''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' (; ), commonly known as ''Satomi Hakkenden'' () or simply ''Hakkenden'' (), is a Japanese epic novel ('' yomihon'') by

Kyokutei Bakin , born , was a Japanese novelist of the Edo period, who wrote under the pen name . Later in life he took the pen name . Modern scholarship generally refers to him as , or just as n. He is regarded as one of, if not the, leading author of early ...

, originally published over the course of twenty-eight years ( 1814–42). Set in the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

, the story follows the adventures and mishaps of eight fictional warriors born across the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

, who gradually discover their shared origin as "spirit-children" of a Satomi princess and unite in Nansō as loyal defenders of her clan. The novel, consisting of 98 chapters printed in a total of 106 booklets, is considered the largest novel in the history of Japanese Literature.Japanese wiki page :ja:南総里見八犬伝 Bakin, in his 70s by the time the work was completed, had gone blind before finishing the tale, and dictated the final parts to his daughter-in-law Michi Tokimura. Along with Ueda Akinari's ''

Ugetsu Monogatari is a collection of nine supernatural tales first published in 1776. It is the best known work of Japanese author Ueda Akinari. Largely adapted from traditional Japanese and Chinese ghost stories, the collection is among the most important w ...

'', it is considered a masterpiece of

gesaku is an alternative style, genre, or school of Japanese literature. In the simplest contemporary sense, any literary work of a playful, mocking, joking, silly or frivolous nature may be called gesaku. Unlike predecessors in the literary field, gesa ...

literature, and one of the classics of Japanese historical fiction. The title ''Hakkenden'' has been translated as ''The Eight Dog Chronicles'', ''Tale of Eight Dogs'', or ''Biographies of Eight Dogs''.

Synopsis

Hakkenden is a long, dense work told from multiple perspectives - described by translator Glynne Walley as "huge and unwieldy, almost comically so". However, it can be divided into three main arcs - a prologue leading up to the Dog Warriors' birth, the stories of the individual Dogs as they encounter one another, and a final war between the Satomi and their assembled foes. The latter segment is often excluded from modern abridged editions of the novel.

An Ill-Considered Jest hapters 1-14

A battle at

Shimōsa Province was a province of Japan in the area of modern Chiba Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture as well as the bordering parts of Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo (the parts that used to be located east of the lower reaches of the old Tone River prior to the ...

claims the lives of most of the

Satomi clan The was a Japanese samurai clan of the Sengoku period (1467–1573) and early Edo period (1603–1868). The clan ruled Awa Province as a ''Sengoku daimyō'' and was a major military power in the Kantō region during the wars of the Nanboku-c ...

. The young heir Yoshizane escapes to the neighbouring province of Awa, where

two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many ...

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

have recently been conquered by the tyrannical Sadakane. Lords Maro and Anzai of the other

have met to plan action against Sadakane, but spurn Yoshizane's aid. He then encounters the loyalist samurai Takayoshi, and together they launch a rebellion which ousts Sadakane and places Yoshizane in control of his territories. As the criminals are rounded up for execution, Sadakane's wife Tamazusa lays a

curse A curse (also called an imprecation, malediction, execration, malison, anathema, or commination) is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to one or more persons, a place, or an object. In particular, ...

on her captors: for Takayoshi who wished for her death, he shall die by the blade and have his family line come to an end. And for the ever-noble Satomi, his descendants shall become as depraved as dogs. Shortly after, Yoshizane rewards Takayoshi with stewardship of a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

, but seized by the curse he commits

seppuku , also known as , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near ...

rather than profit from his liege's death. In his last moments he discovers that he has a son named Daisuke, who shall inherit his lands in his stead. Yoshizane marries and has two children - a daughter named Fuse and a son named Jirotaro. However, Fuse is born weak and cries often. In response to their prayers, the spirit of

En no Gyōja was a Japanese ascetic and mystic, traditionally held to be the founder of Shugendō, the path of ascetic training practiced by the ''gyōja'' or ''yamabushi''. He was banished by the Imperial Court to Izu Ōshima on June 26, 699, but folk t ...

gifts Fuse a set of 108 prayer beads marked with the Eight Confucian Virtues which soothe her symptoms. Years later, Yoshizane learns of a magnificent dog in his territory that was nursed by a wild tanuki after its mother's death - he purchases the animal as a family pet, naming it Yatsufusa ("Eight Bunches") after its distinctive

peony The peony or paeony () is any flowering plant in the genus ''Paeonia'', the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguish ...

-like markings. When Fuse is seventeen, Lord Anzai (having previously absorbed the Maro lands) turns on the Satomi, besieging their castle and apparently killing Daisuke. Yoshizane jokingly offers Yatsufusa his daughter's hand in marriage if he would only bring him the man's head, and the next day he finds that this has come true. Despite recognising the curse at work, the Satomi reluctantly honour their word. Fuse and Yatsufusa retreat to a cave atop Mount To, but Fuse remains chaste and spends all her days meditating upon the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' (Sanskrit: ''Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram'', ''Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma'', zh, p=Fǎhuá jīng, l=Dharma Flower Sutra) is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahāyāna sūtras. ...

. In time Yatsufasa learns enough from her readings to develop a

moral compass A moral compass is a metaphor for a moral value system that provides guidance on "good" or "right" choices in human interaction and especially in decision-making situations. This value system can be very personal or represented by a larger group. E ...

, rejecting Tamazusa's will. The curse still takes effect even without Yatsufusa's participation, impregnating Fuse with his children; however, due to the dog's change of heart and the lack of any physical vector, the children manifest as bodiless spirits who carry the potential for nobility. Daisuke, revealed to have been in hiding, attempts to redeem himself by climbing Mount To and shooting Yatsufusa dead. However, Fuse also suffers a mortal wound. Yoshizane arrives soon after, and the pair witness Fuse slit her stomach to release eight spirits. These spirits then flow into the eight large beads of her necklace - Filial Piety, Justice, Loyalty, Faith, Brotherhood, Benevolence, Wisdom and Etiquette - which snap off and scatter to the winds. In penance for his deeds, Daisuke becomes a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

; changing his name to Chudai, he takes up the remains of Fuse's necklace and sets off to find the missing beads and reassemble it. Satomi Jirotaro Yoshinari Inspecting a Head Carried by a Dog LACMA M

Satomi Jirotaro Yoshinari Inspecting a Head Carried by a Dog LACMA M

hapters 15-98

Inception

Bakin performed his research for the novel by referencing war tales about the Satomi clan and the

Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this perio ...

such as ''Satomiki'' (里見記), ''Satomi Kyudaiki'' (里見九代記) and ''Hojo Godaiki'' ( :ja:北条五代記).Kotobank, Nansō Satomi Hakkenden.

The Asahi Shimbun is a Japanese daily newspaper founded in 1879. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. The ''Asahi Shimbun'' is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan along with the ''Yom ...

While the '' Shogenjikō Setsuyōshū'' attests the existence of a historical "Eight Dog Warriors" in service of the Satomi clan, their lives are not detailed, nor have they been found in any other known records of the time, making the truthfulness of their existence unclear. In the preface Bakin humorously claims that the true story of the Dog Warriors was revealed to him in a dream, but that he had forgotten most of the details by the time he wrote it down. The narrative was heavily inspired by Chinese vernacular fiction, especially ''

Water Margin ''Water Margin'' (), also called ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' or ''All Men Are Brothers'', is a Chinese novel from the Ming dynasty that is one of the preeminent Classic Chinese Novels. Attributed to Shi Nai'an, ''Water Margin'' was one of the e ...

'', which had been translated and published in Japan at the beginning of the 18th century. The novel's inciting incident, where Satomi Yoshizane jokingly offers his daughter's hand in marriage to the family dog, is modelled after the tale of the dog Panhu from the Chinese '' In Search of the Supernatural'', which is noted both by Bakin in the preface and by the characters in-story.

Themes

Hakkenden's main themes are loyalty, clan honor,

Bushido is a Samurai moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. Its origins date back to the Kamakura period, but it was formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significantl ...

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

, and

Buddhist philosophy Buddhist philosophy is the ancient Indian Indian philosophy, philosophical system that developed within the religio-philosophical tradition of Buddhism. It comprises all the Philosophy, philosophical investigations and Buddhist logico-episte ...

.Kotobanlk, Nansō Satomi Hakkenden.

Bakin most frequently referred to ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'''s genre as ''Haishi'' (commonly translated as petty history, or people's history), a Chinese genre of vernacular historical fiction. Bakin often stated that the primary purpose of the novel was to encourage virtue and chastise vice, which was central to the novel's plots and character archetypes; likening himself to the authors of ''Haishi'' in that he used entertaining stories to entice less-educated readers, who would, in turn, be taught morals through allegory. As a work of

, however, the novel also contains tacit social commentary, and often plays with traditional concepts relating to gender and morality. ''Hakkenden'' translator Glynne Walley has argued that, while the novel's effort to teach morals is clearly present (as examined in his own treatise ''Good Dogs''), Bakin's presentation of it as a moralist work was partly a result of societal stigma against samurai producing and consuming "low-brow" fiction. In Walley's view, scholarship of the novel often focuses overmuch on this aspect while ignoring its context as a commercial serial similar to modern

superhero fiction Superhero fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction examining the adventure fiction, adventures, personalities and ethics of costumed crime fighters known as superheroes, who often possess Superpower (ability), superhuman powers and battle si ...

- one that uses the protagonists' commitment to easily-understood virtues to thrill its audience with the sight of larger-than-life heroes triumphing over dastardly villains.

Publication history

Installments of ''Hakkenden'' followed an idiosyncratic naming pattern, with many volumes, booklets and individual chapters being divided into multiple sections (using the common 上 / 中 / 下 notation for opening, middle and conclusion). The ninth and final volume of the story developed multiple levels of subdivisions over the course of its release, becoming comparable in length to the first eight parts combined. The first volume bears the reduced title ''Satomi Hakkenden'' on its cover, and the expanded ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenshiden'' on its endpaper (specifying the Tale of Eight Dog Warriors rather than Eight Dogs); it is also labelled , as opposed to the that might be expected. Volume prefaces and colophons include advertisements for upcoming titles, medicines from Bakin's family pharmacy, and in later installments products from other manufacturers such as cosmetics.

Legacy

Although only a limited number of copies of the books themselves were printed, the tale was retold through various mediums, including oration and live performance, leading to its popularity among many social classes at the time.

Kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

plays based on ''Hakkenden'' were often performed, and ''ukiyo-e'' depicting kabuki actors playing the roles of eight warriors were also popular. ''Hakkenden'', and Bakin's work at large, maintained much of its popularity amongst common people throughout the 19th century, but drew some academic criticism in the

Meiji era The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feu ...

for its didacticism and one-dimensional characters, as novelists and scholars sought to modernize Japan's literary style. Notably, in literary reformer

Tsubouchi Shōyō __NoTOC__ was a Japanese author, critic, playwright, translator, editor, educator, and professor at Waseda University. He has been referred to as a seminal figure in Japanese drama. "Wetmore deals cleanly with Japanese theatre as part of the mo ...

's influential book ''Essence of the Novel'', published 1885–1886, Bakin is lauded for both his style and his role in popularizing novels, but imitation of Bakin's work is cited as a widespread problem among novelists of the time. In the 20th century ''Hakkenden'' became a strong influence on

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

works, particularly those based on adventure quests. For example it influenced

Akira Toriyama was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He came to be regarded as one of the most influential and important authors in the history of manga, authoring highly influential and popular series, particularly Dragon Ball (manga), ''Dra ...

's ''

Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The Dragon Ball (manga), initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was Serial (literature), serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 indi ...

'' (1984) * and

Rumiko Takahashi is a Japanese manga artist. With a career of several commercially successful works, beginning with ''Urusei Yatsura'' in 1978, she is one of Japan's best-known and wealthiest manga artists. Her works are known worldwide, where they have been tra ...

's '' Inuyasha'' (1996), which both have plots about the collection of magical crystals or crystal balls, the latter also starring a human/dog hybrid similar in origin to the Dog Warriors. ''Hakkenden'' would also shape common storytelling conventions of the

JRPG While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia have come from Japan, many video games have also arisen in China, developed in South Korea, and Taiwan. Japanese role-playing games Japanese c ...

genre; in addition to its emphasis on the dynamics of a growing party over the strength and agency of a lone hero (which has precedent in earlier tales like ''

Momotarō is a Folk hero, popular hero of Japanese folklore. His name is often translated as ''Peach Boy'', but is directly translated as ''Peach + Tarō (given name), Tarō'', a common Japanese given name. ''Momotarō'' is also the title of various books, ...

''), it popularised the idea of unaware heroes who learn of their destiny over the course of the story. An example of this influence can be found in '' Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga'' (2004), where the characters unlock powers from their demonic heritage which both reflect their personalities and are accompanied by a distinguishing mark appearing on their bodies.

Literature

* ''Teisō Fujo Hakkenshi'' (1834-1848) * ''Koi no Yatsufuji: Dansō Satomi Hakkenden'' (1837), a

parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...

. * ''Setsubai Kōtan: Inu no Soushi'' (1848-1881) is a simplified gōkan edition of the novel by Ryuutei Senka. * ''Kanayomi Hakkenden'' (1848-1867), a competing gōkan edition of the novel. * ''Hakkenden Gojitsudan'' (1853-1857) - roughly "Hakkenden: The Sequel", a novel by one of the authors of ''Kanayomi Hakkenden'' which centres on the Dog Warrior's children and grandchildren. * '' Ninpō Hakkenden'' (1964), part of

Futaro Yamada was the pen name of , a Japanese author. He was born in Yabu, Hyogo. In 1947, he wrote a mystery short story and was awarded a prize by the magazine . He was discovered by Edogawa Rampo and became a novelist. He wrote many ninja (忍法帖 ''Nin ...

's ''Ninpōchō'' series, features descendants of the original Eight Dog Warriors. * ''Shin Satomi Hakkenden'' (1982) is a retelling of the story. * ''Hakkenden'' (1983) by

, planned as the second entry in a "Hakkenden trilogy" begun by his earlier ''Ninpō Hakkenden''. * ''Shōnen Hakkenden'' (1988, 2006) * '' Yōseiki Suikoden'' (1990-1995) features a group of antagonists called the "Habyōshi" (Eight Cat Warriors) modelled on the Hakkenshi. * ''Fusé Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden'' (2010) by

Kazuki Sakuraba is a Japanese author of novels and light novels, and Naoki Prize winner. Biography Sakuraba was born in Shimane Prefecture on the 26th of July 1971. She, however, grew up in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture. She started writing novels when she was ...

, set during ''Hakkendens publication, purports that Bakin based his story on an actual tribe of murderous

werewolf In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...

-like beings called ''fuse'', descendants of a Princess Fuse who willingly ran away with Yatsufusa and lived as an animal in order to escape her cruel family.

Television

* '' Satomi Hakkenden'' (1964), produced by

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...

* ''Satomi Hakkenden'' (1964), produced by NET * ''

Shin Hakkenden is a Japanese anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. How ...

'' (1973), a puppet-based adaptation * ''

Denshi Sentai Denjiman is Toei's fourth entry to its Super Sentai metaseries. It was broadcast from February 2, 1980, to January 31, 1981, replacing ''Battle Fever J'' and was replaced by ''Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan''. The title given to this series for international dis ...

'' (1980), a series which established many conventions of the long-running

Super Sentai The is a Japanese superhero team media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi. The shows are of the '' tokusatsu'' genre, featuring live action characters and colorfu ...

franchise, is reported to have taken inspiration from ''Hakkenden''. This includes replacing the unified taskforce protagonists of earlier installments with a team of strangers brought together by destiny. * ''

Corrector Yui is a Japanese anime television series created by Kia Asamiya. The anime series was produced by Nippon Animation and broadcast on NHK Educational TV from 1999 to 2000. It was licensed for North American release by Viz Media. This series ...

'' (1999) is a

magical girl is a Genre#Subgenre, subgenre of primarily Japanese fantasy media (including anime, manga, light novels, and live-action media) centered on young girls who possess magical abilities, which they typically use through an ideal alter ego into wh ...

anime with motifs drawn from the 70s ''Shin Hakkenden'' series. * ''

'' (1999), an animated series distinguished from similarly-named adaptations by its spelling . * '' Fukaku Kugure: Hakkenden 2001'' (2000) * '' Satomi Hakkenden'' (2006) * '' Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East'' (2013), a partial animated adaptation of the

of the same name.

Film

* ''Hakkenden'' (1913) * ''Satomi Hakkenden'' (1937) * ''Tonchinkan Hakkenden'' (1953) * '' Sorcerer's Orb'' (1954) - Japanese title "Satomi Hakkenden" * ''You'un Satomi Kaikyoden: Zengo-hen'' (1956) * ''Satomi hakken-den'' (1959) * '' Message from Space'' (1978), which transplants the story to

space opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...

* '' Legend of the Eight Samurai'' (1983), an adaptation of the novel ''Shin Satomi Hakkenden'' and in Japan titled simply "Satomi Hakkenden". * ''

The Hakkenden , also known as ''The Legend of the Dog Warriors: The Hakkenden'', is an OVA series by AIC in two sequences, the second subtitled . The anime is based on the epic novel '' Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' written by Kyokutei Bakin during the latter ...

'' (1990), an

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

. * ''

Fuse Teppō Musume no Torimonochō , also known as ''Fuse: A Gun Girl's Detective Story'' and ''Fusé: Memoirs of the Huntress'', is a 2012 Japanese animated film directed by Masayuki Miyaji based on Kazuki Sakuraba's novel ''Fusé Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden''. Both novel and film ...

'' (2012), an animated adaptation of ''Fusé Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden'' which mixes the horror stylings of the 2010 novel with elements of the original ''Hakkenden'' in order to recast it as a supernatural romance. * ''

Wolf Children is a 2012 Japanese animated fantasy drama film directed and co-written by Mamoru Hosoda. The second original feature film directed by Hosoda and the first work written by him, the film stars the voices of Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa, and H ...

'' (2012) is the story of a human/wolf couple modelled after Fuse and Yatsufusa, also featuring a number of supporting characters named after the Dog Warriors or their corresponding virtues. * '' Saber + Zenkaiger: Super Hero Senki'' (2021) features characters from the ''

Kamen Rider The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until ''Kamen Rider Decade, Decade'' and except Thailand), is a Japanese superhero fiction, superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by ...

'' and ''

'' franchises becoming trapped in the story of ''Hakkenden''.

Theatre

The novel has also been adapted into

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

theatre several times. * In August 2006, the

Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and o ...

staged a performance.

Comic Books

* ''

'' (1984) uses Fuse's beads as the basis of the titular Dragon Balls, a collection of seven crystal spheres with different markings which can be brought together to summon a wish-granting

dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

. After use, the balls scatter in a manner similar to the scene of the Dog Warriors' birth. * ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' (1985) by Motoyama Hazuki * ''

Hakkenden Hakkenden, and variations, may refer to: * '' Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'', an epic 19th century serial novel by Kyokutei Bakin Or adaptations of the story, including: * ''Satomi Hakkenden'' (1983), known as '' Legend of the Eight Samurai'', a martia ...

'' (1989-2005) * ''MANGA Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' (1991-1992) * '' X'' (1992) took inspiration from ''Hakkenden'' for its ensemble cast, consisting of characters from creator CLAMP's previous works. * ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' (1993) * ''Yatsufusa Koi Shou'' (1994) by Shinohara Udou * '' Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East'' (2005) is a shoujo manga based on the story. * '' Hakkenshi'' (2005), a work by Okamura Kenji focused on the character of Inuzuka Shino. * ''Sengoku Satomi Hakkenden: Episode Zero'' (2009) by Tatsuya Egawa. * ''Manga de yomu: Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' (2015), focused on the character of Inue Shinbei. * ''Eight Dogs'' (2016) is a comic based on the unofficial sequel novel '' Ninpō Hakkenden'', published in

Comic Ran Twins a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

Video Games

* '' Yōma Ninpōchō'' (1986) is an

arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated video, pinball, electro-mechanical, redemption, etc., game ** Arcade video game, a coin-operated video game ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade video game's hardware ** Arcad ...

shooter game Shooter video games, or shooters, are a subgenre of action video games where the focus is on the defeat of the character's enemies using ranged weapons given to the player. Usually these weapons are firearms or some other long-range weapons, a ...

inspired by the 1983 ''Shin Satomi Hakkenden'' film. * '' Idol Hakkenden'' (1989), a

visual novel A visual novel (VN) is a form of digital interactive fiction. Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustratio ...

for the

Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

where eight idol singers assemble in a similar manner to the Dog Warriors. * ''Makai Hakkenden Shada'' (1989), an

action RPG An action role-playing game (often abbreviated action RPG or ARPG) is a video game genre that combines core elements from both the action game and role-playing game genres. Definition Action role-playing games emphasize real-time combat whe ...

for the

PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a home video game console developed by Hudson Soft and manufactured by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. The first console of the fourth generation, it launched ...

with gameplay similar to the Ys series, developed by

Data East , also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game, pinball and electronic engineering company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles. At one time, the company had annual sales of 20 billion yen in ...

. * ''Satomi Hakkenden'' (1989), a

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...

for the

developed by

Alpha Denshi , formerly known as , was a Japanese video game developer founded in 1980. ADK began as a developer of arcade games and is best known for their library of SNK Neo Geo (system), Neo Geo titles, including for its home consoles, produced in partner ...

and published by

SNK is a Japanese video gaming and interactive entertainment company. It was founded in 1978 as by Eikichi Kawasaki and began by developing arcade games. SNK is known for its Neo Geo arcade system on which the company established many franchises ...

. * ''Shin Satomi Hakkenden: Hikari to Yami no Tatakai'' (1989), a

for the

developed by Micronics and published by Toei, based on the 1982 novel ''Shin Satomi Hakkenden'' and its film adaptation. It features the gimmick of allowing the player to start as any one of the Eight Dog Warriors in different locations across the map, with the goal of eventually uniting the entire party. * ''

Romancing SaGa ''Romancing SaGa'' is a 1992 role-playing video game developed and published by Square (video game company), Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Famicom. It is the fourth entry in the ''SaGa'' series. It was subsequently re ...

'' (1992) features a

nonlinear In mathematics and science, a nonlinear system (or a non-linear system) is a system in which the change of the output is not proportional to the change of the input. Nonlinear problems are of interest to engineers, biologists, physicists, mathe ...

story of eight player characters who exist in the same world, the number being chosen in reference to the similar storytelling of ''Hakkenden''. * ''

Ōkami is a 2006 action-adventure game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for PlayStation 2 in 2006 in Japan and North America, and in 2007 in Europe and Australia. After the closure of Clover Studio a few months afte ...

'' (2006) features a story arc in which the player character is recruited by a woman named Fuse to collect the "Satomi Power Orbs" from eight trained dogs who serve her family. * ' (Feb 2014), and its 2 sequels ''Satomi Hakkenden Hamaji Hime no Ki'' (Sep 2014) and ''Satomi Hakkenden Murasamemaru no Ki'' (2015), are 3 Japanese fantasy/

dating sim Dating sims, also known as dating simulation games, are a video game subgenre of simulation games with romantic elements. While resembling the visual novel genre in presentation, true dating sims utilize an additional statistical and time manage ...

otome games An is a story-based romance video game targeted towards women with a female protagonist as the player character. Generally one of the goals, besides the main story goal, is to develop a romantic relationship between the female main player char ...

developed by

QuinRose is a Japanese games developer specialising in otome games for Windows and consoles such as the PlayStation Portable. The company also produces drama CDs, manga, light novel A is a type of Genre fiction, popular literature novel from J ...

for the

PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PA ...

. They are based on the ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden''. The first game also has been adapted into a

, called the ''Futari no Akai Ito Satomi Hakkenden Hachiju no Ki'' (2014), with one volume. * In ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese gacha game, gacha mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity (game engine), Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon' ...

'' the novel forms the basis of the Jun/July 2022 event ''Nanmei Yumihari Hakkenden'', starring a

who became a Heroic Spirit with powers based on elements of his magnum opus.

Translations

A complete reprinting in ten volumes is available in the original Japanese, as well as various modern Japanese translations, most of them abridged. Only a few chapters have been translated into English, Chapter 25 by

Donald Keene Donald Lawrence Keene (June 18, 1922 – February 24, 2019) was an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. Keene was University Professor emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japane ...

, and Chapters 12, 13, and 19 by Chris Drake. In 2021 the first volume of an intended complete translation (Glynne Walley's ''Eight Dogs, or "Hakkenden" Part One – An Ill-Considered Jest'') was published by

Cornell University Press The Cornell University Press is the university press of Cornell University, an Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. It is currently housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage. It was first established in 1869, maki ...

, consisting of the first fourteen chapters of the story (spanning the original Volume 1 and part of Volume 2). A second volume, ''His Master's Blade'', was published.

References

Citations

Works cited

* Kyokutei Bakin (1819) "Shino and Hamaji". In Keene, Donald (Ed.) (

955 Year 955 ( CMLV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: King Otto I ("the Great") defeats the Hungarians (also known as Magyars) near Augsburg (Germa ...

1960) ''Anthology of Japanese Literature: from the earliest era to the mid-nineteenth century'', pp. 423–428. New York, NY: Grove Press. *Kyokutei Bakin (1819) "Fusehime at Toyama Cave," "Fusehime's Decision," "Shino in Otsuka Village," "Hamaji and Shino". Translated by Chris Drake in Haruo Shirane (Ed.) (2002) ''Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology 1600–1900'', pp. 885–909. New York: Columbia University Press.

External links

Original text of ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden''
first 30 chapters as of 2006 (Japanese) *Th

website and th
''The Legend of the Eight Samurai Hounds''
English translation in progress since September 2015 {{DEFAULTSORT:Nanso Satomi Hakkenden 1814 novels 19th-century Japanese novels Edo-period works Japanese novels adapted into plays Japanese serial novels Japanese novels adapted into films Japanese fantasy novels Novels adapted into comics

Synopsis

An Ill-Considered Jest hapters 1-14

hapters 15-98

Inception

Themes

Publication history

Legacy

Literature

Television

Film

Theatre

Comic Books

Video Games

Translations

See also

References

Citations

Works cited

Further reading

External links