Rurouni Kenshin: Meiji Kenkaku Romantan

Sanosuke Sagara, age 19.

BAD

Born in 1860 as the oldest son of a farmer in Shinshu.

Basically ran away from home to join the Sekiho Army at the age of nine.

Considers and admires their Captain, Sozo Sagara as his master.

But the group was given the disgraceful title

of fake Imperial Army, and Sozo was beheaded.

That led to the collapse of the Sekiho Army.

He then moved to Tokyo, where he became a fighter for hire called Zanza.

He became infamous in underground society,

but he then faced defeat from the rurouni Kenshin Himura.

Since his defeat, he often heads over to Kamiya Dojo,

and he is currently leading a leisurely life as a vagabond.

Huh?

SANOSUKE & NISHIKI PAINTINGS By NaShWaN AL-YeMeN 2023

BEEF HOT-POT AND SAKE AKABEKO RESTAURANT

Nishiki paintings?

There's a new shipment today.

But it's drawn by a popular artist, so it sells out quickly.

And I just can't leave work at all today.

So you want me to go buy it for you.

Yes. Can I ask that of you?

You can ask Yahiko—

I'm working, too, you idiot!

Sheesh! This is why vagabonds are...

Oh, well. I guess I can run errands for you.

You do give me free meals all the time, after all.

They aren't free meals.

Everything you've eaten 'til now is still on a tab.

Don't worry about the details.

So, what art from which artist do you want?

"Swordsman Hachiro Iba" by Tsunan Tsukioka!

Oh, the handsome swordsman, the most popular of the Bakumatsu Era.

"One-Arm Iba-Hachi," huh?

U-Um...

Huh?

Oh, no. It's nothing.

You should clearly say what you want to say. Got that, little girl?

No...

I see.

So two copies of Iba-Hachi by Tsunan Tsukioka, yeah?

Gotta hand it to Sano. He's really the man.

Really. Now only if he would pay up properly.

But, you know, a mellowed-out Sano is great and all,

but how he used to be was pretty awesome, too.

Yeah. Zanza!

He would be smiling, but he wasn't satisfied at the bottom of his heart.

It was like a bomb that was about to go off.

He was always glaring.

Nishiki paintings.

Back during the Edo period, actors and scenery were the convention.

But once the Meiji Era rolled around, many other things were drawn as well,

making it more generalized in pop culture.

In the modern day, they serve as important references

that convey Meiji culture and customs.

Hmm?

Welcome.

Hey.

Sano?

Hey, both of you.

Nishiki paintings, that is?

This is unusual, that it is.

Perhaps one of a beautiful lady?

Nope.

Perhaps an erotic one?

Oh, my...

Of course not.

Tae at Akabeko asked me to get one.

It ain't for me.

Mister, you got two more copies of Tsunan Tsukioka's Iba-Hachi?

HACHIRO HIDESATO IBA

You're in luck, sir. Those are the last two I've got.

Tsunan's art is really popular, so they sell out real quick.

Those two total 10 sen.

Oh, I don't have any money.

Can you lend me some?

Sheesh!

HIJIKATA

That said, you call 'em all Nishiki paintings,

SHINOBAZU-NO-IKE

YOKOZUNA

but there sure are many kinds.

Looks like there are a lot from the Bakumatsu Era

and the Revolution, too, that there are.

A CERTAIN SAIGO AND HIS DOG

That's right. Those of Revolutionary warriors and Imperial Army folks

sell well as souvenirs from Tokyo.

Shogunate guys like Iba-Hachi are popular among the Edo locals.

SHINOBAZU-NO-IKE

SEKIHO ARMY CAPTAIN SOZO SAGARA

Sano?

This is...

SOZO

Captain Sagara.

Oh, that? It's also drawn by Tsunan, but that one just doesn't sell at all.

SEKIHO ARMY CAPTAIN SOZO SAGARA

But he always draws that guy, even though he's the boss of the fake Imperial Army.

Tsunan Tsukioka...

Tsukioka...

Where is this guy?

Huh?

Where is this Tsunan guy at?

Sano!

Th-The next town over in the Dobuita Nagaya!

But that guy sure hates people,

so you most likely won't be able to see him even if you go.

Oh, I will.

There's no way he'd refuse to see me.

TSUKIOKA

Mr. Tsukioka. Mr. Tsukioka.

So you're not around, Mr. Tsukioka?

I know you're in there,

ex-Sekiho Army associate member, Katsuhiro Tsukioka!

I knew it.

SEKIHO ARMY CAPTAIN SOZO SAGARA

So you really did draw this.

Sanosuke?

How did you...

It was obvious when I saw this. Right next to the captain...

there's your old self, as well as me.

There's no other guy out there that would draw this.

I see.

So the artist Tsunan Tsukioka was also a surviving member of the Sekiho Army.

Let's go home, Miss Kaoru.

Sano was acting very strangely, so we decided to follow him,

but there aren't any real issues on hand.

And as that one word "bad" shows,

the Sekiho Army is a special memory for Sano.

Outsiders are unwanted in the world of memories, that they are.

But still...

I didn't think you'd end up an artist.

Come to think of it, you always were skillful.

Whether it be hard-to-handle guns or blending gunpowder,

you handled things so easily.

And so, what exactly do you do nowadays?

Nothing. Just an old vagabond.

I'm having fun in my own way.

I see.

So you are having a fun life.

I haven't experienced any fun at all in the past 10 years.

I spent the last 10 years holding a grudge against those

that tarnished the name of Captain Sagara and us in the Sekiho Army.

You've gotten even more glum than 10 years ago.

You still don't have any friends at all?

But, well, I know that feeling all too well.

I didn't think I'd reunite with you on the day when I finished all preparations.

Maybe this is the guidance of our captain from up in heaven.

Katsu?

Sanosuke, why don't you and I recreate the Sekiho Army once again?

Let's crush the Revolutionary government that framed us

and bring to reality the new era that Captain Sagara sought.

RUROUNI KENSHIN

Katsu, what are you planning?

You ask what, but there is only one thing that the Sekiho Army seeks.

A new era with true equality for the four classes

that our captain dreamed of.

I'm gonna crush the Meiji government that's in the way.

Don't tell me you don't remember the recent Seinan War

'cause you were drawing the whole time.

Kagoshima, where Saigo raised his troops, was at the edge of Japan.

No matter how much you fight down there, it's all in vain.

My target is the center of Japan.

By that, I mean this prefecture of Tokyo.

The Home Ministry oversees all domestic affairs.

First off, we completely shut its operation down.

I'd like to crush the army, navy, and the treasury at the same time as well,

but I can't do all of that alone.

Alone?

I can't trust anyone else.

I've been proceeding with all of that by myself.

Even though I'm alone, I've still got these.

Look at them, Sano.

I made it with the knowledge of firearms I gained in the Sekiho Army.

They're bombs.

I was cautious about not letting these get traced back to me.

It took me ten years to make these.

I'm pretty confident about them.

They explode and ignite fires, so are efficient incendiary bombs.

I will use these to blow up all the ministries one after another

to whittle away the centralized power,

and then all the dissatisfied samurais and farmers all over the country

will naturally start rioting.

The current government is exhausted from the Seinan War,