<p>I guess you could describe this as calligraphic. I don't know enough to say whether this is what a calligrapher would consider genuine art vs. just being writing with bold and swishy brush strokes.</p>

<p>This writing doesn't "symbolize" anything, though - it's just the lyrics of the first verse of the OP theme as they're being sung.</p>

<ol>
<li>混ぜんな <em>mazen na</em></li>
<li>危険な <em>kiken-na</em></li>
<li>やつらが会いすりゃ <em>yatsura-ga ai-surya</em></li>
<li>土壇場 <em>dotanba</em></li>
<li>土壇場 <em>dotanba</em></li>
<li>じゃないか <em>janai ka</em></li>
<li>混ぜるな危険のねんごろ <em>mazeru na kiken-no nengoro</em> (written bottom-to-top)</li>
</ol>

<p>I don't want to venture a translation here, but see e.g. <a href="http://www.lyrical-nonsense.com/lyrics/kinniku-shojo-tai/mazeru-na-kiken/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lyrical Nonsense</a> for one candidate translation. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-12T13:10:01.157Z
Thanks! I was not even sure if it was writing. It was so blobby my mind was trying to identify shapes, like one does with clouds. In *First* I thought I might have identified two elements. The 2nd character from upper left kind of looks like a kid falling backwards, holding a purse with outstretched arms. Then the 2nd character diagonally away from lower right reminded me of a cartoon hedgehog. So if I could "see" those things, I was wondering what else I might be missing. At the same time I suspected it was writing, though.
RichF
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-12T06:09:30.663Z
2017-01-12T06:09:30.663Z
senshin
<p>The opening sequence of the first season of anime series <em>Ushio to Tora</em> contains a series of images which might be distorted calligraphy, sort of like what Picasso might have done. There are a set of 6 varied-color frames, a short vertically scrolling sequence, and finally the title, which is clearly calligraphic and much less distorted. After that, the credits actually begin, now in a normal Japanese font.  Here some are:</p>

<p>First:<br>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bxr6j.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bxr6j.jpg" alt="possible calligraphy 1, red"></a></p>

<p>Second:<br>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CrAiC.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CrAiC.jpg" alt="possible calligraphy 2, green"></a></p>

<p>Seventh:<br>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/QOdaT.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/QOdaT.jpg" alt="possible calligraphy 7, vertical scroll red"></a></p>

<p>Title:<br>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/fByho.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/fByho.jpg" alt="calligraphic title plate"></a></p>

<p>You can see them all beginning at time mark 4:30 of <a href="http://www.crunchyroll.com/ushio-and-tora/episode-1-the-fate-that-brings-ushio-and-tora-together-682425" rel="nofollow noreferrer">episode 1</a>. The <em>Seventh</em> one is partial, a single shot from a short, vertical scrolling sequence.</p>

<p>I don't know if these are distorted calligraphy or not.  But going backwards beginning at the <em>Title</em> plate, there certainly appears to be a commonality of design. If they are calligraphic, are they legible?  If so I imagine they would be concepts such as <strong>courage</strong>, <strong>fate</strong>, etc.</p>

<p>If they are not calligraphic, what are they?  Do they symbolize something I should recognize?</p>

<symbolism><ushio-to-tora>
Is distorted calligraphy used in the season 1 opening of Ushio to Tora?
# Is distorted calligraphy used in the season 1 opening of Ushio to Tora?
Posted by: username_0 on 2017-01-11
The opening sequence of the first season of anime series *Ushio to Tora* contains a series of images which might be distorted calligraphy, sort of like what Picasso might have done. There are a set of 6 varied-color frames, a short vertically scrolling sequence, and finally the title, which is clearly calligraphic and much less distorted. After that, the credits actually begin, now in a normal Japanese font. Here some are:

First:  
[![possible calligraphy 1, red](https://i.sstatic.net/bxr6j.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/bxr6j.jpg)

Second:  
[![possible calligraphy 2, green](https://i.sstatic.net/CrAiC.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/CrAiC.jpg)

Seventh:  
[![possible calligraphy 7, vertical scroll red](https://i.sstatic.net/QOdaT.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/QOdaT.jpg)

Title:  
[![calligraphic title plate](https://i.sstatic.net/fByho.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/fByho.jpg)

You can see them all beginning at time mark 4:30 of [episode 1](http://www.crunchyroll.com/ushio-and-tora/episode-1-the-fate-that-brings-ushio-and-tora-together-682425). The *Seventh* one is partial, a single shot from a short, vertical scrolling sequence.

I don't know if these are distorted calligraphy or not. But going backwards beginning at the *Title* plate, there certainly appears to be a commonality of design. If they are calligraphic, are they legible? If so I imagine they would be concepts such as **courage**, **fate**, etc.

If they are not calligraphic, what are they? Do they symbolize something I should recognize?
**Tags:** symbolism ushio-to-tora
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2017-01-12. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
I guess you could describe this as calligraphic. I don't know enough to say whether this is what a calligrapher would consider genuine art vs. just being writing with bold and swishy brush strokes.

This writing doesn't "symbolize" anything, though - it's just the lyrics of the first verse of the OP theme as they're being sung.

1. 混ぜんな *mazen na*
2. 危険な *kiken-na*
3. やつらが会いすりゃ *yatsura-ga ai-surya*
4. 土壇場 *dotanba*
5. 土壇場 *dotanba*
6. じゃないか *janai ka*
7. 混ぜるな危険のねんごろ *mazeru na kiken-no nengoro* (written bottom-to-top)

I don't want to venture a translation here, but see e.g. [Lyrical Nonsense](http://www.lyrical-nonsense.com/lyrics/kinniku-shojo-tai/mazeru-na-kiken/) for one candidate translation.
> **Comments:**
> **username_0** (2017-01-12): Thanks! I was not even sure if it was writing. It was so blobby my mind was trying to identify shapes, like one does with clouds. In *First* I thought I might have identified two elements. The 2nd character from upper left kind of looks like a kid falling backwards, holding a purse with outstretched arms. Then the 2nd character diagonally away from lower right reminded me of a cartoon hedgehog. So if I could "see" those things, I was wondering what else I might be missing. At the same time I suspected it was writing, though.  
---
