APPLICATION { FUTUROLOGY }

APPLICANT INFO.
NAME: seiko
CONTACT: inabox & secace (if it's important, a pp to the latter one will get my attention much faster)
CURRENT CHARACTERS: N/A

CHARACTER INFO.
NAME: Masamune Date
CANON: Sengoku BASARA
AGE: in his early 20s, but exact age isn't specified (passage of time in Sengoku Basara is very poorly recorded and because it tends to go off in different directions and indulge in creative license for story rather than keep historically accurate, it's also difficult to infer from history by connecting events. i believe capcom stated in the original game both yukimura and masamune were 18 or 19, but it's obvious that quite some years have passed since that).
APPEARANCE: Visual Reference.

(basic information & mannerisms)
Masamune is known among them as the One-Eyed Dragon (which is where Capcom got his style of fighting with six katana in the style of dragon claws). It’s not clear how he lost his right eye (whether he took it out himself or Kojuro did it for him), but he lost his eyesight to syphilis at a young age (around 8-9 is what I usually go with).

True to the way Capcom is known for stylizing their characters, Masamune has a very distinct appearance as well as habits of speech and body language that contribute to defining his character. The Date Clan in Sengoku Basara is very much represented and modeled after modern day Yakuza, both in the clan's appearances (hairstyles, demeanor, etc.) as well as things such as how Masamune's highest ranking officer and strategist, Katakura Kojuro, treats the lower-ranked troops when giving them commands or dealing with them on more personal levels.

Masamune also has a very strange way of speaking, where he mixes random English phrases into his speech. He calls it the dragon language (. . .) For stylization sake, I change the font in his dialogue when he's intentionally using his English and Japanese purposely ridiculous video games to be honest???. Youtube has conveniently compiled a video segment of his engrish throughout the anime.

CANON POINT: Sengoku Basara 4 (specifically naotora ii's drama route; see below for more information.)

BACKGROUND: Sengoku Basara Anime & Date Masamune, & Sengoku Basara 4 courtesy @ Sengoku Basara wikipedia. I have included the anime link because even though the story eventwise is not the same, the general background and ideas are and it's linear, so it's easier to grasp if not familiar with the series! It’s also safe to note that despite different events happening, the general attitude presented towards other characters is consistent throughout the mediums.

In all Sengoku Basara games, as well as the anime, Masamune's general goal is to unify the nation during the warring states period (just as he wished historically, along with every other clan leader). The general situation is that in Sengoku Basara (anime) and the original game, he meets Yukimura Sanada, who he becomes fascinated with (the feeling is mutual) due to his passion for fighting and his skill and declares him to be his one-true rival. Usually, regardless of the platform, Masamune and Yukimura declare they are going to finish up their responsibility to unifying the nation and then when they are finished, they're going to kick each other's asses and go all out doing it until one of them is left standing.

Sengoku BASARA Judge End is an anime with a separate storyline from the original anime series (which includs two seasons and a movie), and generally follows the storyline of Sengoku Basara 3 pretty well, taking bits and pieces from everyone's route. it's referenced somewhat in sengoku basara 4 (In Masamune’s drama route, Masamune and Mitsunari make reference to their previous encounters during 3 but again the continuity makes no sense) but there are continuity holes so i try not to think on it too hard.
Finally, Sengoku Basara 4 routes are pretty short and useless, and I took him from Naotora's route (summary can be found here in terms of what he last remembers back home/was dealing with event-wise) and it's mostly being done to expand his castmate knowledge in case they are ever apped in. Summary of the situation in the route in one sentence for his role: The Date and Takeda clans have temporarily decided to join forces to serve the joint ambition of unification and go against their mutual enemies.

PERSONALITY:

note for the mods: the personality section is mostly written using examples from the anime storyline because of the continuity present (no potentially conflicting situations)/material is so much easier to find and access online and I intended to app him from that timeline until I saw a potential castmate already reserved at the game. However, if more is needed from the games in particular, I can add to it. Likewise, if the mods feel it would need a complete overhaul, I can just app from the anime timeline if that's what is preferred.

For clarification, there is no real personality difference in Masamune between anime in games other than by Sengoku Basara 4 he's matured and calmed down a little bit in his ambitions in terms of getting into stupid shit or running head on into things. (he's also less quick to start a fight or kill anyone; it’s mentioned in his routes of the 4th game that he makes the soldiers of the clans he conquers work for him instead, even if they don't want to(?!). This includes his limitations (basically he gets a slice of humble pie from Mitsunari in Sengoku Basara 3 when Mitsunari not only effortlessly defeats him in battle but when they meet up again and Mitsunari doesn’t even remember him. His personality in 4 pulls from this series of events even though the games do not have continuity with one another...?!...)

The team that works on the anime is very close to the game team (the anime studio even does all the anime game work and the character designer of the anime did the sengoku basara 4 designs) so they are on the same page personalitywise from demonstration. Sengoku Basara 4 was made in 2014, whereas the original anime started in 2010, so there's some been time for them to progress his maturity some. The specific route he's coming from gives him no further character development, either, from Sengoku Basara 3, which is where he learns to accept things and be more mature about them. ...Sort of, anyway.



❝It's only when you stare
fixedly at the future that even
injustice becomes just.
That's the way of these turbulent times.❞

The Date Clan's fearless young leader, Date Masamune continues the aspirations of his father to conquer the land under one ruler. Out of all the lords warring with each other to conquer the Land of the Rising sun, Masamune is by far the youngest of them (historically, he's said to have participated in his first campaign with his father when he was 14), however that makes the Date clan no less of an adversary.
Masamune's greatest show of contrasting characteristics is between his demeanor on the battlefield and off of it; the differences only seem to encourage those under him to be further loyal to him, but it also gives his characterization a rather well-rounded and unchanging dynamic.

On the battlefield, he is loud and bold, full of intense enthusiasm and energy, using it to boost morale and rally his troops as well as to keep his eye on the prize. He's not one for individuals getting in his way or otherwise interfering with whatever his intended goal is, viewing them as mere obstacles and rarely showing doubt in his ability to go straight on through them, regardless of who they are. And, in order to not disappoint the men he's earned the loyalty of, Masamune's strength and skill of wielding his blades is all demonstrated to make his brash cockiness... erm, mostly valid (I guess no one's perfect). He takes his tasks as leader seriously and has a good understanding of 'working together' with his men.

Off the battlefield, Masamune is rather quiet and generally a listener, but he is by far shy or introverted. He is never eager to get the last word in, always thoughtful and reflective of past actions even when scolded by Kojuro for reckless decisions. While he shows a disdain for being in the wrong, he is very quick to understand that anything said to him by the other is to be considered and respected for the lessons it holds. Kojuro has been his personal attendant since he was young, and has become both a mentor and brother-like figure for Masamune. With that comes Kojuro's tendency to treat him like a child, still, at times, and even though it angers Masamune greatly, he learns that almost always he is being treated that way only when he truly is acting the part.
Regardless of where and what situation he is in, Masamune usually wears his personality on his sleeve, not willing to hold back what is going on inside of him. Even when fear strikes him to the point he abandons the battlefield for a time after his meeting with Oda Nobunaga in the anime series, while he doesn't openly express things, he doesn't hide his change in demeanor from any of his men.

Other than exhibiting his restraint for needing to 'keep it cool' in order not get too hotheaded (which is what really triggers his reckless descisions—his attitude is usually half to taunt the other opponent into losing their control) during fighting, he is openly critical and downright insulting those he deems unworthy to taunt and amplify the tension of a fight (which is basically everyone until they prove otherwise). At the same time, he has no issue with granting compliments to those who earn it.

Initially, Masamue's goal is rather straightforward and he tends to only care about winning in the most direct fashion possible by fighting a clan leader head on. Often, the Date clan's movements are pretty straightforward (Kojuro proves his strategic genius by still being able to make Masamune's plans such as "Let's just go straight there and shank the guy himself and avoid everyone else to get there first") but he's also shown, when crossing paths with worthy opponents, to become rather enthralled and otherwise excited by their capability and the fight unfolding between them. It's a noticeable change, particularly in the sense that he starts the fight in an aloof manner, but deeper in he seems to no longer consider the opponent "in his way".

He demands actions, not words, for his attention.



❝Sanada Yukimura, now is the time
to take those fangs of steel—
those fangs you've honed with the Tiger of Kai—
and set them against your foes!❞


( RELATIONSHIPS )

Such a demand is just one of many reasons his respect is deep for Sanada Yukimura. They are similar in age, but the two of them offer stark contrasts to each other that seems to only provoke their interest further: Yukimura is hotheaded on the battlefield with an insatiable amount of passion and devotion in opposition to Masamune's cool and collected approach.

While Masamune is not as naïve as the young retainer and he finds the other “too innocent” to survive the warring times their land is in without changing his mentality, Masamune can't help but find him truly fascinating. For all his faults that Masamune claims of not being a 'real warrior' to serve in a war, it's exactly those things that make Yukimura so unique to him and he holds a great deal of respect for the other. He often mentions to others that Yukimura is the only one who can make him lose his cool during a fight and get him truly excited to the point he's willing to throw everything away in favor of the fight (his objectives, his need to survive to keep leading his men to the future they are fighting for, etc.). Their encounter actually pretty much changes Masamune's entire goal and purpose in life. While he is still first and foremost dedicated to conquering and uniting the Land of the Rising Sun under Date rule, as time goes on it's clear that such a thing is now considered something that must be done to get to what he finds to be the 'real party' he's looking forward to: a fair one-on-one fight with Yukimura to the end.

Basically, his warlord duties are now the college thesis you need to finish before you go party like it's 1999 for a week. Yep.

When together, fighting alongside Yukimura is something he has no hesitance in accepting despite even when he tells his army that he is going to face an enemy alone and they aren't to come with him. The two of them show a ridiculous amount of trust between one another when things get dire, especially considering they are technically enemies and have not spent years developing trust between one another. For whatever reason, though, even Masamune with his usual preparedness to be suspicious of everyone and everything because just about anything can go wrong in war, Yukimura is treated differently. Even with all the pain and trials ahead of the other that Masamune can see, h e's got high hopes that Yukimura's passion for life won't burn out too early and things will go the way he'd like them to.
Katakura Kojuro serves as the strategist for the Date army as well as being known as "The Right Eye" to Masamune and it's clear that Masamune puts a great deal of confidence in trusting this man to act faithfully as his nickname claims him. Moreso than military relations, however, Kojuro is like an older-brother figure and mentor to Masamune. Having served his father, Kojuro has been Masamune's personal attendant since he was a child and he has taken his duties to his young lord very seriously. The older man walks a fine line between being a loyal retainer that never questions his lord and basically backhanding him or otherwise punching him for stupid life choices (when Masamune is injured via gunshot wounds, he decides he's going to go contend with an infamous warlord that no longer has an army but is still very dangerous and not to be trifled with in order to rescue his men who have been captured. Kojuro pleads with him and when Masamune ignores him, Kojuro resorts to raising his sword and fighting him to stop him. In the end, of course, he just knocks him out with a good beating (and one Masamune totally 150% deserves), but also decides to go in place of Masamune.

Despite this, Kojuro trusts Masamune to be able to do just about anything: he has unshakable faith in the younger man and Masamune similarly does for his mentor and friend in return. However, when push comes to shove, Kojuro could probably be said to be the one weakness Masamune really has in terms of losing someone that would make him suffer. Luckily, Kojuro is more than capable of taking care of himself (truly, Masamune has a better chance of dying, and if Kojuro goes before him it would only be because he was protecting Masamune's dumb ass from his own stupidity).

In Sengoku Basara 4, it is further shown just how important Kojuro is to Masamune and not simply as a friend. He looks up to him a great deal and living up to his expectations so Kojuro is proud is quite a priority when he considers actions and choices, even if subconsciously. His game over screen quote in Sengoku Basara 4 is roughly "This person looking down on me now? ...Kojuro, is that you?"


Depending on the version of media, Ishida Mitsunari and Masamune have differing relationships initially (actually, they mirror each other: in the games, Masamune is obsessed with finding Mitsunari to make him pay for defeating and humiliating him. In the anime, Mitsunari is obsessed with finding and making Masamune pay for being the one who killed Toyotomi Hideyoshi). The end result is pretty much the same:

They are rivals, but more in a piss in your cereal type way. They don’t respect each other and neither of them view the other as their main concern (Mitsunari’s is Ieyasu’s and Masamune’s Yukimura’s). Even in Sengoku Basara 4, despite advertising the rivalry between the two heavily, it’s actually not really there. They are simply enemies that have a past record of equally winning and losing against one another and are in each other’s way. (It’s true that Masamune does everything he can to try and piss off Mitsunari, though. He’s just that type of character).

❝Those people served as your shield
and fought for you.
And you shot them down from behind
along with the enemy!
There are some things that are allowed and
some things that just aren't!❞

Despite his higher 'maturity' level than his rival counterpart and his often shown displays of being dismissive or aloof in terms of death and how war works, several times he has ultimately shown that he, too is, an idealist at his core, still, and a person wanting to be able to do the 'right thing' even when there is nothing such as right and wrong in their times.

For the Date Clan, nothing is more important to them than paying back their debts and never going back on their words. Once things are set, that's how it has to be done, regardless. There are no betrayals, no back-outs if a promise has been given. In turn, he rarely makes such promises, but in these matters, he feels that everyone who has humanity in them should abide by. Even when his enemies turn on one another and create an advantage for him via their betrayal, he has a hard time watching such a thing happen.

He believes in fair fights and while he knows logically it won't always be that way, he reacts at times in ways that show he is still young enough to hold people to better standards and actions that are unrealistic of humans who are consumed by greed and power. And when he doesn't believe in something or how it's done (such as strength being equivalent to ruling over people via fear and bloodshed in order to create 'peace'), he won't bow down to it, even at the cost of his life. Because there are some things to him that just aren't acceptable, and he is still of an age where he believes he can fight his way to achieve things successfully without the need for things like that.

In BASARA 4, he's a lot more open to alliances and accepting the help of others (in Naotora's route, he’s already allied with the Takeda clan when she storms in on them looking for Shingen) as well as giving it. He's particularly fascinated with showing them "the light" (basically, giving them a purpose to live and fight for rather than just fight).

ABILITIES:

As a hack and slash game by Capcom (it is exactly like Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors platform), Sengoku Basara’s battle system is more or less "button smash and annihilate about 400 enemies in combo flashy moves that are like Dragon Ball Z style-levels of crazy". Sengoku Basara's anime adaptions also include these trademark explosive battle system that makes the main characters able to overcome ridiculous odds of wiping out hordes of armies that no normal human could possibly do.

However, it's also hard to say if it's ICly recognized as "superhuman" in their world because while they definitely all refer to themselves as human, and their 'strength' determinations all stem from their sword or physical fighting skills against others with the same "status" potential (aka: almost every character you can play in the games) rather than the flashy effects that go along with it. So while the media visually is extravagant, they are meant to be human (they refer to themselves as human several times, even, particularly when confronting Oda Nobunaga as to whether or not he's a real devil or not), just conveniently doing superhuman things that are recognized as "skill" but not as "powers" or "magic" (which is UNLIKE Dragon Ball Z).

While it's a ridiculous set of abilities (see clips below) and they are all listed here, many of them are made to take out large quantities of enemies that Monad doesn't even have as that's part of the game mechanics. Some of them do cause area of effect damage (to buildings and etc), but I'd assume those capped just on principle of every other game I've been in not really needing the entire architectural interface destroyed and causing trouble for other characters.

In terms of comparing strength to a Supernatural creature, I would say he probably is on par with a vampire or werewolf of other canons (assuming they aren't immortal) in terms of physical traits—superhuman with their abilities and in their stamina, speed and strength (they have an incredible ability to survive things and keep getting up, although a lot of that is also meant to be a representation of spirit and willpower in the series), but not by any means unkillable. In fact, despite their abilities displayed, they take certain types of damage rather easily and have close calls in terms of dying when they are actually impaled, shot, or beaten should the character in question use fists as their main weapon to subdue their opponents rather than weaponry.

He also wields control of the lightning element (which is mostly where his extra power seems to come from as all the sengoku basara characters are element aligned), which is usually generated through his swords (but not limited to them).

That said, I'm not really into playing out fights with characters in games that are overpowered and one-sided. Masamune, too, is rather disinterested in anyone who he doesn't deem as a capable rival. When he's not on a battlefield, he's pretty laid back, anyway. There are a few exceptions (I’m sure if the Mitsunari does app, they will be pissing on each other often), but it really isn’t anything groundbreaking. I don’t consider his abilities when rping as able to destroy an entire city or take out an entire army of enemies.

And, since all of the above is sort of standard fare in Sengoku Basara, his defining skill is his ability to fight with six katana and use them like claws. He only uses all six of his katana when he's serious about a fight and thinks it’s necessary to win. But, other than certain castmates, Masamune would mostly stick to one sword usage on principle that he’s not convinced anyone is deserving of him using them.

For visual reference, here are some videos of his fighting since it's a lot easier to get an idea of things just by 30 seconds of watching rather than ten minutes of trying to describe it any better than I've already attempted:

first encounter with Yukimura Sanada, Season 1 Episode 1
w/ Yukimura Sanada, Season 2 Episode 1

Judge End has toned down things but it helps see what parts are still most important (Masamune pulling out his six swords, speed of attack, counterattack, etc. and is more along the lines of the display of powers):

Season 3 (Judge End), fight with Yukimura Sanada.


INVENTORY: Since it's only what they had on them at the time of canon point, it's his armor and his six dragon swords (which are katana).

WRITING SAMPLES.
NETWORK SAMPLE: text (some audio) sample & extra in case it's needed.
LOG SAMPLE:
It had be dragons, didn’t it.
Masamune is unusually silent and serious as he stands not far from the corpse of the slain dragon, looking at it. Whereas most that wander within the vicinity make deliberate attempt to keep a good distance from the bloody mess as if it may rear its head again and live to serve vengeance, he’s right there as if he’s casually taking in the scenery. It might be suspicious to some, but for the moment Masamune doesn’t care.

There’s something to be taken from this ( because he, too, knows the pain of a western weapon like the gun as it sears through soft flesh, and even for a beast as great as a dragon, something that small and fast that can pierce under their protective scales makes them little more than a costly nuisance. It’s symbolic—how the mighty can fall to the smallest of things—but it also gets Masamune thinking as he recalls the information broadcasted to them and their mission. They are here for the dragons.

They are here to protect the offspring of this dragon, once a mighty beast now a heaping chunk of scale and bone and gore. While Masamune has no lack of confidence, one has to wonder if their group can even feasibly do that. He finds it hard to believe the people in this place could shoot enough bullets to kill something of its size, so they must have heavier artillery, right?
“Trou~ble~some,” he sighs in heavyily accented english, finally moving to look over his shoulder and scan the village area once more before lingering his gaze a second in the direction that the cave was reportedly located. Masamune makes no haste to head that way, though, for several reasons.

(He’s a warlord, a military leader that back in his world is staking his claims to the right for unifying Japan underneath his own rule. You don’t get that far without understanding simple concepts. And hanging around staring at the dragon like he’s been doing and then randomly heading out of the village without a word is about suspicious as you can get in the shortest amount of time without opening your mouth.

More than that, however, the pieces of this event are convoluted, at best, and he’s curious. He gets they aren’t privileged to asking question or receiving explanations; they’re employed to do what they're told.)

The dragon is too easily associated with for Masamune and he views any threat that can take out a dragon is a threat to him.

It’s a threat to the entire team. He doesn’t really care to question how the brains of this operation expect them to protect dragons that will only end up getting wiped out once they are “finished” protecting them, but he does question what they are to be expecting if they are encountered. This isn’t exactly a group of villagers carrying around pitchforks and slings.

Realllyyyy can’t help but wonder, he thinks, as he passes a villager or two before picking a third as his first target to approach, when exactly you got those weapons. It couldn’t have been that long ago, right? Maybe the ‘soldiers’ have already departed and left the locals to do cleanup, but these people neither look nor carry the air of being trained in weaponry. The dragons would not bring themselves out into the open if they were fully aware of the power the people were wielding, either.

( It reminds him of things back home, of revolts when farmers and discontent individuals suffering from a war they did not start under rule suddenly conveniently stumble upon swords and arrows. Just like that, problem potentially solved.

Then again, the ones that it wasn’t convenient for are no longer alive to complain. )

“Yo,” he calls out to get the attention of the villager he's chosen, one that is in particular carrying a variant of these modern weapons. “You wouldn’t happen to know if there’s any claiming to have created that mess dirtying up your town square, would you?”



extra sample: log sample