Member Michael L. Posted November 23, 2010 Member Share Posted November 23, 2010 Why are ninjas, even in feudal times, so often shown wearing mesh or fishnet undergarments? This has been bothering me for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted November 23, 2010 Member Share Posted November 23, 2010 Why are ninjas, even in feudal times, so often shown wearing mesh or fishnet undergarments? Because it's sexy! I want to know why nowadays they always wear body armor? Come on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bamboo spear Posted November 23, 2010 Member Share Posted November 23, 2010 It came from manga, and probably made it's way to anime. Like kunoichi wearing short skirts and throwing kunai, it's one of those pop-culture ninja thingies. The "mesh shirt" has even made it's way into Sonny Chiba movies, but historically, the closest things are probably the chainmail suits believed to have been worn by some ninja during combat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Michael L. Posted November 24, 2010 Author Member Share Posted November 24, 2010 Okay, from what manga? I'm seeing shinobi mesh underwear in movies at least as far back as 1961 (Akai Kageboshi).... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member whitesnake Posted November 24, 2010 Member Share Posted November 24, 2010 There was at least one ninja manga in the 1950s, Sarutobi Sasuke by Shigeru Sugiura. I haven't seen it, so don't know if the ninja were wearing mesh outfits. And there was an anime feature, Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke, released in 1959. A Japanese penpal may have sent that me one on videotape, but I haven't watched it in a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Michael L. Posted November 24, 2010 Author Member Share Posted November 24, 2010 I swear that this has been bothering me for decades! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bamboo spear Posted November 26, 2010 Member Share Posted November 26, 2010 Stephen Turnbull's Ninja book shows a few woodblock prints by Yoshitoshi, which were published in the 19th century, which have "mesh ninja shirts" in them, so it even predates anime, manga, Sanpei Shirato, and all that stuff. But historically, I've never seen anything like that - a chainmail undershirt is the closest thing, so that's probably what the artists were originally going for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Michael L. Posted November 26, 2010 Author Member Share Posted November 26, 2010 History rarely impedes artistic portrayal of the past... A common theory is the modern look of ninja has more to do with how stagehands dressed than anything else (they roamed the stage in black to move props or manipulate puppets in various types of theater). The woodblock print angle makes sense and I'll look into it. I had that Turnbull book and loaned it to a student before reading it and never saw it again! Thanks Bamboo Spear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member John Posted November 27, 2010 Member Share Posted November 27, 2010 Well, does this mesh undergarmet appear only with shinobi or are there examples of it elsewhere? IIRC, ninja were essentially samurai on covert ops; thus, the toolbox between the two was not all that different. What's the purpose of it anyway? Is it good for withdrawing arrowheads like silk was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member IgaNinja Posted November 27, 2010 Member Share Posted November 27, 2010 Maybe the mesh in early films was a cheap alternative to pull off a 'mailed' look *shrug* lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member bamboo spear Posted November 28, 2010 Member Share Posted November 28, 2010 If I recall, Shishido Baiken wore a similar undergarment in Samurai 2: Duel at Ichijoji Temple. There have been theories that Baiken was a ninja, being a kusarigama expert from Iga, so maybe that was why they put it on him for the film? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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