Get 10% off (save up to $44!) your own authentic Japanese snack box from Bokksu using my link: bit.ly/2y81ov3 and code GAIJIN10 Thanks for checking this out gang, and let me know YOUR thoughts on how ninja Jin Sakai is!
@@KravenSpider Super glad to hear that! For real, I love this thing. I keep finding new snacks that make me scower my Mitsuwa Marketplace to see if I can find them.
What I love about the story in this game is how it shows that The Samurai we’re willing to die for their honor, and fail Tsushima. Jin however, was willing to let his honor die so he could save his people.
@@2kmichaeljordan438 The concept of honor is why we have the Geneva Convention now. The idea that even our enemies deserve a degree of human dignity and should not be treated as less than human or killed in torturing ways was something dozens of countries around the world agreed on. It’s not stupid. It can be taken to foolhardy levels sure, and in war there is nuance to millions of decisions. However, at its core, it’s never “moronic” to be honorable.
@@millennialacademy1087 I’m sorry, I’ll be more clear. What’s considered honorable is moronic. It holds people back from saving their countrymen. Giving your honor to save your home is probably one of the most honorable things to do, but just because you stabbed someone in the back, means you’re dishonorable(back then)
@@2kmichaeljordan438 I could be wrong but I think Japan was one of those countries that took their ideals to extreme levels, kinda like how you have the far left and the far right, Japan (or at least the samurai) believed in honor in the same manner. If the way they approached it is anywhere close to the samurai in this game, then yeah it's dumb as hell, but showing restraint and not killing your enemy in a brutal way, especially if you don't need to is understandable
Well when he became the ghost he knew he wasn't gonna be a samurai and he isnt quite a shinobi considering that he fights as one and wears samurai armor Hes like a mixture
My absolute favorite thing about Ghost of Tsushima is how it makes you feel like you're witnessing the birth of the shinobi. You see Jin make the transition from a mindset of fighting with honor and facing his foes head on to one of doing whatever it takes to survive, and even better to save lives(even if that might not have been the point of shinobi). Even the things he says as you unlock each ghost tool shows the thought process that would lead to such tools and techniques being developed.
I'm not completely through so I'm treading lightly around here. I just wanted to say I agree with this assessment. It really does feel like Jin is becoming a shinobi with all the tactics we employ here and considering that head on combat is the toughest aspect imo. I say that because both the difficulty you can set for yourself and at least the mongol officers studying their enemy.
It is a beautiful soulfull heartfelt love letter to th kurosawa era of films. Damned near any frame from the game could be used as wallpaper for your computer. It has moments of sorrow and joy snd hope and dispair and rage and... It felt like i was in an old legend.
No joke. I think the first time you kill someone using a Kunai, Jin says 'Unbecoming of a Samurai... But effective.' which is funny considering Samurai actually used Kunai.
@@Lightna But when open combat is inevitable, Jin's Samurai training and swordsmanship helps him stay alive. Not all enemies can be blocked or parried, or even dodge while in striking range.
@@kin4386 no they didn't, Kunai were digging tools, and yes I know about the "ninjas" using farming tools, that was the okinawans. Kunai were not used as weapons, shuriken were. Also ninja/shinobi were spies and only occasionally political assassins, all the bs about fighting with honor in this game is just romanticizing. That being said I do love this game and don't mind inaccuracies and whatnot, just see way too many people who don't know this stuff and I found it interesting when I learned it
I think the shogun was not mad at the fact that Jin was a ninja, but the fact that he was rallying people to his image and the shogun took offence to that and wanted to defend his power. Tushima is almost like a overseas colony to them, they could lose power over there easily to a image like "The Ghost" (Politics man .... politics) Rephrasing: The shogun probably did not want to punish Jin because he took a ninja route, but because he was scared that the peasants would want to drop everything to be with the ghost, and not the shogun. And the uncle was referred, time to time, by one of Jin's servers as a inflexible samurai boomer. So I feel like Jin's uncle bushido code is kind of warped on purpose. Jin's father was said to not get along with the uncle a lot about the bushido code, and Jin's father was ok with taking freedoms in this regard. At the end of the game, it does slip from the uncle that Jin must die because of his legend being a threat to the shogun's power, not because Jin was a ninja, or because he broke the bushido code by poisoning a whole camp. Jin was just going to be trialed because he did that. And this part is just speculation, but I think Jin was just going to be dropped as a samurai and have his family name shamed, because the shogun did not want a samurai to make him look bad originally. But Jin's escape and his name most likely got out as a threat to the shogun's power on Tsushima I dont know if you will read this Goombah, but I just thought this might be something to think about before you wright your historical inaccuracy video.
@@blackvial Give it a few hundred years, and it will. Plus, Nobunaga will come along and start handing firearms out to peasants and showing them how easy they are to use. Gamechanger ha.
Spoiler Alert for minor details of the ending. Lord Shimura does tell Jin at the end that the Sakai lands were to be confiscated and that Jin was no longer samurai.
Spoilers! To kill Lord Shimura is to honor him and finalizing that Jin can trace back. To spare is to abandon your honor and separate yourself from the code and follow your own as an individual, as a Ronin.
I think that was deliberate. We have this huge misconception about Samurai and the code of Bushido. From what I can tell, the code wasn't adhered to terribly stringently during the medieval period. It started as a mistake by a historian named Nitobe Inazo, who based his 1905 book Bushido: The Spirit of Japan on rules written for samurai. Sure, they were the rules, but based on how they acted it really varied how closely those rules were followed. The romantic code of Chivalry European knights followed was pretty similar, and served a purpose as well. It wasn't until the early 20th century that the Emperor and the Imperial Army and Navy wanted something that would boost their men's fighting spirit. When Nitobe Inazo wrote that "the way of the warrior is to die," they went along with it as a way to motivate the military and instill a stoic pride in themselves and their nation's superiority. So, when Jin's uncle is visibly outraged at his tactics and behaviour he's really shown as an extreme example of How Not To Wage War, Dummy! If there's to be a moral to the story of Ghost of Tsushima it's likely "Honor, rules, meeting your enemy as an equal; they're all laudable ideals. They'll kill you all the same."
The only flaw I even have noticed with the historical accuracy of the weapons and tools is the sword--the Japanese hadn't really embraced the katana yet, they were still mostly using tachi-style swords, which mount edge down in the sheath, like a western sword. But that's nitpicky crap, so whatever.
Yuna played a big part in coining that title upon Jin, and you never once hear Jin announce himself as the Ghost to his enemies. He leaves that terror up for their own imagination.
It's true, in a game like mgsv enemies will try their best to counter your potential infiltration (and hopefully kill you) getting an s rank there is akin to looking like you have superpowers same as the bosses you would face in earlier games
Mongols were beaten by the winds of tsushima. The unknown, unsung hero that has the wind behind his back. The Mongols in writing was defeated by japenese typhoon. But what if that typhoon is a combination of unheard misfortune that the new shinobi ways of jin and his followers? Look at it in the perspective of prideful Mongols. The ghost can be the shadow in the wind. The rustling of trees sounding like a thousand shadows in the forest moving to an encampment. The constant fear that in tall grass you might be poisoned. In the corner of a house, where a silent shadow awaits you moving your patrol. A sudden explosion of bee's nest, traps and ambushes that dried and killed supply lines. The Ghost. Of. Tsushima
Jin being proto-shinobi makes me want the sequel game to involve him and Yuna recruiting citizens to fend off the second attack on Tsushima, essentially cultivating the first generations of ninja
About the whole "daimyo have been hiring spies and agents for decades, so Shimura saying that Jin's being dishonorable is bullsh*t" point brought up in the video, I see it a little differently. I don't think Shimura was saying "Shinobi tactics are bad and should never be practiced", but rather "Jin, as a Samurai and head of clan Sakai, should not resort to such tactics, since he's better than this." Basically, it's not the idea of a Proto-Shinobi that deters Shimura, but the idea of Jin being one. It's like how he didn't mind that Yuna, a peasant and a thief, helped to rescue him from the Mongols, but he does mind that Jin is "influenced and corrupted" by her. He sees these people who act as spies, thieves, assassins and other agents as being "dishonorable, even if necessary", which is why he may accept their help or even hire them when he needs someone to get their hands dirty, but will not accept his family being the ones to do the dirty stuff. I'm not saying his stance is right, just that it's a bit more understandable if you interpret is differently.
Nice point, but completely incorrect to history. Being a samurai was merely being born into a certain caste in society, being a ninja, or more accurately, being a spy (as that's what ninja primary were) was a job. A job that uniquely could be taken up by anyone no matter what class they were from but a job nonetheless. One of the most famous Samurai in history also doubled as one of the most famous ninja and there was absolutely no shame.
@@themanformerlyknownascomme777 I didn't say that it wasn't heard of for samurai to take the mantle of a ninja, but rather than Shimura specifically may have been against the idea. He's ok with others doing the dirty work of the "noble clans", but sees it as "wrong" that Jin, head of clan Sakai and his own nephew, would be the one to do the dirty work. I bet that if Jin had hired Ryuzo to do all the spying and assassinations on his behalf then Lord Shimura wouldn't be that butthurt about it. Hell, maybe even the Shogun himself wouldn't call for the arrest of the ghost in that case, since the ghost would be seen as an agent working for clan Sakai which is loyal to the Shogun, rather than a vigilantee who disregards the Shogun.
I think you have the right idea. It's not the tactics themselves that he hates, it's that Jin literally threw away everything Shimura taught him and became something his family stood against. He wanted Jin to rule the Sakai clan by being a beacon of hope for the people, not by being recognized as a vengeful demonic Ghost. It isn't what he wanted for him.
commenting is what I do, perhaps it was still an ideology of shimura’s because he was all about bravery, and he thought his and his family’s high status made them obligated to act righteously and henceforth withdrawing themselves from such things. Maybe it was just his own belief
My own headcanon for the game to explain why Jin was never called ninja is because he was literally the first one, after all it's said that taka invented the grappling hook as in they didn't exist before
Some might think that to learn about ninja and ninjutsu is to demystify them. Honestly, the more I've watched of these videos and the more I've learned, the more amazing they become. The most mystical thing about ninja was their ability to innovate and adapt, really. It's like learning about space: space never loses its wonder because there's always something more strange and wonderful out there waiting to be discovered. With ninja and ninjutsu, it's like there's always something more interesting to find out about how they became the legendary martial operatives they are portrayed as in countless media over the centuries.
Except Ninja and ninjutsu are a made up concept for Hollywood back in the early 90’s. Shinobi are what is historically accurate, the term ninja was never in the Japanese vernacular. Also, Shinobi were specialized samurai, they were never the “wear all black cloth and sneak around rooftops” western civilization started to idolize them as.
I feel that I should point out that while Jin himself doesn't have poison arrows, The enemies in the game do. After Jin poisons the mongol's food and water, they adapt Jin's poison to use with their arrows. And Jin gets a taste of his own medicine by finding himself on the receiving end of one of these poison arrows while regrouping with Yuna shortly after escaping his imprisonment.
@@H240909 I honestly think he was being generous. There's a difference between a charm effect and an actual poison arrow. Every time you get hit by an enemy poison arrow you get poisoned every single time. That's how a poison arrow traditionally works in games. So poison arrows are in the game, but they didn't allow Jin to have them.
Dustin Vance Gaijin also addresses how poison arrows in a real ninja’s arsenal worked. And it was definitely NOT a one and done sort of deal like you see with enemies in the game. Regardless, this is a video on how a ninja’s arsenal compares to Jin’s arsenal. The Mongolians are irrelevant in that regard.
Frankly Jin becoming a proto-shinobi out a need really does it hit home to how many classical ninja clans probably were founded before records were made. Heck, even the historical Lin Kuei are said to be what Jin is. That in of itself makes him an accurate ninja if nothing else since he's using what in the shinobi's name: survival.
@@ecritdelajaponographie8565 Regarding Lin-Kuei: There's still some dispute to this, but many people believe in the theory that the first Shinobi-no-Mono were taught by retired Lin-Kuei who imigrated to Japan. There's not much to go about the Lin-Kuei's historical existence, but the way the Lin-Kuei are said to act is very Ninja-like. While i really like this hypothesis, there's so much little info out there about the Lin-Kuei that it's hard to believe they were not some McDojo bullshit spewed out there for marketing purposes (at the very least, it gave us Subzero and Noob Saibot).
But it was all worth it at the end! Now comes the inevitable but still dreaded wait until you start making culture shock videos about this game. Hopefully it's not very far...
Jin has to go out of his way to introduce himself as Jin to most people as his legend grows, because all they see is his way of battle and they immediately know it's the Kurodo.
@Jesse Quarnstrom The effects of their presence can still be seen. Like an assassinated noble or poisoned water, it is obvious that SOMEONE did that, you just don't know who, so you give the unknown enemy a title.
Here’s an idea, culture shock episode on Kurosawa mode. How Seven Samurai lead to the magnificent seven? How Kurosawa left his mark on cinema and this game?
I remember half way through the game I was like, "This feels like a Ninja. Is" Jin like the first ninja?!" And when Act 3 happens (those who've played know what I mean) I actually stopped using the Standoff and other direct confrontation things (I had been mixing between then and ninja tactics) to favor the ninja side. But I'm so glad my favorite study of ninjas, GG, agrees.
I've never felt this until finally playing this game. This surpasses Tenchu. It actually didn't hurt to say it outwardly. There has not been an authentic (enough) ninja game since Tenchu and maybe Shinobido. Ghost of Tsushima is so pure.
The ninjas roots originated in china (china had stealthy operatives long before Japan) so technically no, but fictionally - he's the first japanese ninja lol. Still the most badass samurai/ninja in gaming history!
@@connormcconnell7805 No. China is the source and origin. There has never been any source that mentions Okinawa/Ryukyu. In China they were known as the Ye Ban Tou. Their history goes even beyond the Ming Dynasty. It wasn't until the 1100's that many of these Chinese operatives fled to Japan and eventually seek refuge in the mountains of Iga and Koga.
I needed to rescue a monk during a mission, but he was guarded by a Mongol Leader. So I pulled out my newly acquired blowdart and shot him, and in a moment of pure comedy; he vomited all over the monk.
Some spoilers here. When I played through this with my partner, we came up with a bit of a headcannon theory that it's just(mostly) Shimura who's obsessed with the pomp and circumstance of honor in this game rather than it being everyone. Because Shimura is the Jito of Tsushima, his near fetishization of honor (which in turn, I felt was meant to reflect contemporary culture's fetishization of Samurai honor in modern culture, despite history itself showing that the Samurai were far more flexible than such romanticization depicts.) has to be upheld by other nobles and Samurai of the island since he's the big boss. However, both Lady No-Chill and Ishikawa both show far more flexibility towards Jin's actions and methods later, Jin's own father apparently often argued with Shimura about adopting more flexible tactics and mindsets, and as far as we know the Shogun's account of the whole thing is exclusively communicated by Shimura himself and as such might not be giving him the full picture (Also gotta point out, Shimura had no problem taking credit for all of Jin and Yuna's accomplishments, conveniently leaving out the actual affects of their more adaptive methods and seemingly painting Jin in a worse light. Just saying for someone so hung up about honor, the guy seems *really* self serving.), so for all we know the Shogun and the other Samurai might not even care as much about muh honor as old Shimura does. I saw the plot as, despite first appearances, an ironic critique of stereotypical Samurai honor (and other honor codes like it), and how much of a tool of convenience it is until it has to be tested against actual warfare. Jin has to over the course of the game and all the people he meets and allies with, completely unlearn this idealized romanticization of warfare pushed by his uncle but hopelessly useless in an actual war where the other side doesn't want to play the same game.
the ironic part if the Shogun find out the whole truth he might support Jin ghost way more than his uncle old way just because he might want Jin to start his own ghost Clan to serve Shogun clan
@Punch Down King So I actually didn't miss that (and big post incoming sorry) but I realize I forgot to mention that in the post. But yes, it's made a pretty decent deal that what the Shogun fears is the Ghost's rising appeal to the lower castes of society spreading beyond Tsushima and possibly threatening the ruling caste, which does make sense although I could still argue that that's the Shogun displaying a more pragmatic (if still self centered) concern concern over potential power dynamic, as opposed to being in a huff over just how honorable Jin's methods were. Thing is though, is as far as the story goes, it's implied again that Shimura doesn't really tell the Shogun the full story about how Jin's methods and tenacity got them to where they were by that point, and how things would have been lost if he hadn't have adopted the moniker of the ghost. Leaving all of that out just makes Sakai look like this anti-establishment rapscallion who's throwing poison around because he can, not because it saves lives and whos only allegiance is to himself even though we the player know he's been super loyal to his position for almost the whole game up to that point. The smalltalk between the Samurai at Shimura's camp later pretty much reflects that this is how they seem him, which makes me immediately wonder just how Shimura framed the topic. It makes me wonder if a scenerio might have been possible where the narrative of the Ghost could have even been used or even controlled by the Shogun, since Jin was more than willing to just work with them if not for his Uncle's rigid whining about dishonorable methods. I'm getting way off track though, but bringing it back, I didn't forget about that part. It's a sensible concern, but again one that's not really dependent on honor as much as it is power dynamic which just kind of fuels my original belief that it's mostly only Shimura who cares THAT much about rigid honor, while everyone else as per history was a little more flexible minded (and heck, the Shogun himself probably has Ghost like spies running around since like GG said, they had been using spies and the like forever.)
I think it's a great point you've made, but I'm not sure if Lord Shimura was the only one obsessed with honour, since all the reinforcement sent by the Shogun speak of Jin with distain. One hears this when Jin sneaks out of the Jito's castle. Also you're absolutely right. Historical Samurai were so much more elastic in their warfare, not to mention that the whole Bushido thing came about roughly during the Tokugawa Shogunate so a handful of centries later, and largely served as a code of conduct among the Samurai themselves...
One thing I have noticed, is that when you find the ghost tools in the world, they're most of the time just components that Jin presumably turns into items like smoke bombs or sticky bombs.
Little irrelevant, but I like how Jin gasps whenever he exits Focused Hearing, so it makes me think he’s holding his breath (Which actually makes a lot of sense, honestly) and just goes to show how much thought went into this masterpiece
I like how one of the understated aspects of Jin is that he must be an incredibly clever individual, probably bordering on a genius if he can reverse engineer black powder technology and improve upon them the way that he does.
@@darthplagueis13And as soon as he can apply his knowledge as the Ghost you see him grow exponentially. Sure he start out the game naive, but that's character growth.
For the ghost armor, it's important to know that all of the armors jin gets need to be upgraded because they are all in disrepair. Most are from age or having been peeled of a recently killed enemy, but the ghost armor was never finished by taka. The mk1 form is just what taka had managed to get it to before his death. Presumably the upgrades to it are just jin giving takes plans to other armor smiths to finish his vision, explaining why the mk1 is kinda jank and the armor comes into its own with the upgrades.
Say that to Hanzo, the ninja samurai. He stopped a army by opening a castle gate and walked out alone. He was so well known to the enemy as a feared warrior they retreated expecting a huge army behind the castle. Five guards were in the castle and that was it, including the lord.
There's a really fun piece of almost throwaway dialogue I came across in game. I can't recall the exact context, but at one point Jin comments on "knowing a warrior from Genji who trained with monks from the west," while discussing his ghost shenanigans.
How ironic that of all the so called ninja's Gaijin Goombah has research on, Jin acts out more like a ninja out of all of them is not even sorta considered as such. Still great work you guys, I hope you do a part 2 in the near future!
@@Loron20 That's assuming it's a simple problem solving question. The issue is that in RL combat situations, it's about what solution gets the job done the most effectively with the least resources/time/risk. This include utilizing the latest found/discovered tech that could make their job done more effectively, as opposed to just using their previous methods.
I don’t know about Gaijin personally, but to ALL Japanese people during that time period, animals were VERY sacred. Foxes were viewed as messengers of the gods, deer were seen as the gods in an earthly form. Bears and wolves were soldiers, etc. So, as much as we love petting adorable animals today, I’m 100 percent certain Jin would have given them pets as well.
@@jomahawk7488 You can indeed pet the foxes in game. There's even a mission that focuses solely on the Inari foxes that are said to be the guardians of Tsushima.
A good way to remember I-Nin and Yo-Nin: Think of the long "I" sound. "Eeeee, I hope I don't get caught sneakin." Yo-Nin. *Walk up to a Mongol like, "Yo. Wassup?" Just a funny thought I had to differentiate the two. Hope you got a chuckle out of it! Have a great day, and stay safe, all!
Don’t know if you’re taking requests, but it would be cool to get a Which Ninja video on which Assassin’s Creed protagonist you think is the most ninja-like.
I think it's possible that some disgraced samurai would find becoming a shinobi a descent reworking of their built up skills at least as a means of somewhat staying employed.
It's videos like these that make me feel so much more informed and enlightened, about all the cool things media and other cultures have brought us. I'm definitely going to pick up the Ghost of Tsushima- Thanks again, Gaijin!!
14:58 cahaba lilies (a type of spider lily native to Alabama) is interestingly enough psychoactive and was occasionally used like shrooms by locals until it was made illegal as if it was concentrated in a liquid instead of smoked it was fatal after extended hallucinations often accompanied by extreme aggression. but it would have been impossible for shinobi to use this for obvious reasons.
"resourceful, creative, fearless" this reminds be why I have always believed the best representation of Ninja in any table top is the Pathfinder Alchemist or Wizard. Alchemist use bombs, magical infusions, stealth tactics, mutagens that transform body or mind, poisons, and a myriad of other things based on archetype giving them a potentially diverse or focused set of tools based on what you need your alchemist to do. Then there is the wizard, in 3.5e/Pathfinder right behind druid in potential to break a campaign over its knee wizards were KING OF SURVIVAL. Now most people might think to the famous "my level 1 wizard took 6 damage when he tripped on a rock and died", but dm's being assholes and making you take highly lethal damage for tripping (would kill most kids) aside, wizards could gather intelligence with divination, prepare body and mind with transmutation, cause distractions with illusions, instantly kill many humanoids with death spells, create new friends with enchantment spells, sew fear and chaos with necromancy and conjuration spells, all the while being invisible, undetectable, 100s of feet in the air. This comes up alot with my Arcane Trickster in pathfinder, I use nondetection + invisibility to vanish in the midst of a melee only to reappear again in air throwing spells at foes to completely disrupt them. In a recent fight me and a fellow wizard were in a tournament and about to get trashed by a powerful monk, having already cast overland flight on myself for the day all i had to do was defensively cast invisibility and flee into the air. on my next turn I cast the powerful Wandering Star Motes spell, one of the best Daze spells in the game it causes a repeated daze effect every round to the target if they keep failing saves and I was able to capitalize on this with my powerful Void Elemental School ability Reveal Weakness, a powerful 1 round unavoidable debuff that causes a target to have their AC and saving throws reduced by 1/2 my CASTER LEVEL, as a Caster level 10 this meant the monk had almost no chance to make his save and free himself from the daze, and this gave the conjurer time to escape and cast Dominate Person and end the fight. The monk failed the domination save only because of Reveal Weakness, and the only reason the wizard who cast it was alive was because of the daze effect, sure i had to give up my turns to maintain Reveal Weakness, but it was necessary to ensure our survival, and outside of a tournament this would have been the difference between life and death. This monk would have killed us and now he was on our side, a powerful ally indeed. I tend to gush about this, but I love the concept of shinobi alot, and that might be why I always try to play magic users, especially wizards in old editions and i feel there isn't enough talk about how much a well played older edition wizard could feel like a shinobi. even one of their most meta spell combos, being 200 feet in the air (overland Flight) invisible(greater invisibility), undetectable (mind blank or nondetection), while using Project Image to project a double of yourself that you can see hear and cast spells through. If a shinobi could do all of these things, they would.
also Jin has at least three other items in the six ninja tools, A hat, a way to start fire (as seen when you ignite the black powder cache's) and a way to heal himself, even from poison. And one could argue his cape could be used in the ways that the towel was used as well. And of course he has a thing to write with, as he can write a haiku in the middle of the woods.
This was my prediction for the Sequel. My timeline might be off, but Jin could start the Iga or koga clan and start feuding with with the samurais. Just a prediction
5:00 gunpowder didn't exist during the Han dynasty. There were “fireworks,” but fireworks as we know them originated in the Song Dynasty, and gunpowder is thought to originate in the Tang Dynasty.
The thing that impressed me the most about Jin's story is his humiity. His path to becoming the Ghost is largely due to Yuna's presence. She challenged his views and showed him the importance of adapting, surviving, getting acclimated to fighting an stronger enemy. He realized that pride truly does come before the fall, and he gave up his pride and legacy in order for his people to survive.
I had an absolute blast playing this game, and ever since the point you get the Kaginawa I thought "He's becoming a ninja!", and as he evolves in that direction through the story I kept thinking that more and more. I was also thinking "I can't wait to see GG's thoughts on this game!" a lot. :D
I think that Lord Shimura is not mad because the tactics Jin uses are dishonorable, but because Jin, who was raised as an honorable Samurai, is using such underhanded tactics
In his early concept of the game, Jin Sakai really look like a ninja with a kunai in his armor and he's wearing a ninja mask, I think the sequel is about the birth of ninjas.
Hi 😁. Inuyasha is having a sequel anime. It's called "Yashahime half-demon princess" and it's about Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's daughters. The show is coming out THIS October. I was wondering if you could make some more videos about the new and old series. If you got time, thanks. 😁🐶😄
Can we just appreciate, the reason Gaijin is such an incredible youtuber to watch is because of just how passionate he gets about the things he loves. Long or short, I never find myself looking to do something else while I listen in the background. He gets my full attention every time and holds it to the very end. I love your stuff Gaijin! Thanks for the videos to keep me sane throughout quarantine!
I've been waiting for this video. I was expecting this video to be nearly an hour, but I guess not lol. Anyway, Jin is definitely Shinobi. He had to change his change his tactics in order to fight and defeat the Mongol invasion
Actually, regarding the ghost armors earlier models, it is stated in game that the stage one armor was actually incomplete. Taka may have had plans to improve it before it was given to Jin
This was 3 years ago but I figured I'd mention this. Jin's Ghost Armor actually has primarily navy and grey-ish blue fabric on it. If what I remember is correct, ninjas actually wore navy blue due to it's properties to both reflect the moonlight and hide in the shadow naturally, as pure black would make them stand out far more
I do wonder what he thinks about the only "joke" armor that is in the game the Fundoshi, with the description "A true samurai needs no clothes" - Jin Sakai after having too much sake
Well if this hoopy rood wades into battle with only a towel constantly and has a fierce reputation backed by deeds to prove it? All while knowing exactly where his favorite towel is? Do YOU wanna tell him no?
Remember- When 'shinobi' is used in this video and comments, it means the fictionalized, fantastical shinobi who is a stealth assassin. Real shinobi were samurai, whose job was to gather intelligence, whether it be sneaking in to an enemies camp, or donning a disguise to blend in with villagers to infilitrate a fortress to gather intel.
Something I thought was a nice historical touch is that Historically the Mongols never made it too the mainland due to storms sinking their ships rather then a single protoninja with plot armour. However we see references to storms regarding Jin's clan. For example the default sword skin that is the Sakai family sword is called "The Storm of Clan Sakai" and in the Iki Island DLC we can relive a conversation Jin's father has with him where he describes Clan Sakai as a storm. Its a clever touch to relate the in game destruction of the Mongols to the real history.
So here's some trivia i'd like to share when learning the kanji of the in game of the ghost, 冥人. So the kanji 冥 can be said as mei, kura, and kuro. 人 is the kanji everyone knows at this point for any japanese speakers. 冥人 in google translate could mean dwarf, but if we look at just 冥, the translate means nether. So with that in mind, Jin Sakai was called the being who came from hell. this is perfect for jin not only he was the man who survived the Beach incident which can be seen as hell on the beach, and the fact he gone against all things that are seen sacred of the bushido code. THIS WAS THE BEST FINDING I EVER LEARNED FROM RESEARCHING GHOST OF TSUSHIMA
I watched theradbrad play Ghost of Tsushima and while doing so expected Gaijin to make a Which Ninja on Jin Also there is this game called Fantasy Strike that has a ninja character named Setsuki
I love your ninja videos. Hell i love all your videos. I got into your channel back when For Honor first dropped and you talked about Shugoki and Nobushi. And then I just got hooked on your shinobi videos. Keep em up my guy I will always watch them. Also your videos helped me make a cool pathfinder ninja character for a campaign.
Is he perfect in the sense that they say since he is a totally made up character then there is no record of him existing and thus because there is no record; then it's obvious he did actually exist, and is therefore the greatest 'historical' ninja?
This game takes place during the Kamakura period and Shinobi weren't a thing until the Sengoku Jidai hundreds of years later. That's why his isn't referred to as Shinobi.
You once compared Ninja to MacGyver. That has stuck with me, and above all else shaped my appreciation of Shinobi. I just wanted to thank you for that comparison, and giving me such a concrete foundation from which I can understand this facet of Japanese culture.
Loved this. Thank you so much for making another informative and fun video explaining things that I would never have known. I always find your videos so much fun to watch. I'm looking forward to the next one very much.
Get 10% off (save up to $44!) your own authentic Japanese snack box from Bokksu using my link: bit.ly/2y81ov3 and code GAIJIN10 Thanks for checking this out gang, and let me know YOUR thoughts on how ninja Jin Sakai is!
Used the code for my first 3-month purchase. The Seasons of Japan box did not dissapoint!
@@KravenSpider Super glad to hear that! For real, I love this thing. I keep finding new snacks that make me scower my Mitsuwa Marketplace to see if I can find them.
Hey. Can we get a Sly Cooper video soon? Since Ghost of Tsushima was made by Sucker Punch Studios as well?
Gaijin Goombah Media Can you talk about Christian religion next time
Zuko Susano skin is in MOBA Game of Smite
Petition to put Jin on the “good” side of the which ninja intro?
I would sign that petition
yes
Already signed with a like
Definitely!
Absolutely. If anyone deserves it, its Jin Sakai
What I love about the story in this game is how it shows that The Samurai we’re willing to die for their honor, and fail Tsushima. Jin however, was willing to let his honor die so he could save his people.
Sacrificing your honor for the greater good is the most honorable act of all.
Concept of honor is stupid. “I can’t stab this guy in the back, it might save 1000 lives, but oh, my honor!” It’s moronic
@@2kmichaeljordan438 The concept of honor is why we have the Geneva Convention now. The idea that even our enemies deserve a degree of human dignity and should not be treated as less than human or killed in torturing ways was something dozens of countries around the world agreed on. It’s not stupid. It can be taken to foolhardy levels sure, and in war there is nuance to millions of decisions. However, at its core, it’s never “moronic” to be honorable.
@@millennialacademy1087 I’m sorry, I’ll be more clear. What’s considered honorable is moronic. It holds people back from saving their countrymen. Giving your honor to save your home is probably one of the most honorable things to do, but just because you stabbed someone in the back, means you’re dishonorable(back then)
@@2kmichaeljordan438 I could be wrong but I think Japan was one of those countries that took their ideals to extreme levels, kinda like how you have the far left and the far right, Japan (or at least the samurai) believed in honor in the same manner. If the way they approached it is anywhere close to the samurai in this game, then yeah it's dumb as hell, but showing restraint and not killing your enemy in a brutal way, especially if you don't need to is understandable
"The best ninja is one who is so well hidden they hide the fact they are a ninja even to themselves."
- Carl
Where waa this said?
@firemonster221 yes please
Plez explen
@firemonster221 just carl
@firemonster221 Carl Weezer
Ironically those who don't try to be ninja, become the most convincing.
"No, no, they have a point."
Like Tailon from shadow of mordor or Aiden Pearce. Hell even Sam Bridges counts
Spiderman and Hanzo
Heads up y’all, I’m the 369th like
Well when he became the ghost he knew he wasn't gonna be a samurai and he isnt quite a shinobi considering that he fights as one and wears samurai armor
Hes like a mixture
"Fire on a pointy stick is fire on a pointy stick."
Best Gaijin Goombah quote of 2020.
Hmm yes the floor is made out of floor
That should seriously be on a t-shirt.
@@cooltrainervaultboy-39 agree
@@cooltrainervaultboy-39 That would be amazing.
This comment now has 420 likes. Please, nobody ruin this.
My absolute favorite thing about Ghost of Tsushima is how it makes you feel like you're witnessing the birth of the shinobi. You see Jin make the transition from a mindset of fighting with honor and facing his foes head on to one of doing whatever it takes to survive, and even better to save lives(even if that might not have been the point of shinobi). Even the things he says as you unlock each ghost tool shows the thought process that would lead to such tools and techniques being developed.
I'm not completely through so I'm treading lightly around here. I just wanted to say I agree with this assessment. It really does feel like Jin is becoming a shinobi with all the tactics we employ here and considering that head on combat is the toughest aspect imo. I say that because both the difficulty you can set for yourself and at least the mongol officers studying their enemy.
It is a beautiful soulfull heartfelt love letter to th kurosawa era of films. Damned near any frame from the game could be used as wallpaper for your computer. It has moments of sorrow and joy snd hope and dispair and rage and...
It felt like i was in an old legend.
No joke. I think the first time you kill someone using a Kunai, Jin says 'Unbecoming of a Samurai... But effective.' which is funny considering Samurai actually used Kunai.
@@Lightna
But when open combat is inevitable, Jin's Samurai training and swordsmanship helps him stay alive.
Not all enemies can be blocked or parried, or even dodge while in striking range.
@@kin4386 no they didn't, Kunai were digging tools, and yes I know about the "ninjas" using farming tools, that was the okinawans. Kunai were not used as weapons, shuriken were. Also ninja/shinobi were spies and only occasionally political assassins, all the bs about fighting with honor in this game is just romanticizing. That being said I do love this game and don't mind inaccuracies and whatnot, just see way too many people who don't know this stuff and I found it interesting when I learned it
I was wearing the Sakai clan armor when I got the Ghost armor. It really hit that Jin realized that being a samurai wasn't enough anymore.
Same
Some guy: Hey nice shozoku, man.
Ninja: Thanks, it has pockets.
Women: *heavy breathing *
Me with cargo pants and jacket: " I need to get one of those. pajamas, armor, noise canceling shoes And it has a lotta pockets
Me buying jackets.
This absolutely made my day, thank-you. I was thinking the exact same thing when that came up in the video.
@@SableGear Welcome
I think the shogun was not mad at the fact that Jin was a ninja, but the fact that he was rallying people to his image and the shogun took offence to that and wanted to defend his power. Tushima is almost like a overseas colony to them, they could lose power over there easily to a image like "The Ghost" (Politics man .... politics) Rephrasing: The shogun probably did not want to punish Jin because he took a ninja route, but because he was scared that the peasants would want to drop everything to be with the ghost, and not the shogun. And the uncle was referred, time to time, by one of Jin's servers as a inflexible samurai boomer. So I feel like Jin's uncle bushido code is kind of warped on purpose. Jin's father was said to not get along with the uncle a lot about the bushido code, and Jin's father was ok with taking freedoms in this regard. At the end of the game, it does slip from the uncle that Jin must die because of his legend being a threat to the shogun's power, not because Jin was a ninja, or because he broke the bushido code by poisoning a whole camp. Jin was just going to be trialed because he did that. And this part is just speculation, but I think Jin was just going to be dropped as a samurai and have his family name shamed, because the shogun did not want a samurai to make him look bad originally. But Jin's escape and his name most likely got out as a threat to the shogun's power on Tsushima
I dont know if you will read this Goombah, but I just thought this might be something to think about before you wright your historical inaccuracy video.
Jin was basically teaching the pesants how to fight Superior foes, and who's to say that this wouldn't lead to a peasant revolt
@@blackvial Give it a few hundred years, and it will. Plus, Nobunaga will come along and start handing firearms out to peasants and showing them how easy they are to use. Gamechanger ha.
Spoiler Alert for minor details of the ending.
Lord Shimura does tell Jin at the end that the Sakai lands were to be confiscated and that Jin was no longer samurai.
I wonder will dlc be s jin start the first Ninja Clan?
Spoilers!
To kill Lord Shimura is to honor him and finalizing that Jin can trace back.
To spare is to abandon your honor and separate yourself from the code and follow your own as an individual, as a Ronin.
Uncle: “What you’re doing is dishonorable and disrespectful to what war is.”
History: “WTF are you talking about?”
Even by Kamakura standards?
haha, shinobi go shhhh
Britain in the future : "uh um, listen to your uncle kid. Being a sneaky badass... I-is um bad and stuff "
I think that was deliberate. We have this huge misconception about Samurai and the code of Bushido. From what I can tell, the code wasn't adhered to terribly stringently during the medieval period. It started as a mistake by a historian named Nitobe Inazo, who based his 1905 book Bushido: The Spirit of Japan on rules written for samurai. Sure, they were the rules, but based on how they acted it really varied how closely those rules were followed. The romantic code of Chivalry European knights followed was pretty similar, and served a purpose as well. It wasn't until the early 20th century that the Emperor and the Imperial Army and Navy wanted something that would boost their men's fighting spirit. When Nitobe Inazo wrote that "the way of the warrior is to die," they went along with it as a way to motivate the military and instill a stoic pride in themselves and their nation's superiority.
So, when Jin's uncle is visibly outraged at his tactics and behaviour he's really shown as an extreme example of How Not To Wage War, Dummy! If there's to be a moral to the story of Ghost of Tsushima it's likely "Honor, rules, meeting your enemy as an equal; they're all laudable ideals. They'll kill you all the same."
We have the same bullshit in the modern world. They're called "rules of engagement" and why no one can use flamethrowers or sarin gas.
The guys at Sucker Punch REALLY did their research on this
Randall Napolitano yea it’s actually really cool and admirable most game companies won’t bother
hell, they even sent people to Japan to gather information about the area for the game. they even recorded ambient sounds for the game!
Darien B that’s commitment
Dude, even the Easter eggs for their other games were incorporated so well that you might not even notice until you mull it over.
The only flaw I even have noticed with the historical accuracy of the weapons and tools is the sword--the Japanese hadn't really embraced the katana yet, they were still mostly using tachi-style swords, which mount edge down in the sheath, like a western sword. But that's nitpicky crap, so whatever.
The best ninja are the ones that are never known or look other worldly.
True
Yuna played a big part in coining that title upon Jin, and you never once hear Jin announce himself as the Ghost to his enemies. He leaves that terror up for their own imagination.
It's true, in a game like mgsv enemies will try their best to counter your potential infiltration (and hopefully kill you) getting an s rank there is akin to looking like you have superpowers same as the bosses you would face in earlier games
Mongols were beaten by the winds of tsushima.
The unknown, unsung hero that has the wind behind his back.
The Mongols in writing was defeated by japenese typhoon.
But what if that typhoon is a combination of unheard misfortune that the new shinobi ways of jin and his followers?
Look at it in the perspective of prideful Mongols.
The ghost can be the shadow in the wind.
The rustling of trees sounding like a thousand shadows in the forest moving to an encampment.
The constant fear that in tall grass you might be poisoned.
In the corner of a house, where a silent shadow awaits you moving your patrol.
A sudden explosion of bee's nest, traps and ambushes that dried and killed supply lines.
The Ghost. Of. Tsushima
@@abramrexjoaquin7513 Jin Sakai the Humanoid Typhoon? * cue trigun theme*
I love how badass it sounds when Jin just tells his uncle
*honor died on the beach*
The Kahn deserves to suffer!
Jin being proto-shinobi makes me want the sequel game to involve him and Yuna recruiting citizens to fend off the second attack on Tsushima, essentially cultivating the first generations of ninja
About the whole "daimyo have been hiring spies and agents for decades, so Shimura saying that Jin's being dishonorable is bullsh*t" point brought up in the video, I see it a little differently. I don't think Shimura was saying "Shinobi tactics are bad and should never be practiced", but rather "Jin, as a Samurai and head of clan Sakai, should not resort to such tactics, since he's better than this." Basically, it's not the idea of a Proto-Shinobi that deters Shimura, but the idea of Jin being one.
It's like how he didn't mind that Yuna, a peasant and a thief, helped to rescue him from the Mongols, but he does mind that Jin is "influenced and corrupted" by her. He sees these people who act as spies, thieves, assassins and other agents as being "dishonorable, even if necessary", which is why he may accept their help or even hire them when he needs someone to get their hands dirty, but will not accept his family being the ones to do the dirty stuff.
I'm not saying his stance is right, just that it's a bit more understandable if you interpret is differently.
This. This exactly.
Nice point, but completely incorrect to history.
Being a samurai was merely being born into a certain caste in society, being a ninja, or more accurately, being a spy (as that's what ninja primary were) was a job. A job that uniquely could be taken up by anyone no matter what class they were from but a job nonetheless. One of the most famous Samurai in history also doubled as one of the most famous ninja and there was absolutely no shame.
@@themanformerlyknownascomme777 I didn't say that it wasn't heard of for samurai to take the mantle of a ninja, but rather than Shimura specifically may have been against the idea. He's ok with others doing the dirty work of the "noble clans", but sees it as "wrong" that Jin, head of clan Sakai and his own nephew, would be the one to do the dirty work.
I bet that if Jin had hired Ryuzo to do all the spying and assassinations on his behalf then Lord Shimura wouldn't be that butthurt about it.
Hell, maybe even the Shogun himself wouldn't call for the arrest of the ghost in that case, since the ghost would be seen as an agent working for clan Sakai which is loyal to the Shogun, rather than a vigilantee who disregards the Shogun.
I think you have the right idea. It's not the tactics themselves that he hates, it's that Jin literally threw away everything Shimura taught him and became something his family stood against. He wanted Jin to rule the Sakai clan by being a beacon of hope for the people, not by being recognized as a vengeful demonic Ghost. It isn't what he wanted for him.
commenting is what I do, perhaps it was still an ideology of shimura’s because he was all about bravery, and he thought his and his family’s high status made them obligated to act righteously and henceforth withdrawing themselves from such things. Maybe it was just his own belief
My own headcanon for the game to explain why Jin was never called ninja is because he was literally the first one, after all it's said that taka invented the grappling hook as in they didn't exist before
Some might think that to learn about ninja and ninjutsu is to demystify them.
Honestly, the more I've watched of these videos and the more I've learned, the more amazing they become. The most mystical thing about ninja was their ability to innovate and adapt, really.
It's like learning about space: space never loses its wonder because there's always something more strange and wonderful out there waiting to be discovered. With ninja and ninjutsu, it's like there's always something more interesting to find out about how they became the legendary martial operatives they are portrayed as in countless media over the centuries.
It's like being a kid being wowed by magic then later you are wowed by the same thing but under the guise of science
So right! I dont mave anything to add but you summed up my own thoughts perfectly!
Except Ninja and ninjutsu are a made up concept for Hollywood back in the early 90’s. Shinobi are what is historically accurate, the term ninja was never in the Japanese vernacular. Also, Shinobi were specialized samurai, they were never the “wear all black cloth and sneak around rooftops” western civilization started to idolize them as.
@@Dauth312 Please don't be "that guy."
I feel that I should point out that while Jin himself doesn't have poison arrows, The enemies in the game do. After Jin poisons the mongol's food and water, they adapt Jin's poison to use with their arrows. And Jin gets a taste of his own medicine by finding himself on the receiving end of one of these poison arrows while regrouping with Yuna shortly after escaping his imprisonment.
But he does though. It's relegated as a charm from Yuriko
@@GeonQuuin but that's just a charm effect. It's not an actual craftable item like the enemies seem to have.
Dustin Vance Gaijin went over this in the video. Yes, Jin does use poison arrows and yes, the charm does count.
@@H240909 I honestly think he was being generous. There's a difference between a charm effect and an actual poison arrow. Every time you get hit by an enemy poison arrow you get poisoned every single time. That's how a poison arrow traditionally works in games. So poison arrows are in the game, but they didn't allow Jin to have them.
Dustin Vance Gaijin also addresses how poison arrows in a real ninja’s arsenal worked. And it was definitely NOT a one and done sort of deal like you see with enemies in the game. Regardless, this is a video on how a ninja’s arsenal compares to Jin’s arsenal. The Mongolians are irrelevant in that regard.
Frankly Jin becoming a proto-shinobi out a need really does it hit home to how many classical ninja clans probably were founded before records were made. Heck, even the historical Lin Kuei are said to be what Jin is. That in of itself makes him an accurate ninja if nothing else since he's using what in the shinobi's name: survival.
Or as their namesake implies, to endure.
A person that survives first and everything else second. Damn that dnd episode really went there despite partly being an ad for that series
No wonder I started dnd as a rogue all those 3 years ago.... Oh neat it matches up with his ninja research
Unfortunately Jin isn't a real person, and is only part of a video game
@@ecritdelajaponographie8565 Regarding Lin-Kuei: There's still some dispute to this, but many people believe in the theory that the first Shinobi-no-Mono were taught by retired Lin-Kuei who imigrated to Japan. There's not much to go about the Lin-Kuei's historical existence, but the way the Lin-Kuei are said to act is very Ninja-like.
While i really like this hypothesis, there's so much little info out there about the Lin-Kuei that it's hard to believe they were not some McDojo bullshit spewed out there for marketing purposes (at the very least, it gave us Subzero and Noob Saibot).
I'm guessing this game goes to the same "Shrine of Good Ninja Games" where Gaijin has his copy of Mark of the Ninja...
I'm to this day pissed about the fact that he does not have Shinobido on that shrine.
If it isn't, it should
@@christianhdzm Right? it has all the good points he mentions minus the blue.
I got Mark of the ninja thanks to him
@@gantzllat That isn't blue? It's definitely not black.
Maybe blue-grey like some smoke, but absolutely not black.
Gaijin: creates extremely knowledgeable, thorough cultural and historical analysis
Also Gaijin: fire on a pointy stick is fire on a pointy stick
Sorry this one took so long everyone... There was a LOT to sort though! And some still that I didn't even mention!
Gaijin Goombah Media that ok
Zuko is going to be In Death battle
Zuko vs Shoto Todoroki
Thx for the content we have been waiting for your input! I'm literally gonna make myself lunch and watch this all comfy on the 📺
That ok Gaijin
But it was all worth it at the end!
Now comes the inevitable but still dreaded wait until you start making culture shock videos about this game. Hopefully it's not very far...
Can't WAIT for part 2, Ghost of Tsushima is definitely my favorite game of 2020 so far.
Many have already said, but I'll say it too;
The best Ninja's are the ones who aren't known by name, but rather Title.
Jin has to go out of his way to introduce himself as Jin to most people as his legend grows, because all they see is his way of battle and they immediately know it's the Kurodo.
"Le Ghost".
Like Kotaro Fuma?
@Jesse Quarnstrom The effects of their presence can still be seen. Like an assassinated noble or poisoned water, it is obvious that SOMEONE did that, you just don't know who, so you give the unknown enemy a title.
@Jesse Quarnstrom Hence why he's called a ghost.
Here’s an idea, culture shock episode on Kurosawa mode. How Seven Samurai lead to the magnificent seven? How Kurosawa left his mark on cinema and this game?
Yes please!
A retrospective on the man and hi works would be great.
7 Man Army should also be mentioned
I hope we get a sequel where Jin further refines his techniques and goes full Ninja
But would the sequel be in Japan or the other Mongol invasion
I remember half way through the game I was like, "This feels like a Ninja. Is" Jin like the first ninja?!" And when Act 3 happens (those who've played know what I mean) I actually stopped using the Standoff and other direct confrontation things (I had been mixing between then and ninja tactics) to favor the ninja side.
But I'm so glad my favorite study of ninjas, GG, agrees.
For Gaijin to use the word “perfect” says a lot about this game.
"Haha, pretty flowers."
Ninja: It's poison can kill you in seconds.
"Wha- Where did he go?"
I've never felt this until finally playing this game. This surpasses Tenchu. It actually didn't hurt to say it outwardly. There has not been an authentic (enough) ninja game since Tenchu and maybe Shinobido. Ghost of Tsushima is so pure.
Basically Jin is basically the FIRST Ninja to ever exist.
Basically
@@SPACECOWBOY705 Basically Jin is basically the first basic Ninja to basically ever basically exist.
Basically.
The ninjas roots originated in china (china had stealthy operatives long before Japan) so technically no, but fictionally - he's the first japanese ninja lol. Still the most badass samurai/ninja in gaming history!
@@Shadowman9348 spys exist in all cultures but I thought the first mentions of ninja where from Okinawa
@@connormcconnell7805 No. China is the source and origin. There has never been any source that mentions Okinawa/Ryukyu. In China they were known as the Ye Ban Tou. Their history goes even beyond the Ming Dynasty. It wasn't until the 1100's that many of these Chinese operatives fled to Japan and eventually seek refuge in the mountains of Iga and Koga.
The moment I started playing this game I was wondering when you would come out with a video about this.
Haha me too.
I've been calling Jin a proto-shinobi for a while now.
Me watching the video: YES YES YES YES YES YES YES *YES YES YES YES YES...y-yes* y-ye...yesssss......(collaps)
I needed to rescue a monk during a mission, but he was guarded by a Mongol Leader. So I pulled out my newly acquired blowdart and shot him, and in a moment of pure comedy; he vomited all over the monk.
That poor monk
Some spoilers here.
When I played through this with my partner, we came up with a bit of a headcannon theory that it's just(mostly) Shimura who's obsessed with the pomp and circumstance of honor in this game rather than it being everyone. Because Shimura is the Jito of Tsushima, his near fetishization of honor (which in turn, I felt was meant to reflect contemporary culture's fetishization of Samurai honor in modern culture, despite history itself showing that the Samurai were far more flexible than such romanticization depicts.) has to be upheld by other nobles and Samurai of the island since he's the big boss.
However, both Lady No-Chill and Ishikawa both show far more flexibility towards Jin's actions and methods later, Jin's own father apparently often argued with Shimura about adopting more flexible tactics and mindsets, and as far as we know the Shogun's account of the whole thing is exclusively communicated by Shimura himself and as such might not be giving him the full picture (Also gotta point out, Shimura had no problem taking credit for all of Jin and Yuna's accomplishments, conveniently leaving out the actual affects of their more adaptive methods and seemingly painting Jin in a worse light. Just saying for someone so hung up about honor, the guy seems *really* self serving.), so for all we know the Shogun and the other Samurai might not even care as much about muh honor as old Shimura does.
I saw the plot as, despite first appearances, an ironic critique of stereotypical Samurai honor (and other honor codes like it), and how much of a tool of convenience it is until it has to be tested against actual warfare. Jin has to over the course of the game and all the people he meets and allies with, completely unlearn this idealized romanticization of warfare pushed by his uncle but hopelessly useless in an actual war where the other side doesn't want to play the same game.
the ironic part if the Shogun find out the whole truth he might support Jin ghost way more than his uncle old way just because he might want Jin to start his own ghost Clan to serve Shogun clan
@Punch Down King So I actually didn't miss that (and big post incoming sorry) but I realize I forgot to mention that in the post. But yes, it's made a pretty decent deal that what the Shogun fears is the Ghost's rising appeal to the lower castes of society spreading beyond Tsushima and possibly threatening the ruling caste, which does make sense although I could still argue that that's the Shogun displaying a more pragmatic (if still self centered) concern concern over potential power dynamic, as opposed to being in a huff over just how honorable Jin's methods were.
Thing is though, is as far as the story goes, it's implied again that Shimura doesn't really tell the Shogun the full story about how Jin's methods and tenacity got them to where they were by that point, and how things would have been lost if he hadn't have adopted the moniker of the ghost. Leaving all of that out just makes Sakai look like this anti-establishment rapscallion who's throwing poison around because he can, not because it saves lives and whos only allegiance is to himself even though we the player know he's been super loyal to his position for almost the whole game up to that point. The smalltalk between the Samurai at Shimura's camp later pretty much reflects that this is how they seem him, which makes me immediately wonder just how Shimura framed the topic.
It makes me wonder if a scenerio might have been possible where the narrative of the Ghost could have even been used or even controlled by the Shogun, since Jin was more than willing to just work with them if not for his Uncle's rigid whining about dishonorable methods.
I'm getting way off track though, but bringing it back, I didn't forget about that part. It's a sensible concern, but again one that's not really dependent on honor as much as it is power dynamic which just kind of fuels my original belief that it's mostly only Shimura who cares THAT much about rigid honor, while everyone else as per history was a little more flexible minded (and heck, the Shogun himself probably has Ghost like spies running around since like GG said, they had been using spies and the like forever.)
I think it's a great point you've made, but I'm not sure if Lord Shimura was the only one obsessed with honour, since all the reinforcement sent by the Shogun speak of Jin with distain. One hears this when Jin sneaks out of the Jito's castle.
Also you're absolutely right. Historical Samurai were so much more elastic in their warfare, not to mention that the whole Bushido thing came about roughly during the Tokugawa Shogunate so a handful of centries later, and largely served as a code of conduct among the Samurai themselves...
Just like the haiku, stone eventually yields to water. Castles don't last forever either.
@@charlesfu3726 but also remember those reinforcements only heard shimmuras version of events.
A perfect analysis on the character and why he's the best definition of a ninja without even wanting to be one.
One thing I have noticed, is that when you find the ghost tools in the world, they're most of the time just components that Jin presumably turns into items like smoke bombs or sticky bombs.
So with the entire rant about the blowgun im even more convinced that we need to see the assassin's brotherhood thanks to AC4's blowgun
Little irrelevant, but I like how Jin gasps whenever he exits Focused Hearing, so it makes me think he’s holding his breath (Which actually makes a lot of sense, honestly) and just goes to show how much thought went into this masterpiece
he is the only ghost who can't be captured by the Ghostbusters.
Ghostbusters: "we don't wanna die ok"
I only recognized the name Sun Tzu from the tf2 short "meet the soldier"
R.I.P Rick may
Greetings fellow TF2 player.
@@moosemuffins2191 and greeting to you
I like how one of the understated aspects of Jin is that he must be an incredibly clever individual, probably bordering on a genius if he can reverse engineer black powder technology and improve upon them the way that he does.
Which is quite remarkable,seeing as he starts off as a complete and utter idiot in the first hour of the game.
@@darthplagueis13And as soon as he can apply his knowledge as the Ghost you see him grow exponentially. Sure he start out the game naive, but that's character growth.
For the ghost armor, it's important to know that all of the armors jin gets need to be upgraded because they are all in disrepair. Most are from age or having been peeled of a recently killed enemy, but the ghost armor was never finished by taka. The mk1 form is just what taka had managed to get it to before his death. Presumably the upgrades to it are just jin giving takes plans to other armor smiths to finish his vision, explaining why the mk1 is kinda jank and the armor comes into its own with the upgrades.
Wouldn't be much of a ninja if people knew he was a ninja
Say that to Hanzo, the ninja samurai. He stopped a army by opening a castle gate and walked out alone. He was so well known to the enemy as a feared warrior they retreated expecting a huge army behind the castle. Five guards were in the castle and that was it, including the lord.
Laughs in Hattori Hanzo
There's a really fun piece of almost throwaway dialogue I came across in game. I can't recall the exact context, but at one point Jin comments on "knowing a warrior from Genji who trained with monks from the west," while discussing his ghost shenanigans.
How ironic that of all the so called ninja's Gaijin Goombah has research on, Jin acts out more like a ninja out of all of them is not even sorta considered as such. Still great work you guys, I hope you do a part 2 in the near future!
As I said in one of your Nioh 2 streams recently "Ninja 101: If it works, why do anything else?"
RIght? Also goes well with the phrase "If it works it ain't stupid."
It's not about not doing anything else because it works, it's about doing the thing that works best.
@@sinteleon Solution X works for situation Y and gives me the result I want, why would I use solution Z?
@@Loron20 That's assuming it's a simple problem solving question. The issue is that in RL combat situations, it's about what solution gets the job done the most effectively with the least resources/time/risk. This include utilizing the latest found/discovered tech that could make their job done more effectively, as opposed to just using their previous methods.
How much you want to bet that by the end of his playthrough he was always in a storm, being 100% “ghost” all the time.
Not quite, he could've just played that one song
im on the road to 100%ing ghost of Tsushima because i loved it so much from the music to the gameplay
Well, I'm going to get Ghost of Tsushima soon. I just have one thing to ask you...
DID YOU PET THE FOX?
I don’t know about Gaijin personally, but to ALL Japanese people during that time period, animals were VERY sacred.
Foxes were viewed as messengers of the gods, deer were seen as the gods in an earthly form. Bears and wolves were soldiers, etc.
So, as much as we love petting adorable animals today, I’m 100 percent certain Jin would have given them pets as well.
@@jomahawk7488 You can indeed pet the foxes in game. There's even a mission that focuses solely on the Inari foxes that are said to be the guardians of Tsushima.
I'd imagine superstition would say petting the foxes would be considered good luck in ancient Japan.
He did
YAS I DID
A good way to remember I-Nin and Yo-Nin:
Think of the long "I" sound. "Eeeee, I hope I don't get caught sneakin."
Yo-Nin. *Walk up to a Mongol like, "Yo. Wassup?"
Just a funny thought I had to differentiate the two. Hope you got a chuckle out of it!
Have a great day, and stay safe, all!
How much of a ninja is Sly Cooper?
Maybe bacause is he Thier made real ninja
or joker from persona 5.
The more l learn about ninjas, the more l see the Phantom Thieves as modern day ninjas. They gather Intel and use stealth to take down their targets
He blue!
Sponsore: Japan Snacks
No Anime here
this makes me wish I could play this game
Don’t know if you’re taking requests, but it would be cool to get a Which Ninja video on which Assassin’s Creed protagonist you think is the most ninja-like.
Arno
I think it's possible that some disgraced samurai would find becoming a shinobi a descent reworking of their built up skills at least as a means of somewhat staying employed.
Possibly, though being a ninja was merely a job, while being a samurai was being part of a social class.
Pretty sure disgraced Samurai were just leveled as Ronin
It's videos like these that make me feel so much more informed and enlightened, about all the cool things media and other cultures have brought us. I'm definitely going to pick up the Ghost of Tsushima- Thanks again, Gaijin!!
Jin is basically a representation of us
We change
We do whatever it takes
We get it done
This was actually the most interesting and accurate which ninja episode I have seen keep up the good work my dude.
When I saw the fire sword part it made me think of hiccup from how to train your dragon
14:58 cahaba lilies (a type of spider lily native to Alabama) is interestingly enough psychoactive and was occasionally used like shrooms by locals until it was made illegal as if it was concentrated in a liquid instead of smoked it was fatal after extended hallucinations often accompanied by extreme aggression. but it would have been impossible for shinobi to use this for obvious reasons.
"resourceful, creative, fearless"
this reminds be why I have always believed the best representation of Ninja in any table top is the Pathfinder Alchemist or Wizard. Alchemist use bombs, magical infusions, stealth tactics, mutagens that transform body or mind, poisons, and a myriad of other things based on archetype giving them a potentially diverse or focused set of tools based on what you need your alchemist to do. Then there is the wizard, in 3.5e/Pathfinder right behind druid in potential to break a campaign over its knee wizards were KING OF SURVIVAL. Now most people might think to the famous "my level 1 wizard took 6 damage when he tripped on a rock and died", but dm's being assholes and making you take highly lethal damage for tripping (would kill most kids) aside, wizards could gather intelligence with divination, prepare body and mind with transmutation, cause distractions with illusions, instantly kill many humanoids with death spells, create new friends with enchantment spells, sew fear and chaos with necromancy and conjuration spells, all the while being invisible, undetectable, 100s of feet in the air. This comes up alot with my Arcane Trickster in pathfinder, I use nondetection + invisibility to vanish in the midst of a melee only to reappear again in air throwing spells at foes to completely disrupt them. In a recent fight me and a fellow wizard were in a tournament and about to get trashed by a powerful monk, having already cast overland flight on myself for the day all i had to do was defensively cast invisibility and flee into the air. on my next turn I cast the powerful Wandering Star Motes spell, one of the best Daze spells in the game it causes a repeated daze effect every round to the target if they keep failing saves and I was able to capitalize on this with my powerful Void Elemental School ability Reveal Weakness, a powerful 1 round unavoidable debuff that causes a target to have their AC and saving throws reduced by 1/2 my CASTER LEVEL, as a Caster level 10 this meant the monk had almost no chance to make his save and free himself from the daze, and this gave the conjurer time to escape and cast Dominate Person and end the fight. The monk failed the domination save only because of Reveal Weakness, and the only reason the wizard who cast it was alive was because of the daze effect, sure i had to give up my turns to maintain Reveal Weakness, but it was necessary to ensure our survival, and outside of a tournament this would have been the difference between life and death. This monk would have killed us and now he was on our side, a powerful ally indeed. I tend to gush about this, but I love the concept of shinobi alot, and that might be why I always try to play magic users, especially wizards in old editions and i feel there isn't enough talk about how much a well played older edition wizard could feel like a shinobi. even one of their most meta spell combos, being 200 feet in the air (overland Flight) invisible(greater invisibility), undetectable (mind blank or nondetection), while using Project Image to project a double of yourself that you can see hear and cast spells through. If a shinobi could do all of these things, they would.
So far, only two games have ninja'd right. One that is literally about being a ninja, the other, a Ghost.
This game is so freakin beautiful
And i is like playing a Kurosawa film, in the best way.
I just love how passionate he gets at the end of every which ninja video. It’s so great
I hope in a sequel they add those missing ninja tactics
also Jin has at least three other items in the six ninja tools, A hat, a way to start fire (as seen when you ignite the black powder cache's) and a way to heal himself, even from poison. And one could argue his cape could be used in the ways that the towel was used as well. And of course he has a thing to write with, as he can write a haiku in the middle of the woods.
This was my prediction for the Sequel. My timeline might be off, but Jin could start the Iga or koga clan and start feuding with with the samurais. Just a prediction
5:00 gunpowder didn't exist during the Han dynasty. There were “fireworks,” but fireworks as we know them originated in the Song Dynasty, and gunpowder is thought to originate in the Tang Dynasty.
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
Someone tweet this to Blue of Overly Sarcastic Productions
Yes, exactly, those two have been bugging me talking about how ninjas weren't real in their streams.
"HELL YE- I mean, Yes darling~" That's my reaction to this comment good day
@@callmekreme8246 Took me a minute to get that joke.
@@alphaxtitania5597 Atleast ya got it tho :D
Can't wait for more Ghost of Tsushima content, this game is loaded with video material.
The thing that impressed me the most about Jin's story is his humiity. His path to becoming the Ghost is largely due to Yuna's presence. She challenged his views and showed him the importance of adapting, surviving, getting acclimated to fighting an stronger enemy. He realized that pride truly does come before the fall, and he gave up his pride and legacy in order for his people to survive.
I had an absolute blast playing this game, and ever since the point you get the Kaginawa I thought "He's becoming a ninja!", and as he evolves in that direction through the story I kept thinking that more and more. I was also thinking "I can't wait to see GG's thoughts on this game!" a lot. :D
I think that Lord Shimura is not mad because the tactics Jin uses are dishonorable, but because Jin, who was raised as an honorable Samurai, is using such underhanded tactics
Lotsa pockets = Ninja
Oliver Tree confirmed ninja.
Now I wanna see a Which Ninja episode about Shadows of Mordor's own Talion.
That would be a good one
Ezio Auditore! Altair Ibn-Al-Assad! Arno Dorian!
In his early concept of the game, Jin Sakai really look like a ninja with a kunai in his armor and he's wearing a ninja mask, I think the sequel is about the birth of ninjas.
Hi 😁. Inuyasha is having a sequel anime. It's called "Yashahime half-demon princess" and it's about Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's daughters. The show is coming out THIS October. I was wondering if you could make some more videos about the new and old series. If you got time, thanks. 😁🐶😄
To quote a certain Persona user I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!
Speaking of which we needed a Which Ninja about P5. THey're not true ninja but there sure is a lot of stealth techniques used.
Can we just appreciate, the reason Gaijin is such an incredible youtuber to watch is because of just how passionate he gets about the things he loves. Long or short, I never find myself looking to do something else while I listen in the background. He gets my full attention every time and holds it to the very end. I love your stuff Gaijin! Thanks for the videos to keep me sane throughout quarantine!
I've been waiting for this video. I was expecting this video to be nearly an hour, but I guess not lol. Anyway, Jin is definitely Shinobi. He had to change his change his tactics in order to fight and defeat the Mongol invasion
Actually, regarding the ghost armors earlier models, it is stated in game that the stage one armor was actually incomplete. Taka may have had plans to improve it before it was given to Jin
I've never clicked this video faster than any other. Thank you!
This was 3 years ago but I figured I'd mention this. Jin's Ghost Armor actually has primarily navy and grey-ish blue fabric on it. If what I remember is correct, ninjas actually wore navy blue due to it's properties to both reflect the moonlight and hide in the shadow naturally, as pure black would make them stand out far more
I was really looking forward to this video and was not disappointed. Fantastic work once again!
1:26 "...or even some of the more obscure terms like "Nusubito", "Rappa" or *"Suppa"* "
... Suppa?
SUPPA KICKA??
_CAPTAIN ALEX WAS A NINJA?!_
I do wonder what he thinks about the only "joke" armor that is in the game the Fundoshi, with the description "A true samurai needs no clothes"
- Jin Sakai after having too much sake
Well if this hoopy rood wades into battle with only a towel constantly and has a fierce reputation backed by deeds to prove it? All while knowing exactly where his favorite towel is?
Do YOU wanna tell him no?
This was so amazing Gaijin 👏
Thanks for this great work!
Thaaaaank youuuuuuuu!
wouldn't be surprised if jin creates his own ninja clan in the next game
Remember- When 'shinobi' is used in this video and comments, it means the fictionalized, fantastical shinobi who is a stealth assassin. Real shinobi were samurai, whose job was to gather intelligence, whether it be sneaking in to an enemies camp, or donning a disguise to blend in with villagers to infilitrate a fortress to gather intel.
Something I thought was a nice historical touch is that Historically the Mongols never made it too the mainland due to storms sinking their ships rather then a single protoninja with plot armour.
However we see references to storms regarding Jin's clan. For example the default sword skin that is the Sakai family sword is called "The Storm of Clan Sakai" and in the Iki Island DLC we can relive a conversation Jin's father has with him where he describes Clan Sakai as a storm.
Its a clever touch to relate the in game destruction of the Mongols to the real history.
So here's some trivia i'd like to share when learning the kanji of the in game of the ghost, 冥人. So the kanji 冥 can be said as mei, kura, and kuro. 人 is the kanji everyone knows at this point for any japanese speakers. 冥人 in google translate could mean dwarf, but if we look at just 冥, the translate means nether.
So with that in mind, Jin Sakai was called the being who came from hell. this is perfect for jin not only he was the man who survived the Beach incident which can be seen as hell on the beach, and the fact he gone against all things that are seen sacred of the bushido code.
THIS WAS THE BEST FINDING I EVER LEARNED FROM RESEARCHING GHOST OF TSUSHIMA
One thing id like to ask is how likely is the reaction of jins uncle and the shogun to jins tactics
I watched theradbrad play Ghost of Tsushima and while doing so expected Gaijin to make a Which Ninja on Jin
Also there is this game called Fantasy Strike that has a ninja character named Setsuki
I love your ninja videos. Hell i love all your videos. I got into your channel back when For Honor first dropped and you talked about Shugoki and Nobushi. And then I just got hooked on your shinobi videos. Keep em up my guy I will always watch them. Also your videos helped me make a cool pathfinder ninja character for a campaign.
Yo, what if the next Which Ninja was on Sly Cooper?
Is he perfect in the sense that they say since he is a totally made up character then there is no record of him existing and thus because there is no record; then it's obvious he did actually exist, and is therefore the greatest 'historical' ninja?
This game takes place during the Kamakura period and Shinobi weren't a thing until the Sengoku Jidai hundreds of years later. That's why his isn't referred to as Shinobi.
*Prince Shoutoku would like to know your location.*
910 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20006
You once compared Ninja to MacGyver. That has stuck with me, and above all else shaped my appreciation of Shinobi. I just wanted to thank you for that comparison, and giving me such a concrete foundation from which I can understand this facet of Japanese culture.
Loved this. Thank you so much for making another informative and fun video explaining things that I would never have known. I always find your videos so much fun to watch. I'm looking forward to the next one very much.