Oshiti
Oshiti (OSHITI) is a witch that appears in the twelfth episode of the Magia Record Anime. It was shown in a flashback fighting against Yachiyo Nanami's team prior to Kanae Yukino's death and was defeated.
This witch was initially exclusive to the anime, but later appeared in the game in the Deliver to the Beyond, A Piece of Hope event.
Witch
A witch convicted of sin, who has been reduced to only a head and suspended upside-down. Upon finding a human who has wandered into her Labyrinth, she insistently attempts to appeal to them about something, but her voice is emitted as rays of heat that burn her surroundings to ash. She is apparently waiting for someone while suspended, but even if that someone were to enter the Labyrinth, they would surely meet the fate of being turned to ash by the witch’s voice. The graveyards crowding the witch’s Labyrinth are piled high with gravestones: one stone for each sin the witch has committed, and for each lingering regret of an innocent. |
- ↑ Gokumon(獄門)is literally means "gate of jail" or a name of Japanese death penalty in Edo period. In this execution method, the criminal was beheaded and then the severed head was gibbeted.
- ↑ The term used for the witch's nature is 袖絞, literally means "to squeeze sleeves". It is a Japanese idiom meaning to cry hard for grief. This translation was quoted from here
Minions
Minions that exist to punish their sinful witch. Though they all worked together to string the witch up, they’re apparently dissatisfied with the fact that she’s just a head, and are searching for her torso. They and the witch display excellent teamwork, as the minions capture intruders and the witch incinerates them with her screams, but they’re not doing it intentionally. The minions are frequently caught in the witch’s appeals and incinerated as well. Sometimes, they venture outside the Labyrinth to select people, objects or animals that could serve as the witch’s torso, but they’re apparently not the type to particularly care about whether the size matches. It’s the vibe that’s important. |
Trivia
- In the anime, it was unclear if Oshiti is the witch's name, or simply a word used in its labyrinth; later in the same episode, Raspberry's name is clearly presented both on the entrance to its labyrinth and behind the witch when it attacks Yachiyo, where no such runes are given to this witch.
- Its name was confirmed to be Oshiti when it was added to the game.
- Suzugamori execution grounds was a major execution site in Japan during the Edo period. It is recorded that crucifixions, execution by burning and Gokumon were carried out there. It is said that Yaoya Oshichi, probably the derivation of the Witch's name, was also burned here.
About Yaoya Oshichi
Oshiti is likely named after Yaoya Oshichi, a girl regarded as the tragedy's heroine attempted arson for love and executed by burning. Although she was probably a real person in 1680s Japan, little is known with historical certainty about her. However, her tragic story has became the subject of many literary works and plays, and has been interpreted and adapted in many ways.
- Five Women Who Loved Love is one of the most famous stories about Yaoya Oshichi. Most of later works follow this story in greater or lesser degree.
- The main plot of the story is as follows:
- Oshichi is a beautiful 16 years old girl and the only daughter of a greengrocer. She is burned out by the fire and takes refuge in a temple. She falls in love with Kichizaburō, a young rōnin (the son of a samurai class who has not been became any vassal) who served as the temple's servant, but their love is thwarted by her parents and the social conditions of that time. She wails and plans to set fire as she believe that if the fire starts again, she will be reunited with him. Her arson ends in a small fire, and then, in her 17th spring, she is burned at the stake in Suzugamori execution site. Her lover who had been sick in bed during the series of incidents, finds a sotoba with her name written on it at the temple, laments to learn of Oshichi's death and become a priest.
- The sotoba written the name in Witch's barrier and the idiom "squeezing sleeves", the Nature of Witch, also appear in this novel.
- Interestingly, Mifuyu Azusa mentions having read it in her in-game quotes.
- Kinsei Edo Chomonshu("A collection of stories about modern Edo") has a different plot. This work also influenced many later works.
- In this work, the name of Oshichi's lover is Sabē. Oshichi set fire to her family's greengrocer for their reunion, because she was incited by a rogue Kichizaburō who is planning to steal at a fire. The official and the magistrate are reluctant to execute the young Oshichi and try to apply a law that exempts anyone under the age of 15 from the death penalty. However, they fail because Kichizaburō proves that she is 16 years old, born in Hinoe Uma (a sexagenary cycle for recording years, litteraly means "fire horse") year, and then, she is executed by fire.
- Uwasa of the Commoner's Horse and the source of the rumor, the legend of tragic love in Mizuna may be a reference to this story. Mifuyu is involved in these.
- The author of this work, Bunkō Baba, was executed by Gokumon for another work that incurred the wrath of the government.
Gallery
Magia Record
Barrier
Anime
Oshiti's name in Runes from Episode 12