Kunoichi
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Image:TenchuRFD Ayame 3.jpg Kunoichi (くノ一) is the term for a female ninja.
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[edit] History
These women, or kunoichi as they were called, were given special training in psychological skills and intuition. Taught to manipulate men high-up in the enemy hierarchy, they were known to conceal blades inside musical instruments and sex toys. [citation needed]Shimma kunoichi, ninja family members, were trained as spies who were taught not to fall in love with their targets or lose sight of their ultimate goal after successful seduction. According to Rumiko Hayes, a neo-ninja black belt from a bujinkan influenced school and the wife of Stephen K. Hayes, head female agents were sent around the country to collect young female orphans, whom they raised with care. These orphan girls were forever indebted to their agents and would do whatever they were asked in terms of seducing men.
Karima kunoichi were women who were not part of the clan but were temporarily hired as maids, mistresses, entertainers, fortunetellers, prostitutes, or artists.
In contemporary times, female ninjas often fulfill the same roles as men, working in security and law enforcement. This is the history of the kunoichi, as it has changed vastly over the ages from skilled seductive assassins, to law enforcement and special/black ops.
Nowadays, the term kunoichi is solely used in reference to female ninja; historically who were trained to deceive men and disguise themselves as geisha. However, modern novels, animes, mangas, films, and video games generally portray kunoichi to be fully trained in ninjutsu, much like their male counterparts.
[edit] Derivation of the word Kunoichi
The term is thought to derive from the names of characters that resemble the three strokes in the Japanese kanji character for woman (女, onna); said in the order they are written: ku (く) - no (ノ) - ichi (一). However, this may be a modern fake etymology, as the ninja of the time wrote it as 九の一 (one of nine) or 九一 (nine one); these transcriptions supposedly come from the fact that all humans have nine openings in common, but women have one more in addition; hence a woman is "one of nine" or "nine plus one". This however could be another fake etymology. It is also worth noting that the "くノ一" writing requires the use of one character from each Japanese "alphabet". First hiragana, then katakana, then kanji. While hiragana and kanji can exist in the same word, katakana generally cannot appear in conjunction with the others. That is the language factor of the name's origins.
Another proposed etymology, possibly as spurious as the others, would derive the term from 九 能 ("nô" : talent) 一, meaning nine talents in one person, though no creditable source lists these "nine talents".
[edit] List of kunoichi in popular culture
- Akane from the game Shining the Holy Ark
- Akeginu, Princess Oboro, Ogen, Okoi, Kagerou and Hotarubi from Basilisk: The Kouga Ninja Scrolls
- Akira Okuzaki (尾久崎 晶), in the anime My-HiME (舞-HiME) and My-Otome (舞-乙HiME)
- Asuka (飛鳥), in the film Red Shadow (赤影, akakage, 2001)
- Ayame (彩女) and Rin (凛), in the video game series Tenchu (天誅). There is also another Ayame in Power Stone.
- Chizu, from the comic book Usagi Yojimbo.
- Fuko Kirisawa from Flame of Recca
- Haruka/Yellow Mask from Hikari Sentai Maskman
- Hibana (緋花), in the video game Nightshade (Kunoichi in Japan, 2004)
- Himawari, the female-lead in Himawari!, a harem anime featuring kunoichi exclusively.
- Honey transforms into Kunoichi Honey in episode 24 in the anime Cutey Honey
- Ibuki, in the video game series Street Fighter
- Kaede, in the video game Onimusha as well as the Kaede in Mahou Sensei Negima
- Kagero (陽炎), in the anime film Ninja Scroll (獣兵衛忍風帖, jyubei ninpuchou, 1993)
- Kage-Maru's mother, Tsuki-Kage, from Virtua Fighter
- Kasumi and Ayane in the video game series Dead or Alive
- Kitana, Mileena and Jade in the video game series Mortal Kombat
- Koyuki, in the anime Sgt. Frog
- Kunimitsu, in the game series Tekken
- Kunoichi, in the video game Samurai Warriors
- Kunoichi: Lady Ninja is a Japanese film released in 1998
- Kurenai, in the video game Red Ninja. Coincidentally, there is also a kunoichi by the name of "Kurenai" in Naruto.
- Mahiro, in the anime Samurai Deeper Kyo
- Mai, in the Asian-influenced animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
- Mai Shiranui in the game series Fatal Fury
- Megumi Oka (岡めぐみ) from the anime Voltes V
- Maki Genryusai from Final Fight 2, Capcom vs. SNK 2, and the GBA and PSP versions of Street Fighter Alpha 3
- Makimachi Misao, in the manga and anime Rurouni Kenshin
- Mido Miko and other female ninja are depicted in the La Blue Girl series
- Nanami Nono/HurricaneBlue, Furabijou, & Windenu of Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger
- Sakura Haruno (春野サクラ), Hinata Hyuga (日向ヒナタ), Tenten, Ino Yamanaka, Temari, Kurenai Yuhi and Tsunade are the primary kunoichi in the anime and manga series Naruto, which is about ninjas. (In fact, most females encountered in the anime are kunoichi)
- Sheena Fujibayashi, in the game Tales of Symphonia
- Shinobu, the heroine of the comedy anime 2x2=Shinobuden
- Suzu Fujibayashi, in the game Tales of Phantasia
- Taki, in the game series Soul Calibur
- Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland features a community of kunoichi in California.
- Tsuruhime/Ninja White and the Hana Rangers from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
- Yae, in the video game series Ganbare Goemon
- Yamame and and Hotaru from Kage Kara Mamoru!, another harem anime featuring many kunoichi and ninja.
- Yatsuha of Samurai Champloo
- Yuffie Kisaragi in Final Fantasy VII
- Yukimaru (雪丸), as well as a character class, in Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
