3 Day Quote Challenge
Day 3 of 3
First off I’d like to extend my gratitude to Akko Anime, who sent the challenge. I was hitting some serious writer’s block and this gives me something fun to do, truly I can’t thank you enough. I love quoting things and this has been a lot of fun.
Rules and Regulations:
- Post one quotation a day for three days (they can be from other sources or one of your own).
- Nominate 3 other bloggers to participate per post.
- Thank the blogger who nominated you
And the final quote is:
“Actually, I’m a deviant as far as Kyotouryuu is concerned. But think of it this way, Chouchou-san. Stances are useless to begin with. If you change your stance in reaction every little thing that happens won’t you become slower? I can read exactly what you plan to do next from your stance. You’ve already revealed to me any mysteries your Kenpou might have had. Just by taking that stance. If I had to give mine a name it would be Kyotouryuu, zero stance: Fig Tree. Or something like that.” -Yasuri Nanami from Katanagatari
Ok this quote needs a little context. First off the character is talking about fighting stances (kamai) in case you couldn’t tell. If you’ve done any kind of martial art or similar activity then you probably already know that stances are pretty important. To give a simple example, anyone can throw a punch but not everyone is a boxer. Why? Because boxing requires you to maintain a certain fighting stance as you fight and that stance gives you an advantage, generally stances are designed to make your movements, attacks, and blocks more efficient. It also takes a lot of focus and energy to maintain which is why boxing takes lots of practice and not everyone can do it. So if a normal person told me stances were useless I’d call them stupid. But Yasuri Nanami is anything but normal.
It might be hard to tell from the text alone but Nanami is saying all of this very nonchalantly. I know anime characters generally rarely fear death in any series where battles are common and many get excited by the prospect of fighting someone strong, but it’s rare to find someone who is so comfortable and unconcerned just before a fight breaks out. That’s usually a time for both sides to tense up and maybe trade some one liners before duking it out, not to stand there and talk with all the urgency of discussing the weather. Not only that but what Nanami is saying is kind of terrifying, not only does she see one of the fundamentals of martial arts to be nothing more than a hindrance, she can turn what is supposed to be a strength into a weakness, stripping stances of all of their power with nothing but a glance.
As to why I chose this quote… have you ever seen a scene that scares you every time you see it? Because usually when you know something is coming, that foreknowledge robs the scene or event of much of its power. But not here. I’ve rewatched Katanagatari many times but the scene where this little speech happens always makes my hairs stand on end and sends chills down my spine. If anything my foreknowledge of the scene only enhances the power of the scene rather than takes away from it. Unlike the other quotes I chose this one doesn’t have particularly noteworthy voice acting, in fact if all you had to on was the audio this quote would likely be kind of boring. But it marks the rise of one the most terrifying fictional characters I’ve ever come across. And in honor of that most auspicious occasion I figured that using the words which usher it in was fitting. Also I can’t recommend Katanagatari highly enough, it is my favorite anime after all.
MY NOMINEES:
Mistakes Cheerio for Chesto 