Okayo...
I wish I could've seen you dressed all in white...
Uchiyama Hikojiro?
We drank together. We laughed together.
I thought we were getting along. I thought we'd become friends.
So our raid was for nothing.
On top of that, the Shirakawaya will burn to the ground, destroying the evidence.
And the man we were supposed to capture alive is dead.
Can we even come back from this failure?
The Shinsengumi
will be disbanded.
Shine On!
Bakumatsu Bad Boys
Episode Seven Prevent! The Dissolution of the Shinsengumi
If the Shinsengumi is disbanded, we'll go back to being criminals, right?
And then...
Beheaded.
All we can do is wait until the official word is given.
We'll get more than a slap on the wrist.
The Shirakawaya burned to the ground.
Its connections to the Masked Demons went up in flames,
not to mention the magical swords.
If only some evidence of their kerosene price gouging had remained.
This wouldn't have happened if Dumboshi had killed
Rashomaru instead of Uchiyama Hikojiro.
It's not easy to kill a brother.
Whining about that now won't do any good.
It's the Shinsengumi's mission.
Sakuya-chan, where are you going?
I used this blade that slew our father to kill our mother.
And that's not all...
Killing a great many people causes me no anguish.
If anything, I believe it is my true purpose.
Sakuya...
Have you steeled your resolve?
What resolve?
Kill Rashomaru with your own two hands.
I'm the one who sought to preserve the Shinsengumi, even if it meant
recruiting criminals, so peace and order could be maintained in Kyoto.
But this situation is very bad for us, Todo.
I have no excuse to offer you.
Ultimately, criminals are criminals.
Katamori, going forward, you should allow the Mimawarigumi to protect the capital.
Have the Shogun's retainers assembled?
The matter hasn't been decided yet,
but I can't allow a group of libertines to continue
tarnishing the Aizu Domain's name.
It would be an insult to the late Commander Kondo
and the captains if the Shinsengumi were disbanded.
Allow me to commit seppuku instead so that—
What good would it do to kill the sole remaining survivor?
Todo, this isn't a matter that can be resolved by you sacrificing your life.
I have no choice but to punish the group.
Restore the Shinsengumi's honor.
Otherwise, it'll be disbanded.
You have three days.
Understood?
Understood.
You want me to kill Tsukito?
The Shinsengumi is in danger of being disbanded because of you.
You must distinguish yourself by killing Rashomaru, Captain of the Masked Demons.
I know Tsukito better than anyone.
If we could just talk things out, I know he—
His name isn't Tsukito!
You're his older brother. It's your job to kill him.
Your miserable little brother who has lost touch of his humanity.
And if you can't do that, then stay here spewing nonsense until the day you die.
Sincerity
What? A mere...
Three days?
We're supposed to achieve something in that time?
That's rather harsh, coming from Katamori.
He's practically telling us it's inevitable we'll be disbanded.
In any case, let's patrol the city!
Patrol!
Arrest every last suspicious character you see!
Calm down. Acting rashly would be counterproductive.
The Shinsengumi's already tarnished name would be ruined completely.
But we can't afford to waste any time.
And we have no leads on how we can restore our honor.
I do.
We're in the middle of a crisis. Where have you been?
A sword polisher told me
he sharpened Miyabe Teizo's sword yesterday.
Miyabe is a royalist from the Higo Domain.
He's an anti-shogunate extremist.
I thought the anti-shogunate Choshu Domain
was thrown out of the capital on August 18th, when the government changed.
If he's snuck back into the city...
The he must be plotting something.
The sword polisher said he sharpened not just Miyabe's sword,
but the swords of his companions as well.
All together, there were 25 of them.
That many?
If a group of extremist ronin have returned to the capital,
and are working with the Masked Demons...
Then we know what we need to do.
Tsukito...
If I have to kill Tsukito, I'd rather...
We'll make our comeback by arresting Miyabe and his guys.
Yeah.
The Shinsengumi's going to survive.
Let's begin by gathering information.
The Shinsengumi will now begin pursuing Miyabe and his extremist group.
Don't let your guard down.
Yes, sir.
What about Ichibanboshi?
Not him.
The more of us there are, the better.
That's right. Besides, he's our commander.
Whose fault do you think it is that we're in this situation?
We also had a hand in the fire at the Shirakawaya.
It wasn't just Ichibanboshi-dono's fault.
Enough. If we make it out of this crisis, Ichibanboshi will commit seppuku.
Seppuku...
It's an emergency.
What is it?
Please come to the confinement cell immediately.
It's Commander Kondo.
He's not here.
He escaped?
Aw, man. Look at the mess he made.
That was pretty clever of him.
He broke a dish and used the shards to dig a hole in the wall.
We don't have time to chase down a fugitive right now.
I know. We'll have others search for Ichibanboshi.
I need you lot to investigate Miyabe ASAP.
Aren't you the one who brought him his meal?
Why did you show him how to escape?
What are you talking about?
Did you tell him to handle his brother's misdeeds himself?
Stay out of it.
Not everyone is as strong as you.
We can't all live as you do.
Have you seen him?
No.
Where is he?
Find him.
Uchiyama Hikojiro Memorial Tablet
I spoke with the Dutch scholars and physicians I know,
but failed to gather any information.
What about you, Suzuran-dono?
Same. I asked a bunch of geishas I know, but I got nothing.
Offering Lantern
The city is buzzing with energy these days.
The Gion Festival is the day after tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the yoiyama.
Yoiyama?
The festival eve.
I see. Since long ago, the capital has stood on a marsh, making disease spread easily.
That's why they hold a festival around this time of year.
Festivals are for putting the souls of the dead to rest.
Let's hurry.
I'm not interested in watching the festival from the afterlife.
Ronin from other domains?
Choshu, Satsuma, Higo, and Tosa.
Guys with all kinds of crazy accents are gathering.
Sounds shady to me.
What's Miyabe planning?
You'd better watch out, Gyata-nii.
I know, but I don't have time to take things slow.
I feel relaxed on boats.
The only thing agitating me right now is the beautiful woman with me.
We don't need to worry about being overheard if we talk on a moving boat.
It's the perfect place for a secret conversation.
Let's get down to business.
I don't have time for your nonsense.
I know Miyabe Teizo well.
He not only deceived my fellow Choshu Domain countrymen,
but attempted to recruit me as well.
Does he have any connections to the Masked Demons?
If the Shinsengumi is looking to distinguish itself,
then you should pay him a visit and find out for yourselves.
You'll want to visit Masuya, the ink wholesaler.
Masuya, huh? I appreciate it.
So, what kind of information can you give me in exchange?
I'm sorry, but I don't have much.
I can pay you instead.
I don't need money.
But...
Did you know?
Apparently in the West, they express their gratitude with a kiss.
What? You're lying.
It's true.
Although not on the mouth, but here instead.
How shameless! Absolutely outrageous.
I think it's a wonderful practice.
Come, now. Hurry up and thank me.
What?
This is just an expression of gratitude, nothing more.
What are you doing, you rogue?
The boat rocked. You were taking too long.
Come on, now. Quickly.
You're Uchiyama Hikojiro's sister, right?
Who are you?
I need to talk to you about the late Hikojiro.
My brother?
Masuya
Nice work, Furutaka-kun.
I'm impressed you were able to gather so many.
I did it for the nation.
He finds your exclusionist attitude pleasing as well.
We won't allow foreigners to overrun this country.
Noble sacrifices must be made.
That's what you call true strength.
Open up. Law enforcement.
This is a raid.
Is the owner here?
He's not here at the moment.
We've received a complaint from the people.
We'd like to search the store.
I can't allow you to do that.
We just wanna take a look around.
Quit your whining.
The Shinsengumi?
They're in the storeroom in the back.
The Shinsengumi is here.
What? How did they find this place?
Sounds like they're not so incompetent after all.
But once this plan is set in motion, it can't be stopped.
This way.
Miyabe-san, Rashomaru-san... I'll handle this.
We're counting on you.
This is a job for you, Bo.
Wh-What is this?
Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys
You have something to tell me about my brother? Could it be...
Either of us could've died.
There was nothing we could do.
Hikojiro cared about you until his final moments.
He said he wanted to see you get married,
dressed all in white, right up until the end.
I had a feeling this day would come eventually...
Ever since my brother started meeting with those men in the unsettling masks.
He did it for you.
I asked him so many times to stop.
I said I didn't need the money.
That I didn't need to get married.
On your guard!
The hell is this?
Are they trying to start a war or something?
You're going to tell us everything.
Are you ready?
I understand why you want to kill me,
but could you give me some time?
How dare you!
Please. There's a matter I need to resolve first.
For your brother's sake, too.
Tell me what your brother was planning to do with the masked men.
Don't let Hikojiro's name become any more tarnished,
Okayo-san.
Shinsengumi Headquarters
You found weapons and ammunition at Masuya?
There was quite a lot of it.
Seems like they really were plotting something unbelievable after all.
We captured Furutaka Shuntaro, one of Miyabe's associates.
I wish I could congratulate you on a job well done,
but this won't be enough to satisfy Katamori.
We must do whatever it takes to get him to tell us their plan.
Sakuya-chan's already on it.
I don't know anything. I won't talk.
Let's see what your flesh has to say about that.
Do we have to torture him?
Yeah.
No matter what?
You know what we're dealing with.
We can't afford to whine about every little thing right now.
Ichibanboshi...
You're right.
If he were here, he wouldn't be happy about this.
My brother said something strange to me.
What did he say?
In the morning, when he came home...
By the way, Okayo,
the Gion Festival is coming up.
Yes, I'm looking forward to it.
You should leave Kyoto for a while.
What? But I've already made plans with my friends.
You have to leave.
He said it was dangerous to stay here?
I was curious as well, so I asked him about it.
He said there would be a huge fire the day of the Gion Festival.
Don't go passing out on me.
We're just getting started.
I... I don't know anything! Really!
How strange.
We've found the letters and blood-sealed contracts you exchanged with lawless ronin.
A huge fire?
I believe he was describing arson.
He was working with the masked guys...
...to burn down the capital?
A few sacrifices must be made.
It's for a great cause.
Hold on a second. I can't ignore what you just said.
Great cause?
We'll set fire to the city,
and escort the emperor out of the palace during the confusion.
The emperor?
To prove we're the true loyalist forces.
Idiots. If you fail, you'll just be a bunch of insurrectionists.
You'll never know until you try.
History is written by the winners.
I should've done whatever it took to stop my brother,
even if it meant sacrificing myself.
I failed as his sister.
That's not true.
You're not a bad sister at all.
I'll stop them from setting fire to the city...
For Hikojiro, too.
Even if I have to sacrifice myself, Tsukito,
I finally see the path I'm meant to follow.
Shinsengumi Headquarters
The weapons and ammunition at Masuya were for setting fire to the city
and escorting the emperor out of the palace.
They're apparently holding a meeting tonight at the Shimamuraya.
Stealing a few of their weapons won't stop them.
We'd better head there right away.
But...
They're trying to burn down the city, right?
They have us vastly outnumbered.
We'll send an urgent request for reinforcements to the Aizu Clan.
We should get ready and head to the Shimamuraya—
Guys!
Ichibanboshi!
You! How dare you return after breaking out of—
Wait! Listen to me.
They're at the Ikedaya.
They're planning to commit arson tonight after meeting at the Ikedaya.
We gotta stop them.
The Ikedaya?
The Shimamuraya?
Why did you only just now show up?
I'll stop the arson.
I'll protect the city.
I'll stop Hikojiro and Tsukito.
I'll accept whatever punishment you've got for me as long as it's after that!
I don't care if I have to commit seppuku!
He's someone who attracts people to him and unites them.
He's a lot like Kondo Isami.
Ichibanboshi,
I hear your sincerity loud and clear.
Our commander has returned.
Let's get this fight started.
Let's blitz 'em!
Yes, sir!
Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys
Shine On!
Bakumatsu Bad Boys
Aren't Shinsengumi members supposed to wear that zigzag pattern?
Apparently, they actually dressed all in black.
* Opinions vary
Your enemies' blood is harder to see on black clothes.
What?
That's been properly washed, all right?!
Fin