I suppose the best place to start would be a simple apology for not posting on this site as much as I would've liked over the course of this year. For as much as I love writing, I've been swallowed up by my Vtubing activities and my day-job (eugh), so what little time I could dedicate to writing, I wanted to use for my fiction work. As a result, We haven't had a proper Redleaf Branch essay in near six months. That said, as far as the future of this site goes...well, I haven'

There's a line in Studio Ghibli's 1997 masterpiece Princess Mononoke--my favorite of the studio's catalog of classic animated films--which has always stuck with me since the first time I heard it. After the lead character Ashitaka is banished from his village because of the cursed mark that has begun to consume his body, he finds himself in Iron Town, speaking with the leader of the industrious city, Lady Eboshi. She thanks him for saving two of her men who were recently inju

In the 2002 game Kingdom Hearts, a collaborative project between Square Enix (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, etc.) and Disney, three young friends are separated from each other and their home due to the forces of darkness causing havoc across the worlds in-game. Adventurous by nature, Riku embraces this change, opening his heart to the darkness as it transports him to places beyond his wildest imagination. This is in stark contrast to his two friends: Kairi, who suffers a catat

The Haunted Housekeepers Zenless Zone Zero is an action game by Hoyoverse (known for Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail) that consists of various factions of Hollow Raiders, brave warriors who explore the numerous Hollows across the world. One such faction we meet during Chapter 3 of the main story is the Victoria Housekeeping Company. Introduced to us in the chilly Ballet Twins Hollow (named after the dilapidated building which makes up the greater portion of the area), eve

Fire is an integral part of all human cultures. How, then, do we see it depicted around the world?

These two big bros have more than just their firepower in common, and they even taught me a lot about myself.

Capcom's Okami is a game steeped in Japanese folklore and mythology. There are dozens of stories to speak of as players venture through the game, some of which are tied to a particular character like Benkei, and many of which are tied to the core story. Today, we're going to speak about those main story bosses that tie back to significant figures in Japanese folklore: Orochi and Ninetails. We'll begin with the first major boss, the lingering threat about which stories are tol

An exploration of the relationship between wolfish and serpentine characters in various media.

A short exploration of the historical figure Benkei and how he is depicted in media.

Relating the Deathbed Companion of Elden Ring to the Egyptian King of the Dead

For those who have known me for any amount of time, I'm certain it comes as no shock to hear that I am a fan of wolves. The image of the wolf has captured me since a young age; the earliest recollection I have of this fascination comes from the Mexico Symphony's performance of Peter and the Wolf set to a puppet show for children. The scene of the wolf's glowing golden eyes has remained in my mind all my life. As I grew and learned, the motif of the wolf continued to appear in

An entire section of Okami dedicated to a culture even more ancient than Shinto belief.