deviant ART

Amakusa Shirou Tokisada by ~apricot8585:iconapricot8585:


©2007-2008 ~apricot8585
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Submitted: January 6, 2007
File Size: 122 KB
Image Size: 122 KB
Resolution: 665×582
Comments: 321
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Artist's Comments

about Shirou and 'kirishitan' ( Old Japanese Christian.)

Christianity was intoroduced by Francisco de Xavier (or Francisvo de Gassu y Javier) in 1549 in Japan. Buddhism ( or Shinto ) was believed in at the time in Japan but people who was converted to Christianity grew and grew from then.
An old Japanese government decided to put a ban on Christianity because it could be a serious threat to the goverment's power. So Japanese christians had to pray images of buddism saints ( Miroku-bosatsu and Kannon-zou * ) instead of images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary to escape from watch of the government.
( * That Kannon-zou is now called ' Mary Kannon ' in Japan.)
And Shirou rose up against the government with the people, but all of them were killed in the end. He was only 17 years old at the time. That's a sad history.
Of cource there's freedom of religion in modern Japan and most present-days Japanese have no particular religion. ( We enjoy Christmas Day and spend New Year's Eve hearing Buddhism Temples' bells ringing and visit Shinto shrines to celebrate Happy New Year. )

By the way, old Japanese christians' costumes influenced people called ' Kabuki-mono ', that meant like punk rockers or something. The kabuki-mono liked colorful clothings, and took the western clothings and crosses in their fashion.
And the KABUKI, the traditional stages, was actually from this Kabuki-mono. A woman called Okuni created a new performance wearing Kabuki-mono's clothings and putting a cross on, and the performance became being called KABUKI.
( However, Woman's KABUKI was put a ban on by an old Japanese government a few years later. There's no woman actor in the KABUKI world from then, although a woman created it.)

So the KABUKI was never born without western culture. I think that's interesting.

Edit:
He's very famous in Japan、and there're a lot of a lot of stories/mangas/novels/movies about him.
If you know some manga about him, it's just one of them.
Almost every "Shirou" looks like this, because he originally looked like this.
I just drew the original Shirou with a little of my tastes.
Sorry if I don't know the shirous in mangas you've read.

Devious Comments


~Kii-chan:iconKii-chan: Jan 6, 2007, 5:55:18 PM Mood: Joy
;o Cute <3. As always.
~Sitara-Leota:iconSitara-Leota: Jan 6, 2007, 5:55:28 PM
Beautiful, and very meaningful. It's a marvelous picture.

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Soli Deo gloria!
~Kii-chan:iconKii-chan: Jan 6, 2007, 5:56:46 PM
On another note, I don't know what Kabuki is. xD
~shindou-shuichi:iconshindou-shuichi: Jan 6, 2007, 5:57:15 PM
Very lovely...I love how the stained glass image in the background was done.

Very interesting History, too. :o I never knew any of those things about Christianity in Japan.

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You should be saying, "I want you to save me."
~chinakunoame:iconchinakunoame: Jan 6, 2007, 5:59:11 PM
I really like the history connection of past/present in the front and background. :thumbsup:=D

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さようならわ未来の為に... 忘れないよ
=Naughty-kittykitty:iconNaughty-kittykitty: Jan 6, 2007, 6:00:40 PM
I love how you have based the picture around japan's history, it seems to have a lot more meaning that way, another +fav :)

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Check out my texture stock account: ~kittytextures
~Akurosu:iconAkurosu: Jan 6, 2007, 6:00:44 PM
I learn so much about Japan from you! xDD;;;

it is interesting. ^_^
~yume-chan666:iconyume-chan666: Jan 6, 2007, 6:01:23 PM
beautiful! and i love the girls kimono, its so pretty! :heart:

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:omg: ...i see you have boom-boom sticks... bye! :sprint:
~DragonOfHeart:iconDragonOfHeart: Jan 6, 2007, 6:01:54 PM
Beautiful piece :heart:~

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I swear that we are best friends till the end.
~YukiYuki:iconYukiYuki: Jan 6, 2007, 6:02:49 PM
wow thats very nice love how u made the window thingy :D the character looks very peaceful just by the look inthe eyes ^^ great job apricot~ sad story thou T.T