application for cityofariel

[partyrocker]

→ OOC
□ Name: Gigi
□ Age: 20
□ Contact: PLURK - weavile; AIM - spring of everything
□ Journal: dialga
□ Do you play anyone in Ariel?: No.

→ IC
□ Name: Masamune Date
□ Journal: partyrocker
□ Series: Sengoku Basara
□ Canon point: The end of season two.
□ History:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sengoku_Basara_episodes - Sengoku Basara episodes;
http://sengokubasara.wikia.com/wiki/Masamune_Date - his wikia page (which is admittedly sparce)

□ Personality:

At first glance, it's easy to dismiss Date Masamune as just another ambitious young warlord of the Sengoku era: He's brash, confident to the point of being cocky, and has his eyes set firmly on uniting Japan under his rule. As many who encounter him discover, however, there's a great deal more to the fabled One-Eyed Dragon of Oshu than what one sees at first glance. ...Even if their first impression isn't exactly false.

On the battlefield, Masamune is a surprising figure in a world still dominated by older, more experienced warlords like Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, simply because he's young, reckless and arrogant and almost entirely fearless in confronting his elders in addition to having little regard for his own health and safety (it's not uncommon for him to be wounded and keep going as if nothing is wrong). He's loud and attention grabbing, often shouting in Engrish and does everything in a flashy way that no one can ignore. In his very first appearance in the anime, he leads his army into a surprise attack on Shingen and Kenshin with no hesitation and rallies their spirits for the oncoming battle. He isn't intimidated by the famous samurai, though he has a degree of respect for their accomplishments and wisdom, and will listen to them if they have something to say. He's incredibly informal to the point of being disrespectful (when talking with Shingen he calls him 'Takeda-ossan' or 'old man Takeda' and casually calls Toyotomi Hideyoshi 'uncool') regardless of who he's speaking with, and he refuses to be cowed into submission by anyone, as shown when he reacts to Oda Nobunaga's threat to tear out his remaining eye with pure defiance. He strives to make a lasting impression on everyone he meets, evident in his liberal use of Engrish, flashy attacks, and unmistakable clothing. All this can give the impression, on occasion, of him being a cocky brat.

As the leader of the entirety of Oshu, he's capable of making important choices when they must be made, and is capable of coming up with strategies and is charismatic enough to lead his forces to victory over and over. Far and wide he's referred to as 'Dokuganryuu', or 'The One-Eyed Dragon', which should give a good indication of how fierce and dangerous he's considered, though he's never shown deliberately targeting villages of civilians. He genuinely enjoys the thrill of a good battle, especially when that fight is with his rival, Sanada Yukimura. Masamune and Yukimura are considered by many characters to be fated rivals, a sentiment which is shared by the two themselves. While Yukimura fights as a retainer of Shingen, and is thus an enemy, there is a degree of trust and possibly even friendship Masamune has for him. He wants to see Yukimura grow and become stronger so they can continue fighting, and isn't afraid to take measures he otherwise wouldn't to shake Yukimura out of a funk, as shown when he disbands the Oshu army and sets off to take Nobunaga on alone in order to give Yukimura a wake up call.

An important relationship that shapes Masamune as a person is his close bond with Kojuro. Throughout the series it's made clear that there is no one he trusts more, or relies on more, than Kojuro (who is tellingly called 'The Right Eye of the Dragon'). It's not a stretch to say Kojuro is the person he's the most comfortable and at ease with, as Kojuro is the closest thing to a family Masamune has. It's thanks to Kojuro's guidance and loyalty that Masamune has become the man he is, though his retainer can also be something of a crutch to Masamune's growth. Because Masamune depends on Kojuro for so much, he's often left at a loss for what to do when Kojuro isn't present to guide him. Because of Kojuro's devotion to defending Masamune when he's in danger, his presence gives the young warlord the leeway to be more reckless, less responsible even, and when he's away Masamune must step up and try and do things without his right eye to guide him. Without a plan, and Kojuro there to keep his impulses in check, Masamune tends to be very impulsive and makes very bad choices. Later in season two, when Kojuro has been kidnapped, Masamune is injured and defeated and attempts to charge on Osaka; Due to the incredible strength of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his army, this choice was all but suicidal and the external force of Kenshin had to interfere and make Masamune see sense in Kojuro's place.

There's something else that sets him apart from some of his fellow generals (like Mori Motonari): His refusal to treat any in his army like disposable pawns. He is confident and behaves as though defeat isn't possible and his army draws inspiration from him, which is all the more reason for him to be so. It's important to know, however, that his behavior isn't just an act to bolster his subordinates' confidence; He truly believes he is capable of winning every battle he leads them into. As the head of the Date and the leader of Oshu, he knows he can't allow himself to falter in front of his men and that goes double when they're in a battle. After being shot by Mitsuhide Akechi's gun squad he refuses to show his injuries out of a combination of pride and understanding that if his army saw him fall it would shake them, a potentially deadly thing when they were still on the battlefield. He cares for those who follow him as deeply as they care for him and would go to any length to make sure they don't die pointless deaths. When three of his retainers were taken hostage by Matsunaga Hisahide, Masamune was willing to sacrifice his treasured six swords for their safety and was even willing to go meet Matsunaga in person despite being badly injured at the time. The only way to stop him from going was to literally knock him out. When Masamune is critically injured by Hideyoshi, his men show the same level of loyalty by throwing themselves over Masamune’s body to protect him from further harm, illustrating the closeness of the Date army.

During his off time, Masamune can seem almost like a different person. He's calm, relaxed, quiet and thoughtful, taking the time to plan effective strategies and discusses them openly with his retainers. Before making major decisions, he usually speaks with with chief retainer, Kojuro Katakura, to get Kojuro's opinions and ideas. It's during these times, when he is at home and surrounded by those he trusts, that Masamune also has his moments of insecurity and trouble. Because it's unacceptable, to him, to breakdown in battle, it's when he is in private that things tend to hit him hardest, such as the fear he felt after laying eye on Nobunaga the first time. Due to his confident nature it doesn't take him long to overcome his worries, but from what we see in the anime he needs to be in a private place he's comfortable to acknowledge them in the first place.

All in all, Masamune Date is a talented young leader with a great deal of responsibility, and a great deal left to learn. He's headstrong, determined, charismatic and hellbent on leaving his mark on the world. He's incredibly loyal to those who are loyal to him and would go to hell and back for them. He refuses to back down or be forgotten, and through and through is the dragon is nickname makes him out to be.

□ Age:

Unstated but assumed to be 19 or 20.

□ Gender:

Male/male.

□ Appearance:

Masamune is a fairly tall and fairly muscular man, with short brown hair and one blue left eye. He wears a solid black tsuba (a sword handguard) as a patch over his right eye socket. Unlike many other characters in the series, Masamune wears black and grey body armor with yellow lightning bolts on his gloves and a blue sleeveless coat with a white design on the back of it and white trim, sandals, and also wears a helmet with a massive golden crescent moon attached to the front when he battles.

□ Abilities/Powers:

He’s a charismatic and caring leader who easily wins the loyalty of his men, and has a lot of experience in combat and some in tactics. Masamune is a skilled swordsman who often wields six blades at a time with no difficulty, and is respectably good on horseback as well, to the point he almost always rides with no hands. Ridiculously durable, with a high threshold for pain.

As far as canon-specific powers go, Masamune is associated with the lightning element, and can infuse his attacks with electricity and lightning bolts.

□ Personal Items:

- one of his swords
- one set of traditional Japanese clothing (similar to what he’s wearing in this picture: http://i.imgur.com/qJ9GgLQ.jpg)