WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 15 of Shaman King (2021) "When the Pieces Come Together,"  now streaming on Netflix.

Shaman King doesn't always approach representation with proper sensitivity. When detailing its multicultural cast, it often relies on stereotypes and caricatures in presenting non-Japanese individuals. However, there is one shining example that not only presents a character as someone deeply tied to his lineage, but provides the audience with an opportunity to learn more about his ethnic history. Horokeru "Horohoro" Usui may occasionally function as comic relief, but when it comes to depicting his Ainu heritage, he received more subtle consideration than any other character in the series. In particular, the plotline of Episode 15 and his portrayal therein serve as a moving tribute to the Ainu tradition.

Horohoro is part of the Ainu people

From his debut episode, Horohoro made himself known as a member of the Ainu, an indigenous people group who hail from Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and what is known today as Japan's northernmost main island Hokkaido. With his penchant for the cold and his korpokkur spirit ally Kororo, Horohoro made the traditions and myths of his people a central part of his identity as a shaman. Episode 15 took this a step further by taking him into the wilderness to express an essential part of ancient Ainu spirituality.

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When Horohoro is separated from the rest of the group en route to the Patch Tribe's ancestral village, he found himself rescued by local park ranger Bluebell Bloch. As he was recovering, he learned about Apollo, a bear that Bluebell and her father rescued many years ago, who is now terrorizing humans in the forest. In an attempt to show his thanks to Bluebell for tending to his injuries, Horohoro tried to commune with Apollo and teach him to coexist with humans by finding his own territory.

Horohoro tries to talk to Apollo

At the moment when Horohoro had come to befriend the beast, the incident ended in tragedy, as a group of passing hunters shot Apollo dead. When the poachers revealed that they were just hunting for sport, Horohoro's rage unlocked a new stage of power for him which he used to intimidate the trio into fleeing. The episode ended with him and Bluebell mourning Apollo, as Horohoro vowed to take his sorrow and gratitude with him as motivation for the remainder of the Shaman Fight.

The episode does not spell out all of the noteworthy elements in Horohoro's quest, but it contains numerous references to the traditional animistic view of the Ainu people. Historical Ainu religion dictated that every natural creation has a spirit or deity in it known as a kamuy. The most significant creatures revered as kamuy are bears, who have played an integral role in the spiritual rituals of the Ainu people.

Bluebell and her dad saved Apollo

Ainu tribes would often take a bear cub into their households to be raised and pampered until it had matured. At this point, the bear would be sacrificed in a ceremony called Iomante, which literally means, "to send off," as it was believed that this process would allow the kamuy to return to the spiritual world. Following this sacrifice, the meat was shared throughout the village and eaten in appreciation for the sustenance that the kamuy had provided for them.

Horohoro expressed this worldview in his interactions with both Apollo and the people around him. When speaking to Bluebell about the situation, he does not think it is right to reign Apollo in, as to do so would be going against the natural order of things. He resonated with the relationship between her Apollo, as Bluebell had taken Apollo in when he was just a cub. During his attempts to talk to Apollo, Horohoro poured a cup of sake, marking the occasion for ritualistic importance, and treated Apollo like a person with his own needs and frustrations.

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Horohoro's rage unlocks his new power

Horohoro is grief-stricken from the moment that Apollo is laid dead, but he was initially willing to let the hunters take Apollo's body for his meat and fur. It is not merely the bear's death that enraged Horohoro, but the fact that they killed him just for the thrill of it. In his moment of righteous fury, Horohoro reconnected with his spirit ally Kororo and puts her power into an ikupasuy, a ceremonial woodcarving used to make offerings and give thanks to the kamuy. Though he uses this to unlock new abilities, he refused to kill the hunters as he does not want souls such as theirs accompanying Apollo while sending him off.

Shaman King is not the only anime to integrate Ainu practice and spirituality into its story. Golden Kamuy provides even more extensive detail on the traditional Ainu way of life. Likewise, both series show how aged customs and old worldviews can be used to better oneself through wisdom and gratitude. Though at first glance he may come across as just a snowboarding kid from the north, this deep and respectful salute to Ainu culture makes Horohoro one of the most beautifully nuanced characters in the entire series.

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