Hishikawa Moronobu

Hishikawa Moronobu (菱川師宣) is a character that appears in the fifth episode Artistic Anarchy in Samurai Champloo/Anime.

Appearance
Hishikawa is a pale Japanese man who resembles more of an androgynous individual with slender eyes and feminine facial features.

He wears a dark blue kimono.

Personality
Hishikawa seems to be a bit creepy, as he makes Fuu nervous. However, at the end, he realizes what he's doing is wrong (only because he was attracted to Fuu) and shows bravery by rebelling the Yakuza.

History
Hishikawa Moronbu was a ukiyo-e artist who partners with the Yakuza by painting girls, and sending the girls to the Yakuza so they can be slave trafficked.

Hishikawa sees Fuu eating with Mugen and Jin and grows infatuated with Fuu. She convinces Fuu to be part of his drawing in exchange for money after Fuu sends Mugen and Jin away. While drawing her, he tells her to reveal a little more of her skin, and hears rustling (revealed to be Sakami Manzou trying to spy on Hishiwaka because he believes Hishikawa is part of a slave trafficking ring).

When Fuu is finished, Hishikawa allows the Yakuza to put Fuu in the barrel. After talking with the woman in charge of the slave trafficking ring however, Hishikawa changes his mind and tries to free Fuu, revealing that he partnered with the Yakuza because his drawings weren't selling that much. He is discovered by the Yakuza, and they beat him up.

Mugen finds a beaten up Hishikawa, and goes after the Yakuza punks. In the end, Hishikawa hides in a barrel and declares his attraction for Fuu, stating that he plans to escape to Holland to became an artist. However, at the end of the episode (and The Disorder Diaries), it's revealed that Hishikawa was caught trying to go to Holland.

Voice Actors

 * Shinichiro Miki (Japanese)
 * Ezra Weisz (English)

Etymology

 * Hishikawa means "diamond (shape), water chestnut, rhombus" (菱) (hishi) and "river, stream" (川) (kawa).
 * Moronobu means "expert, teacher, master, model, exemplar, army (incl. counter), war" (師) (moro) and "declaration, proclaim, say, announce" (宣) (nobu).

Trivia

 * Hishikawa's drawings of Fuu would later inspire the famous Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh.
 * The painting that Hishikawa shows Fuu is a reference to his real life’s counterpart painting.
 * Hishikawa is actually based on a real life person, the famous ukiyoe painter Hishikawa Moronobu.