| Outline |
Karakuri Kiden Hiwou SenkiIn the closing years of the Edo period, the ninja gang Fujin, made up of kinotami (literally, “people of the machines”) who harness mechanical techniques known as “karakuri,” intend on wiping out all other kinotami other than the Fujin Gang.The Fujin Gang’s invasion reaches Mikawa Province, and Horai Village, a community of kinotami who transmit the tradition of “using clockwork machines (karakuri) for festivals,” is devastated by an attack. Hiwou, a boy living in Horai Village, activates the Goshintai Homura, a clockwork machine in the form of a portable shrine that the villagers worship, and flees the village with his siblings and friends. Seeking a guardian, the children head for Shingetsu Domain in search of Masurawo, Hiwou’s father.Hiwou and his companions reach Shingetsu Domain, meet the son of the chief retainer of the former domain lord, and learn that Masurawo is making clockwork machines for the Fujin Gang. Hiwou is reunited with Masurawo and explains that the Fujin Gang intends to wipe out the kinotami, but Masurawo is obsessed with testing his prowess in clockwork machine making and rejects Hiwou. Subsequently, Kurogane, leader of the Fujin Gang, orders the giant clockwork vessel Umioni that Masurawo created to set sail so as to display the gang’s power, but the ship’s bottom explodes and starts to fall to pieces. Hiwou gets on board the Umioni to get his father back but is caught in the chaos, and Masurawo shields his son in the last moment and dies. Bereaved of his father, Hiwou leaves Shingetsu Domain in pursuit of the Fujin Gang that has disappeared.Fourteen months after the battle with the Fujin Gang, Choshu Domain is attacking foreign ships with the Umioni, on the pretext of expulsing foreign forces. In order to stop the fighting with foreign countries, Hiwou destroys the Umioni with Homura.Four years later, Hiwou is attacked by a mysterious clockwork machine in Totsukawago, where he has built a new village and lives. Hiwou heads for Edo to fight again, and there the story ends. |
