 |
Samon Gokuu (悟空猿門 Gokuu Samon) is a supporting character in the Nanbaka Web Manga and anime. He is a guard of Nanba Prison where he is the former assistant turned supervising officer of building five. He is also the younger brother of the deceased Enki Gokuu.[2]
Appearance[]
Samon is a slim young man of below-average height. He has lightly tanned skin and slicked-back curly orange hair that has green bangs at the bottom on both sides; when he was younger, he wore it long and tied into a thin braid.[5] His eyes are green and outlined with red makeup; additional red makeup is dotted at the corners of his mouth. He wears two silver, hoop earrings in each of his ears, and his arms and legs are covered in red sleeve tattoos featuring numerous spiral patterns. His nails are painted light green.
Samon wears a slightly modified version of the standard Nanba Prison guard uniform. He wears round, red, and gold shoulder pads instead of rectangular ones, and his belt is fastened with an oval-shaped buckle; attached to the back of his belt is an ornament resembling a monkey's tail, which is red in color with a white tip. Instead of being black, his boots sport a red and black camouflage pattern and have green and gold trimming. He wears spiral-shaped pins on his collar, and his hat is decorated with a gold headband instead of the Nanba Prison symbol. As a guard of building five, he wears a dark green armband on his left arm.
Personality[]
Samon's arrogance
Like many residents of building five, Samon is a competitive, energetic and feisty individual. He is very dedicated to his training and has been since childhood,[6] harboring immense pride in his abilities to the extent that it borders on arrogance; while fighting an opponent he deems unworthy, he does so while closing his eyes or using only one arm as a means of "engaging" them.[7] He regularly subjects his inmates to training as a form of both rehabilitation and punishment,[8][9] and claims that his building is the most disciplined as a result. As such, he largely considers himself to be the superior of all of the supervisors.[10] He is very disciplined and diligent himself, and subsequently has little patience with lazy or frivolous people.[11] He is noted to be rather childish and has a short fuse, regularly losing his temper over insignificant things such as the mention of his weaknesses.[7]
Samon admits to his faults
Much of Samon’s pride seems to stem from a significant inferiority complex that he harbors towards Enki Gokuu, who spent much of their childhood informing Samon that he was weak.[12] As such, he regularly refuses to admit to his losses or weaknesses[7] and sees any offer of help as a personal insult, resulting in him stubbornly taking on all tasks by himself to the point that his subordinates often worry about his health.[13] He is ambitious and quickly becomes frustrated when he isn’t as strong or dependent as others,[14] wishing to be the strongest of those around him in order to both defeats and protect them,[15] Eventually, he openly characterizes his own pride and ambitiousness as mere greed and petty lies,[16] showing a surprising amount of maturity by reconciling with his flaws and asking his coworkers for help for the first time.
Samon is dedicated to his job and often takes it upon himself to try to unveil his coworker’s misdeeds[17] or otherwise enforce the rules in the place of his boss.[4] He himself asserts that he is the superior supervisor and has never permitted an inmate to escape, further displaying his arrogance.[10] Befitting of his feisty and energetic nature, he is quick to pick fights with others.[4]
Background[]
Samon sees Enki for the first time
Samon was born and raised in the mountains of China as a member of the Gokuu Clan, a clan who secluded themselves and trained in the mountains. Samon's mother was against him living such a lifestyle to the point of fleeing with him to Japan; however, Hihi Gokuu (Samon's grandfather) followed them and brought him back to China. With his father leaving the clan to rekindle his bond with his mother, Salmon remained under Hihi's care in the mountains where he routinely refused to participate in any training, seeing it as tedious and stupid. However, he was one day introduced to Enki Gokuu, his older brother, and was captivated by his strength and dedication to training.[3] Inspired, his mindset changed considerably and he took to following Enki everywhere he went, openly desiring to be as strong as him; Enki, however, claimed that they weren't looking for the same kind of strength and ordered Samon not to follow him. Despite this, Samon continued to do so and imitated his training techniques; though he was rarely successful, he persisted in hopes of finding out more about Enki and the strength he sought out.
When he was around seven, Samon finally succeeded in exerting a large enough Ki attack to damage a nearby boulder, causing him to approach Enki excitedly with his new achievement. Enki was indifferent to this and Samon's subsequent claims that he wanted to be just like him, but told him to stick to his goal regardless, much to his joy.[6]
Samon meets Noriko
At some point, Enki returned to the mountains with Noriko Sanzou, much to Samon's surprise. As he tried to approach her, he immediately succumbed to her powers and became unable to move, leading Enki to order them to train together until he could withstand her. Despite being unable to go near her without being paralyzed, Salmon developed a strong bond with Noriko who regularly cooked him meals and treated him like a younger brother. He eventually left their spot on the mountains to train alone, returning several days later with enough strength to withstand Noriko's powers.[18] Sometime later, he got into an argument with Noriko over his harsh treatment of Mao Nimaijita, though they made up later that night and fell asleep together. However, when Samon awoke, Noriko had disappeared. Samon was quick to blame Mao for her absence, but Noriko remained unfound.[19]
Samon reunites with Noriko
Samon and Noriko didn't reunite until several years later, where Samon approached Noriko and meekly apologized for failing to protect her.[20] Sometime in the following years, Samon became a prison guard in Shisen Prison alongside Enki; he remained distant from his brother even then, despite regularly hiding in his office for attention and attempting to help him with work.[5] When Shisen Prison was shut down, Samon and Enki began working in Nanba Prison building five, where they became the assistant and supervising officer respectively. Samon soon developed an inferiority complex after frequently being told how different he and Enki were.
Samon watches his brother commit murder
However, one day Enki was caught in the apparent act of murdering one of his inmates.[7] Samon was pushed forward by the other guards and told that as a guard of building five, he should be the one to apprehend his own brother; he was highly unsuccessful, hesitating in his shock until Hajime stepped up and apprehended the supervisor instead of him.[21] Following Enki's arrest, Samon was promoted to supervisor in his place but received constant comments about how similar he and Enki were, with many suggesting that he too would murder and betray the prison.[7]
Plot[]
Part One[]
Samon in Momoko's office
Samon is present in Momoko Hyakushiki's office while Hajime Sugoroku provides his reports. Dissatisfied with his response, Samon promptly berates him resulting in a small fight breaking out between the two, which Momoko breaks up. As Hajime continues to claim that his building has encountered no problems, Samon accuses him of lying resulting in yet another argument between them. As Hajime leaves the office, Samon bemoans his disrespectful attitude and fears that Momoko is angered because of it.[4] The next day, Hajime returns to discuss detailed reports with the warden and Samon instantly attacks him upon his entry, berating his lack of respect the day before until he apologizes; they soon begin fighting again with Hajime apparently beating Samon quite badly. Afterward, he reads the reports Hajime has compiled and is surprised at cell thirteen’s immensely successful escape records, suggesting that they are currently planning something. As Hajime explains the inmates’ history and motives, Samon becomes increasingly surprised at their apparent selfishness.[22]
New Year's Tournament arc[]
Samon vows to defeat Hajime
As the New Year's Tournament begins, Samon appears before Hajime Sugoroku and mocks him for being forced to compete with cell thirteen, stating that he has a much higher chance of winning than them. Continuing to bicker with Hajime, he is soon berated by both Kiji Mitsuba and Kenshirou Yozakura, prompting the three of them to begin arguing.[23]
Samon vs. Hajime
Samon spectates the second round of the New Year's Tournament, having decided to leave the fight to Inori Hakkai since Hajime isn't participating. When both Inori and Liang are defeated, he looks on in irritation.[23] Despite this, building five progresses to the third round and is pitted against building thirteen; after picking a fight with Mitsuru Hitokoe over his offensive commentary, Samon decides to participate alongside Upa and Qi. Mocking Hajime’s unorthodox entrance into the arena, they begin fighting. Samon orders Qi and Upa to attack Hajime, but their attempts are unsuccessful due to an intervention from Nico.[24] Though told to destroy a spinning top, Samon continues to fight Hajime and ignore the official rules, stating he does so out of his own personal dislike of his fellow supervisor. Hajime remains indifferent to Samon's attempts to defeat him, frustrating him further until his anger begins to affect his fighting. At this point, Upa attempts to break the attention by attacking Hajime with his Ki while repremanding Samon for his carelessness.
Continuing to fight Hajime, Samon states that he believes Hajime has been lying to Momoko Hyakushiki and demands the truth from him. His attitude angers Hajime, who threatens Samon until he rises up to fight him again.[17] Despite his efforts, Hajime barely moves under his attacks and knocks him to the ground. Samon is then picked up by Qi, who suggests that they submit. Angered at the suggestion, Samon orders Qi to try to stop Hajime; before they can act, however, Hajime throws his spinning top at the two of them, rendering building five defeated and unable to advance to the final round.[25]
Following their defeat, Samon retreats to the infirmary, where he and Inori discuss their collective losses and recover from their wounds. Inori remarks on the success of the medicine Qi provided them and asks if he was permitted to use poison during the battle with building thirteen. Salmon reveals that Qi had used a numbing agent throughout the fight but that it was effective due to Nico's overexposure to the drug in the past and Hajime's lack of contact with it, confusing both him and Inori. As Inori wonders if Hajime knows of the medicine, Qi provides them, Samon remarks on his unprecedented hatred for him.
Shortly after recovering from his injuries, Samon returns to the arena alongside Kiji where he notices the fight between Jyugo and Musashi and asks Momoko what had caused it. Momoko orders him to capture the inmates, and he obediently enters the arena where he prevents Musashi from killing Kenshirou and Hajime with his flames, berating the two of them for their carelessness. He, Kiji and Kenshirou then work together to apprehend Musashi, Kenshirou distracting him while Salmon traps him in a cage made from his own staff. Kiji and Kenshirou complete the trap and applaude the success of the inmate's arrest. Their celebration is short-lived, however, as Hajime ends up greviously injuring his own inmate, forcing Samon and the others to restrain him.
Later, Samon, Kiji and Kenshirou antagonize Hajime for being to brutal towards Jyugo.[26] After Hajime's subsequent suspension, Momoko tells the three of them that they are to take turns supervising building thirteen in his absence, much to their annoyance.[27] Samon supervises the building during the third day of Hajime's suspension, planning to use the situation to determine wether Hajime is truly telling the truth about his inmates. Upon arrival, he quickly becomes annoyed at Uno, Rock, and Nico for failing to wake up on time, and the unexpected arrival of Yamato Godai prompts the inmates to hide in order to avoid his training. Samon quickly removes them from their hiding place and is immune to their many attempts to trick him into avoiding their training, eventually becoming irritated and running them through a vigorous exercise routine himself.[8]
Samon irritated at his loss
Sometime after the events of the New Year's Tournament, Samon begins to become despondent at his defeat and Hajime’s victory, which takes a great toll on his self esteem. He begins taking on all workplace tasks by himself, including simple ones that could easily ask his subordinates to carry out, believing that Enki and Hajime would both have done the same. Among his subordinates are Daisen Youriki, Daisen Kokoriki and Daisen Rokuriki, all of whom begin to worry about his health as he frequently refuses their help. At some point, Samon overhears the three of them comparing Hajime to Enki and runs away in agitation.[13]
Due to their victory, the inmates of cell thirteen repeatedly request for Samon’s inmates to share in their respective prizes with them, much to his annoyance. Samon is later seen visiting Uno’s recreation room alongside his inmates and Inori with supplies for the room, giving Uno a mahjong board to prevent Inori from using it instead of working.
Part Two[]
Building Five arc[]
Samon defeats Rock
While training with his inmates, Samon places a talisman on Upa and agrees to fight him if he has time. However, he fights Rock instead after being mocked into doing so[28] and quickly defeats him despite having closed his eyes. Rock attempts to fight him again, but Samon knocks him to the ground with one finger and berates him from losing his temper. Despite his warnings, he promptly loses his own temper when Rock compares him to Hajime Sugoroku, prompting the surrounding inmates to wonder why he hates him to such an extent. Leaving the training grounds, Samon is congratulated on his match by Inori Hakkai who offers to watch the rest of the inmates alongside Houdzuki Sanzou while Samon attends a meeting.[7] The meeting begins, with Momoko Hyakushiki explaining that she has been requested to bring information regarding Jyugo and Musashi; when Mao Nimaijita unceremoniously comments on the two and Samon shuts him down.
Samon argues with Mao
Following the meeting, some of the supervisors retreat to a staff room where Mao suggests the sudden meeting has something to do with Samon, angering him. Mao continues to mock him, reminding him that Enki Gokuu (Samon's older brother) was arrested for the brutal murder of one of his inmates and that the majority of their coworkers expect Samon to do the same.[2] As Mao points out the similarities between him and his traitorous brother, Samon eventually loses his temper and storms out, recalling his relationship with his brother alone in the corridor. As he does so, he is approached by Mitsuru who informs him that he has a visitor; entering a visitation room, Salmon is greeted by Noriko Sanzou's. The two discuss Noriko's younger brother before Noriko mentions Enki and becomes concerned that she wasn’t permitted to see him; Samon claims that Enki is at a meeting before the two part ways, leaving Samon despondent.[29]
Samon defeated by Enki
Sometime later, Samon looks through his storage of talismans and concludes that some have been taken. As he does so, Daisen Youriki arrives in an injured state and informs him that Enki and multiple other inmates have escaped from the Gogyousan Underground Prison. Agitated, Samon resolves to fight them himself, angrily refusing Rokuriki’s suggestion of calling for backup. Samon enters building five’s water garden, which has been destroyed due to the violence of the guards and escaped inmates. There he encounters Ruka Gojou, who mocks him before pointing out Enki’s presence.[30] Samon moves to fight Enki, who quickly knocks him down and threatens to kill him if he continues to get in his way. Ignoring him, Samon attempts to fight back until Ruka states that he is unworthy of his status of supervisor; Inori arrives and affirms his statement, producing the unconscious hurt and Liang and revealing that he had been conspiring against Samon due to him being significantly weaker than Enki.[21] Eventually defeated, Samon is locked in the Gogyousan Underground prison where he is later joined by Hajime. After mocking him, Samon reveals that Enki broke out despite his attempts to stop him, unlike the last time; unsympathetic, Hajime suggests that they must kill Enki in order to stop him.
Samon and Hajime fight the Jiang Shi dolls
Remaining trapped in his cell, Samon later hears a disturbance from elsewhere and suggests that it was caused by Ruka. He also states the possibility of another presence that he cannot adequately read, much to Hajime’s annoyance. Sometime later, Jyugo arrives and frees Hajime from his cell before advancing to Salmon upon Liang’s request. Realizing how easily Jyugo can escape, Samon recalls seeing what he thought was an inmate in building thirteen sometime in the past and berates Hajime for lying to him. Ignoring his chastising, Hajime inquires about Inori, with Samon responding that his subordinate would not have betrayed him; he claims that he was obedient due to the presence of the dangerous handcuffs used to restrain him, but Hajime reveals that they are fake. Irritated, Salmon rations that Inori is innocent and continues through the underground with Hajime and Jyugo, eventually coming across Enki’s former cell, which had been destroyed. Sometime later, they encounter a horde of Jiang Shi dolls; vowing to report Hajime to Momoko when they return, Samon begins fighting them, battling them with great efficiency while continuing to bicker with Hajime.
Having defeated the Jiang Shi dolls, Samon runs through the rest of them. Despite his efforts, Enki refuses to answer Samon’s questions and instead runs past him to the prison, where he tries to kill Jyugo. Hajime and Samon prevent him from doing so, with Samon pointing out Enki’s uncharacteristic behavior before ordering Hajime and Jyugo to return to the basement. Before they can do so, they are trapped by Noriko’s Ki which Salmon has to save them from. As Salmon questions why Noriko is there, Jyugo produces his blades once again, causing Samon, Kiji, and Kenshirou to pin Hajime to the ground lest he repeats his actions from the New Year’s Tournament. Samon vows once again to deal with Enki alone but asks Kiji to look after Inori. His requests bemuse Kiji and Kenshirou, who state that he has never asked for their help before.
Despite his efforts, Enki refuses to answer Samon’s questions and instead runs past him to the prison, where he tries to kill Jyugo. Hajime and Samon prevent him from doing so, with Samon pointing out Enki’s uncharacteristic behavior before ordering Hajime and Jyugo to return to the basement. Before they can do so, they are trapped by Noriko’s Ki which Samon has to save them from. As Salmon questions why Noriko is there, Jyugo produces his blades once again, causing Salmon, Kiji, and Kenshirou to pin Hajime to the ground lest he repeats his actions from the New Year’s Tournament. Samon vows once again to deal with Enki alone but asks Kiji to look after Inori.
Samon vs. Enki
Sometime later, Samon berates Enki for allowing Noriko to put herself in danger while Enki tells Samon to kill him if he wants to stop him. Samon wonders why Enki is trying to kill Jyugo; fighting him, he recalls his childhood and notes that while he has lost confidence since Enki’s arrest, little has changed between the two of them. The fight remains seemingly one-sided, with Samon determined to fight in order to understand his brother; as he thinks, Enki, in a seemingly possessed state, attacks and wounds him. Deducing that there is something else within Enki, Samon concludes that he never killed anyone and demands to know the truth. Fighting Enki with the resolve to protect everyone around him, he utilizes a high-level qigong technique taught to him by Noriko in the past in the hopes of surprising him; unaffected, Enki merely repeats the same technique, much to Samon’s annoyance. As Samon collapses to the ground, he notices Noriko and soon rushes to her side. As they apologize to one another, Samon promises to protect both her and Enki. Samon excitedly informs Noriko about the technique he used, only to be told by Enki that there is no longer a need for him to do anything. When the remaining inmates reach the surface, he angrily prevents Uno, Honey, and Trois from making advances on Noriko. As he does so, his inmates and subordinates emerge from the underground; apologizing sheepishly, Samon’s apology is dismissed by Inori and the guards and inmates head back to their respective buildings[31] while Samon tries to think of a cover story for their actions.[14]
Samon cries after Enki and Noriko's death
Later, Samon visits Inori in the infirmary and apologizes for his injuries, vowing to make up for it at some point. As he leaves, he notices Houzuki who is in a state of immense guilt; Samon berates him for his cowardice, telling him to live for Noriko and Enki’s sakes. He then encounters Hajime, telling his fellow supervisor of his plans to prove Enki innocent and subsequently defeat building thirteen in the next New Year’s Tournament. He leaves to visit Noriko and Encore in the infirmary, intending to protect him, only to find that both are already dead.[32]
Samon and Inori later inform Momoko of the events that transpired while she was away, being put under house arrest as a result of their actions. Later, Inori suggests visiting Samon’s family during their arrest while Samon reiterates that Enki killed himself and rebukes his own greed and failure. As Inori comforts him, Salmon begins to cry as he internally vows to keep sight of himself because of what he learned from Enki and Noriko[15]
Part Three[]
Samon catches Jyugo escape
Returning to the prison after his house arrest, Samon encounters Jyugo during his escape attempts[33] and reiterates what he said in the Gogyousan Underground; overhearing, Hajime strikes him over the head in an attempt to induce amnesia, much to Samon’s annoyance. Berating Hajime’s actions and asserting his own superiority as a supervisor, Samon makes to report the situation to Momoko but he is prevented by Uno, Rock and Nico. The inmates propose a game whereby if Samon cannot successfully keep them from escaping, he must abstain from reporting their antics. Mocked by Uno, Samon eventually agrees and swaps places with Hajime for a day under Momoko’s permission.[10] Despite his cockiness, cell thirteen succeed on escaping right away, much to his annoyance; he swiftly beats them before returning them to his cell, ordering them to keep quiet. Assuring Seitarou Tanabata that he wasn’t given any trouble, he berates the junior guard for helping Hajime keep it a secret before being distracted by another disturbance in the cell; attempting to apprehend the inmates, he soon catches one of Nico’s strange illnesses and has to be taken to the infirmary to reverse it. Irritated at the situation, Samon attempts to continue his duties but is soon distracted by cell thirteen, all four of whom had escaped once again. Angered, he attempts to take them out for training only for them to vehemently refuse.[9]
Samon forces cell thirteen to train
Sometime later, Samon is approached by Seitarou who complains about cell thirteen’s unfair treatment of him. Annoyed, Samon questions the poor behavior they have displayed throughout the day only to be told that such occurrences are normal. He then retreats to a staff room, exhausted. He is soon joined by Jyugo, who points out that Samon has lost but then states that he can still report the actions if he wishes to; Samon reprimands him, causing Jyugo to compare him with Hajime. Despite his irritation, Samon amicably gives Jyugo one of his ice-creams while ordering him not to waste the chance his siblings gave him. As he agrees to rethink the report, Samon vows to hunt down the man with the scar himself as revenge for his actions towards Enki.[34] Following his and Hajime’s match, Samon reports to Momoko that while he encountered no problems, he is disappointed in the inmates’ laziness. He returns to cell thirteen to inform them of the exercise routine he developed for them, taking them out for training as a means of both discipline and personal vengeance. As they attempt to escape, he orders Houdzuki Sanzou to capture them and runs them through an intense training routine.[35]
Trivia[]
- Samon's name is written with the characters for "monkey" (猿 sa) and "gate" (門 mon). His surname is written with the characters for "enlightenment" (悟 go) and "sky" (空 kuu).
- In particular, his surname is read as "Wukong" in Chinese, which is a common Buddhist name used for figures like Sun Wukong AKA Son Gokuu (the Monkey King) from the Chinese tale Journey to the West, or other similar characters named after him (such as the Dragon Ball character).
- Likewise, Samon's fighting style is modeled after the Monkey King. He also shares the same Japanese voice actor who voiced Wukong/Gokuu from the series Gensoumaden Saiyuuki (another adaptation of Journey to the West) to further this allusion.
- In particular, his surname is read as "Wukong" in Chinese, which is a common Buddhist name used for figures like Sun Wukong AKA Son Gokuu (the Monkey King) from the Chinese tale Journey to the West, or other similar characters named after him (such as the Dragon Ball character).
- Samon, with Kiji Mitsuba, Kenshirou Yozakura and Momoko Hyakushiki, is an allusion to the Japanese folklore Momotaro, with Samon representing one of Momotaro's companions, the monkey.
- His favourite drink is Pocari Sweat.
- According to Samon's character card;[1]
- His favorite color is emerald green.
- He likes ice cream and sports.
- He dislikes bananas and Hajime Sugoroku.
- His hobbies are training and gardening.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 37.2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 66
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 123
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 10
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 115
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 124
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 65
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 28
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 149
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 148
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 57
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 129
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 110
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 144
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 146
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 117
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 19
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 130
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 131
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 134
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 77
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 11
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 15
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 18
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 20
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 25
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 26
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 64
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 67
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 76
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 143
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 145
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 147
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 150
- ↑ Nanbaka Web Manga, Chapter 152