Shinsengumi! (2004– )

Japan, July 1853. Scores of people lined the beaches at Uraga Harbor near the Shogunate Capitol of Edo. They came to get a glimpse of the American Fleet of Commodore Perry's infamous Black ... See full summary »

Stars:

Kazuyuki Aijima, Taishin Ohtsuka, Kôen Okumura

Cast

Series cast summary:
Kazuyuki Aijima	...	Nishiki Niimi (49 episodes, 2004)
Taishin Ohtsuka		(49 episodes, 2004)
Kôen Okumura	...	Yuzan Negishi (49 episodes, 2004)
Yûji Sasaki		(49 episodes, 2004)
Mitsutaka Tachikawa		(49 episodes, 2004)
Takayuki Takuma	...	2004 (49 episodes, 2004)

Storyline

Japan, July 1853. Scores of people lined the beaches at Uraga Harbor near the Shogunate Capitol of Edo. They came to get a glimpse of the American Fleet of Commodore Perry's infamous Black Ships that arrived on Japan's shores to deliver an ultimatum to open the country from 250 years of Isolation. Among them a is an impressionable low ranking Samurai & fencing instructor named Kondo Isami (Katori Shingo) and another low ranking Samurai turned Medicine peddler & playboy Hijikata Toshizou (Yamamoto Koji) who were both frightened and awed by the sight of such military might that has sent the country into crisis. Together, they will join with the young sword progeny Okita Soji (Fujiwara Tatsuya) who will join a group of ronin that will head to the Imperial Capitol in Kyoto to help preserve order for the Shogun. Betrayed by their initial leader in Kyoto, factions of ronin form and alliances are forged into what became the Shinsengumi; The Special Elite Corps. Under the auspicious of the ...

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Plot Keywords:

japan | based on true story

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

11 January 2004 (Japan)

Company Credits

Production Co:

NHK

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min 45 min (49 episodes)

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

User Reviews

The choice between honor and the road of carnage

The NHK production of Shinsengumi is a sprawling epic that take's place during the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Kondo Isami is the adopted son of a Sensei of a poor fencing hall. Kondo aspires to be something greater as he watches his country fall apart around him. Together with his friends Toshizo, Okita, Hajime Saito, Yamnammi and Sanosuke. They form a group of Ronin to help police Kyoto during a time of blood. Soon they make a choice that will bring their house of cards down upon them.

I fell in love with this show the second I saw it. Whats interesting is seeing these young people, who are actually quite innocent. Become corrupted by the choices they make. It shows that the path of honor isn't always as clear cut as you would think. This television show is about 50 episodes of historical goodness. I recommend it for anyone interested in the Meji era, Rurouni Kenshin, Peacemaker Kurogane, and other shows that feature this fearsome group.