|
Japan is approaching a tipping point, with increasing pressure from the West to open its borders. The Shinsengumi are being trained to use firearms, but Okita refuses, insisting on the way of the sword. He represents many in the group who cling to old samurai values. But it is clear that the times are changing and the Shinsengumi embodies the "old guard." Will they survive the coming upheavals? |
 |
|
 |
||
|
Headquarters in Kyoto learns that the rogue behavior of their branch troop captain in Osaka is stirring up resentment among the local populace. Kondo takes Okita, Sei and the first troop to Osaka to investigate. They find that Tani Sanjuro, the captain of the seventh troop, is a hard-hearted man who rules with an iron fist. Will Kondo find a way to deal with this ogre, or will he need to take extreme measures to eliminate him? |
 |
|
|
||
|
When Sei gets wounded, Soji takes her to Doctor Matsumoto, an old family friend who knows her secret. While in his care, Sei tells him of the resentment she feels toward her father, who neglected his family to pursue his medical practice. Matsumoto reveals the truth about her father and the sacrifice that affected his family's destiny. |
 |
|
|
||
|
Doctor Kondo, a respected expert in western medicine, visits the troop. As an act of kindness, the doctor offers to give physical exams to the entire troop, and the men are ordered to strip down to their loincloths. Now Sei seems to be caught in a trap she can't get out of. She's managed to fool everyone else into thinking that she's a boy, but how can she possibly fool a doctor? |
 |
|
|
||
|
Hijikata returns from another successful recruiting trip to Edo with 52 new men. One of them, Nakamura Goro, is convinced Sei is a girl the moment he lays eyes on her. Irresistibly attracted to her, he is determined to uncover her so he can have her as a woman. How will Sei handle this new threat from within the ranks? |
 |
|
|
||
|
When Okita is sent on a recruiting trip to Edo, Kamiya must learn to fend for herself in his absence. In her loneliness, she is befriended by the plump Miki, who struggles with insecurity due to his brother's constant criticism. Amidst their bonding, Miki begins to develop feelings for Kamiya, and a drunken night leads to near-disaster! |
 |
|
|
||
|
The death of Yamanami casts a cold, dark shadow over the troop, as each member feels the unspoken pain of his loss. Kamiya is the only one to mourn his death openly. But just as her emotions begin to settle, a new source of anxiety pops up--Sae, Soji's old love interest, appears in Kyoto looking for him. How will Kamiya cope with this challenge to the most important relationship in her life? |
 |
|
|
||
|
Yamanami learns that the path of righteousness and justice is not as straight and clear as he thought when he receives conflicting requests for allegiance. Ito asks Yamanami to show mercy for his friends in the Tenguto, who support the emperor, while Kondo insists that they be dealt with as enemies of the shogun. With lives at stake, will Yamanami be able to balance justice, loyalty and honor? |
 |
|
|
||
|
A new member arrives from Edo to join the Shinsengumi--the renowned Ito Kashitaro, an intellect and master swordsman. The positive reinforcement he brings to the group and his emphasis on strengthening the mind alongside the body make him popular among the men. But his romantic pursuit of Kamiya brings yet another crisis to those who know her true identity. |
 |
|
|
||
|
With increased responsibility, the Shinsengumi must do some major reorganizing. Soji, Nakakura and Saito are named troop captains. Despite Sei's desire to be placed in Soji's group, Yamanami assigns her to be his personal attendant, as he wants to keep her out of harm's way. Sei works diligently at her assigned duties, but will she be able to hold herself back when Soji and his men face danger? |
 |
|
|
||
|
Yamanami and Todo prepare to be sentenced to death for insulting officials at the Rokkaku prison after witnessing prisoners being ruthlessly murdered. In a surprising turn of events, rumors fly that the Shinsengumi were the actual culprits behind the abuse of the prisoners. Meanwhile, Todo has fallen in love with the prostitute who witnessed them enter the prison. Can he win her love and convince her of his innocence? |
 |
|
|
||
|
Akesato the courtesan has been instrumental in hiding the fact that Sei is a girl by pretending to be "his" lover. But Yamanami, another member of the Shinsengumi, has fallen madly in love with Akesato. As he struggles with the conflict between his comrade Sei and the love he feels for Akesato, he stumbles onto Sei's secret. |
 |
|
|
||
|
Rumors emerge that the Choshu clans are gathering in Kyoto and conspiring to set fire to the capital and make off with the Emperor. In a skirmish with the plotters, Soji is badly wounded, and Sei finds herself surrounded and outnumbered. Will she find the strength she needs to survive? |
 |
|
|
||
|
Sei seeks out Saito Hajime to help her master a difficult sword technique, and Saito is confused by his amorous feelings for Sei, not knowing that she is a girl in disguise. As if things weren't complicated enough, it seems a truly male Sei look-alike has taken a fancy to Saito--and plans on seducing him! |
 |
|
|
||
|
Ordered by Katamori-sama to assassinate Captain Serizawa, Captain Hijikata holds a secret meeting with the other leaders in the Mibu-Roshi to plan the murder of their charismatic comrade. Soji breaks in on the meeting, but rather than pleading for his friend's life, he offers to kill him. |
 |
|
|
||
|
Sei has returned to the Mibu-Roshi, but Soji hardly seems happy about it. He still believes that the Mibu-Roshi is no place for a girl. Sei makes an agreement with him that if she can't score one hit on him in three days, she'll leave for good and return to living a normal life. However, Sei's got her work cut out for her, as Soji is a master swordsman... |
 |
|
|
||
|
Sei devotes herself to becoming an ideal bushi, or warrior, and accompanies the Mibu-Roshi to Osaka. There, she finds the man responsible for killing her father and brother. Desperate to avenge her family, Sei uncovers his hideout with the help of a friend, but they are soon discovered and her companion is slain. Is Sei ready for the hardships of the Mibu-Roshi? Or should she return home to lead the life of a normal girl? |
 |
|
|
||
|
Into this fierce milieu steps Kamiya Seizaburo, a young would-be warrior who, though lacking in combat experience, possesses a fiery enthusiasm to both aid the Mibu-Roshi in their mission and to avenge his wrongfully murdered family. One of the Mibu-Roshi's most gifted (and immature) swordsmen, the legendary Okita Soji, agrees to take Seizaburo under his wing. What no one suspects, least of all Soji, is that Seizaburo is actually a girl named Tominaga Sei in disguise! |
 |
|
|
||