Annin

* *Annin's Giant Body Technique*
* *Annin's Feathers*
* *Guandao*

**Annin** (アンニン) is an entity who guards the Furnace of Eight Divisions, residing on the Mountain of the Five Elements. It is her job to ensure the furnace remains burning, allowing souls safe passage to the Afterlife.

## Background

Annin, also known by her alias as Tajoro, is the Guardian of the Furnace of Eight Divisions. Out of those in the Afterlife, Gohan was charged in protecting her due to his own formidable strength. According to Gohan, Annin has been the Furnace's caretaker for over ten thousand years, giving the impression that Annin has an ageless form of Immortality.

## Personality

Annin when first introduced is a happy-go-lucky, laid back individual who values the well being of her companion Gohan. Hearing that his grandson came to visit, she insisted on being a welcome host despite her insistance that there was nothing to do about the furnace. She rather defuse a situation peacefully, using logic and generosity to cool an ill-tempered Gokū. Discovering that Gokū possessed the Banshōsen, she readily told him what was to be done with it in order to fix the damage done to the Furnace.

Her wisdom comes with her ageless immortality, talking in facts and knowledge of the ramifications of what happens when the Furnace is tampered with or doused completely. She is straightforward and honest, telling Gokū the risks that would be had of repairing the Furnace by diving into the sea of flames. Only opening the top of the Furnace when she was sure he was prepared she held onto it for as long as she was able in order to secure his exit, happy to see his return back safely,a sign of her compassion to her companion's grandchild.

When her fork was smacked aside by a frustrated Gokū she shows that she is quite spiteful as she throws her noodle bowl at him hard enough to shatter stone. Despite this she was still kind enough to inform him how the Furnace was to be doused, showing even when offended she'll offer direction despite herself. But when the desparate son of Gohan sent him falling onto his back, Annin she showed she was quite protective of the old man's safety by sending Gokū flying almost into the top of the furnace.

Annin's mischievious side is witnessed when she hears at first the idea of dousing the flames of the Furnace could lead to utter chaos, saying it might be 'fun' to behold it. Luring Gokū into a false sense of security, she shows her penchant for trickery when she springs into an attack, summoning a Guandaoin order to land a blow.

She is quite a proud being, taking offense to being called 'ancient' by Gokū, calling him a 'child' for insulting her in her domain. Despite this pride she is humbled by his courage in the face of what could be considered certain death in order to repair the damage done to the Furnace; she reveals she hasn't met someone so brave in over the ten thousand years she's served as the Furnace's Guardian.

## Appearance

Annin is a beautiful woman, possessing a fair complexion skin tone along with a voluptuous figure though its often obscured by her traditional choice in apparel. Retaining long raven colored locks that reach to the middle of her back, this is separated down the middle with only a few strands of hair framing her cheeks.

Her choice attire is that of a mixture of ceremonial affects intertwined with basic linen. Her head-dress bearing a number of spherical fuzzy balls attached to a white headband, varying in color from orange to red respectively; two framing the centermost one sprout a pair of arching threads that hang in the air and are also colored orange like the spheres it is connected with. To match the red scheme of her head-dress she wears a pair of spherical earrings, with one white holding a pair of perfect cylindrical shape in red.

Drifting to her main garments, Annin wears a wide shouldered red upper tunic that is embroidered with golden borders and a set of rectangular white embroidery just resting over her sternum below where the collar begins. Wearing a golden sash, a mid-piece of similar embroidered silk travels between her white kama dress. To complement her attire, she wears red silk braces and boots, red with golden borders etched into them. Her final most noteworthy part of her appearance is the orange cape attached to her wide tunic shoulders stopping short of just her ankles.

## Abilities

As one of the People of the Cosmos, Annin possess a variety of unique strengths and abilities that are rarely seen in other fighters throughout the series. Many of her abilities seem akin to magic; among these are the ability to manipulate the the threads on her headdress to her liking, serving as a whiplike tool in combat. She is also skilled in the use of weapons, wielding a Guandao with considerable proficiency. Annin possesses incredible levels of strength, able to hurtle a noodle bowl with enough force to shatter a tower of stones with ease. She also possesses the magical ability to create items from nothing, and in terms of combat skill, was able to rival Son Gokū after his recent victory at the Tenkaichi Budōkai, proving her skill as a credible fighter.

### Agelessness

Annin appears to possess a form of immortality. Having been the Guardian of the Furnace of Eight Divisions for over ten thousand years, Annin's beauty hasn't diminished in the slightest despite the passage of time. By this statement, it is most likely she has retained a form of ageless immortality that keeps her youth no matter how many years pass by.

### Transformation

*Main article: Annin's Giant-Form Technique*

Capable of swelling her stature to many times up, most of Annin's already impressive feats are multiplied exponentially. With every step she causes seismic shakes, her head-dress able to pierce and slash the earth. Her strength is so great that she can flap her cape hard enough to create a gust of wind that can even send her enemies flying backward. Despite the power of the Banshōsen, she was able to resist a single swipe of its incredible air power and remain standing. The most incredible feat was her being able to hold open the Furnace's top for several minutes without any sign of growing weary, remarkable due to its holding of an inside measuring to that of a mountain.

## Dragon Ball

### 23rd Tenkaichi Budōkai Arc

When initially introduced, Annin's silhouette was that of an immense giant. Only when she wished to meet Gohan's grandson did she reveal herself to be a tall yet regularly sized woman, at the moment. Complaining that the noodles weren't properly cooked she asked Gohan if he had checked on the Furnace in case of a malfunction. With an eager Gokū and Chi-Chi implore her and Gohan to help douse the Furnace, the latter said it couldn't be done while the prior said it could mean the end of the world; she briefly commented it might be fun to witness the chaos much to Gohan's dismay.

Still insisting that he not give up, Annin offers some of her noodles insisting on them being delicious. Gokū swipes the fork away, telling her she isn't hungry. When Gohan and Chi-Chi try to save face by apologizing on his behalf, Gokū says there's nothing to be sorry for. Angered by this, Annin throws her bowl at Gokū's head, narrowly missing it but smashing a tower of rocks behind him much to the young betrothed's anger. Put off by his hostily, she did point to the mechanism of which would allow him to douse the flames if he wanted to do it himself.

Desparate to stop his grandson, Gohan tried to hold Gokū back but was cast aside by the young man. Appearing instantly by the downed old man, she rashly strikes at Gokū with her head-dress, binding him and hurtling him up towards the Furnace's top. Able to redirect himself back down without being harmed, Annin asked if he noticed the steam rising from the top. Acknowledging that he did, she explained there is a special kind of fog that emanates from the top of the mountain vital to creating a gateway between the Afterlife  and their world. Explaining the process to him, she spoke of the horrible occurrence of what will happen if the Furnace was put out even for a moment, saying that spirits will wander aimlessly and the evil ones will overtake the Earth. Foretelling of the promised dark future if the Furnace is put out, Gokū asks if there is another way.

While speaking of a possibility Annin magically manifests a Guandao in her hand, leaping into the attack. In tandem with her head-dress threads and her sword, she fights on par with Gokū for a short while before he outmaneuvers her and lands a lucky hit. When Gohan rushes to her side, he berates his grandson, telling him how Annin has been the caretaker of the Furnace for over ten thousand years. Speaking blatantly of how 'ancient' she is angers her, causing her to rise instantly and speak in a hallowed tone by calling him a 'child' and that he's in her domain. Growing in stature, she becomes taller than the Furnace of Eight Divisions, appearing an immense giant compared to the diminutive warrior.

Renewing their fight, it was all that Gokū could do to evade her precise attacks despite her size. When he was cast aside by a single sweeping gust sent by her cape, he took out the Banshōsen to which she recognized immediately. Swinging it once, a hurricane of wind strikes her, making her struggle to stand but not enough to fall over. When she confirms that is the mystical tool he's carrying she tells them that there may be a way to help with its power. Speaking of an octagonal egg shell from a certain creature and the honey from a beehive of a similar shape it is to her surprise that Chi-Chi was already carrying those items on her person.

Warning Gokū of the inevitable peril alongside Gohan, he doesn't relent and says he must do this. Acknowledging his decision she remarks that in over ten thousand years she hasn't met someone with his level of courage. After warning him of the space of time he'd have to get to the Furnace's floor to find the leak, she opens the lid and allows him to part the sea of flames so he may dive in. When a long time had elapsed she thought he was done for, only for him to emerge moments afterwards by a throttling leap with the aid of his Nyoibō. After sealing the top of the Furnace she humbly extends her gratitude as the Guardian to him for assisting her. It is only shortly after that they part ways, never to see one another again.

## Trivia

* Annin is based on Princess Iron Fan, a character in the Chinese legend *Journey to the West* (西遊記, *Saiyūki*), on which the series is loosely based.
* An'in's uniform design holds a semblance of similarity to that of the soon-to-be introduced beings, the Kaiō, with only a few differences. The most notable one is her style of earrings are quite uncanny in shape compared to the Kaiōshin's Potara, with the only major difference being a white bead holding it in place that is attached to her earlobe.

## Notes and References

Notes
1. ↑ Gohan mentioned that Annin had been guarding the Furnace of Eight Divisions for 10,000 years, making Annin 10,000 at the minimum.

References
1. ↑ *Daizenshū 3*, page 150
2. ↑ *Daizenshū 7*, page 54