Daredevil in The Castle (Ôsaka-jô monogatari / 大坂城物語)

So they want Hideyori to travel to Kyoto and greet Sir Hidetada to...

...celebrate his appointment as the Great Shogun?

Is that Lord Ieyasu's order?

Well, I've got something to say about that.

Wasn't Lord Ieyasu a sub-ordinate of the Toyotomis?

Though still young,

Hideyori is the heir to the legacy of my lord, the late Lord Hideyoshi.

Isn't the proper order for Hidetada as a sub-ordinate

to travel here to Osaka if he wants to see us?

What was the promise Lord Ieyasu made and said upon Lord Hideyoshi's passing?

He said he'd stand behind the young heir to...

the Toyotomi's legacy for all times to come.

He's forgotten his obligations sworn in front of the gods.

If times were different,

Hideyori would have been in the position of the Emperor Regent.

Although we lost to the Eastern army in the battle of Sekigahara...

...it's an extreme insult they should treat our family

of no less than 650,000-koku...

like an ordinary daimyo lord and tell us to make a trip to Kyoto for greetings.

Send back the messenger now. I, Yodo, cannot accept such order.

Never!

THE TALE OF OSAKA CASTLE

The Minister of State, Hideyori Toyotomi built

a huge statue of Buddha at Hoko Temple in Kyoto.

It is the day of the inaugural ceremony for the statue.

Yasutatsu Sakakibara, the messenger of the

Shogun Tokugawa's family, passing through.

Hold it!

Hold it, please!

We're in the middle of the inaugural ceremony for the statue.

The family of the Shogun sends an order that the ceremony be forbidden.

Hold it, please!

If you were to carry out the ceremony against the order, we shall punish you.

Just a minute.

I order you to cancel today's ceremony with the authority of the Shogun's family.

Just a minute. We've scheduled the date of the ceremony in accordance with...

...the directions given not only by the Shogun's family but also by Lord Ieyasu.

Why forbid it? For what reasons?

Find out the reasons later. Just cancel the ceremony.

Wait!

They found a phrase that cursed the Tokugawa family

in the inscriptions on the statue's bell...

...and that's what started it.

The Shogun family's only picking a fight.

The Toyotomi clan won't stay quiet, will they?

It's war.

- War... - War would be good.

Our time's come at last.

We'll avenge Sekigahara.

Look where you're going! Out of the way!

Hey, shut the front door and close up the store.

If a war starts, we can raise the price of rice as high as we want.

We'll make more money if we don't sell.

Manager, come over here a minute.

Listen, you guys rush to Shikoku and buy more rice.

If it's cheap, buy as much as you can get your hands on.

Okay? Understand, right?

Hey, boy, put away the dolls and vases in the warehouse.

And mark up their prices by three times.

And line up all the spears and swords in front out here.

Alright?

What are you doing?

I've heard of an ambush with spears...

...but what are you thinking sticking spears up my face in the broad daylight?

Sorry. We're very sorry.

What!

Yes?

- Is it how you greet people in Osaka? - Well, not so.

I'm fresh out of the country-side...

...but your answer could make me smash down a house

or two like yours with my fist.

What? Goodness gracious!

Hey! What the hell are you doing?

Did you come to this town to make trouble?

Where are you from? We'll beat you up.

Bastards, are you trying to start a fight with me?

I'm Mohei the demon!

Who cares about a demon?

In Osaka you hear a war's coming, and the rice store closes up...

...and the hardware store takes out armors and swords to sell.

It pisses me off!

You brat! Beat him up!

Come at me, if you can!

We'll let time decide whether we should go into war.

But first we must come up with a strategy advantageous to the Osaka side.

One, we'll gather manpower, arms and food.

Two, we'll discourage the Tokugawas will to fight...

...and prevent war from happening.

Gentlemen, danger!

As I suspected, it's Hayato-no-sho Susukida!

Get them!

Don't be bothered with them. Retreat at once.

Don't let them go! Don't let them go!

Hey! Catch Hayato-no-sho!

Get him!

This isn't good! Let's run!

Don't let them go!

Hey, there's another fight over here!

Oh, Sir Susukida!

You, get out of the way!

Don't block our way. Out of the way!

You have some nerve, scum!

I see now you're chasing after a fragile woman.

This town really pisses me off!

You reckless fool. Get him!

Get me down!

Hey, get me down, will you?

No, we won't.

We're making you pay for making us lose our catch.

Damn!

Why don't you just get me down? Get me down now!

We can't let you off so easily.

An outlaw like you should be tortured to death to make an example.

Mr. Mountain Samurai, aren't you being too cruel to human life?

What?

Even a frog would come back as a ghost to blame you if you make it suffer slow death.

We're making an example out of him.

Aren't there other ways of making an example?

What would you do then?

I'd do this if I were you.

Damn you!

Remember me. I'm Saizo Kirigakure.

Get him!

What is this place?

Doesn't look like the other world.

You're still alive.

Who saved me?

Who do you think?

You, I guess.

You saved me, didn't you?

You think so?

You were the woman running away on the bridge.

I remember your face.

Or was it Sir Hayato Susukida?

Hey!

You know Sir Susukida?

You're laughing.

Can't I laugh?

Anyway, give me something to eat.

Do you feel well enough to eat?

Sure.

Stuff myself and I'll get my stamina back.

What on earth is this place?

Only one exit to this room.

What're they going to do with me?

What are those plaques about?

Don't be alarmed.

I'm not here to kill you but to ask you to do something for me.

You're lying.

Isn't that a gun you're holding?

That's right.

This is a pistol from Portugal which doesn't have a match cord.

I told you!

Are you still trying to say you're not going to kill me?

No, I'm not.

It's for self-defense.

I'm an old man past 70.

I can't beat you without it.

What?

Your response will determine if bullets will fly.

You don't seem to know how powerful this small arm can be.

Mohei, I'm not gonna kill you.

I just want you to do something for me.

But if you refuse, know your body will be shattered like that pot.

What do you say? Will you do it for me?

Are you going to ask me to work as a pirate or something?

Or to help you with the war?

I don't know if you're with the Osaka side or the Eastern side...

...but either way I refuse!

I have no kind of obligation to you whatsoever.

I'm not going to let you say that.

What?

Who saved your life?

You owe your life to that woman.

I see.

So that's your angle.

I can't say I have no obligation then.

You're a smart one.

Just a second.

Before an answer, I have to eat first.

Sister, I appreciate you saving my life but looks like I'm getting into trouble.

Quiet down! It's disgraceful to have a quarrel.

But it's obvious the Eastern side is challenging us for a war after all.

That's why Mr. Ichi-no-kami was sent for as a messenger

for the Osaka army, isn't it?

I'm telling you to wait until he returns.

And he hasn't even been able to meet Lord Ieyasu, has he?

Am I right, Goro-ji?

Yes, you're right.

We've even got a letter from Lady Ohkura-kyo to confirm it.

Lord Ieyasu treats the messenger from Osaka as if he's stupid

and doesn't even see him.

So you know what his intentions are likely to be.

Even so, it won't be too late to wait for Mr. Ichi-no-kami...

...who represents Osaka Castle to return before we make a decision.

How can you still say that?

Hold it! Hold it!

They don't seem to have come to any decision in the meeting.

Yes...

I'm lost as to what to do now.