Yamada Asaemon Jikka (山田浅ェ門
Appearance
Jikka has violet hair tied in a topknot, bangs that frame the sides of his face, and small amounts of facial hair. He is usually seen with a relaxed expression. He wears a dark haori with the standard attire of a Asaemon underneath: a white robe, along with a hakama held together with a waist cord, and sandals. He chooses to not wear his funerary bell tied to his collar and has the the two threads hang loose.
Personality
Jikka is a laid-back individual who compared to his fellow clan members, especially Shugen, is less dedicated to his work as an Asaemon. He is rather dishonest as he lied to the shogun's officials about how he felt guilty of not completing the mission after his criminal was killed, when in actuality, Jikka expressed great joy at the time and shook Chōbē's hand in gratitude. Jikka is also rather rude and disrespectful to others around him regardless of who they are, even towards his fellow Asaemon. Also, unlike his clan members who each show concern for one another, Jikka is the only member shown to have little to no concern over the safety of the other Asaemon. After finding the corpse of Eizen, Jikka did not show any signs of emotional distress or join in with Shugen, Isuzu, and Kiyomaru in giving him a proper burial, only wishing to leave the island.
Jikka stated that he is an individual that prefers to enjoy life to the fullest rather than focus on status and rank. This way of thinking greatly shows in his life as an executioner as he has been reported to attend his execution assignments while intoxicated and even sold his own sword as a way to collect money for his vulgar exploits. As a result, Jikka has received a bad reputation amongst his peers in the Yamada clan. Instead of taking his work as an executioner seriously, Jikka finds that his ideal way of living his life is indulging in "pleasures of the flesh" where he purses having sexual intercourse with multiple men and woman, causing him to act rather perverted and flirtatious around both sex in public. He is fond of the Red-Light District and stated that his drive for wanting to leave the island is to continue his sexual adventures with multiple people from specific areas.
Jikka believes that it is unwise to be involved in dangerous situations, preferring not to have anything to do with Kotaku after witnessing how dangerous the island was and believes that those that did were foolish. To this extent, he was not above insulting the shogun. After being forced to depart to Kotaku once again, Jikka spent his time sulking and tried to convince Aoki in to returning to the mainland and tried another attempt at persuading Shugen after witnessing the monsters that attacked the second landing party.
He is also a very analytical individual and is incapable of being fooled through deception. After being brought to a meeting with his superiors to read a message from the shogun, Jikka ignored the reading and already knew that the shogun had planned to dispatch more Yamada Asaemon to the island. During the departure of the second dispatch team, Jikka saw the big picture of the purpose of the group, which was not to provide support to the first team but to end their lives. Jikka even knew that Iwagakure had their own reasons for taking up the shogun's mission while supporting the Asaemons, although he admitted that he did not know specifically what it was.
Plot
Island Arc
- Main article: Island Arc
Jikka became one of the few Asaemons who got assigned to a criminal and sent to search for the Elixir of Life on an island ordered by the shogun.[1]
Before he and his criminal, Hōrubō, had the chance to land on the island, Hōrubō attempts to kill Aza Chōbē on board his boat but ends up being killed by the bandit. Knowing that he can return back to the mainland since he is unable to complete his mission, Jikka happily shakes Chōbē's hand in gratitude. However, in his attempt to head back, Jikka is forced to land on the island because of the currents. He later makes another attempt at escape but is attacked by a sea monster. By using the currents to his advantage, Jikka cuts down the monsters head and brings it back with him as he proceeds to safely return to the mainland.
Lord Tensen Arc
- Main article: Lord Tensen Arc
Jikka, Shugen and the other Asaemon prepare to depart to Kotaku.
Upon his return, Jikka's superiors ask him to explain how he returned safely. After explaining and cutting his story short, Jikka says that he wanted nothing to do with the island and comments that only foolish people would want to be involved. The officials take this as a direct insult to the shogun, causing Yamada Asaemon Shugen to step in and apology for Jikka's behavior. The officials overlook this and gives them their next orders by the shogun, only for Jikka to ignore their reading of the message and figures that the request is to send more Asaemon to the island. After the meeting, Shugen scolds Jikka's behavior towards the officials, but Jikka shows disrespect about his presence being of use to him, causing Shugen to become furious. Jikka apologies and wonders if there were anymore more criminals to send. Shugen informs him that the shogun has hired Iwa ninja instead of criminals and tells him that he will also depart once again for the island, much to the latter's disapproval. After listening to Shugen's worries about his comrades, Jikka is asked by a worker what they should do with the large monster head he had brought back. He apologies to the workers after forgetting to bring up the monsters on the island to the officials and offers an invitation to accompany him to the Red-Light District or to join him in his quarters. Once done inspecting the monster, Shugen informs Jikka and the two additional allies to prepare to leave for the island.
The next day, as he departs with the second team, Jikka sits down sulking. He then talks to Aoki about how bringing all these suspicious people were going to make the mission difficult. Aoki replies that this was a way of providing the other party on the island aid. However, Jikka replies that the true purpose of this team was not to provide aid but to bring more death and chaos. He then tries to persuade him into thinking it would be a good idea to turn back home.
After finally making landfall on the island, Jikka and the others watch as Shugen fights the Sōshin and is pleased to hear Shugen claiming that he will take care of handling the monsters but is reminded by the young Asaemon that he is his senior and was mainly informing Isuzu and Kiyomaru. As the group moves forward they stumble upon Eizen's corpse, causing Shugen to cry out in pain. Shugen then lays his soul to rest which Jikka found displeasing. The group is then attacked by a horde of Mōnshin commanded by a Dōshi. Jikka makes a request to settle things without fighting but hears the Dōshi refusal. The team then manages to take down both the Mōnshin and the Dōshi. Jikka makes a suggestion to Shugen to leave the island after seeing at how dangerous it is but is yelled out by him that they are not allowed to leave under any circumstance.
Hōrai Arc
- Main article: Hōrai Arc
While traveling to Hōrai, the Asaemon become exhausted with the long walk and are informed by Shugen that he would use the Horse Flute formerly used by the Dōshi but is told by Jikka that it would not be a good idea. However, after the ninja presented evidence of Tensa and Genji's death, Shugen becomes furious and uses the whistle to summon the Mōnshin from their nest, much to Jikka's disturbance. He then commands them to carry the Asaemon to Hōrai.
After finally arriving at Hōrai, Jikka sarcastically states that he will guard the rear while everyone charges forward to the palace. He then looks to see Shija giving him a judgmental gaze and replies that he could tell that Iwagakure has their own agenda on the mission. Later, Jikka finds Aza Chōbē and Tōma, who has come to realize his true identity since joining the Yamada clan, and have them surrender. Jikka then finds a Dōshi and becomes shock to see it revert back into a human and turn into a tree due to the Banko overtaking Hōrai after fusing with Zhu Jin.
With the situation becoming serious, Jikka regroups with everyone from both parties at the Rentan Temple and declares that it is essential that both him, Isuzu, and Kiyomaru cooperate with the criminals, along with the Asaemons siding with them, in order to make it out alive. He also states that he has plan to have the criminals earn their freedom if all goes well but needs the help of Gabimaru. Jikka sees that Gabimaru has made his arrival but unfortunately sees him in a worse condition due to his Tao being disrupted by Zhu Jin, causing him to have no choice but to change his plans. The two teams agree to cooperate and readies themselves to go over the plan to defeat the Banko. While distracted, the Iwa ninja take the opportunity to attack Gabimaru with kunai but are deflected back after Jikka anticipated their attempt. The group then split up into pairs corresponding with the Tao Restoration cycle, with Jikka being matched up with Gantetsusai, and go out to search and destroyed the Banko's five tandens scattered around the palace.
Abilities and Powers
Being the third ranked Asaemon, Jikka is undoubtedly skilled since he is looked at by the Yamada clan to be one of its strongest members. He is shown to be rather quick-witted as he used Kotaku's currents to his advantage to slay one of the Watatsumi that blocked his path, becoming the only known person to have ever escape Kotaku alive without experiencing any of the dangers as a result, an achievement that not even one of his fellow Asaemon could accomplish, and was even noted by Gantetsusai that it would be difficult for a master swordsman, such as himself, to accomplish while sailing on a boat.
Swordsmanship
As an Asaemon, Jikka is capable of decapitating a person with a single cut of his sword. A noteworthy feat was that he was able to easily severe the large head of one of the Watatsumi with one swing.
Principle of Things
The Principle of Things (物の原理 Mono no Genri?, Viz: Truth of Things) refers to Jikka's intuition on how he can perceive an object's reaction when force is applied. Although the sword he wields is made entirely out of bamboo, by utilizing this ability, Jikka is capable of knowing how he can cut his extended target and execute the strike as if the sword is actually made out of steel. After anticipating the kunai thrown by the Iwagakure shinobi, Jikka controlled the amount of force he applied to his sword and deflected them back with perfect percision. According to Shion, Jikka once stated that this ability far surpasses the ability to sense Tao.
Weapons
As an executioner, Jikka carries his own sword. However, Jikka is the only Asaemon to not carry an actual sword with him, having sold it in the past, and instead carries a takemitsu.
Trivia
- Jikka ranked 13th in the manga's 1st Character Popularity Poll.
- Jikka and Shion are the only known Asaemon to not wear their bells tied to their left collar.
- Jikka is the second person to have returned back to Japan alive after setting foot on Kotaku. The first being a past officer that was later infected with Arborification, however, Jikka is the first to have come back in good condition.
- Jikka is the only known person to have killed a Watatsumi.