KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LII: GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME JAPANESE-JEWISH COMMON ANCESTRY THEORY The

KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LII: GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME JAPANESE-JEWISH COMMON ANCESTRY THEORY

The Fourth of July is upon us once again, and you know what that means? That’s right, Japanese Jewish Common Ancestry Theory. These fiercely loyal cribs are coming at you courtesy of a new article that deals extensively with the subject, along with a supplementary piece concerning the greatest patriot the series has ever known. Check those out for some crucial context and a glut of other series revelations, and don’t forget to honor our founding fathers by letting your Yamato Damashii burn brightly this holiday!

HEXAGRAM: “After the Atlus logo fades out, we see an encircled sigil–the famous Seal of Solomon, or, more precisely, the Hexagram of Solomon, used to control demons, though a slightly embellished, proprietary version for SMT’s use. While the hexagram shape is important, it’s the inlaid letters and words that are of chief interest, specifically the “TETRAGRAMMATON,” “AGLA,” and the alpha and omega.”
KURAMA TENGU: “Right off the bat, you can see that Kurama wears yamabushi attire but also distinctly Jewish accessories, both a tefillin and a kippah. Kaneko isn’t even trying to obscure the distinct box shape of the tefillin, which is pretty amazing. Kurama is also seen blowing on a horagai conch, but one has to wonder if a prototype of the design wasn’t using a shofar ram’s horn instead, not that the difference matters to JJCAT enthusiasts.”

On a non-JJCAT related note, Kurama’s human-like appearance is inspired by the eponymous “Kurama Tengu” of the novel series of the same name by Jirō Osaragi, later personified in film by Kanjūrō Arashi.*

MASAKADO (HEAD): “The earliest tales seem to be about Masakado’s displayed head in Kyoto. For three months afterward, the head was said to never close its eyes and constantly moan, asking where its body was. When someone finally told him where, the head “grinned wistfully,” closed its eyes, and ceased making noise. Not long afterward, the head flew off towards Shimosa.”
MASAKADO (KABUKI): “…But more interesting is his redesign, which evolves the “Lord” Masakado design from SMT2 into a full-fledged kabuki hero. He not only retains the red kumadori stripes on his face but gains a costume and wig to match. Compare the familiar Kaneko design to a portrayal of Masakado from an actual kabuki play… Kaneko’s has some embellishments, but something like it is clearly the inspiration at play here.”
MASAKADO (PATRIOT): Masakado is back in action in SMTIV, this time with more prominent billing than ever. Interestingly, the inspiration for this gnarly take on Japan’s preeminent rebel jingoist seems to have been the dead American spirit that is Devil Summoner’s Patriot, a demon with such obvious love for his native country that even in the afterlife he’s willing to dispense swift American justice to anyone who insults Ronald Reagan’s jelly bean habit. SMTIV’s giant Masakado is an equally fierce nationalist and “patriotic warrior,” one who won’t think twice about wiping out any culture that dares try and intrude on his beloved Tokyo–except for McDonald’s apparently, since there’s a Mickey D’s on almost every Tokyo block. Dude must love that Filet-O-Fish.