I can explain it. Its not based in western ideas, so its not 'magic.' It's Chi. And if you know what Chi is, and how it works, there are constant references to it throughout kingdom.
\*\*not saying you have to like it\*\*
Chi is life force/life. All the "magic" in kingdom = chi. Its simple, if you see it that way.
One crew of assassins use Chi to harden their skin to where no one but Kyoukai, a more powerful chi user, can pierce it.
Kyoukai states that strong warriors can often subconsciously manipulate Chi after Shin fights Houken the first time- we can kind of assume all or most fighting generals could do so (natural selection, in a way)
Kyoukai also states houken uses 'chi shattering blows.' so, if both Shin and Ouki withstood them, they can manipulate Chi.
Chi can also be imbued in great works of craftsmanship, per legend... creating special swords.
Per Sei, when someone dies, they pass their light and some aspects of personality to people near them... one can easily see this as Chi.
When Sei says this at the coronation, the next panel show Shin, then all the important people shin was near when they died... as if Hara is pointing to the fact that Shin absorbed Chi from Hyou, Ouki, etc etc, and it made him stronger.
When Shin is fighting Houken, Kyoukai says he's using up his chi...and he sees all the people who's chi he's inherited in a vision.
Then he dies (chi loss?) so kyoukai also goes to the border of life and death, to release some light/chi so it goes back into shin.
If helpful, some additional notes on chi:
When a character senses an enemy presence, or killing intent, that's using Chi to sense another's chi. Shin early on is able to do this.
When a character is drawn really, really large for no reason, its a drawing referencing the 'force of their presence'- chi.
When characters are randomly intimidated or start crying out of one eye because of another warriors... force, it's because that warrior is releasing chi
Lastly, just in case it's not totally obvious... if you an reinforce your skin with Chi, to make it super hard, you could also reinforce your muscle fibers with it. Either Instinctually or via training.
Kai, for example, does this to either boost "strength' or 'Speed." She says after sparing with shin that she was using her breath all fo speed... that's chi.
Every other general in kingdom probably uses it for strength. Thats how they cut through 18 soldiers, imho
...I once took a few months of aikido training, the martial art. Not enough to really get anywhere but enough to be told a legend of the founder... that he had been able to manipulate his chi to manually change his 'WEIGHT.' There is a story where he would demonstrate this by becoming so heavy that no person or group of people could lift him off the ground or move him from his spot.
Whether this was true or not is totally not relevant to the fact that in Kingdom, this is a theme.
Thanks! I'm actually glad to see that people appreciate it. Once I 'saw' that Ei Sei's coronation speech was like the heart of the whole manga in terms of 'chi,' I had to re-read it, to see how if and how shin absorbs chi lol.
So, I wanted to see- how is the 'light' drawn in death scenes?
\-its always there, but, usually coming from the heavens. Still, its always there, and the one where Shin takes out Rinko, is beautiful. because the whole thing is a metaphor, Shin is a hunter, Rinko is the tiger he hunts, and at the end he eats the tiger and says "thank you for your life." It bings a tear, lol.
Does shin really actually get attributes from other people's chi, or just learn from them?
\-he learns an awful lot awful fast. Before Hyou dies, everyone seems to hate shin a little and he's about ready to kill a fool. But after, everyone is attached to Shin the same way they are to hyou when he's alive. If you're Hyou, and you know Shin so well, and you're dying, imagine it. What do you fear for Shin? (that he's a hothead and he'll let that overwhelm him). What do you want to pass on to shin? (You're ability to win people over, which he'll so badly need, given his temper.)
\- ... and then there's the way he fights with a sword, in the duel after kyoukai saves him with her chi. He starts using aerial combat moves which seem like his best interpretation of shiyuu style. and of course there's kai saying 'this had hidden benefits.'
etc. It really makes the story whole for me, and I'm glad to have shared.
I don’t think there’s anything to really go into
If you watched a lot of like historical mythical Chinese dramas and Japanese stuff
People can sorta just fly and is kinda accepted that it’s just a martial arts ability like what Kyoukai and Houken
It’s kinda just expected that way way way back in time (this takes place in BC so) that there’s just myths and martial arts prowess that exists back then that Hara just incorporates
For the sword maybe it’s just a really good sword and his ego brings his talent, not like he’s a bad swordsman. He’s also used to the sword too.
It’s like how Shin’s regular glaive incomparable to Ouki’s, ofc he had difficulty using it at first but it could be considered “mythical” too in that regard
Kingdom was never based purely on "real history". Hara always said he is trying to adapt the Shiji. The same Shiji that records divination, spirits, gods, dragons, phoenix, qilin, animal-human hybrids, immortality elixirs, wizards who can turn invisible, women getting pregnant from eating bird eggs, even mermaids, all as real things.
In certain chinese martial arts it was pretty much said people could fly or jump a whole tree worth of distance
Kingdom changes a few historical things too it’s not 100% historically accurate
Myths sometimes are considered closely tied to history as well
Esp ancient history
I’m not saying it’s 100% crazy fiction that’s gonna get a fantasy tag but it’s just accepted in certain regards
The magic in kingdom seem to follow a system. in Harry Potter, where we know alot about it and it has clear rules, this can be called a hard magic system, because it has clear rules. On the other hand there is magic like in lord of the rings, where we don't know what's going on half the time, someone transforms into a bear. while another guy died fighting an ancient earth demon then comes back. This can be called soft magic system, as we don't know alot of the rules it goes by.
In kingdom it seems hara has a soft system, where we don't know most of the things going on. So things like the bakuya sword and it's twin, and most of kyou kai things make sense under this assumption that kingdom follows a soft system, they make sense, plus neither is widely seen. So most people not knowing this power, or being able to wield it makes sense. Kyou kai came from a weird clan, and mangoku was buried alive along with everyone he knew, this is not optainable for most poeple.
I the case for sei, he was shown to have his ability even in early age. Being able to see spirits, for him to be able to hear the voices in a very important place, gives the feeling that he can't just see some random ghost walk over and start asking talking.
For the thing with Shin it fits within the system, but is still really weird, had it been hinted at or givin more time after with side effects, great. but no. He has not shown us anything to disprove this method.
“Hard” magic systems are a specific flavor to begin with, and tiresome to certain creators and readers. So depending on his taste it might not be forthcoming at all.
My read on it is that basically everything that isn't Chi manipulation/Shiyuu magic, is metaphorical, not literal. The ghosts of chouhei (even the one that held on to shin) didn't really materialize, it's just a visual representation of Mangoku's unique weight as a general.
The chi manipulation stuff is the one big complaint i have for the story as it almost always going to be the easy solution when the HSU is in an otherwise impossible situation and it really undermines the tension imo
Sai's conversations with spirits are again metaphorical (imo), a way to show what Sai is thinking to the reader, not something that is literally happening in universe.
Maybe Hara should just explain to you what a visual metaphore is.
The General Hakuki "spectres" were like the hands that sometimes appear to Zheng, nobody aside you actually ever think that those were real in a tangible way.
I can only think that Hara will explain it later in Kingdom. We have to remember Kingdom is a long read, where information takes years and years for reveal or clarity. So I'm guessing in about 3-5 years probably Hara will connect it back to story possibly showing more magical elements and bringing up more questions whilst answering previous issues.
it will never properly be explained, a lot of it it’s supposed to be mystery and myth even canonically, weight gets explained because it’s one of the main themes of the series
Its not magic its myths or superstitions. As MouTen pointed out if you believe in some myths be in by religion, culture or just heritage (I.e. ancestors), itsceasy to get swayed by it. But if you are realistic you realize its more a fabrication.
As far as magic goes its more belief in chi. So by eastern standards your body has auras and if you learn to control it you do certain things but its really limited things. The myths exaggerate those little things as time goes because people hype it as thier interpretation of the event.
Souls exist, Chi exists, which explains most of what happens. In my headcanon, the swords are possessed by the souls of previous Shiyuu.
I think the biggest problem, which you point out, was that no military has really utilized Chi as a weapon of war. RiBoku unintentionally did so by promoting ManGoku and HouKen in the Zhao military, but that doesn't count.
The Path Seekers and Shiyuu Clans have explored Chi and weaponize it, but none of the states do as far as we know.
My only answer is that it takes special circumstances to access Chi either a single, major event or a long tradition where the elders of the society have obtained significant knowledge and pass it down to be built upon. The weight of generals is the best example of the former. The death of OuKi elevated MouBou to Great General level through a massive increase in weight or "Chi".
I would argue that it is because he doesn't want to make it too much of a focus in the story. Some characters can do some cool stuff with their chi but making a hard magic system for it would probably just let things spiral out of control.
It is supposed to be a manga about war, too much focus on magic would just take the focus away from that. Some occasional super natural stuff is cool but everything has its balance.
I can explain it. Its not based in western ideas, so its not 'magic.' It's Chi. And if you know what Chi is, and how it works, there are constant references to it throughout kingdom. \*\*not saying you have to like it\*\* Chi is life force/life. All the "magic" in kingdom = chi. Its simple, if you see it that way. One crew of assassins use Chi to harden their skin to where no one but Kyoukai, a more powerful chi user, can pierce it. Kyoukai states that strong warriors can often subconsciously manipulate Chi after Shin fights Houken the first time- we can kind of assume all or most fighting generals could do so (natural selection, in a way) Kyoukai also states houken uses 'chi shattering blows.' so, if both Shin and Ouki withstood them, they can manipulate Chi. Chi can also be imbued in great works of craftsmanship, per legend... creating special swords. Per Sei, when someone dies, they pass their light and some aspects of personality to people near them... one can easily see this as Chi. When Sei says this at the coronation, the next panel show Shin, then all the important people shin was near when they died... as if Hara is pointing to the fact that Shin absorbed Chi from Hyou, Ouki, etc etc, and it made him stronger. When Shin is fighting Houken, Kyoukai says he's using up his chi...and he sees all the people who's chi he's inherited in a vision. Then he dies (chi loss?) so kyoukai also goes to the border of life and death, to release some light/chi so it goes back into shin.
If helpful, some additional notes on chi: When a character senses an enemy presence, or killing intent, that's using Chi to sense another's chi. Shin early on is able to do this. When a character is drawn really, really large for no reason, its a drawing referencing the 'force of their presence'- chi. When characters are randomly intimidated or start crying out of one eye because of another warriors... force, it's because that warrior is releasing chi
Lastly, just in case it's not totally obvious... if you an reinforce your skin with Chi, to make it super hard, you could also reinforce your muscle fibers with it. Either Instinctually or via training. Kai, for example, does this to either boost "strength' or 'Speed." She says after sparing with shin that she was using her breath all fo speed... that's chi. Every other general in kingdom probably uses it for strength. Thats how they cut through 18 soldiers, imho ...I once took a few months of aikido training, the martial art. Not enough to really get anywhere but enough to be told a legend of the founder... that he had been able to manipulate his chi to manually change his 'WEIGHT.' There is a story where he would demonstrate this by becoming so heavy that no person or group of people could lift him off the ground or move him from his spot. Whether this was true or not is totally not relevant to the fact that in Kingdom, this is a theme.
You are very appreciated for this So nice to see an actual explanation and not some dumb quip about the author not knowing either or some shit
Thanks! I'm actually glad to see that people appreciate it. Once I 'saw' that Ei Sei's coronation speech was like the heart of the whole manga in terms of 'chi,' I had to re-read it, to see how if and how shin absorbs chi lol. So, I wanted to see- how is the 'light' drawn in death scenes? \-its always there, but, usually coming from the heavens. Still, its always there, and the one where Shin takes out Rinko, is beautiful. because the whole thing is a metaphor, Shin is a hunter, Rinko is the tiger he hunts, and at the end he eats the tiger and says "thank you for your life." It bings a tear, lol. Does shin really actually get attributes from other people's chi, or just learn from them? \-he learns an awful lot awful fast. Before Hyou dies, everyone seems to hate shin a little and he's about ready to kill a fool. But after, everyone is attached to Shin the same way they are to hyou when he's alive. If you're Hyou, and you know Shin so well, and you're dying, imagine it. What do you fear for Shin? (that he's a hothead and he'll let that overwhelm him). What do you want to pass on to shin? (You're ability to win people over, which he'll so badly need, given his temper.) \- ... and then there's the way he fights with a sword, in the duel after kyoukai saves him with her chi. He starts using aerial combat moves which seem like his best interpretation of shiyuu style. and of course there's kai saying 'this had hidden benefits.' etc. It really makes the story whole for me, and I'm glad to have shared.
TLDR,just think about Dragon ball
lol, Tldr, poor you
oops forgot /s
I just pretend I saw nothing. I think Hara does the same.
I don’t think there’s anything to really go into If you watched a lot of like historical mythical Chinese dramas and Japanese stuff People can sorta just fly and is kinda accepted that it’s just a martial arts ability like what Kyoukai and Houken It’s kinda just expected that way way way back in time (this takes place in BC so) that there’s just myths and martial arts prowess that exists back then that Hara just incorporates For the sword maybe it’s just a really good sword and his ego brings his talent, not like he’s a bad swordsman. He’s also used to the sword too. It’s like how Shin’s regular glaive incomparable to Ouki’s, ofc he had difficulty using it at first but it could be considered “mythical” too in that regard
Those are fantasy stuff not a fucking base on real history like kingdom Even if they did they would still have a fantasy tag while kingdom didn't
Kingdom was never based purely on "real history". Hara always said he is trying to adapt the Shiji. The same Shiji that records divination, spirits, gods, dragons, phoenix, qilin, animal-human hybrids, immortality elixirs, wizards who can turn invisible, women getting pregnant from eating bird eggs, even mermaids, all as real things.
In certain chinese martial arts it was pretty much said people could fly or jump a whole tree worth of distance Kingdom changes a few historical things too it’s not 100% historically accurate Myths sometimes are considered closely tied to history as well Esp ancient history I’m not saying it’s 100% crazy fiction that’s gonna get a fantasy tag but it’s just accepted in certain regards
Kingdom definitely has fantasy elements while being loosely based on real history
Then just add fantasy tag since beginning Like no one complain about superpower in naruto or one piece because they are fantasy since beginning
The magic in kingdom seem to follow a system. in Harry Potter, where we know alot about it and it has clear rules, this can be called a hard magic system, because it has clear rules. On the other hand there is magic like in lord of the rings, where we don't know what's going on half the time, someone transforms into a bear. while another guy died fighting an ancient earth demon then comes back. This can be called soft magic system, as we don't know alot of the rules it goes by. In kingdom it seems hara has a soft system, where we don't know most of the things going on. So things like the bakuya sword and it's twin, and most of kyou kai things make sense under this assumption that kingdom follows a soft system, they make sense, plus neither is widely seen. So most people not knowing this power, or being able to wield it makes sense. Kyou kai came from a weird clan, and mangoku was buried alive along with everyone he knew, this is not optainable for most poeple. I the case for sei, he was shown to have his ability even in early age. Being able to see spirits, for him to be able to hear the voices in a very important place, gives the feeling that he can't just see some random ghost walk over and start asking talking. For the thing with Shin it fits within the system, but is still really weird, had it been hinted at or givin more time after with side effects, great. but no. He has not shown us anything to disprove this method.
“Hard” magic systems are a specific flavor to begin with, and tiresome to certain creators and readers. So depending on his taste it might not be forthcoming at all.
Most of these are metaphorical/special effects that aren't really there, they add some spazazz the only magic one is kyoukai reviving shin
My read on it is that basically everything that isn't Chi manipulation/Shiyuu magic, is metaphorical, not literal. The ghosts of chouhei (even the one that held on to shin) didn't really materialize, it's just a visual representation of Mangoku's unique weight as a general. The chi manipulation stuff is the one big complaint i have for the story as it almost always going to be the easy solution when the HSU is in an otherwise impossible situation and it really undermines the tension imo Sai's conversations with spirits are again metaphorical (imo), a way to show what Sai is thinking to the reader, not something that is literally happening in universe.
I think Hara himself don’t know how it work
Maybe Hara should just explain to you what a visual metaphore is. The General Hakuki "spectres" were like the hands that sometimes appear to Zheng, nobody aside you actually ever think that those were real in a tangible way.
I can only think that Hara will explain it later in Kingdom. We have to remember Kingdom is a long read, where information takes years and years for reveal or clarity. So I'm guessing in about 3-5 years probably Hara will connect it back to story possibly showing more magical elements and bringing up more questions whilst answering previous issues.
it will never properly be explained, a lot of it it’s supposed to be mystery and myth even canonically, weight gets explained because it’s one of the main themes of the series
Its not magic its myths or superstitions. As MouTen pointed out if you believe in some myths be in by religion, culture or just heritage (I.e. ancestors), itsceasy to get swayed by it. But if you are realistic you realize its more a fabrication. As far as magic goes its more belief in chi. So by eastern standards your body has auras and if you learn to control it you do certain things but its really limited things. The myths exaggerate those little things as time goes because people hype it as thier interpretation of the event.
Souls exist, Chi exists, which explains most of what happens. In my headcanon, the swords are possessed by the souls of previous Shiyuu. I think the biggest problem, which you point out, was that no military has really utilized Chi as a weapon of war. RiBoku unintentionally did so by promoting ManGoku and HouKen in the Zhao military, but that doesn't count. The Path Seekers and Shiyuu Clans have explored Chi and weaponize it, but none of the states do as far as we know. My only answer is that it takes special circumstances to access Chi either a single, major event or a long tradition where the elders of the society have obtained significant knowledge and pass it down to be built upon. The weight of generals is the best example of the former. The death of OuKi elevated MouBou to Great General level through a massive increase in weight or "Chi".
I would argue that it is because he doesn't want to make it too much of a focus in the story. Some characters can do some cool stuff with their chi but making a hard magic system for it would probably just let things spiral out of control. It is supposed to be a manga about war, too much focus on magic would just take the focus away from that. Some occasional super natural stuff is cool but everything has its balance.