.gif)
Reiki (Tenjho Tenge)
Encyclopedia
is a character/object in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge
.
, and the heirloom of the Natsume Family. Despite its length classifying it as a nodachi, the characters tend to refer to it as a katana
. It is very long, with a red sheath and hilt wrap. It has no cross-guard, and the sheath typically has a tattered cloth spiraling down it. In the past it was used to entrap all the power of evil Buddhist ceremonies. Reiki has the ability to enable people with Red Feather Powers to use their powers more freely and enhance them. Reiki is vastly influenced by the nature of the wielder, its powers can vary from making it rain to causing the wielder to go on killing sprees.
It was given to Maya Natsume
by her father at the age of eight to acts as its guardian, since she only current member of the Natsume Family with no Red Feather/supernatural powers. However, Reiki spirit told Aya Natsume
that eventually the two will merge together and be the katana for the person who will break the chains of fate. This seems to indicate the possession of Reiki has been to Maya Natsume from the very beginning.
Reiki actually has a spirit of its own and can manifest itself to those have the power of the Dragon's Eye. Reiki is generally blamed for Shin Natsume
's insanity and although the sword is typically considered evil by the characters, its spirit is not depicted as having malice. Reiki only makes awakening the power take less effort. Given the nature of the Dragon's Gates, this often left the wielder to fight with their own power. This combination of Reiki and his power often led Shin to go crazy. However, according to Fu Chi'en
, Reiki had also been helping Shin to suppress his powers.
Reiki’s power even has Sōhaku Kago
apprehensive of it, as Tetsuhito Kagiroi
states no one is a threat to Sohaku if they don't have Reiki. Mitsuomi Takayanagi
also dislikes it and wants to destroy it because he feels it brings death.
states. However it still has many unusual traits and abilities outside of neutralization.
Reiki can only be activated by those with special powers, and has even awakened powers in some cases. When wielded by someone without special powers it is nothing more than a very long katana. If the wielder establishes a good enough relationship with Reiki, it can even be activated while the user is not in possession of it.
When activated the blade allows the user to control and regulate their power better. The sword gains a visible aura around it and emits a piercing sound usually written as a "RIIIIIIII" in the manga. While activated the blade also becomes encircled with energy rings with kanji on them, strange symbols appear on the blade as well. While activated Reiki becomes more powerful, even if it can't cut the opponent, they can be burned by the energy it emits. When Reiki true blade is completely activated by the Dragon's eye, it uses an excessive amount of ki and can wear most users out in a short period of time.
For most of the series, Reiki was encased in gold and that functioned as its blade. Not until this casing was shattered by Tetsuhito was Reiki's “true blade” finally recognized.
Reiki was in the possession of Kaima Natsume (Shin, Aya, and Maya's father); since Shin and Aya both had Dragon's Eyes he feared it would awaken their powers that they were too young to control. So he entrusted the blade to the eight year old Maya, who did not have any unusual power. Both her parents gave her strict orders to not let anyone touch it. Not realizing its importance she allowed Shin to touch it; the touch awakened Shin's power of the Dragon's Eye. As Shin was only 10 years old at the time, Kaima feared the other members of the 12 Founding Families would kill him out of fear he couldn't handle it. Kaima also feared the Red Wing Resonance Effect might awaken Aya's powers as well.
To prevent those things from happening, he locked Shin in an underground dungeon where no one, particularly Aya, would go. Given the abilities of the Dragon's Eye Shin was tormented by the ghosts he saw in the dungeon, and the only human contact he had was with Maya. Naturally he became very attached to her. His father made plans to move him to a relative's house, thus separating him from Maya. To prevent this, when he was being transported out of his cell he escaped and used Reiki to slaughter his parents. Subsequently, Reiki was in Shin possession most of the time.
As Shin entered Todo, he started a motorcycle gang that he named "katana". Shin was constantly bothered by his power, hearing several people's thoughts all at once and seeing things he didn't want to see. To get a "distraction" from all the noise in his head he tended to use Reiki to kill innocent people. Once Bunshichi Tawara
found out, he goes to beat sense into Shin. Bunshichi actually lets Shin stab him with Reiki many times; he waits until Reiki is taken away by Shin’s girlfriend, Mana Kuzunoha
, to start another attack. Without Reiki Shin has difficulty controlling his power, Bunshichi even believes he can't use his power at all without Reiki (which is proven false shortly afterward). In the end Bunshichi defeats Shin and he loses possession of Reiki.
Dōgen Takayanagi
attempts to return it to Shin, trying to let him to become evil so that Mitsuomi will be forced to fight him. Shin rejects the offer, but Dogen does not give up and orders Fu Chi'en to take actions to enrage Shin. Shin activates his Dragon's Eyes and Reiki, even though Dogen still has possession of it. As Reiki emits its usual piercing sound, Dogen claims it's because Reiki is excited at its master's awakening. Given that Shin can now connect with Reiki without actually holding it, he sustains his insanity just like before even though Reiki is in Dogen's hands.
As Shin fights Mitsuomi to determine who will be President of the Executive Council, Shin refuses to use his Dragon's Eye. As Shin is losing, Reiki activates in Dogen's office; Dogen claims the sword is actually crying. Shin's will fails and his Dragon's Eye activates. He subsequently beats up Mitsuomi and everyone else in the room. After he regains himself, he takes his own life with the assistance of Mana. At some point after that Reiki was returned to Maya, where she kept it in a case in a locked room that only she had a key to.
In the present, Aya looks for a new sword as hers was shattered by Tsutomu Ryuuzaki
. She finds Reiki and "borrows" it, not realizing its importance. When Maya realizes Aya has taken it, it causes quite the uproar. Everyone becomes terrified that she will end up like Shin. Even Mitsuomi assists the Juken Club to help find her.
Soon after Aya overhears Souichiro’s confession of love for Maya, not wanting to go home, she asks Masataka Takayanagi
if she could stay at his apartment overnight. Masataka, who has a crush on her and does not knows the full extent situation, agrees. During the night, Reiki activates and Aya comes down with a fever. She awakes with her Dragon Eye’s active to revealing Shin's ghost. Shin insists he will take Reiki away, since it will only bring her suffering, and will eventually destroy her like it did him. In the end Shin leaves it after Aya promises him that she will win against her power. Going to school, Aya is finally found by Maya and Mitsuomi who plans to "kill" Reiki as he believes it only brings death. He is stopped by Souichiro Nagi
and Bob Makihara
, and the blade is again returned to Maya. Maya currently carries it with her almost everywhere to prevent a repeat of that incident, but she plans eventually handing it over to Aya when the time is right.
participating in one of Sohaku's experiments and the events leading to Tetsuhito receiving more powers. The vision is interrupted when Reiki calls Aya to assist her sister.
During Maya's fight with Tetsuhito, she quickly discovers Tetsuhito’s original defining characteristic, his family’s Iron body. Reiki's current form was incapable of cutting him as every strike just bounces off of him. Using his Iron Fist, Tetsuhito beats Maya to near death. Before Tetsuhito could take Reiki from Maya’s stiff hands, she gets back up claiming Shin kicked her back from the River Styx
. Maya soon realizes the ki is not Shin’s, but Aya’s. Using her Dragon’s Eye, Aya was able to astral project
herself and activate Reiki. Even with Reiki activated, Tetsuhito is able to stop the blade, however the energy of the blade does burn his skin.
When Tetsuhito loses Makiko’s eye that regulates his power, he loses control and Maya struggles to stay alive. She blocks most of his attacks with Reiki (with Aya actually taking the brunt of it), but Reiki’s blade appears to be cracking. In desperation, Maya even offers Reiki her life if it will help her to defeat Tetsuhito. Eventually, much to Maya surprise, Reiki’s gold casing shatters and Reiki's "true blade" is revealed. Fully realized, Reiki wraps its hilt weaving around Maya’s arm and together slices through Tetsuhito's Iron body killing him with ease.
Afterward Mitsuomi gives Reiki to Madoka and sends her back to assist Tessen Ishiyumi
and Shidzuru Kamura. Madoka ends up the only one of the three not hospitalized afterward, she attributes her lack of injury to Reiki's power.
With Maya's fight now concluded, Reiki takes Maya’s ki that she has stored up for two years to continues its "trip" with Aya. Aya doesn't want to continue, but Reiki insists that once she knows everything the two will merge and break the chains of fate. She takes Aya to Feudal Japan, to see her ancestor of the same name. Reiki says the Aya of the past was her master at the time, and the Reiki looks much different in the past. Reiki actually had a cross-guard, the end of the handle had a tassle, and the sheath had a rope spiraling down it instead of the cloth.
Reiki reveals Sohaku has the power to control death and is in fact centuries old. In the past he attempted to use the Red Wing Resonance Effect to awaken powers in people worldwide. Aya's ancestor was one of the group of four other 12 Founding Families sent to kill Sohaku to end the long war. With the assistance of Tokuan Shōjō's shape shifting power, the group was hoping to infiltrate Osaka Castle
and assassinate Sohaku. With the death of Myouun Kabane, the group plan changes to a more direct attack. During that attack Reiki was wielded by a pile of bugs that looks like Aya's ancestor (the Dragon's Eye and the Dragon's Pupil were still the same power, allowing the past Aya to create bug-assisted illusions). After the fake Aya's destruction, Reiki used its power to aid Tokuan. In the end Aya's ancestor fatally wounds Sohaku, but dies herself in the process. Reiki shows Aya how Sohaku manages to survive, gain a body, and forces his adversaries into a truce.
The "trip" sucks up the majority Aya’s ki and she can no longer sustain the visions. She is forced back into the present. Reiki for the time being has been placed alongside Maya's body in the hospital by Aya.
Ms. Hotaru also indicates Aya is the "true master" of Reiki. As Aya continues her fight with Hirohiko, in a technique similar to the Kabane Blade, she manages to turn her long hair into an exact replica of Reiki. After the fight Aya starts thinking about the mysteries of the blade such as its creation and how it always returns to the Natsume family and it role in Sōhaku's and Ichiyō's plans. Reiki makes a brief appearance and reminds Aya that she has yet to see the whole story, and there is more Reiki needs to show her before they can unite and shatter the chains of fate.
Tenjho Tenge
is a Japanese manga authored by Ito "Oh! great" Ōgure. The story primarily focuses on the members of the Juken Club and their opposition, the Executive Council, which is the ruling student body of a high school that educates its students in the art of combat...
.
Overview
Reiki is actually a ceremonial NodachiNodachi
A nodachi is a large two-handed Japanese sword. Some have suggested that the meaning of "nodachi" is roughly the same as ōdachi meaning "large/great sword". A confusion between the terms has nearly synonymized "nodachi" with the very large "ōdachi"...
, and the heirloom of the Natsume Family. Despite its length classifying it as a nodachi, the characters tend to refer to it as a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. It is very long, with a red sheath and hilt wrap. It has no cross-guard, and the sheath typically has a tattered cloth spiraling down it. In the past it was used to entrap all the power of evil Buddhist ceremonies. Reiki has the ability to enable people with Red Feather Powers to use their powers more freely and enhance them. Reiki is vastly influenced by the nature of the wielder, its powers can vary from making it rain to causing the wielder to go on killing sprees.
It was given to Maya Natsume
Maya Natsume
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. She is the captain of the Juken club.- Character outline :Maya Natsume is a beautiful, busty and almost gratuitously well-endowed girl who has long silver hair . She is the older sister of Aya Natsume, and the younger sister of Shin Natsume...
by her father at the age of eight to acts as its guardian, since she only current member of the Natsume Family with no Red Feather/supernatural powers. However, Reiki spirit told Aya Natsume
Aya Natsume
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. She is a member of the Juken Club.- Character outline :Aya is the younger sister of Shin Natsume, and Maya Natsume. She is a freshman at Toudou Academy. She has brown hair...
that eventually the two will merge together and be the katana for the person who will break the chains of fate. This seems to indicate the possession of Reiki has been to Maya Natsume from the very beginning.
Reiki actually has a spirit of its own and can manifest itself to those have the power of the Dragon's Eye. Reiki is generally blamed for Shin Natsume
Shin Natsume
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is the founder of the Team KATANA, and the Juken Club.- Character outline :When first introduced, Shin is portrayed as a carefree and charismatic youth. As the series progresses, the darker aspects of Shin's character come to light...
's insanity and although the sword is typically considered evil by the characters, its spirit is not depicted as having malice. Reiki only makes awakening the power take less effort. Given the nature of the Dragon's Gates, this often left the wielder to fight with their own power. This combination of Reiki and his power often led Shin to go crazy. However, according to Fu Chi'en
Fu Chi'en
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He was Mitsuomi Takayanagi's martial arts instructor, worked under Dōgen Takayanagi, and was associated with Sōhaku Kago.- Character outline :...
, Reiki had also been helping Shin to suppress his powers.
Reiki’s power even has Sōhaku Kago
Sohaku Kago
is a character in the manga series Tenjho Tenge. He is the true head of F, and Souichiro Nagi's estranged father.- Character outline :Sōhaku is the first and only person to ever be head of the Kago family, as he has lived for several centuries because of his unique power. He also is the true head...
apprehensive of it, as Tetsuhito Kagiroi
Tetsuhito Kagiroi
is a character in the Japanese manga series Tenjho Tenge. He is a member of F.- Character outline :Tetsuhito is the current head of the Kagiroi family and one of Sōhaku Kago’s most trusted subordinates. Despite his young appearance, Tetsuhito is several hundred years old. He has been kept alive and...
states no one is a threat to Sohaku if they don't have Reiki. Mitsuomi Takayanagi
Mitsuomi Takayanagi
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is the president of the Executive Council.- Character outline :Mitsuomi is a tall, very muscular man with short White hair and long bangs. He has a scar on his chest and back, but usually wears very tight fitting clothes covering them....
also dislikes it and wants to destroy it because he feels it brings death.
Abilities & the Blade
Reiki's power, simply defined, is the same as the Amaterasu Dragon's Gate, neutralization of power. This allows Reiki to consume large quantities of ki, and render those with Red Feather powers as nothing more than "dolls" as Madoka MawariMadoka Mawari
is a character in the manga series Tenjho Tenge. She is a member of F, but now sides with the Juken Club.- Character outline :Madoka is a middle school student, so unlike most of the characters she is not enrolled at Todo Academy. She is the current head of the Mawari family, a White Feather Family...
states. However it still has many unusual traits and abilities outside of neutralization.
When activated the blade allows the user to control and regulate their power better. The sword gains a visible aura around it and emits a piercing sound usually written as a "RIIIIIIII" in the manga. While activated the blade also becomes encircled with energy rings with kanji on them, strange symbols appear on the blade as well. While activated Reiki becomes more powerful, even if it can't cut the opponent, they can be burned by the energy it emits. When Reiki true blade is completely activated by the Dragon's eye, it uses an excessive amount of ki and can wear most users out in a short period of time.
For most of the series, Reiki was encased in gold and that functioned as its blade. Not until this casing was shattered by Tetsuhito was Reiki's “true blade” finally recognized.
Flashback Arc
To prevent those things from happening, he locked Shin in an underground dungeon where no one, particularly Aya, would go. Given the abilities of the Dragon's Eye Shin was tormented by the ghosts he saw in the dungeon, and the only human contact he had was with Maya. Naturally he became very attached to her. His father made plans to move him to a relative's house, thus separating him from Maya. To prevent this, when he was being transported out of his cell he escaped and used Reiki to slaughter his parents. Subsequently, Reiki was in Shin possession most of the time.
As Shin entered Todo, he started a motorcycle gang that he named "katana". Shin was constantly bothered by his power, hearing several people's thoughts all at once and seeing things he didn't want to see. To get a "distraction" from all the noise in his head he tended to use Reiki to kill innocent people. Once Bunshichi Tawara
Bunshichi Tawara
is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Tenjho Tenge. He is a member of the early Juken Club, and the Executive Council in name only. He was also the vice president of Team KATANA, as well as the commander of the gang's special forces....
found out, he goes to beat sense into Shin. Bunshichi actually lets Shin stab him with Reiki many times; he waits until Reiki is taken away by Shin’s girlfriend, Mana Kuzunoha
Mana Kuzunoha
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. She is Shin Natsume's girlfriend, and a member of the Medical Club.- Character outline :...
, to start another attack. Without Reiki Shin has difficulty controlling his power, Bunshichi even believes he can't use his power at all without Reiki (which is proven false shortly afterward). In the end Bunshichi defeats Shin and he loses possession of Reiki.
Dōgen Takayanagi
Dogen Takayanagi
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is the former head of the Takayanagi Family.- Character outline :Dōgen is the father of Mitsuomi Takayanagi and Masataka Takayanagi. He typically wears a hat, that casts a shadow over his face and glasses. He is a bald, elderly appearing...
attempts to return it to Shin, trying to let him to become evil so that Mitsuomi will be forced to fight him. Shin rejects the offer, but Dogen does not give up and orders Fu Chi'en to take actions to enrage Shin. Shin activates his Dragon's Eyes and Reiki, even though Dogen still has possession of it. As Reiki emits its usual piercing sound, Dogen claims it's because Reiki is excited at its master's awakening. Given that Shin can now connect with Reiki without actually holding it, he sustains his insanity just like before even though Reiki is in Dogen's hands.
As Shin fights Mitsuomi to determine who will be President of the Executive Council, Shin refuses to use his Dragon's Eye. As Shin is losing, Reiki activates in Dogen's office; Dogen claims the sword is actually crying. Shin's will fails and his Dragon's Eye activates. He subsequently beats up Mitsuomi and everyone else in the room. After he regains himself, he takes his own life with the assistance of Mana. At some point after that Reiki was returned to Maya, where she kept it in a case in a locked room that only she had a key to.
Aya and Reiki Arc
Tsutomu Ryuuzaki
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is a member of the Executive Council.- Character outline :Tsutomu is a 2nd year student at Todo Academy, and works as an Enforcer. He is very arrogant, frequently thinks he is stronger than he actually is. He is also very sadistic and...
. She finds Reiki and "borrows" it, not realizing its importance. When Maya realizes Aya has taken it, it causes quite the uproar. Everyone becomes terrified that she will end up like Shin. Even Mitsuomi assists the Juken Club to help find her.
Soon after Aya overhears Souichiro’s confession of love for Maya, not wanting to go home, she asks Masataka Takayanagi
Masataka Takayanagi
is one of the main characters in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is a member of the Juken Club.- Character outline :Masataka is the younger brother of Mitsuomi Takayanagi, but the two are not on good terms. Masataka is an average high school student at first glance, but he is a...
if she could stay at his apartment overnight. Masataka, who has a crush on her and does not knows the full extent situation, agrees. During the night, Reiki activates and Aya comes down with a fever. She awakes with her Dragon Eye’s active to revealing Shin's ghost. Shin insists he will take Reiki away, since it will only bring her suffering, and will eventually destroy her like it did him. In the end Shin leaves it after Aya promises him that she will win against her power. Going to school, Aya is finally found by Maya and Mitsuomi who plans to "kill" Reiki as he believes it only brings death. He is stopped by Souichiro Nagi
Souichiro Nagi
Souichiro Nagi is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is a member of the Juken Club and the Knuckle Bombs.- Character outline :...
and Bob Makihara
Bob Makihara
is one of the main characters in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is a member of the Juken Club, and the knuckle bombs.- Character outline :...
, and the blade is again returned to Maya. Maya currently carries it with her almost everywhere to prevent a repeat of that incident, but she plans eventually handing it over to Aya when the time is right.
Sohaku Arc
As Maya, Mitsuomi, and Madoka go to rescues Souichiro and confront Sohaku, Reiki makes an embodiment of its spirit that appears to Aya. Reiki takes her away to show her events of the past. It shows her Makiko NagiMakiko Nagi
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. She is the current head of the Nagi Family.- Character outline :Makiko is a relatively young blonde woman who usually wears a large eyepatch to cover her missing eye and scars...
participating in one of Sohaku's experiments and the events leading to Tetsuhito receiving more powers. The vision is interrupted when Reiki calls Aya to assist her sister.
During Maya's fight with Tetsuhito, she quickly discovers Tetsuhito’s original defining characteristic, his family’s Iron body. Reiki's current form was incapable of cutting him as every strike just bounces off of him. Using his Iron Fist, Tetsuhito beats Maya to near death. Before Tetsuhito could take Reiki from Maya’s stiff hands, she gets back up claiming Shin kicked her back from the River Styx
Styx (mythology)
The Styx is a river in Greek mythology that formed the boundary between Earth and the Underworld . It circles the Underworld nine times...
. Maya soon realizes the ki is not Shin’s, but Aya’s. Using her Dragon’s Eye, Aya was able to astral project
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
herself and activate Reiki. Even with Reiki activated, Tetsuhito is able to stop the blade, however the energy of the blade does burn his skin.
When Tetsuhito loses Makiko’s eye that regulates his power, he loses control and Maya struggles to stay alive. She blocks most of his attacks with Reiki (with Aya actually taking the brunt of it), but Reiki’s blade appears to be cracking. In desperation, Maya even offers Reiki her life if it will help her to defeat Tetsuhito. Eventually, much to Maya surprise, Reiki’s gold casing shatters and Reiki's "true blade" is revealed. Fully realized, Reiki wraps its hilt weaving around Maya’s arm and together slices through Tetsuhito's Iron body killing him with ease.
Afterward Mitsuomi gives Reiki to Madoka and sends her back to assist Tessen Ishiyumi
Tessen Ishiyumi
is a character in the manga series Tenjho Tenge. He is a member of F, yet holds loyalty to Mitsuomi Takayanagi.- Character outline :Tessen Ishiyumi is the current head of the Ishiyumi family, one of the White Feather families of the 12 founding families. The family consists of master archers, and...
and Shidzuru Kamura. Madoka ends up the only one of the three not hospitalized afterward, she attributes her lack of injury to Reiki's power.
Feudal Japan Arc
Reiki reveals Sohaku has the power to control death and is in fact centuries old. In the past he attempted to use the Red Wing Resonance Effect to awaken powers in people worldwide. Aya's ancestor was one of the group of four other 12 Founding Families sent to kill Sohaku to end the long war. With the assistance of Tokuan Shōjō's shape shifting power, the group was hoping to infiltrate Osaka Castle
Osaka Castle
is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan.Originally called Ozakajō, it is one of Japan's most famous castles, and played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period.-Description:...
and assassinate Sohaku. With the death of Myouun Kabane, the group plan changes to a more direct attack. During that attack Reiki was wielded by a pile of bugs that looks like Aya's ancestor (the Dragon's Eye and the Dragon's Pupil were still the same power, allowing the past Aya to create bug-assisted illusions). After the fake Aya's destruction, Reiki used its power to aid Tokuan. In the end Aya's ancestor fatally wounds Sohaku, but dies herself in the process. Reiki shows Aya how Sohaku manages to survive, gain a body, and forces his adversaries into a truce.
The "trip" sucks up the majority Aya’s ki and she can no longer sustain the visions. She is forced back into the present. Reiki for the time being has been placed alongside Maya's body in the hospital by Aya.
Tournament Arc
After returning from Souhaku's compound, the Reiki is left next to Maya in the hospital. Reiki actually sucked all of the ki out of Maya leaving her an empty shell, so despite being fully healed she remains essentially, dead. Aya told Madoka she can actually see her sisters ki inside Reiki and Ms. Hotaru indicates only Sohaku could bring Maya back to normal.Ms. Hotaru also indicates Aya is the "true master" of Reiki. As Aya continues her fight with Hirohiko, in a technique similar to the Kabane Blade, she manages to turn her long hair into an exact replica of Reiki. After the fight Aya starts thinking about the mysteries of the blade such as its creation and how it always returns to the Natsume family and it role in Sōhaku's and Ichiyō's plans. Reiki makes a brief appearance and reminds Aya that she has yet to see the whole story, and there is more Reiki needs to show her before they can unite and shatter the chains of fate.