#magoshi saburo

[shinsengumi-archives]

The “Five Beautiful Men” of the Shinsengumi

Who comes to mind when you think about good-looking guys in the Shinsengumi? Hijikata Toshizo? Okita Souji? Or is it Kano Sozaburo?

Kano Sozaburo is a fictional character from a novel (Shinsengumi Keppuroku by Shiba Ryotaro), but there were people in the Shinsengumi called "Five Beautiful Men" (隊中美男五人衆).

These are the members of the "Five Beautiful Men"

The anecdote of the "Five Beautiful Men" was written in the third work of the Shinsengumi trilogy by Shimozawa Kan, "Shinsengumi Monogatari" (新選組物語). Shimozawa Kan got it from an interview with the second son of the Yagi Gennojo family, Tamesaburo, who had lived in the Shinsengumi's residence.

All five are recorded as enlisted in 1863, the early days of the Shinsengumi’s formation.

Kusunoki Kojuro

Born in Kyoto. He was 17 years old when he joined the Shinsengumi. It is said that he had a fair-skinned face with clear eyes and a gentle voice like a woman.

In September 1863, the same year as the enlistment, it was discovered that he had joined the Shinsengumi as a spy under the secret order of Katsura Kogoro of Choshu. He was assassinated by Harada Sanosuke.

Magoshi Saburo

Born in Awa (today’s Tokushima Prefecture). He was the youngest of the five beautiful men and was 16 years old when he joined, but he was said to have outstanding swordsmanship.

There was an anecdote that Magoshi was liked by men, not women. Takeda Kanryusai, who later became a captain, had a lot of romance with men, and Magoshi was also approached by Takeda. It seemed that Magoshi didn't understand what was happening and later got into a conflict with Takeda and withdrew from the Shinsengumi.

After leaving the Shinsengumi, it was said that he became a glass dealer and lived until around 1887.

Yamano Yasohachi

Born in Kaga (today’s Ishikawa Prefecture). He was 21-22 years old when he joined the Shinsengumi.

It is said that he fell in love with the daughter of a water teahouse in Mibu called the Yamatoya. He belonged to Okita's First Squad and worked with them until the final resting place of the Shinsengumi, Hakodate, but he left the squad before they surrendered and served as an elementary school janitor during the Meiji era.

He lived a long life until 1910 (Meiji 43).

Mazume Ryutaro

Born in the Chugoku region (details unknown). 20 years old when he joined the Shinsengumi.

He joined with his father, Mazume Shintaro, but he was timid and didn't often go out with his friends. He was on good terms with a woman who was a babysitter at the Nanbu clan, which had become a Shinsengumi residence. When the woman became pregnant, it was said that she was slaughtered by other soldiers. As a result, Mazume's parents and children became uncomfortable and escape one night to leave the Shinsengumi.

It’s unclear what happened after that.

Sasaki Aijiro

Born in Settsu (today’s Osaka Prefecture). He was 19 years old when he joined the Shinsengumi. Reputed to be the most beautiful boy in the corps, he was not very tall, but his face and body were white like snow, and his skin is said to have outstanding smoothness.

Sasaki fell in love with Aguri, the daughter of a greengrocer, a beautiful woman who had a good reputation in the neighborhood. However, at that time, Serizawa Kamo, the chief bureau chief, fell in love with him and tried to forcibly steal Aguri away. It was Sasaki and Aguri who followed the recommendation of Serizawa's minion, Saeki Matasaburo, who suggested that Sasaki should escape since he was in trouble, but he was killed because of Saeki betrayal. He was only 19 years old.

However, it’s said that Aijiro Sasaki was not killed according to newly discovered materials. The tragedy was said to have occurred in August of Bunkyu 3, the same year when he joined the Shinsengumi, but it seems that the name of "Sasaki Aijiro" appeared in the list of soldiers written in December of that year.

The truth is unknown, but it seems certain that Sasaki Aijiro was popular as a beautiful boy.

Neither Hijikata nor Okita are included...

It seems that Soji Okita was not actually a "bishonen". According to a book that summarizes descriptions from Hijikata's relatives and Tamesaburo Yagi, who told the anecdote of the "Five Beautiful Men", Okita was "dark in color" and had a "face like a flatfish." The details are unknown because there are no photos of Okita, but there is no record that he was a beautiful boy. However, the Yagi family's children mentioned that he was always joking around and rarely had a serious face, and the appearance of playing with children with a large body of about 170 centimeters at that time became popular.

Hijikata Toshizo is a beautiful boy in the modern sense. It seems that he was quite popular at that time, and there’s no shortage of anecdotes about his relations with women.

But why isn’t he included?

It's just a guess, but maybe they thought it was foolish to put the second most powerful person in the Shinsengumi in the "five people". Or was Hijikata Toshizo exceptional? I don't know, but there were a lot of good-looking guys in the Shinsengumi.

[queengurako]

About Takeda Kanryuusai.

I don’t really get an idea about Takeda in Hakuouki Shinkai. I mean why the creators make him “interesting” (yes bcz his attraction is influenced by the oni arm) by Chizuru Û___U ?

I mean he is gay. 

Takeda was also said to be homosexual. Homosexuality was discouraged within the Shinsengumi for the violent love triangles it often generated. Takeda did not have any recorded liaisons with women, and several recruits apparently complained of harassment. 

Source (Wikipedia)

Takeda is said to have got along well with Kondo, but was generally disliked by the rest of the group. Rumor has it that he had a tendency to ingratiate himself with those in power while abusing his authority over others. A famous example of this is the story that he harassed a “cute” member of the group named Magoshi Saburo. This incident is also supposed to show that he was known for “danshoku” (male homosexuality) as well. However there seems to be no real proof of either accusation.

Source (Shinsengumi no Makoto)

So I always imagine that Takeda could flirt/harass Heisuke or anyone else than Chizuru. I mean a boy. Like Iba for example. We’ve got allusions to Itou’s homosexuality (or maybe he is bisexual but come on ! He is queer ! So queer.), I don’t understand why Shinkai didn’t do it for Takeda.  I speculate this choice is influenced by the otomate concept but also by the heterocentric and reproductivist social structure imposing as a model in the Japanese society. An influenced model by the birth rate decline in Japan. I’m sure the representation of love in otomate is also influenced by japanese culture and the actual society issues of Japan. It’s quite comprehensive that Takeda becomes hetero in Hakuouki version but that frutrates me because I like this aspect of his personnality. 

Also, I’ve got an headcanon about Takeda and his sexuality. I mean we don’t know many thing about him and moreover it seems like no one like him. Look ! Okita, Hijikata, Harada (he is always so rude with him that’s almost violent XD), Nagkura...even Itou and Mikisaburo don’t like him ! Kondo is the only one who has some “affection” (yes let me doubt about the “affection” but we know Kondo doesn’t hate him and is the only ally Takeda can have in Shinsengumi). The only testimonials we have about Takeda were given by people who didn’t like him. 

The novelist Shimozawa Kan writes in his "Shinsengumi Monogatari" that Takeda had been harassing a beautiful young boy, Umagoe Saburō, but that Umagoe rejected him and appealed to Hijikata. It happened that Umagoe also saw Takeda leaving the Satsuma estate and reported such to Kondō. However, since Umagoe left the Shinsengumi three years before Takeda's assassination, this is probably untrue. However, Takeda did not have an attractive personality to either sex.

Source (Wikipedia)

We know Takeda harassed young boys in Shinsengumi but actually we are no concrete proof about it. All the sources seems to say that maybe it never happened...And if Takeda Kanryuusai was homosexual but never harass someone ? And if Takeda was that “bastard” that no one liked, rightly, but never harassed anyone ? And if all these rumors of harassement by Takeda were the fruit of the animosity people have against him ? 

I mean, we all know people we don’t like and all bad rumours we said about them (true or not but often distorted). The reverse is also true. We are victims of bad rumours, or just rumours, and we are also receptive about them . We are also the ones who create or spread the rumours about someone...just by creatint them, spreading them or listening them.

That’s why I will not be surprised if Takeda was “victim” to it. If the captains and all the recruits in the Shinsengumi created, believed and joked about these rumours in Hakuouki or any AU that you could write. 

I’m not saying Takeda is innocent or a nice guy. He is still a villain and someone who betrayed the Shinsengumi or someone with a shitty behaviour...I’m just saying it’s very interesting to think about it. The world is not black or white. The captains have their owns failures and bad aspects like the Joui too. Like each character (historical or not) in this historical era (poke to Serizawa and Itou 💖 ❤). 

So yes, I defend an homosexual Takeda and moreover the headcanon he is victim of bad rumours because no one like him, deservedly. 

[shinsengumi-archives]

Takeda Kanryuusai [shinsengumi-no-makoto]

Captain of the Fifth Unit

Born - Unknown. From the Izumo province, in western Honshu.

Died - Uncertain. Either September 28, 1866 or June 22, 1867 in Kyoto.

           [Either November 5, 1866 or July 23, 1867.]

Names -

Imina - Tokuhiro

No information is currently available on his original family name. He was adopted by the Takeda family while he was studying in Edo [Tokyo].

Personality Quirks and Traits -

Takeda is said to have got along well with Kondo, but was generally disliked by the rest of the group. Rumor has it that he had a tendency to ingratiate himself with those in power while abusing his authority over others. A famous example of this is the story that he harassed a “cute” member of the group named Magoshi Saburo. This incident is also supposed to show that he was known for “danshoku” (male homosexuality) as well. However there seems to be no real proof of either accusation.

In his defense, it can be said that Takeda was an intelligent person. He also attempted to help Kondo by trying to smooth things over during the incident where Nagakura and others filed a petition against the Commander. Against him, it can be said that he attempted to abandon the Shinsengumi when he realized that they were going to be on the losing side.

Before the Shinsengumi -

At one point early on, Takeda may have studied medicine.

He was known to have studied the doctrines of Wang Yang-ming, called Oyomei thought. This led to him having some rather outspoken views against the shogunate. It got him arrested, but Takeda broke out of prison and fled from the Izumo province to Edo. He continued his studies there for a while.

Martial Skills -

Takeda does not appear to have been known for his skill with a sword. He was however a master of the Naganuma Ryu of military strategy.

Shinsengumi Years -

Takeda joined the group in October of 1863 and was originally the group’s military advisor. Eventually he was pushed out of this position by Ito Kashitaro, who knew western military arts. At this time he became Captain of the Fifth Unit and was a Teacher of Literature and Culture. He remained in this position until his death.

Takeda seems to have wanted to join with Ito’s group, but was turned away. Later he made the decision to leave the Shinsengumi alone and join the Satsuma clan. He tried to cover himself by getting permission to “go home”. Unfortunately for him, Kondo and Hijikata were already aware of his true intentions. On the surface they agreed with his request and threw him a farewell party. In truth they were setting him up to be assassinated.

At this point it becomes unclear who actually carried out the order and when. There are two dates given for this event. One is September 28, 1866 [November 5, 1866] and the other is June 22, 1867 [July 23, 1867]. If it was carried out by the usual suspect, Saito Hajime, then the September 28th date makes far more sense. At that time Saito had not departed the Shinsengumi with Ito and his followers and Kondo would have been able to freely give him such orders.

The issue becomes more confusing if the June 22nd date is correct. At this time Saito had left the Shinsengumi, possibly to spy on Ito for Kondo and Hijikata. The two groups were pretending to maintain friendly relations with each other and so members from either side were able to attend the social functions of the other. It is thought that at some point during the party Saito was given the secret order to kill Takeda.

The main problem with this later date is that  Saito is suspected because Shinohara Tainoshin supposedly witnessed the murder. It seems unlikely that Ito would have trusted Saito after that unless the killing took place before they ever left the Shinsengumi. If it indeed happened afterwards and Saito is the culprit, then there are only a few reasonable explanations as to why Ito did not put himself on guard after this incident. One may be the fact that he himself was in contact with the Satsuma clan. If he feared that Takeda’s dealings with them might somehow jeopardize his own, then perhaps he might have been the one to tip off the Shinsengumi and so was in on the assassination. Another is that perhaps Saito was able to convince Shinohara that the murder was something personal between him and Takeda. Or perhaps his reasons for killing the other captain really were personal and not anything connected with the Shinsengumi.

Another theory is that the later date is correct, but that Saito was in fact not involved with the murder at all. In this scenario other members of the group carried out the assassination.

Takeda’s murder occurred at the Zenitori bridge on the Taketa highway. Most versions of the story have it that Saito and Shinohara were “seeing him off” and walked with him to this location after the party was over. Takeda was probably drunk at that point. Saito came up behind him and struck him down, then scoffed at the other man’s “high sounding words”.

Of course that depends on whether or not Saito was indeed the killer. Most likely Takeda’s death will always remain something of a mystery.

The Doctrines of Wang Yang-ming -

Takeda’s outspoken views were supposed to be based on these doctrines. So what exactly was Wang Yang-ming’s teachings?

Wang Yang-ming was a Ming dynasty philosopher who studied Confucianism. According to him, one had to have unity of knowledge and action. While scholarship had its uses, he felt that everyone had the innate understanding of good and evil in them and that virtue was shown only when a person acted on that knowledge. In other words it was not good enough to simply know that the government should be reformed. To mean anything, one actually had to act on that knowledge by attempting to make changes.

In Japan the “revolutionary” tones of his work were feared by the shogunate and a ban was placed on these teachings. In 1837 an Osaka constable named Oshio Heihachiro proved their fears correct when he instigated an abortive coup that was in large part based on the doctrines of Wang Yang-ming. Although it only became a large riot and so failed in the end, it terrified the ruling elite and inspired other small insurrections. Worse still, his actions inspired many of those who fought against the shogunate during the Bakumatsu years later. Saigo Takamori himself studied Wang Yang-ming.

Traditionally Takeda has been viewed as a “coward” who tried to abandon the Shinsengumi when he knew that they were not going to win. But perhaps his knowledge of Wang Yang-ming offers a different viewpoint. Perhaps in his own way Takeda was merely trying to show virtue by acting on his personal beliefs.