| Synopsis |
|---|
| Death assigns Tsubaki Nakatsukasa to the Village of Shin on reports that the Uncanny Sword is on his way to becoming a Kishin. Upon reaching the village, Tsubaki learns how notorious is the history of Black☆Star's clan. Upon facing the Uncanny Sword, Tsubaki must fight alone, for this Uncanny Sword is her brother, Masamune. |
Uncanny Sword (Part 1) (不思議な剣 (パート1), Yōtō (Zenpen)) is the seventh chapter and overall tenth installment of the original Soul Eater Manga. The anime equivalent of this chapter is 'The Enchanted Sword Masamune – Break the Soul Possession: A Heart Sings in the Rain?'.
Featured Appearances[]
Characters[]
- Black☆Star
- Tsubaki Nakatsukasa
- Death
- Franken Stein
- Ryōku (first appearance)
- Masamune Nakatsukasa (first appearance)
- White☆Star (As part of a concept) (first appearance)
Techniques/Abilities[]
- Soul Possession (first appearance)
- Shadow Puppet (first appearance)
- Speed☆Star (first appearance)
- Split Branches (first appearance)
- Shield☆Star (first appearance)
Locations[]
- DWMA
- Village of Shin (and a surrounding forest) (first appearance)
- Inside the Uncanny Sword (first appearance)
Plot[]
Death and Stein converse while Tsubaki travels.
DWMA (Death Room)[]
Tsubaki Nakatsukasa converses with Death in the Death Room to discuss the appearance of a dark weapon, the Uncanny Sword, whose weapon form is a katana. Tsubaki personally takes on this mission as a personal quest. Death replies with the thought of Black☆Star's opinion. Tsubaki tells the shinigami that Black☆Star personally told her his soul is in her hands.
The two assassins head off to East Asia for Shin Village, the village of needles. Professor Franken Stein approaches Death soon after the two's departure to say given the circumstances, Stein himself should deal with the Sword. Death backs Tsubaki's decision by stating she is not one to make rash decisions and when it comes to this matter, she is willing to die.
Shin Village[]
"The prejudice against Black☆Star."
Arriving in Shin Village, Black☆Star makes an entrance worthy of his ego by announcing his presence while a elder villager tells Black☆Star that he's damned for using their guardian deity statue as a stage. He quickly predicts the old man is the Uncanny Sword as Tsubaki states that Masamune is not that old. The man obviously takes offensive to this and begins building his reputation while gyrating the air. A village boy a little older than Black☆Star appears, named Ryōku. Ryōku wants to know what all the excitement is about when Black☆Star calls him out for being the Demon Blade. Ryōku discovers Black☆Star's shoulder tattoo. The boy tosses a coin to the assassin to try and play towards the greed side of Black☆Star's clan. The reveal makes the entire village extremely angry and violent as they chase the meister and weapon to a nearby forest.
Nearby Forest[]
The Star Clan.
The weather takes a turn for the worst as the rain begins to pour on an otherwise somber situation, hindering Black☆Star's already poor Soul Perception skills. Tsubaki comes to his side, remaining silent because of what had just happened. Black☆Star then asks if she is curious about what happened at the village. She isn't. Black☆Star tells her that he doesn't like long stories, so she says that she won't look inquisitive anymore. After a slight pause, Black☆Star replies that he 'hears to the voices of the audience' and he gives the tale of the Star Clan. They were a band of murderous assassins who were characterized by their greed and ruthlessness. The clan made enemies from a lot of places, probably attacking Shin in the process as well. They were purged thirteen years ago by DWMA. Black☆Star was a newly born infant at the time and writes it off as his parents getting what they deserve and no harm, no foul. While Tsubaki thinks it's unfair that everyone bears a grudge against him based upon his family, Black☆Star replies that he doesn't mind as it gets him attention. Tsubaki laughs along but doubts that her partner would want attention from being hated.
Shin Village[]
Elsewhere, a poetic, brooding "shadow" wanders into the village.
Masamune hunts.
This shadow is the Uncanny Sword, Masamune, supposedly in the village in search of healthy souls, as noted before by Tsubaki. Ryōku is in a barn anticipating the return of Black☆Star; Ryōku is fearful of him because of his lineage. Masamune preys on the fears and doubts of others and thus appears behind him. He proposes a deal to grant Ryōku power in order to free himself from fear. A blood-curdling scream is heard from the village and the two assassins head there from the forest.
When they arrive at the village, a different Ryōku meets them. He is now under the Soul Possession, a technique in which a soul hijacks another instead of harmonizing together equally. This means that Masamune is in full control of Ryōku through his weapon form, which Tsubaki notes is oddly drab in comparison to its past appearence. Tsubaki and Black☆Star make the plan that if Black☆Star can distrupt the connection between the boy and Masamune via his Soul Wavelength attacks then Tsubaki will personally take the rest. With this plan spoken aloud, the blade recognizes Tsubaki and the possessed boy and the assassin begin to fight.
Shield☆Star being utilised.
Ryōku utilizes Masamune's shadow powers by having a shadow minion appear from his shadow; this is a Shadow Puppet, a creature summoned by Masamune in order to assist him in his battle. Realising that he is up against two opponents, Black☆Star uses Speed☆Star, a technique gives him great speed, but with the weather being what it is, Black☆Star slips, banging his crotch against the corner of a house. Tsubaki gives him advice about the weather conditions as Masamune has grown weary of the two and plans to finish the fight with one lunge. As the pitch black Puppet Strike aims for Black☆Star, he scuttles away. Another thrust misses as Black☆Star simply leans back to dodge it. This is countered as the shadow misses horizontally but soon spans sharp branches from itself, dealing damage to Black☆Star with the shadow move, Split Branches. Black☆Star is clearly on the losing side of battle as he complains this isn't his time. Masamune plans to finish the two; however, Tsubaki knows about Masamune's impatience and uses it to her and Black☆Star's advantage. Stepping upon the great deity as higher ground the two perform their Soul Resonance, Shield☆Star, outlined in Tsubaki's Kusarigama's chains. Proving Tsubaki's plan right, he dives into the attack, which gives Black☆Star the oppurtunity to use his better aerial combant skills.
Tsubaki about to enter the Uncanny Sword.
Black☆Star proclaims his aerial prowess, also stating that Masamune's era is over and that this is Black☆Star's time while distrupting the Soul Possession with theBig Wavetechnique. Masamune's grip over Ryōku, as well as Ryōku's physical grip over Masamune is released. Black☆Star catches the boy as Tsubaki charges for Masamune. Tsubaki thanks her partner as she plans to enter the world of the demon blade. She succeeds, screaming briefly and becoming still and silent afterwards.
Inside the Uncanny Sword[]
"Tsubaki and Masamune inside the Uncanny Sword."
Tsubaki enters the sword. She looks around for Masamune, stating aloud that he should have come after her to possess her soul. As she says this, Masamune replies from his seat on a Shadow Puppet that he intends to eat it instead. He notes that brother and sister coming after each other's souls makes him unnerved as he reveals his face. Tsubaki, locked in a Soul Possession battle, prepares to fight her brother by materialising her chain scythe form. Masamune summons the Uncanny Sword in his hand, asking her to get ready. She does the same.
Manga and Anime Differences[]
- In Chapter 7, Black☆Star hits his crotch on the corner of a building, while in Episode 10, he hits it on the statue of the village's god.
- In Chapter 7, Tsubaki is more forthright in telling Black☆Star that Masamune is her brother than she is in Episode 10, whereas Black☆Star is not told about Tsubaki and Masamune's siblinghood in Episode 10.
- In Episode 10, Tsubaki tells Death that she has not told Black☆Star everything yet, as he does not need to know the whole story. She means to tell him about her siblinghood with Masamune but does not get round to it in Episode 10.
- In fact, in Chapter 7, Black☆Star is present when she calls Masamune her "big brother" when she says her "big brother isn't that old" when referring to the old man who Black☆Star accuses of being the Uncanny Sword or not.
- In Episode 10, Black☆Star never refers to Tsubaki and Masamune's siblinghood.
- Episode 10 includes additional scenes featuring Maka and other students.
- In Episode 10, Soul and Maka discuss that Stein has skipped class. Maka thinks that he is dissecting something, and Soul says that he's just unpredictable. He then goes on to say that the day will be cool because "Captain Spaz" is not in. Maka assumes that he is referring to Black☆Star, before noticing that Tsubaki isn't in either. An unnamed student mentions that somebody overheard news of their mission and that it's been all over school. Maka worries about them briefly.
- In a later scene in Episode 10, Maka and Soul bring Stein to the Death Room so they may confront Death about why Black☆Star and Tsubaki were allowed to go after the Uncanny Sword. Kid, Liz, and Patty then arrive, at which point Stein explains how Masamune takes advantage of his victims' fear. They are then seen observing the fight and commenting on it.
- In Episode 10, Ryōku's mother and father were revealed to have been killed by the Star Clan.
- The confrontation scene between Masamune and Ryōku is much longer in Episode 10.
- In Episode 10, the old man has a conversation with Ryōku after the boy's possession.
- In Chapter 7, Tsubaki thinks that Masamune is after the Village of Shin's souls because they are healthy. In Episode 10, Tsubaki is not as sure but conjectures that they are vulnerable out of fear.
- Masamune does not write a haiku in Episode 10.
- In Episode 10, Tsubaki and Masamune have a more friendly conversation inside the Uncanny Sword. In addition, the ball from their childhood is present on the ground in Episode 10.
Trivia[]
- Black☆Star may have broken the fourth wall just before his explanation of the Star Clan, as he claims that he hears the voices of the audience and they're asking him not to have a flashback. However, this may just be him referring to his 'stardom'.