Akemi Ōtani [大谷 朱美]

Akemi Ōtani

• Official Art
• SW4 Render

Character Information

Clan(s)/Alliance(s)

• Ōtani
• Azai
• Toyotomi
• Western Army

Age

16

Height

165 cm (5'5")

Weapon(s)

Chigiriki

Akemi Ōtani (大谷朱美) is the fictional daughter of Yoshitsugu and the fictional sister of Chikurin-in. Much like Gracia, her cheerful personality counters that of her easygoing, mysterious father and her strict older sister.

Background

Akemi was young when her mother died and doesn't remember her very much. She doesn't often ask about her and what she was like because she doesn't want to bring the mood down, but she likes to imagine that she takes after her in some way. She was mostly raised properly by her older sister and spent a lot of time with her and their father, who was more lax with her than he was with Chikurin. As a young child, she often played outside in the dirt and was interested in various bugs.

Yoshitsugu joined the local Azai clan when she was young, as they lived in Oumi, and eventually she convinces him to let her become a warrior as well, wanting to fight to bring peace to the land. Her father allows her to go out on the battlefield, saying that it must have been her natural path if she was drawn to it so, but secretly asks Takatora to watch over her in battles to ensure she doesn't get hurt. Takatora becomes a mentor and uncle figure to Akemi.

The Azai army became something of a family to Akemi, and she adored them all dearly as much as she adored her own.

Samurai Warriors 4

After the siege of Odani Castle and subsequent death of Nagamasa Azai, the Ōtani family leaves Oumi and joins the Toyotomi army. Akemi is saddened at how the Azai split apart, as she feels they are like a family, and Takatora's departure to the Tokugawa especially saddens her. While Yoshitsugu accepts that the two armies will become enemies, Akemi still tries to stay in contact with Takatora, with varying levels of success.

Before the battle of Komaki-Nagakute, a letter from Takatora inviting Yoshitsugu to desert the Toyotomi as well as letters between him and Akemi surface, and Kanbei Kuroda suspects them of possible betrayal. Both of them claim innocence to this. Eventually, Mitsunari Ishida burns the letters to resolve the matter. While this impresses Yoshitsugu with his boldness, Akemi is (a bit childishly) upset that her letters were taken from her and continues secret correspondence to Takatora. Being loyal to her father and thus the Toyotomi, she doesn't reveal anything to the enemy and only wishes him well. Chikurin harshly scolds her when she finds out Akemi is continuing to write and takes her letter away. While she is only afraid Akemi will be deemed a traitor, Akemi is devastated for days on end until their father quietly tells Chikurin to apologize and let her have the letter back and send it.

Chikurin's sudden marriage arrangement makes Akemi very paranoid that the same thing will happen to her, as she is aromantic (obviously not using that word to describe herself) and very romance-repulsed. Even the idea of a political marriage with no prospect of real romance frightens her because of the association. However, strangely her father never arranges any such marriages for her after Chikurin's betrothal even if it would be beneficial, and when she asks if he will he says no. She never learns why he decides not to marry her off, but doesn't question it.

At some point, her father falls ill with Hansen's disease (leprosy) and Akemi takes it upon herself to become his caretaker. She begins to constantly hover near him, paranoid that he will suddenly be stricken with death. People begin to liken her to a wandering ghost that is tied to her father with unfinished business, and given that Yoshitsugu's nickname is "White Face" (due to either his paleness and white attire), it does not help disprove the comparison.

The nation is divided after Hideyoshi's death, and The Ōtanis join the Western Army (alliance with Mitsunari) during the battle of Sekigahara. Akemi worries constantly for him and pressures him not to go to battle, but he insists on it. She swears to protect him, but ends up quickly losing him in the chaos and doesn't find him until well after he leaves the battlefield.

When Yoshitsugu dies, he intends only for Takatora to witness as his second, but Akemi notices he has left the battlefield and hurries to find him, worried for his rapidly declining health. She ends up witnessing his suicide and goes into a grieving, vindictive frenzy, injuring both enemy and allied soldiers until Takatora disarms and restrains her. Akemi is then captured by the Eastern army, but because Takatora vouches for her she is able to join the Tokugawa. She feels something of a hatred in her, but she isn't sure what exactly for and whether it's toward any person or the idea of the wars. And while she understands that her father's death was customary, she still grieves for him for a very long time.

A few years afterward she just disappears into the night and becomes a wandering ronin. She takes many jobs but prefers ones where she is hired to protect others. Akemi never has a steady home in her adult life because she's always moving from place to place.

Akemi crosses paths a few times with old allies afterwards, but never rejoins forces with anyone again. She is content with her nomadic life and doesn't see peace in her future if she returns to the army.

Akemi differs from her father in that she is not very analytical or scholarly and often cannot keep up with such discussions. She also tends to blurt out her seemingly random ideas (or even just random words) without explaining her train of thought behind them, which causes some to perceive her as nothing but a stereotypically cheerful airhead. Because of this, Akemi secretly fears that her father is disappointed in her, although her father has never expressed anything of the sort, and tries her hardest to keep up with him despite her struggles with literacy.

She feels her emotions very strongly, with very high highs and very low lows (these lows can be so severe that she becomes physically ill). These make it hard for others to understand her on a similar level, with even her father having trouble understanding her. She gets along well with Takatora due to this because of his particular sensitivity and compassion underneath his cold exterior. To her, he's someone who is strong and jaded by war yet also able to understand her feelings when sometimes even she cannot.

Due to her mother being dead, she is extremely attached to her father, to the point where she has separation anxiety even into her teens. Yoshitsugu has kind of babied and kept her close her her entire life, lowkey because she reminds him of her dead mom. haha and she has grown very used to being near him. She fears his eventual death and becomes especially worried when Yoshitsugu's condition worsens, and is an extremely attentive caretaker, surprising others with her hard work. Akemi is also very attached to her older sister, but worries about her less. When she was younger she thought of her older sister as an invincible person that could do anything. As she got older, she noticed her sister's faults and emotions, but it actually makes her feel closer to her, as Chikurin seems more relatable.

She is a little arrogant despite knowing her shortcomings, believing herself to be mature enough to fight for the world of peace that the others strive for despite her young age and general immaturity.

As mentioned before, she is very friendly and cheerful, but worries that it makes her seem all the more dimwitted to others. However, she can't find it in herself to repress or hide that aspect of herself because acting otherwise makes her feel weird and confused. She tries to make friends with everyone, with varying levels of success. Her only real friends in the Toyotomi are Takatora and Masanori (the latter of whom she likes because she thinks he's funny and they match each other's energy.)

She is forever a very bad liar, with her tell being her tugging on one of the front pieces of hair that frames her face.

As an adult, she is less open about her emotions, resulting in her seeming very deadpan.

• "Father, are you ever going to make me marry someone?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Is that what you want me to do?"

"No! I just... well, you made Take do it, isn't that a thing that girls're supposed to do?"

"I haven't the faintest idea what girls are supposed to do. If you were supposed to, you would have done it already, wouldn't you?"

"Father! Come on, be serious!"

"I am serious. Look at my face."

"You're smiling! I can see you're smiling! What's so funny?"

~~ Akemi and Yoshitsugu

• "How can anyone hate bugs? When they crawl up your arm or leg it's the cutest! Okay, actually, I think I get why people don't like bugs..."
• "Stop telling me to grow up! If I could get older faster then I would, but I can't. You try it if it's so easy!"
• "Would you still love me if I was a bug, Father? If you were a bug, I would make you a little saihai out of really tiny leaves and sticks so you could still go to battle with me."

• "I don't understand this passage at allll... Father, help me."

"It's fairly easy. Firstly, what do you already know about what the other passages are saying?"

"Nothing..."

"Ah. Well, don't be hard on yourself. It's not always easy."

"But you just said it was easy."

"So I did. This is a lesson to not believe everything I say."

"Urgh..."

~~ Akemi and Yoshitsugu

• Her name is very inappropriate for the period because I made her when I was 12 and didn't know jackshit about naming characters (in English too tbh, much less another language). (￣▽￣||)
• She likes bugs, being a caretaker/being useful, attending theater, dancing, and singing.
• She dislikes reading, the rain, being ignored, being told to grow up, and meditation. She is also scared of thunder.
• She is asexual and aromantic.
• Akemi was designed to look a bit like a tryhard, like someone who is too young to be a warrior but wants to do it anyway. (Which she is.) The pieces of her hair that go outwards were meant to look a bit like floppy animal ears.
• Her animal association in her attacks is the damselfly, meant to relate to her father's mayfly.
• In Warriors Orochi 4, she gets a deity form from the Greek goddess Hebe, goddess of youth and forgiveness, as well as being the cupbearer to the gods.
• Unlike her sister, she is not meant to be a "serious" OC that could be integrated into the games because at her core she's not a very good character LMAO. I keep her around and don't really revamp her because I have nostalgic affections for her.
• Her weapon's design is meant to reference the tassles on her father's hat.
• Credit for this template goes to dvdexe!