Ryōshū

Overview

Gallery

Sprites

As they say, every person has their own creed—and it’s only right to respect it as the Executive Manager. But with some creeds, you will have difficulty in even simply pretending to sympathize. You will have noticed that the sinner in question is a silent chain-smoker whose eyes shine with a euphoric gleam only during battle. She believes that senselessly destroying the enemy's heads is an uncultured act and a step backward for art. If you are at your wit's end, please press the red button included in your welcome kit.

Ryōshū
Color	#cf0000  (Smoky Scarlet)
Affiliation	Limbus Company
Biographical Info
Gender	Female
Height	171cm, 5'7"
Relations	LCB (Colleagues)
Other
Literary Source	Hell Screen
Nationality	Japanese
Voice Actor	Lee Sae-ah

「かいなでの絵師には総じて醜いものの美しさなどと申すことは、
わかろうはずがございませぬ。」

「Other lesser painters are such mediocrities,
they have no way to recognize the beauty that lies in ugliness.」

Ryōshū (Hangul: 료슈, Ryosyu) is designated Sinner #4 of Limbus Company's LCB department.

Ryōshū is an ungovernable woman with an fascination an art that she uniquely defines, with little tolerance for what disinterests or offends her. Her ventures prior to Limbus Company are unknown, an implied affiliation with the Fingers of the Backstreets notwithstanding.

She will be the focus character of the currently unannounced Canto IX.

Appearance

Ryōshū is a woman of average height and build, with black hair in a bob cut style and sharp red eyes. She wears her work coat around her shoulders, secured by a small belt attached to her coat. Attached to the coat itself is her ID card, and the interior of the coat is red. She wears a white long-sleeved shirt underneath her coat, and black trousers. She appears to occasionally be depicted with a black glove on her left hand.

Along with this, she typically carries around sheathed a ōdachi on her back, with the words "無我夢中 阿鼻叫喚 支離滅裂" across it. The ōdachi's hilt is golden, and decorated with a butterfly pattern. The end of the sheath is wrapped in a red ribbon. The blade appears to be consistently sheathed, with the exception of her E.G.O. In Mirror Worlds, she typically wields a separate weapon, while noticeably still carrying her ōdachi behind her.

Personality

Ryōshū holds a generally hostile attitude to anyone that she speaks with, often seeing the other sinners as ignorant for not understanding "true artwork", which to her, typically involves gruesome murder. However, this does not mean she lacks respect for the dead, as shown in Canto I, where she gives Gregor a cigarette to offer to the dead body of the G Corp. Head Manager, even though he did not want to offer his own.

She does not speak often compared to the other sinners, possibly even less than Meursault, but more often than not, her sentences often include a SANGRIA (Succinct abbreviation naturally germinates rather immaculate art), or in the words of someone that isn't Ryoshu, a short abbreviation of a sentence. Sinclair usually translates her SANGRIA, though some of the other Sinners have tried.

Ryōshū's definition of art is primarily expressed through purposeful violence, finding it to be beautiful. Similarly, she has a distaste for crude, senseless violence, and notably holds disdain for the Ring.

Mirror Worlds

• World of the LCCB
  • In this world, Ryōshū is an Assistant Manager of the Limbus Company Clearance Department Before Team, whose work is to assist the 12 Sinners aboard Mephistopheles, as well as Vergilius and Dante. She wears the standard LCCB uniform and wields a shotgun, and carries her ōdachi on her back. This Identity mirrors Pilot from the main story. She can be seen in her LCCB Assistant Manager Identity.
• World of Wuthering Heights
  • In this world, Ryōshū is the Chief Butler of the Edgar Family. Having previously worked as a Butler at Wuthering Heights, she was the one to set up the "hunt for the wolf" to defeat Heathcliff, whom she had helped raise. She wears a Butler uniform and wears her hair longer, tied up in a high ponytail, and she carries her ōdachi strapped to her hip. In combat, she wields a large knife, and makes use of the other knives in her dimensional attache case. This Identity mirrors Nelly in the main story. She can be seen in her Edgar Family Identity and appears in Ishmael's Edgar Family Butler Identity Story.
• World of District 20 Backstreets
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a member of the Yurodiviye operating in District 20. She wears a newsboy cap, a black vest, white pants, a short brown jacket and large leather gloves, as well as the distinctive Yurodiviye scarf. She uses a gear-shaped lens as a monocle, and carries her ōdachi on her back. She wields a modified spanner in combat. She can be seen in her Yurodivy Identity.
• World of the District 23 Backstreets
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a chef specialized in human meat pies, having opened her very own R.B. (Ryōshū's Bistro), with Gregor as her sous-chef. She wears a white chef outfit with matching white pants and white gloves, and carries her ōdachi on her back. She wields a long, bloodied knife. This Identity mirrors Pierre from Library of Ruina. She can be seen in her R.B. Chef de Cuisine Identity and is mentioned in Gregor's R.B. Sous-chef Identity Story.
• World of Molar Office
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a Fixer of the Molar Office. She wears a white shirt and striped brown vest, and dark pants. This Identity mirrors Mika in Library of Ruina. She can be seen in Outis' Molar Office base art.
• World of the Former Library Guests
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a Fixer of the Hook Office. She wears an orange parka with a white fur hood, and a black respirator mask over her face. She carries her ōdachi on her back. This Identity mirrors Naoki from Library of Ruina. She appears in Hong Lu's Hook Office Identity Story.
• World of Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters
  • In this world, Ryōshū is the Captain of the Safety Team in the Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters. She uses the Spider Bud E.G.O Equipment Red Eyes together with the One Sin and Hundreds of Good Deeds E.G.O Weapon, Penitence. She wears the E.G.O Gifts Cobalt Scar, from the Big and Will be Bad Wolf, Fourth Match Flame, from the Scorched Girl, and Wrist Cutter, from Bloodbath, and she carries her ōdachi on her back. She can be seen in her Lobotomy E.G.O::Red Eyes & Penitence Identity.
• World of Seven Association Southern Branch
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a Fixer of the Seven Association's South Section 6 Branch. She wears the Seven Association uniform in unique colors, with a black button down and a white tie, with the standard Seven jacket and slacks. She carries her ōdachi on her back, and wields a longsword in combat. She can be seen in her Seven Association Identity.
• World of the Kurokumo Clan and Blade Lineage
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a Wakashu for the Kurokumo Clan. She wears a black kimono decorated with flower designs tied with a grey obi, and a black haori. In her base art, she wears a black turtleneck beneath. She has a scar across her face, and cloud design tattoos across her upper forearms reaching up to her neck, and she wears her ōdachi together with the katana she wields in combat, in a Daishō set. She can be seen in her Kurokumo Clan Identity.
• World of W Corp.
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a WARP Corp. Level 3 Cleanup Agent. She dons three outfits: in her base art, she wears a W Corp. long sleeved blue button down and a light blue tie; in her appearance in Hong Lu's base art, she wears a long sleeved black button down with the first buttons left open; in her Uptied art and combat sprite, she wears the W Corp. Cleanup Agent uniform, and carries her ōdachi strapped to her back. She uses a laser-powered sword, which she wields in a backhand grip, and which she has named Dimensional Demon Edge. She can be seen in her WARP Corp. Identity and appears in Hong Lu's and Outis' W Corp. Identity Stories.
• World of Liu Association Southern Branch
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a Fixer of the Liu Association's South Section 4 Branch. She dons two outfits: in her base art, she appears in that looks to be a training outfit, wearing a black tanktop, red Liu sweatpants, and boxing hand wraps; in her Uptied art and combat sprite, she wears the Liu Association uniform, including a red coat and dark gloves, and carries her ōdachi on her back. She fights with Liu Association's traditional fire-enhanced hand to hand combat. She can be seen in her Liu Association Identity.
• World of R Corp.
  • In this world, Ryōshū is a member of the Rabbit Team of R Corp's Fourth Pack. She wears the standard R Corp. uniform that is worn under their armor. She appears in Ishmael's R Corp. 4th Pack Reindeer Identity art.

Background

Currently, not much information regarding her background has been revealed.

In the full artwork of her LCB Sinner Identity she is surrounded by the Five Fingers of the Backstreets. The same designs for the Fingers also feature in her E.G.O and can be seen beyond the cell window. Given this and her familiarity with the Middle in Canto V and the Ring in Canto VI, it is likely that she was once involved with one or multiple of the Fingers in some capacity. Despite the Ring creating art through violence much like Ryōshū herself, she has stated that she does not care for the art made by Ring members. She has mentioned the Corridor technology owned and utilized by the Ring on a number of occasions, something that Vergilius and the members of his Office were also familiar with in Leviathan.

SANGRIA

Ryōshū's SANGRIA (Korean: 만단지예, "Mandanjiye"; Japanese: 万短至芸, "Bantanshigei") work similarly to Japanese Yojijukugo or Korean Sajaseong-eo — idioms made up of no more than 4 characters each. However, rather than using the actual meanings of the characters to form compound words or idiomatic phrases, she is forming abbreviations using their literal pronunciation sounds.

SANGRIA Translations

Miscellaneous

• SANGRIA - Succinct abbreviation naturally germinates rather immaculate art (Character Promo Trailer)
  • "Sangría" is the Spanish word for bloodletting and is another term for exsanguination — death by blood loss.
• OSHARE - Obligate style hearkens aflame this robust earth (Forest for the Flames E.G.O)
  • "Oshare" (お洒落), is a Japanese word meaning "stylish", but can also be used to the same effect as "foppish" or "dandy".
• S.P.C. - Some petty complaint (Golden Apple Observation Log)
• C.F. - Clatty Fruitcake (Proceeding Inquisitor and Everything There of an Inquisitor Observation Log)
• J.K. - Just Kidding (Proceeding Inquisitor and Everything There of an Inquisitor Observation Log)
• T.I.A. - This Is Art (Sign of Roses Observation Log)
• I.D.K.W.T.H.H.T.A. - I don't know what the hell he's talking about. (Peccatulum Pigritiae? Observation Log)
• M.I.D.D.L.I.N.G. - Morality Ignored and Deserted Due to Luxury, Integrity: Naturally Gone. (The Time Ripper Observation Log)
• T.P. - Totally Pulverized (Dreaming Electric Sheep Observation Log)
• T.T.G.G.C.C? - Take that glass gas canister, capiche? (The Noon of Violet: Safety Team Dungeon Event)

Main Story

• Canto I: The Outcast
  • TRANCHES - To right against noisy crying hogs entails scragging (1-1)
• Canto II: The Unloving
  • SYNC - Snap your neck completely (2-10)
  • BARF - Break all the remaining fingers (2-19)
• Intervallo I: Hell's Chicken
  • S.T.A.B - Slice them all to Bits (3.5-3)
  • S.D. - Same Difference (3.5-3)
  • C.F. - Crawling furball (3.5-3)
  • CHICK - Chirping hesitation isn't cool, kiddo (said to Sinclair) (3.5-3)
  • RAFTS - Restaurant already fated to shut (3.5-3)
  • S.T.C.U - Shut the clock up (3.5-5)
  • N.S.O.P. - No smoking on the property (3.5-9 Restauranteur's Fathoms)
  • T.W.H. - That was harsh (3.5-9 Restauranteur's Fathoms)
• Canto IV: The Unchanging
  • S.I.D. - Shut it down (4-2)
  • D.L.I. - Don't like it (4-15)
  • F.I.T.S. -Fixers inanely treading shadows (4-26)
• Canto V: The Evil Defining
  • O.O.F. - Obliteration of forehead (5-4)
  • T.O.S.T.O.O.F. - Talk or suffer the obliteration of forehead (5-14)
  • N.W.C.D. - Nothing we could've done. (5-28)
  • A.T.F.N. - All that for nothing. (5-29)
  • B.B. - Big Brother (5-10), Bitch Brother (5-30)
  • F.U.B.A.R. - Fucked Up Beyond Any Recognition (5-30)
  • G.E. - Good Eye (5-33)
• A Notable Change
  • E.W.T.L. - Enough with the lectures
• Intervallo III-1: Miracle in District 20
  • N.D.Q. - No Don Quixote (5.5-6)
  • G.M.F.H. - Gifts made from humans (5.5-9)
  • S.O.S. - Sound of screaming (5.5-10)
  • S.S.E. - Same story everywhere (5.5-11)
• Intervallo III-2: Yield My Flesh to Claim Their Bones
  • S.A.D. - Such a disappointment (5.5-3)
  • T.B. - The bus (5.5-4)
• Canto VI: The Heartbreaking
  • Y.S. - You, Stop. (6-13)
  • B.G. - Bug guy (6-13)
  • N.C. - No comment (6-13)
• Intervallo IV-1: Timekilling Time
  • F.A.H. - Funny as hell (6.5-4)
  • A.S.S. - Annoying, Stupid Stache (6.5-5)
  • K.T.A. - Kill them all (6.5-7)
  • A.O.T.S. - Arrive on the scene (6.5-13)
  • W.C. - Who cares (6.5-14)
  • L.F. - Long face (6.5-16)
• A Familiar Siren
  • W.T.H.A.W.G.I. - When the hell are we going in?
• The Fourth Walpurgis Night
  • F.U. - Functionality Upgrade

Identities

• LCB Sinner
  • AFTERWARD - Artistic failure trounces excitement resoundingly, while all roads drag on (Defeat Wail)
• Seven Association Section 6
  • PACTS - Peak art created through swordsmanship (Story)
  • N.M. - No motive* (Story)
  • WILT - I won't ingest lunch today (Afternoon Greeting)
  • GRASPED - Got it, right? Art stands in pure exemplarity, Dante (Post-Uptie Chat 1)
  • GENNED - Got everything now? New expectations, Dante (Ally Death)
  • C.I.H - Cut in Half (Passive skill name)
• R.B. Chef de Cuisine
  • R.B. - Ryōshū's Bistro (ID name)
  • NOUN - Not open until noon. (Morning Greeting)
  • M.E.P. - Mise en place (Morning Greeting)
  • YATTA - You're a tastebud-tickling attraction (Hell's Chicken - Trailer / While performing Skill 3)
  • P.C. - Prep Cooking (Skill 1 name)
  • I.H. - Ingredient Hunt (Skill 2 name)
  • F.I. - Fine Ingredient (Defense skill name)
  • L.B. - Limbs Broken (Story)
  • O.P. - Obedient Person (Story)
• W Corp. L3 Cleanup Agent
  • B.S. - Baby Sitting (Identity Acquisition)
  • I.D.C. - I Don't Care (Afternoon Greeting)
  • N.P. - No Problem (Check Passed)
  • S.H.I.T. - Shit (Check Failed)
  • E.C. - Energy Cycle (Skill 1 name)
  • Y.D.Y - You Do You (Hong Lu's W Corp. story)
  • D.C. - Don't Care (Hong Lu's W Corp. story)
  • B.S. - Baby Sitting (Hong Lu's W Corp. story, Outis' W Corp. story)
  • I.A. - I Agree (Outis' W Corp. story)
  • W.C. - Who Cares (Outis' W Corp. story)
  • D.D.E.D.R. - Dimensional Demon Edge Dimensional Refraction (Skill 3 name)
• Hook Office Fixer (Hong Lu's Identity)
  • Y.D.Y. - You Do You (Hong Lu's Hook Office story)
  • S.O.R. - Strange Office Rep (Hong Lu's Hook Office story)
  • I.A. - I Agree (Hong Lu's Hook Office story)
• LCCB Assistant Manager
  • I.A.L. - I Am Listening (Identity Acquisition)
  • B.A.H. - Boring As Hell (Chatter #3)
  • S.P. - Shoot People (Post-Uptie Chat 2)
  • P.O. - Perfect Operation (Victory Cry)
  • W.O.T. - Waste Of Time (Story)
  • W.O.W.W.I.E. - Waiting Overlong Was Worth It Eventually (Story)
  • S.B. - Smoke Break (Passive skill name)
  • T.N. - Target Neutralization/Target Neutralized (Skill 2 name/Enemy Killed)
  • O.O.F. - Obliteration Of Forehead (Skill 3 name)
• Liu Association South Section 4
  • C.S. - Consecutive Strike (Post-Uptie Chat 2)
  • P.S. - Penetrating Strike (Post-Uptie Chat 2)
  • N.W. - No Way (Defeat Wail)
  • T.A.D. - Trash and Debris (Rodion's Liu Assoc. story)
• Edgar Family Chief Butler
  • S.P.D. - Speed, Precision and Decisiveness (Identity Acquisition)
  • S.S.Y.N.C. - 'Sleepy smack' your neck completely (Afternoon Greeting)
  • S.Y.N.C. - Snap your neck completely (Victory Cry)
  • B.S. - Bullshit (Story)
  • R.U.D.E. - Rather unfortunate, destructive entrance (Story)
  • B.M. - Butler's Mark (Exclusive Status Effect)
  • S.A.D - Such a Disgrace/Such a Disappointment (Unique Interaction with Nelly)
  • D.B.S. - Don't Be Stupid (Ishmael's Edgar Family Butler story)
• District 20 Yurodivy
  • H.I.T. - Hacked In Two (Stage Entry)
  • D.O.N.T.E. - Deconstruction of normalcy, terrify everyone (Defeat Wail, Chatter #1)
  • N.O.M.B. - None of my business (Story)
  • R.O.W. is the A.O.S. - Redistribution of wealth is the Art of Shortening. (Story)
  • N.O. - No Offense (Field Passive name)
  • The A.I. - The Answer Is (Support Passive name)
• Lobotomy E.G.O.::Red Eyes & Penitence
  • S.F. - Skullface (Penitence E.G.O. Weapon)
  • S.H. - Spiderhead (Red Eyes E.G.O. Weapon)
  • F.L.A.T. - Flattened like a tortilla (Post-Uptie Chat 2)
  • N.O.V. - Noon of Violet (Story)
  • D.O.V. - Dawn of Violet (Story)
  • T.N.W.I.M. - That's not what I meant. (Story)
  • G.T.C. - Green tin can (Story, referring to Netzach)
  • N.F.W. - No fucking way (Story)
  • S.I.T. - Say it twice (Lobotomy E.G.O::Solemn Lament Yi Sang Identity Story)

Trivia

• Ryōshū's character icon represents a butterfly with ruined wings: a wing appears to be flaking, while the other is burning and bleeding. The text on the icon, "森羅炎象", translates to English as "Forest for the Flames" — the same name as Ryōshū's base E.G.O skill.
• Ryōshū is represented by the "🚬" Emoji.
• Ryōshū's particulars are listed as "has an aesthetic sense" and "chain-smoker".
• Ryōshū is based on the character Yoshihide from the short story Hell Screen, by Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.
  • In Hell Screen, Yoshihide is a painter commissioned to create a folding screen depicting Buddhist hell by the Lord of Horikawa. Yoshihide, requiring references of the scenes of hell which he plans to paint, begins torturing his apprentices. For the final scene of hell, Yoshihide asks the lord to set a beautiful woman on fire, and while the lord agrees, he chooses Yoshihide's daughter for the victim. After watching his daughter burn to death, Yoshihide finishes the screen, then takes his own life.
  • Hell Screen and Ryōshū's character both take heavy inspiration from Ebusshi Ryōshū, a Japanese folktale recorded in the Shūi Monogatari collection.
    • In the folktale, an e-busshi (a Buddhist monk who specializes in making paintings for temples) called Ryōshū realizes his home is on fire and quickly escapes, leaving behind his wife, children, and his many paintings of Buddhas without a second thought. As he watches his house go down in flames, instead of being distraught over the loss of his family, he is elated by the fact this has given him inspiration to paint a proper depiction of Fudō Myōō.
• Ryōshū's introduction quote comes from an exchange in Hell Screen. In response to the Lord of Horikawa joking about Yoshihide's great ability and passion for painting repulsive subjects, the painter takes pride in the Lord's words, affirming only a great painter, such as him, is able to recognize the beauty in ugliness.

English Translator's statement on Ryōshū's naming.

• Ryōshū is an alternative reading of the name Yoshihide. The choice to render the name in Hangul as 료슈 <ryo-syu> instead of 요시히데 <yo-shi-hi-de> and have this reflected in the English romanization was a decision made by Project Moon's writers and directors through consultation with their Japanese translator.
• The text on her odachi's sheath (無我夢中 阿鼻叫喚 支離滅裂) is a series of three Yojijukugo, idiomatic four-character compounds where the individual four kanji are used to create an aesthetically pleasant expression in visuals and pronunciation.
  • (無我夢中) can translate to "losing control of oneself" or "to be entirely consumed by something".
  • (阿鼻叫喚) can translate to "Pandemonium" or "to cry out in the midst of tragedy".
  • (支離滅裂) can translate to an adjective meaning "incoherent", "illogical", or "nonsensical".
    • While the phrase can be interpreted to something broadly along the lines of, "To be consumed by the madness of Pandemonium", Yojijukugo are idioms that aren't meant to be read as singular words themselves but instead are to be read with each character as its own word rather than simply a syllable to a greater whole — similar to the likes of an abbreviation.
• Like all of the Sinners, Ryōshū voiced a "Document Excerpt" Youtube short.
• Kurokumo Clan Wakashu Ryōshū is the only Identity of Ryōshū's to use no SANGRIA.
• In Intervallo IV, Ryōshū is noted by Dante to never refer to anyone by their names. Although this is not the case for certain Mirror Worlds, and there are a few exceptions in the main story, this appears to be generally true, with Ryōshū instead often addressing others by nicknames. Some examples of these are:
  • Yi Sang, "poetaster";
  • Don Quixote, "D.Q." (Don Quixote);
  • Heathcliff, "whiny brat";
  • Ishmael, "orange hair";
  • Sinclair, "kiddo", "champagne hair";
  • Gregor, "BG" (Bug Guy), "CF" (Crawling Furball);
  • Dante, "clock", "Clockhead".

External Links

• Ryōshū (료슈) - Korean page (Namuwiki)
• Ryōshū (良秀)- Japanese page (wikiwiki)
• Ryōshū (良秀) - Japanese page (wiki3)
• Ryōshū (Рёсю) - Russian page (Project Moon wiki)

References

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