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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
Final Episode (Part 1) -- A Single Path
Well, last night was the beginning of the end. It looks like this last episode is going to deal with Tenshoin's life in the Meiji era, and how she had to adjust from being the Senior Ladyship of Edo Castle to simply being a shunned member of the defeated and overthrown Tokugawa family. While Tokugawa Iesato (the young boy who is now the new head of the Tokugawa family) is currently in Sunpu with Katsu trying to organize a new location for the Tokugawa family, Tenshoin is stuck in Tokyo (the new name for the city of Edo) awaiting his return.
Looks like the new government is having quite a few problems. There has apparently been a rift between Saigo and Okubo (with his new Western-style 1870s hairdo, LOL!), and Saigo has returned from Tokyo to Satsuma as a result. What a shame that Saigo and Okubo are having such a problem with each other -- they had always been so close, worked together, etc. Maybe Chessmaster Iwakura is responsible for the rift -- knowing him, he's probably said or done something to break up the two so that he can take over the show. Who knows what actually happened behind-the-scenes.
Interesting meeting between Hisamitsu and Naogoro (which turned out to be their final encounter.) Naogoro has now persuaded Hisamitsu to turn over Satsuma's land to Emperor Meiji, as an example for other clans to follow. This will help unite Japan. Hisamitsu wasn't very happy, especially with that powerful and almost chilling line he delivered at the very end of the scene: Dear brother, is this the new Japan you were dreaming of? Even Hisamitsu realized that Nariakira's image of a new Japan was completely different than what it turned out to be. Hisamitsu never cared for Saigo or Okubo... now, he dislikes them even more!
Some of my favorite scenes last night...
Tenshoin and the now bespectacled Lady Honjuin trying out perfume for the first time. Before Tenshoin can get a closer smell, Honjuin and her sidekick Utahashi grab the perfume and spray it on everyone. After so many years of antagonizing Tenshoin, I'm glad that Honjuin and Utahashi are having a better relationship with her.
And then we had the scene where Atsu's mom and brother came to see her in Tokyo all the way from Satsuma. Even Atsu's nurse from her childhood, Shino, came to see her! What a beautiful reunion -- it had been almost twenty years since they had last seen each other. So much had happened in those years. But they were able to continue their relationship as if nothing had happened. My favorite part was when Tenshoin told her mother, When I followed your teachings, the path opened up for me. Her mother must have felt proud, knowing that her daughter was ruling the Edo Castle Ooku using lessons she had been taught as a young child. I guess what makes it even more sad is learning that Atsu's mother passed away upon returning to Satsuma, in 1869. I'm glad she was able to see her daughter one final time.
And then we saw Naogoro pass away, with both Ochika and Okoto at his side. I didn't anticipate Ochika coming to Osaka all the way from Satsuma, but she did. It was also good for Naogoro to see Ochika and Okoto begin a close relationship. It must have been difficult for Ochika having to see Okoto, but she has a very kind heart -- I think she has forgiven Naogoro. Naogoro's final will is for Okoto and his son, Yasuchiyo, to move to Satsuma, and for Yasuchiyo to be raised by Ochika. He then passes away at the age of 36. I wonder what the cause of death was. Very sad scene -- especially since it's one of our main characters, that we have watched mature and develop over the past year.
The last scene left me even more sad -- Tenshoin receiving the news of Naogoro's passing from Okubo. Her best friend is gone, and she never had the chance to see him. In a way, though, it might be better for Tenshoin this way. Even though she didn't have a chance to see Naogoro while he was sick, she will always remember him at their last meeting -- happy and smiling. She didn't have to watch him suffer like Ochika and Okoto did. She'll always have those memories of the time the two spent in Satsuma to relive.
We're now in July of 1870, and the second part of Episode 50 will air next Sunday, 1/31! That will also be the final episode of the series. 
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1/25/2009, 7:50 am
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
class blockquote nchristi wrote:
Thanks for your wonderful summary, Hiroshi. I feel too sad to say anything much about Naogoro and Atsu's lives together and apart, the flashbacks of their lives tied together by their precious red and blue amulets, created before they were born.
Nchristi, you're welcome! 
Yeah, I just went back to re-watch that very sad scene of Atsu sobbing and holding on to her precious red amulet, remembering her treasured memories with Naogoro over the years. What a truly beautiful friendship they shared -- one that was genuine, open, and honest. As Atsu told Naogoro in one of those flashback scenes from the early episodes - We were meant to be friends even before we were born. Now she's lost that friend. This was a really sad episode... but what excellent acting on the parts of both Miyazaki Aoi and Eita (Naogoro's actor.)
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1/25/2009, 1:29 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
Zashibear, glad to hear that you've also enjoyed watching this great taiga drama. I feel the same way about Atsu's upbringing. I think it was because of the life lessons her parents instilled in her that she was able to achieve so much. Even if it meant saving the city of Edo (as well as the Tokugawa family) from the flames of war and massacre.
By the way, this is going back a few episodes, but I found the scene where Tenshoin met with Shogun Yoshinobu to be a very fascinating scene. I wondered whether or not this had actually happened in history, so I was reading a little bit of a biography on Yoshinobu, entitled The Last Shogun by Ryotaro Shiba. It turns out that what we saw portrayed in the drama was mostly historical, with a few differences.
In the drama, Katsu recommended to Yoshinobu that he meet with Lady Tenshoin, so they can discuss appealing the Imperial Court to save his life. In real life, apparently Yoshinobu decided to meet with Lady Seikanin (Kazunomiya) first, but she refused to meet with him since he was an Imperial enemy. Yoshinobu then appealed to Tenshoin, and she agreed to meet with him (like we saw in the drama.) I think that meeting with Yoshinobu and Tenshoin was one of the finest scenes in the drama -- it gave us a chance to see Tenshoin follow one of her mother's lessons to her: Listen to both sides of the story before making a decision. Great scene.
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1/25/2009, 4:12 pm
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CantGetEnough
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
class blockquote bubu13 wrote: class blockquote CantGetEnough wrote:
Sorry if this has been talked about.... I didn't see any new drama listed on the main board for this time slot. Are we getting one? I've updated the front page with the start date.
http://www.runboard.com/bcjkdramasincalifornia.f5.t169305Thank you to all! Just came from there.... it was the first thing I saw when I opened the Japanese threads. Boy! You guys already have two pages going over there. 
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1/25/2009, 6:59 pm
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Hiroshi66
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
No problem, CantGetEnough! Haha yeah, we've already got quite a few posts going over in the Tenchijin thread! 
I remember Bubu had posted an article about a month or so ago about Atsu's wedding palanquin at the Sackler Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. Peg just passed on a few links to me about the palanquin's exhibition at the Sackler in the Spring. Before it returns to America, though, the palanquin is also going to be on display in a Tokyo museum of history.
http://toshogu.blogspot.com/2008/12/atsuhimes-palanquin-in-washington-dc.html
http://www.huliq.com/13/74405/princess-atsuhime%E2%80%99s-wedding-palanquin-revealed-washington-museum
"The first international showing of the Sackler’s palanquin will be at the Tokyo Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum, Dec. 16 through Feb. 1, 2009, for its special exhibition on palanquins in Edo organized by Saitoh. The palanquin returns to the Sackler in the spring of 2009, during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, March 28 - April 12, 2009. It will be on view in the exhibition, “A Shogun’s Wedding: The Princess Atsuhime’s Palanquin,” from March 21 - April 9, 2009."
Peg, thanks for passing on the links! How interesting that the palanquin will be on display in Japan through February, and then it will get shipped to Washington for an exhibition at the Sackler. I wish they would bring it to Los Angeles, too!
Last edited by Hiroshi66, 1/25/2009, 7:53 pm
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1/25/2009, 7:52 pm
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hzmonte
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J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
Hiroshi66: Where did you find the photos you posted in your threads? I want to get the original full-resolution ones.
The narrative after last night's episode said Atsu died 13 years after Naogoro and more than 10,000 people saw her off in her funeral. I assume not everyone in these people were from the Ooku or related to the Shogunate. But then where did they come from? The drama did not describe how Atsu was related to common people.
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1/25/2009, 9:08 pm
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brad6
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
Hiroshi,
thanks so much for putting up the link about Atsuhime and the palanquin. Especially the details re Saigo. This info was passed to me through a friend in Hawaii and it was from her friend 'Nakano'.
thank you Nakano :-)
I also wondered about the large number of people who attended the funeral when Atsu died., Since there were 3000 in the Ooku I am sure they would be there but others must be from Court officials and many Satsuma people who knew about her. I am sure she was known outside of the Ooku because she was not a shrinking violet by any means.
Peggy
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1/25/2009, 10:23 pm
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NChan
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Re: J-Drama: 篤姫 (Atsu-hime)
class blockquote Hiroshi66 wrote:
In the drama, Katsu recommended to Yoshinobu that he meet with Lady Tenshoin, so they can discuss appealing the Imperial Court to save his life. In real life, apparently Yoshinobu decided to meet with Lady Seikanin (Kazunomiya) first, but she refused to meet with him since he was an Imperial enemy. Yoshinobu then appealed to Tenshoin, and she agreed to meet with him (like we saw in the drama.) I think that meeting with Yoshinobu and Tenshoin was one of the finest scenes in the drama -- it gave us a chance to see Tenshoin follow one of her mother's lessons to her: Listen to both sides of the story before making a decision. Great scene.Thank you very much for the info about Yoshinobu decided to meet with
Lady Seikanin first.
I love that scene too especially when Yoshinobu asked Lady Tenshoin
"why do you go that far for me? (saving his life) and the reponse was
"Because you are a family to me". Lady Tenshoin was so kind & loving.
I think Lady Seikanin have also learned so much from that scene alone.
And Yoshinobu must have realized the greatness of Lady Tenshoin whom
he had little regards. He must have regreted it so much for not connecting
with Lady Tenshoin when he was a Shogun.
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1/26/2009, 4:31 am
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11/30/2009, 7:35 pm
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Las Vegas Vacations