On January 3, 1868 (Japanese Calendar)...
the Shogunate army headed from Osaka to Kyoto...
and battled the Satsuma-Choshu forces at Toba and Fushimi.
The first day of battle started with a fierce attack...
and ended in the Tokugawa's pitiful defeat.
SECOND DAY OF THE BATTLE
TOMINOMORI, TOBA
Wait.
Draw them in closer.
Attack! Now!
Advance!
Get up! You're an Aizu man!
Aim well!
Bull's eye!
YAE no SAKURA
Episode 21: Loser's Responsibility
Screenplay: Yamamoto Mutsumi
Theme Music: Sakamoto Ryuichi Music: Nakajima Nobuyuki
Narrator: Kusabue Mitsuko
Kawasaki Yae: Ayase Haruka
Yamamoto Kakuma: Nishijima Hidetoshi
Kawasaki Shonosuke: Hasegawa Hiroki
Yamamoto Saku: Fubuki Jun
Yamamoto Gonpachi: Matsushige Yutaka
Yamamoto Ura: Hasegawa Kyoko
Yamakawa Okura: Tamayama Tetsuji
Jinbo Yuki: Ashina Sei
Jinbo Shuri: Saito Takumi
Kajiwara Heima: Ikeuchi Hiroyuki
Matsudaira Katamori: Ayano Go
Sagawa Kanbei: Nakamura Shido
Saito Hajime: Furuya Kenji
Enomoto Takeaki: Ymaguchi Makiya
Akizuki Teijiro: Kitamura Yukiya
Hirosawa Tomijiro: Okada Yoshinori
Jinbo Kuranosuke: Tsukayama Masane
Kayano Gonbei: Yanagisawa Shingo
Tanaka Tosa: Sato Bsaku
Tokugawa Yoshinobu: Koizumi Kotaro
Saigo Kichinosuke: Kikkawa Koji
Ooyama Yasuke: Sorimachi Takashi
Saigo Tanomo: Nishida Toshiyuki
Executive Producer: Naito Shinsuke
Translations by MTI
Director: Ichiki Masae
Ms. Yuki.
Aunt, I found your poem.
Shhh! Keep it quiet.
I'm sorry for disrupting your prayer.
Not at all.
I'm going to pray.
Please protect my father. KAKUMA'S DAUGHTER, MINE
She's adorable.
How long have you been here?
Well...
Your hands are so cold.
Yae...
We shouldn't test god, should we?
It's unnecessary to test our luck.
I'll return without fail.
I remembered the stone I dropped then.
If anyone should be punished, it should be me.
I want my husband to be safe.
Please protect...
...Kakuma and everyone in Aizu.
Duck!
We can't endure anymore.
Our artillery can't return fire.
Let's kill their artillery squad.
All right. Let's rush them with our spears.
Yes, sir.
Sir Sagawa!
Our artillery section is here.
What's with the attire?
It's easier to move in this.
Saburo, is this your first battle?
Yes sir!
Hurry! Blow up the enemy's cannons!
Will do!
Artillery section, forward!
Fire!
General!
Are you all right?
I'm fine!
Here we come!
Here they come!
Aim!
Fire!
Satsuma has control here.
What's happening with the Tokugawa?
The Aizu are taking a beating.
What's that?
I've never seen that flag before.
It's an Imperial flag (gold Chrysanthemum).
Imperial flag?
Oh, no! That is the flag for the Imperial army!
That's not good! The men will switch sides to Satsuma!
IMPERIAL PRINCE YOSHIAKI (NOMINAL COMMANDER OF IMPERIAL ARMY)
SAIGO KICHINOSUKE of SATSUMA
The Imperial flag is hoisted!
News spread that Satsuma hoisted the Imperial flag.
Don't let Satsuma's flag scare you!
Shoot them down!
Move!
Don't retreat!
The Shogunate army retreated to Yodo Castle as their new base.
The Imperial flag was hoisted on the battlefield?
OSAKA CASTLE
There is no Imperial flag! OSAKA CASTLE
Iwakura must have made it.
Gather the various clans' generals and officials.
Even if Osaka is reduced to ashes and we die...
those in Edo will carry out our will and continue the fight.
Justice is with us!
Yes!
Until the last man falls...
let us fight!
Yes, sir!
Allow me to join you!
Crush the rebels!
We'll give our lives!
What's all this commotion?
Aren't they aware of the war situation?
The Yodo clan betrayed us?
Yes. They closed their gates and refused us entry.
The Yodo, a hereditary clan, betrayed us.
Fearing to be branded Imperial enemies...
they succumbed to Satsuma's pressure.
We've been defeated by a fake Imperial flag.
If I may humbly speak!
Our army may be greater in number than the enemy...
But continuing the war...
with our poor strategies will result in losing more soldiers.
I know that! So what do you suggest we do?
Tell me.
Lead the army back to Edo.
Then regroup there.
Return to Edo?
You've got a point!
Excuse me...
I wonder how he's doing.
You mean Shuri?
We don't know when it'll go to war.
He must be too busy to even write.
Don't hold it against him.
I won't.
As long as Shuri serves at his lord's side...
then Aizu won't go astray.
That's what I believe.
Am I a foolish parent?
No...I agree with you.
Shuri.
FOURTH DAY OF BATTLE
AIZU ARMY IN HASHIMOTO
Saburo!
Go to the back.
Let me go with you.
No!
This place is dangerous.
Go to the back.
I heard about Kakuma's eyes.
As a Yamamoto man, I want to fight in place of Kakuma.
Yae will help me too.
Yae?
She made this for me.
The sacred bamboo.
It turns misfortune to good.
All right!
Aim well and shoot!
I will!
What was that?
When Satsuma's army crosses the river...
Our ally, the Todo clan will shoot a cannon from Yamazaki.
Reporting! The Todo are shooting cannons at us!
What?!
Artillery section, aim!
Fire!
Come forward!
Danger above!
Duck!
What happened?
I did as I always do.
Ouch.
That's dangerous.
Be careful.
Ura.
Yes?
No...it's nothing.
Saburo! Hang on there!
I need a doctor!
Saburo! Hang on there!
Aim well...
Kakuma...?
Yeah.
I'm right here.
You fought well.
Kakuma...
Yae...
Saburo.
Saburo!
Sir Shuri!
What did you tell Lord Yoshinobu?
He was planning to fight it out at Osaka.
but what you said convinced him to retreat.
I told him we will only lose more men unnecessarily.
What about the men who already died?
Sir Kanbei!
If the Chief Commander leads, the morale will rise!
The tides will turn at once!
Your advice ruined our perfect opportunity!
Pardon me!
I'm Captain Enomoto with the Navy.
Is Sir Jinbo Shuri here?
That is me.
I brought Kaiyo Maru. I'd like an audience with His Excellency...
but first, I'd like to hear the war situation.
Please follow me.
Wait!
We'll...continue later.
Wait!
Let go!
Wait!
What?
I'm returning to Edo. Accompany me.
The soldiers are retreating now.
We're leaving the soldiers.
Don't tell your vassals that we are leaving Osaka.
What?
Enomoto's warship is anchored nearby.
We'll board his ship tonight and head for Edo.
No! You said you'd fight to the last man!
That was an expedient to quell their anxieties.
Let's return to Edo at once and regroup.
More so, you should lead the entire army back!
Ridiculous!
We'll face another battle before reaching Edo!
You alone, will come with me.
No!
I will stay back with my vassals.
I forbid it!
If you remain, the Aizu soldiers won't stop fighting.
Though a fake, the Imperial flag has been hoisted.
If we don't withdraw, the Tokugawa will be branded rebels!
Does Aizu's policy say to turn the Tokugawa into rebels?
Lord Katamori...
This strategy...
was advised by...
Jinbo Shuri when he reported the war situation.
It can't be.
It's a strategy to save everyone.
This is our only option!
Do you want your vassals to die as Imperial rebels?
Sir Shuri, where were you?
I was meeting with Enomoto.
Did something happen?
The Lord is nowhere to be found.
What?
Don't tell me...?
No, it can't be!
Close the door.
Yes, sir.
The Imperial letter is here.
He wouldn't leave without it.
It sounded like our Lord was being rushed by someone.
Rushed?
Is it Lord Yoshinobu?
Oh no! The Kaiyo Maru warship!
Sir Shuri!
Our Lord was taken by Lord Yoshinobu. I'm going after him.
I'll have him returned before anyone else notices.
Yes, sir!
You must not go, Lord!
However, by the time Shuri reached the harbor...
the Kaiyo Maru was already headed for Edo with Katomori on board.
The Chief Commander abandoned his army and fled.
Where is our Lord?
Where is Shuri?
I'll look for him!
The Imperial letter is missing.
Shuri is not here either! Where could he be?
Shuri must have taken the lord away!
The Kaiyo Maru has been captured?
What happened?
His Excellency boarded with Lords Aizu and Kuwana
and departed for Edo.
Were you not aware?
It's over for the Tokugawa.
Let us go to Edo.
Make preparations!
When the Aizu army retreated to Edo...
Katamori was immediately stripped of his court rank...
and branded a rebel.
Amidst Aizu's deepening crisis...
Tanomo was finally reinstated as Councilor. TSURUGA CASTLE, AIZU
What's the situation in Edo? TSURUGA CASTLE, AIZU
The lord entered the mansion...
and the clansmen are withdrawing from Osaka.
There's a punitive order issued against Yoshinobu.
The Aizu and Kuwana are Imperial rebels now.
Aizu...is branded as rebel?
Under the new government's name,
Satsuma and Choshu are taking command of the country.
It was a stupid move to abandon his army...
and leave Osaka Castle.
Returning to Edo...
...was advised by Shuri.
If Shuri is to blame...
he should receive judgment and die.
A punitive order against Aizu will be issued soon.
We'll have to decide whether to submit or fight.
We have no time to spare.
The Aizu clan is being branded as imperial rebel.
Is my husband safe?
Don't panic.
We should be worrying about our clan's fate now.
Yes.
Kakuma and Saburo might be together in Edo now.
Is Lord Yoshinobu really planning to regroup in Edo?
That is why our Lord fled Osaka castle with him.
But the Tokugawa are branded as Imperial rebels now.
The truth was distorted by Satsuma and Choshu.
When the war started, the enemy was Satsuma.
But our opponent now is the new government with Imperial support.
Are you saying that Aizu are rebels?
No! To avoid being rebels...
shouldn't we defer once?
Are you a coward?
Father...
No means no!
Please forgive him.
But I think Father is right.
The Aizu clan, which protected Kyoto for many years...
can't be rebels.
If we stay defeated...with our Lord fleeing the castle...
the Aizu clan will lose honor.
Kakuma and Saburo are in Edo.
As well as Sirs Okura and Sagawa.
If we all fight together, we won't remain losers.
No means no!
It's a deference to start over!
First, we appeal our innocence.
Meanwhile, we'll devise our strategies for war.
I'll go to the castle and present concrete Westernized measures.
You will secretly gather rifles, gunpowder, and bullets.
I'll have them proceed with military reforms this time.
Yes!
Someone!
Is anyone here?
What?!
Hey! Do me a favor!
SATSUMA CLAN'S PRISON
Quiet! SATSUMA CLAN'S PRISON
Please let me see Saigo!
Sir Saigo, you say?
Don't be stupid, loser!
Please! I need to talk to him!
Your life won't be spared!
Sir!
Rebels will be beheaded!
Does it hurt?
What a high fever!
What's become of Aizu?
Saigo!
Don't harm Aizu!
Saigo!
Don't harm Aizu!
Saigo!
Following Lord Yoshinobu to Edo was my error.
I should be the one to assume responsibility.
In everyone's eyes, it appeared Shuri had taken you away.
Won't you let him out?
If we release him, his life will be targeted.
The more you defend him, the more their anger grows.
That anger should rightfully be directed toward me.
Gather everyone!
AIZU CLAN'S UPPER MANSION IN EDO
I'll tell them it was my error.
Shuri does not wish that!
He pursued you alone, without telling anyone...
to protect your honor!
What did Lord Yoshinobu want?
You're forbidden to go to the castle.
You are not allowed to attend Edo castle anymore.
The Aizu clan are ordered to vacate Edo at once.
Righteousness of a Lord.
Dedication to loyalty.
If you harbor disloyalty...
you will not be considered my descendant.
Yoshinobu dismissed the council of elders...
and ordered the clans that fought with him to vacate Edo.
He displayed complete submission to the new government.
Sir Shuri.
Lord.
I put you in this situation.
I can't find the word to apologize.
Lord...
The Aizu clan has been ousted from Kyoto.
Now we are ousted from Edo.
The anger for that...
is directed only at you.
I just can't seem to regain your honor.
Shuri!
I order you to harakiri.
I gratefully accept.
Farewell.
Yes, sir!
There is no guard until tomorrow morning.
Per the lord's order, I've made the security lax.
Sir Shuri, please understand the lord's feelings.
Please live.
The Lord understands everything.
Isn't that sufficient?
He followed the ritual and committed harakiri.
He died magnificently.
He bore the loser's responsibility for me.
Shuri...!
I wanted you to live.
Jinbo Shuri died at the age of 31.
He left a death poem.
The feelings of parents hearing you won't return...
are sad only for the moment.
Yuki.
END OF EPISODE 21
He didn't disgrace the family as a Yamamoto man.
Can you uphold your samurai honor by remaining defeated?
We must crush the Aizu clan no matter what.
The condition for submission is Katamori's head.
Take my head!
Kill me and spare Aizu!
What can I do to avenge Saburo?
I will avenge him!