Housen ( 鳳仙 ) was the ruler of Yoshiwara and a former high ranked official within the Harusame Space Pirates. He is the main antagonist of Yoshiwara in Flames Arc
Background
His title, "King of the Night", did not solely come from him being the ruler of Yoshiwara, the land of eternal night, but also from being known as "King of the Yato", an Amanto tribe that is averse to sunlight. Even amongst the dozens of powerhouses within the Yato tribe, the King of the Night was a powerful figure who built his own army. He founded the 7th Division of the Harusame, of which Kamui later would become the youngest leader. Long ago, Housen reigned over the Yato as the King of the Night. Umibouzu was the only one who refused to follow him, and so they fought each other. The fight lasted continuously for 3 days and nights, and the only reason they stopped fighting was because Umibouzu needed a toilet break, and no victor was declared. However, Umibouzu was the first one who could keep up with Housen for so long, the first one he couldn't settle a fight with, and it was the first time he had a fight end in that manner, as stated by Housen himself in Episode 141.
As time passed by, he became a high-ranking official within the Harusame, of which he also founded the 7th Division, as stated by Kamui in Episode 141. It is not known when or how this happened.
Ultimately, he decided to retire in Yoshiwara, where he would meet a young Hinowa who saw him walking with an umbrella on a sunny day. Confused by this, she persistently kept asking why he was afraid of the sun, and got punished by her caretakers, as she was unaware that those of the Yato tribe are averse to sunlight.
According to Hinowa, Housen had hard time dealing with Suzuran due to her refusal to leave her post.
Eight years before present time, a woman became pregnant in Yoshiwara. In a place like Yoshiwara, this would mean death for both the child and the mother, so a group of women decided to protect her and prevent this from happening. Hinowa, now a grown woman, was one of them. The pregnant woman died giving birth to the child, but when the ones protecting them tried to run away and escape with the child, Hosen came after them. With the Hyakka, he caught them on a bridge, but Hinowa came prepared to give her life, so she took one of the Hyakka's spears and pointed it at her neck. Hosen then threathened that he knew they had hid the child under the bridge with another caretaker, and would not oversee this if she committed suicide. Hinowa then gave in, and both she and the child who would later be known as Seita survived.
Appearance
He was tall, strong, endowed physically and had very leaned and toned muscles. He had a very manly looking face some would say he was very handsome, with dark black eyes, and long, dark-gray hair. It's uncertain if his hair color came from his age, or if it was always like that, because in his flashback from when he was fighting Umibouzu, it was basically the same color, with a darker tone, despite his age he kept his hair. Like all of his kind, he had flawless smooth fair skin, very well toned body unhindered by age, and was "well-endowed".
Personality
Housen ruled Yoshiwara with an iron fist. With the yato blood running through his veins, he was just as bloodthirsty and battlehungry as any other of them. He enjoyed sake and seemed to have a incredibly high tolerance for it, it is impiled that as a Yato he posses an insatiable appetite, lust and immense self-control. He was known to be quite lustful, having bedded many women (with his "well-endowed" bazooka as said by Gintoki). He always kept Hinowa close to him, and it seems he needed her moreso as a woman than as an object, keeping her alive and even cutting the tendons at the back of her feet to ensure she would not escape. He possessed immense authoritative charisma and eloquence, and if he wanted to he was capapble of easily intimidating and manipulate, anyone and anything into being submissive, obedient, and loyal to him, by his presence alone. Only those who with exceptional willpower and courage would have some resistance. But nonetheless in the end all he truly wanted was to rest under the sun, showing a rather kind, gentle and peaceful charismatic side to him.
Strength & Abilities
His strength is equal to Umibouzu's, the most powerful alien hunter in the universe, one of the few who opposed Housen.
As an elite Yato, Hosen has incredible; force, strength, speed, reflexes, flexibility, agility, durability, endurance, senses, willpower, pain-tolerance, instincts, perception and regenerative capacity which far exceeded that of humans and even that of his fellow Yato. As the other members of the clan, his main weapon is an umbrella, in this case, he wielded a large, black umbrella when fighting, but a smaller, red one in his flashback against Umibouzu. He can use perfectly with only one hand. Gintoki mentions that he has an monstrous strength and he can destroy someone with low effort he was capable of shattering Gintoki's kata with his palm easily, even destroying an entire column with no effort.. As King of the Night, and a former Captain of the Harusame he possesed exceptional leadership and tactical skills. He possessed immense authoritative charisma and eloquence, and if he wanted to he was capapble of easily intimidating and manipulate anyone and anything into being submissive, obedient, and loyal to him, by his presence alone. Only those who with exceptional willpower and courage would have some resistance. Hinowa pointed out that in the end all he wanted was to rest peacefully under the sun, showing that he also had strong, gentle, kind charisma as well.
Housen's main weakness would be sunlight due to him staying underground for many years, causing his skin to crack.
Story
Yoshiwara in Flames Arc
In present time, Hosen was introduced in Episode 139 of the Yoshiwara arc. A Hyakka scout reported that a ronin, who turned out to be Sakata Gintoki of the Yorozuya, had been hired by Seita so that he could see Hinowa. Believing it was not worth his time, Hosen had previously been ignoring this child who had been spotted multiple times asking for Hinowa. Hosen then sent Tsukuyo to kill the child and Gintoki. Tsukuyo, having ties with Hinowa, instead tried to help them get away. However, in their path to escape they were suddenly attacked by Kamui, Abuto and Ungyou of the Harusame Space Pirates. The Yorozuya and Tsukuyo tried to fight them off, and managed to escape with their lives, but Seita was abducted. Kamui then brought Seita directly to Hosen, requesting a night with Hinowa, much to Hosen's animosity. Kamui further angered Hosen by calling Yoshiwara a heaven he had made for himself, a prison for a poor neglected old man to keep hold of his cute, little dolls. Hosen continuously told Kamui to shut up, but when he didn't, a fight broke loose between the two, as Kamui was only out for the blood of one who was as strong or stronger than himself. However, the fight was quickly stopped by Abuto and Ungyou, as the members of the Harusame had only been sent there to investigate Hosen, and fighting was completely unnessecary. Interfering with the two, Abuto lost an arm and Ungyou lost his life in the process.
Meanwhile, the Yorozuya, disguised as members of the Hyakka, and Tsukuyo entered Hosen's mansion. However they were quickly found out, and Tsukuyo had to stay behind to fight the Hyakka off. Kagura and Shinpachi fought Abuto, who couldn't handle an awakened Kagura, but didn't want to kill one of his own race (Yato) either. The battle ended outside on a roof slate, and as Shinpachi held back Kagura from dealing the final blow on Abuto, the slate fell apart, and their footing with it. Abuto ultimately saved them by pushing them back on a ledge as he fell off the building. Kamui brought Seita to Hinowa because he wanted to see that which could drive an old man to such a state. Hosen then arrived, only to tell Seita that Hinowa wasn't his real mother. Finally, Sakata Gintoki made his entrance and Kamui sat back and watched as a large battle was fought between Gintoki and Hosen. Gintoki had much trouble even defending against the King of the Night, but managed to buy Seita enough time to carry Hinowa out of there, as the tendons on the back of her feet and been cut. Tsukuyo appeared along with a number of Hyakka who were rebelling against Hosen and attacked him with a rain of kunai. Gintoki then stood back up again and continued fighting Hosen with the help of Tsukuyo and the rebelling Hyakka. Hinowa told Seita to head to the control room to open the hatch that prevented sunlight from entering Yoshiwara, which was originally a shipyard for building Bakufu ships. The ships entered through the hatch, and after Seita managed to open it, Gintoki dealt the final blow on Hosen that sent him straight through the wall of his mansion and out into the sunlight. As Hosen was a yato who hadn't seen sunlight for many years, as stated by Hinowa in Episode 144, his body immediately reacted to the sun and he dried up, dying in Hinowa's lap, who had been carried to him by two rebelling members of the Hyakka, as seen in Episode 145. She had always wanted to show him the sun, and cried as she said that he was just a foolish old man who wanted to sleep under the sun, yet he built that foolish city (Yoshiwara), and turned everyone against him.
Hosen was buried at an unbearably hot place, as stated by Umibouzu in Episode 146. He was buried on a cliff with his umbrella used as a gravestone. Gintoki, who was there with Umibouzu, said that the prostitutes wanted Hosen to sunbathe in the afterlife. Umibouzu then told Gintoki that he didn't expect him to take down Hosen. However, Gintoki quickly disapproved that he did it himself, and said he never would have made it alone and that they just ganged up on him. Umibouzu continued that Kamui thought otherwise. Kamui had been put in charge of Yoshiwara, as he took credit for killing Hosen, telling the Harusame that it was a result of their investigation. But he hadn't sent anybody there, and had left the place completely unattended. According to Umibouzu, this was because Kamui had no interest in Yoshiwara. His only interest was in Gintoki, and he obtained Yoshiwara so that no one would lay a hand on them. Umibouzu then stated that Gintoki may have saved Yoshiwara, but he himself, would be killed.
Battles
- Housen vs. Kamui ( Interrupted )
- Sakata Gintoki vs. Housen ( Win )
- Sakata Gintoki, Tsukuyo and Hyakka vs. Housen ( Lost )
Template