Mitsuhide and Nobunaga: A Body Language Analysis
Mitsuhide gives the impression that he is sizing up the person he is looking at.
His body language is stern and very formal, but also quite closed off, given that his arms are crossed over his chest. He is also dressed in a very formal manner, his clothing fitted to him impeccably and worn in a proper way without anything odd or out of place.
In spite of that, though, he comes off as confident in himself and his position of authority because his eye contact is very, very direct and he’s not shying away from her gaze at all. In fact, his expression is severe and his eyes are penetrating.
And yet there is a softness to his expression that is conveyed mostly in the slope of his eyebrows.They’re not so intensely sloped that he looks fierce or angry. Instead, they are furrowed in what looks to be concern instead of anger or disapproval, giving the impression that, while he takes his duty seriously, there is also an underlying thoughtfulness and kindness to his demeanor.
Given that his color scheme consists of the exact opposite colors of Nobunaga’s (blue and white vs red and black), you can make the assumption that they are counter balances to one another.
White is a “pure” color, traditionally, symbolizing things that are unblemished, so you can assume a certain amount of nobility with this character.Blue, on the other hand, has connotations of calm and serenity, someone who is normally quite objective and level-headed. It is not a passionate color, and though it sometimes denotes melancholy, more often than not it also denotes some kind of nobility, as well.
That gives the impression that Mitsuhide is noble, level-headed, formal to a fault, closed off emotionally, dutiful and responsible, and greatly concerned about his surroundings and the people he is confronted with on a day to day basis.
On the other side of the coin, there is Nobunaga.
He is not dressed properly at all – on the contrary, he is wearing but a single layer of his kimono with his haori draped haphazardly over his shoulders, and what he is wearing is loose and revealing, giving the impression that he very much does not care what other people think about him.
Right away, this is not what we would expect of a Daimyo or one of his retainers. Unlike Mitsuhide’s proper way of presenting himself, Nobunaga cannot even bother to give anyone the respect that he himself demands and does not sit in seiza nor assume any other formal posture in front of his subordinates. This presents the image of a man who is interested in breaking traditions, not following them.
Furthermore, his posture is also decidedly relaxed, legs crossed, arm resting on his own shin, as he fidgets with a fan that he presumably keeps tucked on him.
Not only does this reinforce his devil-may-care attitude, but it makes him look playful, something further supported by the way that he’s leaning forward, towards the viewer. It shows that he’s taking an interest in them but that he is also above the situation and that whatever he’s about to say will be for his own amusement, regardless of the consequences.
Black is a very powerful color, and though often associated with “evil”, it is more often than not also a color of obscurity and uncertainty. It is an oppressive color that denotes something of inner turmoil, and coupled with passionate, angry, sensuous red, it gives the impression of someone who is explosive in nature, controlled somewhat by their whims, who is also in a state of flux.
Combined with the grin on his face and the intense, angry, slope of his eyebrows, Nobunaga comes off as both playful and predatory, like a large apex hunter on the prowl… Someone who just might enjoy playing with his food a bit too much. He’s dangerous, certainly, but interesting, as well, and someone who defies the norms and mores of the time he’s in with a single-minded and all consuming passion.
