Touken Ranbu: The Last Plum Blossom

The character was inspired by a female character in The Tale of Genji, which I've been reading lately. Her life was fascinating, so I wanted to write about her. This female lead is based on my own reinterpretation. She does have some similarities to the original, but she's ultimately different.

Here's an encyclopedia entry:

Introduction: Suetsumuhana is a character in The Tale of Genji and the daughter of Prince Hitachi. She is unattractive and lacks charm, but has a thick, luxuriant head of hair. She is skilled at playing the koto and calligraphy, and her waka poetry improves later in the story. She is one of Genji's lovers and concubines. Genji later brings her to the East Wing of Nijo-in and provides for her.

So I wanted to write a relatively sweet story, and that's how this female lead came to be.

Here's another excerpt from the encyclopedia describing the heroine's appearance. The full passage was too long, so I've included just a short section.

When Genji saw her sitting, he noticed that she was very tall, with a long upper body and short legs. Her forehead protruded, her complexion was pale, and her cheekbones stuck out. Her nose was narrow and long, with the tip curling slightly downward, and there was even a small reddish mark at its end. Genji composed a poem: "Knowing no one will love this hue, why bother cultivating the safflower?" Later generations called her Suetsumuhana to distinguish her from others.