Kuji Magic



Kuji magic is an ancient art of spellcasting that serves as the main plot Chinese language subject of Mini Ninjas.

What is Kuji Magic?
Kuji Magic is described as a "powerful and mysterious force of energy" created by the gods, and it serves as a sort of life force that fuels everything that is living. It is related to nature and the animals that live in it, and it has been stressed that Kuji Magic is responsible for everything that goes on in the world and even the condition of the world itself. Thus, the titular characters of Mini Ninjas have been tasked in keeping the "balance of nature" - in other words, prevent others from misusing Kuji Magic. A user of Kuji Magic must understand that Kuji Magic should not be used to kill or destroy, and not to harm or mistreat a living creature using such magics: A user who uses Kuji Magic for good will be remembered as a friend of nature and the animals that live in it; a bad user who abuses it for his/her own ends will end up having disasterous consequences and even end up taking the life of the user who abuses it as well.

The History of Kuji Magic
The exact origins of Kuji Magic are unknown, however it had been said that thousands of years before Mini Ninjas, the Tengu were given the secrets of Kuji Magic in the form of scrolls by the gods, who were implied to have created them. The scrolls were later stolen by the Evil Samurai Warlord and were used for evil, thus upsetting the balance of nature. When he was defeated and banished, the stolen scrolls were placed into secret shrines in which only a worthy and virtuous user can unlock them so that no one would end up repeating what had been done. A millenia later, the Ninja Master, the only Kuji Magic user left, made a surprising discovery that Hiro had been born with the ability to use Kuji Magic, and so took it upon himself to train him in using it for good, albeit in secret. When Hiro left Ninja Mountain with his friends to confront the Evil Samurai Warlord, the Evil Samurai Warlord tried to defeat them but his prolonged misuse of Kuji Magic ended up taking his own life when it stopped working for him.

Abilities
Kuji magic has been mostly shown in Mini Ninjas as an earth-based type of magic. A user of Kuji Magic is granted the ability to shapeshift, and manipulate the elements of nature to their own advantage (water, fire, light, sound, air, etc.). It can allow generation of spiritual beings with an affinity for Kuji Magic, and can help locate Kuji shrines. Presumably, it also allows usage of psychic powers such as telekinesis, precognition, and astral projection to use as possession, although the former skills requires a high level of skill and is therefore an advanced ability, as shown by the Evil Samurai Warlord, who uses it several times in Mini Ninjas.

Kuji Magic can also be combined with music to create a variety of effects like hypnotizing people (and forcing them to dance), Kuji Magic can be infused with a weapon for enhanced offense, in the case of Futo's hammer and Kunoichi's naginata (spear). The main weakness in using this is the dependency on ki energy, and using it carelessly can deplete the source and leave the user unable to cast spells.

The effects of Kuji Magic affects and, is affected by, the user. If a user of Kuji Magic is full of virtue and harmonious with nature, then he/she is able to use the connections with nature offensively, but not so to kill as it will upset nature's balance. If, however, the user has ill intent in his/her heart, their feelings will corrupt the Kuji Magic and make it more destructive, enabling the user to transform animals into evil samurai, and even warp space to summon samurai. The evil side of Kuji Magic requires greater control and is rendered vulnerable to the restoring magics of the Kuji, which will destroy/override any inflicted spells or nullify it as a whole; if one loses control, the Kuji Magic will fail to work.

For the Mini Ninjas, in order to gain the ability to use a Kuji Magic spell, one must go to a Kuji shrine containing the scroll and unlock it using a special flower as a sacrifice. Kuji Magic is activated by the usage of hand gestures symbolizing the nature of a chosen spell and the verbalization of the title.

List of Kuji Magic spells
- Enables a user to generate fire and launch it at enemies in the form of a deadly fireball. - The most powerful of the Kuji Magic spells, damage-wise. Enables a user to call down a hail of destructive, high-speed meteors upon enemies. This is to Kamen Rider Fourze. - Enables a user to manipulate light; useful against malevolent spirits such as ghosts. - Enables a user to call upon a deadly lightning cloud. - Enables a user to summon a - Enables a user to summon three butterfly spirits that will lead Hiro to a Kuji shrine. - Enables a user to manipulate sound and turn it into an explosive sound wave that knock enemies away. - Enables a user to greatly slow time for all enemies. Lasts until the ki energy bar runs out or the spell is stopped. - Enables a user to transform into a bush to avoid enemy detection. - Enables a user to manipulate air and create a protective wall to deflect arrows and other projectiles. - Enables a user to create a powerful tornado that sucks in enemies and blows them away.
 * Fireball
 * Meteor Storm
 * Sunrays
 * Lightning Storm
 * Ice Storm
 * Detect Kuji Shrine
 * Sonic Boom
 * Slow Time
 * Camouflage
 * Wall of Wind
 * Tornado

Trivia

 * Kuji Magic is likely based on the ninjitsu art of kuji-in, which also uses hand gestures and symbols. The usage of hands were believed to channel the spiritual and mental strength that a ninja possesses, encouraging the development of the body. Kuji-in draws from the four elements of nature, called Chi (earth), Ka (fire), Sui (water), and Fu (air). It is often mistaken as magic in popular culture, such as video games and anime.