Happy Birthday, Nobunaga-sama! 100 Questions for the Fans of Oda Nobunaga∼

Wohooo, I think this is the first time I managed to celebrate Nobunaga's "Official" birthday on this blog of mine--!
I decided to dust off this very old "100 Questions for the Fan of lord Nobunaga" thing. I first compiled it back in 2014, so here I am, 7 years later seeing how things changed (not much, to be honest, ahah)! As usual, I encourage you to reply to this too! Feel free to do that in the comments, or link me your answers ^_^ !

01. What is your nickname? Daeva.
02. How old are you? Ah-!
03. Are you a man or a girl? A woman by now, I guess.
04. Where are you from? Italy∼
05. What's your occupation? Security agent at FCO (still!)
06. Since how long you're a supporter of Lord Nobunaga? Since 2009, yes.
07. How do you usually refer to Lord Nobunaga? "Nobunaga-sama", or "Nobu" when I'm in a hyper-fangirl mode!
08. When did you first know about Lord Nobunaga? When I started to support him, in 2009!
09. And how did you know about him? When I first watched the movie Band of Ninjas ("Ninja Bugeicho") by Oshima. I investigated the featured historical characters for a better understanding of Shirato's work and I was charmed by Nobunaga.
10. Which was your first impression of Lord Nobunaga? That of a ruthless, yet cunning warlord.
11. When did you start to love Lord Nobunaga? Immediately, as soon as I started to know him better through his biography.
12. If there's an episode that made you fall in love with him, tell us. His passion for performing arts. My old self talked about the episodes where he loved dressing up as female characters to entertain his bros, but at this point, I assume that I just loved the idea of connecting art and action in a popular context, just like how it happened in his favourite kowakamai.
13. Tell us about your strong feelings (passion, fear, respect or love) for Lord Nobunaga. That didn't change over the years, I'd still say "Inspiration". With a nuance of sobriety and empathy, though, by now.
14. Which is Lord Nobunaga's best quality? Again, his curiosity. How he wasn't afraid about new things, but tried to grasp their meaning and made them his.
15. Which is Lord Nobunaga worst flaw? His lack of empathy, expecially in later years, when it came to his subordinates. That's definitely a deadly flaw for every kind of ruler.
16. What do you think is the secret of Lord Nobunaga's strenght? His haste. He was aware that he couldn't wait "longer" and turned his life into a rush. His need to get fast results showed in the way he managed his army and how he wasn't afraid to delegate. That proved extremely effective.
17. And what about his soft spot? Yeah, I'd still say his vanity. How he just focused on the materialistic side of aestheticism. That happens when you're not a man of culture, I guess, ahah!
18. Among all the annedoctes of Lord Nobunaga's life (historically accerted or not) tell us your favourite three.
1) When someone claimed the existence of a monster snake living in the pond of the Jaike temple, he first dove into the pound to look for it and when he didn't succeed he forced the villangers to dry the pound empty--
2) The dance while singing the verses of Atsumori before departing for Okehazama.
3) Some time after Azuchi castle was ccompleted, he ordered a light show where huge lanterns were hanged at the castle's donjon and the Sokenji temple and both villangers and soldiers were asked to do the same to their houses and roads, so that the whole castle area would look shiny and bright as it reflected in the waters around.
19. And why they are your favourites.
1) The younger, wild days of Nobunaga are still unbeatable in my heart. This is probably the best prologue to his life.
2) The image of a warrior singing about the transience of life before meeting death face to face is just beautiful.
3) It looks like it had to be a breathtaking scenery. Even if Nobunaga's tastes were quite over the top, I liked how he cared for these display of beauty, that turned also in a display of power.
20. And what about any that you're not fond of? I'm a bit irked by the display of Azai and Asakura skulls during that new year party-- I understood the meaning behind it in that peculiar context, but I still don't think it was an adeguate thing to do.
21. Is there an episode that make you think "Ooh, Lord Nobunaga, how cool you are!"? When he marched on Kyoto for the sake of Yoshiaki. He placed the stability of the system in front of personal gain and it paid off.
22. Is there an episode that makes you think "Lord Nobunaga can be kind, too!"? Nobunaga spoiling Ieyasu at Azuchi. Despite the subtones of a mere show of power, I think that it was a genuine display of how much Nobu cherished Ieyasu as an ally.
23. Is there an episode that makes you think "This thing, and only this, I would have loved if Lord Nobunaga didn't it!"? Probably ordering Ieyasu to kill his son Nobuyasu-- That felt quite out of line, even if he was plotting against him with lady Tsukiyama--
24. Is there an episode that makes you think "Lord Nobunaga, how embarassing!"? I really can't think of anything, ahah!
25. Is there an episode that makes you think "This is a posthumous invention!"? Nobunaga claiming his divinity and asking people to pay him tributes at Sokenji, in Azuchi.
26. Is there an episode that makes you think "I can't think about it without laughing!"? Again, Shogun Yoshiaki referring to him as "father" XD
27. Is there an episode that makes you think "I can't talk about it without crying"? I confirm, I'm still heartbroken over Nobutada's death.
28. When did you think that Lord Nobunaga's aestheticism reached its climax? With the completion of Azuchi.
29. What kind of clothes fit better to Lord Nobunaga? My favourites are still Japanese clothes, as I said back in the days, a simple yukata, one arm free from its sleeve as he trained himself in archery∼
30. If Lord Nobunaga would be a colour, which one do you think he'd be? Dark Red. Both warm and threatening.
31. If Lord Nobunaga could be described by a kanji, which one do you think he'd be? Mhh, again, I'd go with 押 ("Ou") --It means "push", "shove", "stamp"... It gives an idea of the way he imposed himself in History.
32. If Hideyoshi is a monkey and Ieyasu is a tanuki, Nobunaga is..? I'd say a bird. Not sure about what kind of bird, but not necessarily a bird of prey, though.
33. What is your favourite battle of Lord Nobunaga? Okehazama.
34. Why? Again, the passion, the danger, the recklessness and its importance were unique.
35. If you could pick one, which is your favourite period of Nobunaga's life? I would say his Gifu days, when he truly was on top of the world, yet at home.
36. Which was the greatest danger that Nobunaga had to face in his life (besides Honnouji's)? Definitely the death of his father. The situation in the clan was extremely volatile, it's a true miracle that he managed to survive that.
37. Which is your favourite quote of Lord Nobunaga? "Is that so?". One of his actually documented quotes.
38. What is your favourite scene in Nobunaga's life, as depicted in novels or TV dramas..? As I recently watched Kirin ga kuru and I was reminded about the same scene with Imagawa, I couldn't help but thinking about Nobunaga holding a cat in Shinobi no Mono serial. Later one this would become an iconic villain gestus thanks to You Only Live Twice.
39. What is your favourite portrait or painting of Lord Nobunaga? The one that I yet have to paint 😉
40. Who is your favourite vassal of Lord Nobunaga's crew? In this moment of my life I'd probably go with Niwa Nagahide.
41. And what about the vassal you like the least? Mmh, Matsunaga Hisahide.
42. Who is the strongest vassal of Lord Nobunaga's crew? I guess Shibata Katsuie!
43. Who is the smartest vassal in Lord Nobunaga's crew? Definitely Hideyoshi.
44. Who is your favourite woman among those who had to do with Lord Nobunaga? I'd go with Nouhime. In these past years I came to appreciate the complexity of her character and situation.
45. Who is the enemy of Lord Nobunaga that you hate the most? Azai Nagamasa.
46. Who do you think was Lord Nobunaga's most faithful vassal? Shibata Katsuie.
47. Who do you think was Lord Nobunaga's arch-enemy? Saito Yoshitatsu.
48. Who do you think was Lord Nobunaga's benefactor? Saito Dousan.
49. If you were one of Lord Nobunaga's vassal, what rank would you like to have? Again, I wouldn't like to be a vassal, but if I were to be one, it would be pretty low, as I would avoid battles with all my being-- I'm weak, tono! Assign me to the maintenance of your collection of tea utensils, ahah!
50. If you could time-travel to Sengoku era, where, when and what would you do? I still have the same opinion as back then. I would travel to Azuchi via Tokaido, painting my route away.
51. If you could be one of those close to Lord Nobunaga, who would you like to be, and what would you like to do? I would like to be an artist, or a Western art trader, someone who could ease Nobu's mind. I would definitely ask him if I could portray him!
52. If you could be Lord Nobunaga for one day, what would you like to do? Ahah, I just hope I could survive! I guess I would stay home, savouring the little pleasure and views from my castle.
53. What would you think would have happened if Lord Nobunaga didn't win the Battle of Okehazama? Even now, I don't know. There were too many factors in play back then, it wasn't just about Nobunaga and Yoshimoto.
54. If Lord Nobunaga didn't die at Honnouji, how would you think that history would have changed? Yes, I still believe that Japan would have experienced an early Meiji era.
55. Did you ever visited one of the historical places related to Lord Nobunaga? Of course! A lot of them, by now ♥!
56. Recommend one of them. To be honest, rather than a single place, I enjoyed touring the city of Nagoya the most. The list of places to visit is just ENORMOUS, so refer to the list above.
57. Which one would you like visit, yet? I miss pretty much all the battlefields... Also, my greatest wish would be to repeat the tour of Nobunaga in Kai, Suruga and Totomi.
58. Did you ever visited Lord Nobunaga's tomb? Yes, I visited the most of them.
59. What would you pray for, in front of his tomb? For the peace of his soul, of course.
60. Is there an event or a festival about Lord Nobunaga that you'd like to recommend? My favourite is probably the Gifu Matsuri. The parade of the Azuchi Matsuri was quite suggestive, too!
61. Is there a gadget of Lord Nobunaga that you bought without thinking twice? Yes, the Nobu-sama of Gifu!
62. Is there a gadget of Lord Nobunaga that you didn't manage to get? Yes, this figure of Honnoji Incident-- I was waiting for the price to get a little cheaper, then I couldn't find it around anymore 😅 !
63. Is there something of Lord Nobunaga's personality in yours? Mmh, probably the impulsivity.
64. If you could compare yourself to one of the persons close to Lord Nobunaga, who would you be and why? Can't think of anyone-- Back in the days I replied Katsuie... Not sure if this still applies, though...
65. Do you know other fans of Lord Nobunaga? Yes, of course.
66. Did you ever turn someone into a fan of Lord Nobunaga? No, I don't like involving people in my hobbies, unless they are already into them.
67. Is there something that you can boast about to other Lord Nobunaga's fans? My action figures collection, ahah!
68. If you know a little known trivia about Lord Nobunaga, tell us! Time for a copy/paste from the past: I got to know about certain snacks that Nobunaga liked to glomp in his life: hiryozu, a sort of dumpling consisting in various ingredients wrapped in ground tofu, and deep fried nuts, this last a confectionery that he got from a Portuguese visitor. --To be honest I forgot about this 😅
69. Tell us a wordplay about Lord Nobunaga that you like. Still blissful ignorant about these 😅
70. Is there something about being a fan of Lord Nobunaga that was useful to you? Yes, it helped me to keep a realistic approach in life.
71. And what about something about it that was a problem for you? No problems, I guess. --Who would dare to mess with a fan of Nobunaga?
72. What is a thing about Lord Nobunaga that made you happy? I confirm his love for persimons! My favourites too!
73. What is a thing about Lord Nobunaga that made you sad? His end at Honnoji, yeah.
74. Is there a novelist, researcher, scholar that you like? I'm not competent enough to have one--
75. Is there a novelist, researcher, scholar that you don't like? Idem.
76. Is there a website where you contributed with articles or essays about Lord Nobunaga? Yup, this very blog!
77. If there's a website you love about Lord Nobunaga, link it to us. At the moment, none.
78. Tell us about a taiga drama featuring Lord Nobunaga that you liked. Ah∼ I would go with Kirin ga kuru. I enjoyed both the drama and its Nobu, even if his portrayal was quite unorthodox--
79. Tell us about a movie or TV series featuring Lord Nobunaga that you liked. Mmmh, one that made me think was Onna Nobunaga.
80. Tell us about a TV show about Lord Nobunaga that you liked. I don't watch TV shows about Nobu, but can I mention the Twitter account of the Nobunaga from the Nagoya Bushotai ^^ ?
81. Among the actors who performed as Lord Nobunaga, who is the best? Mmh, I still like Etsushi Toyokawa the best, I guess.
82. Is there an actor that you'd like to see performing as Lord Nobunaga? Back in the days I mentioned Chen Daoming from HERO... Today I'd say Masahiro Motoki for a mature Nobunaga--! For a younger one... Maybe Shotaro Mamiya. --The Kirin influence is strong∼
83. Is there another person (or historical character) that reminds you of Lord Nobunaga? Oh, I'll be banal and say Cao Cao. To be honest, sometimes I feel like Nobunaga was a fan of Sanguo and just copied him--!
84. Did you ever play a videogame featuring Lord Nobunaga? If you have any to recommend us, please do! Nah, videogames are not my cup of tea 😅
85. Tell us about your impressions after you played it. Idem.
86. How many books do you own about Lord Nobunaga? Very few, to be honest. Useful information in English is quite scarce.
87. What is the book about Lord Nobunaga that you long for the most right now? None, at the moment.
88. Is there an historical document related to Lord Nobunaga (before Meiji era) that you'd like to recommend? Again, I will go with the Ikensho, or "Remonstrance", a document composed of 17 articles where Nobunaga reprimanded the shogun Yoshiaki for his conduct-- Loving the bits where Nobunaga showed his straightforward personality like that.
89. Is there an essay or research that you'd like to recommend us? Nothing interesting that comes to my mind...
90. Tell us about a novel featuring Lord Nobunaga that you liked. I'm not familiar with the subject-- And I tend to be wary of novels... I would rather read an essay instead of a novel.
91. Tell us about a manga featuring Lord Nobunaga that you liked. My favourite is still Sengoku by Hideki Miyashita!
92. Is there an author that you'd like would write about Lord Nobunaga? Again, can't think of anyone who's still living and I care about... Maybe when it comes to mangaka, I would love to see a rendition by Tsutomu Takahashi! I loved his Sidooh and currently I'm enjoying Neun!
93. Do you have posters/portraits/illustrations of Lord Nobunaga displayed in your house? No more 😅
94. When do you think "I'm really a fan of Lord Nobunaga!"? When my patience is lacking and it shows--!
95. When do you think "I'm really obsessed over Lord Nobunaga!"? When I associate random stuff to him, asking myself if he would have liked that-- this could go from a peculiar scenery to a snack 😅
96. When do you think "I'm a failure as a fan of Lord Nobunaga!"? Ahah, when I can't remember dates and events correctly! So sorry, I couldn't fix that over the years∼
97. If you won the lottery, what would you do related to Lord Nobunaga? Spending my time touring his favourite spots.
98. Is there a question that you would have liked to see in this list? Back in the days I mentioned his economic/political skills... Also something about his family would be cool.
99. Thank you for reaching this point. How long did you take? Well, pretty much half a day (I kept being distracted by stuff as I replied!) 😅
100. And, in the end, what do Nobunaga rappresent for you? Can't help but quoting again my past self: as I said at the beginning of this questionnaire, an inspiration. I don't think that another human being could reach a better spot than this in my heart.