#roshigumi

[lightmelodyva]

I finally know the events of the Roshigumi in Hakuoki and uh..yeah Haruka is gonna be there for at least this part.

This part kinda hurts my soul with Ibuki.

[newty]

breathes. i will not be an insufferable know-it-all about the bakumatsu game coming out. i will not complain about every mistranslation and oversimplification. i will be happy that i am getting expansive bakumatsu content instead of expecting fidelity from a piece of media presented to the west as a Waow Samurai Ancient Japan Honor Slashy Killy You Can Go To The Brothels Btw (Wink) Dudebro Dream. i will not

[nyaa]

Japanese swordswoman Nakazawa Koto (1839-1927)

In 1863, dressed as a man, she accompanied her brother Sadamasa to Kyoto. Together they joined the Roshigumi, a group protecting the Tokugawa shogun part of the Kyoto defenders group led by Kiyokawa Heihachiro. Koto was tall for a woman at 170cm. In the Edo period, the average height in Japan was 155cm for men and 143cm for women. Even in the modern world, 170cm is quite tall for a woman, so she was surprisingly tall for the time, which contributed to her successful disguise as a man. She was also rather beautiful.  It was said that:  “When Koto dresses as a man, many women fall in love with her. When Koto dresses as a woman, many men fall in love with her. ” 

via

[prinzrupprecht]

How would okita be with a lover who’s female kunochi reader?

The Former Assassin

Great idea! Imma make this correlate to Izo Okada who was a very famous assassin during this time period.

Pairing: Okita x fem!reader

Synopsis: As a former assassin of Chousou that hid your past from everyone, you had joined Kondo’s faction during the war with the anti-shogunate forces. You were incredibly close to everyone over the years, especially to Souji.

WC: 1044

No warnings

Your past was a mystery, but you continued your journey as a warrior like them and went as far as to join Kondo’s faction. You had met the warriors of the Tennin rishin-ryu before they were formed as the Roshigumi in 1863. Even when others disapproved of you, Souji didn’t care whether you were a woman or a man. He tried to beat you numerous of times but each time you evaded his attacks.

You weren’t stronger than him but you always managed to escape from his sight before he could land any fatal blow. This was all in the past.

You were still easing up on everyone and helping them in their battles. The Bakumatsu period was a survival of time. You all fought for your beliefs and to survive. Souji admired you since you were able to react to his move set and your iai drawing techniques were so fast that he almost got struck a few times.

You weren’t a phenomenal samurai but considered yourself on par with the most infamous man Izo Okada who used to be like a brother to you. Used to…

Izo Okada had taught you the basics of assassinations and sword art, knife throwing, and martial arts techniques at close range. However… as you were now considered a traitor to Choushou, you were dead to them. They were very anti-shogunate and were considered to be the enemy of the Tokugawa shogunate including their allies, the Roshigumi, and Aizu domain.

As you remembered a part of your past, would they kill you if they knew who you were? “What are you doing out here sharpening your weapons this late?” Souji yawned as he stepped outside of the Maekawa residence to see you in the courtyard.

You had already proven to them that you were useful for the last 2 years and one in particular member who you grew close to was Souji. The others also treated you with respect as well minus Hijikata who was mostly an ass but you tolerated him.

“No reason, you should go to sleep.” You didn’t make eye contact with him. You and him were considered too close by the other members. It all started when you got severely injured by an ambush attack… Okita stuck by your bedside most of the entire time.

Your head wasn’t in the right mindset and you begged him to stay with you. When you gained your senses back after a few weeks, you felt embarrassed for asking for his comfort. Yet, he was completely fine with staying with you and still occasionally would be there when you wanted him with you.

“If you can’t sleep, do you want me to stay with you?” Souji sat next to you. He was too kind for someone like you with a dark past. You hated how you felt that you didn’t deserve him. His offer warmed your heart and you leaned your head against his shoulder. He could tell you were tired.

“Would you kill me if I told you about my past?” You felt Souji’s cheek lean against your head so that both your bodies were practically pressed up against the other.

“Your past?”

“Ya…” you were afraid of what he’d think of you. Maybe he won’t kill you, but he could distance himself around you. Everyone already thinks you were his girl.

You didn’t want to live in a lie.

“I… I don’t understand?” He was worried where this was going.

You grabbed his hand. “Remember when you attacked me not once but three times in the streets? You had no idea who I was, and thought I was some peerless criminal committing crimes.” You tried to lighten the mood while Souji loosened himself while nodding.

“Ya, I remember.”

“I was actively involved with the enemy Choushou…but not anymore, at least since I joined you guys.” You could feel him shift uncomfortably and didn’t say a word. Kusaka Genzui was a ruthless man that threatened you numerous of times if you didn’t comply with orders. Eventually, you broke away and left for good but it took a lot of years to leave.

You moved away a bit from him in case he was going to grab your sword and kill you with it. “So? If you’re not with them anymore… it shouldn’t matter. Let’s go to sleep, okay?” You could see him give you a soft smile as he grabbed your hand to pull you up to your feet.

“You don’t hate me for it? I– I hid this for years. I don’t understand.” You had a sense of relief wash over you.

“I’m not mad at all. I'm kind of happy you left them. People can change, right? I don’t think I have it in me to kill you...” Hearing this from him made your heart swell with happiness.

He was too soft deep down and has been incredibly kind to you since you joined them. “Thank you,” you whispered next to him as you laid down on the Tatami mat curled next to him.

You were afraid and didn’t want to admit it. Of losing him? You never had such connections with anyone before. You were just used as a tool for assassinations and Okada most likely try to finish you off himself when the time comes.

Souji enjoyed every moment he could get like this. You had plagued his mind since you two had met. He watched you slowly fall asleep feeling snuggled into his side grabbing him like your life was dependent on him. He wondered what you were afraid of the most. What did you live for? Why did you betray your former faction? Were you loyal to them now? To him? Souji still trusts you since you trusted him.

The most vulnerable situation a person can put themselves in is when they’re asleep. So you obviously trusted him.

Does he call you his now? Was this normal as friends? He couldn’t remember for how long had he felt this way. He smiled before putting one arm over your waist and decided to sleep this time.

He was for sure going to keep nights like this on a regular basis. With you there with him already puts his mind at ease.

Note: finally hit the sleeping next to them base with my fanfics. No idea how I feel about this one. I tried my best. I’ll put you more quality ideas in my 3 part sorcerer one shot in the future.

[usertoxicyaoi]

"Why did you join the Mibu Roshigumi?"

KIMI TO YUKITE SAKU (2024). EPISODE FOUR.

[courtesanofdeath]

I'm a Miburo! I'm Okita Souji of the Mibu Roshigumi!

[babygray]

Poster and tapestry samples from "Gintama Past Arc in J-World Tokyo Satellite - Shoka Sonjuku / Roshigumi Edition" 「銀魂 過去編 in J-WORLD TOKYO サテライト 松下村塾・浪士組編」, March, 2017.

[lillotome]

Many members think Haijikata is the scariest member of the Roshigumi, but we know there is somebody far more frightening. After having visited Hijikata, Sannan spots a suspicious-looking Ibuki and decides to follow him to see what he's up to.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki - Record of Curious Tales: Katana and Samurai #5, Kashuu Kiyomitsu

Honestly, I felt super unmotivated to translate today, to the point where I really did think about skipping doing something this week. Feeling more than a little out of sorts though I'm almost certain that it's because of the weather... as I do abysmally whenever the temperature starts to increase.

Anyway, this was originally published in 電撃Girl’s Style 2016年3月号... feeling too annoyed to check this beyond making sure that the names used were correct right now.

Hakuoki - Record of Curious Tales: Katana and Samurai #5, Kashuu Kiyomitsu

Translation by KumoriYami

Eighth month of the first year of Genji——. During the Ikedaya Incident during the 6th month, Okita Souji was injured and vomited blood after fighting with Kazama, and had to rest in his futon while he recovered. In the same month, when the Akebonotei Incident and the Kinmon Incident [Hamaguri Gate Rebellion] occurred, he could only stay at headquarters on standby so he spent the time leisurely/not doing anything. In the eight month, when Souji had almost recovered and wanted to return to the troop, he disovered a major problem——the tip of the katana he used during the Ikedaya Incident had been partiall damaged.

"The way this is, it can't be used anymore..." As he gazed at the unsheathed blade, Souji sighed and muttered to himself. Damage to the blade could be repaired through polishing and the length of the sword could be changed to a preferred length through forging, but if the tip of the sword was missing, nothing could be done.. "I actually... really liked this katana." Souji looked at the damaged tip of the sword and recalled when he first received this katana. It was when Souji and Kondou were still in Edo, and with everyone else from Shiekan when they were preparing participate in the Roshigumi recruitment for maintaining the law and order in Kyoto.

On that day, everyone had been busy preparing to leave for Kyoto, except for Souji, who had nothing to do, and gazed thoughtlessly at the sky outside of the dojo. "Souji, Souji. Come here for a moment." Upon hearing that voice, Souji turned around voice, the head office turned around and saw Kondou Shusai, the former head of Tennins Rishin-ryu, who was now referred to as Dai-sensei. "Shusai-sensei, what is it?" As Souji walked over, Shusai kept an eye in the direction of the dojo, and lowered his voice to ask: "Actually, it's about Isami... have you heard about the katana he's planning to bring to Kyoto?" "Kondou-san's katana? He was happily showing me that he obtained a Kiyomaro blade." "Hmm, Kiyomaro Minamoto , who is also called the Masamune of Yotsuya? That's a truly good thing. "Yes, that's why Kondou-san was very happy." "I see... Kiyomaru, is it...." Shusai nodded his head in acknowledgement as if he had shaken off a heavy burden, and then spoke to Souji. "By the way, Souji. What are you going to do for your sword?" "Mine? The one I have now is fine, and as long as my swordsmanship is good, all blades are the same." "No, no, it's not like that. A samurai needs to have the appearance of a samurai, but there will be times when people look at their swords, right? That's why it's necessary to wear a sword that isn't embarrassing, not to mention, having a good sword will be even more useful in actual combat. After speaking, Shusai handed Souji the katana with a black sheath that was in his hands. "You can take this with you." "This is...?" "Nn, this is my farewell gift from me for you, Souji." As he spoke, Shusai grabbed the hilt of the sword with his right hand an unsheathed the blade. The blade shone brightly in the sunlight. "Kashuu Kiyomitsu… I chose the work of the 6th generation Kiyomitsu, who is also commonly known as "Beggar Kiyomitsu." The blade has a shallow curve and is two shaku and four sun long, and is slightly longer than the standard length. Since you're good at stabbing, it should be perfect for Souji, right?" Souji gazed at the blade with undisguised joy in his eyes. "The undulating patterns and cross-eyes in the design are also quite nice... It looks like it will be able to kill very well [I guess? I was really confused with the first part of this.]." "Nn. This will absolutely do so." As if the two were thinking of the same situation, they both smiled with excitement. "But, is it really okay for me to receive this? This.. was prepared for Kondou-san, right? I think it'd still be better to give it to him..." " What, so you already realized it… Well, it's fine, Isami seems to have found his own sword. After all, it's a sword that he's entrusted his life to so it's best for him to personally satisfied with it, so I cant interfere from the side." "I understand. Then, I'll bring it to Kyoto instead of Kondou-san/in place of Kondou-san, I'll bring it to Kyoto!" "Is that alright?" "No problem!" As Souji received Kashuu Kiyomits from Shusai, he smiled like a child and kept gazing at it for a long time.

"...Shusai-sensei, it really could kill very well." Souji returned Kiyomitsu, whose tip had been broken, to its sheath and pondered carefully. In order for him to return to active duty, he needed to prepare a new sword. What should he do for that sword…. In actuality, he wanted the same sword as Kondou but it was too expensive and he couldn't afford to buy it… A few days later, Souji chose a katana named Yamato no Kami Yasusada. The reason was that it resembled Kondou's Kotetsu.

---end---

i did not edit this. will do so later if i remember... maybe?

also i don't want tokuen ranbu info! i want sword history info! 😤

references used:

https://nihonto.com/yasusada/

https://shinsengumi-archives.tumblr.com/post/653115494539362304/kashu-kiyomitsu-the-sword-soji-okita-used-at

https://www.japanesewiki.com/person/Shusuke%20KONDO.html

[strawberry-jan]

I wrote an endnote to one of my fics that ended up being so long and spoiler-heavy that I had to exile a big chunk of it to my tumblr - so here you go: a big ol' Effort Post about the history and fictional history of your guy and mine, Ishin Wagi.

If you haven't finished Ishin, you probably shouldn't click to read the post under the cut, as it contains big endgame spoilers.

In contrast with Inoue Genzaburo — who’s portrayed in Ishin and other media as a serious, level-headed sort of guy — Serizawa Kamo was a heavy drinker with an infamously short temper. He was born in Mito and, like Sakamoto Ryoma, he was a member of the goshi class, though it should be noted that the extreme discrimination that we see Ryoma experiencing in-game is pretty specific to Tosa’s goshi; Serizawa wasn’t particularly poorly off. Also like Ryoma, Serizawa was involved in shishi activities: he was a member of the Tengu Party, an anti-foreigner political group whose members committed various acts of violent rebellion, including the 1860 assassination of Ii Naosuke (a high-ranking official in the Tokugawa shogunate whose death comes up in letters that you can find in Ishin Kiwami). Serizawa didn’t participate in the assassination, but between his ties to the Tengu Party and an incident in which he executed several of his subordinates for no good reason, he ended up in prison, where he assumed he’d be executed in turn. While there, Serizawa was said to have written a poem with his own blood on a piece of scrap cloth: “In the snow and frost, the plum blossom is the first to bloom in brilliant colours; its fragrance lingers even after the petals have scattered.”

In late 1862, Serizawa was released from prison. By early 1863 (and here I’m skimming over a lot of historical context) Serizawa had joined up with Kondo Isami as a member of the Mibu Roshigumi: the precursor to the Shinsengumi, so called because they were a bunch of ronin whose headquarters were originally in Mibu. They worked under the patronage of the Aizu clan; one of Serizawa’s brothers may have had connections to the clan, which Serizawa and Kondo might have leveraged to gain support for their organization. As a commander, Serizawa was kind of a disgrace by most accounts: among other offenses, he was responsible for wrecking a restaurant in a drunken rage and destroying a silk merchant’s shop with a cannon. Most importantly for my purposes, he was allegedly the man who picked a fight with a bunch of sumo wrestlers in the streets of Osaka.*

Serizawa was murdered in 1863, and there are various theories as to why. It’s popularly assumed that the guy was just a huge bastard who was too out-of-control to hold down his job, and that Hijikata and several other members of the organization killed him accordingly. Another theory that you’ll see sometimes is that while his familial connections were useful, Serizawa himself was a liability whom his companions discarded as soon as they felt secure in doing so. Under this theory, the issue wasn’t so much that he was badly behaved (though this probably didn’t help); it was more that he had his own little faction of men who went around looking down on the others and calling Serizawa “sensei,” and that Serizawa had ties to Mito, which remained a hotbed of seditious activity. (In fact, in 1864, civil war would break out in Mito as the Tengu Party staged an armed rebellion against the shogunate.)

I understand why Ishin’s writers dropped most of Serizawa’s history. It’s complicated, it’s not directly relevant to Ryoma’s story, and Inoue is a secondary character who’s meant (like his mainline counterpart) to come across as a superlatively loyal mentor figure and not as a belligerent asshole. But it’s interesting, in that context, that the writers went out of their way to allude to Serizawa’s history in weird ways. In-game, Serizawa is described as “a living shadow from the Mito domain” — which, okay, you could indeed describe the historical Serizawa that way, given that he narrowly escaped execution and then left Mito to join the Roshigumi. But he’s also described as a wandering bandit who took Hirayama and Hirama under his wing before meeting Kondo in Kyoto, which doesn’t particularly fit with history. Okita — our Okita, the fake one, lol — also says that the three of them committed dappan and were promised a pardon by the Mito domain if Serizawa assassinated Yoshida Toyo, which also has no basis in historical reality but which does make him an accessory to the big players’ nasty schemes for a comprehensible reason. Finally, Serizawa’s school of swordsmanship is referred to as “Mito Tengu” despite the fact that, historically, Serizawa trained in the Shindo Munen school. Conveniently, Ishin’s writers managed to skip over Serizawa’s awfulness on a personal level and to avoid depicting the character in the game as a prominent (and very willing) member of a violently xenophobic political group. I’m listing all of these oddities not to make a judgement about the whitewashing of history, but because it's interesting to me that what did end up in the game is there at all: the writers didn’t need to, but they established a connection between Serizawa, the Tengu Party, and the shishi more broadly anyhow.

Of course, I have the brain disease that makes me latch onto minor characters for no good reason and will therefore take whatever little crumbs of Ishin Kashiwagi I can get. Still, typing all of this up made me think about the missed opportunities here. I would have loved to see the writers do more with some version of Serizawa who was a little less of a bastard but who still committed himself to the shishi’s cause in his Mito days and then grew disillusioned with that cause during his stay in prison and his time with the Mibu Roshigumi. It’s a neat point of sympathy between Inoue and Ryoma, who finds himself similarly chewed up and spat out by the Tosa Loyalist Party in the game. That connection lends gravity to Inoue’s decision to tattle on Ryoma to Kondo but also to keep covering for the guy every time he says or does something transparently suspicious. They might be, in a sense, kindred spirits.

It felt too tangential to delve too much into all of this stuff in my Ishin fics, but you can imagine this sense of sympathy lying behind Inoue’s actions throughout Chapter 4 of Secret History &c. (as well as in his little sequence in Chapter 2 of Glorious and Bloody Deeds &c.). You can also imagine that some of the big shishi conspirators in this story would have known about Serizawa’s origins in Mito with the Tengu Party — it was no big secret — and that they would have been appalled by his new allegiances but also suspicious that he had died because of his old ones. It’s also pretty reasonable to assume that the big Choshu players would have some sense of Saito’s identity, given that Hanpeita and Katsura are allies in Ishin’s version of events. Of course, I also think that our Ryoma wouldn’t know shit about any of this and would absolutely respond like, huhh? whaaaa??? to any/all allusions to the complicated politics behind all these stories. If you’re in a state of perpetual confusion about people and politics while playing Ishin, you’re just doing a great job of role-playing Bakumatsu Kiryu.

Anyway, nearly everything I write is turbo horny and my Ishin fics are no exception, so please don’t read them at work, but they’re very much about the stories men tell about themselves and others, and I think if all this stuff interests you, you might find the yarns I’ve spun interesting as well.

* This is another event that’s mentioned in passing in an in-game letter that was added to Ishin Kiwami, and whatever my feelings about that remake might be, I think all the letters and notes are a brilliant addition; I was tickled to see a reference to this incident show up! Historically, the Big Sumo Brawl happened well before 1867 and it had nothing to do with the events covered in Ishin, so please understand that when I’m writing about it in my fic, I’m mashing events together and playing around with a big Bakumatsu sandbox in a way that I think feels true to the game’s style of writing. I thought it would be funny to have Inoue lay claim to the act when he wasn’t even on the scene; it brings the story in line with history, but in the stupidest possible way. (Also, I submit to you that the smut is practically canon-compliant and likely historically accurate. :V)

[shinsengumi-archives]

Hello! I'm fairly new to the topic of Shinsengumi, and wanted to ask if it's possible for you to explain the basics? Who they were, what they did, their purpose and when they were active, etc.?

Or do you perhaps have a post that sums it up? I would love to read it. Thank you so much for the effort and consideration! Much love goes to you and your blog.

Have a nice day. x

Hi, I'm glad you like my blog :)

Here's an overview of the Shinsengumi:

Who they were

The Shinsengumi was a group of swordsmen who were active in Kyoto in 1863-1868 during the Bakumatsu era at the end of the Edo period, a time of great change. They experienced a meteoric rise followed by a complete downfall with the Shogunate's collapse. Many of them, including the Commander Kondo Isami and Vice-Commander Hijikata Toshizo, weren't born in the samurai class. They were the first samurai group in the Edo period to allow non-samurai to join.

The Shinsengumi's history was full of infighting, but Kondo's supporters who studied swordsmanship together at the same dojo in Edo (now Tokyo) were close with each other and ended up becoming executives in the Shinsengumi.

At its height, with Kondo as Commander, and 2 Vice-Commanders, Hijikata and Sannan, the Shinsengumi was divided into 10 squads, each led by a Captain.

When the Shogunate fell, many of the Shinsengumi members continued to fight alongside the remnants of the Shogunate army until the end. Most of the core members died tragically young from different causes.

Who they worked for

The Shinsengumi's predecessor, the Roshigumi, was formed by the Shogunate who enlisted ronin to go to Kyoto to make the city safer for Shogunate officials who were frequently being assassinated. After Kondo became Commander, they changed their name to the Shinsengumi. They worked under Matsudaira Katamori, the Lord of Aizu, who had been assigned as the Commissioner of Kyoto by the Shogunate.

Who whey fought against

The Shinsengumi patrolled the streets of Kyoto to crack down on anti-Shogunate forces mostly from the Satsuma and Choshu domains who wanted to overthrow the Shogun and form a new government centered around the Emperor.

Famous Shinsengumi members

Kondo Isami - Commander of the Shinsengumi. He was born a peasant, became the head of the Shieikan Dojo, and enlisted in the Roshigumi with the dream of becoming a samurai. He looked up to the heroes from stories of the past, and took his responsibilities seriously, but he also liked showing off his ability to stuff his entire fist into his mouth. After the Shogun stepped down and the Shinsengumi members returned to Edo, he was eventually captured and beheaded by the new government as a scapegoat for the assassination of Sakamoto Ryoma.

Hijikata Toshizo - Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi. He was also born a peasant and shared Kondo's dream of becoming samurai. He helped Kondo become Commander of the Shinsengumi, and was feared by both his enemies and his men. He was thought to be extremely good-looking, and he enjoyed sleeping with women and writing bad poetry. After the Shogunate fell, he led the remaining Shinsengumi members to Ezo (now Hokkaido) with the former Shogunate forces to form a republic independent from Japan. He died from a gunshot wound on his way to defend a fortress that was under siege.

Sannan (or Yamanami) Keisuke - Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi. He and Hijikata were both Vice-Commanders, but he disagreed with Hijikata's methods so there was a lot of rivalry between them. He was a well-educated and kindhearted man who was fond of Chinese poetry and had a lofty ideals. He likely became disillusioned and ended up suddenly leaving the Shinsengumi without permission. Even though Kondo and the others tried to give him a chance to escape, he returned willingly and was punished for desertion with seppuku. His death traumatized his close friend Okita who had beheaded him as his second.

Okita Souji - Captain of the First Squad. He was a sword prodigy from the same dojo as Kondo and Hijikata and was very loyal to Kondo. He was a polite and cheerful person who liked to make people laugh, but also tended to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself. Although he's often portrayed in fiction as a somewhat feminine man, this is likely not historically accurate, but no photos of him exist. Several months after returning to Edo with the rest of the Shinsengumi, he died from tuberculosis at age 26. It was said that even towards the end, he never lost his ability to smile.

Nagakura Shinpachi - Captain of the Second Squad. A very strong swordsman. When the Shinsengumi returned to Edo, he quit after an argument with Kondo, but continued to fight for the Shogunate. After the Shogunate lost, he went into hiding in Hokkaido and lived to old age, dying from a tooth infection. Despite multiple disagreements with Kondo throughout his time in the Shinsengumi, he still remembered Kondo fondly in his later years and built a monument for those who died.

Saito Hajime - Captain of the Third Squad. A very strong swordsman. He was a mysterious person with a meek demeanor who might have worked directly for the Shogunate. He was involved in many assassinations against people who betrayed the Shinsengumi. After Kondo's death, he became Commander. After the Shogunate lost, he went into hiding for several years and then worked for the new government as a police officer. He lived to old age, dying from liver failure from lifelong drinking.

Todo Heisuke - Captain of the Eighth Squad. From the same dojo as Sannan Keisuke. He was said to be a bit showy and quite a daredevil despite his small stature. He became a follower of Itou Kashitaro and left the Shinsengumi with him to become part of a new group that opposed the Shogunate. He was cut down in battle by the Shinsengumi along with many others in the Itou faction when they were collecting Itou's body.

Harada Sanosuke - Captain of the Tenth Squad. A strong spear-fighter. He was short-tempered and rash, but he was also a devoted husband. When he was younger, some samurai taunted him about how he didn't have the guts to commit seppuku, so he did it. He survived and liked to show off the scar. He left the Shinsengumi with Nagakura and died in battle fighting for the Shogunate.

Serizawa Kamo - Commander of the Mibu Roshigumi. Both he and Kondo were Commanders in the early days. On one hand, he was well-educated and had a distinguished air. On the other hand, he was prone to violence and was often drunk. He was easily insulted and got into many fights, so he caused a lot of trouble. He and his supporters were assassinated most likely by Hijikata, Okita, Sannan, and Harada, resulting in Kondo becoming the sole Commander.

Itou Kashitaro - Military Advisor of the Shinsengumi. He joined a few years after the Shinsengumi had formed. He was a highly cultured and educated man who gained many supporters in the Shinsengumi, but he supported the Emperor rather than the Shogun and wanted to change the Shinsengumi to side with the Emperor. When that proved impossible he left the Shinsengumi, taking many followers with him. After Saito reported Itou's plans to kill Kondo, the Shinsengumi assassinated Itou.

Important historical events

Serizawa Assassination - Hijikata, Okita, Sannan, Harada, and possibly others assassinated Serizawa Kamo in his sleep, resulting in Kondo becoming the sole Commander

Ikedaya Incident - The Shinsengumi's most famous accomplishment. They raided an inn where Choshu samurai were meeting to supposedly discuss their plan to set Kyoto on fire to kidnap the Emperor in the confusion. After killing some and capturing many of these men, the Shinsengumi gained fame and popularity.

Aburanokoji Incident - After Itou was cut down by the Shinsengumi on his way home from a meeting with Kondo, his supporters came to collect his body. Many of them were killed by the Shinsengumi waiting in ambush.

Battle of Toba-Fushimi - The first open battle between the Shogunate army and the Satsuma-Choshu Alliance, resulting in the Shogunate's loss and retreat to Edo. The Shinsengumi fought on the Shogunate side and went back to Edo on the Shogunate's ships. During this battle, the Emperor officially declared support for the Satsuma-Choshu side, allowing them to become the legitimate government instead of the Shogunate.

Battle of Koshu-Katsunuma - Kondo and the Shinsengumi raised an army to defend Kofu Castle outside Edo, but by the time they got there, it had already been taken. Kondo was captured while he and his men were setting up camp nearby and he was eventually beheaded after his enemies learned who he was.

Boshin War / Battle of Aizu - After returning to Edo, the Lord of Aizu, Matsudaira Katamori, formed an alliance with many other lords of northern domains to continue fighting for the Shogunate against the new government army. When Hijikata was injured, Saito Hajime led the Shinsengumi to fight alongside the Shogunate supporters. The battle ended with Aizu's surrender.

Battle of Hakodate - Hijikata and the remnants of the Shinsengumi and Shogunate traveled further north to the island of Ezo (Hokkaido) to form the Republic of Ezo and declared independence. This led to a war against the Meiji Imperial forces, ending in Hijikata's death and Ezo's surrender.

Recommended media

I think the most enjoyable way to learn the basics is through the manga/anime/dramas etc. about the Shinsengumi. That's probably how most people here became Shinsengumi fans. Although these are works of fiction that have embellishments or biases, it still gives a picture of who the Shinsengumi were as people and portrays the historical events they were involved in.

Here are some of my recommendations:

Shinsengumi! (2004) Taiga Drama - This should be the most historical and thorough depiction of the Shinsengumi, but it sometimes sugarcoats the things they did.

Peacemaker Kurogane - The first manga series Shinsengumi Imon Peace Maker (or its anime adaption Peace Maker Kurogane) covers the Ikedaya Incident. The sequel manga Peace Maker Kurogane covers the rest of the Shinsengumi's history until their deaths. The later parts have so much feels

Hakuouki - An anime based on an otome game. It has a lot of fantasy elements, but it still mostly follows the historical timeline. Based on my impression, this might be the Shinsengumi media with the largest English-speaking fandom.

Kaze Hikaru - A charming manga focused on Okita Souji. Also a romance. Only half of the chapters have been translated into English. I heard the ending is really terrible.

Gintama - It doesn't focus on the Shinsengumi and it's a scifi/fantasy/comedy so it's not trying to be historically accurate, but the personalities and relationships between Hijikata, Okita and Kondo are similar to their historical counterparts

Various old Shinsengumi films, such as Shinsengumi’s Demon Commander (1957) and Shinsengumi Chronicles (1963)

Shinsengumi Documentaries

[zantedeschia-praesul]

Saseki rarely gets upset or angry, but no thanks to a divine emissary's meddling, whenever he does get genuinely upset or angry, it's at an overwhelming, borderline violent level. His green eyes instantly shifts to electric blue with lightning sparks coming from him. One would think he's invoking the Kebiishi's energy, but no, it's much worse.

Unfortunately for him, he had invoked the very spirit of one rogue Shinsengumi (then still known as Roshigumi) member who used to be Kondou Isami's own fellow commander: Serizawa Kamo. While an esteemed fighter in his own right, he was known to be cruel and violent even to his own comrades, and with a extremely bad temper; the trigger-happy kind, if you get my drift.

So this sight is rare, but when it does happen tho, his men better pray he doesn't have his black brush with him...

[teatitty]

Gintama shows us through various flashbacks that Gintoki has an absolutely buckwild life post-war and I would like to posit that this isn't just a him thing but a Joui 4 thing because like. Katsura was there when the Shinsengumi were established as the Roshigumi. He was sitting outside listening in on the whole thing, which means he's been tangled with them since before they were even proper cops

Takasugi's everything post-war is wild as hell when you break it down into chunks, from his first meeting with Bansai to his alliance with the Harusame, his political connections etc etc and then there's Sakamoto who within a few months of the war ending found himself thrown into the ocean and picked up by a slave ship

I know that if all four of them ever sat down to compare individual stories of the past decade they would all end up going "hey man what the fuck are you okay" at eachother

[prinzrupprecht]

Okita x reader who has a dream he cheated on her and she woke up crying

Just a Dream

I like this idea! Imma try to make this fluff and emotional as possible.

Synopsis: You’ve been with him for a long time. He was everything to you but were you the same to him? Your thoughts and worries plagued your mind one night into dreaming of him falling for the daughter of the most known doctor in all of Kyoto. You knew her as well and your head was spinning with thoughts. Were you doubting him now?

CW: hurt/comfort

WC: 1035

He was confusing sometimes. One moment he would be all affectionate and lovey with you, and the next you barely existed in his world. Which is it? You could smile painfully and believe he still means every word that you’re his or pretend he doesn’t exist as well.

You could still remember the day Kondo took Souji in, you felt sorry for him. Souji never experienced any real connections with someone other than his sister who abandoned him. It took many months or years for him to completely trust you but he trusted Kondo more easily. Your heart swelled from the fond memories.

You went to go to sleep and saw Souji already sleeping in his tatami mat. You sighed as expected of him. He was tired from training all day. He liked sleeping in your room for some reason. Even though he could sleep in the main hall with the other boys, he claimed they tried to snuggle him in their sleep and it was claustrophobic sleeping in a room full of other people. He could sleep in Kondo’s room but he said he snores too much. You told him to sleep outside once and he refused. Yet he sometimes snuggles you at night and when you woke up to him sleeping too close to you a few times, he claimed that’s because he was too cold and wanted warmth. Ya right…

Stubbornness ran in him. He threatened other members if they tried to pursue any relationship with you and claimed you were already taken but never said who. You were unaware of this.

As you were a part of Kondo’s group, everyone stayed at different lodges when they were trying to gain recognition from the Tokugawa shogunate. Most of the Roshigumi would sleep in one room. You always got one of the spare rooms and as much as great that was, Souji would only sleep in your room no matter where you guys end up staying at.

As you closed your eyes and decided to sleep for once, your mind was still plagued with thoughts of what-if scenarios. You couldn’t control your thoughts when you were sleeping.

The future was uncertain… your dreams could be just playing with your head.

Yet your mind thought of her— the nice girl who was the daughter of the best doctor in Kyoto. Your jealousy couldn’t be stopped whenever you saw her talk to Souji a few times in the past. You could tell she was into him judging by the amount of times she would only talk to him and barely acknowledge your existence. She was kind, and pretty but that was about it. What if he decided to accept her feelings? Your last thoughts shouldn’t have been about her before drifting to sleep.

~ not even an hour has passed by

Your eyes snapped open while one hand flew to your face and forehead. Why were there tear stains on your cheeks? “I had to wake you, sorry about that.” Souji was sitting next to you and was worried. You didn't say anything as you were trying to calm yourself in the moment. Your heart was still in pain from the dream you had. Him falling in love with someone else? Her of all people? It didn't settle right with you.

“Why did you say my name?” he had asked which made your face turn red.

“It’s uh… I don’t remember anymore,” your words stammered as you turned your head away from him. Souji didn’t want to say he heard more but the sentences were jumbled in your sleep for him to understand any of what you said. He knew you were lying.

“Can you tell me? Maybe I could make you feel better?” He sat on his knees next to you and you had no idea how to bring up what you had dreamt about.

“It’s uh… you and that girl who likes you,” you mumbled while lifting the top cover up to your face.

“Someone likes me? You?” he was clearly playing around with your head, or was he this oblivious to his surroundings?

“I mean… you know that girl who comes around a lot who’s really pretty and has a reputation for being the daughter of the most famous doctor in this city… she only waves and talks to you. I had a dream that you two were too close, I shouldn’t get into details…” you didn’t want to get specific about your dream. Your head was starting to hurt.

“You think I’d do that to you?” he was slightly hurt that a dream of him doing things that he wouldn’t ever do could hurt you this badly.

“N—No, of course not. It just felt so real in my head but when I woke up… the painful feeling just went away.” You sighed and felt Souji shift a bit in his spot so that he could hold you this time.

“I thought that I made it obvious that I really like you,” he pulled you close to him to comfort you. He knew you felt the same for a while but wanted more confirmation. For the longest time when Kondo took him in, you used to hold him at night and now he’s the one holding you.

“I’m so glad, I want it to stay that way.” You were tired still and he wasn’t going anywhere.

Souji didn’t say anything while he stayed awake for a bit longer to make sure you’d fall asleep soundlessly before he would sleep again. He was a bit distressed that you had a bit of doubts about him.

It just means he would make sure to prove that you were the only one he wanted.

Note: I had to make this short so it wouldn’t feel horrible to drag it out. I’ll be back on To Live or Die next.

[kurayami-no-ko]

Story about Sannan’s sword

Notes: I was provided the original Japanese version by @kumoriyami-xiuzhen. It is honestly my favorite short story about Sannan out of all the three I have translated so far, so, please enjoy.

Sekishin Okimitsu by a person from Banshuu

January, Bunkyuu 3 (1863)

Everyone in Shiekan, which was headed by Kondou Isami, had decided that they would go to Tokyo and join the Roshigumi. They only had a short time until they had to leave to Tokyo so the days of everyone were busy with announcing the separation to acquaintances and arranging their personal baggage. During that time, there was only one person that still remained in an unpeopled Shiekan during the evening. That was Sannan Keisuke.

Sannan first visited Shiekan three years ago, during Manen 1 (1860). Back then, when Kondou Isami received the certificate of mastery of Tensai Rishinryuu and became the young teacher of Shiekan, the dojo was a small one and besides, Hijikata Toshizo, Okita Souji, Inoue Genzaburou, only has a small number of disciples. Sannan as a disciple of the Onoha Ittoryuu fought with Kondou in a battle between schools and lost, and as he was impressed by the strength of the Tensai Rishinryuu, he joined the school. Since then, he had lodged in Shiekan and in a short time, started to study the art of Tensai Rishinryuu. Soon as Kondou’s right hand man, he was entrusted with going to teach in the Tama region.

Sannan was sitting alone in the dojo of Shiekan, properly going through the maintainance his beloved sword.

The first step of this maintenance was to start with cleaning all the oil coating the blade so that it would not rust. Firstly, he used wiping paper to clean up all the oil on the blade. When that process failed to remove all the old oil, he put power on the blade and then wiped again with a wiping paper. He properly wiped from the base of the metal collar to the tip and kept on repeating it so finally the old oil sticking on the blade was cleanly removed.

Then, he carefully checked for any rust or chip on the naked blade and then very thoroughly coated the blade with clove oil. Because the oil coating this blade had deteriorated, he had to maintain the sword by replacing the oil multiple times throughout a year.

For this work, Sannan had to slowly replaced the oil on his sword.

“Huh? The only person left is Sannan-san?”

From the door of the dojo, the unique voice of Okita sounded out.

“That’s right. It is because Nagakura and the other guys went out for drinking; Kondou-san and Hijikata-kun and Inoue-san went out to Tama for some greetings…though I heard that Okita-kun also came along.”

“No, I have no part in that kind of greeting.”

“Is that so? Okita-kun also has family, right? Is that okay?”

“If I show up, my elder sister will definitely oppose, so I think it is better for me not to go. In other terms, because I don’t have any one to greet, I came back alone.  Because I am taking care of the dojo, I think that it is better that I greet Sannan-san and pack my baggage.”

So according to what he said, Okita went to the dojo and reached Sannan’s side. In response to Okita, Sannan gave him a slightly lonely smile and answered.

“What a coincidence, actually, I also do not have any acquaintance to greet.”

Looking at Sannan’s face, Okita’s interested eyes glittered.

“Is that so… Even though I cannot see that, if Sannan-san say so, it must be the case. So, how is your preparation for going to Kyo going?”

“The baggage that I am bringing along is only this sword. Because of that, as the maintenance was done, I am already done with the preparation.”

Moving his gaze to the sword lying on the tatami mat in front of Sannan, Okita became interested and looked at the sword.

“Sekishin Okimitsu…was the name, right? Not a famous name, isn’t it? Do you have any emotional attachment to it?”

“This sword… is unique, I brought it from my hometown, Sendai, where I was born. This sword was passed down in my family for generations and when I received this sword, I was told to hold this sword and hit with a true heart (Sekishin means true heart). Certainly, don’t you think that is a suitable path?”

“I do not understand what true heart means for Sannan-san but… Being able to kill your opponent and keep your own life is enough, isn’t it?”

“Haha… That answer is very characteristic of Okita-kun.”

“Is that so… Well, it is fine. So, I also should do the maintenance for my sword. I will bring it here so please just keep on staying in the dojo like this.”

While shrugging his shoulder, Okita also turned his back on Sannan and quickly left the dojo.

In a dojo resounded with those footsteps, Sannan thought.

About abandoning his house in Sendai, leaving his clan to travel alone.

Back then, his only baggage was also Sekishin Okimitsu.

After that, while joining a dojo and living in Edo… This sword was also his only constant companion.

Sannan said gently to his beloved sword lying on top of the tatami.

“From Sendai to Edo… And now, this time is going to be Kyo. We are going to be together once more. Please help me.”

Before long, the dusk was thickening, and the dojo became darker. Sannan shook off his sentiments and slowly stood up; because Okita would be coming back, he needed to start preparing to put on the light.

Notes: I checked a source from the internet. The link is here: https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/72533/

So, the historical Sannan Keisuke broke his sword during the same incident that Hakuouki Sannan lost the use of his left arm. This means that Hakuouki Sannan probably lost the use of his left arm and his most prized possession in the same day. That is quite sad to think about.

[courtesanofdeath]

We, the Mibu Roshigumi, share one purpose: to defend Kyoto!