OVA
Description
Kendappa, also known as Kendappa-ou, is the queen of the Kendappa clan and serves as the royal musician in the court of the heavenly emperor Taishakuten. She is a woman of striking appearance, characterized by her long black hair and blue eyes, and is rarely seen without her cherished harp, which is both her instrument and the hiding place for her sword. She carries herself with a calm and often serene demeanor, a composed facade that belies the complex and often contradictory nature of her true loyalties and abilities.
Her background is deeply rooted in the celestial politics of Heaven. Her father was the Eastern General, a position of great martial authority, who was killed by Taishakuten during the Holy War. In a twist of fate, Kendappa inherited this very title, becoming Jikokuten, one of Taishakuten's Four Heavenly Generals (the Shitennō) responsible for protecting the east. This appointment occurred when she was still a young child. Despite her father's murder, she swore an oath of absolute loyalty to Taishakuten, a vow she holds as unbreakable. Her admiration for him is rooted in what she values above all else: strength. She is convinced that Taishakuten is the most powerful being in Heaven, and this power, rather than any sense of justice or morality, is the primary source of her devotion.
Personality-wise, Kendappa is an enigma defined by duality. On the surface, she appears as a gracious and talented court musician, a confidante to those who oppose the emperor. She hides Soma, a survivor of the massacred Yasha clan, within her flying castle and offers aid to the wandering warriors Yasha-oh and Ashura as they pass through her kingdom. This has led many to believe she is a secret ally of the prophesied Six Stars, a group destined to overthrow Taishakuten. However, her true personality is far more pragmatic and fatalistic. She does not believe the Six Stars can triumph against the emperor she serves. Acting out of a twisted sense of mercy, she decides to kill her loved ones herself, believing it is a kinder fate than what awaits them at Taishakuten's hands. Her worldview is shaped by a deep-seated contempt for weakness, a trait she associates with her own mother, who wasted away from unrequited love for Yasha-oh. This has led her to revere strength, even in a tyrant who destroyed her family.
Kendappa plays a pivotal and tragic role in the story. Initially appearing as a helpful ally to the protagonists, her primary narrative function is to serve as a guardian and emotional anchor for Soma. The two have been together ever since Kendappa found Soma wandering alone in a forest and brought her to the Gandaraja palace. Her motivations are driven by two conflicting forces: her genuine love for Soma and her unyielding oath to Taishakuten. Unable to reconcile these two truths, her path is set for tragedy. Her key relationships define her arc. Her love for Soma is the most genuine part of her life, the single point of honesty in a world of lies and deception. Meanwhile, her loyalty to Taishakuten is absolute, born from a childhood promise and a philosophical belief in the supremacy of power. This places her in direct opposition to Yasha-oh and Ashura, whom she helps secretly but ultimately believes are doomed to fail.
The development of her character culminates in a shocking betrayal. When the Six Stars finally gather and storm Taishakuten's palace, it is revealed that she herself is the sixth star, the final member of the prophesied group. More devastatingly, she unveils her true identity as Jikokuten, the secret fourth general, and stands ready to fight against her former friends. Facing the woman she loves, Kendappa is resolute. Unable to break her vow to Taishakuten and seeing no future for a world where Soma would inevitably die, she decides to kill Soma with her own hands. However, she ultimately cannot follow through. After her revelation, finding no point in living in a world without the person she loves and unable to escape the web of her own promises, Kendappa takes her own life, dying by her own hand. Her death is a powerful and poignant act of a character who was always caught between her loyalty to strength and her need for love.
In terms of notable abilities, Kendappa possesses a rare and formidable combination of talents. She is first and foremost a master musician, whose harp playing is legendary for its beauty and emotional depth. Her music is so powerful that she can use it to revive allies from states of deep despair. Her harp, however, is not just an instrument; it doubles as a sheath for her sword, highlighting the dual nature of the artist and the warrior. As Jikokuten and a queen of a martial clan, she is an exceptionally skilled warrior, capable of fighting on par with the other generals and the Six Stars. Her abilities perfectly mirror her personality: graceful and artistic on the surface, concealing a sharp and deadly steel beneath.
Her background is deeply rooted in the celestial politics of Heaven. Her father was the Eastern General, a position of great martial authority, who was killed by Taishakuten during the Holy War. In a twist of fate, Kendappa inherited this very title, becoming Jikokuten, one of Taishakuten's Four Heavenly Generals (the Shitennō) responsible for protecting the east. This appointment occurred when she was still a young child. Despite her father's murder, she swore an oath of absolute loyalty to Taishakuten, a vow she holds as unbreakable. Her admiration for him is rooted in what she values above all else: strength. She is convinced that Taishakuten is the most powerful being in Heaven, and this power, rather than any sense of justice or morality, is the primary source of her devotion.
Personality-wise, Kendappa is an enigma defined by duality. On the surface, she appears as a gracious and talented court musician, a confidante to those who oppose the emperor. She hides Soma, a survivor of the massacred Yasha clan, within her flying castle and offers aid to the wandering warriors Yasha-oh and Ashura as they pass through her kingdom. This has led many to believe she is a secret ally of the prophesied Six Stars, a group destined to overthrow Taishakuten. However, her true personality is far more pragmatic and fatalistic. She does not believe the Six Stars can triumph against the emperor she serves. Acting out of a twisted sense of mercy, she decides to kill her loved ones herself, believing it is a kinder fate than what awaits them at Taishakuten's hands. Her worldview is shaped by a deep-seated contempt for weakness, a trait she associates with her own mother, who wasted away from unrequited love for Yasha-oh. This has led her to revere strength, even in a tyrant who destroyed her family.
Kendappa plays a pivotal and tragic role in the story. Initially appearing as a helpful ally to the protagonists, her primary narrative function is to serve as a guardian and emotional anchor for Soma. The two have been together ever since Kendappa found Soma wandering alone in a forest and brought her to the Gandaraja palace. Her motivations are driven by two conflicting forces: her genuine love for Soma and her unyielding oath to Taishakuten. Unable to reconcile these two truths, her path is set for tragedy. Her key relationships define her arc. Her love for Soma is the most genuine part of her life, the single point of honesty in a world of lies and deception. Meanwhile, her loyalty to Taishakuten is absolute, born from a childhood promise and a philosophical belief in the supremacy of power. This places her in direct opposition to Yasha-oh and Ashura, whom she helps secretly but ultimately believes are doomed to fail.
The development of her character culminates in a shocking betrayal. When the Six Stars finally gather and storm Taishakuten's palace, it is revealed that she herself is the sixth star, the final member of the prophesied group. More devastatingly, she unveils her true identity as Jikokuten, the secret fourth general, and stands ready to fight against her former friends. Facing the woman she loves, Kendappa is resolute. Unable to break her vow to Taishakuten and seeing no future for a world where Soma would inevitably die, she decides to kill Soma with her own hands. However, she ultimately cannot follow through. After her revelation, finding no point in living in a world without the person she loves and unable to escape the web of her own promises, Kendappa takes her own life, dying by her own hand. Her death is a powerful and poignant act of a character who was always caught between her loyalty to strength and her need for love.
In terms of notable abilities, Kendappa possesses a rare and formidable combination of talents. She is first and foremost a master musician, whose harp playing is legendary for its beauty and emotional depth. Her music is so powerful that she can use it to revive allies from states of deep despair. Her harp, however, is not just an instrument; it doubles as a sheath for her sword, highlighting the dual nature of the artist and the warrior. As Jikokuten and a queen of a martial clan, she is an exceptionally skilled warrior, capable of fighting on par with the other generals and the Six Stars. Her abilities perfectly mirror her personality: graceful and artistic on the surface, concealing a sharp and deadly steel beneath.