As promised, here is part 2 of DDM's comprehensive Kanki analysis! As a loyal vassal of the KanKingdom, I have pulled together a compilation of our lord's relationships with other characters which will explain, in some detail, his philosophy and some of his less pronounced character traits. Specifically, this thread will focus on the following characters/groups:
If you haven't already, I highly recommend checking out part 1 of the series which examines how Hara charted Kanki's character journey from his introduction to Kokuyou Hills. Parts of that thread will be used to inform this analysis, particularly Kanki's interactions with Choutou and Shin in previous arcs. Meanwhile part 3 of my analysis, the final instalment in the series, will feature a more in-depth look at Kanki's role in the story of Kingdom as a whole, including his relationship with Sei and his contribution to the political and ideological conflict around Qin's unification plan. Lmk in the comments if you wish to be tagged in that thread as well.
Mougou and Choutou
Let's begin with Kanki's relationship with his superior, Great General Mougou. Mougou is the first character to whom Kanki speaks in the series, and his attitude is generally cordial and respectful. This should come as a surprise to the audience considering that within the same chapter, Mouten introduced him as a violent and capricious ex-bandit best known for decapitating civilian captives. We never really see Mougou and Kanki directly interact while the Mou family patriarch is still alive, but several minor events do indicate that Mougou trusts Kanki's abilities and Kanki reciprocates the sentiment in his own (unusual) way.
First, when Mougou releases a smoke signal to wish his deputies good luck at the start of the Sanyou campaign, Kanki smirks and remarks on how uncommon it is for him to do so. Ousen, on the same page, does not particularly care. When Mougou dies, Kanki immolates a forest of captured enemy soldiers as a parting gift, demonstrating that in his own twisted way, he cared for Mougou on some level and mourned his passing.
Unfortunately, Hara has thus far elected to blue-ball the audience by refusing to tell the story of how Mougou met Kanki and convinced him to join the military. However, we can devise our own explanation of the Mougou-Kanki relationship through contextual clues. For example:
Although he is fairly by-the-book as far as strategy goes, Mougou has shown a willingness to disregard ordinary protocols and behave in an unusual way towards his men. Most other generals (Kanki included) take a fairly egocentric approach to motivating their troops. For example, Moubu riles up his army during the Coalition War by announcing that he was the strongest man in China. Shin tells the HSU to look at his back and follow after him during the siege of Sai, and Kanki tells his commanders to put their trust in him and let him lead them to victory. Mougou on the other hand behaves in a paternal way towards his men and emphasises the value of his soldiers' lives despite many of them being peasant conscripts. Mougou also does not discriminate based on social status, rebuffing another soldier who objected to Shin's promotion based on his history as a servant. We can deduce that to some degree, Kanki probably stayed loyal to Mougou as a man who valued the lives of the common folk and was willing to promote his officer purely based on merit. Kanki's affinity for other oddball generals and paternal/maternal figures would make a reappearance later down the track with the introduction of Shio and the Kokuyou Hills arc.
For a more in-depth analysis of Kanki and Choutou's adventures during the Coalition War, check out part 1 in the series here: https://worstgen.alwaysdata.net/for...reat-general-kanki-part-1.39827/#post-4089949
Unlike Mougou, Choutou was more than willing to judge Kanki for being a former bandit leader, believing him unworthy of being a Qin general. To make matters worse, Kanki rejected Choutou's assertion that a general should shoulder the weight of their kingdom, going as far as to say that he didn't care at all about Qin's continued existence. Despite their bickering, and Kanki's annoyance that Choutou had lied to arrange a meeting with him, Kanki was willing to include Choutou in his expedition to slay Seikai, allowing the dying general one last chance to meet an honourable end on the battlefield. Notably, although Choutou believed he could not rely on Kanki (due to his apparent lack of concern for Qin) and refused to ask for his help, Kanki approached Choutou to begin the mission regardless, fully aware of his condition and what needed to be done. This earned him Choutou's respect in his dying moments, respect Kanki reciprocated by listening to Choutou's final wish. Note that in these last panels, Kanki sports a completely straight face devoid of his usual smug and confident smirk. He genuinely respected Choutou for his bravery and willingness to admit that he'd misjudged Kanki as a general and a human being. Choutou managed to overcome his prejudices and saw Kanki for who he was, something that even Sei never managed to do.
Kanki army/Kanki clan
The Kanki army/Kanki clan shares many similarities with the HSU. Both armies are commanded by a charismatic figure who rose from poverty and overcame adversity to climb the Qin military hierarchy. Both commanders aim straight for the head of the enemy general and often employ unorthodox tactics when faced with obstacles in battle. Both Shin and Kanki also have a female lieutenant who harbours romantic feelings towards them, and a female confidant whom they view as family (in Kanki's case, these are one and the same person). Part 3 of my analysis will revisit this point in additional detail.
As shown in the river crossing scene above, Kanki is willing to lead from the front where necessary, giving his soldiers a hefty morale boost and the confidence to follow his lead. He allows his men a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to keep plundered jewellery for themselves and invite prostitutes into the camp. Like Shin, Kanki encourages his men when they falter and has a close relationship with his GG class commander Ogiko, the rival of Bihei, hidden dragon of Jouto village. Unlike Shin however, Kanki blatantly favours his own men over other armies, directing the Gyoku Hou to plunge into the meat grinder against Kochou in their stead. This is a central pillar of Kanki's character - he takes care of his own and cares little for the rest.
Kanki's relationship with his main army additionally supports his portrayal as a man who understands the hearts of others - particularly the dispossessed - better than anyone. Kanki's signature phrase being 'everything will be just fine' stands out as one such example. Even when when their backs are against the wall; when they doubt him and question his leadership; when they're afraid to risk their lives in what could have been a suicide mission during the Coalition War, Kanki never diminished their fear and treated their emotions as valid. He understands that fear, self-interest, rage, violence and self-preservation instincts are all too human emotions and should, in fact, be expected. This is why he allows his men to keep and flaunt their ill-acquired gains. This is why he allows his men to employ the Flame Hare every-man-for-himself strategy and why he incorporated the large number of deserters into his Sun Bin strategy against Kochou. This is also likely how he earned Zenou's trust and respect by allowing him and his barbaric, crazed Zenou clan to serve as the elites of the Kanki army.
In the most recent arcs, Kanki's inner circle have repeatedly mentioned that he inspires them, so much so that they would happily die for him. Does this remind you of anything? It should. Shousa, Bihei, Bitou and other members of the HSU feel the same way about Shin. Kanki's very existence sparks hope in his fellow bandits; his journey from common brigand to Great General demonstrates that they can achieve greatness, that their lives can have meaning by following this man. The Kanki officers' loyalty gains an additional dimension when you realise that they're actually Kanki's childhood friends and he regards them as the family he never had.
When the chapters dropped, some readers argued that Kanki viewing his inner circle as family seemed odd and out of left field. I think the signs were always there, however, but because Kanki is so guarded with his emotions, even Maron never knew how much he meant to Kanki despite their long years of working together. For one, Kanki's reaction to Raido's death was incredibly disproportionate compared to every other occasion we've seen him massacre soldiers during the series. During Kokuyou Hills, Kanki told Shin and Kyoukai that burning and slaughtering the villagers was 'for the sake of victory' and chided them when they argued it was all meaningless due to Shin having already killed Keisha. In contrast, Kanki did not even attempt to make a case to Sei or argue that there was any meaning at all behind the beheadings, requiring Maron to step in on his behalf. Kanki dropping his signature smirk and almost tenderly cradling Raido's remains was another subtle indication as to the attachment that had formed between them, even if Kanki would never openly admit it. There's also this scene during the Eikyuu arc:
Just as Ten cooked for Shin when she was living in his shack, Maron personally prepares food for the Kanki army's top brass. During the Eikyuu arc, Raido also mentions the Kanki commanders enjoying wine intended only for Zhao nobility, suggesting that Kanki often breaks bread with his inner circle and ensures their inclusion in the spoils of war. It's not unusual for commanders to bond over drinks (Tou, Rokuomi etc) but it is unusual for a GG to completely remove his top commanders from the field to enjoy a hearty, casual meal while a war rages in the background. Almost every other army would have at least had them in the command centre or HQ awaiting news from the front. Despite most of China's population being starving, illiterate peasants, Kanki seems to have always made sure that his family lived like kings.
Some readers called the reveal an 'asspull' or otherwise forced to make Kanki appear more sympathetic, claiming that Kanki and his commanders being family was too big a surprise for Hara to spring on the audience just before his death. However, I would argue that the surprise is actually the point - if it was truly that obvious how Kanki felt about Maron and co, the characters themselves should have picked up on it by now. The Kanki commanders are uneducated but not emotionally unintelligent, especially characters like Io and Naki. Both the audience and Maron learn about Kanki's genuine feelings at the same point in time, allowing us (and Maron, in-story) to view all of Kanki's previous interactions with them in a new light. Unfortunately, it is now too little too late for Maron to make amends for all the times he has doubted Kanki or even considered deserting himself. Thus, Hara allows the readers to better empathise with Maron in the moment - to feel his regret and consider what might have been if Kanki had decided instead to let his walls down again. After everything we have seen from Kanki so far however, we can understand how Shio's death caused him to distance himself from his family of choice; how he might fear his opponents specifically targeting the Saki clan or commanders, knowing the extent to which Kanki is driven by his emotions. The reveal makes it all the more heartbreaking that Kanki wanted to share his most precious place with his comrades all along, and that it was only his inability to let go of his anger that prevented them from retiring together in their little slice of paradise.
Saki clan and Shio
After the release of chapter 752, there can be no doubt that Kanki genuinely cared for the original Saki clan and wished for them to rise above their pitiful circumstances. Kanki's anger after killing the Rouho bandits wasn't directed at the children's pathetic state, but at the injustices they'd been forced to endure and the fact that they'd sunk deep into hopelessness, knowing no one was coming to save them. He became determined to protect them, but also wanted to ensure that if he ever died or left, the others would not become completely helpless. In the second last screenshot, Kanki doesn't kill the final Rouho bandit, but directs the other children to finish him off, demonstrating his inspirational nature and desire to build the Saki clan into a force that could protect the things they held dear.
Kanki's flashback lends credence to Shou's belief that he could indeed have become a liberator of the oppressed. As soon as he learns about Shio's selfless motives for founding the group and watches her sacrifice herself to the Rouho bandits, Kanki immediately becomes protective of her and executes her tormentors, despite knowing that doing so would start a war with their clan. In part 1 of my analysis, I concluded that Kanki believes in paying evil unto evil - those who oppress, torture or kill should themselves be prepared to experience the same or greater pain they inflicted on others. This stems from Kanki's desire to push back against the world into which he and the Saki clan were born - a world in which society's most vulnerable were relentlessly neglected and trampled upon. 752 confirms this, telling us that Kanki couldn't get over Shio's death, but neither could he get over how utterly defeated the original Saki clan had been. Ancient Chinese society mercilessly oppressed helpless drifting orphans, slaves and an entire underclass of people, with no one willing to help or advocate for them. If you just so happen to born into those circumstances, tough luck. You'd have to contend with rampant violence from those bigger and stronger than you. You would never have genuine food security and would struggle with meeting even basic needs like clothes and shelter. If you were a woman, you would face the daily, neverending threat of sexual violence and exploitation. After seeing this much injustice, it takes a special lack of reading comprehension to dismiss Kanki as merely an edgelord or to say that his rage is unjustified. His actions may not be, but the rage itself certainly is not.
Of all the non-Kanki or Saki clan members in the series, we the readers have only ever seen Kanki react positively towards honest, straightforward characters like Choutou and Shin, or warm, paternal figures like Mougou. Towards characters that are haughty, conceal their true intentions or play political games (Ousen, Ouhon, Sei etc), he is neutral at best and expresses open hostility and derision when he disagrees with their actions. Now that we have Kanki's backstory, it's become glaring obvious that he gravitates towards these types because they remind him of Shio. Kanki was always respectful towards Shio; he did not object to her leaving behind the man's horses and jewellery in the first image and respected her wishes to leave the Rouho clan alone until they escalated the situation by attempting to rape her. Almost every time Kanki flashes back to Shio, he sees her surrounded by adoring young children, a mother figure to the outcasts. This is what he loved most about her and why he continues to accept fellow ex-bandits into his army and treat them with respect, despite knowing that they lack discipline and are liable to desert when they feel most threatened. In a twisted way, the Kanki army has become a safe space for society's rejects, providing them with employment, shelter and a purpose in life.
As mentioned in my previous Kanki thread, Hara distinguished Kanki from other bloodthirsty characters such as Mangoku in several ways, most notably by giving him many sympathetic traits and interactions with other characters. Chapters 750 and 752 explicitly state that Shio's memory allowed Kanki to retain a shred of goodness in his heart and prevented him from falling into total despair, but her death only fuelled his rage towards the world, having seen the best of humanity snuffed out by evil and apathy. Because Kanki saw Shio as a shining example of humanity's capacity for goodness, it made him all the angrier that the vast majority of society was content to simply do evil themselves, or stand by and allow evil to triumph. Kanki's rage became the underlying theme during his verbal showdown with Riboku, but that too is a topic for another thread.
Shin
Kanki actually liking Shin was fairly obvious even before chapter 752. In contrast to him openly throwing the Gyoku Hou's lives away, he seems to have genuinely tried to get along with Shin and the HSU at first. Try to imagine what would have happened if Shin had drawn his sword on Ousen, Moubu or literally any other general in Qin. His own head would have rolled. Instead, Kanki de-escalates the situation, reminds Shin of the similarities in their backgrounds and initiates an exchange program to convince Shin of the error of his ways. My personal interpretation is that Kanki is a semi-antagonistic older brother figure to Shin. Having observed Shin's progress from the Sanyou awards ceremony, to the Coalition War arc and finally Kokuyou Hills, Kanki respects Shin for having overcome insurmountable odds to become a general. His familiarity towards Shin in the first two panels above were a far cry from his usual sarcastic, flippant attitude towards most others in the military and he seemed to be genuine when he praised the HSU for being able to get shit done.
In the end, despite not being able to convert Shin or the HSU to his way of thinking, Kanki decides to sacrifice himself so that his remaining family, the Gaku Ka and the HSU can escape the fatal consequences of his failed gambit. Although Shin (and the audience) cannot condone Kanki's cruel actions, Shou's and Io's speeches, as well as Naki's devotion to his ex-boss finally lead him to realise that there was far more inherent goodness and nobility of spirit in Kanki than he'd thought. Shin now knows that Kanki was truly worthy of being a Great General and will likely protect Kanki's legacies - the Saki clan, Maron, Ogiko and the golden necklace - with the same reverence as those he has received from Ouki, Rinko and Duke Hyou.
- Mougou and Choutou
- Kanki army/Kanki clan
- Saki clan and Shio
- Shin
If you haven't already, I highly recommend checking out part 1 of the series which examines how Hara charted Kanki's character journey from his introduction to Kokuyou Hills. Parts of that thread will be used to inform this analysis, particularly Kanki's interactions with Choutou and Shin in previous arcs. Meanwhile part 3 of my analysis, the final instalment in the series, will feature a more in-depth look at Kanki's role in the story of Kingdom as a whole, including his relationship with Sei and his contribution to the political and ideological conflict around Qin's unification plan. Lmk in the comments if you wish to be tagged in that thread as well.
Mougou and Choutou
First, when Mougou releases a smoke signal to wish his deputies good luck at the start of the Sanyou campaign, Kanki smirks and remarks on how uncommon it is for him to do so. Ousen, on the same page, does not particularly care. When Mougou dies, Kanki immolates a forest of captured enemy soldiers as a parting gift, demonstrating that in his own twisted way, he cared for Mougou on some level and mourned his passing.
Unfortunately, Hara has thus far elected to blue-ball the audience by refusing to tell the story of how Mougou met Kanki and convinced him to join the military. However, we can devise our own explanation of the Mougou-Kanki relationship through contextual clues. For example:
Although he is fairly by-the-book as far as strategy goes, Mougou has shown a willingness to disregard ordinary protocols and behave in an unusual way towards his men. Most other generals (Kanki included) take a fairly egocentric approach to motivating their troops. For example, Moubu riles up his army during the Coalition War by announcing that he was the strongest man in China. Shin tells the HSU to look at his back and follow after him during the siege of Sai, and Kanki tells his commanders to put their trust in him and let him lead them to victory. Mougou on the other hand behaves in a paternal way towards his men and emphasises the value of his soldiers' lives despite many of them being peasant conscripts. Mougou also does not discriminate based on social status, rebuffing another soldier who objected to Shin's promotion based on his history as a servant. We can deduce that to some degree, Kanki probably stayed loyal to Mougou as a man who valued the lives of the common folk and was willing to promote his officer purely based on merit. Kanki's affinity for other oddball generals and paternal/maternal figures would make a reappearance later down the track with the introduction of Shio and the Kokuyou Hills arc.
Unlike Mougou, Choutou was more than willing to judge Kanki for being a former bandit leader, believing him unworthy of being a Qin general. To make matters worse, Kanki rejected Choutou's assertion that a general should shoulder the weight of their kingdom, going as far as to say that he didn't care at all about Qin's continued existence. Despite their bickering, and Kanki's annoyance that Choutou had lied to arrange a meeting with him, Kanki was willing to include Choutou in his expedition to slay Seikai, allowing the dying general one last chance to meet an honourable end on the battlefield. Notably, although Choutou believed he could not rely on Kanki (due to his apparent lack of concern for Qin) and refused to ask for his help, Kanki approached Choutou to begin the mission regardless, fully aware of his condition and what needed to be done. This earned him Choutou's respect in his dying moments, respect Kanki reciprocated by listening to Choutou's final wish. Note that in these last panels, Kanki sports a completely straight face devoid of his usual smug and confident smirk. He genuinely respected Choutou for his bravery and willingness to admit that he'd misjudged Kanki as a general and a human being. Choutou managed to overcome his prejudices and saw Kanki for who he was, something that even Sei never managed to do.
Kanki army/Kanki clan
As shown in the river crossing scene above, Kanki is willing to lead from the front where necessary, giving his soldiers a hefty morale boost and the confidence to follow his lead. He allows his men a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to keep plundered jewellery for themselves and invite prostitutes into the camp. Like Shin, Kanki encourages his men when they falter and has a close relationship with his GG class commander Ogiko, the rival of Bihei, hidden dragon of Jouto village. Unlike Shin however, Kanki blatantly favours his own men over other armies, directing the Gyoku Hou to plunge into the meat grinder against Kochou in their stead. This is a central pillar of Kanki's character - he takes care of his own and cares little for the rest.
Kanki's relationship with his main army additionally supports his portrayal as a man who understands the hearts of others - particularly the dispossessed - better than anyone. Kanki's signature phrase being 'everything will be just fine' stands out as one such example. Even when when their backs are against the wall; when they doubt him and question his leadership; when they're afraid to risk their lives in what could have been a suicide mission during the Coalition War, Kanki never diminished their fear and treated their emotions as valid. He understands that fear, self-interest, rage, violence and self-preservation instincts are all too human emotions and should, in fact, be expected. This is why he allows his men to keep and flaunt their ill-acquired gains. This is why he allows his men to employ the Flame Hare every-man-for-himself strategy and why he incorporated the large number of deserters into his Sun Bin strategy against Kochou. This is also likely how he earned Zenou's trust and respect by allowing him and his barbaric, crazed Zenou clan to serve as the elites of the Kanki army.
In the most recent arcs, Kanki's inner circle have repeatedly mentioned that he inspires them, so much so that they would happily die for him. Does this remind you of anything? It should. Shousa, Bihei, Bitou and other members of the HSU feel the same way about Shin. Kanki's very existence sparks hope in his fellow bandits; his journey from common brigand to Great General demonstrates that they can achieve greatness, that their lives can have meaning by following this man. The Kanki officers' loyalty gains an additional dimension when you realise that they're actually Kanki's childhood friends and he regards them as the family he never had.
Some readers called the reveal an 'asspull' or otherwise forced to make Kanki appear more sympathetic, claiming that Kanki and his commanders being family was too big a surprise for Hara to spring on the audience just before his death. However, I would argue that the surprise is actually the point - if it was truly that obvious how Kanki felt about Maron and co, the characters themselves should have picked up on it by now. The Kanki commanders are uneducated but not emotionally unintelligent, especially characters like Io and Naki. Both the audience and Maron learn about Kanki's genuine feelings at the same point in time, allowing us (and Maron, in-story) to view all of Kanki's previous interactions with them in a new light. Unfortunately, it is now too little too late for Maron to make amends for all the times he has doubted Kanki or even considered deserting himself. Thus, Hara allows the readers to better empathise with Maron in the moment - to feel his regret and consider what might have been if Kanki had decided instead to let his walls down again. After everything we have seen from Kanki so far however, we can understand how Shio's death caused him to distance himself from his family of choice; how he might fear his opponents specifically targeting the Saki clan or commanders, knowing the extent to which Kanki is driven by his emotions. The reveal makes it all the more heartbreaking that Kanki wanted to share his most precious place with his comrades all along, and that it was only his inability to let go of his anger that prevented them from retiring together in their little slice of paradise.
Saki clan and Shio
Kanki's flashback lends credence to Shou's belief that he could indeed have become a liberator of the oppressed. As soon as he learns about Shio's selfless motives for founding the group and watches her sacrifice herself to the Rouho bandits, Kanki immediately becomes protective of her and executes her tormentors, despite knowing that doing so would start a war with their clan. In part 1 of my analysis, I concluded that Kanki believes in paying evil unto evil - those who oppress, torture or kill should themselves be prepared to experience the same or greater pain they inflicted on others. This stems from Kanki's desire to push back against the world into which he and the Saki clan were born - a world in which society's most vulnerable were relentlessly neglected and trampled upon. 752 confirms this, telling us that Kanki couldn't get over Shio's death, but neither could he get over how utterly defeated the original Saki clan had been. Ancient Chinese society mercilessly oppressed helpless drifting orphans, slaves and an entire underclass of people, with no one willing to help or advocate for them. If you just so happen to born into those circumstances, tough luck. You'd have to contend with rampant violence from those bigger and stronger than you. You would never have genuine food security and would struggle with meeting even basic needs like clothes and shelter. If you were a woman, you would face the daily, neverending threat of sexual violence and exploitation. After seeing this much injustice, it takes a special lack of reading comprehension to dismiss Kanki as merely an edgelord or to say that his rage is unjustified. His actions may not be, but the rage itself certainly is not.
As mentioned in my previous Kanki thread, Hara distinguished Kanki from other bloodthirsty characters such as Mangoku in several ways, most notably by giving him many sympathetic traits and interactions with other characters. Chapters 750 and 752 explicitly state that Shio's memory allowed Kanki to retain a shred of goodness in his heart and prevented him from falling into total despair, but her death only fuelled his rage towards the world, having seen the best of humanity snuffed out by evil and apathy. Because Kanki saw Shio as a shining example of humanity's capacity for goodness, it made him all the angrier that the vast majority of society was content to simply do evil themselves, or stand by and allow evil to triumph. Kanki's rage became the underlying theme during his verbal showdown with Riboku, but that too is a topic for another thread.
Shin
In the end, despite not being able to convert Shin or the HSU to his way of thinking, Kanki decides to sacrifice himself so that his remaining family, the Gaku Ka and the HSU can escape the fatal consequences of his failed gambit. Although Shin (and the audience) cannot condone Kanki's cruel actions, Shou's and Io's speeches, as well as Naki's devotion to his ex-boss finally lead him to realise that there was far more inherent goodness and nobility of spirit in Kanki than he'd thought. Shin now knows that Kanki was truly worthy of being a Great General and will likely protect Kanki's legacies - the Saki clan, Maron, Ogiko and the golden necklace - with the same reverence as those he has received from Ouki, Rinko and Duke Hyou.
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