Shounen -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

[Kaiten]

-Hitogatana-
By: Onigunsou
Genre: Action
Serialized In: Comic Blade
Mangaupdates

Crimes commited using manned combat-androids dubbed "Katana" run rampant.
In an effort to maintain order, the government has organized the AKCD - "Anti Katana Crime Division."
Togusa of the 8th squad of the AKCD, while holding existential doubts as a Human-Katana hybrid, continually casts himself into battle...

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Cool series with lots of action, great art, and what appears to be a great plot. Three volumes in Japan so far, the first two chapters scanlated thus far. I was going to wait until the first volume was completely scanlated but couldn't resist trying it.

 

[thornofcarrion]

Re: [FEATURED]-Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Read the first two chapters yesterday. Really looks promising. I would recommend it to people who like action based series.

 

[saladesu]

Re: [FEATURED]-Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Just read it the other day as well. It does look like it has a very interesting plot, even if the premise isn't something totally original or anything. I'm intrigued by the fact that the main character is a human-katana hybrid. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes

 

[Kaiten]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

I'm willing to withhold judgment about originality for now. So far the set up is typical action, youngster with super powers fights villains with similar super powers, ultimately resulting in pwnge. I think there's enough space for a deeper story to emerge after a few volumes, more than one on one fights at least.

---

Chapter 3 is out! Anyone who hasn't should read it. The chapter was all about introducing some more characters but ended with some good action. Over all pretty enjoyable. I still can't tell if it's going anywhere but the art is pretty, well paced, and entertaining.

 

[saladesu]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Thanks for the heads-up, Kaiten ^^ Would have missed it otherwise.

The new guy Hiyama seems like a pretty cool dude (showing up for meetings in his katana :3), and will most likely play a pivotal role in the story, or at least for this arc. I'm looking forward to seeing who this girl is who appeared at the end.

Also I wonder why there was no TN to explain the thing about "yatsuka". A non-Japanese speaker probably would not understand why Togusa found it offensive to be called that... So to explain~ basically "yatsu" is a derogatory word that can be translated as "dude"/"guy"/"chap"/"fellow", but it can also mean an object or a thing. Which is why Togusa doesn't like to be called that, since that's like not treating him as a human and instead seeing him only for his katana/weapon side. (oh and the "ka" is just something added to make it a question. So "yatsu ka" would be something like "[are you] an object?")

 

[Kaiten]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

I figured Yatsuka was a derogatory reference to him being half katana, that he was getting pissed because it made him sound more like an object than a person. A TL note would have been nice though. While it's kind of a typical shonen thing (Naruto/kyuubi, Inuyasha being half-demon), I would like to know more about Togusa's past. Why he's half katana, was he human than altered, katana first. Lots of good questions about his past.

I think the girl at the end was Hiyama ^^

 

[thornofcarrion]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Yes she was, not what I expected though. Togusa's character is what makes this series interesting. I want to know how he became the hybrid.

 

[saladesu]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Oh. Right. I fail I had thought the one who said "Shinobu-chan" was Togusa and not the shopkeeper

Chapter 4 is out, btw And with this chapter ends vol1.

More new characters! Now that this new girl Amenohabagiri has appeared and apparently Togusa sees himself in her, I'm sure we will be getting some Togusa backstory soon

 

[Ruu Readman]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Also I wonder why there was no TN to explain the thing about "yatsuka". A non-Japanese speaker probably would not understand why Togusa found it offensive to be called that... So to explain~ basically "yatsu" is a derogatory word that can be translated as "dude"/"guy"/"chap"/"fellow", but it can also mean an object or a thing. Which is why Togusa doesn't like to be called that, since that's like not treating him as a human and instead seeing him only for his katana/weapon side. (oh and the "ka" is just something added to make it a question. So "yatsu ka" would be something like "[are you] an object?")

Nice explanation! It explains a lot!

*WARNING SPOILER*
However, Togusa's original full name (which I've picked up from his profile in the Japanese Volume 3) is:
Yatsuka-no-tsurugi (八握 剣). This is the name of a legendary sword which is one of the "Ten Treasures" said to be held at Isonokami Shrine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isonokami_Shrine

So, another reason he has for hating being called Yatsuka is that this is a Katana's name. All the other katana (androids) are named after famous historical katana (the sword, not the android!) and so, it seems, was Togusa. This would make him out to be just a thing, an android, and doesn't acknowledge that he is human also.

And as a further translation, Tsurugi (剣) means sword. I'm not sure about the breakdown of the Kanji for Yatsuka, I'll leave that to you guys! All I got was "Eight Grip/Hold/Handle". ^^;

Any Kanji buffs out there?

---

Oh, and just generally, I want to put my two pennies worth in about this Manga. I was lost after Full Metal Alchemist ended, I read a ton of mediocre to bad Manga to try and fill the void... And then I stumbled upon -Hitogatana-.

Good action scenes (fast, dynamic and not over-long)? Check
The girls are cute but realistic and NOT overly weak/shallow? Check
Intriguing back story (to be revealed)? Check
Endearing hero with cool powers and a fair amount of angst? Check
Good art? Check

It has real potential! And it looks to get even better. Yeah, so the half-human, half-something-else thing has been done a million times before... but the fact is, there is NO story that hasn't been told before. The trick is in how it is told. And -Hitogatana- is spot on, with a hefty dose of mystery and just the right amount of comedy to balance any angst. And I think I'm already in love with Togusa.

Go read it if you aren't already!

For those who are already into it:
Was Togusa an ordinary human once and then altered to be half-katana? Or was he made that way from scratch? One thought on this is that if Togusa was human before wouldn't he have had a human name already? But Tsukiyama and Yachiyo had to give him the name Togusa. So either he had never lived as a normal human or he has amnesia. I favour the first option at present, especially what with the comments about him "growing as a human" in Chapter 3. But we'll have to wait and see!

 

[saladesu]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Nice explanation! It explains a lot!

*WARNING SPOILER*
However, Togusa's original full name (which I've picked up from his profile in the Japanese Volume 3) is:
Yatsuka-no-tsurugi (八握 剣). This is the name of a legendary sword which is one of the "Ten Treasures" said to be held at Isonokami Shrine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isonokami_Shrine

So, another reason he has for hating being called Yatsuka is that this is a Katana's name. All the other katana (androids) are named after famous historical katana (the sword, not the android!) and so, it seems, was Togusa. This would make him out to be just a thing, an android, and doesn't acknowledge that he is human also.

And as a further translation, Tsurugi (剣) means sword. I'm not sure about the breakdown of the Kanji for Yatsuka, I'll leave that to you guys! All I got was "Eight Grip/Hold/Handle". ^^;

Any Kanji buffs out there?

I wouldn't call myself a kanji buff, but your breakdown is correct

Thanks for this info! When you say "original full name"... Does that mean its his human name as well? Or just his name as a katana?

For those who are already into it:
Was Togusa an ordinary human once and then altered to be half-katana? Or was he made that way from scratch? One thought on this is that if Togusa was human before wouldn't he have had a human name already? But Tsukiyama and Yachiyo had to give him the name Togusa. So either he had never lived as a normal human or he has amnesia. I favour the first option at present, especially what with the comments about him "growing as a human" in Chapter 3. But we'll have to wait and see!

Yeah I'm interested to know this as well. But while this is a manga and anything is "possible" in mangadom, making a robot/mecha into half-human seems less likely than making a human half-robo... :/

Anther possibility is that he was originally a human, but on becoming a hybrid, he lost his memories and a part of his humanity as well. Hence not remembering/knowing his own original name, and also still needing to "grow as a human".

At this point I wouldn't go so far as to compare it to something as classic as FMA just yet, but it does have a lot of potential

 

[zillac]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

About Togusa,

Spoiler

AFAIK (up till chapter 17), it isn't clearly explained how exactly he is "made," but it seems that he is originally human and later converted into half katana. I'm guessing he lost his memories, , or badly traumatized in the process.

And it appears that he didn't like 雨宮京子, who made him into a katana, though their relationship isn't explained in detail. IIRC, Togusa referred to her as a criminal. This should (partly) explain why he didn't like the name "Yatsuka."

I'm pretty sure the name isn't in a form of a question... Yatsu does not have the meaning of an object in this context. It just sounds weird to consider Yatsuka to be something like "are you an object"

something related and a major spoiler

Spoiler

later there'll be a girl, Hahagiri (the girl in Ch4), whose creator had been part of the automaton project, that she is made to to be as close to human as possible -- in other words, she is very similar to togusa, but in the opposite way that she is a katana made into human.

(The automaton project itself is shut off because something they created went killing spree. Hahagiri's father continued on his own underground)

There's a scene about harmonics between Togusa and Hahagiri's 緋々色金 (basically the core of Katanas). The reason is yet unexplained.

 

[Ruu Readman]

Re: [FEATURED] -Hitogatana- by Onigunsou

Thanks for this info! When you say "original full name"... Does that mean its his human name as well? Or just his name as a katana?

Sorry, I meant his name as a katana, as far as I can tell. "original" as in before he was dubbed "Togusa" instead. What his name may have been before as a 100% human, I have no idea.

Looks like Zillac has answered our question as to Togusa either being human made katana or vice versa! Human first, then, and then Katana. It's interesting that Hahagiri is the other way around! So in a way, we are both right in our guesses!

I think this is all in chapters 5 and 6, looking at it, but the translation escapes me at present. curse my lack of kanji reading skills!

---

About Togusa,

Spoiler

AFAIK (up till chapter 17), it isn't clearly explained how exactly he is "made," but it seems that he is originally human and later converted into half katana. I'm guessing he lost his memories, , or badly traumatized in the process.

And it appears that he didn't like 雨宮京子, who made him into a katana, though their relationship isn't explained in detail. IIRC, Togusa referred to her as a criminal. This should (partly) explain why he didn't like the name "Yatsuka."

something related and a major spoiler

Spoiler

later there'll be a girl, Hahagiri (the girl in Ch4), whose creator had been part of the automaton project, that she is made to to be as close to human as possible -- in other words, she is very similar to togusa, but in the opposite way that she is a katana made into human.

(The automaton project itself is shut off because something they created went killing spree. Hahagiri's father continued on his own underground)

There's a scene about harmonics between Togusa and Hahagiri's 緋々色金 (basically the core of Katanas). The reason is yet unexplained.

Thanks for all this info Zillac! You answered a ton of my questions - without spoiling things too much. Can't wait to read it! I need to brush up my kanji... would take me forever at current rate.

I'm pretty sure the name isn't in a form of a question... Yatsu does not have the meaning of an object in this context. It just sounds weird to consider Yatsuka to be something like "are you an object

I'll second this. On this subject, I refer you to my earlier post about his name meaning, which is as follows:

The full version of "Yatsuka" is "Yatsuka-no-tsurugi" (八握 剣). This is the name of a legendary sword which is one of the "Ten Treasures" said to be held at Isonokami Shrine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isonokami_Shrine

As all the other katana (androids) are named after famous historical katana (swords) it would kind of make sense that so was Togusa.

 

[saladesu]

Chapter 5 is out (actually, it's been out a while)

I really like the cover art of vol 2, and the color page or whatever inside (but isn't a part of chapter 5 itself). Simple art, yet quite powerful and emotive.

So the Amano Kyouko that zillac mentioned is now finally mentioned by Togusa himself. And it looks like at the moment when he thought of her, he was about to snap (scary eyes~).

Also, I thought it was interesting that we have Amano Kyouko and Amano Hahagiri. Same surname...? I'm sure there is a link somewhere.

Also, like Ruu Readman said, all the katana are named after famous swords, and Amano Hahagiri is no different. Her name comes from Amenohabagiri (天羽々斬), another legendary sword, namely the sword given to Susanoo by Izanagi to slay Orochi.

 

[Kaiten]

I liked chapter 5. Hahagiri was cute. I bet you are right, there is a connection between her Amano Kyouko. I have a feeling we will learn more about Togusa's past as we learn about her. If Amenohabagiri was susanoo's sword she must be devastating when she becomes a katana. Considering how hellbent the collector was on hiding her, and how equally hellbent her father is about bringing her back, I doubt that is much of a prediction

 

[zillac]

Evidences so far about the above suspicions,

Spoiler

sadly (?) as I said before, Hahagiri is being made as close to human as possible, so she is completely un-armed, unless there's some hidden ability as her 最終兵装... Anyway there's nothing about her special ability at least untill chapter 17.

The last raw I can find is Chapter 17...

 

[saladesu]

Ch6 is out

Has it been revealed what the name of Hahagiri's creator/father is? I was thinking there might be the possibility that Amano Kyouko (since this is a girls' name...) and him are related, maybe married? Maybe Togusa is their real child who they modified and tried to make into a katana. Wouldn't it be interesting if Hahagiri was created via using some DNA or something from Togusa?

 

[Kaiten]

I guess chapter 9 answered your question ^^

I guess that's all for volume two. I waited to comment because of how quick the last four chapters were released. Volume 2 definitely confirmed Hitogatana's potential, in my mind. The fight between Seri and the Katana who worked for Hahagiri's father was epic. And there is finally a main bad guy emerging. I'm really excited to learn more about the Artisans, and see the three that haven't been revealed yet. I'm really looking forward to volume 3!

 

[saladesu]

Yup it did~

As it turns out, it was Amamiya and not Amano Kyouko... But then again, I think in ch 8 pg21, Togusa looks JUST like Hahagiri!

It was cool to catch a bit of 2 of the other artisans, hope to see the other 3 soon. I'm assuming all 5 are working together now, but if they aren't, well the more factions the merrier Looking forward to vol3 too!

 

[Kaiten]

lol. If it weren't for the bangs Togusa and Hahagiri would be twins
She's so adorable. I'm glad she has no weapons, for some reason. I don't think I'd like her as much if she had to kill people. I assume being perfect AI makes her important. And unlike most manga, the women actually get to fight in Hitogatana.

Two Artisan factions would be really cool. I have a feeling they are working together though. Do you remember the name of the female katana who killed Ujiyama Sakon? She seemed to be with the two artisans.

 

[Koen]

Could someone enlighten me about the artisans? I didn't understand exactly the reference that was made in that fight which triggered a visit to the grave