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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
<EPISODE 9> Upheaval in August
In August of 1863, Kyoto was very tense. Aizu and Choshu were competing for Emperor Komei's attention. The Emperor favored Aizu and Lord Katamori, and asked Katamori to accompany him on a trip to Edo that he was scheduled to take. However, the pro-Choshu faction, led by the court noble Sanjo Sanetomi, refused—stating that it would be impossible for Aizu to leave the capital. As all this was going on, Yae's brother Kakuma and another Aizu official, Akitsuki, were discussing the opening of a new Western school in Kyoto. This school would not be centered on Dutch scholarship but rather on technology adopted from the British and the Americans. Aizu would have to approve this school before it could be opened, however.
While Kakuma and Akitsuki were discussing this, however, they were visited by a certain samurai from Satsuma. Satsuma and Choshu were rivals and had fallen out of favor at court after Sanjo's Choshu faction had taken power. Now, Satsuma wanted to ask Aizu to ally with them against Choshu.
Back in Aizu, there was news that Katamori's step-sister, Princess Teru, would be returning to Aizu from Edo. Teru needed attendants to work for her at the castle, and so all the young women in town were competing for the position. As Yae discussed the prospect with her friends Tokio and Yuki, she realized that she probably wouldn't receive the job. After all, what use would Princess Teru have for an attendant who practiced gunnery?
In Kyoto, Choshu and Sanjo Sanetomi planned for the Emperor to leave the palace on a trip to Edo. While he was away, they planned to burn the palace and launch a coup d'état. Then, they would force the Emperor to release an imperial edict that would bring an end to the Tokugawa Shogunate. This was what Satsuma had warned Kakuma about. Thus, they suggested an alliance between Satsuma and Aizu against Choshu. When Kakuma and Akitsuki told Lord Katamori about this, the latter was skeptical at first. However, when Katamori realized that the Emperor was in danger, he decided to follow through with the secret alliance with Satsuma against Choshu. This meant war. Satsuma and Aizu would combine their troops and protect the imperial palace against Choshu. Kakuma would take part in the battle.
On August 18th, the Aizu troops (joined by the Shinsengumi and Satsuma troops) secretly departed for the imperial palace in Kyoto. Inside the palace, Emperor Komei ordered all the gates to the palaces to be closed and for Sanjo and the Choshu troops not to be allowed inside under any circumstances. Soon, the Choshu troops arrived and faced off against the Aizu/Satsuma troops. Aizu was outnumbered—there were only 2000 troops facing off against 30,000 Choshu soldiers. Neither sided wanted to shoot because doing so would mean that war would break off at the palace... whoever started the war would make them imperial rebels. After a whole day with no break in the impasse, Choshu withdrew their troops. Sanjo Sanetomi was banished from Kyoto, and he fled to Choshu along with the rest of the Choshu army. Aizu won without a single shot being fired, and Emperor Komei was safe.
Emperor Komei wrote a special thank you letter to Katamori, and expressed how thankful he was for Aizu's loyalty. Katamori and all of the Aizu men who heard the letter broke into tears of gratitude. The Shinsengumi were also rewarded for their service, receiving their official name as a group who served the Tokugawa shogunate.
Princess Teru was relieved about her stepbrother's victory against Choshu. She had just arrived back to Aizu, but was busy getting ready to select an attendant who would serve her at the palace. She goes to the fencing hall where she pays special attention to Lady Chie, who was Tanomo's wife. Though Tanomo was still under confinement, Chie refused to stay home and decided to go to the hall anyways so she could see Princess Teru. The Princess also took a liking to Yae. She gave all the women a rousing speech, telling them that they were the backbone of Aizu Province and the Lord.
In March of 1864, Lord Katamori gives Kakuma special permission to open up a Western school in Kyoto, where he would teach gunnery and Western science/thought. Kakuma was overjoyed.
I felt really bad for Tanomo. Even though Aizu desperately needs him, he is still under house arrest and is not allowed to join Katamori in Kyoto. I hope he'll be asked back into government soon. It looks like he has taken quite a liking to Yae, just like his wife did. Yae stood up for Lady Chie when everybody had asked her to leave at the fencing hall, so I guess that's why she liked her.
At Yae's home, everybody thought that she was going to be asked by Princess Teru to be her attendant. Such rumors were going around town, so all of Yae's friends were certain that she would go work at the palace as Princess Teru's attendant. However, when the news came, Yae was shocked. Her best friend Tokio was actually going to be the attendant. Yae acted like she didn't want the job, but I think she had secretly been looking forward to it this whole time, so she was devastated.
Looks like Shonosuke may have quite the crush on Yae! When he told her that he was glad she wasn't leaving home because he could continue helping her with the guns, and that she was irreplaceable, I think that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to Yae. It was really sweet.
We are now in early 1864. Episode 10 airs next week! Great Taiga.
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4/28/2013, 3:47 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
<EPISODE 10> The Ikeda-Ya Incident
In April of 1864, Kakuma's Western school had opened in Kyoto. Business was flourishing, and Kakuma was able to take in many students. He was very surprised by a certain visitor—Sakuma Shozan! Shozan had been Kakuma's first teacher when he first left Aizu, and Kakuma had based his school curriculum on Shozan's former school. When Kakuma asked Shozan why he was in Kyoto, Shozan replied that the Tokugawa had sent him there on a secret mission. What was the mission? Shozan was to convince Emperor Komei and the conservative court to support opening the country to the Westerners.
Back in Aizu, Yae and her best friend Tokio had their final practice match at the dojo. Since Tokio was going to the castle as Princess Teru's attendant, she and Yae wouldn't be able to see each other much anymore. Yae and Tokio really seem to have a wonderful friendship. Yae promised to always be there for Tokio. If she ever needed anything inside the castle, Yae promised to rush over the castle to help her friend—no matter what. Though they won't be seeing each other regularly anymore, I am confident that their friendship will survive. Even though Tokio liked Okura (the same guy who has always liked Yae since the time they were kids) she didn't let it get between their friendship.
In Kyoto, Aizu and the Shinsengumi are still pursuing the Choshu samurai, who are in Kyoto trying to cause havoc in the city and achieve their goal of expelling the foreigners from Japan (and getting rid of the Tokugawa while they are at it.) One of the powerful Choshu samurai is Katsura Kogoro, who is being pursued by Shinsengumi. Katsura is played by none other than Kanbe from Partners! He looks different (in his samurai garb) but his acting style is just like good ol' Kanbe!
Lord Katamori reports the fact that Aizu and the Shinsengumi are pursuing the Choshu samurai to the Regent, Tokugawa Yoshinobu. Katamori also comments that he wants to resign his post as Kyoto Protector due to not feeling well. Katamori's brother has offered to fill his spot, but Yoshinobu refuses to give Katamori a break. He states that the Tokugawa needs Katamori in order to control Kyoto, and makes a passionate speech about how without Katamori, Kyoto would be chaotic, and that the two of them should protect the capital together. Katamori isn't happy but knows he has no choice.
Meanwhile, Shozan had spoken to the court and managed to secure their support for the plan of issuing an imperial order to open the country to the West and accept Western thought and culture. If the Emperor made an announcement, the anti-alienists would have no choice. However, Aizu suspected that Choshu and the other anti-alienists wouldn't take this lightly. The Emperor's life would be in danger, since Choshu wanted to burn down Kyoto and the palace and kidnap Emperor Komei, taking him to Choshu as a hostage. As such, Shozan came up with a plan where the Emperor would escape to another province once the imperial order was released. Aizu agreed with the plan.
When Kakuma was discussing this plan with Okura, his sister (Futaba), and her husband (Kajiwara), the topic of Yae's marriage came up. Even though other young ladies her age were getting married, Yae didn't have many proposals coming her way. What a shame that Okura had to get married with someone else. I think he and Yae would have been a perfect match!
In Aizu, Yae's parents were meeting with someone regarding a marriage proposal for Yae. The man had been married once before and lost his wife a year before. Unfortunately for Yae, she and Shonosuke were working on guns and something accidentally exploded. When the man saw this, he refused to have anything to do with the family and left. There went another marriage proposal!
I actually hope Yae and Shonosuke end up together. They seem to get along great, have many things and common, and it would be ideal for both of them. Since Shonosuke is not an Aizu clansman by birth, he has his hands tied all the time. The Aizu clan won't listen to him on any official or military matters, especially since Kakuma is in Kyoto and not there to vouch for Shonosuke. Since he's not an Aizu citizen by birth, Shonosuke can't really go to Kyoto with the rest of the men, either. So, Shonosuke is in the midst of an identity crisis. What exactly is he doing in Aizu?
Lots of scary stuff was going on in Kyoto. In June of 1864, the Shinsengumi were on the prowl for Choshu samurai who were planning on abducting Emperor Komei and burning Kyoto. The Choshu samurai Katsura (I keep wanting to think he is Kanbe when I see him. LOL) manages to escape Kyoto after warning his fellow samurai to lay low, but they don't heed his advice. The Choshu men were in an inn called Ikeda-ya, and Aizu and the Shinsengumi were supposed to raid the inn to look for the men.
Aizu took a little longer than usual (they were waiting for approval from Yoshinobu) and the Shinsengumi didn't want to wait for Aizu to arrive. So, they raided the inn on their own and went on a bloody rampage, killing everyone in sight without checking to see if they were guilty. When the Aizu samurai (including Kakuma) arrived at the scene, they were speechless and angry. How could the Shinsengumi (who worked for Aizu) make the first move without waiting for approval? Aizu was furious, but the Shinsengumi didn't feel bad. They were angry that Aizu arrived too slowly and felt like they were just doing their job. Things are not going well between the Aizu and the Shinsengumi.
I know this event was portrayed in the Shinsengumi Taiga, but I forgot what the details were. I wonder if Aizu were made out to look like the bad guys, since Katamori and the other Aizu men criticized the Shinsengumi for their actions?
Back in Aizu, Tanomo hears about the news and realizes that the Shinsengumi's actions have put Aizu in a bad position. Since the Shinsengumi (working for Aizu) killed so many Choshu samurai, war could now break out in the capital between Aizu and Choshu. Knowing that Aizu needed superior military power, Tanomo asks Kanbei to go to Kyoto and help the Aizu men out there. Also, in Kyoto, Kakuma is meeting with his mentor Shozan and asking him what he thinks. Shozan is disappointed in what happened and has decided to go to the imperial palace to ask the Emperor to escape Kyoto now that war is sure to start between Choshu and Aizu.
Sure enough, the Choshu army surrounds Kyoto and vows to punish Aizu for killing so many of the clan's innocent samurai. When Katamori asks Yoshinobu for help, Yoshinobu refuses. He criticizes Katamori for letting the Shinsengumi do such a thing under his watch. Yoshinobu doesn't seem to care much at all for Katamori. Even though Yoshinobu had promised Katamori to protect Kyoto together, he seems like the type to withdraw when the going gets tough. Perhaps he wanted Katamori to take the blame for this incident once things got ugly, which is exactly what happened now that Aizu and Choshu are at odds.
Meanwhile, Kakuma's friend Akitsuki is getting sent back to Aizu, since he was the one who got the Shinsengumi to work for Aizu in the first place. What a shame that he has to take the blame for everything.
Back in Aizu, Shonosuke is furious that the Aizu samurai refuse to adopt his new idea for military reform and guns. He is being ignored simply because he was not born in Aizu and is thus not trusted. Yae seems to be his only support, and Shonosuke is very thankful that she is there for him. Feelings seem to be brewing between these two!
I wonder who this "Nijima" character is? He is stowing away to the United States from the northern city of Hakodate. Hmm!
We are in mid-1864. Episode 11 airs next week! This is a good Taiga.
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5/5/2013, 10:12 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
<EPISODE 11> Kill The Kyoto Deputy
It was nice to see Saburo, Yae and Kakuma's sister, get some character development in this episode. Saburo desperately wanted to go to Kyoto in order to join the battle against Choshu. All of the other young men in Aizu were going, so why couldn't Saburo? However, Yae's father refused to even entertain the notion. Saburo was only sixteen, and so going to Kyoto (which had effectively become a war zone) was out of the question.
In Kyoto, Kakuma's teacher and mentor, Shozan, was assassinated by a group of anti-alienists. They accused Shozan of defying the Emperor and opening the country. Shozan was attacked from the back, and since any samurai who was cut from the back was considered to be a coward (it meant that they had their back to the enemy) the entire Shozan family lost their position of status. Shozan was brought to his home and all of his students came to pay their respects, including Kakuma. Kakuma was furious that Shozan had been killed. Didn't people understand his talent and foresight? He worried about the future now that Shozan was gone.
For the last few weeks I've been trying to figure out where we've seen Shonosuke before, because he looked quite familiar. This is the same actor who plays the dad in Mita! At least I think it is—it sure looks like him.
Shonosuke was right on when he said that Saburo was having a hard time trying to make a name for himself with two gallant siblings like Yae and Kakuma. Now, Saburo felt like he had to do something on his own so that he wouldn't feel worthless. Shonosuke was right on about Yae being gallant. Looks like she has finally found her voice! Watching her boss the kids around at sewing school showed us just how much her character has grown in the last few episodes.
Yae's friend Tokio, who was working at the palace for Lord Katamori's sister, Princess Teru, wrote a letter to her family and friends. In her letter, Tokio wrote that she was doing well and that she was hanging in there at the castle. Princess Teru was very worried about her brother, who was extremely ill in Kyoto.
Speaking of Lord Katamori, he was still in Kyoto but was very ill and weak. I really like Lord Katamori. Even though he was forced into the position of Kyoto Deputy and was pressured to keep the job even through illness, Katamori still thought of his retainers and Aizu before anything else. While he was bidding farewell to one of his retainers, he asked him to take care of Akitsuki—the man who had been sentenced to confinement after forging the alliance with the Shinsengumi.
At this point, the main rivalry in Kyoto was between Choshu and Aizu. Now that Shozan was dead, Choshu was preparing for a military force to march into Kyoto and expel Aizu from the capital once and for all. Many court nobles in Kyoto supported Choshu, and so the Aizu samurai were worried that Choshu marching into the capital would endanger their own position there. What's worse, Hitotsubashi Yoshinobu, the shogun's regent, was hesitant to engage in war with Choshu. This meant that Katamori (who was still very ill) pretty much had to handle Choshu on his own. Emperor Komei, who was a big fan of Katamori, was worried about the lord of Aizu, and wondered how Aizu would fare against Choshu. The Emperor was generous enough to give Katamori a room within the Imperial Palace and allow his personal physician to care for the lord. Still, though, by mid-1864, war between Choshu and Aizu was pretty much a sure thing.
Back in Aizu...
Saburo got badly beat up when he was trying to prove that he would be able to accompany the Aizu reinforcements to Kyoto. The group's leader, Kanbei, kept defeating Saburo with the spear, but Saburo kept fighting back. This caused Saburo to get badly bruised and beat up. When Saburo returned home and his family found out, his father was furious. He thought that Saburo had defied him simply out of foolish pride. However, this couldn't be farther from the truth.
After dinner, when Saburo talked with Shonosuke, we found out that he was trying to make a name of himself so that he could take his older brother Kakuma's place. Saburo thought that if he went to Kyoto, he would make a name for himself as a clansman and would be able to help Shonosuke gain approval from Aizu on his rifles. It wasn't just out of foolish pride. Looks like Saburo has a good head on his shoulders, just like his older siblings. The next day, Kanbei (the leader of the group) came to visit Yae and Saburo's father and told him the entire story. He also said that Saburo was too young to go to Kyoto now, but in a couple of years, he would be able to join the Aizu forces in Kyoto. When Yae's father realized he had been wrong all along about his son, he told him that he had been wrong about his son—Saburo was a good Aizu gentleman, after all. I was glad to see the family all together again.
How sweet that Yae thanked Shonosuke at the end, for talking with her brother. I'm starting to hope that they end up together at some point!
Back in Kyoto...
Kakuma and some of the other Aizu samurai snuck into the Choshu base to gain information about what exactly they were planning. They were shocked when they discovered that once the Choshu samurai marched into Kyoto, they wanted to get rid of Aizu altogether and kill Lord Katamori. Kakuma was frightened. As soon as they tried to run out of the base, they were caught by the Choshu men. One of the men tried to fake a Kyoto accent and pretend that they were simply visitors to the area and had gotten lost. Luckily, they were able to escape, but it was certainly close. They ran back to report the information—the Choshu force was going to enter Kyoto in a week, and they had to ensure Lord Katamori (and Aizu's) survival.
When Kakuma and the others went to report this to Yoshinobu (to perhaps gain the Tokugawa's help) and secure approval for a preemptive strike on Choshu, Yoshinobu refused. He hated confrontation and didn't want to go to battle too early. Aizu was worried. If they waited too long, the whole Choshu force would arrive to Kyoto, overwhelm Aizu, and perhaps end up taking Lord Katamori's head. There was a lot to lose, and Yoshinobu's indecisiveness angered the Aizu samurai.
Luckily, when Emperor Komei met with both Yoshinobu and Lord Katamori, he expressed his desire that he had enough with Choshu. He ordered for an imperial edict to be written up, which stated that the Choshu troops were to be punished at once. This meant that the court was now sanctioning an official military attack on Choshu. Yoshinobu had no choice but to act. Luckily, now that the court had taken action against Choshu, Lord Katamori and Aizu weren't alone. However, this meant that war was to start between Aizu and Choshu in Kyoto...
We are in mid-1864. Episode 12 airs next week!
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5/12/2013, 6:50 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
<EPISODE 12> The Battle of Hamaguri Gate
Is anybody watching this one? It's not a bad drama, although it is a bit slow here and there. I'm hoping it'll start to speed up around the middle. Yamamoto Yae isn't really a popular or well-known historical figure in Japan, so this one feels a bit more like an asadora than a Taiga drama. I am enjoying it, though. Definitely a calm and easy watch after the very intense Kiyomori drama we saw last year.
I was very surprised with Yae's newest marriage officer. This time, Yae's father and brother want her to marry Shonosuke! Yae has known Shonosuke for years, and considers him to be more of an older brother than a husband or lover. However, this would be a political marriage. If Shonosuke gets married to an Aizu family, he would be able to voice his opinions about military reform and gunnery directly to the Aizu higher-ups—something he had been unable to do because of his status as an outsider. Plus, not many people in Aizu wanted to marry Yae, so it would be a perfect match. Yae refused. She simply didn't see Shonosuke as a husband.
As for Shonosuke, he found out about this too, and even though it didn't appear that he was opposed to it, he seems to have caught on to Yae's feelings about the situation. They had such a great relationship until now, so it was sad to see how awkward Yae and Shonosuke's relationship has become after hearing this proposition. Yae used to talk to him about guns all day, but even when the conversation changes to guns, Yae made up an excuse to leave the room so she isn't with Shonosuke alone. No matter what the outcome is, I hope these two can rebuild their friendship.
In Kyoto, war was impending between Aizu and Choshu. Choshu wanted to bring into the imperial palace, capture Emperor Komei, and killing off Aizu's Lord Katamori (who was ill and recovering in the palace). That way, they'd be able to keep the Emperor hostage and make the politicians heed their demands. Aizu's main plan was to guard the palace so that Choshu wouldn't be able to get their way. Choshu was sending three main forces, so Aizu had to struggle to make sure they were covered on all fronts. Choshu has a habit of fighting dirty and using decoys, so the Aizu forces had to be alert. With Lord Katamori ill, the Aizu samurai (including Kakuma) had a much bigger role in this battle than in previous battles.
As the battle proceeded, Choshu won some skirmishes and lost others. Two of the main forces succeeded to break into the palace. Emperor Komei and Lord Katamori were in severe danger, and so one Aizu battalion (led by Kakuma himself) moved cannons into the palace. Aizu and Choshu's final (and decisive) battle would occur inside the palace.
Inside the palace, the court nobles were angry at Lord Katamori and Yoshinobu for letting the palace come under attack. They ordered Katamori and Aizu to leave at once, so that Choshu would stop the battle in Kyoto. Katamori refused, and promised to defeat Choshu and protect the Emperor. This meant a lot to Emperor Komei, since Katamori was so ill yet so passionate in protecting him. Aizu would stay and fight in the palace.
As Aizu and Choshu began to fire cannons at each other on the palace grounds, Choshu's rival clan, Satsuma, arrived to help Aizu. Choshu was completely crushed and chased out of the palace. As Kakuma was admiring Satsuma's military might and superior weapons, his right eye was injured in a cannon blast. Kakuma was OK and quickly got back up to his feet. He couldn't forget about Satsuma's superior military might and wished Aizu had this same technology. Kakuma met the Satsuma clan's star samurai, Saigo Kichinosuke. They couldn't talk because Saigo had to go finish up the battle, but he and Kakuma vowed to meet again.
The final Choshu troops barricaded themselves in one of Kyoto's mansions. All of the diehard Choshu samurai fought to the death, eventually being completely destroyed and wiped out by the Satsuma-Aizu combined force. Choshu was completely crushed and chased out of Kyoto. All of their samurai were either killed in battle, executed, or forced to flee from the city. Katsura Kogoro, one of Choshu's main samurai (who was more moderate than his peers) fled the city... promising to lead Choshu in a different direction.
The fires from the various skirmishes in the city of Kyoto eventually spread, and the entire city was burned down. It was a horrible sight, with people running away from their burning homes and streets. It was the worst battle Kyoto had seen since the Onin War of 1467-1477, centuries before. However, the battle ended in a victory for the Tokugawa Shogunate, thanks to Aizu and Satsuma's hard work.
News of Aizu's victory reached the home province. Princess Teru was delighted to hear that her dear brother, Lord Katamori, was safe. Yae's family didn't hear anything about whether Kakuma was safe, but since they heard that cannons were used in the battle, they were sure that he was safe and had actually helped lead the clan to victory. With this, gunnery and military reform would surely be embraced by the conservative Aizu higher-ups! Though news hadn't arrived about Kakuma, the family was sure he was OK. And they were right!
Shonosuke and Yae seem to be warming up to each other again. Maybe this battle helped them bond even more than before. I'm sure Shonosuke will be busy developing new guns based on the Satsuma model, so if Yae helps him, I guess they will grow close to one another again.
Kyoto was completely burned down and destroyed as a result of the battle. More than 20,000 homes were burned, and thousands of children were orphaned and left homeless. Though Choshu was chased out of the city and the Tokugawa won (thanks to Aizu and Satsuma's help) it didn't mean everything was over. Many of the Kyoto townspeople blamed Aizu for the battle and wanted the Aizu men to leave. Katamori was hated, even though Aizu donated rice to feed the hungry in the city. I guess people blamed Aizu for the destructive battle. As they say, War is hell.
Now there is talk among the Tokugawa about going to Choshu and crushing their clan once and for all, to prevent another incident like this from taking place.
We're still in the summer of 1864. Episode 13 airs next week!
Last edited by Hiroshi66, 5/20/2013, 5:43 pm
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5/20/2013, 5:37 pm
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nchristi
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
You're not alone, Hiroshi! I'm faithfully watching, but for some reason I just don't have anything to say. I think the military/political stuff is moving by so quickly that I don't really grasp it until I read your summary. Plus, I am not exactly happy to have returned to the Shinsengumi era and to watch the gestapo tactics employed on the people.
Still, I'm enjoying Yae and her immediate story. Hasn't Shonosuke secretly liked Yae for a long time? I always sensed that he had feelings for her that exceeded platonic status. Maybe she will change her mind and come to see him as a husband type. Have to wait and see and I'm not about to check wikipedia and find out her historical marital status. lol
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5/25/2013, 12:41 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
Glad to hear you've been watching this one, Nchristi! I know what you mean about there not being a whole lot to say about this one. Yae's immediate story seems to take a back seat to all the political stuff, and it feels like everything is moving way too fast. Kyoto in the 1860s was a very frightening place to live, and I'm not looking forward to watching the situation spiral out of control. In the Shinsengumi and Ryomaden Taigas, we've seen how violent and tumultuous life was the people during that time, and I'm not exactly looking forward to seeing it again in this drama.
I think I'd have more to comment on if we saw more of Yae's story! I really enjoy all the scenes that take place in Aizu. I really hope she ends up with Shonosuke, too. I think he's liked her for quite a while now, but I guess he was afraid to say anything because he always felt like an outsider in Aizu. Even after this marriage talk started happening, I got the impression that Shonosuke wanted it at first, but when he saw how uncomfortable Yae was with it, he sort of pulled back and didn't pressure her. I hope that Yae will change her mind about Shonosuke. Maybe she'll come around if he has a heart-to-heart talk with her and confesses his true feelings to her. We shall see!
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5/25/2013, 6:29 pm
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
<EPISODE 13> Gun and Bride
Since Choshu had caused such a ruckus and been responsible for the violence in Kyoto, the victorious Tokugawa shogunate decided to launch a punitive expedition against the defeated Choshu forces, who had been driven back to their home province.
A month later, in August of 1864, Kanbei arrived to Kyoto and met with Lord Katamori. Kanbei had been in confinement for seven years, but Katamori was impressed with Kanbei's determination to fight for Aizu (even when he had been punished) and assigned him as the head of a special military force in the city. After all this time, Kanbei was finally being allowed back into Lord Katamori's inner circle. I wonder if such a time will ever come for Tanomo, who is still in confinement back in Aizu?
Back in Aizu, Yae and Shonosuke were visited by Akizuki, the man who was blamed for the violence of the Shinsengumi. Akizuki was extremely impressed with Shonosuke's work, but told him that Kakuma was willing to help Shonosuke find employment outside Aizu. Shonosuke was confused. Why would Kakuma say that if he had just suggested that Shonosuke and Yae get married? Akitsuki explained that Kakuma was confused after seeing his teacher Shozan's assassination. If the same thing happened to Shonosuke, Aizu wouldn't take responsibility for Shonosuke (or his family's) safety. Kakuma wanted Shonosuke to prosper, not be stuck in Aizu without any employment or change of promotion. This deeply effected Shonosuke. He also grieved the assassination of his dear teacher.
Back in Kyoto, Kanbei asked Kakuma and Okura when Aizu would be helping out in the Choshu expedition. It was the Tokugawa's chance to have the young Shogun Iemochi lead the pro-Tokugawa armies to Choshu and crush them once and for all. However, that didn't materialize. Choshu was attacked by a combined American, British, French, and Dutch force and completely crushed in the 1864 Shimonoseki War. From this defeat, Choshu changed their policy from aggressive anti-alienism to pro-alienism. The clan made a complete turn in their foreign policy. Now where would they stand with the Tokugawa?
As for Yae, she was letting this situation with Shonosuke get to her. After all, she didn't know what to do about the entire situation, and even Yae's friends at sewing school told her that she wasn't being her usual self. Yae promised not to think about the situation anymore and to continue watching over her household while her brother was at war. But when she got home and saw Shonosuke, she realized it wasn't that easy! It seems like Yae forgot about all this when Shonosuke called out to her—the new adjustments to the rifles were finally ready. Shonosuke tested it out, and it was working perfectly!
Suddenly, Shonosuke changed his tune and officially proposed to Yae—asking her to be his wife. Yae became flustered, reminding Shonosuke that Kakuma advised against Shonosuke risking his life in Aizu. Shonosuke told Yae to forget about the letter. He had thought about it long and hard, and even gotten Yae's father's approval. However, no matter what Shonosuke said, Yae refused. She didn't want to bind a talented man like Shonosuke to Aizu forever. However, Shonosuke made it clear that he had made up his mind—he wanted to spend the rest of his life in Aizu with Yae. What a wonderful moment when Yae finally said yes! The entire family was overjoyed when they learned that Yae had accepted Shonosuke's offer. Looks like they will be married, after all. That was quick! 
Meanwhile, in September of 1864, Satsuma's Saigo Kichinosuke met with Katsu Kaishu, the Naval Magistrate and an old friend of Kakuma's. Saigo wanted to know why the Shogunate wasn't proceeding with the Choshu invasion, even though it had been two months since war was declared. Katsu advised against the Tokugawa invading Choshu. He believed that if the Tokugawa were to invade and crush Choshu, it would make the country look weak in front of the foreign powers. Katsu told Saigo that instead, he should strive to create a new kind of government based on public opinion, not the shogunate. Saigo realized that something had to be done... great changes had to be made. Katsu realized that Saigo's strong determination made him a scarier man that he originally thought.
Finally, the war against Choshu was going to begin. The Tokugawa had Aizu, Satsuma, and other allied clans to gather in Osaka Castle to discuss the invasion strategy. However, Saigo told the Tokugawa that instead of crushing Choshu, they should just surround the province and force them to submit without crushing them or confiscating their fiefs. The Tokugawa didn't agree with this at first, but Saigo's policy of peace overturned the policy of invading and crushing Choshu. When Choshu beheaded some of their councillors to show that they were sorry to the Tokugawa, the Choshu Expedition was dropped—no war ended up happening.
Though the country was at peace, Regent Yoshinobu was angry that Saigo had arranged for a peaceful ending. As usual, he took the opportunity to blame Lord Katamori for what was happening. Edo Castle didn't trust Yoshinobu, and he took out all his stress on Katamori. Edo was jealous that Emperor Komei trusted Lord Katamori so much. Aizu was beginning to get frustrated. They were sacrificing a lot to stay in Kyoto, but weren't getting any respect. Plus, Lord Katamori's health wasn't well, either. He had been in Kyoto for years. What exactly were they fighting for?
Meanwhile, Kakuma and Okura were walking around Kyoto and happily looking at how the city had recovered in such a short period of time. Okura, who had liked Yae for years (even though he was married) was awfully disappointed when he found out that Yae was getting married with Shonosuke. At the end, though, he congratulated Kakuma on the marriage match. Okura had a lot to be happy about, though. He had received a promotion, and his entire family back home was very happy.
I wonder what is happening with Kakuma's eyesight? That's quite frightening to see. I wonder if it related to the injury he suffered to his eye in the war with Choshu a few months earlier? Hmm.
Meanwhile, Akizuki and Tanomo, the two men who were in confinement, were talking about how bad thins were for them. Aizu's financial situation was not good. They had been spending all their money in Kyoto, and things were tough in the province. Tanomo was shocked when he heard that Yae was getting married with Shonosuke, and that Akizuki was going to be the go-between.
Finally, the day of the wedding arrived, in early 1865. Yae was all dressed up in her wedding kimono! In order for there to be a traditional wedding procession, Yae was allowed to proceed back to her own house from Akizuki's residence. This was all Tanomo's idea. I'm so relieved that Yae and Shonosuke ended up together!
We're now in early 1865. Episode 14 (the wedding!) airs next week.
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5/26/2013, 7:43 am
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
<EPISODE 14> Towards a New Era
Yae and Shonosuke's marriage was held in the spring of 1865, in her family's home. All of the family's neighbors, friends, and acquaintances were invited, and everybody was having a great time drinking. Yae's parents seemed overjoyed that their daughter was marrying Shonosuke. The wedding party seemed like lots of fun, and everybody was enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, Kakuma wasn't able to attend his sister's wedding, since he was still with the rest of the clan in Kyoto.
The wedding party finally drew to a close, and Yae changed out of her wedding dress. Upon going upstairs, she discovered a letter from Kakuma. In his letter, he asked his sister to live a happy life with her new husband, and to always support each other as a couple. He also had sent her a special souvenir from Kyoto (lipstick). Shonosuke woke up at this point, and saw the special letter and gift from Kakuma. He had been kind enough to send Shonosuke a rare book about gunnery from Kyoto. Yae and Shonosuke are such a wonderful couple. I'm so glad they have ended up together.
Meanwhile, in Kyoto, Kakuma's eyesight had gotten progressively worse. As a result of the eye injury he suffered in the 1864 war, Kakuma now had a cataract—and the doctor warned him that he would most likely lose his sight. It could happen in a few years or longer than that, but there was little chance that he would ever recover. For the first time, Kakuma realized that he would really lose his sight one day—permanently. Rather than being scared about his impending blindness, Kakuma wondered how he could serve Aizu without his eyesight. How could he support Lord Katamori if he was unable to shoot rifles and read books?
Very interesting that the excess guns and weapons from the American Civil War, which ended in April of 1865, were sent to Japan—which was in the middle of its own civil war. With Choshu defeated by the Tokugawa, and their capital of Shimonoseki bombarded by the Western powers, their clan ceased to be a threat to the Tokugawa... for the time being. However, Choshu learned a lot from their defeat. Even though they were completely crushed, the Tokugawa weren't done. They wanted to continue with an expedition to invade and Choshu off the map. Satsuma's Saigo Kichinosuke disagreed with the Choshu expedition. He decided that he would not lead Satsuma's troops to invade Choshu if a war ended up taking place. Saigo realized that if the Tokugawa invaded Choshu, they would be unstoppable. Saigo was envisioning a different kind of government—a government where the Tokugawa didn't have absolute power.
Even Aizu and Lord Katamori were upset with the Tokugawa's arrogance now that Choshu was defeated. How could they want to start another war even though Choshu had already been crushed? Plus, the Tokugawa now refused to compensate Lord Katamori for his job as Military Commissioner—even though Aizu was incurring big costs by being in Kyoto. The reason for this? They didn't want Lord Katamori getting too close to the court, and this was their punishment. Katamori's men asked their lord to leave Kyoto once and for all and return to Aizu. After all, they weren't getting paid anymore!
Katamori refused to leave, however. He was afraid that Kyoto would once again fall into chaos if Aizu was gone... and this time, Emperor Komei's life would really be in danger. Katamori asked his men to wait a little bit longer. If the Tokugawa was going to attack Choshu again, then this time, Lord Katamori would make another request for the Shogun to personally lead the troops to Choshu... even though his requests had been ignored several times. So, Lord Katamori and the Aizu clan would remain in Kyoto patiently. Even after all this time, Lord Katamori was still thinking about Aizu's duties as a loyal clan to the Tokugawa more than anything else... even though they weren't being appreciated at all.
And so, the Aizu troops would stay in Kyoto to protect the capital. I felt bad for all the men who had been in Kyoto for so long. It had been several years, and they hadn't even had a chance to go back to see their families.
I got a kick out of how Yae's mother and father tried to "train" Yae to be a 'better wife.' LOL! For instance, they asked her to call him "Dear" instead of "Shonosuke", and for him to give her orders instead of asking her to do things nicely. It was funny. I guess they were friends for so long that now it is odd for her to change the way she talks to him. Yae's father also forbade her from shooting guns or working in the shop with her husband. He said that she spoke to him like a friend instead of as a husband, so a quick way to nip it in the bud was to prevent her from shooting rifles. Poor Yae!
When Shonosuke found out what Yae's father did, he got really upset! He asked his FIL not to interfere, and told Yae to just be herself. She doesn't need to be an "ordinary" wife or call him in a certain way. He married Yae because he loved her, and he didn't need her to pretend to be someone she's not. Yae was really happy that things were back to normal.
In May of 1865, Shogun Iemochi finally came to Kyoto in preparation for the Choshu Expedition. The lord of Choshu was ignoring the Tokugawa's demands for an apology, and so there was discussion amongst the Tokugawa men to have the Choshu lord and his son commit suicide in order. However Lord Katamori was against this. Such a bold move would only cause Choshu to be more defiant and oppose the Tokugawa even more. The war could turn extremely bloody. However, the Tokugawa men weren't happy that Katamori had been the one to suggest that Shogun Iemochi come to Kyoto and lead the troops to Choshu himself. After all, the Shogun was still very young.
We are introduced to Iwakura Tomomi, a court nobleman who had lost his fortune during the various wars. He was very close to the court and wished to increase the court's power—at the Tokugawa's expense. As such, he became very close to Satsuma's Saigo and Okubo Toshimichi. In order to increase the court's power, Iwakura needed Satsuma's help—and Satsuma needed Iwakura's wisdom and ideas. Iwakura believed that nothing good was going to come out of this upcoming Tokugawa-Choshu war. Satsuma needed to be smart if they wanted to gain something from the war. Iwakura knew one thing, however. Choshu had changed. They weren't blindly following anti-alienism anymore. Choshu had purchased western rifles and was genuinely trying to change the country. Who was heading all this? Katsura Kogoro - the man who escaped! Iwakura and Satsuma both believed that the Tokugawa shouldn't hold absolute power anymore after hundreds of years.
Back in Aizu, Tanomo was told by Yokoyama (one of the Aizu higher-ups, who was on his deathbed) that it was best for Aizu not to get involved in the upcoming war. It was going to make Aizu look really bad, and the war could end up making things much worse. Aizu was basically tied to Kyoto, and they were stuck with taking responsibility for the outcome... whether it be good or bad.
Akizuki was appointed as a governor of Ezo (present-day Hokkaido). Even though war was about to start with Choshu, Akizuki realized that it was better that he be in Ezo. There was more he could do over there than if he went to war with Choshu. Many people were against this war, but it was going to start. And whether Aizu wanted to or not, they would be fighting with the Tokugawa against Choshu. As for Satsuma, they were still playing both sides. They were officially still enemies with Choshu, but their refusal to send troops in the upcoming war spoke wonders.
We're in mid-1865. Episode 15 airs next week!
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6/1/2013, 10:22 pm
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nchristi
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
I'm finding this a rather difficult taiga to watch. I like the Yae story and portrayal, but it almost seems like a little window dressing that hooked us into watching, but then went off onto the political drama of the times. I want to see more of Yae's story, but that is difficult when her life depends on the twists and turns of political history within Japan.
It was good to see Yae marry Shonosuke and how much they like and respect one another. It was upsetting to see how the strict, old-school father was intent on trying to force Yae into a new, shackled personality that was not her at all. What a relief that Shonosuke is a strong man in his own right. I imagine it wasn't all that easy for him to directly speak with his father-in-law, asking him to not interfere in his marriage to Yae, trying to force her to be a wife according to the father's liking, not Shonosuke's. Both Shonosuke and Yae are fortunate to have found one another as marriage mates. They complement one another very well in ways that other couples would find unworkable.
Last edited by nchristi, 6/5/2013, 1:56 pm
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6/5/2013, 1:56 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 八重の桜 (Yae's Sakura)
To be honest, I'm finding this one a bit tiresome to watch, as well. The history is interesting, but I think they're focusing a bit too much on it, instead of looking more deeply at Yae's own life and story. Maybe it's because there isn't a lot of information out there on Yae's early life? She isn't a particularly major historical figure (like Sakamoto Ryoma or even Princess Atsu) so I'd imagine that the writers don't have too much to go on as of yet. Hopefully that'll change as the episodes go on.
I totally agree with you about Yae and Shonosuke. Good for them! They aren't bound by social norms and conventions of the time, and they know exactly how to make their relationship and marriage work. Shonosuke married into Yae's family, so he probably felt awfully awkward going against his father-in-law, but I'm glad he did it for Yae's sake. He loves her for who she is, not what society wants her to be. I'm relieved these two have ended up together!
I hope this Taiga will get better as the episodes go on. The history is interesting, but I'd rather the focus be on Yae's actual story.
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6/5/2013, 6:22 pm
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