Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor (新選組)

Toho Co., Ltd.

Mifune Productions, Ltd.

Attack the foreign enemy; we must expel them!

We mustn't let foreigners desecrate Japan, the land of the Gods.

"Black Ships:" The ships of U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry's 1853 and 1854 expeditions to Japan.

The Shogunate, pressured by the arrival of the Black Ships, signed a treaty opening the ports.

This act incurred the wrath of the Emperor.

Anti-Shogunate factions exploited this division.

Radical ronin from the fiefs of Tosa and Choshu...

...justifying their actions as "divine punishment..."

...began to assassinate public officials and prominent members of the Shogunate.

Signs: "Divine Punishment" . ..began to assassinate

public officials and prominent members of the Shogunate.

"The capital:" Kyoto, home of the Emperor. The Shogunate rules Japan from

Edo, however. There's an anti-Shogunate group gathering at the capital.

They oppose any alliance between the Emperor and the Shogun.

I get it! You're recruiting ronin to fight against the anti-Shogunate forces.

Finally figured it out, eh?

The Shogun's visiting Kyoto for talks with the Emperor about expelling the foreigners.

We ronin have an important mission.

It's been 250 years since a Shogun last visited Kyoto.

This is getting exciting! It's our chance to go down in history! I'm going to do it!

Yamanami, come with us.

I'm leaving it up to Kondo.

I'll discuss it with him after he returns from

his training in Tama. How about you, Okita?

I'd like to attend as a representative of our Shieikan dojo.

I want to live a life of valor and gallantry, dedicated to the way of the sword.

Here, have a sugar candy.

What will you do, Isami?

I plan to go.

I too wish to protect our Shogun.

The farmers of Tama have prospered under the divine guidance of the Tokugawa clan.

And all this domestic squabbling makes us ill-prepared to deal with foreign enemies.

The Shogun and the Emperor will discuss how to protect our nation from foreign enemies.

I believe it's our duty to see that their meeting proceeds in safety.

We'll show the world the true value...

...of Shieikan's Ten-nen Rishin-

I'm sure that the Shogunate will acknowledge our mettle!

Toshi, I intend to selflessly serve our nation.

Isami!

There you go, good girl.

Good, good girl.

There we go.

How's my girl? How is she? Eh?

Here you are.

Happy to see your dad, Tamako?

Good, good girl.

Tsune.

Tsune. Yes.

Yes.

Do you think you could raise her by yourself? Yes.

So you've made up your mind.

Yeah. I'm joining the ronin and going to Kyoto.

Congratulations.

Congratulations. Thank you.

I'll make both of you proud of me.

Shinsengumi Assassins of Honor

Produced by Mifune Toshiro Nishikawa Yoshio Inagaki Hiroshi

Screenplay by Matsu-ura Kenro

Cinematography: Yamada Kazuo Art Director: Ueda Hiroshi Recording by Ichikawa

Masamichi Lighting by Sato Yukio Sound Arrangement by Shimonaga Hisashi

Music by Sato Masaru

Assistant Director: Maru Teruo Edited by Araki Yoshihiro Effects by

Kanayama Makoto Makeup: Kobayashi Shigeo Swordplay Choreographer: Kuze Ryu

Kendo Instructor: Takano Hiromasa

Developed by Tokyo Developing Studio Production Supervisor: Yamazaki Hidekazu

Cast: Mifune Toshiro

Kobayashi Keiju Mikuni Rentaro

Kinya Kitaoji Tamura Takahiro

Tsukasa Yooko Hoshi Yuriko Ikeuchi Junko

Nakamura Kanemon Nakamura Katsuo Nogawa Yumiko Kitagawa Mika

Nakatani Ichiro Uchida Ryohei Mikimoto Shinsuke Shin Kinzo

Nakamura Umenosuke Tanaka Haruo Togami Jotaro Oguri Kazuya

Kagawa Ryosuke Soma Eijiro Tsuda Shin Murata Kichijiro

Ogata Shinosuke Yamamoto Kiyosh Sekiguchi Ginzo Yamazaki Naoki Kuno Shoshiro

Ushimo Uwahiko Tanaka Hiroshi Kimura Hiroto Oki Masashi Suzuki Haruo

Taniguchi Kan Nakamura Tokinosuke Kamiki Shinichiro Achiba Shinsuke

Asayori Hotaro Hashimoto Senzo Aoyama Hiro Furuya Kazuyuki

Araki Yasuo Yano Yoko Tanabe Wakako Sato Koichi Masamoto Keiichiro

Ito Makoto Shinohara Masaki Gondo Yukihiko Okabe Tadashi

Speech Instructor: Yasufuji Koko Mifune Productions

Shichiyo-kai Cooperation by Gekidan Zenshinza Theatre Troupe

Nakamura Kinnosuke

Directed by Sawajima Tadashi

Burn!

Burn!

Burn it all up!

Get it in there!

"The lumberjacks of Kiso..."

"The lumberjacks of Kiso..." Burn!

"The lumberjacks of Kiso..."

"The lumberjacks of Kiso..." Get in there!

"The lumberjacks of Kiso..."

"The lumberjacks of Kiso..." See it all go!

"The lumberjacks of Kiso..."

"Mt. Ontake in Kiso..." What the hell...? Ouch!

What's going on here?

Yes, Commander Serizawa is...

...on another drunken rampage?

No. He's quite upset that there's no room at the inn.

What the hell's the matter with you?

This is inexcusable!

How dare you neglect lodging for Commander Serizawa, leader of our troop of ronin?!

My apologies.

We've managed to find a place for him. Please let me guide you there.

No, forget it.

Fan: "Samurai with spirit of Loyalty and Patriotism, Serizawa Kamo" No, forget it.

Fan: "Samurai with spirit of Loyalty and Patriotism, Serizawa Kamo"

Fan: "Samurai with spirit of Loyalty and Patriotism,

Serizawa Kamo" Roughing it suits me just fine.

Roughing it suits me just fine.

But that wouldn't be right...

Do you dare to make our Commander rough it?

Aren't you in charge of finding a room for him?

Cut your belly! Do seppuku!

Please stop.

And you are...?

I'm Kondo Isami, Mr. Ikeda's assistant.

I understand your distress. Please forgive us about tonight.

If you're his assistant, then you're equally guilty! Do seppuku!

What's with your attitude?

My pupils and I have abandoned my dojo to travel to Kyoto and defend the Shogun.

I couldn't slit my stomach over such a trifle.

And you call yourself a samurai?

I may have been a farmer, but I'm also the master of the Ten-nen Rishin dojo.

The Ten-nen Rishin school?

Ah, wait, Niimi...

"Tengu group:" a radical anti-foreigner group from

the Mito fief. We're a unit of the Tengu Group.

It was all my fault. Please...

Please forgive us.

Wait...

I was neglectful. Please forgive us.

I will not move from here until you forgive us.

Watch and learn. We shall see Isami's true spirit.

Ouch! Ouch! I'm burning up!

All right, you win, you win!

Sorry to have kept you waiting.

I was told about a mishap, our apologies.

Finally come out of the woodwork, huh?

The errors of my men are my errors as well.

Please accept my apologies, and return to your camp.

Please accept my apologies, and return to your camp. Shut up, old man!

This is proof of your incompetence!

To you Shogunate retainers, we're just a gang of starving ronin.

Our world is crumbling around us because of your foolishness!

It's crumbling!

I am the loyal patriot named...

...Serizawa Kamo! And don't you forget it!

Third year of the Bunkyu period (1863), Spring.

The troop of ronin arrive at the capital, Kyoto.

Flowers for sale!

Flowers for sale! Hey gimme one of them!

Is this meeting ever going to end?

They could at least let us take off our sandals.

How can they just make us wait like this?

What could they be squabbling about in the main hall?

Who knows...?

All I know is that a Dewa ronin named Kiyokawa Hachiro's...

...been spouting off for over an hour.

Who is this Kiyokawa Hachiro?

He's the guy who organized the ronin troops.

Indeed, our goal must be...

...to dedicate ourselves to the expulsion of all foreigners...

...for the sake of our divine Emperor and our noble nation.

Therefore, I, Kiyokawa Hachiro, shall take command.

What?

What? We weren't told about that!

We weren't told about that!

Everyone! We weren't told about that!

Though we have come to Kyoto to guard the Shogun and maintain law and order...

...if the Shogun were to defy the Emperor's command...

...and continue to deal with the foreigners...

...it will be our duty to rectify the Shogun's decision!

I don't get it. What's this guy rambling about?

We must thank the Imperial court for the dispensation...

...which permits us ronin to band together for the purpose of removing the foreigners.

We have been ordered to return to Edo at once and undertake this task.

Everyone!

Let us immediately return to Edo...

...and endeavor to oust the foreigners!

Serizawa...

Do you understand now?

While you and your men were on your way from Edo... the situation has changed.

What a load of crap!

So you still don't get it.

The ronin troops must return to Edo!

Just a minute!

What is it, Kondo?

What about guarding the Shogun here in Kyoto?

We're bowing out.

We have come here to guard the Shogun during his visit.

Now that we have arrived in Kyoto...

...we cannot follow you back without any confirmation from the Shogunate.

Comrade Kondo!

The chain of command is no longer an issue.

Are we not all warriors who serve the nation by ridding it of foreign influences?

Indeed, we are all united in that cause.

Nonetheless, we must not act irrationally.