoi's poignant death scene. After infiltrating Tsubagakure in the guise of Yashamaru, Kisaragi Saemon was led to the salt shed by Hotarubi just after Nenki had mortally wounded Okoi. After Nenki noticed the strange way Yashamaru was acting, Saemon replied he was still feeling the effects from when Hotarubi's snake bit him and Nenki joked it must be because Yashamaru had found a new girlfriend. Hotarubi however, didn't find his comment very funny and Nenki was forced to do some fast talking to convince her not to stab him with the knife she pulled out of her kimono.

Nenki VS Hyouma (episode 11): Along with Hotarubi, Nenki was sent by Tenzen to seek out the Koga following the return of the battle scroll and Gennosuke's invitation for the Iga to join him on an expedition to Sunpu to determine the reason behind the truce's cancellation. After Hotarubi's snake succeeded in sealing Gennosuke's eyes and thereby neutralizing his dojutsu, Nenki realized that Kasumi Gyoubu was missing from the Koga's party and told Hotarubi to return and warn Tenzen of the enemy hiding among them. Before that however, Nenki also requested that Hotarubi lead Kagerou and Saemon away from the inn. For even though Tenzen had ordered them to only spy on the Koga, Nenki was tired of being held back and had decided to show Tenzen up by killing both Gennosuke and Muroga Hyouma at once.

After Saemon and Kagerou pursued Hotarubi's butterfly swarm, Nenki dropped to the ground and stormed into the cabin where he asked which of them wished to die first. Gennosuke told Hyouma to look, which Nenki found amusing since Hyouma was blind. Nenki's confidence turned to horror however when Hyouma opened his eyes and revealed that not only could he see but he possessed the same dojutsu technique as Gennosuke. Unable to resist his enemy's power, Nenki's hair wrapped around his body and hung him from the window above the cabin door before tightening around him and crushing him to death. Upon his return, Saemon would use Nenki's body to take his appearance so he could finish off Hotarubi before she could completely escape.

[edit] Alternate Information

Mino Nenki was present in the live action movie Shinobi: Heart Under Blade but was significantly altered. Instead of his signature staff and hair manipulation, he was featured with a fur skin hood and cloak, long extendable iron claws, and growled instead of actually speaking; giving him a feral appearance that was highly reminiscent of Wolverine.

Instead of having a staff like the anime or manga, the novel states that he uses a club. His appearances are the same.

[edit] References

Fumitoro Kizaki (Director). Basilisk-Koga Ninpocho [TV-Series] GONZO/Kodansha/Japan Digital Concepts: Japan. 2005

Masaki Segawa (Manga-Ka). Basilisk-Koga Ninpocho [Manga] Kodansha: Japan. 2003-2004

Futaro Yamada (Author). Koga Ninpocho [novel] Japan. 1958

Ten Shimoyama (Director) Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (DVD) Japan. 2005