Rurouni kenshin

A brief introduction: What in the world anime?

Japanese animation - mainly as "anime" now spread - from archipelago nation in East Asia to North America has been called, has become quite popular. (It is pronounced "ah-nee-may" is derived from the original Japanese pronunciation.) This signed form, for those not familiar with it, took some of the famous anime series in North American culture. A few mentioned, shows that Pokemon, Digimon and Sailor Moon North America by storm. Trading Card games, the kids wanted to buy the line above, as well as equipment and toys from the show. (I can guarantee this - I was once proud owners a Pokedex.)

In the anime, some of the recurring themes of magical girls' school, aesthetically beautiful boy, and ridiculously large fighting robots. But considering Anime Japanese origin, as they often retain some of their own culture in the. Greater emphasis on indigenous Japanese theme of the samurai - the famous warrior class of medieval Japan. It would honestly take years before the mass with the amount of Samurai anime series out and analyze carefully, their image of the Samurai, so I decided to just go to a group of famous warriors: The focus of the Shinsengumi.

A history of the Shinsengumi: What have they done?

To better analyze the Shinsengumi in anime, I believe it is necessary to give a brief historical background of the samurai group.

At the time of the bakufu - the military government ruled in 1600 until 1868 - more powerful than the emperor himself. With the arrival of foreigners and the signing of unequal treaties with them, began to Japanese nationals, led by bakufu question. And while all this was the samurai, more and more dissatisfied with the Tokugawa, mainly because they were made to be from the lowest social layer. As a result of this dissatisfaction, I thought bakufu to protect the rent needed to fight fire with fire, master less samurai (or more precisely Ōnin r) to the current Shogun leader: it was called R ōshigumi.

Originally ever mentioned earlier, the purpose of forming the shogun Tokugawa Bakufu Rōshigumi existing leaders to protect. This changed later, however, to follow the slogan sonno Oi j - "revere the emperor, expels the foreigners." Members of the group of samurai who opposed the amendment and to protect the bakufu was adamant and wanted to be their main purpose remains. The Rōshigumi further magnified by a few newcomers, changed its name to the group ōshigumi Mibu R, like its seat in the little village near Kyoto Mibu. Along with the name change and a target change was made: instead of protecting the Shogun, were members of the Mibu Rōshigumi streets patrolled by the Kyoto Protocol and to act as police, strengthening the rule of law in the name of the bakufu. 18 August 1863, since this last change was the samurai police then, as we know it today, was named: the Shinsengumi, which "translates newly chosen profession."

Commodore Matthew Perry, U.S. Navy, brought with him a peace agreement for Japan to leave - even if it was an unequal treaty - safeguards for the United States benefits more than Japan. This treaty forced open East Asian archipelago, more ports foreigners. Other western countries have seen the success of this contract and immediately suite, with Japan concluded similar treaties with Britain, France, Holland and Russia. This caused an outcry in the samurai class, as they were against any idea of the West with a "contamination" of their country. The signing of the Treaty was seen as lazy and pretending that the government was forced Japan to open the doors to these foreigners.

Japan was then in two groups: the Imperial Loyalists in Kyoto, a group of military rebellion against the ideology of the Tokugawa was, and the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo split (now Tokyo). Although murder marked the clash between these two governments, a rebel samurai manage group II-General of the Tokugawa shogunate - this event, at the end of Tokugawa rule.

One of the most famous events in history are Shinsengumi Ikedaya Affair event 1864th In short, a radical samurai planned to kidnap the Emperor, Kyoto burn to the ground and kill Matsudaira Katsumori (an important member of government). The Shinsengumi out these plans and attacked Ikedaya Affair Inn during the festival in Kyoto July ^8, 1864. Two hours later the battle ended with a couple of deaths and serious injuries on both sides of the Samurai.

Key people within the Shinsengumi: Who are they?

Of the hundreds of members included in the Shinsengumi, is some more than others - even the better-known members tend to be oriented in the Shinsengumi anime more often than others. Below is a brief overview of the important contribution of the famous Samurai Police.

Kondo Isami: master - and founder - of the Shinsengumi. He was born into a peasant family and studied SWORDSMANSHIP. Kondo was originally part of Rōshigumi, and was also one of the members that the goal of change, in contrast to and stayed in Kyoto, Samurai, finally, if the police as it is called today.

Hijikata Toshiz O: Deputy commander of the Shinsengumi. Born into a wealthy farming family, studied Hijikata SWORDSMANSHIP. He met Kondo, finally, what a place that student in the regular Shinsengumi sword-fighting style. It is also said that the creator of the Shinsengumi Hijikata regulations, according to strict rules relating to each member of the samurai police should be followed. Those who went against the rules would be forced to commit ritual suicide, seppuku fact - many members of the Shinsengumi group lost their lives because of these. Hijikata often described as a demon, especially since he is the founder of this authoritarian rules.

Fullest extent S oji: one of the many masters of the Shinsengumi, and a great warrior. It was born as a low-class samurai. He has seen a remarkable profit of Shinsengumi. To underline this, Ikedaya Affair during the incident, it is said that the fullest extent battled for two hours, mainly on their own and claimed the second floor of the inn as his personal battlefield. On the other hand as much as he was a good soldier, the other members of the Shinsengumi claimed that he was not always a killing machine, and was a warm person. He died of tuberculosis, unfortunately, until the end of the Tokugawa period.

Hajime Saito: Other men of Shinsengumi p. Originally he was a spy for the samurai Corp., after he learned that they planned to assassinate its leader, Kondo Isami, but later became a captain in one of many teams.

Yamazaki Susumu: spy for many Shinsengumi. In fact, he was not a samurai, a ninja. They say he is a valuable asset, while the incident Ikedaya Affair.

Three specific anime series: they represent exactly the Shinsengumi?

As I mentioned earlier, there are too many samurai-oriented anime series go through and thoroughly analyzed. But since I always had an interest in the Shinsengumi, I have chosen three different series that they: include Rurouni Kenshin (aka Samurai X) are known, Peacemaker Kurogane, and Gintama. With those three, I will try to determine whether the Shinsengumi are represented accurately in the individual.

Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin and the Shinsengumi

If you think that "popular" old school "samurai anime" you think, Rurouni Kenshin. Anime was in 1996, and was directed by Kazuhiro Takahashi Pine. Originally a subsequent manga (Japanese comics) series Rurouni Kenshin, the story of Kenshin Himura, a wandering samurai during the Meiji era, who qualified for the bombers Bakumatsu government.

In view of the writer of the original manga series, Nobuhiro Watsuki, is a fan of the Shinsengumi and the like, this series manages to certain historical Japanese figures to integrate. Although not all the Shinsengumi are available, including Watsuki Saito Hajime in history, making him an old rival from the early Tokugawa Kenshin Day. Watsuki's "Hajime", unfortunately, has been dismissed by the Shinsengumi fans, which they said he did not describe the real Saito Hajime. In this series, then, after the Tokugawa period is set, the Shinsengumi captain portrayed as sadistic personality. Watsuki built his own "Hajime", quite different from what it was like the real Saito Hajime. That is to say, I think it's safe to say that even if Rurouni Kenshin is a great and wonderful series, it is not possible to accurately display the Shinsengumi captain's Saito Hajime.

Nanae Chrono's Peacemaker Kurogane, and the Shinsengumi
The next series is a bit younger, from the year 2003. Peacemaker Kurogane is a Shinsengumi-oriented anime series, directed by Tomohiro Hirata. Set during the Tokugawa period, it is a fictional story follows Ichimura Tetsunosuke, fifteen-year-old boy who is desperate to enter the Shinsengumi to avenge his parents. Fortunately, to make many of the above Shinsengumi members of a prominent in this series.

The first, which makes its appearance as captain fullest extent ... and immediately in a row, he looks like a woman (and is also expressed by a woman in the Japanese dub!). I think that, as previously discussed, when the dual personality Soji's''-demon warrior in battle and a good-natured man out of the battle - and also because of his young age, he is often portrayed as feminine. But I have a hunch that he is really not that feminine, as they depict him in Peacemaker Kurogane. In the series, he seems to have a sufficiently close relationship with Kondo Isami, Soji, which is extremely good Shinsengumi Warrior of his personality, his happy-go-lucky personality. I believe that the interpretation of Chrono Soji is a bit exaggerated, but it can also be a critique of the actual Shinsengumi captain.

The next step is Kondo Isami, leader of the famous samurai police. He is depicted as an elderly man, and as a casual person. If Tetsunosuke seen at the headquarters of the Shinsengumi and ask to become a member, Kondo give him permission to sample, but two seconds to think. Can this criticism, because Kondo may have been too lenient with the Shinsengumi?

And then who introduced us to the next character gives Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizo. The figure is far from feminine, or even as a nice person. He will only briefly in a row, but gives an impression - big, ugly and difficult, he breathes "demon fighter." But it was really like Hijikata? The fact that he was a possible creator of the Shinsengumi regulations, it can not be far from the truth. The only person he seems comfortable with, but it is Kondo Isami, suggesting a strong link between the two figures.

Transferring Watsuki of Saito Hajime correlation in their series Rurouni Kenshin, Hajime shown in Peacemaker Kurogane no means the same image. In this series, he is not sadistic at all, he is rather displayed a relaxed person, with a Buddhist monk, and is working with the supernatural. Perhaps this radical change from version Watsuki criticism is actually Hajime personality - Peacemaker Kurogane representation could help him with a correction of the earlier version of Shinsengumi captain Watsuki.

And although many other Shinsengumi members made their appearance, I would like to draw attention to signs Yamazaki Susumu, too. Historically, as we said before, he was a spy for the Shinsengumi, and not often in anime or manga. In this special series, he is often seen in Spy mission - and during these missions, he is often seen, cross-dressing. Disguise, as well as other, less "honorable" tactics, is one of the oldest tricks in the book - both samurai and ninja like. It was a well known fact that warriors who would go an extra mil, even if it meant dressing as a woman to infiltrate the enemy base. That said, Yamazaki's Cross-dressing is very historically accurate.

Sorachi Hideaki Gintama's and Shinsengumi

And now for something completely different is: Gintama is not your ordinary, old-fashioned Shinsengumi-oriented anime. Yes, it's like during the Edo period in Japan ... But the trick? Aliens have taken over the small archipelago, which prohibits the exercise of their samurai swords in public. (Is it just me or is there a clear parallel between the invading aliens in the series and the foreigners who came to Japan during the Tokugawa period?)

The author of the original Gintama manga originally planned to turn the work around the Shinsengumi. The final product was not the focus of the Shinsengumi, but they play a role in this series.

Well, unlike the two previous series, Gintama's focus is definitely not about historical accuracy. Despite this fact, I think, the rest (and humorous) explanation of the Shinsengumi in this series is remarkable.

Because of the sci-fi twist, the Shinsengumi not even bear its well-known and famous haori blue uniforms - but they wear modern, Western-looking uniforms that can be a sign of the "foreign assimilation." Right thus the viewer on a number of "imported knock-off versions of the current Shinsengumi members.

Among the first shown is, Hijikata Toshiro (Toshizo based on Hijikata) and Sogo fullest extent (based on the fullest extent). Both will retain their normal representations: Hijikata is vice-captain and the "brain" of the samurai police and fullest extent, a captain and "the greatest fencers in the nation. "And although not as feminine look than surrender Peacemaker Kurogane fullest extent, Gintama fullest extent is not the most masculine character appearance in the group. With Hijikata play writer with his knowledge of the historical figure, making him the" demonic deputy commander "seppuku, and his talk quite often. This last fact could focus on his writing Shinsengumi regulations.

The other main character Shinsengumi knock-off is Isao Kondo, apparently because of the actual Commander Kondo Isami. He returned again Shinsengumi his sword but the sword is imposed a ban on foreigners - that is why the members of the samurai police are loyal to him. It also seems that his attitude to be rather weak point, if it is around the assessment of human.

A final wrap-up: What can be said of the Shinsengumi in anime?

Each anime show, its main objective is to maintain. Although, as we saw with the above series, it can take the historical elements in a fictional story, not too far astray from the deed and still serve its purpose to entertain.

In all three in the series, which I have chosen, it is obvious that the authors tried to be with the historical facts that show the original members of Shinsengumi. But since all three stories are fictional, is not every detail taken into consideration, and some parts turned into something more fitting for the story.

All in all, I think the anime series, this (), despite its historical inaccuracies, an awareness of the Shinsengumi - always the first time I heard from them was back in my day in Rurouni Kenshin. We hope that this series , the fans want to see in the history of the samurai police, just like me.