Sunday, July 10, 2005
Yoshitsune #22: Journey to the Capital 宿命の上洛
Yoshitsune's camp is on their way to Kyoto and receives news that the Heike's army has been on a losing streak. The kerai are excited to hear this and thinks they should take the opportunity to strike but Yoshitsune reminds that their job is to watch over Yoshinaka and not to start a battle without instructions from Yoritomo. (*sirens* BLIND LOYALTY ALERT *sirens*) He sends Saburo out as a scout to check on Yoshinaka's movements as well as the situation in and around Kyoto.
Meanwhile, Yoshinaka beats the Heike again at Kurikara Pass and orders further attacks on the retreating enemy led by Koremori. The Heike army has lost more than half its men by now.
Back in Kyoto, Munemori is furious that they are losing and wants to send more men out but gets admonished by Tomomori. They have already sent out too many men, sending more will leave the capital in a vulnerable state.
Tomomori reports to Tokiko the number of men lost and the family's first death at the battlefield, Tomonori (like who is this??? and they *really* need to have more creativity when it comes to names... -_-).Tokiko is shaken and tells Tomomori, "Rather than protecting the capital per se, we must do all we can to protect the young emperor!". (That will be the young Emperor Antoku, Tokiko's grandson. Anyway, it also reads to me that Tokiko is really saying, "Heck the old fogey Go-Shirakawa already!" LOL~)
On the other hand, Munemori reports to Go-Shirakawa (anyway) and gets chided by Tsubone. Afterall, how can the supposedly powerful Heike army lose so easily to Yoshinaka? Tomoyasu asks Munemori why they chose Koremori, the one who has lost every single battle, to be General. Munemori replies they cannot afford to release anyone else from the capital for this job. "But aren't YOU the successor??", Tomoyasu asks and laments the decline of Heike's successors. (I think Munemori is just a coward and afraid to go out to battle, that is why he sent Koremori. Go-Shirakawa just keeps shaking his head here without a word. I think he is worried that the Heike seems unable to protect him from the crazy Yoshinaka...) Leaving Go-Shirakawa's place, Munemori tells his son Kiyomune (hora, another "uncreative" name... gah!) that they must get Koremori back. (and blabbers a lot more which i couldn't catch, but i think he is saying stuff about how they must do some "damage-control" in order to save their image and win back the ex-emperor's confidence in them??)
Tsuneko (Koremori's mother) visits Tokiko one night and asks Tokiko for a loan. A man had visited her one night and showed her the suit of armour that has been passed down from Shigemori to Koremori (who has sold it for food during their escape). That armour contains memories of Shigemori and is a symbol of pride to the Heike family (a heirloom passed down the successors), she has to buy it back from that man no matter what.
At this time, Yoshitsune and his army has taken up camp at Owari. Benkei comments that they are near the place where Yoshitsune's father Yoshitomo spent his last days. Yoshitsune adds that it is also where he had his Genpuku. At that time, he wanted to create a new peaceful country (just like Kiyomori) where there is no war. Yet ironically, he is caught between Yoritomo and Yoshinaka and is leading his army to war at the very moment.
Benkei: "But one cannot build a new country without a fight."
Yoshitsune: "Is that really something we cannot achieve without fighting?"
Saburo returns from his scouting mission and reports to Yoshitsune that Yoshinaka's army are nearing the capital and looks set to strike within a matter of days. Yoshitsune is reluctant to engage in a battle with Yoshinaka and wants to avoid meaningless loss of lives as much as he can. He instructs Saburo to spread rumours that Yoritomo's troops from Kamakura are heading towards the capital. He hopes that Yoshinaka will believe this rumour and in a bid to avoid clashing with Yoritomo, he will hold his troops. However, such a rumour spurs Yoshinaka and Tomoe on instead. (They are war crazy, remember?) They believe that if they can capture the capital first, they will be recognised as the main Genji leaders and not have to fear Yoritomo anymore.
Meanwhile, Otoku pays Tokiko a visit. She tells Tokiko she can get back the armour that Koremori lost but on one condition. She tells Tokiko that the punishment meted out for looters in the capital now is cruel beyond reason. Many people are also being accused of wrongly. She requests Tokiko to moderate the punishment. Tokiko agrees.
With the help of Suzaku no Okina (the underworld leader), the armour is returned to the Heike.
Tsuneko and her 2 sons are relieved to see the return of the armour and thank Tokiko (who does not reveal how she got it back). Just then Munemori comes into the room and makes an announcement that shocks even Tokiko. He claims that when Koremori gave up his armour, he also gave up his right as the Heike successor. As such, the armour should now be passed to the next in line, which is himself. (Waah ka! Talk about being thick-skinned...) Everyone tries to intervene that Koremori only did so because he needed to buy food to save his remaining troops.
Munemori: "But still, puny amount of food in exchange for the Heike heirloom??! This is not something a samurai will do. One reaps what he sows."
Munemori takes the armour and gives it to his own son Kiyomune. Tomomori witnesses this and chides Munemori for not understanding Koremori's painful decision. But of course, Munemori has never been on the battlefield himself.
Saburo reports to Yoshitsune that Yoshinaka is already at the doorstep of the capital. Yoshitsune is disappointed that he is unable to stop him and a battle now seems inevitable. However, once he engages battle with Yoshinaka, he will become the young Yoshitaka's enemy. The boy will have a fate exactly like him. (Yoshitsune trusted Kiyomori when he was young but the latter turned out to be his enemy. Similarly, Yoshitaka trusts Yoshitsune and now...) And once battle starts, it will put Yoshitsune in direct opposition with the Heike, means he has to fight Tomomori, Shigemori... who were once his childhood playmates. Yoshitsune comments what fate has made of him. How he is caught between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo, Kiyomori and Yoritomo...
Tomomori reveals to his wife Akirakeiko that if Yoshinaka's troops attack, the Heike have no chance. He tells her to hold the family together and look after Tokiko while the men are at battle.
The next day, Tomomori starts sending troops away from the capital. Munemori scolds him for being a coward, for withdrawing without a fight. Tomomori claims that he is just avoiding unnecessary blood loss. Heike is not going to win the battle with their much weakened army no matter what. He proposes to Munemori that they leave the capital to Saikoku (regions west of Kyoto), where they still have allies, to reamass their troops before returning to the capital again to launch an attack. The rest are reluctant but with no alternative suggestions, they agree to leave.
Shigehira brings the news to the ladies. Tokiko is unwilling to leave but Shigehira tells her, they cannot fulfill Kiyomori's "death wish" if they stay on. Tokiko finally agrees and preparations for the move starts.
Ichijou Naganari invites Munemori to his house when he hears of Heike's plans to withdraw from the capital, saying he has something to return to them. It turns out to be Kiyomori's precious divider screen that Ushiwaka (the young Yoshitsune) had doodled on when he was young. Munemori recalls how jealous he was of Ushiwaka at that time, and thinks Heike started going downhill all because of Kiyomori was obsessed with Fukuhara. He takes the screen back and tries to burn it but a sudden strong gust of wind prevents him from doing so. It is as if Kiyomori himself stopped him.
Meanwhile, Yoshitsune and company arrives at Oumi where they can see the capital just in the distance. The capital that Yoshitsune left 12 years ago. The capital full of memories.
~End of Episode 22~
Meanwhile, Yoshinaka beats the Heike again at Kurikara Pass and orders further attacks on the retreating enemy led by Koremori. The Heike army has lost more than half its men by now.
Back in Kyoto, Munemori is furious that they are losing and wants to send more men out but gets admonished by Tomomori. They have already sent out too many men, sending more will leave the capital in a vulnerable state.
Tomomori reports to Tokiko the number of men lost and the family's first death at the battlefield, Tomonori (like who is this??? and they *really* need to have more creativity when it comes to names... -_-).Tokiko is shaken and tells Tomomori, "Rather than protecting the capital per se, we must do all we can to protect the young emperor!". (That will be the young Emperor Antoku, Tokiko's grandson. Anyway, it also reads to me that Tokiko is really saying, "Heck the old fogey Go-Shirakawa already!" LOL~)
On the other hand, Munemori reports to Go-Shirakawa (anyway) and gets chided by Tsubone. Afterall, how can the supposedly powerful Heike army lose so easily to Yoshinaka? Tomoyasu asks Munemori why they chose Koremori, the one who has lost every single battle, to be General. Munemori replies they cannot afford to release anyone else from the capital for this job. "But aren't YOU the successor??", Tomoyasu asks and laments the decline of Heike's successors. (I think Munemori is just a coward and afraid to go out to battle, that is why he sent Koremori. Go-Shirakawa just keeps shaking his head here without a word. I think he is worried that the Heike seems unable to protect him from the crazy Yoshinaka...) Leaving Go-Shirakawa's place, Munemori tells his son Kiyomune (hora, another "uncreative" name... gah!) that they must get Koremori back. (and blabbers a lot more which i couldn't catch, but i think he is saying stuff about how they must do some "damage-control" in order to save their image and win back the ex-emperor's confidence in them??)
Tsuneko (Koremori's mother) visits Tokiko one night and asks Tokiko for a loan. A man had visited her one night and showed her the suit of armour that has been passed down from Shigemori to Koremori (who has sold it for food during their escape). That armour contains memories of Shigemori and is a symbol of pride to the Heike family (a heirloom passed down the successors), she has to buy it back from that man no matter what.
At this time, Yoshitsune and his army has taken up camp at Owari. Benkei comments that they are near the place where Yoshitsune's father Yoshitomo spent his last days. Yoshitsune adds that it is also where he had his Genpuku. At that time, he wanted to create a new peaceful country (just like Kiyomori) where there is no war. Yet ironically, he is caught between Yoritomo and Yoshinaka and is leading his army to war at the very moment.
Benkei: "But one cannot build a new country without a fight."
Yoshitsune: "Is that really something we cannot achieve without fighting?"
Saburo returns from his scouting mission and reports to Yoshitsune that Yoshinaka's army are nearing the capital and looks set to strike within a matter of days. Yoshitsune is reluctant to engage in a battle with Yoshinaka and wants to avoid meaningless loss of lives as much as he can. He instructs Saburo to spread rumours that Yoritomo's troops from Kamakura are heading towards the capital. He hopes that Yoshinaka will believe this rumour and in a bid to avoid clashing with Yoritomo, he will hold his troops. However, such a rumour spurs Yoshinaka and Tomoe on instead. (They are war crazy, remember?) They believe that if they can capture the capital first, they will be recognised as the main Genji leaders and not have to fear Yoritomo anymore.
Meanwhile, Otoku pays Tokiko a visit. She tells Tokiko she can get back the armour that Koremori lost but on one condition. She tells Tokiko that the punishment meted out for looters in the capital now is cruel beyond reason. Many people are also being accused of wrongly. She requests Tokiko to moderate the punishment. Tokiko agrees.
With the help of Suzaku no Okina (the underworld leader), the armour is returned to the Heike.
Tsuneko and her 2 sons are relieved to see the return of the armour and thank Tokiko (who does not reveal how she got it back). Just then Munemori comes into the room and makes an announcement that shocks even Tokiko. He claims that when Koremori gave up his armour, he also gave up his right as the Heike successor. As such, the armour should now be passed to the next in line, which is himself. (Waah ka! Talk about being thick-skinned...) Everyone tries to intervene that Koremori only did so because he needed to buy food to save his remaining troops.
Munemori: "But still, puny amount of food in exchange for the Heike heirloom??! This is not something a samurai will do. One reaps what he sows."
Munemori takes the armour and gives it to his own son Kiyomune. Tomomori witnesses this and chides Munemori for not understanding Koremori's painful decision. But of course, Munemori has never been on the battlefield himself.
Saburo reports to Yoshitsune that Yoshinaka is already at the doorstep of the capital. Yoshitsune is disappointed that he is unable to stop him and a battle now seems inevitable. However, once he engages battle with Yoshinaka, he will become the young Yoshitaka's enemy. The boy will have a fate exactly like him. (Yoshitsune trusted Kiyomori when he was young but the latter turned out to be his enemy. Similarly, Yoshitaka trusts Yoshitsune and now...) And once battle starts, it will put Yoshitsune in direct opposition with the Heike, means he has to fight Tomomori, Shigemori... who were once his childhood playmates. Yoshitsune comments what fate has made of him. How he is caught between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo, Kiyomori and Yoritomo...
Tomomori reveals to his wife Akirakeiko that if Yoshinaka's troops attack, the Heike have no chance. He tells her to hold the family together and look after Tokiko while the men are at battle.
The next day, Tomomori starts sending troops away from the capital. Munemori scolds him for being a coward, for withdrawing without a fight. Tomomori claims that he is just avoiding unnecessary blood loss. Heike is not going to win the battle with their much weakened army no matter what. He proposes to Munemori that they leave the capital to Saikoku (regions west of Kyoto), where they still have allies, to reamass their troops before returning to the capital again to launch an attack. The rest are reluctant but with no alternative suggestions, they agree to leave.
Shigehira brings the news to the ladies. Tokiko is unwilling to leave but Shigehira tells her, they cannot fulfill Kiyomori's "death wish" if they stay on. Tokiko finally agrees and preparations for the move starts.
Ichijou Naganari invites Munemori to his house when he hears of Heike's plans to withdraw from the capital, saying he has something to return to them. It turns out to be Kiyomori's precious divider screen that Ushiwaka (the young Yoshitsune) had doodled on when he was young. Munemori recalls how jealous he was of Ushiwaka at that time, and thinks Heike started going downhill all because of Kiyomori was obsessed with Fukuhara. He takes the screen back and tries to burn it but a sudden strong gust of wind prevents him from doing so. It is as if Kiyomori himself stopped him.
Meanwhile, Yoshitsune and company arrives at Oumi where they can see the capital just in the distance. The capital that Yoshitsune left 12 years ago. The capital full of memories.
~End of Episode 22~
// posted by snuffles @ 8:04 PM 
