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Eva's Yoshiyuki Sadamoto Designs Megohime, Wife of Masamune Date, for PR Anime

The daimyō Masamune Date is the stuff of legend. His armor featuring a large crescent embellished helm is iconic, and he's appeared in anime as everything from an Engrish-speaking warrior in Sengoku Basara to a gender-swapped, blue-haired beauty in Battle Girls - Time Paradox. Fans of Sengoku-period anime may be less familiar with his cousin and bride, Megohime.

Megohime hailed from Miharu, Fukushima, what is now an agricultural area home to the Miharu castle and Takizakura, and 1,000-year-old blossoming cherry tree. The town takes its name for its many flowering trees; the cherry, plum, and peach blossoms display their colors simultaneously for "three springs" at once in Miharu.

Megohime's marriage to Date didn't start particularly happy. The family lived during a tumultuous time in Japanese history, and her husband was often suspicious of Megohime's female attendants. Many of her trusted attendees, including her wet nurse, were killed by her husband. Things eventually improved after Megohime changed residents to the Date estate. She outlived her husband to the ripe age of 86 and was survived by four children.

The town of Miharu is reviving Megohime 450 years after her birth to serve as a promotional character for the area. Neon Genesis Evangelion character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and Mari Araki designed the character for a promotional anime short animated by Fukushima Gainax. Nao Tōyama voices Megohime in the short.

[Via Ota-Suke]