AMAZING reference chart put together by Nadeshico Rin, showing the different attires worn by the men of the buke class in and about Edo Castle. OP stresses the chart is by no means exhaustive - but it helps picturing things SO MUCH!
For easier reading, I have adapted the chart with english translation. Rin has also created illustrations detailing each attire, I'll translate those in coming days under the tag "samurai kimono".
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Y'all remember this post I made talking about how kimono carries visual and cultural language within it and how you can express so so much just by picking the type, the cut, and the patterns? I actually want to extrapolate on this and show how we can actually see that language used during the TWST New Year's event! (Sources will be directly linked as information is introduced.)
For some initial context, while the "plot" of the event is mainly just Sam's New Year Sale, a lot of the visual language, accessories, and cultural references used in the event call back to Shōgatsu or the Japanese New Year festival. This is a time where people WILL dress in traditional kimono and participate in traditional games, dances, eating traditional foods. So seeing the cast in kimono makes a world of sense.
The character I want to talk about in this post specifically is Ortho. His design for the New Year is honestly such a great example of how the different subtleties in kimono all come together to paint a picture, and tell you so much about the person wearing the kimono. Because ultimately, when I look at Ortho's kamishimo? All I see is brilliant foreshadowing about the entire plot of Book 6 and his role in the narrative.
The first thing I want to draw your attention to is the colors. It's the thing we see at a first glance. And while yes, these are the colors of Ignihyde, you might find it interesting to know how this combination translates in the kimono visual language. White, black, and blue are colors associated with and/or signify winter and death. So even if you had no idea that Ortho lived in STYX and was twisted from the film adaptation, Hercules, you could still draw that association from what colors he chose to wear and specifically which color is his base color - white, and which are his accent colors- black and blue.
To further explain, black is the traditional color worn when wearing mourning kimono. And white bleached cotton is traditionally worn as the garments of the deceased. While it may be a bit of a stretch, to me, the choice to use white base garments with black and blue accessories may actually reflect his in-between state. The way that real Ortho is dead, and this Ortho lives in his place is a huge aapect of the narrative behind Idia and Ortho. Grief and the negotiation of self identity, the path that Ortho takes to figuring out who he is despite being a living memory of someone who is dead, is not lost in the visual language of this kamishimo. I think, whether intentional or not, it's something reflected in how the black overlays the white, signifying that mourning and that life after the passing of another.
The next thing I want to actually draw your attention to is the era that the kimono comes from and the style of the kimono. This kimono is actually called a "kamishimo". The Kamishimo was the uniform worn by samurai during the Edo Period shōganate. The combination of the overcoat with the inner shirt, hakama pants, and specific style of adorned obi was quintisential for anyone who lived as a samurai. It signified their role in the government and their social status without the need for explanation, allowing people to adjust their mannerisms accordingly upon first meeting the samurai.
We know from how Idia refers to himself as 拙者 (sessha) and refers to others as -氏 (shi) that he and Ortho are incredibly passionate about the Edo period and very specifically samurai. So it really is a cute nod to that that Ortho would be wearing it. At least... if that's where the symbolism ended.
See the thing that strikes me about his kamishimo is that it's not a "real" kamishimo either. From the silouhette, color scheme, and broad shoulders, we can actually deduce that the kamishimo here is a theatrical kamishimo- worn in Kabuki theater.
Kabuki theater really developed and took off during the Edo period, especially during the Era in which women were forbidden from performing on stages. Many of the jidai-mono (historical plays) performed in Kabuki utilize yakugara (character archetypes) to make it much easier for audiences to watch and appreciate the narrative. These archetypes are often visually defined by uniform or repeating characteristics in their kimono, their makeup, their wigs, and their props as a short hand for audiences to be able to follow.
One such yakugara is called the "jitsuaku". This archetype is specifically defined by an "evil mastermind who plots to overthrow the goverment/feudal lord through rebellion", either due to seeking revenge, wanting power, or by whatever rationale the narrative gives him.
Here are some classical depictions of the jitsuaku in traditional artworks:
Source
Source
We can see by the depictions what the common color schemes and patterns used in their kamishimo are; the big/baggy silouhette with extremely dramatic, pointed shoulder pads; and the various decorative accessories and how they are placed.
Look familiar?
Ortho's silouhette very clearly harkons back to these specific types of kamishimo, that are considered archetypal of the jitsuaku. In other words, I have reason to suspect that the card designers of TWST are depicting Ortho as a jitsuaku... a evil mastermind who seeks to take over an institution through rebellion...
That sounds an awful lot like the plot of Book 6 and his specific role in the narrative to me.
This is all to say that the visual language of kimono is so so prevalent in his design, and I would extend that argument to every design in the New Year's line up - yes, this includes the most recent inclusion of Jack, Malleus, Jamil, and Floyd. And personally, I think it's genuinely so so cool and incredible that they would choose to add those nuances intentionally into the design in order to tell us everything that we need to know about the character- from social status, to gender and sexuality, to even personal feelings and emotions. It shows how much love is genuinely poured into making these characters feel alive and dynamic, and I think it's genuinely worth taking the time to appreciate.
And if you are still reading this and you are just starting to learn more about the visual art of kimono, then I genuinely hope you find this as encouragement to deep dive and learn more for yourself. Because honestly having that access and knowledge to those cultural elements and traditions truly helps open your eyes to all of the subtleties and messages that the creator wants you to see. And moreover? I think it really helps allow us to better appreciate the characters and the artwork on a much deeper level.
Thank you for reading this. I hope you genuinely found it fun, insightful, and maybe even inspiring. 💚
Did I need to buy kamishimo? Of course, for reference and research purposes. I'll post more pictures at a later date, but here are some close-ups so you can appreciate the dyed pattern of this fabric with me.
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Nikoichi - Exodus duet translation from the first Aitsu ga Kamite de Shimote ga Boku de character song album
tl under a break
tokiura kai is played by aramaki yoshihiko, and shima seiki by wada masanari
nikoichi (lit two parts one) is a term that refers to taking parts from two broken machines to make one that works which is a terrible comparison to them, thank you i hate it. also please bear with my localisation of shimasan’s speech patterns leave me alone ok
Tokiura
I got washed up
to this shore, covered in trash
I stubbornly decided
I was going to fight on my own
Shima
How long are these guys gonna keep playin’ around?
Running off and making excuses
I really do want to do comedy
I’m serious about it
And the two of us
Finally met by chance
Shima
I’ve been waitin’ every day
Just to meet ya
Tokiura
I’m not waiting a second
You’re such a nuisance
Always smooth-talking
Wanting attention
Shima
I was drawn to ya like a magnet
We just clicked
The directions we take to our goal
Might conflict, but we won’t let go
Tokiura
I want to try out the things I want to do
Shima
You’re funny, but your jokes’re too complicated
They’re missing a li’l more thought
That’s how it is
And so our dream starts to move
Tokiura
I really believe in you, I do
You can make good use of that silver tongue
Shima
You really believe in me?
That actually feels kinda gross
Tokiura
You’ve got the power
to turn anything into a joke
A partner that I can rely on,
that I’m saved by
I just always want
(Shima: to make you laugh)
(Tokiura: you to make me laugh)