Chouchou Maniwa the 1st

"*Then, I’ll become a shinobi that can destroy history. I’ll take this old, moldy school of martial arts—and improve it further and take it to future generations. To future generations, and perhaps to future eras.*"

— **Chouchou Maniwa the 1st**

## Professional Status

### Occupation

Ninja
Assistant Kenpou Instructor

## Novel Appearances

### Volumes

*Maniwagatari*

**Chouchou Maniwa the 1st** (真庭(まにわ) 蝶々(ちょうちょう) １世(いっせい), *Maniwa Chōchō Issei*), also known as **Chouchou the Ill-Fated** (不遇(ふぐう)の蝶々(ちょうちょう), *Fugū no Chōchō*), is a character from the *Katanagatari Series*. He is a ninja from the Sengoku Period and one of the first bosses of the Maniwa Ninja Corps. His name would later be inherited by Chouchou Maniwa two hundred years later.

## Personality

Chouchou was said to be a pleasant person. Because of his body, Chouchou was never fit to be a ninja. He accepted the fact that he would never be able to rise to the status of one of the twelve bosses, not showing much desperation over his unfortunate physical disadvantage. He still had the same readiness to die as any other ninja, however, suggesting to Kyouken Maniwa that she should leave him behind to die so that she may escape. However, when the woman refused to leave her comrade to die, Chouchou showed intense gratitude, almost being driven to tears when faced with her kindness. After dragging Kyouken down during their mission thanks to his body, Chouchou's inferiority complex over his size grew stronger, making him think that he should stop being a ninja, and even that he should have killed himself when he noticed how tall he was getting.

His confrontation with Kazune Yasuri changed his entire perspective, however. The two men were very similar, both unsuited for the task they were born to perform, with Kazune being wholly incapable of using swords. However, instead of accepting his inferiority, Kazune taught Chouchou to think positively about his abilities, adapting his technique such that he would disregard his disadvantages. Their encounter and battle gave Chouchou the determination to strive to improve himself, and after much training and a recommendation from Kyouken, he managed to become one of the twelve bosses, against all odds.

## Appearance

Chouchou is a hulking, massive and muscular man with unusually long limbs. He has bright red eyes and long black hair, tied in a knot resembling a butterfly's wings. Similarly to the other Maniwa ninja, he wears black sleeveless garb, which showcases his pectoral muscles. He wears sandals, and has chains tied all over his body.

## Background

Chouchou was a member of the Maniwa Ninja Corps during the Sengoku Period, right when the organization shifted its command structure to have twelve bosses. Due to his unusually massive body, he wasn't suited to be a ninja, serving as an underling. Not being able to use *ninjutsu*, he picked up *kenpou*, becoming the assistant instructor of the martial art within the village. Although he wasn't expected to be chosen as a leader, his training paid off and he became one of the first twelve leaders. His name went on to be inherited, eventually being passed down to the identically named member of the Maniwa Clan.

## Abilities and Equipment

* **Maniwa Kenpou** (真庭拳法(まにわけんぽう), *Maniwa Kenpō*)**:** An original style of kenpou developed by the memebers of the Maniwa village and passed down the generations, Chouchou the 1st worked hard to perfect the style and eventually made it effective against not only single opponents but also large groups as well. It's very similar to the Kyotouryuu, with Chouchou's improvements having come from his experience fighting Kazune Yasuri. It was eventually inherited by the future Chouchou Maniwa.

## Quotes

* (Chouchou talking about his body) *"Well, some things you just can’t do anything about—I just have to resign myself to this fate. And it’s not like I can hate this body that my parents gave me. Being sturdy is my only saving grace, so I’ll carry out my tasks as an underling as best as I can."*
* (Chouchou's oath of determination to Kazune) *"Then, I’ll become a shinobi that can destroy history. (...) I’ll take this old, moldy school of martial arts—and improve it further and take it to future generations. To future generations, and perhaps to future eras."*

## Trivia

* The Maniwa surname means "garden of truth", partly suggesting the animal motif of the ninja clan.
* Chouchou's first name literally means "butterfly".
* Chouchou's height is stated to be 7 *shaku*, 8 *sun*, 3 *bu*, which is roughly equal to 237 cm.
* Chouchou's weight is stated to be 28 *kan*, which is roughly equal to 105 kg.
* Chouchou's creed is stated to be "be patient and prudent" (隠忍自重(いんにんじちょう), *Innin Jichō*).
* The *furigana* for Chouchou's name is てふてふ, which would ordinarily be read as "Tefutefu". This is because it uses an old reading system, and the pronunciation is still Chouchou.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 *Maniwagatari*, *Episode Three: First Generation - Chouchou Maniwa*
2. ↑ *Maniwagatari*, *Episode One: First Generation - Koumori Maniwa*