Shinsengumi gear
I wonder why the costume designer gave the Shinsengumi those black and red uniforms, instead of the famous kingfisher blue? The same thing is done in "Gohatto". Seems an odd decision, does anyone know the answer?
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You might be right.
I have heard it said that the reason the Shinsengumi captures people's imaginations is because the group had a uniform. There were many similar bands of loyalists to one side or another, but the Shinsengumi was the one that got organised in this semi-military style, giving it a more definite identity. Interesting idea?
i like the blue and white better, but thats just me. even tho' red's my favorite color
"First to Fight, Last to Leave" United States Marine Corps!
Oo-Rah
I think the idea of changing the colours of the uniform was also partly to do witht he tale of the 47 Ronin. The red and black uniforms are more commonly associated with the legendary samurai and the films Japanese title is also a reference to them. So maybe it was just to create another tie-in with the title?
Plus they do look badass lol
That's interesting, thanks, mgoi. Can you explain about the title? My dictionary translates 'gishi' as 'engineer', which can't be right!
Kambei of the Gormful Gumi.
Sorry, I'm only just starting to learn Japanese and titles of movies/ books are very difficult for me to translate. Sometimes words can be changed or shortened to make a pun or a new word. So maybe 'engineer' is a metaphor?
I think there's something in the Trivia section about the title, so check there. Hope that helps:)
So there is; thanks, Mgoi. So you're learning too? Fun, if maddening, isn't it? I'm starting a class in the autumn, I think I'll be pestering the teacher with weird trivia like this.
Kambei of the Gormful Gumi.
Haha just try and slip in a few Shinsengumi references once in a while
I have a few books and tried learning that way but the grammer is just so confusing! I was mean to be starting a course this month, but my teacher had to go visit her sick aunt in Japan and we're stil waiting for her to get backL( I've got a few useful phrases memorised and I'm using the extra time I have to learn more about the culture and geography of Japan. Yeah, I'm kinda obsessed I know lol
When she does turn up I'll probably just hand her my copy of Mibu Gishi Den and say 'Take me throught his word for word' lol
Yeah, I'm kinda obsessed I know lol
Me too. It's nice to know I'm not alone!
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When did you start learning Japanese?
And I know what you mean, it's nice to know that I'm not the only Shinsengumi fan out there!
My daughter gave me a Teach Yourself Japanese book and CD last Christmas. An optimistic title, I think! I'm just playing at it for now, but as I said, I'm starting a course, three hours weekly on Saturday mornings, in the autumn, at Birkbeck, part of London University. They do Beginners One, Beginners Two, Intermediate One, Intermediate Two... and so on, looks as if I could continue my studies for the rest of my life, if I have the strength!
What other Shinsengumi stuff have you seen?
Haha I know the feeling! The book I started with was 'Japanese for Dummies' that only made me feel stupid when I got confused around chapter three.
I've only seen a few things to do with the Shinsengumi: it all started with the anime Rurouni Kenshin (dunno if you've seen it, but it features Hajime Saito) and then this film and Gohatto (which was completely by accident and slightly awkward because my brother was watching it too). Other than that most of my obsession is centred around research.
What about you?
Well, I've only seen a little of Rououni Kenshin (if that's the anime I'm thinking of, aka Samurai X?) I have to say I didn't really take to it, because many of the characters seemed to be portrayed as young children. I found that a bit creepy, to be honest.
More generally, here's my list of films about the Shinsengumi - you already know some of them.
Mibu gishi den/When the Last Sword is Drawn (2003) - of course.
Gohatto - you've seen this? Something rather different!
Shinsengumi/Band of Assassins (1969) Dir. Tadashi Sawashima and starring Toshiro Mifune as Kondo. Not really his finest hour – nor is the history very accurate. But it does tell most of the story.
They also turn up to greater or lesser extent in –
Okami yo rakujitsu o kire/The Last Samurai (1974) Kenji Misume. Not to be confused with the Tom Cruise vehicle! I like this one a lot - action-packed but thoughtful too.
Dai-bosatsu tôge/Sword of Doom (1966) Kihachi Okamoto
Ansatsu/Assassination (1964) Masahiro Shinoda
And a TV series -
Shinsengumi keppuhroku (1998) I bought this on E-bay – it’s quite a lot of fun, though the gumi come over as a bunch of jolly decent chaps, which as I said early, I don’t think they were.
There’s another series, Shinsengumi! (2004 and 2006) that I’ve seen advertised on E-bay, but it’s in about a hundred episodes, I don’t have the strength. The players are, I gather, young J-pop stars, so goodness knows what it’s like. You can see snippets of it on YouTube.
Here are some of my general samurai film favourites, which you might enjoy -
Chushingura - Hana no maki yuki no maki (1962) by Hiroshi Inagaki. The Forty-Seven Ronin story. Long and very beautiful. There have been many film versions of the famous story, but this is the only one I've been able to get hold of so far.
Samurai Rebellion and Seppuku by Masaki Kobayashi. Wonderful but very painful! Also, by the same director, Kwaidan - not really a samurai film as such, it's several unrelated ghost stories. But anyone interested in this area should enjoy it.
Musashi Miyamoto (Trilogy starring Toshiro Mifune, sometimes just called Samurai)
Then some more modern ones -
Roningai (1990) Kasuo Kuroki
Samurai Fiction/SF: Episode One This is a sort of spoof. It doesn’t have a Japanese title.
Ame Agaru/After the Rain (1999) Takashi Koizumi (Kurosawa’s assistant director; the script was by Kurosawa himself, an unfinished project)
Zatôichi (2003) Takeshi Kitano’s take on the traditional character.
Tasogare Seibei/ Twilight Samurai (2002)
Kakushi ken oni no tsume/ The Hidden Blade (2004)
Bushi no ichibun /Love and Honour (2006)
Yoji Yamada's ‘poor samurai’ trilogy. The stories aren't linked, you could watch them in any order.
I haven't even mentioned Kurosawa, my favourite director of all time, I love both his jidai-geki and his modern stories, and of course Seven Samurai stand head and shoulders above - well, any film you care to name.
Hope this is useful - I'm not usually much of a one for lists, but you did ask...
Kambei of the Gormful Gumi.
Wow 0_O I had no idea there were so many Shinsengumi movies! Yay!
Yeah Samurai X is the one. I was quite a bit younger when I began watching Rurouni Kenshin so I didn't mind the characters so much. All I remember is that Saito Hajime was badass:D Gohatto kind of frightened me because I literally turned on the Tv, said 'Yay! Shinsengumi!' and then "Are those men doing what I think they're doing?". But it was an interesting film nevertheless.
I'd heard of the NHK TV drama, because it also features Koichi Sato, but I hadn't heard of the other one. J-pop stars, eh? *gets image of Okita with spiked hair and a mic* I gotta see that one!
I'm going to go trawling ebay for some of these, especially Chushingura and The Last Samurai. Thanks for the list, watching all fo those videos ought t keep me busy for some time:)