It was an era when a man lived as a warrior...
He fought, staking his life on his faith in the sword...
The final era... the Bakumatsu.
(The end of the samurai period) The final era... the Bakumatsu.
IROHANIHOETO
Intrigue in the Bakumatsu IROHANIHOETO
On the land with the frozen moonlight
It's rolling and drawing the line
The era of destruction and rebirth now begins
Heavily holding the freedom
Choosing the invisible path
Passing the sunset that's brighter than the daylight
The vessel of time moves on as if telling the dream
There's a new dawn beyond the dark path
We may have been born from the arm of darkness
Just like being in an impossible love
We wander into the light
The path stretches indefinitely
And there's no way to go back
Sunbu Castle
So, where did the Head go? Sunbu Castle
We don't know yet. Sunbu Castle
Then we will not move from this place.
Imperial Prince Taruhito Arisugawanomiya
But His Majesty is tired of waiting.
Kichinosuke Takamori Saigo
I know.
But the flag of the Nishiki Army isn't enough to move history forward.
It's too late for the plum but too early for the cherry blossoms, is it?
Kaishu Katsu Awanokami
Oh well, I guess the flower buds are still the symbol of the spring.
How distasteful...
Damn... Where is that Head hiding anyway?
Note: The year 1868
It is early spring in the 4th year of the Keio Era.
Two men ride the Tokai Road, heading for Sunbu.
Kyunosuke Masumitsu
Tesshu Yamaoka
Are you from the Eastern Army?
You're in the way! Move!
Move out of the way!
You must be Tesshu Yamaoka and Kyunosuke Masamitsu.
Hand over the secret letter from Awanokami-sama.
What?
You ruffian!
Wait, Kyunosuke! Do not attack him carelessly!
Kyunosuke!
Damn!
Let me handle it.
What is your name?
Which style do you practice?
I'm someone who thinks a sword has no need of a name.
In that case, your grave has no need of a name, either!
THE REQUEST
The secret letter was from the 15th Shogun, Yoshinobu, to the Imperial Palace.
It expressed his desire to enter into an alliance with the Emperor.
Had this letter not reached the government army, Edo would surely have become a battlefield.
This great earthquake brought an unexpected stalemate in the era.
The main Eastern Army was stuck in Sunbu.
Edo
Hakone
Sunbu
The main Eastern Army was stuck in Sunbu.
Other divisions advancing up the Nakasen and Hokuriku Roads were also forced to halt.
I love the sea!
There's a world out there beyond the sea!
It's gotten to my brain...
This is not good...
Ryoma...
The Yokohama Foreign Merchant Area, 1853.
It was the window the Shogunate had opened up to the world
after submitting to foreign pressure when the Black Ships appeared on the Uraga Sea.
The city was isolated and surrounded by the Horikiri River.
The city was split by Nihon Road.
The Japanese lived on the west side of it and the east area was reserved for foreigners.
Merchants and people of various social classes gathered there,
and in the midst of the chaos of both anticipation and anxiety for the new era,
the city was rife with disorderly liveliness.
You barbarians aren't welcome in Japan!
I'll make you rust on my sword!
It was you who made the first move!
Don't fall back!
Kill them! Kill them both!
If you stand against us, I'll shoot you down!
Kill them! Kill them!
Come at me and I'll kill you without a second thought!
Right. So you'd better not move!
Curse you, you monkeys!
Hey!
Nobody move!
This is the Office of the Kanagawa Magistrate!
I found a man in trouble!
First time in Yokohama?
You...
Up to something, aren't you?
Right here.
Come in.
Ebisu, show him around in there.
Go in.
Excuse me from the stage, and please allow us to introduce ourselves!
From the western sea to the eastern shore!
The salty wind blows harshly on the traveling seagulls.
A dagger hidden in the chest has decayed the love on the stage.
What blooms in red is the lycoris flower, but what's even redder is this play of fate.
I'm Kakunojo Yuyama, the head of the troupe!
Now then, let me introduce myself next!
A man of such handsomeness that I cause the fullest moon to hide behind the clouds in shame!
A bandit in woman's clothes or a goddess of arts and wisdom?
Some may call me homeless or groundless.
All are correct, for I am Shiranui-kozo!
Next is I, the one who hides his face.
People think I'm a demon or thief even when I'm suffering.
I laugh at night and cry in the day, but never reveal my heart.
Ebisu no Zukin! Here I am!
Next up is the man with the torn umbrella.
Don't you look at me the wrong way or you're going to get hurt.
For ten years have I been unable to find myself a job
and now I'm most proud of this umbrella.
I now run this business as Zagashira, the head of this troupe.
And finally allow me to introduce myself.
I terrify even Nue birds and crows and they stop dead in the sky.
I'm the strongman of Adachigahara.
I stared down the Heavens and grab the Earth.
Kakashi no Keishin!
And there's the two of us!
I'm Kobako!
I'm Benimaru!
Thank you so much for saving them from a dangerous situation.
Come on! Kobako and Benimaru, you need to thank this samurai.
Thank you, Samurai-sama!
Thank you, Big Guy!
Excuse me, but...
What is your name, sir? Which clan are you from?
Yojiro Akizuki. Just a ronin.
Just a ronin, huh?
But your skills were like no other.
Not only that, but you seem to despise the government.
I smell it. Yeah, I can smell it. The smell of danger...
Oh, hey!
Hey!
Just like I thought...
Was that okay, Master?
Sooner or later we'll run into him again.
As long as we're here in Yokohama.
Come one, come all!
Performing here at the Ushioza for the very first time!
We're the Kakunojo Yuyama Troupe!
Today's performance is a new interpretation of the unusual runaway horse,
Tsuginosuke Kawai
which traveled all over the land of rising sun!
The title is "Japanese Kabuki - The New Tale of Ryoma Sakamoto"!
Thank you very much!
Zagashira, we're sold out!
It seems so.
Thank you!
I'm coming in.
Leader, we're sold out.
Where's Ebisu?
He hasn't come back yet.
Anyone here?
Thank you for waiting. Kawai-sama, please come this way.
Well then.
So you've heard about what's going on from Nakaiya-sama?
I have.
This is Hario-sama.
He'll be your bodyguard.
Thank you.
The pleasure is mine.
Just my imagination?
That's him!
I'm sure of it!
I can't let you catch me just yet!
Farewell!
Kakunojo!
Seijuro!
Oryo! Don't you love the sea?
I do! How beautiful!
I've decided!
I've decided, Oryo!
I will make a "company"!
"Company"?
The sea is connected with the world.
I'll "do business" with the people in the world out there!
I see. So you're sure that's him.
Of course I am!
How could I forget that bastard's face?
You two.
Keishin?
I'll take the kids and go fishing or something.
So where is he now?
At a place called "Shanghai Club" or something.
Oh yeah, I heard that Jubei Nakaiya opened another place.
They told me he's been missing since the destruction of his store, the Akagane Goten.
Who knows?
Supposedly the Underground Auction is held there and all kinds of people attend it in disguise.
And he's a participant...
That's expected.
He's in Yokohama. We should move the play there.
Your reading was dead on, Master.
You can see through everything, can't you, Master?
We're going to do it tonight, everyone!
We can't see anyone's faces like this.
How can we find him?
Should we call it off?
Don't give me that! I swear I'll find him...
By the way, where is the Auction?
Ladies and gentlemen!
The next item is the finest offering of today!
Two Gatling guns!
Let's start with this price.
530!
540!
550!
560!
Whoa there.
Hey!
Huh?
General guests are not allowed here!
Well, well, I'm sorry about that.
It looks like that's the entrance.
I have no problem going through it.
Not right now. Let's give it some time.
10,000! 10,000!
Anyone else?
Is this it? Is this it?
That gentleman over there is the winning bidder of this item!
Thank you all for waiting! This is it! Tonight's last item is absolutely the best!
I've no need to say anything.
I'm sure some of you came here tonight just to win this item!
N-Nakaiya? I thought he died 10 years ago!
Wasn't the government after him?
He was accused of being involved in the assassination of the Director of Palace Upkeep.
Note: A high ranking official in the Ministry of Imperial Household
I thought he was burned along with the Akagane Goten... Who'd have thought he was still alive?!
Let's start with 50,000 ryo!
The minimum bid increment is 5,000 ryo!
No matter how much you bid, it's not too high a price!
I, Nakaiya, guarantee that!
Come on! Come on! Come on!
55,000!
60,000!
65,000!
70,000!
75,000!
Come on! Anyone else?
Calm down please!
Quiet please!
Be quiet!
Where is he?
What's going on?
Let's go.
Oh, okay.
We're going this way.
Where is the Head?
Good fishing! Good fishing!
But I'm the one who caught it!
That's a fire alarm!
I don't see him in the back. Let's go check out by the entrance.
Shit. Where is he?
Let's hurry.
Lord Hario?
Isn't that?
That's him!
There he is!
So it's finally started moving!
It's finally begun!
Sakamoto-sensei! You've got a visitor from Totsukawa!
Answer them, Tokichi!
It is early spring, in the 4th year of the Keio Era.
Three months have passed since the assassination of Ryoma Sakamoto.
A FOUL STAR IN THE SKY
The hand is the sword of love
It proves the beginning of all
Beyond the sparkling sky
The dream is still an illusion
Running on the path
Just like chasing the shadow of the moonlight
The torn sword of love
At the end of it thousands of teardrops become one
And brighten tomorrow
This hand is the sword of love
It proves the beginning of all
EPISODE 2 THE EARTH-SPLITTING SWORD LAUGHS
Come one, come all!
Harsh and cold winds blow through all over in this corrupt world.
I close my eyes and can still see the blood and the flames.
The Kakunojo Yuyama Troupe
performs before the man who killed and burned my parents along with their shop!
THE EARTH-SPLITTING SWORD LAUGHS
Ladies and gentlemen, do not miss this revenge drama!