Teiko Densetsu, the Resolute A.D.P
SHOGUNNED was created by Honesty O., it can be read Webtoon
Welcome back to the blog! Time for another blog where I tackle a series early in its run and build upon it as more episodes release. SHOGUNNED seems like a really promising webtoon, even if it wears its influences on its sleeve. A lot of pretty interesting stuff is being set up for Teiko, and by the time of writing this he already has some pretty notable stuff to go over. I'll keep a close ey on future updates!
Background
"I wanna be someone worth looking up to. Someone people can believe in. And when all's said and done, I wanna live out the rest of my days in peace. I wanna be insanely well off, like...to the point where I'll never worry about making ends meet again. And it's selfish, I know. Thinkin' about my own future when so many were lost today... but I've been given the chance to keep fightin'... to make a difference... And no amount of money could ever make me throw that away."
Killjoys. Misanthropic monsters born from negative emotions have become a massive threat to human society. The severity of the events they're created from determines their strength, reflected by the number of fingers they have on each hand.
Thankfully there are lots of humans that possess abilities called inscriptions that give them the strength to fight against killjoys. An organization of inscribed people was formed to combat the killjoys known as the Antidepressers, or A.D.P for short. It's a dangerous profession for sure, triple the death rate as police. Still, they're the only ones qualified enough to keep people safe from killjoys. That didn't stop one powerless teen from trying though.
Teiko Densetsu is a 17 year-old orphan who wants to fight killjoys like the A.D.P, frequently putting himself in harm's way despite being an average human. He's passionate about everything he does, even something as trivial as someone irresponsibly using money can get him riled up. Overconfident in his own abilities, he acts without thinking which usually lands him in dangerous situations. To him, taking risks is a part of life.
Abandoned by his dad as a kid after mom passed, his father's last parting words was to make as much money as he could. He took that to heart, as earning money is what drives him the most. He may be a greedy bastard, but he's got a heart of gold. He tries earning money through noble deeds; using his strength to get rewards is his style. He's determined to make enough money the legal way so he can live an easy and well-off life.
Since his dad left, he lived at Greenwill Orphanage for a while under the care of father figure Mr. Segen, started working a blue collar job, and did whatever good deeds he could to earn more cash. As much as he tries playing the hero, life stayed pretty much the same. That would all change when he took his greatest risk yet.
One day he happens upon a guy being threatened by a criminal and tries intervening. This resulted in Teiko getting shot in the head…… which he somehow survives, then beats the crook senseless. Turns out he awoke his inscription in response to getting shot. He wouldn't learn what his inscription is for a while, but it's essentially the ability to alter his bone structure that passively defends his body inside and out.
This led to famous A.D.P warlock Corbin Ganno to scout him out and recruit him. Teiko naturally agrees. People look up to A.D.P, if people start admiring him, that could lead to him being rich and famous down the line. Above all else though, he doesn't want the futures of young people like him to be robbed. He wants to inspire people, be influential enough to reduce events that spawn killjoys.
However, his inscription wouldn't be the only thing that would awaken that day. Teiko's first real obstacle would hurl into his life in the form of Regalo Frin, a deranged criminal working under the shadowy group called the Arisen. He bears a prosthetic arm that turns humans into killjoys. He touched Teiko, but instead of transforming him his inscription glitched up the process. The result is a killjoy manifesting inside Teiko's head with a fully formed sense of self.
His name is Kagu and he's a fifth degree, the strongest kind of killjoy there is. While killjoys normally despise humans, Kagu is bored by them. Teiko is the immediate exception, whose ideals and actions are both entertaining and fascinating to view. He gives Teiko a rousing speech to go save everyone in danger of Regalo. In that moment, he turns into what looks like a humanoid fifth degree, mops the floor with Regalo's killjoys, and drives him away.
After recovering from the fight, he's motivated to protect people from Regalo and insists he joins his fellow A.D.P in dealing with the him. Specifically, he wants to ensure the safety of Greenwill Orphanage. He doesn't like the thought of someone else protecting something that isn't close to them. Even though he's a newbie, Corbin wants him to fight too. It wouldn't sit right with him if he didn't help protect orphanage he clearly cares about.
Working alongside hothead Hotaro and the motionless Erin, Teiko is sent on missions like helping a grieving mother whose sorrow is likely to create a killjoy, getting into fights with increasingly stronger killjoys. He became so wrapped up in helping other people that he'd forgotten to question just what's going on with Kagu and this fifth degree form of his.
His coworkers learned the basics of his Kagu situation from him, but they didn't know the full extent of it until the chief warlock Alder Goodwin discovered he was housing a fifth degree. He intimidates Teiko for knowingly harboring such a powerful entity, but Teiko didn't know what Kagu truly was beforehand. Thankfully his coworkers jump in to defend him, learning about the danger level of Kagu from Alder. In the end Corbin convinces Alder not to study Teiko by beating him to a pulp.
Learning about Kagu's powerful status pisses Teiko off. The more he relies on others, the harder it'll be to get stronger. He worries he won't do well in this field if some higher power has been doing work for him in back of his mind. If these new powers only come from Kagu, then he doesn't wanna rely on them.
When time comes for Teiko to face Regalo again, the worst has happened. Regalo turned everyone in Greenwill into killjoys. Teiko and Regalo battle one on one, but Teiko's drive wavers when he realizes the situation he's pigeonholed himself into. His job is to kill Regalo, and no matter how far gone he is, Teiko isn't prepared to take a human life. Regalo recognizes that and emotionally torments him for that. Is he even ready for a job where he has to be prepared to kill?
At his most vulnerable state, Regalo forces Teiko to fight Mr. Segen, who'd been turned into a killjoy. As horrifying as the situation is, Teiko understood this fight would determine whether his goals were simply to impress others or if they embodied everything he truly stood for. Up to this point, his self-worth was tangled up in how other people view him. His motivation goes beyond wanting to win. He was resolute, driven by a need to prove himself.
That's where Teiko's story REALLY begins, starting by mercy killing Mr. Segen. While Teiko ultimately wasn't the one to take Regalo down, their fight fundamentally made him reassess himself. Today he hopes his actions will prove he's sincere, and no amount of money could convince him otherwise.
When Teiko's at his limit as the battlefield is swarmed with Regalo's remaining killjoys, he finally asks Kagu for his power. In a twist of irony, he reveals that he'd never given Teiko any power boosts to begin with, that was all his inscription. Kagu's lies anger Teiko, as he's been babbling about how it's his power when all this time he knew Teiko would be dead without his moral support.
Standing on top of the tower of killjoys he defeated, he makes his grand debut to the public in his killjoy form. He leaps to a news helicopter to deliver an inspiring message letting everyone know Regalo has been dealt with and there's no need to worry. It was corny, but that already inspired so many people despite his monstrous appearance.
Things slowly return to way they were, going back to more training and jobs, at least until Regalo's brothers organize another attack. He finally has time to reflect on Mr. Segen's death and how much he's changed in such a short timespan. As fast-paced as his life has become, it's better to just let the hurt soak in rather than try to frantically scrub it away. He carries Mr. Segen's death like it's his own fault, yet he's obsessing over one tragedy in a sea of them. He has to stop tearing himself apart over what can't be fixed or it'll eat him alive.
He learns to live with past and learn from it, turning his scars into armor. Without them he'll never become legend he's fighting so hard to be.
Experience and Skill
Prior to gaining his inscription, Teiko had habit of running into danger to play hero. He hasn't received proper training before joining killjoys so his skill level is low, but his drive and motivation really shows promise. For a newbie teenage A.D.P, he's doing pretty well enough in a dangerous field. He held his own against a third degree and powerful Arisen members like Regalo. Although he wasn't the one to beat both, they served as experiences to learn from in later fights. Kagu's also no slouch, having yeeted the likes of Alder out of Teiko's mindscape.
Prior to gaining his inscription, Teiko had habit of running into danger to play hero. He hasn't received proper training before joining killjoys so his skill level is low, but his drive and motivation really shows promise. For a newbie teenage A.D.P, he's doing pretty well enough in a dangerous field. He held his own against a third degree and powerful Arisen members like Regalo. Although he wasn't the one to beat both, they served as experiences to learn from in later fights. Kagu's also no slouch, having yeeted the likes of Alder out of Teiko's mindscape.
Equipment
N/A
Abilities
CQC
Not gonna lie, it feels like it's been ages since I've focused on a character who primarily fights in hand to hand combat. There isn't a specific martial art Teiko is trained in, but his fighting style is mainly inspired by his favorite action movies like Kung Fish.
Not gonna lie, it feels like it's been ages since I've focused on a character who primarily fights in hand to hand combat. There isn't a specific martial art Teiko is trained in, but his fighting style is mainly inspired by his favorite action movies like Kung Fish.
Superhuman Physical Characteristics
After awakening his inscription, Teiko became inhumanly strong, super fast, and can jump incredible distances.
After awakening his inscription, Teiko became inhumanly strong, super fast, and can jump incredible distances.
Killjoy Form
This was initially thought to be a fifth degree killjoy form Teiko can turn into utilizing Kagu, giving him a boost in power and speed and makes up for his lack of skill. Teiko hasn't used this form much as he'd rather rely on his own strength than Kagu's help.
However, there seems to be more to the transformation than expected. As it's revealed, apparently this form isn't of Kagu's doing, but rather Teiko's. While Alder did sense a power surge from Teiko when he transformed, it supposedly doesn't affect his stats in any way either. Kagu likely just gives Teiko extra motivation in his head to boost his morale (more on that later). So then what's the boon of turning into a killjoy, if that's even what this is? There are still many mysteries surrounding this form. It's still the season half of season 1 when writing this, so more answers will surely come soon.
This was initially thought to be a fifth degree killjoy form Teiko can turn into utilizing Kagu, giving him a boost in power and speed and makes up for his lack of skill. Teiko hasn't used this form much as he'd rather rely on his own strength than Kagu's help.
However, there seems to be more to the transformation than expected. As it's revealed, apparently this form isn't of Kagu's doing, but rather Teiko's. While Alder did sense a power surge from Teiko when he transformed, it supposedly doesn't affect his stats in any way either. Kagu likely just gives Teiko extra motivation in his head to boost his morale (more on that later). So then what's the boon of turning into a killjoy, if that's even what this is? There are still many mysteries surrounding this form. It's still the season half of season 1 when writing this, so more answers will surely come soon.
Morale
Inscribed people's abilities derive from their morale. Morale is a form of energy stemming from emotion his brain's amygdala generates. It can be activated whenever Teiko experiences intense emotions. It's a versatile form of energy that can be adapted to the needs of its wielder. If they desire to be stronger, their morale can improve their offensive capabilities, the same can be said for defensive and others.
Inscribed people's abilities derive from their morale. Morale is a form of energy stemming from emotion his brain's amygdala generates. It can be activated whenever Teiko experiences intense emotions. It's a versatile form of energy that can be adapted to the needs of its wielder. If they desire to be stronger, their morale can improve their offensive capabilities, the same can be said for defensive and others.
Regeneration (Mid-Low)
After surviving a shot to the head from a BB gun, Teiko has exhibited a minor healing factor when using his inscription. This is mainly in effect when Teiko transforms, as all wounds previously sustained heal.
After surviving a shot to the head from a BB gun, Teiko has exhibited a minor healing factor when using his inscription. This is mainly in effect when Teiko transforms, as all wounds previously sustained heal.
Motivation and Resolution
When two morale users are fighting with opposing reasons, this results in a Clash of Ideals. The victor in said match isn't determined by strength, but rather whose ideals are stronger. A deciding factor that is whether you're motivated or resolute in your goals. Anything with morale can gain an increase in strength when incredibly motivated to achieve a specific goal.
That's cool and all, but when Teiko is resolute, his body's natural limiters vanish as he becomes completely absolved in achieving whatever he sets his mind on. That just hinges on if his body can keep up with the demands of his mind during combat.
When two morale users are fighting with opposing reasons, this results in a Clash of Ideals. The victor in said match isn't determined by strength, but rather whose ideals are stronger. A deciding factor that is whether you're motivated or resolute in your goals. Anything with morale can gain an increase in strength when incredibly motivated to achieve a specific goal.
That's cool and all, but when Teiko is resolute, his body's natural limiters vanish as he becomes completely absolved in achieving whatever he sets his mind on. That just hinges on if his body can keep up with the demands of his mind during combat.
Teiko's Inscription
Inscriptions are superpowers that stem from more complex desires. They depend on one's thought process, ideals, and genetic heritage. Teiko's inscription allows him to manipulate his own bone structure to suit his needs.
It passively defends his body from attacks inside and out. Every time he’s nearly hit, the amygdala in his brain flares up and his morale increases. The same thing happens when bad morale gets into his system, which is how he resisted venom. That's also why the Weeping Palm couldn’t rewrite him into a killjoy.
When physically attacking with it, his arms turn into pure bone. There seems to be even more going on with his inscription than meets the eye, as he seemingly unlocked a new technique when fighting Regalo.
Inscriptions are superpowers that stem from more complex desires. They depend on one's thought process, ideals, and genetic heritage. Teiko's inscription allows him to manipulate his own bone structure to suit his needs.
It passively defends his body from attacks inside and out. Every time he’s nearly hit, the amygdala in his brain flares up and his morale increases. The same thing happens when bad morale gets into his system, which is how he resisted venom. That's also why the Weeping Palm couldn’t rewrite him into a killjoy.
When physically attacking with it, his arms turn into pure bone. There seems to be even more going on with his inscription than meets the eye, as he seemingly unlocked a new technique when fighting Regalo.
Extrasensory Perception
Teiko is able to sense residual morale generated from other morale users.
Teiko is able to sense residual morale generated from other morale users.
Kagu
Kagu is a fifth degree that lives in Teiko's head, only able to communicate with him in his dreams. Kagu came into being when Teiko resisted the Weeping Palm, likely resulting as a side effect from it. Since the Weeping Palm fears him Kagu formed with no memories beyond his name.
He's a pretty chill dude who refers to people and events like everything is scripted. He calls people characters and addresses stuff like plot twists, being pulled off the air, and fourth wall breaks. No definitive proof he's a meta character yet tho.
The strangest attribute of all is that he's bored with the concept of humans rather than hating them. Teiko is the exception, as he's the only actually interesting human. Due to his empathy, Kagu might be part human. He’s able to hear Teiko’s thoughts due to sharing the same headspace. He views what Teiko sees within his mind palace—the representation of Teiko's mind—which is represented as a movie theater.
Kagu is the one responsible for giving Teiko his immense strength and powers… or so Teiko thought. Turns out he hasn’t been giving Teiko power boosts. That’s all just from Teiko’s inscription. The most he does is boost his morale with pep talks. Kagu has a few abilities he can use by himself, which Imma go over now.
Kagu is a fifth degree that lives in Teiko's head, only able to communicate with him in his dreams. Kagu came into being when Teiko resisted the Weeping Palm, likely resulting as a side effect from it. Since the Weeping Palm fears him Kagu formed with no memories beyond his name.
He's a pretty chill dude who refers to people and events like everything is scripted. He calls people characters and addresses stuff like plot twists, being pulled off the air, and fourth wall breaks. No definitive proof he's a meta character yet tho.
The strangest attribute of all is that he's bored with the concept of humans rather than hating them. Teiko is the exception, as he's the only actually interesting human. Due to his empathy, Kagu might be part human. He’s able to hear Teiko’s thoughts due to sharing the same headspace. He views what Teiko sees within his mind palace—the representation of Teiko's mind—which is represented as a movie theater.
Kagu is the one responsible for giving Teiko his immense strength and powers… or so Teiko thought. Turns out he hasn’t been giving Teiko power boosts. That’s all just from Teiko’s inscription. The most he does is boost his morale with pep talks. Kagu has a few abilities he can use by himself, which Imma go over now.
Levitation
He levitated Alder when his conscious invaded Teiko's mind.
He levitated Alder when his conscious invaded Teiko's mind.
Projection
He can display images in Teiko's mind based on his own memories.
He can display images in Teiko's mind based on his own memories.
Resistances
- Mind control resistance: If anyone invades his mind, Kagu can fight them and drive them out
- Poison immunity: His inscription makes venom ineffective
- Transmutation immunity: The Weeping Palm rewrites humans into killjoys by forcefully infusing them with morale. His inscription glitched up the process, preventing Teiko from being rewritten into a killjoy
- Mind control resistance: If anyone invades his mind, Kagu can fight them and drive them out
- Poison immunity: His inscription makes venom ineffective
- Transmutation immunity: The Weeping Palm rewrites humans into killjoys by forcefully infusing them with morale. His inscription glitched up the process, preventing Teiko from being rewritten into a killjoy
Techniques
Ball Breaker
Kung Fish would be so proud.
Kung Fish would be so proud.
Machine Gun Punches
The power of strikes relies on their speed. If he continuously attacks with enough speed, they become powerful like a machine gun. Master Gunwolf taught him that one.
The power of strikes relies on their speed. If he continuously attacks with enough speed, they become powerful like a machine gun. Master Gunwolf taught him that one.
Unknown Technique
During his fight with the recently turned Mr. Segen, Teiko unlocked a new technique involving his inscription. It hasn't yet been explained exactly what it is and visually it seems like an empowered punch as a few sets of bones click together behind Teiko's arm. One commenter theorized it's a sonic attack amplified by conducting it through bone.
During his fight with the recently turned Mr. Segen, Teiko unlocked a new technique involving his inscription. It hasn't yet been explained exactly what it is and visually it seems like an empowered punch as a few sets of bones click together behind Teiko's arm. One commenter theorized it's a sonic attack amplified by conducting it through bone.
Feats
Overall
- Saved a guy from being harassed by a cult member
- Saved a kid falling out of a building
- Defeated a killjoy spawned from a mother's grief
- Tricked a trio of Arisen thugs to run into cops
- Held his own against Regalo Frin
- Managed to inspire tons of people while in his killjoy state
Strength
- Caused a big explosion when he first awakened his inscription
- Can move large rubble
- Splattered a killjoy
- Pushed a cop car away
- Hit a giant killjoy so hard it cracked a wall
- Broke off a small chunk of a building as he moved
- Smashed Regalo from the top of a building into the ground, forming cracks in the pavement
- Tossed a giant killjoy
- Punched Kagu through a wall within his own psyche
- Kagu sent Alder through a wall inside Teiko's mind palace
Speed
- Repeatedly dodges punches
- Caught a cop car being thrown at him
- Outsped a third degree's massive beam attack
- Moved instantly above Regalo on top of a building
- Moved so quickly he broke off a small chunk of a building
- Quickly jumped to a faraway helicopter from the top of a slaughtered killjoy
Durability
- Survived a BB gun's bullet to the skull
- Was thrown into the side of a building
- Survived this giant beam from a motivated third degree, losing a Clash of Ideals in the process
- Beaten across buildings by a third degree
- Punched super far away by Regalo
- Punched so hard it caused a small explosion on impact
Scaling
The A.D.P
Teiko may be a newbie, but he's already been showing prowess among his fellow antidepressers.
- Hotaro landing on a building made its windows shatter and the roof crack
- Hotaro bisected a killjoy as long as a building
- Hotaro eviscerated Regalo, only the Weeping Palm remained
- Hotaro moves so fast he resembles a light streak
- Erin kicked through a killjoy
- Chain sent a giant concrete slab through a killjoy's head
- Downscales from Corbin, who threw a big third degree into the air
- Downscales from Corbin, who deflected a big morale sphere
- Downscales from Alder, who splattered a third degree that made a massive beam
- Downscales form Alder, who telekinetically moved giant blocks
The Arisen
So far only Regalo has been in combat, but I'm sure his brothers will fill this section as the series progresses!
Weaknesses
- Hotheaded, foolhardy, and acts without thinking
- He's a stingy money-grubber
- Teiko isn't naturally skilled in fighting
- Overusing his morale can send him into morale shock, rendering him immobile for a while
Matchup Potential
Teiko Densetsu vs Castiel Reyes (SHOGUNNED vs Ruthless Render)
(thumbnail by Vibe Check)
Vibe Check
I read Ruthless Render a while ago, and it did remind me a lot of SHOGUNNED. Both series do have a similar premise of teens joining organizations to fight monsters spawned from humans (killjoys created from negative emotions and renders literally spoken into existence) while utilizing transformations of said monsters they fight. Both series also take major influence from Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, so the comparisons wrote themselves.
I originally wasn't certain on this matchup since I was waiting for more content from Ruthless Render. I've read a few Manga Plus Creators series already and I'm used to most of them ceasing updates. A year after I stopped reading, turns out a few new episodes released that gave Cas even more stuff to work with, so I'm game.
Both are able to fight in their human forms pretty well, so the natural buildup leads to them entering their killjoy/render forms. While Teiko certainly carries a lot of the banter, Cas' personality takes a major turn when transformed, acting a lot more unhinged, inhumane, and foolish. His render form has stuff like arm blades, large scale fire powers, and spike generation, and he's able to channel some of those powers in his human form. Usually with his sword.
The fight would definitely take a lot of influence from SHOGUNNED visually and sonically. It'd be a crime to not utilize the series' street art-like grind fiction aesthetic or its equally Jet Set Radio-coded soundtrack. Ruthless Render's influence could certainly lead to a more violent and bloody fight.
In terms of debate, Cas currently takes stats so I'd pin him as the winner atm. A shame seeing as Cas is kind of an incel.
NEXT TIME ON WCAB… whenever I feel like it
