Thursday, July 14, 2005
Yoshitsune #23: Kurou and Yoshinaka 九郎と義仲
Utsubo visits Yoshitsune at Oumi and surprises everyone. It has been 8 years since they last met. (really?? din feel so long...) She tells them about Heike's withdrawal from the capital and Yoshitsune starts to worry what Yoshinaka will do. He decides to proceed to the capital to check on Yoshinaka himself.
Munemori goes to find Go-Shirakawa, planning to bring him along to Saikoku with them, only to find out that the ex-emperor has escaped to somewhere without his knowing. (His purpose of wanting to bring Go-Shirakawa with him is because his presence with them will make the Heike clan the "rightful" rulers. Every other clan will be considered as rebels. They already have the young Emperor Antoku with them, if the ex-emperor joins them too, it will mean like the imperial family is on Heike's side, so whatever the Heike do will be "endorsed" by the imperial family...) For Munemori, who has up til now believed that Go-Shirakawa is their ally, is shocked to find that the latter has deserted and betrayed them.
Meanwhile, the ex-emperor is actually hiding in a temple in the depths of Mt Hiei. Tsubone tells him that the Three Sacred Imperial Treasures have fallen into Heike's hands.
Munemori tells the rest of his family that Go-Shirakawa has betrayed them. Tokuko (known as Kenreimonin ever since she is married to Emperor Takakura, Antoku's father) tells them she is on their side no matter what and hence they must protect Antoku at all cost. (But of course, she is their family!! I don't understand why the moment she entered the imperial family, she starts to speak with this ethereal tone... Still human right?? Anyway im confused... where is Takakura now?? Is he still the reigning emperor? Or the young Antoku has already taken over the throne?? So they just skip over Takakura???)
Muneko brings Yoshiko to see Tokiko one night. Tokiko comments how she feels even worse leaving this time compared to when leaving for Fukuhara. Muneko asks Yoshiko whether she wants to leave with them, since her birth mother Tokiwa is in the capital and the half-brother Yoshitsune is with the invading Genji. Yoshiko chooses to leave with the Heike and Tokiko is touched.
(narration) Soon, members of the Heike leave the capital one by one. Yoshitsune watches as their carts pass by one by one, but he doesn't know that Yoshiko is leaving with them.
Benkei brings news that Go-Shirakawa is hiding at Mt Hiei and that he has turned his back on the Heike. Instead, he will be taking side with Yoshinaka. Yoshitsune is worried that such a situation will cause the rift between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo to widen. Saburo further reports that the Heike has stopped over at Fukuhara. Otoku pops over for a surprise visit and Yoshitsune is very glad to see her. (I think Otoku invites him to stay at her house but Yoshitsune tells her he has to stay in Oumi for the time being. He asks her to help him watch over Yoshinaka and inform him about his movements. Otoku agrees of course and Utsubo offers to be the messenger.)
Three days after the Heike left, Yoshinaka arrives with his army. He is esctatic that he is the first Genji to enter the capital, which means he has "won" Yoritomo to be the true leader of the clan. (He really is one competitive guy hungry for fame and power... -__-)
Yoshinaka and Yukiie visits Go-Shirakawa, who has returned to the capital. Being clueless about proper court behaviour, Yoshinaka is all fidgety and rude. (Thou i tot Yukiie talks as if he is going to puke... LMAO~)
Yoshinaka returns after the meeting and is proud that he has seen the ex-Emperor. He thinks the latter has acknowledged him as the head of Genji. However, he is pissed off with Yukiie for acting smug, like as if he is the leader.
Tsubone asks Go-Shirakawa about his impression of Yoshinaka. The latter, after seeing his "rough" ways, does not feel comfortable trusting him.
At Fukuhara, the Heike holds a memorial service for Kiyomori. (I KNOW WHO ANTOKU LOOKS LIKE ALREADY!!! AHAHAHAH~~~~ HAKU FROM SPIRITED AWAY!!! THE HAIR IS DA SAME!!!! LOL~~~ Gomen, major digression...) Koremori leaves halfway and weeps by himself. Tomomori finds him. Koremori regrets that he has been such a letdown, losing every single battle that he led. Tomomori consoles him and tells him to forget it since they are no longer samurais. Koremori is shocked. Tomomori explains that they have changed slowly to court nobles/aristocrats without realising. Somewhere along the way, the Heike have forgotten that they are samurais, and that is the reason for their decline.
Tokiko sees an illusion of Kiyomori during the memorial service and reproaches herself for bringing the family to this state. (Cannot understand what Kiyomori says here, but i think he meant something like as long as the family stays together, they will return to the capital one day.)
The next day, the Heike torches their palace in Fukuhara and leaves for Saikoku. News of the burning reaches Yoshitsune. "Is this the end of Kiyomori's dream?" he laments.
Go-Shirakawa decides to dethrone Antoku, since he has left with the Heike. Yoshinaka proposes that Hokuriku no Miya (the late Prince Mochihito's son, Go-Shirakawa's grandson) be the new Emperor. The bureaucrats think it is presumptuous of Yoshinaka to involve himself in imperial decisions. Go-Shirakawa thinks that troubles started when he gave Kiyomori a voice in imperial matters, so now he is playing safe and no longer giving the samurai class any say. He names Tokukara's 4th son (Antoku's step-brother) as the new Emperor Gotoba instead, but because the Three Sacred Imperial Treasures remain in Heike's hands, the naming cannot be made official, and there arise a weird situation of 2 emperors in co-existence. One in Kyoto, and one in Saikoku.
Yoshinaka is angry that Go-Shirakawa rejects his proposal and threatens to leave the capital, leaving the imperial family unprotected and vulnerable. Yoshitsune hears of this and is shocked at Yoshinaka's behaviour. Go-Shirakawa gives him an official position as guardian of Echigo (a place) but Yoshinaka complains that Echigo is his territory all along. Reluctantly, Go-Shirakawa gives him another position as guardian of Iyo (current day Ehime in Shikoku). Yoshinaka celebrates this bestowment and announces complacently that even the emperor does not dare to oppose him.
Go-Shirakawa writes a letter to Yoritomo in Kamakura and asks him to go to Kyoto soon (to control the crazy Yoshinaka) but Yoritomo is hesistant. He decides that if he agrees to go, it will seem like they are at the beck and call of the imperial family. He decides to decline his request (politely) with some made-up excuse for the time being.
Autumn arrives. Yoshinaka is basking in his new found status and neglecting his army's discipline as they creat chaos in the capital. They bully the masses and rob them of their property.
Unable to tolerate the situation anymore, Yoshitsune risks his life and looks up Yoshinaka, requesting him to suppress his men. Yoshinaka finds out that he is working for Yoritomo (his enemy) and points a sword in his face but Yoshitsune does not even flinch. He tells Yoshinaka that he is making this request not as someone working for Yoritomo, but as his cousin. Yoshinaka suspects this is not the only reason that Yoshitsune came for. Yoshitsune finally reveals that he hope Yoshinaka will co-operate with Yoritomo since they are family. Yoshinaka retorts that his father was the brother of Yoshitomo but gets betrayed and killed by him anyway, so he thinks nothing of family ties. To him, family ties are just an illusion. Yoshitsune tells him if anything happens between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo, Yoshitaka will be the one who suffers. He reveals to Yoshinaka that he has been taking care of the boy since he was sent to Kamakura. Yoshitaka wanted him to tell Yoshinaka that he is alright if they ever meet. Hearing this, Yoshinaka's eyes well up in tears. But he tells Yoshitsune that it has been his dream to make a name for himself since his father was killed when he was young. Therefore, he refuses to be ruled by Yoritomo. Talks of collaboration thus fall through.
Disappointed, Yoshitsune takes his leave but Yoshinaka stops him.
Yoshinaka: "Please tell this to Yoshitaka."
Yoshitsune: "Hai."
Yoshinaka: "Sorry."
~End of Episode 23~
Munemori goes to find Go-Shirakawa, planning to bring him along to Saikoku with them, only to find out that the ex-emperor has escaped to somewhere without his knowing. (His purpose of wanting to bring Go-Shirakawa with him is because his presence with them will make the Heike clan the "rightful" rulers. Every other clan will be considered as rebels. They already have the young Emperor Antoku with them, if the ex-emperor joins them too, it will mean like the imperial family is on Heike's side, so whatever the Heike do will be "endorsed" by the imperial family...) For Munemori, who has up til now believed that Go-Shirakawa is their ally, is shocked to find that the latter has deserted and betrayed them.
Meanwhile, the ex-emperor is actually hiding in a temple in the depths of Mt Hiei. Tsubone tells him that the Three Sacred Imperial Treasures have fallen into Heike's hands.
Munemori tells the rest of his family that Go-Shirakawa has betrayed them. Tokuko (known as Kenreimonin ever since she is married to Emperor Takakura, Antoku's father) tells them she is on their side no matter what and hence they must protect Antoku at all cost. (But of course, she is their family!! I don't understand why the moment she entered the imperial family, she starts to speak with this ethereal tone... Still human right?? Anyway im confused... where is Takakura now?? Is he still the reigning emperor? Or the young Antoku has already taken over the throne?? So they just skip over Takakura???)
Muneko brings Yoshiko to see Tokiko one night. Tokiko comments how she feels even worse leaving this time compared to when leaving for Fukuhara. Muneko asks Yoshiko whether she wants to leave with them, since her birth mother Tokiwa is in the capital and the half-brother Yoshitsune is with the invading Genji. Yoshiko chooses to leave with the Heike and Tokiko is touched.
(narration) Soon, members of the Heike leave the capital one by one. Yoshitsune watches as their carts pass by one by one, but he doesn't know that Yoshiko is leaving with them.
Benkei brings news that Go-Shirakawa is hiding at Mt Hiei and that he has turned his back on the Heike. Instead, he will be taking side with Yoshinaka. Yoshitsune is worried that such a situation will cause the rift between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo to widen. Saburo further reports that the Heike has stopped over at Fukuhara. Otoku pops over for a surprise visit and Yoshitsune is very glad to see her. (I think Otoku invites him to stay at her house but Yoshitsune tells her he has to stay in Oumi for the time being. He asks her to help him watch over Yoshinaka and inform him about his movements. Otoku agrees of course and Utsubo offers to be the messenger.)
Three days after the Heike left, Yoshinaka arrives with his army. He is esctatic that he is the first Genji to enter the capital, which means he has "won" Yoritomo to be the true leader of the clan. (He really is one competitive guy hungry for fame and power... -__-)
Yoshinaka and Yukiie visits Go-Shirakawa, who has returned to the capital. Being clueless about proper court behaviour, Yoshinaka is all fidgety and rude. (Thou i tot Yukiie talks as if he is going to puke... LMAO~)
Yoshinaka returns after the meeting and is proud that he has seen the ex-Emperor. He thinks the latter has acknowledged him as the head of Genji. However, he is pissed off with Yukiie for acting smug, like as if he is the leader.
Tsubone asks Go-Shirakawa about his impression of Yoshinaka. The latter, after seeing his "rough" ways, does not feel comfortable trusting him.
At Fukuhara, the Heike holds a memorial service for Kiyomori. (I KNOW WHO ANTOKU LOOKS LIKE ALREADY!!! AHAHAHAH~~~~ HAKU FROM SPIRITED AWAY!!! THE HAIR IS DA SAME!!!! LOL~~~ Gomen, major digression...) Koremori leaves halfway and weeps by himself. Tomomori finds him. Koremori regrets that he has been such a letdown, losing every single battle that he led. Tomomori consoles him and tells him to forget it since they are no longer samurais. Koremori is shocked. Tomomori explains that they have changed slowly to court nobles/aristocrats without realising. Somewhere along the way, the Heike have forgotten that they are samurais, and that is the reason for their decline.
Tokiko sees an illusion of Kiyomori during the memorial service and reproaches herself for bringing the family to this state. (Cannot understand what Kiyomori says here, but i think he meant something like as long as the family stays together, they will return to the capital one day.)
The next day, the Heike torches their palace in Fukuhara and leaves for Saikoku. News of the burning reaches Yoshitsune. "Is this the end of Kiyomori's dream?" he laments.
Go-Shirakawa decides to dethrone Antoku, since he has left with the Heike. Yoshinaka proposes that Hokuriku no Miya (the late Prince Mochihito's son, Go-Shirakawa's grandson) be the new Emperor. The bureaucrats think it is presumptuous of Yoshinaka to involve himself in imperial decisions. Go-Shirakawa thinks that troubles started when he gave Kiyomori a voice in imperial matters, so now he is playing safe and no longer giving the samurai class any say. He names Tokukara's 4th son (Antoku's step-brother) as the new Emperor Gotoba instead, but because the Three Sacred Imperial Treasures remain in Heike's hands, the naming cannot be made official, and there arise a weird situation of 2 emperors in co-existence. One in Kyoto, and one in Saikoku.
Yoshinaka is angry that Go-Shirakawa rejects his proposal and threatens to leave the capital, leaving the imperial family unprotected and vulnerable. Yoshitsune hears of this and is shocked at Yoshinaka's behaviour. Go-Shirakawa gives him an official position as guardian of Echigo (a place) but Yoshinaka complains that Echigo is his territory all along. Reluctantly, Go-Shirakawa gives him another position as guardian of Iyo (current day Ehime in Shikoku). Yoshinaka celebrates this bestowment and announces complacently that even the emperor does not dare to oppose him.
Go-Shirakawa writes a letter to Yoritomo in Kamakura and asks him to go to Kyoto soon (to control the crazy Yoshinaka) but Yoritomo is hesistant. He decides that if he agrees to go, it will seem like they are at the beck and call of the imperial family. He decides to decline his request (politely) with some made-up excuse for the time being.
Autumn arrives. Yoshinaka is basking in his new found status and neglecting his army's discipline as they creat chaos in the capital. They bully the masses and rob them of their property.
Unable to tolerate the situation anymore, Yoshitsune risks his life and looks up Yoshinaka, requesting him to suppress his men. Yoshinaka finds out that he is working for Yoritomo (his enemy) and points a sword in his face but Yoshitsune does not even flinch. He tells Yoshinaka that he is making this request not as someone working for Yoritomo, but as his cousin. Yoshinaka suspects this is not the only reason that Yoshitsune came for. Yoshitsune finally reveals that he hope Yoshinaka will co-operate with Yoritomo since they are family. Yoshinaka retorts that his father was the brother of Yoshitomo but gets betrayed and killed by him anyway, so he thinks nothing of family ties. To him, family ties are just an illusion. Yoshitsune tells him if anything happens between Yoshinaka and Yoritomo, Yoshitaka will be the one who suffers. He reveals to Yoshinaka that he has been taking care of the boy since he was sent to Kamakura. Yoshitaka wanted him to tell Yoshinaka that he is alright if they ever meet. Hearing this, Yoshinaka's eyes well up in tears. But he tells Yoshitsune that it has been his dream to make a name for himself since his father was killed when he was young. Therefore, he refuses to be ruled by Yoritomo. Talks of collaboration thus fall through.
Disappointed, Yoshitsune takes his leave but Yoshinaka stops him.
Yoshinaka: "Please tell this to Yoshitaka."
Yoshitsune: "Hai."
Yoshinaka: "Sorry."
~End of Episode 23~
// posted by snuffles @ 3:08 AM 
