Toji no Miko (Sword Maidens) has been airing since January 2018, and is a battle series in which girls use swordsmanship to fight monsters called Aratama. A little later than the anime airing, Square Enix released the app Toji no Miko: Kizamishi Issen no Touka, which is a swordplay action RPG. Although the perspectives of both the anime and app are different, the main story is connected. In this article, we'll introduce the charm of Mashiko Kaoru, who appears in Toji no Miko!
A brief introduction to the contents of Toji no Miko
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Project / Toji no Miko Production Committee
In a world where strange monsters called Aratama are rampaging in Japan, this work depicts the daily battles of girls called Toji who have been trained to use swords called omitaka to defeat the Aratama and protect people. Each character has their own school of swordsmanship, and most of these schools are based on real schools, and the way they use swords is also depicted based on that.
Mashiko Kaoru (CV: Matsuda Risae)
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Keikaku / Toji no Miko Production Committee
A first-year high school student at Nagafune Girls' Academy. It's important, so I'll say it again. She's a first-year high school student. She'll be a second-year student in the second season. Although she is small at 135cm tall, she wields a giant sword whose blade alone exceeds her height. She is a member of an organization called Maikusa, and usually acts together with Ellen Kobakura, who is also a member of the Nagafune.
Mashiko Kaoru's charm #1: her overwhelming loli feel
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Keikaku / Toji no Miko Production Committee
Even among the Toji no Miko, she is overwhelmingly short and has an overwhelmingly modest figure. If you think of her as a high school freshman, the loli feel is even more pronounced. Since there are many mature characters and characters who are appropriate for the role, she is an important loli character. In particular, her partner, Ellen Furubuzou, has a style that is almost the exact opposite of Kaoru's, which makes Kaoru look even more childish. She is a rare presence in Toji no Miko.
Mashiko Kaoru's charm No. 2: Energy-saving, relaxed type
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Keikaku/Toji no Miko Production Committee
Her catchphrase is that it's troublesome or boring, and if it can be finished quickly, her style is to finish it as quickly as possible. For example, if it's a match that she can't win, she's like, just lose quickly. Of course, when it comes to enemies, it's the opposite: she's the type to just defeat them quickly. Basically, she's the type who is lazy and always complains about being busy. Although she looks like a child, she tries to act very tactfully.
Mashiko Kaoru's charm point 3: Her straightforward behavior
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Keikaku / Toji no Miko Production Committee
Contrary to her cute appearance, she is very straightforward in her comments and complaints. Basically, she bluntly calls missions and requests "annoying." During the busy period following the defeat of Origami Yukari, she calls her direct superior, Principal Maniwa, an "old lady" and a "shitty boss who abuses power." Of course, she still gets the job done, so she's great. Maybe it would be better if she took a little of the dirt from Mai's fingernails, since she never complains no matter how busy she is.
Mashiko Kaoru's charm #4: Godly naming and humor
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Keikaku / Toji no Miko Production Committee
Kaoru is also the one who gave her two great nicknames, "Hiyoyon Za Nai Flat" and "Eternal Chest Flat". These flat names are easy to use and have become so widespread that they are used on other characters and other works on the internet. Thanks to these comments, Hiyoyon, who was a strict character, gained another character, so I think it's a great achievement. Also, when she was told that she would be transferred to Gunma on a mission, she said, "Gunma?! I don't have a passport!" This comment made me laugh. Kaoru doesn't know Gunma yet...
Mashiko Kaoru's charm point 5: A good understanding of the Aratama
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Project / Toji no Miko Production Committee
Since she always spends time with the Aratama Nene, she has an exceptional tolerance for Aratama. The Toji's job is to subjugate wild spirits, and while Hiyoyon and Sayaka believe that "wild spirit = immediate subjugation," Kaoru first judges whether or not they are harmful and whether they should be subjugated immediately. When it comes to subjugating wild spirits, she even lectured Sayaka when she tried to immediately subjugate a small wild spirit. I think this is largely due to the history of the Mashiko family and the presence of her partner, Nene. Of course, when the wild spirit becomes evil, she will take full responsibility for subjugating it.
Mashiko Kaoru's charm number 6: She's actually good at thinking
Source: Toji no Miko ©Gogaden Project/Toji no Miko Production Committee
When Eren went on his own, she showed obvious concern, tried to open up to Sayaka when they were on a mission together, even though they weren't that close, and asked Kanami about common topics between Sayaka and her, showing signs of trying to reach out to her. Kaoru's charm is that she has a subtle kindness that she hides, such as teaching Sayaka, who puts her mission first, that it's important to take a break. When Nene was taken care of by Kanami, she also has the spirit to repay the favor by saying that her pet was taken care of.
Mashiko Kaoru's charm #7: She works hard no matter what
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Project / Toji no Miko Production Committee
Although he complains more than most people, he investigates the Noro robbers properly, fights when the Aratama appear, and shows anger towards Yami for misusing the Aratama. It cannot be denied that he is lazy in the original sense, but he is the type who cannot tolerate evil, and this can be seen from the fact that he is in Maikusa.
Mashiko Kaoru's charm #8: A large sword that doesn't match her size
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Project / Toji no Miko Production Committee
While shouting "Kieeeeeeeeeee (deadpan)", he swings the great sword "Nenekirimaru" that is sure to kill in one hit. Because it is so large, it requires a lot of strength to swing it, and because of his physical strength, he cannot abuse it too much, so it is a weapon specialized for killing enemies in one hit. The imbalance of a 2m great sword swung by a 135cm body matches well and I think it is very cool. The accuracy rate tends to be low, but if it hits, it will cut most things in half, and even if it doesn't cut them, it will definitely blow them away.
Summary of Mashiko Kaoru's charms!
Source: Toji no Miko © Gokaden Project / Toji no Miko Production Committee
We introduced the sharp-tongued, laid-back lolita Mashiko Kaoru, but she's a very unique character. I think she's a popular character because she has a really good gap moe feel. Not only is she sharp-tongued, she also cares about her friends and has a kind heart, and she also has a love for Aratama. The many insults that unfold from Kaoru's adorable looks add a nice spice to Toji no Miko, so if you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out Kaoru in video form. Thank you for reading to the end.
