#suisha

Pictured above is a photo of Craig Saddler also know as The Nemato Killer.

Formerly a homeopathic experimenter working for the Lu he who was tasked with studying carotene algae.

He used his newly acquired knowledge to assassinate a covert Nemato officer who was standing as a Lu under the codename Desmond Mallion.

Death by algae is a slow and agonising kill method and the officer was in immense pain for a considerable length of time as they were held in place by Craig and the parents of Desmond who had been made aware by Craig that the Nemato officer was not in fact their son.

Due to this attack being performed on a Nemato officer while currently working undercover it was initially believed that Craig was a part of some sort of counter-initiative.

Unfortunately it was simply an unprovoked attacked by a madman that had disvocered a method by which to harm Nemato officers and simply wanted to kill a Nemato just so that he could test out the theory.

Soon after Craig was taken in by Lu authorities who lavished him with praise and rewarded his efforts.

The found the real Desmond in secret and killed him as well because before his discovery they had already told the Mallion family that Desmond had been killed by the Nemato officer.

Craig was unable to be held accountable for his crimes while under the protection of covert Lu forces.

By the time that the enemy base where Craig was kept had been infiltrated by allied forces Craig had already been relocated.

To this day no-one knows the location of Mr. Saddler.

However there have been no further incidents following the aforementioned murder.

At least it's a comforting thought that maybe this murder was simply a single attack and now that Craig's curiosity has been suitably satisfied no more individuals will meet their fate.

If Craig is encounters Nemato authorities Nemato are equiped with weapons that scatter shore fly larvae to damage Craig's protective algal sheet.

On The Second Day of Fun I present... another recent ask! This one is really informative and I was eager to save it for this series ^^ Anonymous asked: “Could you please tell us more about pre-sakkō hairstyles in Pontocho?” Pontocho goes through a wide variety of hairstyles during the pre-sakko period. This is just one way to show that a big change for a big commitment is coming. The pre-sakko stage of hairstyle changes usually lasts for 2 months, in which a maiko goes through approximately 4-6 different hairstyles, each being worn for 1-2 weeks on average. The following is a list of the various styles that are worn during this time: Edo Sakkō 江戸先笄

Image courtesy of Afrigole.  A slight variation on the traditional sakkō hairstyle, it features a colorful kanoko with a bekkō kogai inserted through the center. It harkens back to the old Edo hairstyles that involved the punctuation of bekkō kogai throughout the hair. This style is also worn during Setsubun.  Suisha 水車

Image courtesy of Sakuchan.  A more complex hairstyle that also features a kanoko and a kogai, it’s a cousin of the oshidori style. It’s accented underneath with a string of tama kanzashi that match the current season (red for October to May and green for June to September). While rare, it can be seen sometimes during Setsubun. Mitsumage 三つ髷

Image courtesy of Sakuchan. One of the rarer pre-sakkō styles, it’s defined by its upright mage and twisted knot kanoko found pinned at the base. Although it can be worn during Setsubun, I have yet to see a maiko do so. Yuiwata 結綿

Image courtesy of Yoshifumi. One of the classical Edo hairstyles, it’s characterized by a high mage that’s then tied with a knotted kanoko. The kanoko is usually red, but other colors can sometimes be seen. This is a somewhat popular style with senior maiko during Setsubun. Kikugasane 菊重ね

Image courtesy of Crazy Blue Panda. A more intricate version of yuiwata, the kanoko in this case is tied through the mage as well as around it. Like the others, you can find it worn during Setsubun, but only by the most senior of maiko.  Oshidori - Mesu おしどり雌

Image courtesy of Haginon. Another rare style, it’s simple in its execution with a lengthened mage tied together and topped with a tama kanzashi and finished off with a kanoko tied underneath. It’s also very rare during Setsubun. Oshidori - Hina おしどり雛

Image courtesy of Shigemori. One of the most popular styles due to its intricacy and iconic look, oshidori hina is known for its knotted kanoko that’s tied through the middle of the mage that’s accented by shiraga tonbo tied through the middle of the kanoko! It’s like the turducken of styles! It’s also extremely popular during Setsubun and can be worn by both maiko who are about to be senior and senior maiko alike. Oshun お俊

Image courtesy of Toshiworth. Very similar to oshidori hina, it adds a kanoko through the top part of the mage along with shiraga tonbo tied in and an ichidome bar holding down the hair extention. It can also be found during Setsubun, but is not as popular as its oshidori cousin. Osafune 長船

Japanese Hairstyles: Historical Overview Part 02: Women’s Hairstyles of the Meiji Period

Hairstyle Name: Suisha Shimada (水車島田) lit. “Water Wheel Rice Paddy Island”

  This hairstyle is a variation of the Tsubushi shimada established during the Meiji era (1868-1912 CE). There’s no cushion at the root of the tail, so the tail appears to have been “crushed.” It also adds a twist and bridge of hair atop of the topknot, which makes it the most complicated variation of the Tsubushi shimada. Such a style was recognized as “iki,”or chic, and considered the opposite of the “taka-shimada.”

In terms of Lu these are considered to be the friendliest of all.

The reason is because there is a species of leech that once it feeds on a Lu chemicals in its saliva manipulate the Lu to be timid and obedient rather than their normal arogant and violent ways.

It is unfortunately temporary as once the leech has had its fill it will detach itself and find a damp place to hide where it can digest its meal.

As such Humbuls are rarely seen outside of the Lu's native home within the Suisha region as the effects often wear off before they are able to head deeper into Pocket itself.

Lu's often try to resist the influence of the leech and as a product the oversaturation of the mind altering chemical results in their bodies becoming twisted up.

It might look rather comfortable for the Humbul itself but inside the Lu is fighting like their life depends on it.

Other Lu see the transformation as hideous and grotesque whether or not the physical transformation is even present.

I don't think that little fact surprises anyone.

Humbuls despite being harmless are often killed by other Lu either because they kill them outright or because of one of many ways they attempt to "cure" them.

The temporary friendliness of the Humbul state can have a lasting psychological effect on the Lu victim either by their resistence to it garnering a hatred for it or the act of being peaceful can cause them to rethink the violent Lu doctrine they've been taught throughout their entire lives.

In the case of the latter it should be no surprise that peaceful Lu like that are also found to be considered disgusting by the violent Lu masses.

However there is hope that this sort of reeducation can one day teach the violent Lu culture to accept more peaceful ways.

The leech has no permanent ill effect on the Lu's health and even the Lu have observed leech bites are often beneficial though the leeches Lu know often don't cause Humbulism.

This is a curious fact as the leeches that are native to the Suisha region itself don't actually have the important chemical and are more commonly found elsewhere within Pocket.

It's doubtful that the leeches responsible for this transformation have migrated into Suisha of their own accord since they struggle to survive in that environment.

Therefore the only conclusion we can summise is that people from Pocket are deliberately carrying these special leeches into the Suisha region in an attempt to make the Lu docile.

This is a dangerous practice as for one the effects being temporary runs the risk of the Lu returning to their natural violent behavior not to mention the danger of interacting with Lu to be able to apply the leech but also that "stealing" a Lu as the Lu see it will cause animosity by the Lu against the people of Pocket.

Sure, the kimono and dances are lovely to watch, but nothing beats the elaborate hairstyles that we only see once a year! However, very little information is available, and even then it can be hard to tell these styles apart! So, we’re going to take a detailed look into each style and what makes that style well, that style!

Osome (お染)

Image courtesy of Umeka and Fumiyuki. The most basic and easiest style of them all to spot. It’s worn by maiko in their second or third year who are not yet seniors as maiko in their first year do not wear any styles (or, if they do, it is extremely rare and it’s always this one). Its structure is similar to Wareshinobu, with these main differences: -The mage is split into three sections instead of two. -Negi shiraga tonbo or regular shiraga tonbo are added to the top of the mage to make it shine. -In lieu of a kanokodome, a hashi no ke (hair extension) is combed over the middle of the mage. A small flower or decoration is sometimes added, like the example above. -Miokuri and additional optional hashi no ke are added to the bottom of the mage.

Yuiwata (結綿)

Image courtesy of Yoshifumi Okiya and Ochaya. A popular style among senior maiko for its simplicity and elegance, it’s the base of many other Setsubun hairstyles. Characteristics of Yuiwata include: -A crushed/flattened mage. -A kanoko tied around and then above the flattened part like a pretzel.

Kikugasane (菊重ね)

Images courtesy of Yumiko Photography and Crazy Blue Panda. An elegant style that’s meant to mimic the look of a large chrysanthemum with a multitude of petals, it’s related to Yuiwata, but with a twist. Distinguishing features of Kikugasane are: -Crushed/flattened mage. -Hair from the crushed part of the mage tied together with a kanoko into the pretzel knot shape of Yuiwata.

Oshidori - Mesu (おしどり雌)

Images courtesy of Haginon and Coto Cotton. One of the more rare styles as it’s very plain and simple overall. It’s meant to mimic the look of a male mandarin duck. Characteristics of Oshidori - Mesu include: -A flat, crushed mage. -A hashi no ke that extends over the mage and is flattened down and stiffened with hair paste. -Hane mottoi tying the mage and hashi no ke together and accented with a beaded pin kanzashi. -The addition of a nemaki or sometimes a kanoko underneath the mage.

Oshidori - Hina (おしどり雛)

Image courtesy of Shigemori Okiya and Ochaya and Emi Blue who’s allowed me to use an exclusive image. An extremely iconic style that’s worn by maiko who are about to become senior or have become senior within the past year. It’s very popular as it’s quite flashy and has become synonymous with Setsubun, but only the Hina variant, which is mean to look like a female mandarin duck. It is one of the styles that uses Yuiwata as a base. Distinguishing features of Oshidori - Hina are: -A hashi no ke that rests on top of and over the mage and remains fluffy. -A kanoko that’s tied around the base of the mage that makes it look like a pretzel. -Negi shiraga tonbo or regular shiraga tonbo tied in with the kanoko to make it very shiny and grab the attention of onlookers. -A small decoration near the end of the hashi no ke called an ichidome that’s pinned into the hair to keep it from flapping around.

Oshun (お俊)

Images courtesy of Taroeines and Toshiworth. This style is nearly identical to Oshidori - Hina above and can be hard to differentiate if you don’t know what to look for. The main characteristics that make Oshun different from Oshidori - Hina are: -The addition a kanoko tied through the upper mage section accented with negi shiraga tonbo. -A small bar ichidome kanzashi that’s added sometimes in lieu of a pin style one.

Fukiwa (吹輪)

Image courtesy of Takutanimoto and Ayaberto. Also known as the “Princess Style” as there are quite a few princess characters in kabuki whose hair is styled like this. It is very closely related to the Katsuyama style, but contains a few additions like: -”Hime Locks,” hair extensions that are long and flow over the shoulder. -Miokuri added into the back of the mage.

Fukura Suzume (ふくら雀)

Images courtesy of Lazy Dragon and Geishakai. This is an extremely rare hairstyle that I’ve only seen worn a few times prior, but seems to be gaining in popularity over the past few years. Fukura Suzume is very closely related to Kikugasane, but differs with: -The top part of the mage forming a small, triangular peak. -The addition of a bekkō kogai kanzashi into the peak that stands vertically. -A kanoko tied around the crushed part of the mage and over the high part of the mage.

Edo Sakko (江戸先笄)

Images courtesy of Dreamliner77 [1] [2]. To be honest, I thought that this was only worn by maiko in Pontocho before the switch to “proper” sakkō, but seeing it worn in 2019 is such a pleasant surprise for hair enthusiasts as even in Pontocho it is a rarity! Characteristics of the Edo Sakkō style include: -A crushed mage like many other styles. -Bekkō kogai bar kanzashi that is wrapped in a kanoko cloth, usually a bright and unusual color like green, that’s tied between the between the upper and lower mage sections. -Small pieces of hair that are wrapped around the kanoko section.

Suisha (水車)

Images courtesy of Sakuchan and Kimono Enishi. A unique style that takes parts of Edo Sakkō and Osafune to create an elegant look for senior maiko. The characteristics of Suisha are: -A crushed, flat mage. -Bekko kogai kanzashi inserted into the middle of a kanoko that’s tied between the upper and crushed part of the mage. -A hashi no ke going over the kanoko and pinned at the end of the mage. -Completed with a string of tama kanzashi underneath the mage.

Osafune (長舟)

Images courtesy of Crazy Blue Panda and Emi Blue as an exclusive again.

Easily the most elaborate style that’s worn only by the most senior maiko in each district, Osafune’s gravity defying shape is meant to mimic that of a boat with a prominent sail. The characteristics of Osafune are: