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Description
In the world of Blade of the Immortal, the character known as Kagehisa's grandfather is named Saburo Anotsu. His life and actions serve as the primary catalyst for the philosophy and ambitions of his grandson, Kagehisa Anotsu, the leader of the Itto-ryu sword school.
Regarding his background, Saburo Anotsu was originally a swordsman of the Mutenichi-ryu, a traditional sword school. He was a contemporary of Asano Takayuki, the grandfather of the series' protagonist, Rin Asano. The two men were rivals, competing to be the one to receive the secret teachings of their school. This rivalry came to a head when the school's master and the two men were attacked by bandits. In the ensuing fight, Saburo Anotsu killed eight of the bandits, while Asano Takayuki killed four. Despite his superior body count, Saburo was expelled from the Mutenichi-ryu. The stated reason was that he fought without class and poor style, having used two foreign swords, one in each hand. He felt deeply betrayed when Asano Takayuki, whom he expected to defend him, remained silent. This event occurred in the year 1732.
As a result of this public disgrace, Saburo Anotsu's personality became bitter, hateful, and abusive. He went on to establish his own school, which he also named Itto-ryu, though he used different characters for its name, meaning to turn away or reject. This school was founded on principles opposite to those of the Mutenichi-ryu, holding contempt for traditional concepts of form, bearing, and honor in favor of practical lethality and victory at any cost. His motivation was rooted in a desire for revenge against the system that had cast him out, a vendetta he passed down to his grandson.
His role in the story is primarily a background figure, but his influence is the driving force behind the entire plot concerning the Itto-ryu. He is the source of Kagehisa's disillusionment with the samurai code of Bushido, which he saw as a system that valued empty honor over effectiveness and sacrifice. Saburo trained Kagehisa harshly from a young age, physically and verbally abusing him while instilling in him the ambition to crush all other sword schools and prove the superiority of their family's methods.
The key relationship in his life is, of course, with his grandson Kagehisa. Saburo was an abusive guardian who sought to forge Kagehisa into a weapon for his own revenge. He subjected Kagehisa to cruel training methods, such as sending him as a child into a field populated by a pack of wild dogs. When a very young Makie Otono-Tachibana saved Kagehisa by killing the attacking dog, Saburo's response was not gratitude but rage at the shame of his heir being rescued by a girl. His connection to Makie is also significant, as she is revealed to be his grandniece—the daughter of the son of his sister, who had sent her son back to study at the Mutenichi-ryu, an act Saburo viewed as a betrayal.
Saburo Anotsu does not undergo significant development, existing more as a foundational force of resentment and ambition that shaped later events. His legacy is the Itto-ryu itself and the embittered, brilliant swordsman Kagehisa, who ultimately surpasses his grandfather by rejecting some of his petty hatreds while still pursuing his school's core goal of victory above all else.
As a notable ability, Saburo demonstrated considerable skill as a swordsman, having killed eight bandits in a single confrontation. His fighting style was unorthodox for his time, as he wielded two foreign swords simultaneously, an approach that was considered lacking in class or style by the traditional Mutenichi-ryu. This pragmatic, results-oriented method of fighting became the cornerstone of his Itto-ryu.
Regarding his background, Saburo Anotsu was originally a swordsman of the Mutenichi-ryu, a traditional sword school. He was a contemporary of Asano Takayuki, the grandfather of the series' protagonist, Rin Asano. The two men were rivals, competing to be the one to receive the secret teachings of their school. This rivalry came to a head when the school's master and the two men were attacked by bandits. In the ensuing fight, Saburo Anotsu killed eight of the bandits, while Asano Takayuki killed four. Despite his superior body count, Saburo was expelled from the Mutenichi-ryu. The stated reason was that he fought without class and poor style, having used two foreign swords, one in each hand. He felt deeply betrayed when Asano Takayuki, whom he expected to defend him, remained silent. This event occurred in the year 1732.
As a result of this public disgrace, Saburo Anotsu's personality became bitter, hateful, and abusive. He went on to establish his own school, which he also named Itto-ryu, though he used different characters for its name, meaning to turn away or reject. This school was founded on principles opposite to those of the Mutenichi-ryu, holding contempt for traditional concepts of form, bearing, and honor in favor of practical lethality and victory at any cost. His motivation was rooted in a desire for revenge against the system that had cast him out, a vendetta he passed down to his grandson.
His role in the story is primarily a background figure, but his influence is the driving force behind the entire plot concerning the Itto-ryu. He is the source of Kagehisa's disillusionment with the samurai code of Bushido, which he saw as a system that valued empty honor over effectiveness and sacrifice. Saburo trained Kagehisa harshly from a young age, physically and verbally abusing him while instilling in him the ambition to crush all other sword schools and prove the superiority of their family's methods.
The key relationship in his life is, of course, with his grandson Kagehisa. Saburo was an abusive guardian who sought to forge Kagehisa into a weapon for his own revenge. He subjected Kagehisa to cruel training methods, such as sending him as a child into a field populated by a pack of wild dogs. When a very young Makie Otono-Tachibana saved Kagehisa by killing the attacking dog, Saburo's response was not gratitude but rage at the shame of his heir being rescued by a girl. His connection to Makie is also significant, as she is revealed to be his grandniece—the daughter of the son of his sister, who had sent her son back to study at the Mutenichi-ryu, an act Saburo viewed as a betrayal.
Saburo Anotsu does not undergo significant development, existing more as a foundational force of resentment and ambition that shaped later events. His legacy is the Itto-ryu itself and the embittered, brilliant swordsman Kagehisa, who ultimately surpasses his grandfather by rejecting some of his petty hatreds while still pursuing his school's core goal of victory above all else.
As a notable ability, Saburo demonstrated considerable skill as a swordsman, having killed eight bandits in a single confrontation. His fighting style was unorthodox for his time, as he wielded two foreign swords simultaneously, an approach that was considered lacking in class or style by the traditional Mutenichi-ryu. This pragmatic, results-oriented method of fighting became the cornerstone of his Itto-ryu.