In Episode 7 (“You Can’t Survive Underwater”) of Orient, it is revealed that Musashi has a black soul after testing a variety of Kitetsu Blades at a Ryuzoji Band camp market. This discovery has several important implications for the series’ protagonist moving forward, as it appears that he might have difficulty becoming a true Bushi warrior.
Osafune Mitsuru, head of the Ryuzoji Band smiths, informs Musashi’s group that picking a Kitetsu is as meaningful a rite as coming of age. After Kojiro passes the trial that his chosen Kitetsu imposes upon him, Mitsuru explains that the blue color emanating from his sword is a reflection of his soul. There are a total of five colors that a soul can be -- blue, green, yellow, red or white -- with each determining the power of a Kitetsu blade.
Shortly after Musashi begins his trial, his Kitetsu begins to shine black and is quickly rejected by every weapon he uses. Mitsuru is shocked by this and explains to Musashi that he has been forsaken, unable to use a Kitetsu or become a Bushi no matter how hard he trains. Ultimately, a person’s soul color is permanent and there is no way to change this.
The nature of Musashi's black soul is slowly revealed over the course of the next few episodes. The Obsidian Goddess is a being that is contained within Musashi and has the capability to alter both his physical state and actions. In an effort to protect herself from being captured by Shiro and Nanao Inukai, the deity shields Musashi by turning him into black stone. In Episode 9 (“A Bushi’s Way of Life”), Musashi is suddenly able to hold a Kitetsu blade without being harmed by the black stone protruding from his body. As this is the same material used by the deity within him, it appears that Musashi’s ability to use a Kitetsu is determined by the Obsidian Goddess.
The reason why the Obsidian Goddess is confined within Musashi and how this affects the coloration of his soul has not been fully explained. It's possible that Musashi has a black soul because he shares it with the Obsidian Goddess, whose immense power has distorted his soul’s natural hue. However, Shiro has a black soul and there has been no indication as of yet that there are more of these beings in existence. Therefore, fans of the show are left with two possibilities: either there are multiple ways to have a black soul or several deities exist and are contained within different people.
The answer to this question will likely be uncovered when Shino’s capabilities are fully demonstrated. So far, there have been a few indications that Shiro’s black soul is different than Musashi’s. In Episode 8 (“The Obsidian Goddess”), Nanao berates Shiro for lying by exclaiming, “You probably fed him what he [Musashi] wanted to hear to get close to him” and “I’m also a black-stone forsaken and I understand how you feel.” These comments suggest that Shiro is either misleading Musashi by attempting to be kind to him, despite his goal of capturing the Obsidian Goddess, or that he is being deceptive about his soul’s coloration and powers.
In Episode 10 (“The Goddess’s Power”), the idea that Shiro is being deceptive about being one of the black-stone forsaken is prompted again after Nanao states, “So this is the genuine article” upon facing the Obsidian Goddess. While this could simply mean that she has never faced such power before, it could also indicate that Shiro’s abilities are more dubious than the viewer has been led to believe.
Whether Musashi’s darkened soul is truly because of the Obsidian Goddess' influence should be uncovered within the next few episodes. More information has unfolded each week, and after the reveal of this deity's true power in Episode 10, it seems only a matter of time before fans of the show are informed as to why Musashi is so different from those around him. Orient’s mysterious elements have been one of its most enjoyable features, and while this particular component has been rather confusing, the pay-off will likely be worth the wait.
