The classical Starlight Miko Crusaders is a centuries-old renga and animation series made by the Miya Entertainment Network, initially as a project to promote Clan cooperation between each other. The series follows 9 miko young women from different Great Clans, who combine their celestial magical powers to fight evil and defend the Empire.
The members of the Starlight Miko Crusaders are as follows...
Ever since the first original series several centuries ago, the Starlight Miko Crusaders have spanned a large number of seasons, reboots, and spin-offs. Some of those spin-offs include time-travelling arcs, a musical band reimagining, mecha robots sentai, and, only recently, a live-action series has been made. It would be nearly impossible to reasonably watch all of its content in one lifetime.Crab: Hiruma Kaoru: Sneaky scout who bears long knife ‘Duskblade’
Crane: Doji Yayoi, shy archer who studies koto and tea ceremony. Often teased by Shana. Has crush on An'yu
Dragon: Togashi Hoshi, student of martial arts who has a habit of spacing out.
Lion: Matsu Hiroko: Honorable Archer - often leads SMC to battle
Mantis: Yoritomo Rei: Athletic daredevil who fights with kama.
Phoenix: Shiba An'yu: Shy pacifist, bookish who wants to known and understand everything - in combat becomes fierce defender.
Scorpion: Bayushi Shana: Busty "ninja"-like character that strikes from the shadows
Spider: Daigotsu Ayame, a 'bad girl' who hangs out with one of the enemies of the group but finally joins the SMC. Fights with naginata.
Unicorn: Shinjo Mai: Outdoorsy type who likes spicy food. Fights with strange saber. Best friends with Yayoi.
Heavenly 9
The Heavenly 9 first found their start over 10 years ago, another project by the Miya Entertainment Network to promote cooperation between the Great Clans and propagate messages from the Imperial Families. The project began as a reality show where the Network sought out candidates from each Great Clan to fill each individual seat in the group. After a lengthy broadcast search, each member has been selected based on their popularity, specialty skills, and marketability.
The men and women of the Heavenly 9 are still popular today, releasing new songs and albums under the Imperial banner that sees massive popularity around the Empire. Their reality show still follows the group as they go on tour around the galaxy, showcasing their performances on stage and their antics (albeit scripted). In recent history, the Mantis seat member, Yoritomo Akane, has been ousted from the group, and the Network hasn't sought out a replacement yet. The public reasons cited were her difficult and demanding persona, although many suspect it was also due to some political pressures.
Military Service in the Crab Clan
With the closing of the Festing Pit and the Kaiu Wall being a far memory for the present generation of Crab Clan, as well as in the inclusion of the Spider Clan and all of the beliefs they have brought with them, the Crab Clan's purpose in the Empire has changed drastically. In order to combat this, the Crab Clan had implemented mandatory military service for all Crab Clan samurai, taking a page from a similar initiative from the Lion Clan. Under this mandate, all Crab Clan samurai, regardless of their schooling and disposition, must fulfill a minimum of 2 years of military service.
This comes naturally for bushi samurai, as many of them will find themselves in the military. This rule only serves to consolidate them under the program and provide the Crab Clan with a formal evaluation of all bushi, potentially for future assignments in times of conflict or need. However, shugenja and courtiers are perhaps most affected by this. They may apply for a service exception, and they can be granted for good reason.
The full intention of this program is to maintain the tenets of the Crab Clan for each new generation samurai, through experience of combat and hardship. Of course, not all military service is equal. While some might experience the difficulties of taming a Jigoku-world, some might find themselves on a relatively peaceful world, such as the Green Carp. A few military roles outside of combat also include intelligence, logistics, propaganda, and net defence. Over the generations, many Crab Clan samurai consider this opportunity an honour and a point of pride. For many, it will be their first opportunity to potentially travel to another world and build camaraderie with their fellow Crab.