Mouri Shin

Mouri Shin is one of the five main characters in Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, aka Ronin Warriors, and is the wielder of the Suiko yoroi (Armor of Torrent in North America).

Standard Notes: This is my opinion of this character. Very little of this is fact; this is my analysis of Mouri Shin based on what I have seen of him and the discussions I've had about him and the other Troopers with Tavestry, Celestial Tiger, Magma Angel, and Becky, as well as other people. They've all expanded upon my knowledge of Shin, and I am grateful to them for helping me understand him.

Tav says Shin represses his anger. And I've always gone along with that because it was fun to get Shin to "unrepress." It's still fun, in our little roleplaying universes.

But thinking about Shin, real Shin (as it were), I'm not so sure that he represses. I think it's more like...well, it's hard to get him mad. But when he does get mad, he gets really REALLY mad.

He is the ocean, who can be calm and forgive much, but brew up a storm and Shin will strike as hard as any tsunami.

He is not harsh usually, but then again neither is the tide as it pulls you in.

One drop of water is nothing. But it's so hard to fight an ocean.

Next time you go to the beach, stand in the surf. Stand still. Feel the sand pull away underneath your feet as the tide retreats. Don't you feel the PULL to go in? Doesn't it seem as though the water is trying to suck you in with it?

I remember playing Magic: The Gathering, and everyone always said Blue was the wuss color. Blue has as its mana, its energy source, the island, and as its symbol a water or raindrop.

And Blue was the wuss color, supposedly.

Shin is underestimated the same way. And I think Shin uses that underestimation. And then you end up on the wrong end of the Chu Ryu Ha (Super Wave Smasher in the dub).

Shin didn't have a dad growing up. He had to be the man of the household, and he was the youngest. He was also the only boy. Growing up around women has made him a bit more sensitive, a bit less macho. But that doesn't make him any less manly. Like Seiji, the entire future of his family depends on HIM, and like Seiji, he feels that very keenly.

Shin is used to taking care of people, and it's what he enjoys doing. That makes him seem sort of motherly, but he's also a sort of father figure too. He'd be great with kids, I'll bet.

Shin is understanding and quiet, but as the old saying goes, still waters run deep. Next to Ryo, Shin is the Trooper most worried about the others' welfare. Even without the bond, he could probably take a very good guess as to what the others' were feeling and most likely be right. Women are more intuitive, and growing up with two older women in the house was bound to have some sort of effect on him.

Let me stress again that I do not think Shin is "girly." He's more androgynous than the others are though, and in the long run, that's a good thing. Psychologically speaking, androgynous people, who aren't tied to the stereotypical gender roles (Female cooks, cleans, looks after kids, Male is breadwinner, supporter, discipline), are happier, more well-adjusted. Marriages not based on those age-old gender roles are more likely to last, and to be happier. Children of androgynous parents are happier, more well-adjusted. (This is all GENERAL, of course. There are always exceptions. You wanna know where I got this nugget of information? My high school psych teacher. *shrugs* Semi-authoritative.)

All of this means Shin is a bit better able to adapt to things, is a bit stronger than the others psychologically. At the same time, war affects him much more strongly. But he can handle it.

From the Kathy Mattea song "Love Travels" - "God makes these tender hearts the strongest." And it's true in Shin's case, certainly.