(Background Music playing: Tama no Hitobito [The People of Tama]) <bgsound src="tama.mp3" loop="infinite"> Others Ryouma Sakamoto (Tosa Clan samurai) He is such a happy-go-lucky samurai. Very likeable!^^ That's why, Isami is quite charmed by him. They have different political views sometimes, but Sakamoto have always prior their friendship, thus the arguments ended in peace. Sakamoto is a very good friend of Isami, however....they are never in the same side, politically. Yousuke Eguchi (1967) Eguchi is a popular, popular veteran actor! Actually, I was expecting a bigger role for him in this taiga serial, than Sakamoto...but, I guess the role fits him perfectly...he really nailed it^^ His starting career was the mega-hit Tokyo Love Story in 1991, co-starring Oda Yuuji and Honami Suzuki. Then he once again starred in a big hit dorama as the leading role, in Hitotsu Yane no Shita(Under The Same Roof). His latest mega-hit drama, and said to be FujiTV's modern taiga(big production) drama, is Shiroi Kyoto, which lasted for 2 seasons. The 2nd season(Jan-March 2004) of Shiroi Kyoto got the highest average rating for DRAMA category, beating Takuya Kimura's PRIDE(#2) & NHK's Shinsengumi!(#3) ^_^ Shiroi Kyoto starred Toshiaki Karasawa, Yousuke Eguchi, Hitomi Kuroki, Akiko Yada, and Hideaki Ito. Kogoro Katsuura (Choushuu Clan's leader) by Ken Ishiguro (1966) He's a quite cynical swordsman. He really defend his political view. Despite his habit being cynical and underestimate Shieikan, he was a friend of Isami, he even attended Isami's wedding reception. But the political views difference between them, made him one of Isami and Shinsengumi's biggest rival, later. Genzui Kusaka (choushuu samurai) by Hiroyuki Ikeuchi (1976) Katamori Matsudaira (Military Commissioner of Kyoto) by Michitaka Tsutsui (1971) Shuusuke Kondou (Isami Kondou's adoptive father) by Kunie Tanaka (1932) Shuusuke or Shuusai Kondou is the 3rd generation of Shieikan owner. He adopted Isami when he was only 16 yrs old. He is a very good father, supporting everything Isami wants to do. He scares nothing, except his own wife x) Fude Kondou (Isami Kondou's adoptive mother) by Yoko Nogiwa (1936) She is, almost every single day, never in a good mood. Always angry and yelling at people. She hate Isami, because Isami was born in a farmer class, yet he achieved samurai-class status so easily. While, herself, try to achieve the status in decades. She was formerly a geisha, and had a rough life...until he meet Shusuke Kondou. Fude is Shusuke's 9th wife ^_^;;; Gennojou Yagi by Shiro Ito (1937) The head of Yagi family, whose household is temporarily made as Roushigumi Group-3's staying place. But the Yagi family doesnt like Roushigumi's existence in their house. And while, all the other Roushigumi members are going back to Edo later...."luckily", they got the members who are insisting to stay and form a new Roushigumi! ^_^;;; Masa Yagi by Yoneko Matsukane (1949) Gennojou Yagi's wife, Hide's mother. Sutesuke Takimoto (Isami Kondou's childhood friend) by Shidou Nakamura (1972) Sutesuke is the son of a wealthy family and Isami's childhood friend. He is such a coward, and a -good for nothing- guy. Hijikata once deceived him, to join Roushigumi he has to give him 50 ryo. So Sutesuke give the 50 ryo, but Hijikata then hit him till he collapsed and hide him far from the Roushigumi crowd. Sutesuke wakes up when the Roushigumi have departed to Kyoto. Scriptwriter and Director Mitani Koki is probably most well-known with his famous detective drama, Furuhata Ninzaburou. I have never watched the drama serial itself, but I have watched the drama special episode, Furuhata vs SMAP, and I love it very much!!!^_^ The murder mystery plot is very well-written and was done with a lot of humor in it. In the special, Smap is the killer and detective Furuhata's task is to solve and find proves that the killers are, in fact, Smap^^ His other work is HR, Japanese first sitcom, also with Shingo Katori as the leading role. Althou, it was quite a success in Japan, but somehow I cannot enjoy it that much.....I dunno....I think its the sitcom humor...they talk really fast...just didnt quite catch it x) Just few weeks ago, NHK broadcasted a 6-episodes drama, Kawa Itsuka Umi E. Written by So Kuramoto, Hisashi Nozawa, and Mitani Koki. Mitani Koki wrote the 2nd & 4th episodes. I watched the 1st ep, and I didnt quite like it. But the 4th episode is good!!^^ I watched it because I like Arisa Mizuki and she's the female lead in the 4th ep. Turns out, I like the story, its a bit silly yet heart-touching. And the humor style is almost the same with Furuhata's! His other works are Osama no Restaurant also Ai Kotoba wa Yuuki(starring Koji Yakusho, Shingo Katori and Kyoka Suzuki -> wow, he worked lots of time with Shingo already!^^), but none of them I've watched. This is his first attempt in writing a script for taiga drama, and he said it has always been his dream. I'm really glad Mitani Koki is the one who write Shinsengumi's script, thus it has produce a very good quality story with a touch of his humor style, which I really like!^_^ I really hope the ratings of this serial can be consistent....such a pity, if it goes downhill later. But, I have faith in Mitani Koki's script!!!^-^ Dakara ne......*fingers crossed*......x)
Others
Ryouma Sakamoto (Tosa Clan samurai) He is such a happy-go-lucky samurai. Very likeable!^^ That's why, Isami is quite charmed by him. They have different political views sometimes, but Sakamoto have always prior their friendship, thus the arguments ended in peace. Sakamoto is a very good friend of Isami, however....they are never in the same side, politically.
Yousuke Eguchi (1967) Eguchi is a popular, popular veteran actor! Actually, I was expecting a bigger role for him in this taiga serial, than Sakamoto...but, I guess the role fits him perfectly...he really nailed it^^ His starting career was the mega-hit Tokyo Love Story in 1991, co-starring Oda Yuuji and Honami Suzuki. Then he once again starred in a big hit dorama as the leading role, in Hitotsu Yane no Shita(Under The Same Roof). His latest mega-hit drama, and said to be FujiTV's modern taiga(big production) drama, is Shiroi Kyoto, which lasted for 2 seasons. The 2nd season(Jan-March 2004) of Shiroi Kyoto got the highest average rating for DRAMA category, beating Takuya Kimura's PRIDE(#2) & NHK's Shinsengumi!(#3) ^_^ Shiroi Kyoto starred Toshiaki Karasawa, Yousuke Eguchi, Hitomi Kuroki, Akiko Yada, and Hideaki Ito.
Kogoro Katsuura (Choushuu Clan's leader) by Ken Ishiguro (1966) He's a quite cynical swordsman. He really defend his political view. Despite his habit being cynical and underestimate Shieikan, he was a friend of Isami, he even attended Isami's wedding reception. But the political views difference between them, made him one of Isami and Shinsengumi's biggest rival, later.
Genzui Kusaka (choushuu samurai) by Hiroyuki Ikeuchi (1976)
Katamori Matsudaira (Military Commissioner of Kyoto) by Michitaka Tsutsui (1971)
Shuusuke Kondou (Isami Kondou's adoptive father) by Kunie Tanaka (1932) Shuusuke or Shuusai Kondou is the 3rd generation of Shieikan owner. He adopted Isami when he was only 16 yrs old. He is a very good father, supporting everything Isami wants to do. He scares nothing, except his own wife x)
Fude Kondou (Isami Kondou's adoptive mother) by Yoko Nogiwa (1936) She is, almost every single day, never in a good mood. Always angry and yelling at people. She hate Isami, because Isami was born in a farmer class, yet he achieved samurai-class status so easily. While, herself, try to achieve the status in decades. She was formerly a geisha, and had a rough life...until he meet Shusuke Kondou. Fude is Shusuke's 9th wife ^_^;;;
Gennojou Yagi by Shiro Ito (1937) The head of Yagi family, whose household is temporarily made as Roushigumi Group-3's staying place. But the Yagi family doesnt like Roushigumi's existence in their house. And while, all the other Roushigumi members are going back to Edo later...."luckily", they got the members who are insisting to stay and form a new Roushigumi! ^_^;;;
Masa Yagi by Yoneko Matsukane (1949) Gennojou Yagi's wife, Hide's mother.
Sutesuke Takimoto (Isami Kondou's childhood friend) by Shidou Nakamura (1972) Sutesuke is the son of a wealthy family and Isami's childhood friend. He is such a coward, and a -good for nothing- guy. Hijikata once deceived him, to join Roushigumi he has to give him 50 ryo. So Sutesuke give the 50 ryo, but Hijikata then hit him till he collapsed and hide him far from the Roushigumi crowd. Sutesuke wakes up when the Roushigumi have departed to Kyoto.
Scriptwriter and Director
Mitani Koki is probably most well-known with his famous detective drama, Furuhata Ninzaburou. I have never watched the drama serial itself, but I have watched the drama special episode, Furuhata vs SMAP, and I love it very much!!!^_^ The murder mystery plot is very well-written and was done with a lot of humor in it. In the special, Smap is the killer and detective Furuhata's task is to solve and find proves that the killers are, in fact, Smap^^ His other work is HR, Japanese first sitcom, also with Shingo Katori as the leading role. Althou, it was quite a success in Japan, but somehow I cannot enjoy it that much.....I dunno....I think its the sitcom humor...they talk really fast...just didnt quite catch it x)
Just few weeks ago, NHK broadcasted a 6-episodes drama, Kawa Itsuka Umi E. Written by So Kuramoto, Hisashi Nozawa, and Mitani Koki. Mitani Koki wrote the 2nd & 4th episodes. I watched the 1st ep, and I didnt quite like it. But the 4th episode is good!!^^ I watched it because I like Arisa Mizuki and she's the female lead in the 4th ep. Turns out, I like the story, its a bit silly yet heart-touching. And the humor style is almost the same with Furuhata's! His other works are Osama no Restaurant also Ai Kotoba wa Yuuki(starring Koji Yakusho, Shingo Katori and Kyoka Suzuki -> wow, he worked lots of time with Shingo already!^^), but none of them I've watched.
This is his first attempt in writing a script for taiga drama, and he said it has always been his dream. I'm really glad Mitani Koki is the one who write Shinsengumi's script, thus it has produce a very good quality story with a touch of his humor style, which I really like!^_^ I really hope the ratings of this serial can be consistent....such a pity, if it goes downhill later. But, I have faith in Mitani Koki's script!!!^-^ Dakara ne......*fingers crossed*......x)
