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sylia74
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J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
I think the reason why everyone was ganging up on Tensho-in is because she's an easy target. She doesn't really have allies in the Ooku like the other people. Kazunomiya has her entourage and Honju-in has her best friend. I wonder if the real Tensho-in really was unaware of what was happening with Satsuma. It seems that this portrayal of her is probably a lot nicer and a lot more naive than the real person was.
As far as Yoshinobu I thought that scene with him was pretty interesting. He seems like the kind of person that would have been happier if the shogunate would have pardoned him without being forced into it. I think he looks at the Satsuma people as a bunch of upstarts who overstepped their boundaries.
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10/21/2008, 6:14 pm
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brad6
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
The real Atsuhime was a very strong woman. Our heroine is very pretty and attractive and much sweeter I think than the real princess.
She was not friendly with the new princess from Kyoto and did not suffer fools lightly. She did have a good deal of input into the politics of the day but I am sure it was done behind Oooku doors.
Lots to read about her on the variious Websites.
Peg
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10/21/2008, 10:28 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
I agree, Yoshinobu looked irritated and almost furious that Satsuma had forced the Tokugawa shogunate to pardon him. From what we've seen of him in prior episodes, he seems like a very proud individual, so I think he might have even preferred to stay in confinement rather than to be released only because the Tokugawa were being pressured to do so.
That's true about Tenshoin not having many allies in the Ooku. Before, when Atsu first married Iesada and moved into the Ooku, she had Ikushima, who would frequently stand up for her when Takiyama or Honjuin gave Atsu a problem. After Ikushima left, Tenshoin really hasn't had anyone to back her up. Kazunomiya seems to be the opposite -- she has a whole staff of attendants from Kyoto, not to mention the advantage of having her own mother with her in the Ooku. Its such a stark contrast to when Atsu married Iesada. She had to leave her entire family and way of life behind in Satsuma, and moved in to the Ooku with only Ikushima by her side.
Yeah, its really interesting to think about how the real Atsu-hime would have reacted to Satsuma's demand for reform and the subsequent march to Kyoto. If she was very involved in the politics of her day, it makes me wonder whether or not she actually did have prior knowledge of Satsuma's actions. I was also thinking about how the real Atsu would have reacted to being suspected in the Ooku.
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10/22/2008, 5:01 am
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
Atsu-hime Episode #37
Friendship or Farewell?
 
I really enjoyed watching tonight’s episode, even though there were quite a few scenes that were rather sad. One of the things that I enjoy most about this drama is the musical score. I think that the background music used during the episode (especially during the scene where Tenshoin met with Naogoro) made it so much more moving and powerful. I am really enjoying this drama. And luckily, the E-subbed travelogues are back!
It was good that we finally got to learn even more about some of the reforms that Satsuma and the Imperial Court were pushing for. I liked that segment at the beginning that listed them all out for us. One was for Shogun Iemochi to meet with Emperor Komei in Kyoto, to discuss political manners (the narrator mentioned that this was a rather unprecedented request). The second was for Satsuma to be allowed more influence in administration and reform. The final demand was that Yoshinobu be appointed as Iemochi’s guardian, and that Matsudaira Shungaku become chief of political administration.
It looks like the envoy from the Imperial Court in Kyoto along with Satsuma forcess led by Hisamitsu (and accompanied by Okubo and Naogoro) finally entered Edo. One thing I noticed in this episode is what a firm yet ruthless politician Hisamitsu is. We’ve seen some instances of Hisamitsu’s temper before, like when he had ordered Saigo to be arrested and exiled after not following his orders. But after seeing the types of underhanded techniques Hisamitsu used during the negotiations between the imperial envoy and the Tokugawa politicians, I realized how different he is from the late Nariakira.
I didn’t like Hisamitsu’s approach to threatening to kill the Tokugawa officials if they didn’t accept the Imperial envoy’s (and Satsuma’s) demands for reform. Even though the Tokugawa politicians were adamant at first, it was no wonder that they accepted the reform demands without question after their lives were threatened. Okubo and the other soldiers were waiting right outside the door, ready to strike if the Tokugawa officials answered “no” to the Imperial envoy.
So now Satsuma and the Imperial Court finally saw their reforms put in place, and Shogun Iemochi named Yoshinobu as his guardian.
It was interesting to see Naogoro’s disagreement with Hisamitsu’s and Okubo’s views on using force. He even had a mini-argument with Okubo, who agreed with the use of force against the Tokugawa officials. I think it’s the first time we’ve seen Naogoro disagree with one of Hisamitsu’s policies. Nariakira always used to say that violence would only breed more violence. I guess Hisamitsu’s and Okubo’s views are turning out to be the opposite of Nariakira’s. Naogoro seems to be siding more with Nariakira’s views that a peaceful approach to demanding Tokugawa reform would have been better.
Then there was that fateful meeting between Tenshoin and Hisamitsu! Since Takiyama and Shigeno pointed out that Tenshoin might be suspected again if she met with Hisamitsu (or anyone from Satsuma, for that matter), I thought it was smart that she met with Hisamitsu and Naogoro at the Buddhist temple where the late Iesada was buried. That way, the Ooku would just assume that Tenshoin was praying at her late husband's grave and wouldn't think anything of it. I think Tenshoin and Hisamitsu hadn’t seen each other since she was a young girl back in Satsuma. How interesting that they meet each other now.
I got the feeling that Hisamitsu and Tenshoin didn't like each other at all. She was angry at his underhanded methods, which included not telling the Emperor Komei or the imperial court that he and Satsuma felt that expelling the foreigners not possible. Hisamitsu admitted that he withheld that information from the court so that he could get their support in reforming the Tokugawa political administration (which proved successful). Hisamitsu didn't appreciate that Tenshoin refused to help her hometown, Satsuma.
I found it very sad that Tenshoin was determined to "throw away" Satsuma from her life. She had mentioned to someone (it was either Kazunomiya or Shigeno) that she no longer had a hometown. I'm glad that she changed her position on this by the end of the episode. There were still many things to love about Satsuma (her mom and brother still there, her memories with the late Nariakira, etc.), and Satsuma's recent political moves shouldn't be a reason for her to throw away her entire past. I'm glad meeting with Naogoro changed her thinking.
I found it interesting that Kazunomiya met with Tenshoin alone, without her entourage. She mentioned that she was feeling bad that the Imperial court was “bullying” the Tokugawa shogunate. I’m glad Tenshoin put her worries to rest and made it clear that it was not her or the Imperial court’s fault – that it was Satsuma, not the Imperial court, who decided reform was necessary and began the march to Kyoto/Edo. I found it equally odd that the members of Kazunomiya’s entourage (Lady Kangyouin and Lady Niwata) are praising Satsuma for its pledge to reform the Tokugawa shogunate and aid the Imperial Family in expelling foreigners.
Naogoro finally met Katsu Rintaro. I think they both made a profound impact on each other -- Katsu gave Naogoro that advice about "accomplishment through the heart, not force", and it seemed to have moved Naogoro deeply. I guess that thinking differs from Satsuma's policy of aggressive force and underhanded tactics. Katsu seems to be very wise and reform-minded, also.
My favorite scene was Naogoro meeting with Tenshoin in the Ooku. Their meeting was so different from their childhood as friends, yet so familiar as well. Especially playing go again. Bringing out their favorite childhood game did the trick of calming Naogoro down. They were able to relax and finally discuss things, unlike the meeting with Hisamitsu. In the end, they both remained determined: Tenshoin would protect the Ooku and the Tokugawa, yet she still asked Naogoro to do his best in protecting her homeland, Satsuma. The saddest part was when they promised and vowed to meet each other again.
The final scene... what a mess! We're still in late 1862, and even though Hisamitsu told Tenshoin that he didn't believe in expelling the foreigners, his force still murdered the English man. Now, in that cliffhanger of a final scene, Takiyama mentioned to Tenshoin that Satsuma and England were going to go to war over the murder and the incident. Poor Tenshoin, she looks like she is very worried about what will occur to Satsuma as a result.
Episode 38 airs next Saturday! (11/1)
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10/25/2008, 9:47 pm
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diane18
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
class blockquote Hiroshi66 wrote:
Atsu-hime Episode #37
Friendship or Farewell?
I really enjoyed watching tonight’s episode, even though there were quite a few scenes that were rather sad. One of the things that I enjoy most about this drama is the musical score. I think that the background music used during the episode (especially during the scene where Tenshoin met with Naogoro) made it so much more moving and powerful. I am really enjoying this drama. And luckily, the E-subbed travelogues are back!
It was good that we finally got to learn even more about some of the reforms that Satsuma and the Imperial Court were pushing for. I liked that segment at the beginning that listed them all out for us. One was for Shogun Iemochi to meet with Emperor Komei in Kyoto, to discuss political manners (the narrator mentioned that this was a rather unprecedented request). The second was for Satsuma to be allowed more influence in administration and reform. The final demand was that Yoshinobu be appointed as Iemochi’s guardian, and that Matsudaira Shungaku become chief of political administration.
It looks like the envoy from the Imperial Court in Kyoto along with Satsuma forcess led by Hisamitsu (and accompanied by Okubo and Naogoro) finally entered Edo. One thing I noticed in this episode is what a firm yet ruthless politician Hisamitsu is. We’ve seen some instances of Hisamitsu’s temper before, like when he had ordered Saigo to be arrested and exiled after not following his orders. But after seeing the types of underhanded techniques Hisamitsu used during the negotiations between the imperial envoy and the Tokugawa politicians, I realized how different he is from the late Nariakira.
I didn’t like Hisamitsu’s approach to threatening to kill the Tokugawa officials if they didn’t accept the Imperial envoy’s (and Satsuma’s) demands for reform. Even though the Tokugawa politicians were adamant at first, it was no wonder that they accepted the reform demands without question after their lives were threatened. Okubo and the other soldiers were waiting right outside the door, ready to strike if the Tokugawa officials answered “no” to the Imperial envoy.
So now Satsuma and the Imperial Court finally saw their reforms put in place, and Shogun Iemochi named Yoshinobu as his guardian.
It was interesting to see Naogoro’s disagreement with Hisamitsu’s and Okubo’s views on using force. He even had a mini-argument with Okubo, who agreed with the use of force against the Tokugawa officials. I think it’s the first time we’ve seen Naogoro disagree with one of Hisamitsu’s policies. Nariakira always used to say that violence would only breed more violence. I guess Hisamitsu’s and Okubo’s views are turning out to be the opposite of Nariakira’s. Naogoro seems to be siding more with Nariakira’s views that a peaceful approach to demanding Tokugawa reform would have been better.
Then there was that fateful meeting between Tenshoin and Hisamitsu! Since Takiyama and Shigeno pointed out that Tenshoin might be suspected again if she met with Hisamitsu (or anyone from Satsuma, for that matter), I thought it was smart that she met with Hisamitsu and Naogoro at the Buddhist temple where the late Iesada was buried. That way, the Ooku would just assume that Tenshoin was praying at her late husband's grave and wouldn't think anything of it. I think Tenshoin and Hisamitsu hadn’t seen each other since she was a young girl back in Satsuma. How interesting that they meet each other now.
I got the feeling that Hisamitsu and Tenshoin didn't like each other at all. She was angry at his underhanded methods, which included not telling the Emperor Komei or the imperial court that he and Satsuma felt that expelling the foreigners not possible. Hisamitsu admitted that he withheld that information from the court so that he could get their support in reforming the Tokugawa political administration (which proved successful). Hisamitsu didn't appreciate that Tenshoin refused to help her hometown, Satsuma.
I found it very sad that Tenshoin was determined to "throw away" Satsuma from her life. She had mentioned to someone (it was either Kazunomiya or Shigeno) that she no longer had a hometown. I'm glad that she changed her position on this by the end of the episode. There were still many things to love about Satsuma (her mom and brother still there, her memories with the late Nariakira, etc.), and Satsuma's recent political moves shouldn't be a reason for her to throw away her entire past. I'm glad meeting with Naogoro changed her thinking.
I found it interesting that Kazunomiya met with Tenshoin alone, without her entourage. She mentioned that she was feeling bad that the Imperial court was “bullying” the Tokugawa shogunate. I’m glad Tenshoin put her worries to rest and made it clear that it was not her or the Imperial court’s fault – that it was Satsuma, not the Imperial court, who decided reform was necessary and began the march to Kyoto/Edo. I found it equally odd that the members of Kazunomiya’s entourage (Lady Kangyouin and Lady Niwata) are praising Satsuma for its pledge to reform the Tokugawa shogunate and aid the Imperial Family in expelling foreigners.
Naogoro finally met Katsu Rintaro. I think they both made a profound impact on each other -- Katsu gave Naogoro that advice about "accomplishment through the heart, not force", and it seemed to have moved Naogoro deeply. I guess that thinking differs from Satsuma's policy of aggressive force and underhanded tactics. Katsu seems to be very wise and reform-minded, also.
My favorite scene was Naogoro meeting with Tenshoin in the Ooku. Their meeting was so different from their childhood as friends, yet so familiar as well. Especially playing go again. Bringing out their favorite childhood game did the trick of calming Naogoro down. They were able to relax and finally discuss things, unlike the meeting with Hisamitsu. In the end, they both remained determined: Tenshoin would protect the Ooku and the Tokugawa, yet she still asked Naogoro to do his best in protecting her homeland, Satsuma. The saddest part was when they promised and vowed to meet each other again.
The final scene... what a mess! We're still in late 1862, and even though Hisamitsu told Tenshoin that he didn't believe in expelling the foreigners, his force still murdered the English man. Now, in that cliffhanger of a final scene, Takiyama mentioned to Tenshoin that Satsuma and England were going to go to war over the murder and the incident. Poor Tenshoin, she looks like she is very worried about what will occur to Satsuma as a result.
Episode 38 airs next Saturday! (11/1)hello hiroshi66
now that you mention it, i'm glad that Lady Tenshoin DID NOT throw away her game of "go". When she burned all her things of her homeland satsuma, I assumed that her game of "go" will be burned too. Whew!
As for Katsu, I remember that he played another character at the beginning of "Atsu-hime", had to do with taxes and rice, I think. He also played that oni of a dad in the drama starring yours truly Kimura, Takuya. I think it was called "the grand family". That was a good drama.
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10/26/2008, 8:37 am
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brad6
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
Hiroshi,
As I watch the way this drama is unfolding in history, I am trying to sort out in my mind when the shinsengumi really ran into so much trouble and they were mostly broken up and some had to commit seppuku.
Does it begin to unravel after the attack on the english group?
Were all the shinsengumi from Satsuma?
Diane...
Yes I recognised Daisuke from Karei Naru Ichizoku. He looks younger and friendlier this time!!
Must confess that I am trying to eliminate the Hollywood 'Last Samurai' from my mind. I did not watch this film but could not avoid the discussions and clips on TV.
Peg
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10/26/2008, 10:30 am
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sylia74
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J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
Hey Peg! At this time the Shinsengumi hadn't been formed yet. The members (who were mostly from Edo) accompanied the shogun on his trip to Kyoto as part of another ronin group (which hasn't happened yet in this story). Shinsengumi wasn't officially formed until September 1863.
You're right, Greg! Shinsengumi! has been really interesting to re-watch now that we're watching this show. In a sense the two shows will complement each other because most of the action in Shinsengumi! takes place in Kyoto during the same time period. For people who want to rewatch Shinsengumi! (that don't want to get ahead of this show) they can watch up to about episode 12. I actually rewatched the parts with Katsu Kishu the other night. He's only in a few episodes but his portrayal is interesting.
Here's a link for people who want to read about the Namamugi Incident (the last scene from tonight's episode)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namamugi_Incident
Last edited by sylia74, 10/26/2008, 4:55 pm
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10/26/2008, 4:05 pm
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