Ryokan Kurosawa
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| "Even if it were my own daughter...for the sake of the village...I would perform the Ritual..." | ||
| Japanese | 黒澤 良寛 くろさわ りょうかん | |
| Alias | Head of Kurosawa House (DCB) | |
| Family | Unnamed wife (deceased) Sae and Yae (daughters) | |
| Occupation | Ceremony Master | |
| Cause of Death | Killed in the Repentance | |
| Encounter | Kurosawa House, Rope Temple | |
| Games | Fatal Frame II Deep Crimson Butterfly Crimson Butterfly Remake | |
| Notes | Ceremony Master's Notes | |
| Spirit Stone | Chrysocolla | |
| English Voice Actor | Michael Bell | |
The head of the Kurosawa family, Ryokan Kurosawa was the last Ceremony Master of Minakami Village, and father to twins Sae and Yae Kurosawa in Fatal Frame II. When alive, his job was to preside over the village rituals and act as chief.[1]
Past
Ryokan Kurosawa was born in Minakami Village as a member of the important Kurosawa family. As a boy he served as an Altar Twin and killed his brother in his own Crimson Sacrifice Ritual, becoming a Remaining.[2] Afterwards, he dedicated his life to the village, and later became Ceremony Master himself. Yae and Sae's mother took her own life by jumping into the Hellish Abyss shortly after they were born, and Ryokan raised them with as much comfort and freedom as possible, knowing what their eventual fate would be.[3]
Countdown to the Repentance
When the time came, Ryokan presided over the ritual of Itsuki and Mutsuki Tachibana, in which Mutsuki was sacrificed. This ritual failed, which meant that Ryokan's daughters were next in line to act as Twin Shrine Maidens. The year between the Tachibanas' ritual and the Kurosawa twins' ritual was marked by earthquakes and poor harvests, as the Malice overflowing from the Hellish Abyss grew stronger than ever.[4]
Unbeknownst to Ryokan, Itsuki had sent a letter to his childhood friend, Ryozo Munakata, asking for help. Ryozo arrived at the village with his teacher Seijiro Makabe, who happened to be a folklorist. With time running out, Ryokan seized the opportunity presented by the arrival of the outsiders, and instructed his priests to imprison Makabe and prepare him to become a Kusabi. The ritual was carried out in the Rope Temple, where the sacrifice was tortured to the point of death by the Veiled Priests, before being thrown into the Hellish Abyss whilst still alive. This sacrifice appeased the Hellish Abyss a little, but was not enough.
In the midst of this, Sae and Yae ran away with Itsuki's help. Itsuki was imprisoned in the Storehouse, and Sae was recaptured, but Yae could not be found. In desperation, Ryokan sacrificed Sae alone by hanging her from the torii gate at the entrance to the Abyss. This incomplete ritual was the final straw; the darkness overflowed from the Abyss and swallowed the whole village, and Sae and the Kusabi's vengeful spirit returned from the land of the dead and set about massacring the villagers gathered in Kurosawa House. This disaster was the Repentance the villagers had long feared. Ryokan died along with the other villagers during the Repentance,[5] though the moment of his death is not shown.
Gallery
Misc Info
- Ryokan's hostile spirit resembles that of a Sokushinbutsu, which were Buddhist monks or priests who "obtained enlightenment" during their lives by causing their own death in a strict and painful way that caused mummification.
- In Fatal Frame II and Deep Crimson Butterfly, Ryokan can summon two Veiled Priests to take his own place at any time whilst fighting him; however, if they are defeated, he will be unable to call them back. In Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake, he can repeatedly summon up to four priests. When Aggravated, he retreats to the rafters, and must be knocked down using the Camera Obscura's zoom function to be defeated.
See Also
- For other members of the Kurosawa family, see Kurosawa Family.
- For other rituals in Fatal Frame II, see Fatal Frame II Rituals.
- For other Ceremony Masters in the Fatal Frame Series, see Ceremony Master.
- For other hostile ghosts, see Hostile Ghosts.
- For images related to Ryokan Kurosawa, see Images of Ryokan Kurosawa.