KAKITA NASAMI

You cannot fight that which you do not know.”

Kakita Nasami is a study in duality. Born of Kakita and Daidoji parents, schooled in Daidoji fighting, she has become more than the sum of her parts. In doing so, she keeps her opponents off guard. She dyes her hair white as a Daidoji, and wears it long as a Kakita. She dresses in the practical clothes of a bushi, but in the elegant styles and fabrics of her wealthy Clan. She fights with her katana, while using the Daidoji style. She has the scars of a warrior, and the poise of a courtier. She has the tattoos of the Daidoji on her right arm, and the tattoo of the Kakita on her left. The Crane samuraiko is equally at home on the battlefield, the dueling grounds, on the roads, and in the courts. A warrior-scholar, she debates military history, the Tao of Shinsei, and epic poetry with ease. At the age of 30, Nasami embodies the best of both worlds, and uses both in the pursuit of her duties.

You cannot fight that which you do not see.”

Despite a naturally striking, if not beautiful, appearance, Kakita Nasami is oftentimes overlooked when compared to the other samurai with whom she travels. After all, compared to a huge, battle-scarred Hida or a flamboyant, spell-wielding Isawa, who would notice the small, lithe Crane? At first, the young Crane looks like many other Crane bushi, well-dressed, well-equipped, and has indeed been mistaken many times before as “just another Crane duelist.” Many times before, opponents have dismissed her as unimportant. Until they take a second look and see the scars on her face and arms, the faint limp of her leg, and the dents in the armor, only to realize too late that they have handed her a dangerous advantage. This, coupled with her phenomenal talents as a swordsman and her penchant for doing the unexpected, has made Nasami a lethal opponent. Already the whispers are beginning that the soul of Kakita Rensei himself guides the hand of his descendant.

You cannot fight that which you do not understand.”

Nasami's ultimate goal in the service of the Crane is knowledge. The enemy you understand is the enemy you conquer before the battle even begins. So, with the Clan's blessings, Nasami travels the Empire in the service of the Crane, studying, learning, and above all, watching. Much of her knowledge comes from simply standing back and looking at what happens around her, then using that knowledge as needed. After all, with Daidoji Uji as her mentor, she has learned firsthand the value of knowledge of your opponent. Everywhere she goes, she seeks out the dojos, courts, villages, libraries, the storytellers, the historians - all part of her quest for knowledge. During her service as yoriki to Hida Kaminari, she has traveled through the lands of all the Great Clans of Rokugan, as well as through those of some of the Minor Clans. The Wandering Crane is already a veteran of battles, skirmishes, raids, and duels, and even campaigns against the Shadowlands. She watches, she learns, and she reports everything back to her superiors at Garden under Shadow City. What she knows, the Crane know.

Quote: "I am not merely a samurai, merely a bushi, merely a Crane, merely a woman... I am all of these, some of these, and none of these."

Hair: White
Eyes: Dark blue

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 110 lbs

Game: Legend of the Five Rings

Theme Song: "Flash of the Blade" by Iron Maiden
Theme Music: "The PeonyHouse" from the score HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

(Incidentally, the sword that is the logo for the SAMURAIKO PRODUCTIONS website is Nasami's katana Mamorimasu, which has its own history.)

Nasami, unlike many of my characters, actually owes her voice to someone other than me.  When Nasami took on a life of her own in the world of SAMURAI 7, I got to thinking about who would voice her if she were part of the anime.  My husband John made the suggestion that Rebecca Paige, who voices Dvergr from KIDDY GRADE, would make an excellent Nasami.  He was right.  It's now become an ambition of mine to hire her to record Nasami's dialogue.

To hear a sample of Ms. Paige's work, download the sound file below.

THE VOICE OF NASAMI
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