#prattling

Waiting for a proper English translation (and a Steam release of the demo & let alone the full release..!) before I give my full thoughts on the new characters but my interest is already piqued by what I’m seeing!

GENERAL

I really like the ‘Ancient’/‘Pre-historic’-theming (I.e. no written history but still within the Holocene AKA ‘Human’ epoch) of the bosses so far!

Ubame Chirizuka ~ 塵塚ウバメ

Love that she’s essentially a self-proclaimed King of the Yamanba — complete with a crown and clothes resembling Nemuno’s!

Her crown appears to be inspired by the ceremonial crowns of Miko judging by association with Sanctuaries

^ I could be reading into her design too much but her crown appears to be made out of Human Sacral bones 😅 This might be an intentional design choice since Yamanba in myths are often described as being cannibalistic…hardcore!

Her surname (塵塚) can be translated as “Garbage (or Dust) Mound” so I guess you could say she’s the “King of the Garbage Pile” lol

Her first name (ウバメ) seems to be referencing a species of Swallow (specifically of the genus Hirundo)? Judging by her color palette, I’d say she’s named after the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rusticata):

I have no solid idea on what the Japanese cultural significance of this naming choice is but if I had to guess: perhaps it fits her being the 1st boss? Swallows are seen as heralds of Spring when they arrive and build their nests & heralds of Autumn when they migrate.

Chimi Houjuu ~ 封獣チミ

She may or may not be related to Nue?! Their surnames are both Houjuu (封獣 - “Sealed Beast”)

To further the connection: Chimi’s first name is the name of a species! Her name is homophonous with Chimi (魑魅 - On’yomi: チミ like in the game!)

The Chimi is also another chimeric monster with a variety of descriptions like the Nue! However, the Chimi originates from the 4th century BC (first mentioned in the Zuo Zhuan)! So Chimi would predate Nue by at least several centuries!

Nareko Michigami ~ 道神馴子

WOW I have a lot to say about this one!!

Ancient Egyptian themed “Sphinx” (asks Reimu and Marisa the famous Riddle of the Sphinx as seen in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex)⁉️🤯

^Actually, she’s a Dosō-jin (Another relevant link) judging by her surname (Michigami is the Kun’yomi reading & Dosō-jin is the On’yomi reading)!These stone idols predate Jizo statues in Japan and both the Dōso-jin and Jizo statues are considered fertility & traveler/pilgrim-protective-idols out of Shinto-Buddhist syncretization!

^in the linked Wiki article, Dōso-jin are also associated with Chimata no Kami (岐の神 lit. “God of crossroads”); Chimata, of course, sounds familiar to Chimata Tenkyuu! This is no coincidence: though her name is written with different kanji, ‘Chimata’ (千亦) can be translated as “Thousands of Streets/Crossroads”!

Like a Jizo statue (notably like Narumi), Nareko’s neck scarf is replaced with an Ancient Egyptian Nemes. This is the head scarf that you probably imagine Pharoahs wearing!

Speaking of Lapis, note the blue coloration of Nareko’s hair and eye markings! Ancient Egyptian deities’ hair were believed to be made of/the color of the precious stone! Lapis was also associated with the Heavens.

The crown on Nareko’s head appears to have an image of a mother & child on it. Dōsojin are considered protector deities of Mothers & their children as fertility idols. The placement at the very crown of her head reminds me of the goddess Iset, who is also a protector deity of Mothers & their children!

*The crown of this particular depiction of Iset (taken from Wikipedia) represents a Throne — symbolic over her role of granting & protecting Kingship of the Pharoah

Furthermore, the Nareko’s crown of a Mother & Child can be equated to Iset’s crown of a Throne — Pharoahs of Egypt were likened to her son Horus so she was considered the Divine Mother of the Pharoah!

Another regal symbol of Nareko’s is her Heka staff! It’s the golden Shepherd’s crook in her right hand. It represents the Pharoah’s ability to guide the Ancient Egyptian people which is befitting for Nareko’s role as a Protector deity of travelers!

Most interesting (and also vague) about her design to me is the ‘O’ & ‘X’ symbols on her stockings & other staff! The ‘X’ is most likely to be the Greek Χ (read as “Chi”) and the ‘O’ is the Ancient Greek O (Omicron & read similarily to the ‘O’ in “Omni”). I don’t know if there’s any significance of the Chi & Omni combination in regard to the Greco-Roman era of Ancient Egypt but it might be Chi & Omega (Ω) instead — which that combo has a Christian connotation in reference to Revelations 1:8:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Alternatively: the ‘X’s & ‘O’s are references to the ‘Brides of the Dead’ Fertility figurines buried with Ancient Egyptian Men, Women, & Children! Possibly a parallel ZUN drew between the Ancient Japanese & Ancient Egyptian culture…?

The Stage 3 theme “プレステ・ジョアンの黄金境” (the Golden Border of Prester John) is a fascinating track title & probably has plot implications considering Stage 3 is outside a Pyramid! I should really read into the myths surrounding Prester John huh.