Part 5: Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory

As with my posts covering the earlier parts, this is an extremely rough English translation of the blog series Yanagita Rikao's Sengoku Basara Science Laboratory (Yanagita Rikao Sengoku Basara Kagaku Kenkyuujo). It's not a word-for-word official translation. The series is intended to promote August's Sengoku Basara HD Collection. Please click the links below to see the original articles, which are accompanied by illustrations and promotional videos.

Part 5: Aniki swings a piano around!? Chousokabe Motochika

The guy who can swing around a piano? Aniki~!

Aniki's weapon is an 'anchor-spear'. Although there are many different types, they're all long with thick, spear-like handles. From outward appearances they're probably made of iron, and the tip of the weapon is shaped like an anchor. Consequently, they should be quite heavy, so I wonder how much one weighs?

Let's consider the popular Chousou Yanagare (Aniki's basic weapon). Its full length is around 1.4x Motochika's height when measured on the game screen. Specifically, I think we can narrow it down to a length of 8 shaku (2.4m) using the units of the Sengoku period. The handle has a diameter of 11cm so from this the handle's weight can be calculated: 176kg!

Since this is only the weight of the handle, what about the rest? The length of the anchor-shaped blade is 82cm, traced along its curve. The average width is 16cm. It's difficult to discern the thickness from the screen, but given that it tapers smoothly from the handle's diameter of 11cm, an average of 5cm should be about right. That being the case, one side alone weighs 53kg and both halves are 106kg. The total weight when combined with the handle is 282kg! An upright piano is said to weigh 200-250kg. Our Aniki has been twirling a weapon which weighs more than a piano.

How much force is needed to do this? Motochika swings the anchor-spear horizontally twice within a second. If both hands are holding onto the anchor-spear 1 shaku (30cm) away from its base, the brute force required for this to be possible would be 25t. Aniki is someone you can really count on!

The guy who can launch enemies 160 metres? Aniki~!

When Motochika swings the anchor-spear with these powerful arms, the speed of its tip should reach 250km/h. I wonder what it would be like from the perspective of the enemy soldiers who take the hit? Rather than dying from a cut or stab, in Sengoku Basara the people hit by a katana or spear are often flung in the air. However, when it comes to launching people into the air, the anchor-spear is something else. After all, it's 282kg, which is 280x heavier than an ordinary sword.

The person on the receiving end of Motochika's anchor-spear will take the same damage as they would being hit by a car travelling at 170km/h. And immediately afterwards, they'll be flung into the air at 130km/h, before dropping down 16m away even if they were flying horizontally. After that, they'll bounce a few times then gently slide 140m to a stop if the ground is soil.

Since he does this twice each second, he can scatter the enemy soldiers as much as he wants. Thrusting into a crowd of foes, this man will empty the area on either side of him for 160m. That's our Aniki!

The guy who can fly in the sky on his spear? Aniki~!

In addition, by making flames gush out of the anchor-spear Motochika can cleverly ride it like a surfboard, dashing through the air. The name of this technique is 'Dokyuu'. The fact that flames are expelled - exactly like a rocket - means it's highly likely that the flight comes from burning fuel, releasing high temperature, high pressure exhaust gas from the reaction at high speed. If that's so, I wonder how quickly it's coming out.

Observing Motochika's posture when he's flying, he places his feet at a 45 degree angle in front of the handle and behind the anchor. I wonder if this is to split the reaction of the gushing flames between the force needed to counter gravity and that required to move forwards.

I'll assume that Motochika's body weight is 70kg, and with the anchor-spear the total weight is 352kg. With the anchor-spear tilted at a 45 degree angle, supporting this weight, the force needed to move forwards ought to be 352kg. When a 352kg object moves forwards with 352kg of force, the motion is the same as an object falling from the sky; in other words, its speed immediately after it starts will be 36km/h, then 72km/h, 108km/h... the speed will increase by an additional 36km/h each second. Since air resistance rises over time the increase in speed will slow down, ultimately reaching the same falling speed as with skydiving: 200km/h. So considering it scientifically, Dokyuu is a technique to cleave with a bang ('dokyuun') at 200km/h.

In that case, what is the fuel? At a 45 degree angle, producing a force of 352kg forwards and upwards, as the flames are expelled they need to put out a force of 500kg. Even nowadays, the most fuel-efficient rockets wouldn't be able to release this much power without burning 1.1kg of fuel every second. To move using Dokyuu for 30 seconds would require 33kg of fuel; I don't think there's anywhere in the anchor-spear with enough space to store that much. Perhaps Motochika had to develop it to be more fuel-efficient than is currently possible. But as shown through construction of the gigantic battleship 'Fugaku', Motochika's technical capabilities are more advanced, so I'd think his rocket technology would also be the best in the world.

However, when you hit an enemy while wielding a spear containing such excellent fuel, the impact has a danger of causing a huge explosion. Do your best and be careful that you don't blow yourself up, Aniki~!

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