Masanori Fukushima

Masanori Fukushima is a general who began his career under Hideyoshi, first serving as his page and eventually rising to prominence into adulthood. When tensions rose between Mitsunari and Ieyasu, Masanori chose to side with Ieyasu. Since he is known for being a powerful warrior, there are many tales surrounding his strength. Edo period folklore especially likes to depict Masanori as one of Hideyoshi's closest retainers who had a brazen temper and sometimes murderous tantrums. After his death, he is lauded as one of the Seven Spears of Shizugatake.

Before his unique appearance in the Samurai Warriors series, he is a generic in the series's first entry. He appears as a unique NPC in Samurai Warriors 3, and his character model is available for edit characters by completing Mitsunari and Kiyomasa's stories. Masanori gains a new weapon, unique moveset and story in Sengoku Musou 3: Moushouden.

Gamecity's Sengoku Musou 3: Empires character popularity poll lists him as thirty-third place out of forty characters. According to the Sengoku Musou Seiyuu Ougi 2012 Aki questionnaire, he ranked fifth for fans' ideal co-op partner for playing Samurai Warriors. For the Samurai Warriors 4 poll, he placed forty-eighth. This counterpart has a character image song titled, Otoko・Ichiban Yari.

In Saihai no Yukue, his height is 180 cm (close to 5'11") and he is 43 years old. He trains as a hobby and he likes to eat sweet foods.

Samurai Warriors
In Samurai Warriors 2, Masanori is usually seen alongside Kiyomasa. They act as Nene's closest "children" and are very loyal to her. They address her as "Lady Nene" at all times. However, he can't stand Mitsunari and often berates him. When Sekigahara takes place, he is one of the closest units to the Western camp on the battlefield. After his defeat, Mitsunari scornfully calls him a traitor. During Nene's dream stage, he apologizes for his rash behavior. Masanori is also one of the generals to switch his allegiance back to the Toyotomi family in Masamune's dream stage and joins forces with Yoshihiro during Ginchiyo Tachibana's story.

Samurai Warriors 3 presents Masanori as a tough-talking punk whose relationships remain the same as before, except that he is closer to Mitsunari. After Hideyoshi's death, he chooses to follow Kiyomasa's decisions and joins the Tokugawa family. His fate depends on the story, as he lives in Kiyomasa and Sakon's endings but dies in others. He and Aya may be saved by Takamaru early in the Murasamejo Mode.

For his story in Sengoku Musou 3: Moushouden, Masanori is described as a man who has been indebted to Hideyoshi since he was a child. Wanting to repay Hideyoshi's kindness for raising him, he joins the front lines at Shizugatake. He also has a rivalry with the two other men close to Hideyoshi, Kiyomasa and Mitsunari, and he competes against them during the battle. Together with his "brothers", he helps Nene covertly open the enemy gates at Komaki-Nagakute and challenges Ieyasu to a fight for Hideyoshi's vision. Amused by Masanori's eagerness, the loser agrees to support his lord. During the campaign for Odawara Castle, Ieyasu's plan to assault the Hōjō is humorously favored over Kiyomasa's strategy due to Masanori's intervention at the war council. While Ieyasu and Masanori organize the strategic measures of the battle, Masanori is ordered to be the distraction by attacking the enemy's front. With Ujiyasu's death, the land belongs to Hideyoshi.

After Hideyoshi dies of illness and Ieyasu rises in power, however, both he and Kiyomasa agree to join Ieyasu in order to protect the Toyotomi family. Mitsunari, who doesn't trust or like Ieyasu, opposes their decision and stays with the Toyotomi. Not understanding Mitsunari's stubbornness in the slightest, Masanori participates in Sekigahara to compel his childhood friend to fight him. By fighting his friend, Masanori hopes to understand him and find a sense of reconciliation with him. After Masanori says his piece to him, he thinks the trio can be properly reunited. Relentlessly tearing through the Western army - even defeating the one his side wants to defect, Masanori scours the battlefield looking for the hidden Mitsunari. Although Mitsunari loses, he says his thanks for having Masanori defeat him and leaves.

Of course, Mitsunari's defeat did not restore the friendship Masanori wanted and results in his death. Afterwards, Kiyomasa tries to negotiate with Ieyasu to restore the nearly diminished Toyotomi, but their talks come to a standstill. Realizing that Ieyasu wants to target the Toyotomi for a unified peace, Kiyomasa and Masanori hurry to defend Osaka Castle. Masanori feels they have learned Mitsunari's true will to protect the Toyotomi from their last brawl and seeks to continue fighting on in his friend's memory. Since Hideyori still lives and Ieyasu's numbers are still high, Masanori and Kiyomasa continue their fight against the odds in his ending.

Samurai Warriors 4 introduces Masanori and his two childhood friends as early as Kōzuki Castle. Like his friends, he came from a poor background and was raised with Hideyoshi's patronage. Wishing to stay beside his friends and reminisce about their childhood, Masanori engages friendly competition between them in their new duties for Hideyoshi. They assist their lord's tactics against the Mōri forces at Bichu-Takamatsu Castle before joining the major fights for Hideyoshi's unification (Yamazaki through Odawara Castle).

Masanori is too dumb to think about the complicated policies or strategies within the era and is content fighting for Hideyoshi. When Kiyomasa and Mitsunari argue about the Toyotomi's future, he thinks they're having one of their usual squabbles. Since he believes they can solve every problem their "usual way" —by venting frustrations in an all out fight, he joins the Eastern army at Sekigahara. Masanori wishes to fight Mitsunari himself. If he wins, he wants his friend to admit he's wrong and apologize to Ieyasu. Regardless of the result, Masanori loses his friend shortly afterwards.

He teams up with Kiyomasa to protect the Toyotomi family, but their efforts amount to nothing when Kiyomasa perishes. Masanori is incapable of besting the Tokugawa's intelligence by himself. He is not permitted to take part in the battle at Osaka Castle and his wealth has been reduced considerably. It takes everything he has to provide for his daughter. As he watches her play with other children, Masanori remembers his own childhood friends and is vexed by his helplessness to rescue the Toyotomi family.

In anime adaption of second update of fourth installment, he's one of the few generals whose having a meeting for a battle at Ueda Castle, until Yukimura going there by alone, but was followed by Kunoichi and Nobuyuki. After Hideyoshi died by ilness, later an argument between Ieyasu and Mitsunari that caused them being enemies for some reason of what the late Hideyoshi had been promised them to, his best friend Kiyomasa protested Mitsunari anymore for not following Hideyoshi's words and left, so as Masanori, whom later accompany his best friend's departure to watch over his back and doesn't want his best friend get hurt alone.

Warriors Orochi
Having been separated from the Toyotomi forces in Warriors Orochi 3, Masanori finds safe passage in the dimensional world by joining forces with Taigong Wang. He and his companions fight against their opponent at Shouchun until the coalition arrive to their rescue. Masanori supports their hunt for the demon throughout the story. He later helps Lu Meng fetch a lone Gan Ning at Mikatagahara.

In Ultimate, an imposter created by Mae Tamamo assumes Masanori's appearance to entrap Hideyoshi and Nene. Fortunately, Shennong unveils the ruse and helps the Coalition repel them.

Pokémon Conquest
Masanori is depicted as a child in Pokémon Conquest. He is friends with Mitsunari and Kiyomasa who are residents of the protagonist's homeland, Aurora. Throughout the game's main story, they offer secondary advice to the player and inform them of Nobunaga's progress. Masanori often overreacts during his conversations with the protagonist and tends to point out Mitsunari's true character for him/her.

He shares his side story episode with Mitsunari and Kiyomasa in which the three friends go on their separate ways due to an argument between them. As time passes, the former friends become warlords in their own respective castles. Seeing this as an opportunity to resolve things, the three of them turned on each other in a bid to see who was in the right. Unlike the other two, Masanori's victory reveals that the source of their feud was over who would get the last ponigiri. The episode ends with their friendship mended once more.

Kessen
Masanori, often called "Fukushima", is a general who serves Ieyasu in Kessen. Naga Kuroda convinces him that joining Ieyasu's army will be rewarding. Although he is a Toyotomi loyalist, he passionately despises Mitsunari. He will boldly charge for his camp at Sekigahara. Should Ieyasu try to order him to do otherwise, Masanori will refuse to comply. He's Kiyomasa's childhood friend and won't fight him if they're on opposing sides. He leads a very speedy cavalry and is one of the faster units in the game. He can defect back to the Toyotomi side if Mitsunari is dead.

Masanori can be recruited into Nobunaga's army in Kessen III. If Hideyoshi survives as the rear guard at Echizen, Masanori will appear after the battle. He has a high cavalry proficiency and can serve as a good spear unit. If he is put in a unit with Kiyomasa, their morale will rise and they will perform well. He also gets along with Saizo Kani.

Saihai no Yukue
He also appears as a general for the Eastern Army in Saihai no Yukue. When Lord Maeda is on the verge of passing away, both he and Kuroda gather men to kill the fleeing Mitsunari. Though he misses his chance, he volunteers to join Ieyasu's troops to put an end to the object of his hatred. He is a strong braggart who is prideful of his capabilities. His nicknamed "pig-headed" by some of the Western officers.

During one of their encounters, the clueless Mitsunari gets a glimpse of Fukushima's memories. In these fragmented images, Fukushima pleads Hideyoshi to get of rid of his young assistant as he cannot see why Mitsunari is a valuable asset. Seeing the aloof Mitsunari get more respect, he dwells in envy and refuses to follow Hideyoshi's request to understand him. He shouts a string of curses when he's defeated. In the final battle, Mōri tells him to stop relying on his false bravado and learn to overcome his weaknesses.

Mōri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya
Masanori is an Oda retainer in Mouri Motonari: Chikai no Sanya who is a constant aide to Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi fondly thinks of Masanori as his "child" so the retainer calls him "father" (親父殿, Oyaji-dono) in return. When his "father" is on the run from Terumoto's forces, Masanori appears in the south in an attempt to guard the rear. He curses when he is defeated and can't believe the Mōri are fated as the new leading power of the land.

Personality
Easily moved by emotions, Masanori is known to cry his eyes out or throw a tantrum at the drop of a hat. Compared to his friends, Masanori is the immature scattered-brain and the comic relief of the trio. Masanori is the loudest of the trio, easily voicing his every honest thought to everything addressed to him. In his mind, Masanori is awesome and popular, beaming with pride of his self-image. He is especially proud for being "stupidly strong". He can't be bothered to sweat over complicated matters and would rather settle all disagreements through brute, unyielding strength. Whoever wins a fight, he believes, has the right to get their way. In spite of his confidence with his masculinity, Masanori craves for a girlfriend in the spin-off titles and constantly pesters the other men in the game for tips to attract the ladies.

Though not one for etiquette or subtlety, Masanori's loyalty to Hideyoshi is just as strong as Mitsunari or Kiyomasa. He fondly calls Hideyoshi "Old Man" (叔父貴, Ojiki) and proudly boasts any praise his lord gives him. Masanori extends the same respect to Nene, although he becomes sheepishly timid in front of her, afraid to incur one of her lectures. Both Hideyoshi and Nene believe his light-hearted nature can dispel Mitsunari and Kiyomasa from fighting all of the time.

He treats Kiyomasa with fraternal respect yet regularly seems to be annoyed with Mitsunari, referring to him as "big-headed" (頭デツカチ atama dekkachi) for his helmet and for his arrogance. Masanori openly berates Mitsunari, but he will stop to a careening halt if Nene happens to overhear him. Since he isn't as concerned about status as his other "brothers", their flat reactions to his oafish antics is sometimes the only thing Mitsunari and Kiyomasa can agree upon. They bicker and fight all the time, but Masanori doesn't hold a heavy grudge against either one of them. Compared to the other two, Masanori seems trapped in the happier times of their childhood. He is the one who frequently mentions or mocks his friends for their embarrassing moments as children. The Japanese script of the fourth title goes a step further by having Masanori call Mitsunari by his childhood name (佐吉, Sakichi) in his excitement.

Sakon fondly addresses him, Kiyomasa and Mitsunari as the "three idiots", jokingly naming Masanori the dumbest of the group. For his Warriors Orochi appearance, he has an affinity with the equally rowdy Gan Ning and passionate Yoshitsune.

Character Symbolism
He's symbolized by the characters "lively" (喧) and "man" (漢) in the Samurai Warriors series. All of his weapon types notes that they can smash through various objects. His weapons can smash through gold (Normal), cliffs (Power), and karma (Speed). His Unique weapon is named as a type of vajra, but the wording can also imply that he is named after Vajrapani. Known as Shukongoshin in Japan, he is a weapon wielding dharmapala known to protect Buddha in Japan. He symbolizes Buddha's knowledge, or the truth of all things, by dispelling evil thoughts and desires. In Japan, he's thought to have originated from Heracles within Greek mythology, as he wears a lion's skin and carries a club in one hand.

Masanori's secondary Unique weapon is named after Amenotajikarao, a god of strength in Japanese mythology. He lifted the boulder blocking Amaterasu from the world, eventually leading to the return of light. His name means he is a male god with powerful hands, thus leading to his worship for powerful arms and legs. His muscles are said to have the strength to eternally carry the weight of the world as he sleeps.

Voice Actors

 * Jason Moran - Samurai Warriors 2 (English, shared with other Fierce officers)
 * Dan Woren - Samurai Warriors 3 (English-uncredited)
 * Jim Crescenzo - Kessen (English)
 * Takeshi Kusao - Samurai Warriors 2 (Japanese)
 * Takahiro Fujimoto - Samurai Warriors 3~4, Warriors Orochi 3 (Japanese)
 * Yuusaku Yara - Kessen (Japanese)

Quotes

 * See also: Masanori Fukushima/Quotes


 * "Hmph. What gives you the right to tell us what to do? You act like you've-Waah!"
 * "Good luck, Mitsunari!"
 * "Mitsunari warned us about a particularly rowdy idiot in the enemy ranks..."
 * "Oh that guy. I knew he'd be worried about Kiyomasa after all this time!"
 * Ginchiyo and Masanori; Sengoku Musou 3: Moushouden


 * "Hm? What are you smiling about, Kiyomasa?"
 * "Sorry, it just seemed funny. We've just been in battle, ready to die at any moment, ever since we were kids. We sharpened our skills and we're older now. But nothing seems to have changed on the inside. That goes for me, for Mitsunari and for you too, Masanori. We're still just dumb kids."
 * "What are you talking about, Kiyomasa? That's not true. No matter how you look at it, we're big, strong, dangerous adults! Right?"
 * Masanori and Kiyomasa; Samurai Warriors Chronicles


 * "Whoa! Aren't these pickles too sour?"
 * "They are. They are prepared that way to cut back on everyone's appetite. That way, our precious rice can be preserved for times when we need it."
 * "Man, they're so sour, I'm gonna need more rice to eat 'em! Now I got an excuse to eat way more bowls of rice than usual~! Yum-yum! Thanks for the grub!"
 * "Well, this was an oversight..."
 * Masanori and Ieyasu‎; Sengoku Musou 3: Empires


 * "Hey, what're you acting all proper for?"
 * "Please teach me your pick-up lines, O Great One! For real!"
 * "... Sure is tough being popular with the ladies. In a lot of ways..."
 * Magoichi and Masanori; Sengoku Musou 3: Empires


 * "How strange... My gauntlets are missing."
 * "Here you go, Yoshitsune, I warmed them up. I kept them nice and snug right under my armpits!"
 * "They feel quite wet. And they give off a faint smell of sweat."
 * Yoshitsune and Masanori; Warriors Orochi 3


 * "Mitsunari! He's here!"
 * "By the gods I shall drag him before you, even if it is with my dying breath."
 * "Lord Fukushima, we must act with care. It is my understanding Devil Shimazu is with them today."
 * "Hmph! Devil indeed! Today's battle will find him nameless. To victory!"
 * Ieyasu, Fukushima, Honda at Minakuchi; Kessen


 * "Agh! My loyalties are torn! Argh! I'm sick of thinking! I shall follow my heart, as I once did for Lord Toyotomi! I shall unleash my fiery wrath!"
 * "Fukushima! You repay me with deception!"
 * Fukushima defecting and Ieyasu's reaction; Kessen

Ground Moveset

 * undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Fierce kick. He then lunges forward for a grab. If he connects, he slams his captured opponent face flat onto the ground. Plunges one end of his club onto downed opponent.
 * , undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Uppercut with club. If he connects, Masanori spins his club above his head to juggle his airborne opponent. Smashes one end of his club into the ground to smash downed foe.
 * ,, undefined, (undefined), (undefined): Elbow bash. Follows with an overhead bash with club that hits downed foes. Follows with three fast stomps from his foot.
 * ,, , undefined, (undefined), (undefined), (undefined): Twirls to hit nearby opponents with club. Surrounds himself with a damaging aura on first button tap. Additional undefined taps increases the width of the shockwaves surrounding him and lengthens his twirl.
 * ,, , , undefined: Spins forward twice with club in one hand, hitting opponents near him. Club enlarges and he bashes it onto the ground as he comes to a stop.
 * ,, , , , , , : Three diagonal swings, four high swings at head level, and one overhead smash of his club. Last hit hurts downed opponents.
 * Smashes club onto the ground as he slowly walks forward.
 * (Ultimate/Kaiden): Bashes weapon into the ground to create a multi-hitting eruption. Sends Masanori back a few paces.


 * Weapon Deadlock: Stabs twice with bladed end of club piercing opponent. Skewers opponent with second stab and hurls them behind him.
 * Dashing : Rising elbow bash.
 * , : Downwards swing.
 * , undefined: Smashes one end of his club onto the ground.


 * Spirit Cancel: Sliding kick.
 * Special Skill: Taunts. Lowers nearby enemy defenses but raises their attack.

Horse Moveset

 * , undefined: Strong swing which launches struck opponents.
 * ,, undefined: Slams one of end of club into the ground and creates a damaging smash effect. Hits downed opponents.
 * ,, , undefined: Roars and surrounds himself with a damaging aura.
 * ,, , , , , , : Swings to his right, adding anticipation on the last strike.


 * Warriors Orochi 3
 * R1: Plants weapon on the ground for a brief quake, then blows back the enemy with a powerful right-fist punch.
 * , R1 (Ultimate only): Launches foes upward and hits them with a fiery wind projectile.

Samurai Warriors 4
Mighty strike is the same animation as Deadlock Attack. Keeps relatively same moveset as the previous entry with the following changes.


 * ,, , , undefined, (undefined), (undefined):
 * Finisher changes to him winding up a flaming arm for a mighty punch.
 * (Ultimate/Kaidan):
 * Rage Attack/Musou Gokui effect:
 * Awakened Skill effect (4-II only):

Hyper Moveset

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 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, :
 * undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined, undefined:

Samurai Warriors
Masanori has an easy-to-use moveset that is good to use for crowds and solo fights. Many of his charge combinations encourage offensive combat and knocking foes off their feet. Masanori has several smashing attacks available to keep the pressure on his adversaries. He has one of the few C2 sequences in the game which can additionally hit foes on the ground as well as those in the air. Since he has high health, attack, and defense stats, Masanori can take punishment and rebound without much effort even on harder difficulties. Masanori is one of the stronger offensive characters of the playable cast who differs from other powerhouses with his mix of short and mid-ranged attacks.

While he is a beginner friendly character, Masanori does have a few drawbacks. His C4 is powerful, but it also requires time to use at its optimum levels. The charging time may leave him an open target, a trait which may be exploited by the enemy AI. His elbow attacks are useful for quickly stopping his movements, but may cause problems for players who misjudge their short range. He is also pretty slow on foot, and his Ultimate Musou may fail to hit opponents who are knocked down by his regular Musou chain.

Weapons

 * See also: Masanori Fukushima/Weapons

Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: Battle of Shizugatake

Trivia

 * In the Sengoku Angelique skit performed at Neoromance Starlight ♥ Christmas 2010, Sazaki stood in as the Masanori for the cast. His name was "Fukushima Sazaki Masanori".
 * Ohparts, one of the cosplayers in the Tokyo Game Show 2012 Cosplay Contest, won the Grand Prize award for his cosplay as Samurai Warriors 3 Masanori.

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