#but bakumatsu when

[mankatzu]

your son looks like a GIRL!!!

unrelated but I hc okita's hair is like that because he just cannot handle the sensation of razors on his head or scissors towards him like as a child he would just uncontrollably cry and scream so the others would just leave it alone

[the-insanity-of-mojiru]

It's Suzuran's Birthday today! I really should do more Bucchigire fanart...

[hiruinonai]

#when he plays baseball with a full suit <3

[crehador]

tfw you're typecast as one man specifically

[zantedeschia-praesul]

"Oilpaper... I need oilpaper..."

It's so dark in here... I can hear voices...one feels so...familiar to me, but who was it...

...you know damn well that's treason...! ... ...not to take one step outside of this castletown...!

So sleepy though...it's...probably nothing...yes...it must be...I should drift back to slumber...in this darkness...

-click!-

What was that...? A lock...? Agh, it's so bright...have I been under lock and key this whole time...?

There you are... I finally found you... You'll keep him safe while he makes his escape, I know it...

A woman...who is she...? I feel like I should know her...like I know her...but where is she taking me to? Whose room is this...?

"Otome."

...Master? Is that...is that you??

"I found it, Ryouma. Think of it as a parting gift. Now take it and hurry, before your brother comes home."

"Oilpaper. I need oilpaper, sister."

"Oilpaper?"

"Yes. It's raining. I can't let our family heirloom get wet from the rain."

Ah, he's right. It's raining out here. Soon we'll be heading for Susaki...and maybe...towards a better future...

I've been with him all along...even though his brother owned me, I was always destined to be with Ryouma the whole time...

Sakamoto Ryouma...I hear you spoke of a new world...of overthrowing the Bakufu...are we truly going to achieve all this together...?

Then...I will stay by your side...to see it through... let's seize the new world together, Master!

[dazzlingdisaster]

Yooooo guess which dumbass drank the itchy pukey pear juice and then turned around and fucking sprained their middle toe?

Some people say that I need constant supervision and a bubble wrap blanket or one of those inflatable hamster balls and it's days like the past few where daaaamn, do I agree...

But I want a constant supply of lollipops and Monster Pipeline Punch and Pacific Punch sent to my hamster ball bubble force field.

Also I started thinking about all the different anime/manga I've seen with all the different historical characters from the Bakumatsu and what would happen if they all met and then I scared myself and I had to back away from that thought quickly. Bonus points for adding the kids from the Moeyo Ken anime because of the extra chaos. Extra bonus points for their respective Touken Danshi. And now you see why it's scary.

ALSO omgomgomgomg BSD S4 is- DAMN I missed these guys! And tbh I'm so happy that I was wrong thinking the opener episodes light novel adaptation was going to be Stormbringer, and I say that as someone who REALLY wanted it to be that.

[karasukarei]

Wind Breaker Drama CD vol. 2 - Oedo-style Fuurin Tale (Part 1)

(t/n: I originally translated this is "Oedo-style Fuurin Story", but I think "Tale" sounds more cool)

Translation masterpost here!

Do note that the audio track for this currently isn't publicly available online. This is also longer than the first drama CD, so I might need a bit more time to finish this (and probably a few more parts...)

Note: As with the beach story, I took some liberties with translations this time to make it read more smoothly. As always, if there’s any mistakes, feel free to let me know!

Special thanks to @orewing!

Shorthand because some names are really long:

Sakura – Sakura

Nirei – Nirei

Suo – Suo

Sugishita – Sugi

Kiryuu – Kiryuu

Tsugeura – Tsuge

Hiiragi – Hiiragi

Umemiya – Ume

Scene 0 – 0:06~0:27

Nirei the narrator: It is the Bakumatsu period. In a town in Edo. At the entrance to this town, there’s a noticeboard. It’s a noticeboard erected by the strong. This is the beginning of the story of the samurai who took on the role of protecting this town in Edo. (t/n: For reference, the Bakumatsu is the time period when the Shinsengumi were active. Edo was the old name for Tokyo during the Bakumatsu)

Scene 1 – 0:28~1:49

*insert sound of wind chimes prettily sounding as the wind blows*

Sakura: Is this the town that the Fuurin-gumi is said to be in…? It does seem peaceful. I guess oden will do… (t/n: couldn’t really catch this last phrase) *stomach rumbles sadly* I’m so hungry…

Sakura: *sniffs air like a dog* This smell… Is it from that dango shop?! *swallows hungrily* The yakidango looks really tasty… *counts coins* It’s not enough… *stomach growls sadly*

Umemiya 💙: Hey! You over there! (t/n: OMG IT’S UMEMIYAAAAAAA)

Sakura: *sighs very sadly*

Umemiya: Heeey! The guy with half white hair!

Sakura: Huh? Me? (t/n: he sounds like a lost kitten here lmao)

Umemiya: Yes you! Do you wanna eat dango together? (t/n: I’LL EAT WITH YOU)

Sakura: Huh?

Umemiya: You’re hungry aren’t you? Hehe, your stomach was rumbling so loudly I could hear it from here.

Sakura: *blushing very loudly* Hrnghk-!!! I-It’s none of your business!

Umemiya: What’s with that? It’ll be my treat!

Sakura: *blushing even more loudly* *chokes on his words* There’s no reason to give me a treat out of nowhere!

Umemiya: If you want a reason, there is one. Rather than eating dango alone, it’s much more delicious if you eat it with someone else!

Sakura: What’s with that reason? Just leave me alone-

Umemiya: Huuh? But then-

 *Sakura’s stomach demands not to be left alone*

Umemiya: Nah? (t/n: with the same energy as “gotcha”)

Sakura: Kuuu- *blushes so hard he’s about to catch on fire*

Scene 2 – 1:50~2:55

Sakura: Mmm delicious!!! 

Umemiya: Right?? The dango here is one of my favourites. And Sakura, is it? You said you came from out of town? What did you come to this town for?

Sakura: Since you’re from this town you should at least know their name right? The notorious samurai group Fuurin-gumi. The group is filled with ruffians, but I came here to become the top of the Fuurin-gumi. (t/n: you’re gonna regret saying this Sakura)

Umemiya: Ohhh… You sure do have confidence in your strength.

Sakura: Till now, I’ve been storming dojos across various towns to hone my fist. *eats hungrily* (t/n: He’s referring to dojoyaburi / dojo breaking, when you go pick a fight with another dojo to show who’s superior. The losing dojo often loses both prestige and standing, and its students often leave for the winning school.)

Umemiya: You…

Sakura: *with a mouth full of dango* At any rate, you too-

Umemiya: Isn’t that great?! The top!

Sakura: Eh?

Umemiya: I see, the top, haha! *smacks Sakura very happily on the back* Yes, I see!

Sakura: That hurts! And don’t hit me when I’m eating dango, that’s dangerous. (t/n: people literally die every year from choking on dango)

Umemiya: Hahahaha, my bad my bad. 

Sakura: What a weirdo…

Scene 3 – 2:56~5:16

*insert sound of wind chimes prettily sounding as the wind blows*

Sakura: Yosh. *getting ready to leave*

Umemiya: What. you’re already leaving?

Sakura: Yup, I’ve already eaten the dango. *takes a few steps and walks*

Umemiya: Hm? What is it?

Sakura: *blushing enough to be heard through the speaker* I don’t think we’ll meet again, but… thanks for the food.

Umemiya: Uoh! It was fun eating dango with you too! Till we meet again!

Sakura: *grumbling under his breath as he walks away* I already said we likely won’t meet again, why’d he still say “till we meet again”... And anyway, what kind of person buys dango for a person they don’t even know?! And why am I so mad about it?! (t/n: he sounds like a really grumpy old man here www) *sighs* Someone like him… is probably from a different kind of world from me…

*Sakura walks some more*

Sakura: I heard that the barracks for Fuurin-gumi is supposed to be around here… is it that?

Nirei: E-excuse me, is this the barracks for Fuurin-gumi…?

Sugi: *grunts*

Nirei: It is right, it’s obvious! It’s nicely written here right?

Sugi: *more grunting*

Nirei: U-um, could you perhaps be from Sugishita-san from Tamonshuu’s First Squad?

Sugi: *gasps of suspicion* You, could you be-!?

Nirei: Heeeeeee!!! I’m sorry I swear I’m not a suspicious figure!! I am Nirei, and I’d like to join-

Sugi: Coming to join Fuurin-gumi, you sure have some guts! *draws sword*

Nirei: A-ah, I’m begging you please don’t cut me down!!

Sakura: Oi! Stop it!

Nirei: Eh?

Sugi: Huh?

Sakura: If you can draw your sword at a guy like him, then Fuurin-gumi really is as the rumours say- it’s where all the messed up people gather. Oi, you.

Nirei: Y-Yes!

Sakura: You stand down. I’ll be this guy’s opponent. *gets ready to draw sword*

Sugi: Are you this guy’s friend?

Nirei: You… Why are you saving me?

Sakura: Friend? Save? Don’t get me wrong. I’m just interested in strong people. *draws sword*

Nirei: Wh-what do I do?!

Tsuge: Oiii Sugishita-kun, it’s time to switch shifts! What’re you doing?

Nirei: Uwah! Fuurin-gumi member!

Tsuge: I don’t know what’s going on, but you guys look real macho. (t/n: unfortunately Tsuge speaks with some sort of dialect and I cannot figure out the last part of this sentence. If you know what he’s saying, do feel free to let me know!

[nakimov]

When you’re hurt/in pain HCs

I should’ve worked on this days ago but got tied up with translating Chiruran. I’m also really surprised nobody sent this request. So imma do it. Okita is so cute and adorable, he would definitely take care of you.

Warnings: mentions of blood/injuries

If he’s with you, he’d prioritize protecting you first against any attackers. This was the life in the Bakumatsu era. If you manage to get hurt while with him, he’d rush to your side.

Even the thought of you getting hurt made him regret not paying attention to you when he was fighting. However, sometimes it would’ve been inevitable.

Whenever you were recovering from your injuries, Souji stayed by your bedside taking care of your needs. Food, water and helping you walk.

Even when Yamanani or Nagakura offer to help you, Souji tells them that you’re already taken care of. With a devious smile on his face.

He always tells you to rely on him than to try and do things on your own which leads you to getting hurt.

One time when your cramps happened unexpectedly causing you immense pain and preventing you from walking while in town, Souji got so worried that he asked anyone nearby if there was a doctor to take you to.

Another time when you were being clumsy and sprained your ankle, you asked him if he would carry you back. He didn’t hesitate to carry you when asked. Heck, even if you weren’t hurt and wanted to be carried, he would do it without question. Many of the Shieikan members were questioning why Okita-san was carrying you though, they even teased the two of you being a couple. Despite how much pain you were in.

Souji and you were more than friends at this point which hurts him to see you wanting to help them in their battles. He strongly opposes you to join any of their dangerous tasked missions. He knew you’d likely get hurt if not worse. This led him to do the unexpected and begged Kondo to make sure you don’t get involved in their missions.

He cares a lot and it hurts him emotionally whenever you are in physical pain, whether you accidentally self-injured yourself, or was given an inflicted wound by another. He was always by your side. You couldn’t ask for anyone better.

Note: SORRY I REALLY WANTED TO POST THIS. Hope you all have a lovely weekend. I’m gonna be back to posting Chiruran chap 17 next week before the leaks.

[strawberry-jan]

Back in late 2022, I started working on a long story about Ishin: a tale of two dummies whose weird one-night stand blossoms into a surprisingly caring relationship even as a (mostly) canon-compliant series of tragedies plays out around them. It’s a now-complete series in approximately 125,000 words and three parts, and you can read the whole thing right now on AO3: The Glorious and Bloody Deeds of Okita Soji, Volume 1: Okita Soji Versus the Scoundrel Saito Hajime; The Secret History of Saito Hajime, Volume 2: The Shiraume Incident; and, finally, Brief Notes on the Domestic Life of one Saito Hajime.

Taken as a whole, it's a story about identity and history and the stories that people tell each other and themselves about those things. And it's a story about one guy getting way too into weird Edo-era egg dishes, and another guy finding himself embroiled in an extended detective sequence, and a third guy composing a series of corny haiku that (almost) nobody wants to read. And, of course, it's also a story about people who are shamelessly and sometimes explicitly in love (so you probably shouldn't read it at work).

This whole big, sprawling thing has been a labour of love on my part: it turns out that I adore writing historical fiction and finding excuses to read books and journal articles in order to write it better. In addition to making not one but four little illustrations to celebrate the fic's completion (and please look at them up-close; I hand-inked all those kimono patterns), I've drawn up a list of some of the sources that I consulted for my writing, and you can find those under the cut.

This is not an absolutely exhaustive list of sources; I don’t think it’s super useful to catalogue the extremely nitty-gritty stuff, like that time that I felt compelled to find out what the state of strawberry cultivation was in 1860s Japan, or when I needed to picture exactly what it looked like when Haruka was repairing Ryoma’s kimono. That being said, I’ve added a couple of things that are really particular to my stories but that I thought were cool enough to share.

Foster, Michael Dylan. The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. U of California P, 2015. (This one was a really fun read – it combines a short history of yokai in folklore with a little catalogue of yokai.)

Jansen, Marius B. Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration. Stanford UP, 1971. (Super useful as an introduction to the Bakumatsu era and for biographical details about Ryoma and the figures around him.)

“Japanese Wiki Corpus.” https://www.japanesewiki.com/. (This is a machine-translated collection of articles on the Japanese side of Wikipedia related to Kyoto. As with a lot of things on Wikipedia, the citations on these articles tend to be poor or nonexistent, but it’s a useful starting point for information on figures and events that don’t have an English wiki equivalent. Definitely more useful if you can then head over to the original wiki articles and parse them out yourself.)

“Kabuki21” and “The Noh.” https://www.kabuki21.com/section.php, https://www.the-noh.com/en/plays/index.html. (I’m lumping these two together because I tended to consult them in tandem. Without getting too much into my personal details I am – among other things – a non-practicing theatre scholar, so whenever I wanted to have characters in my old-timey fics refer to something cultural, my first stop was old plays. These sites have, respectively, summaries of kabuki plays and full texts of Noh plays available for you to browse. If you’ve read my other fics you will probably have seen that I referred to the kabuki play “Fuwa” in 亀が如く.)

Katsu, Kokichi. Musui’s Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai. Translated by Teruko Craig. U of Arizona P, 1988. (A book that needs to be taken with a grain of salt because it’s an autobiography written by a guy who sounds like a real blowhard, but it’s still a really fascinating look into the daily life of a low-ranking samurai.)

Leupp, Gary P. and Tao, De-min. The Tokugawa World. Routledge, 2022. (Of particular interest is Kimura Sachihiko’s essay, “The Shinsengumi: Shadows and light in the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate” [1104-1124], which gave me a bunch of incidental details about the Roshigumi that I incorporated into the sections of this series that were told from Inoue and Hijikata’s perspectives.)

“Old Photos of Japan.” https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/. (Pretty self-explanatory. Very useful as a resource for picturing scenes!)

“Shinsengumi Archives.” https://shinsengumi-archives.tumblr.com/. (A long-running tumblr dedicated to cataloguing resources about the Shinsengumi. There’s an absolute wealth of information collected here, and best of all, the creator cites their sources and even provides links to the original texts. Although it’s focused on the Shinsengumi, it’s impossible to overstate how useful this site is for prospective Bakumatsu-era fic writers in general. The collection of Hijikata’s poems with links to others’ translations and commentary is here: https://shinsengumi-archives.tumblr.com/post/683071924948058112/hijikata-toshizos-haiku-poems. The creator of the blog also links to a translation of Nagakura’s and Shimada’s diaries, and while the document is machine-translated, it’s still a great source of historical details: https://shinsengumi-archives.tumblr.com/post/678083336614428672/where-can-you-read-the-memoirs.)

Smits, Gregory. “Warding off Calamity in Japan: A Comparison of the 1855 Catfish Prints and the 1862 Measles Prints.” EASTM 30 (2009): 9-31. (Okay, this one is highly specific to my fic – it comes up in Part 2 when Okita tells his story about Kashima and again a couple of chapters later when his pile of remedies includes a crudely-drawn picture meant to ward off indigestion – but I love little details like this so I did want to make a point of sharing it here.)

“Tamago Hyakuchin” and “Tofu Hyakuchin.” http://codh.rois.ac.jp/edo-cooking/tamago-hyakuchin/recipe/, https://toyama-tofu.jp/tofuhyakutin.html. (These are collections of Edo-era egg- and tofu-based recipes. They’re two of the sources cited in Cookpad’s collection of modernized Edo-era recipes: https://cookpad.com/recipe/list/14604664.)

Vaporis, Constantine N. “Linking the Realm: The Gokaido Highway Network in Early Modern Japan (1603-1868).” Highways, Byways and Road Systems in the Pre-Modern World. Ed. Susan E. Alcock, John Bodel, and Richard J. A. Talbert. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. 90-105. (Some of the works cited in this article also sound interesting, but I didn’t have a chance to dig any deeper as I just wanted to know a bit about the Tokugawa-era roads. Also interesting in this vein is Jilly Traganou’s book The Tokaido Road: Travelling and Representation in Edo and Meiji Japan [2004].)

Wert, Michael. Meiji Restoration Losers. Harvard UP, 2013. (Not directly useful as a source for writing about Ishin – it’s about later events and it mostly tracks the posthumous construction of one specific Tokugawa magistrate’s history – but it was an engaging read and I found it interesting as an exploration of how people continue to look back on the Bakumatsu era and the Meiji Restoration, which is something that the game is, of course, also doing.)

Yamakawa, Kikue. Women of the Mito Domain: Recollections of Samurai Family Life. Translated by Kate Wildman Nakai. U of Tokyo P, 1992. (Another one of those bits of essential reading on everyday life for low-ranking samurai, this time with a focus on women’s lives and households more generally. I didn’t use a lot of from this book in my fic, but it has everything from translations of songs to records of families’ financial transactions, and it’s fascinating to read about all the turmoil in Mito playing out in the background of these families’ lives.)

“Yokai.com.” https://yokai.com/. (The creators of this site make a point of not going into detail about their sources, and they’re very careful to state that they don’t intend for the project to be “the final authority” on yokai, but I enjoyed browsing the site to get some ideas for Okita’s stories – and once you know the name of a particular yokai that you’re interested in, it’s easy enough to go look up other sources on them.)

[ltwilliammowett]

HNLMS Soembing on arrival in Nagasaki 1854 by Arnold de Lange.

Kankō Maru (観光丸, Vision) was Japan's first steam-powered warship. She was the Dutch HNLMS Soembing, which was presented to the Tokugawa shogunate ruling Japan during the Bakumatsu period as a gift from King William III of the Netherlands to assist Janus Henricus Donker Curtius, head of the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij (Netherlands Trading Society) in Japan in his efforts to establish formal diplomatic relations and the opening of Japanese ports to Dutch merchant vessels.

When she was given to the Japanese in 1855 a naval detachment of 22 instructors was also temporarily stationed at Deshima to train Japanese crews, officers, etc. Captain-lieutenant at sea G.C.C. Pels Rijcken was given command of this detachment. 'Master' Pels Rijcken and his detachment combined group teaching of Japanese students at the naval school with the construction of a sloop building yard, a forge and a sail making shop. An eight-oar sloop and a 60-ton cutter were built on site. Steam mechanics was demonstrated by on-site repairs and maintenance of the engines of the Kanko Maru.

Kankō Maru was a three-masted jackass-barque-rigged sailing vessel, with an auxiliary single-cylinder coal-fired 150HP reciprocating steam engine turning a side paddlewheel. She had an overall length of 66.8 metres and a displacement of 781 tons. Her armament consisted of six muzzle-loading cannons.

She was decommissioned in March 1876 and was scapped that year.

[zantedeschia-praesul]

"Aruji, dearest Aruji..."

He takes the smaller man in his arms, holding him ever so closely and tenderly, even nuzzling his face. "Perish the thought, my darling. Your happiness and safety will always be our priority as your Touken Danshi, no matter the circumstances. We'll always be here for you regardless."

Nagasone gives a little squeeze, and sneaks a soft peck on his lips, now sporting a slightly mischievous look. "Anyway, sneaking kisses like this from each other away from everyone's prying eyes, when we can't have our own moments in our garden all the time... I think it adds a little thrill for us together~ You need a little bit of that once in a while~"

"Of course, Master. That as much as I know."

He doesn't react much when Yuichi starts to sort of dive into that part of his headspace where he overthinks; he even heard him mumbling something just a little audibly, only that he'd given him time to properly answer him.

This is also new to him, having a bond much closer to his saniwa than just the master-toudan bond bestowed unto him. He knows, and is sure, that there's no such thing as restrictions in their relationship, but he understands that he's still bound to obey his master's orders when it comes to protecting history. And that's why...

"I'm not opposed to people knowing if you aren't, my love. Your happiness matters the most to me. Besides..."

He leans down and finally kisses him deeply, as if assuring him that nothing would change his feelings for him.

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

Shinsengumi ~Zan'yō no Yukusue~ - Synopsis, Characters, Historical Background & Glossary

Do not retranslate/repost without permission.

Synopsis of the story

It was the end of the Edo period (Bakumatsu), when the times were beginning to change dramatically.

The Shinsengumi was created to restore order by expanding the shogunate's power once again.

What will be the fate of those who uphold a sincere heart and diligently speak of the future?

Characters

Kiryuin Van as Kondō Isami

Commander of the Shisengumi

Since childhood, he has held an extraordinary admiration for samurai. With his friendly and generous personality, he is highly trusted by his subordinates. He also possesses political skills, and even the upper echelons of the shogunate regard him as a sharp-minded individual.

Otori Eiichi as Hijikata Toshizo

Vice-commander of the Shisengumi

He has a personality that values discipline and often approaches others with a stern attitude. However, in some odd moments, he occasionally reveals an innocent side. He is also highly skilled at organizational leadership and excels in external negotiations, such as fundraising.

Otori Eiji as Okita Soji

Captain of the First Unit of the Shinsengumi

He is known for his gentle and kind demeanor. However, he is one of the strongest members of the Shinsengumi, and once he holds a sword, he can swiftly take down an enemy with his graceful technique. At times, he appears to have a somewhat philosophical outlook.

Sumeragi Kira as Nagakura Shinpachi

Captain of the Second Unit of the Shinsengumi

His swordsmanship is that of a master swordsman who has studied multiple schools, yet he is meticulous and engages in daily, steady training without overestimating his own abilities. Additionally, he possesses a single-minded dedication to relentlessly pursue his ideals.

Amakusa Shion as Saito Hajime

Captain of the Third Unit of the Shinsengumi

He has a mysterious aura and does not reveal much of his inner thoughts, but he harbors a deep passion within. He particularly respects the commander and vice-commander, and has a strong attachment to the Shinsengumi.

Mikado Nagi as Todo Heisuke

Captain of the Eight Unit of the Shinsengumi

He has a bright and straightforward disposition, and is known for speaking his mind about everything. He is considerate of his friends and always subtly attentive to his surroundings. In addition to his swordsmanship, he is also well-versed in academics, embodying the ideal of being well-rounded in both martial and literary arts.

Hyuga Yamato as Harada Sanosuke

Captain of the Tenth Unit of the Shinsengumi

Although he gives off the impression of being rough and uncouth at first glance, he is fundamentally a serious and kind-hearted person, well-regarded by those around him. He’s renowned not only for his swordsmanship but also for his mastery of the spear, often showing resourcefulness during battles.

Historical Background

Track 1→2→3

Bunkyū 3 (1863)

To Edo

To apply for the shogunate’s recruitment of soldiers, Kondo and others departed from Edo. It is said that the last to join among the seven was Saito.

The August 18 coup

The incident in which the anti-shogunate forces, including the Chōshū clan, were expelled from Kyoto. At this time, Kondō and others were dispatched, achieving notable accomplishments and earning the name Shinsengumi.

First year of Genji (1864)

Ikedaya Incident

This was an incident in which the Shinsengumi became aware of exiled anti-Shogunate factions trying to stage an incident to regain their power, and consequently carried out a purge.

Track 4

Keiō 3 (1867)

Restauration of power to the Emperor

The shogunate relinquished the political power it had held for a long time to the Imperial Court. However, the shogunate still sought to participate in the new government.

Aburanokōji Incident

This incident occurred as a result of a power struggle between a faction that split off from the Shinsengumi due to ideological differences and the Shinsengumi members that remained.

Track 5

Keiō 4 (1868)

Battle of Toba-Fushimi

The former shogunate forces rose up against the new government to restore the shogun's power. This marked the beginning of the Boshin War. The Shinsengumi also joined the battle as part of the former shogunate forces.

Battle of Hakodate

After engaging in battles across various regions, the former shogunate forces arrived in Hakodate, where they waged the final war. Also known as the Battle of Goryokaku. Hijikata and others participated.

Meiji 2 (1869)

Track 6, 7

Glossary

Headquarters (Tonsho)

The residence where the members of the Shinsengumi lived together. Due to becoming cramped, among other reasons, they relocated several times.

Lord of Aizu (Aidzu-kō)

It refers to Matsudaira Katamori, the daimyō (lord) of the Aizu Domain. He also served as the Kyoto Shugoshoku, a position established to maintain public order in Kyoto, and the Shinsengumi were under his command.

Rai San’yō

A Confucian scholar from the late Edo period. His work Nihon Gaishi (Unofficial History of Japan), which depicts the ebb and flow of the samurai class, was also a favorite of Kondo, who admired it so deeply that he even imitated the author’s handwriting.

Choshu Domain

A domain that was located in present-day Yamaguchi Prefecture. During the late Edo period, it became a stronghold for anti-shogunate forces that opposed the Shinsengumi, and was the site of a private school run by a prominent thinker.

Taijukō

This term refers to a shogun. It comes from ancient Chinese tradition. In this work, it mainly refers to Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who became the last shogun of the Edo shogunate.

Imperial Army

The military of the new government, which would later become the Meiji government. They aimed to overthrow the shogunate and establish a modern nation centered around the Emperor. Many members were from Choshu and Satsuma.

Boshin War

A war fought between the imperial army and the former shogunate army. It began with the Battle of Toba-Fushimi and ended with the Battle of Hakodate. It is the largest-scale civil war in Japanese history.

[the-insanity-of-mojiru]

I misread “Fanart” as “Screenshot” and I don’t know how, but anyways, it’s the first fanart I’ve done of our under-appreciated girl!

[redsamuraiii]

The more I watch videos and read books about Katana and Samurai, the more I realized why the Samurai were stubborn in giving up their swords during the Bakumatsu period, refusing to accept that the way of the sword is now a thing of the past, thanks to guns and canons.

Imagine yourself dedicating your life for many years since young, spending grueling hours hitting and getting hit, to hone your sword skills which are not easy to attain, and having to make sacrifices along the way to master the sword, taking pride in the fact that only you, a Samurai, is skillful with the katana, that others could not.

Being told now that it's all pointless, since just anybody can use a gun to kill somebody now, non-Samurai and non-warriors, with less effort and time required to train to use it. So you're no longer needed, since its cheaper to hire anyone with a gun as compared to hiring a Samurai with sword skills and combat experience.

In the modern context, think yourself as a designer or writer, who takes pride in developing your creative skills for years to perfect your art and writing, working long hours in several companies as a freelancer and full time staff to acquire skills, but only to be told now that it's all pointless because AI can do them all.

Now non-writers and non-designers can be writers and designers as well. They don't need to know how to use "traditional" design tools when they can just use AI tools to create something for them easily. Now companies use AI to take over your job at a cheaper rate than hiring an experienced designer or writer. What would you feel?

You feel all those grueling hours and sacrifices made to get where you are now are pointless. And like a Samurai, you're expected to adapt to changes. But those are usually easier said than done.

[ultra-rockart]

Another Thing Blue Eye Samurai Got Wrong

There were women who fought as fighters and samurai (or more often called as onna-bugeisha or onna-musha) for their clan. They didn't have to hide their femininity. There is a long history of female warriors in Japan that date back to an Empress named Jingū (she ruled from 201 to 269 AD). I bring you two of the greats:

Tomoe Gozen

She was skilled at archery, the sword and the use of the naginata. Tomoe is one of the most feared women because of her cleverness and offensive tactical skills. Her men trusted and respected her. During the Battle of Awazu, she killed the Musashi clan leader. Sadly, there is no more records of her after that. Tomoe is the most known and celebrated of the onna-bugeisha.

Nakano Takeko

Like many samurai of her time, she wore the typical samurai armor but instead chose to wear a red hakama. This red hakama became a symbol of not just her femininity but empowerment. She fought in the Boshin War against Imperialists who wanted the Emperor to rise to power (they eventually won during the Battle of Toba–Fushimi).

Similar to the Kiheitai (or the ad hoc army by the Imperialists), she led the Jōshitai or women's army fighting on the side of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Nakano was wounded with a rifle shot and rather than allowing her enemies to parade her lifeless body as a trophy, she ordered her sister (also a capable warrior as with her mother. all 3 women fought alongside each other) to cut her head off and burry her head in secret so her enemies would not have a reason to disgrace her. Her head was buried under a pine tree and her beloved naginata was given to a temple.

In Aizu during the Autumn festival, girls parade around the streets wearing a red hakama and a white headband to honor Nakano and the women fighters of the Jōshitai.

Other female fighters include Yamamoto Yae aka "Bakumatsu Joan of Arc" and Hangaku Gozen or Lady Hangaku.

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There is a reason the filmakers of Lady Snowblood (a film Blue Eye Samurai heavily borrows from) didn't chose to disguise Yuki as a man when she enacted her revenge.

[zantedeschia-praesul]

"Oh I'll be alright. Nothing I haven't gone through physically since I came home to you. Besides," he kissed the top of his head, evidently his favorite show of affection for Yuichi, "You're as light as feathers with that slender figure of yours~" Of course he meant that in good nature, teasingly may it be.

But he knew Yuichi made a good case; he mentally reminded himself that he didn't really have anything in the last few hours since he whisked Yuichi away. He probably should have a few more before they settled in for the night.

He only put his tank top back on, fully intended to have Yuichi use his jacket as a makeshift pillow. The heat from the fire was pleasant, inviting even, and eventually he noticed Yuichi was also on the brink of sleepiness. That was when he rolled up his jacket and placed it behind Yuichi.

"You should sleep first, Yuichi. You truly need all the rest right now. I'll keep watch for us."

Thankfully, while Nagasone was gathering the fruit, Yuichi didn't have much difficulty getting the fire started using a small spell to get some sparks going. (This particular spell, when done properly, is meant to expel a bolt of fire, but Yuichi had always struggled to perform it, resulting in just some heat at his fingertips and a few sparks. But, it served well in this use!)

Once it's lit, he sits back a little and pulls on his kimono-- even with the fire going, he can't help but shiver a little at the slight chill against his still-wet skin.

He smiles as Nagasone returns, and eyes the fruits-- ones he's seen, he's pretty sure, but can't identify himself. He watches as the toudan takes a bite, but when it seems they're in the clear, Yuichi takes one for himself.

He tips himself just a little, so he can lean his shoulder against Nagasone as he starts in on his own fruit, letting out a small noise as he's pleasantly surprised by the taste.

As they eat, he briefly remembers why they had come here in the first place. It's hard to believe that just some hours ago, he'd been at his wits' end, and now... Well, everything he'd felt so utterly overwhelmed by had seemed to have just... melted away. He hadn't felt more at ease in ages.

After eating the last bite of his fruit, Yuichi manages to stifle a yawn, and he's realizing now how tired he actually is. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep over the past days either, and it seems now that he's relaxed enough it's finally catching up to him.

He hums contently, though, and pulls his knees up to rest his head against them, comforable enough there while still able to watch his admiree, albeit through eyes that are growing a bit sleepy.

"Make sure you get enough to eat, darling," he insists, reaching over to pat Nagasone's leg. "You did a lot of carrying and lifting today. Gotta... replenish, yknow?"