This is a short, sweet but very meaningful response to one of the current worldwide Trending Topics on Twitter.

I would like to share a passage from Tsunetomo Yamamoto’s warrior treatise, Hagakure. This means “In the Shadow of the Leaves”.

This name served as the inspiration of the ninja clan to whom Kage-Maru, the Shadow Warrior, of Virtua Fighter belongs.

Kage is my favorite character in Virtua Fighter, both in the game as well as in the anime adaptation. In fact, he was the very reason why I fell in love with the entire series in the first place.

When I found out about that the Hagakure ninja clan’s name was inspired by the ultimate bushido manual, I researched the same and eventually got my hands on the full English translation of Yamamoto’s Hagakure. It makes for very interesting and fascinating reading.

It begins with the idea that the way of the warrior is death.

Stupendous. I love it!

In one’s life, there are levels in the pursuit of study.

In the lowest level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that both he and others are unskillful. At this point he is worthless.

In the middle level, he is still useless but is aware of his own insufficiencies and can also see the insufficiencies of others.

In a higher level, he has pride concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others, and laments the lack of ability in his fellows. This man has worth.

In the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.

Over the past weekend, so much of yours truly’s free time was spent VF-ing (“veefing”).

I have now come to a most fearsome point where I cast Virtua Fighter‘s video game characters, in my dream movie.

Akira Yuki – Jason Scott Lee
Jason played Bruce Lee in Dragon, the latter’s biographical film, plus they have same compact body structure. Second choice is Paolo Montalban, who played Kung-Lao in Mortal Kombat: Conquest.

Pai Chan – Ming-Na Wen
She played Chun Li in Street Fighter, plus she looks good fighting in a cheongsam. Second choice is Kelly Hu, who stars in the TV action series Martial Law and could also kick some serious butt.

Jacky Bryant – Linden Ashby
He has the speed, agility and arrogance down pat, but they have to put a bucketful of mousse on his hair to make it all spiky. Second choice is James Marsden, because he and Jacky have the same facial features and he is good as a blustery macho-yet-softie type.

Sarah Bryant – Sarah Michelle Gellar
She already has the kick-ass Buffy moves and the blonde good looks. Second choice is Bridget Wilson, who played Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat.

Kage-Maru – Steven Seagal
Although he isn’t Oriental like Kage, Seagal and the Shadow Warrior are alike in an AWFUL LOT of ways – the chiseled features, the ponytail, the close-in fighting technique. Second choice is Byron Mann, Ryu in Street Fighter, but he looks too “suavely handsome” for the part.

Lau Chan – Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
He is used to playing Big Bad Grand Master parts, as he was Shang-Tsung in Mortal Kombat.

Wolf Hawkfield – The Rock
Gargantuan yet kinda sweet pro wrestler. Need I say more?

Jeffry McWild – Michael Clarke Duncan
Another big sweet lug, this time a family man. Big Mike has the part down pat.

Master Shun Di – Victor Wong
He played Grandpa in the 3 Ninjas movies, plus he already has the Drunken Master slurrish sort of – voice.

Lion Rafale – Orlando Bloom
Rebellious, hot and fairly young. He had all that training in LOTR and Lion’s Torou-ken would surely look good with his acquired elven grace. Hubba.

Aoi Umenokoji – Zhang Ziyi
Schoolgirl Aoi is young, pretty and spirited, plus she’s the love interest of the series hero Akira. Sounds like a made-to-order role for the Double Z.

Lei-Fei – Jet Li
The dour demeanor and the ability to kick ass even in bothersome Shaolin robes and capes, plus he looks good without hair as seen in the many Once Upon A Time in China movies.

Vanessa Lewis – Halle Berry
She played Storm in X-Men and looked okay with white hair, but as Vanessa she has to buff up.

To make our dream package complete, it is either Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) or John Woo (Face/Off, Mission: Impossible II) for director.

Theme song definitely by Korn.

In a Virtua Fighter mailing list, someone asked if anyone knew the original Japanese term for Akira Yuki’s “Stun Palm of Doom” move.

Interesting question. I believe it was also one of showcase moves in the anime, which was repeated in slow-motion and then explained by the voice-over narrator. The downside to this, however, is that the anime’s episodes had been dubbed in Filipino when they were shown in the country. The local voice actor sort of just burbled the Japanese words out.

As far as I could discern, the Stun Palm move is very likely from the practice of Aikido. I absolutely love this fighting style, although it is not really meant for the extensive use of smaller fighters, yours truly being one of them.

Aikido, or even Akira’s “Eight Extreme Fists” or Hakkyoku-ken, is for those who have the breadth and height to go close in without fear of being engulfed to death in his opponent’s arms.

In a bout of shameless fangirlism, I translated the Virtua Fighter anime series image song of Sarah Bryant. After doing it, nothing can stop me from believing that she is singing about Kage-Maru!

Surgeon General’s Warning: Heart-stopping ninjas with scarred cheeks and who like to take long showers are dangerous to your health.

Shisen-kara Dangerous
At a dangerous glance

The neon is vivid
On everyone in the brilliant night review
The street corners are brought to an excited rustle
Alone, I look for something distinctly you

The wind stirs up the world
Into a burning fight zone
My eyes are caught in this destination
Can I wait any longer before going to you?

This boundless anguish that is your doing
Ah, I’ve never felt anything like this before
Don’t look at me

At a dangerous glance
My passion is brought to a breaking point
So extraordinarily dangerous
Now I wonder what can I do

The sound of your chest being struck
Your wounds send out a fight beat
Your arms lapse into a rhythm
Your movements make time stand still

Impossibly, the whole of me is restless
Ah, I let out murmurs of unknown things
I can’t turn away

Your dangerous lips
Quickly ensnare the naive me
So temptingly dangerous
Nothing could so brightly strike me

Don’t look at me
At a dangerous glance
My passion is brought to a breaking point
So extraordinarily dangerous
Nothing of this planned game is easy
Your dangerous lips
Quickly ensnare the naive me
So temptingly dangerous
Now I wonder what can I do

Now. Wasn’t that just hot?