Application
For luceti
HeisukeMun
Name: Dea
Livejournal Username: dea_liberty
E-mail: dea.liberty (at) gmail.com
AIM/MSN: dealiberty
Current Characters at Luceti: abishopreally, king_en and etreici
Character
Name: Harada Sanosuke (Western order: Sanosuke Harada)
Fandom: Peacemaker Kurogane
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Time Period: Post Aburakoji Incident (Vol. 6)
Wing Color:
History: Sanosuke (Sano) was born in 1840 in the Iyo-Matsuyama Domain into a class of quasi-samurai (known as "chugen"). He trained in the spear technique known as the "Hozoin-ryu" style, choosing to use the spear rather than the sword in battle. He's not a very accomplished swordsman, but became the best spear user in the Shinsegumi. At some point in his time in Matsuyama, he was ridiculed for being a low-class citizen and accused of not knowing how to commit seppuku. Of course, being Sanosuke, he immediately pulled out his sword in an attempt to prove the guy wrong - only to prove him completely right. He survived the attempt because the cut was too shallow and, later on, enjoyed boasting and showing off the scar to others.
After leaving Matsuyama, he joined Kondou Isami's Shieikan and became close to Nagakura Shinpachi and Toudou Heisuke, and after a while, they become known as the Comedic Trio.
Along with the rest of the Shieikan, Sanosuke joined the Roshigumi and naturally, along with the rest of Kondou's group, became one of the core members of the Shinsengumi under Kondou, and with Hijikata Toshizou and Yamanami Keisuke as the Vice-Commanders. Sanosuke himself because the Tenth Unit Captain.
This is where Shinsen Imon Peacemaker and Peacemaker Kurogane begins. The manga focuses on Ichimura Tetsunosuke, a 15 year old boy who - after a few trials - joins the Shinsengumi in order to get stronger and to finally gain revenge for his parents' murder. Sanosuke is introduced early on, along with Shinpachi, and is one of the members of the Shinsengumi who are closest to young Tetsu. He is, of course, the bane of Tetsu's life as he constantly teases the new recruit. Together with Shinpachi and, after his return from his mission, Heisuke, the trio lighten the mood of the series, often appearing as their serious Shinsengumi selves when the situation calls for it, or gossiping like housewives over some incident or other.
After Yamazaki Ayumu is murdered in place of her brother, Susumu in a mission gone wrong, the Shinsengumi - including Sano - raid the Masuya, capture Furutaka, who is the ringleader and responsible for Ayumu's death, leading to the raid on Ikedaya in order to prevent the Choushuu from lighting the capital on fire. During this incident, Sanosuke is part of the party that is sent to another location but, as the raid on Ikedaya begins, Susumu is able to alert the others of the location of the Choushuu and they are able to rush back in time to help with the clean up. During the Ikedaya incident, Heisuke and Shinpachi are both injured, and Sanosuke is seen physically carrying them back home, trying hard not to cry, after scolding them both for daring to get themselves hurt whilst he's not there.
Other incidents of note in the manga include Yamanami's "seppuku", which is seen by Heisuke as his murder - though Sanosuke doesn't see it as such. Because they were close, when Yamanami disappears, Sanosuke, along with his two friends, worry for their superior's wellbeing and is seen welcoming him back enthusiastically on his return. He's upset by the death but, due to Sanosuke's attitude to life, he works hard to try to get over it - and also works hard to try to help his friends as well.
His reaction to Heisuke leaving the Shinsengumi is loud and violent, and he's angry at his friend for deserting them and joining the Goryoueji with Itou, especially when Heisuke's parting words are harsher than Sano would expect.
During the Aburakoji Incident, Sanosuke was part of the Shinsengumi group that became trapped by the ronin after fighting for their lives. When Shinpachi decides that they should try to fight their way out and to lose the pursuers in the streets, Sanosuke leads the escape whilst Shinpachi stays behind as the rear guard. Sanosuke tells Shinpachi to do whatever is necessary to stay alive before the leads the group away. Having safely got the men out from the situation, Sanosuke returns into the fray and is seen rescuing Heisuke and Shinpachi from the situation the two of them have got themselves into.
After the successful rescue, the three say a tearful goodbye and promise to deal with things once the trouble is over, with Shinpachi and Sanosuke promising to make things right so the three of them can be together again. Shinpachi and Sanosuke begin to walk away. As they do, Heisuke dashes after them. A new recruit, not knowing the situation, believes Heisuke is trying to kill the two captains and stabs Heisuke, fatally wounding him. Shinpachi and Sanosuke return to Heisuke's side and, the three spend Heisuke's last moments trying to joke and laugh as before.
Personality: Sanosuke is not the world's hardest person to understand. Of course, he's got some hidden angst here and there - his issues from being teased when he was younger, the reason he tried to commit seppuku in the first place - but for the most part, Sano is incredibly honest with his emotions and with himself. He deals with those problems and the disappointments, as well as everything else, by not being afraid to express himself, whether that is getting angry or whether it's crying his eyes out. Once that is done, Sano is able to fully process what's happened, his emotions and then move on. In one of the chapters, the Shinsengumi are examined by a doctor, who claims that there are many members who are emotionally wounded by their experiences; Sano, however, is used as an example of how people should be. He's perfectly healthy both physically and emotionally, and remains relatively carefree. This could also be attested to the fact that he isn't the smartest member of the Shinsengumi but, at the end of the day, it's undeniable that Sano's an optimist at heart.
His failed attempt at seppuku, for example, was soon seen by him as something to be proud of and used almost as a banner to say that he was invincible - that he couldn't die and is more than happy to show off this scar - his proof of life- to just about anyone. It also clearly shows Sano's optimism and shows both his ability and his efforts to turn bad things into something better.
Sano finds it hard to understand people who don't take the same attitude and who are not as open as him. Of course, he knows so many people like that that he's mostly given up understanding them (because most of the Shinsengumi would fall under the "not reacting to things like Sano does" category). He simply isn't that good at holding whatever he's feeling inside, repressing it and beating himself up over it when no one's looking. He sees this all the time in other people and tries to encourage them to see things his way, and trying to cheer them up if that doesn't work.
Sano, together with Shinpachi and Heisuke, is a fan of practical jokes. Together, they make up the "comedic trio". They really do enjoy having a good laugh to try to shrug off the serious side of their jobs, trying to get others to have a good time too when they're not on duty. Sano isn't the brains of the operation but is more than happy to go along with whatever schemes Shinpachi and Heisuke come up with, always willing to add his own touch to the jokes as well. He definitely enjoys the fact that they can bring a smile or a laugh to people's faces and, when the jokes become less common as their time in the Shinsengumi goes on and as their experiences build up, he comments on how he's sad they don't laugh as much as they used to. But, like the optimist he is, he also comments on how he thinks those laughs will come back eventually.
Before things got really strained, it was habit for the three of them (or two if Heisuke was out recruiting) to gossip like fishermen's wives about this, that and the other. Nothing would escape their notice, especially if they were bored. And it would be very likely for them to try to…help in one way or another, such as when Tetsu seemed to be depressed because of his disagreement with Saya. Thinking that it was a girl problem, they decided to send him off with Yamanami to the red light district in order to…"deal" with the issue. They then had a great time telling Tatsu all about just to watch him freak out.
Shinpachi and Heisuke are Sano's most important people. His loyalty, like many of the Shinsengumi, is absolute, especially to his two best friends. Sano will fight to the death for and with his unit, but he'll walk through fire when it comes to those two. He dives back into an impossible situation after securing his and Shinpachi's units' safety, in order to rescue Shinpachi because they'd both known that the rear guard, in that particular incident, was not likely to come back alive but, because of Sano's determination and faith that Shinpachi will keep himself alive until Sano gets there, he doesn't even hesitate before rejoining the fray. His loyalty to a friend is also tested when Heisuke asks them to kill him for the betrayal he committed - and yet, like Shinpachi, Sano's heart won't let him do it. The personal loyalty is more important than his loyalty to the Shinsengumi.
Apart from his friends, another thing that really makes Sano happy (and should therefore be noted) is food. Sanosuke loves to eat. He can be motivated to do just about anything for a good meal, and gets easily distracted from things by the discussion of food. Especially of that discussion leans towards feeding Sano. Good food is even better with good company and good sake - and that scenario is pretty much Sano's dream of a good life.
All in all, Sano is a fairly simple person to understand. He doesn't hide his motivations or his thoughts, and doesn't restrain himself when he reacts to something. He's one of those who will do first and think later - metaphorically, shoot first, ask questions later.
He only really controls himself and his actions when he's fighting - when his life and the lives of those under his command depend on it. Sano is a capable tactician when it comes to solving problems on the spot (though not when it comes to overall planning - he leaves that to the experts) and has the ability to help his men through almost any situation, and Sano is a capable leader when required to be. He definitely has a serious side that takes defending his friends, his men and the Shinsengumi very seriously, and this side comes out when it needs to. All the other times, however, he prefers to laugh and prefers everyone else to laugh with him as well.
Strengths:
Physical: Sanosuke's a master of the spear - unmatched by any Shinsengumi member. This is referred to from his very first appearance and is often mentioned throughout canon. Though not as strong with a sword as others, the moment he picks up his spear, it's game over for his opponent. Sanosuke is also physically incredibly strong. After the Ikedaya Incident, he's seen carrying Shinpachi - which isn't a surprise considering Shinpachi's stature - and Yamanami KeisukeHeisuke, who's presumably of average height and weight, without so much as breaking sweat. As a member of the Shinsengumi, he's also physically very fit and in shape as he's constantly training and fighting.
Mental: Sano's intelligence isn't his greatest asset. He doesn't completely fail as a strategist, considering he's a Shinsengumi Unit Captain, but he mostly leaves the scheming and planning and other strenuous mental things to other people. Experience has taught him how to put two and two together when it comes to battle and fighting, but he's definitely not the mastermind of grand schemes and he really doesn't want to be.
Emotional: Sano's greatest strength emotionally is probably that he doesn't think too hard on things and he doesn't take things too much to heart. If he's upset, he'll show he's upset - he's not ashamed of bawling like a baby when the situation calls for it (such as after the Ikedaya Incident and in Heisuke's last moments), and the fact that he really is quite free with his emotions means that he seems to deal with issues quite well. After Yamanami's death, for example, when they're seen by the doctor who comes by, Sanosuke is given a clean bill of health - both physically and emotionally - when Shinpachi and Heisuke are both shown with mental scarring and emotional wounds from the lives they're leading. Shinpachi's even told to be more like Sano in terms of how he deals with the emotional aspect of the job - which is to say, Sano laughed everything off and then went on his merry way in search of food. He's a big-hearted and kind person for the most part, though this becomes irrelevant when he's doing his job. He's a loyal person and will go to just about any lengths to protect those he cares about, even going back into what could be seen as a no-win situation in order to save Shinpachi.
Weaknesses:
Physical: Sanosuke's swordsmanship isn't the greatest. It would probably be considered his weakness if talking about Shinsengumi abilities though, because he chooses to carry a spear into battle, it hardly matters. Compared with your average person, however, Sano's probably still above average. Perhaps his real physical weakness is that…he gets hungry easily. And often. And eats a lot.
Mental: Sano isn't the cleverest captain of the Shinsengumi. He's not lacking in terms of his abilities when it comes to strategy for his unit - none of the Shinsengumi Captains are otherwise they wouldn't get too far as captains. When it comes to actually studying, he probably isn't the best student and definitely leaves the clever scheming to other people. Such as the Vice Commanders. And Shinpachi. He prefers not having to think too hard about things, as seen through most of the canon when Shinpachi is usually the one pointing out things to him, and Sanosuke laughing it off.
Emotional: Perhaps the fact that he doesn't take things too much to heart can also be seen as a weakness. He's quick to forgive, as seen by his easy forgiveness of Heisuke, though that could simply be because Heisuke means that much to him. Because of how loyal he is, he can also be pretty reckless, which can be seen in that he does go back for Shinpachi even though everyone else thinks it's a hopeless situation where he's going to die. He's also quick to anger, as seen by how quickly he gets mad at Heisuke when he tells them he's leaving the Shinsengumi - another reason Sano can sometimes act recklessly. He's definitely someone who reacts before he can think it through.
Samples
First Person: [VOICE]
Hello. HELLO! IS THIS THING ON? [Louder than strictly necessary. You might hear some mumbling in the background if you listen carefully, and Sano goes quiet for a few moments.] Oh! I don't have to shout? [Hahaha! Laughing loudly.] Okay, okay, I understand now. I just talk normally, right?
Sorry about that. Some of this tech-no-lo-gy is still very new. It's all amazing though. So useful!
Now, they said I could ask anything on this thing, right? That if I talk into it and ask a question other people will answer me! That's just great.
So, here's my question...[Pause. Throat clearing. Deep breath.]
Where is the best place in this village to find food? What is the best food? C'mon, help a guy out, will you? It's a serious question!
Third Person:
Sanosuke was not the world's best cook. It wasn't his fault, exactly - at least, he would say it wasn't his fault. Although they took turns to help out in the kitchen, for the most part, Ayumu had been the one to do most of it. Because it tasted better when she cooked it and because, quite simply, the rest of them simply weren't as talented as they'd like to think they were.
After Ayumu died - Sano still hated thinking about that, but he was a captain of the Shinsengumi and captains of the Shinsengumi faced the truth head on - they had started to cook for themselves. Even with the practice, Sano's cooking could never and would never compare to Ayumu's. Since he'd been in Luceti, however, it was back to business as usual; Ayumu was creating those amazing creations of hers in the kitchen and…
Well, Sano thought Ayumu deserved a break once in a while. Which was why he had raided their store of raw materials and set it out across the table.
Sano had put on the cooking apron, complete with tying his hair back, and was now contemplating the pile of vegetables and meat in front of him. He looked from the pile to the pot - the biggest on he'd been able to find in the cupboard, and back at the pile again. Sure, Ayumu had told him she didn't make as much food as she used to because she wasn't feeding the entire Shinsengumi anymore - just the few that she was stuck with here in Luceti - but Sano wasn't entirely sure how to cut down on ingredients. Especially since most of it - like the cabbages and the meat - came all in one big piece… Was he supposed to cut it first?
Mentally shrugging, Sano got to work slicing and dicing. When he was done (and the ingredients all chopped exactly the same size with precision and skill), he stepped back and grinned as he looked over his handiwork. Putting half of it back into one of the containers, also discovered in the cupboards, Sano returned it back to the fridge where he'd found it.
That done, he turned around and…stared at the stove. He'd seen Ayumu cook things on here. Okita had warned him about the technology here (like the fridge) but he'd figured out how to work some things (like the fridge), and this couldn't be that difficult, right?
Right.
Stepping up beside the strange contraption, Sano stared at it. Then waved his hand over the top of it. When nothing happened, he settled for pushing buttons and turning knobs, leaning down to try to -- immediately, the heat flared and Sano swore loudly as the tip of his hair caught fire.
"Oh, damn it!" His eyes narrowed into a glare as he contemplated the "stove" again, he looked around and picked up one the heavy knives from Ayumu's collection. "If you think you're going to defeat me that easily…. you're wrong." He took a threatening step towards it - and immediately, a picture of Ayumu's face came to mind. Her face, complete with murderous glare at his having destroyed her kitchen. Sano frowned, eyes narrowing a little more. "You still aren't going to defeat me that easily." Huffing out an irritated breath, Sano spun around and left the house.
Technology? Who needed technology when you could build yourself a nice hot fire to cook with anyway? He crossed his arms and stared at his handiwork - a blazing fire in the middle of their backyard - and he laughed. "Take that, stupid stove. I told you you couldn't beat me."
HeisukeMun
Name: Dea
Livejournal Username: dea_liberty
E-mail: dea.liberty (at) gmail.com
AIM/MSN: dealiberty
Current Characters at Luceti: abishopreally, king_en and etreici
Character
Name: Harada Sanosuke (Western order: Sanosuke Harada)
Fandom: Peacemaker Kurogane
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Time Period: Post Aburakoji Incident (Vol. 6)
Wing Color:
History: Sanosuke (Sano) was born in 1840 in the Iyo-Matsuyama Domain into a class of quasi-samurai (known as "chugen"). He trained in the spear technique known as the "Hozoin-ryu" style, choosing to use the spear rather than the sword in battle. He's not a very accomplished swordsman, but became the best spear user in the Shinsegumi. At some point in his time in Matsuyama, he was ridiculed for being a low-class citizen and accused of not knowing how to commit seppuku. Of course, being Sanosuke, he immediately pulled out his sword in an attempt to prove the guy wrong - only to prove him completely right. He survived the attempt because the cut was too shallow and, later on, enjoyed boasting and showing off the scar to others.
After leaving Matsuyama, he joined Kondou Isami's Shieikan and became close to Nagakura Shinpachi and Toudou Heisuke, and after a while, they become known as the Comedic Trio.
Along with the rest of the Shieikan, Sanosuke joined the Roshigumi and naturally, along with the rest of Kondou's group, became one of the core members of the Shinsengumi under Kondou, and with Hijikata Toshizou and Yamanami Keisuke as the Vice-Commanders. Sanosuke himself because the Tenth Unit Captain.
This is where Shinsen Imon Peacemaker and Peacemaker Kurogane begins. The manga focuses on Ichimura Tetsunosuke, a 15 year old boy who - after a few trials - joins the Shinsengumi in order to get stronger and to finally gain revenge for his parents' murder. Sanosuke is introduced early on, along with Shinpachi, and is one of the members of the Shinsengumi who are closest to young Tetsu. He is, of course, the bane of Tetsu's life as he constantly teases the new recruit. Together with Shinpachi and, after his return from his mission, Heisuke, the trio lighten the mood of the series, often appearing as their serious Shinsengumi selves when the situation calls for it, or gossiping like housewives over some incident or other.
After Yamazaki Ayumu is murdered in place of her brother, Susumu in a mission gone wrong, the Shinsengumi - including Sano - raid the Masuya, capture Furutaka, who is the ringleader and responsible for Ayumu's death, leading to the raid on Ikedaya in order to prevent the Choushuu from lighting the capital on fire. During this incident, Sanosuke is part of the party that is sent to another location but, as the raid on Ikedaya begins, Susumu is able to alert the others of the location of the Choushuu and they are able to rush back in time to help with the clean up. During the Ikedaya incident, Heisuke and Shinpachi are both injured, and Sanosuke is seen physically carrying them back home, trying hard not to cry, after scolding them both for daring to get themselves hurt whilst he's not there.
Other incidents of note in the manga include Yamanami's "seppuku", which is seen by Heisuke as his murder - though Sanosuke doesn't see it as such. Because they were close, when Yamanami disappears, Sanosuke, along with his two friends, worry for their superior's wellbeing and is seen welcoming him back enthusiastically on his return. He's upset by the death but, due to Sanosuke's attitude to life, he works hard to try to get over it - and also works hard to try to help his friends as well.
His reaction to Heisuke leaving the Shinsengumi is loud and violent, and he's angry at his friend for deserting them and joining the Goryoueji with Itou, especially when Heisuke's parting words are harsher than Sano would expect.
During the Aburakoji Incident, Sanosuke was part of the Shinsengumi group that became trapped by the ronin after fighting for their lives. When Shinpachi decides that they should try to fight their way out and to lose the pursuers in the streets, Sanosuke leads the escape whilst Shinpachi stays behind as the rear guard. Sanosuke tells Shinpachi to do whatever is necessary to stay alive before the leads the group away. Having safely got the men out from the situation, Sanosuke returns into the fray and is seen rescuing Heisuke and Shinpachi from the situation the two of them have got themselves into.
After the successful rescue, the three say a tearful goodbye and promise to deal with things once the trouble is over, with Shinpachi and Sanosuke promising to make things right so the three of them can be together again. Shinpachi and Sanosuke begin to walk away. As they do, Heisuke dashes after them. A new recruit, not knowing the situation, believes Heisuke is trying to kill the two captains and stabs Heisuke, fatally wounding him. Shinpachi and Sanosuke return to Heisuke's side and, the three spend Heisuke's last moments trying to joke and laugh as before.
Personality: Sanosuke is not the world's hardest person to understand. Of course, he's got some hidden angst here and there - his issues from being teased when he was younger, the reason he tried to commit seppuku in the first place - but for the most part, Sano is incredibly honest with his emotions and with himself. He deals with those problems and the disappointments, as well as everything else, by not being afraid to express himself, whether that is getting angry or whether it's crying his eyes out. Once that is done, Sano is able to fully process what's happened, his emotions and then move on. In one of the chapters, the Shinsengumi are examined by a doctor, who claims that there are many members who are emotionally wounded by their experiences; Sano, however, is used as an example of how people should be. He's perfectly healthy both physically and emotionally, and remains relatively carefree. This could also be attested to the fact that he isn't the smartest member of the Shinsengumi but, at the end of the day, it's undeniable that Sano's an optimist at heart.
His failed attempt at seppuku, for example, was soon seen by him as something to be proud of and used almost as a banner to say that he was invincible - that he couldn't die and is more than happy to show off this scar - his proof of life- to just about anyone. It also clearly shows Sano's optimism and shows both his ability and his efforts to turn bad things into something better.
Sano finds it hard to understand people who don't take the same attitude and who are not as open as him. Of course, he knows so many people like that that he's mostly given up understanding them (because most of the Shinsengumi would fall under the "not reacting to things like Sano does" category). He simply isn't that good at holding whatever he's feeling inside, repressing it and beating himself up over it when no one's looking. He sees this all the time in other people and tries to encourage them to see things his way, and trying to cheer them up if that doesn't work.
Sano, together with Shinpachi and Heisuke, is a fan of practical jokes. Together, they make up the "comedic trio". They really do enjoy having a good laugh to try to shrug off the serious side of their jobs, trying to get others to have a good time too when they're not on duty. Sano isn't the brains of the operation but is more than happy to go along with whatever schemes Shinpachi and Heisuke come up with, always willing to add his own touch to the jokes as well. He definitely enjoys the fact that they can bring a smile or a laugh to people's faces and, when the jokes become less common as their time in the Shinsengumi goes on and as their experiences build up, he comments on how he's sad they don't laugh as much as they used to. But, like the optimist he is, he also comments on how he thinks those laughs will come back eventually.
Before things got really strained, it was habit for the three of them (or two if Heisuke was out recruiting) to gossip like fishermen's wives about this, that and the other. Nothing would escape their notice, especially if they were bored. And it would be very likely for them to try to…help in one way or another, such as when Tetsu seemed to be depressed because of his disagreement with Saya. Thinking that it was a girl problem, they decided to send him off with Yamanami to the red light district in order to…"deal" with the issue. They then had a great time telling Tatsu all about just to watch him freak out.
Shinpachi and Heisuke are Sano's most important people. His loyalty, like many of the Shinsengumi, is absolute, especially to his two best friends. Sano will fight to the death for and with his unit, but he'll walk through fire when it comes to those two. He dives back into an impossible situation after securing his and Shinpachi's units' safety, in order to rescue Shinpachi because they'd both known that the rear guard, in that particular incident, was not likely to come back alive but, because of Sano's determination and faith that Shinpachi will keep himself alive until Sano gets there, he doesn't even hesitate before rejoining the fray. His loyalty to a friend is also tested when Heisuke asks them to kill him for the betrayal he committed - and yet, like Shinpachi, Sano's heart won't let him do it. The personal loyalty is more important than his loyalty to the Shinsengumi.
Apart from his friends, another thing that really makes Sano happy (and should therefore be noted) is food. Sanosuke loves to eat. He can be motivated to do just about anything for a good meal, and gets easily distracted from things by the discussion of food. Especially of that discussion leans towards feeding Sano. Good food is even better with good company and good sake - and that scenario is pretty much Sano's dream of a good life.
All in all, Sano is a fairly simple person to understand. He doesn't hide his motivations or his thoughts, and doesn't restrain himself when he reacts to something. He's one of those who will do first and think later - metaphorically, shoot first, ask questions later.
He only really controls himself and his actions when he's fighting - when his life and the lives of those under his command depend on it. Sano is a capable tactician when it comes to solving problems on the spot (though not when it comes to overall planning - he leaves that to the experts) and has the ability to help his men through almost any situation, and Sano is a capable leader when required to be. He definitely has a serious side that takes defending his friends, his men and the Shinsengumi very seriously, and this side comes out when it needs to. All the other times, however, he prefers to laugh and prefers everyone else to laugh with him as well.
Strengths:
Physical: Sanosuke's a master of the spear - unmatched by any Shinsengumi member. This is referred to from his very first appearance and is often mentioned throughout canon. Though not as strong with a sword as others, the moment he picks up his spear, it's game over for his opponent. Sanosuke is also physically incredibly strong. After the Ikedaya Incident, he's seen carrying Shinpachi - which isn't a surprise considering Shinpachi's stature - and Yamanami KeisukeHeisuke, who's presumably of average height and weight, without so much as breaking sweat. As a member of the Shinsengumi, he's also physically very fit and in shape as he's constantly training and fighting.
Mental: Sano's intelligence isn't his greatest asset. He doesn't completely fail as a strategist, considering he's a Shinsengumi Unit Captain, but he mostly leaves the scheming and planning and other strenuous mental things to other people. Experience has taught him how to put two and two together when it comes to battle and fighting, but he's definitely not the mastermind of grand schemes and he really doesn't want to be.
Emotional: Sano's greatest strength emotionally is probably that he doesn't think too hard on things and he doesn't take things too much to heart. If he's upset, he'll show he's upset - he's not ashamed of bawling like a baby when the situation calls for it (such as after the Ikedaya Incident and in Heisuke's last moments), and the fact that he really is quite free with his emotions means that he seems to deal with issues quite well. After Yamanami's death, for example, when they're seen by the doctor who comes by, Sanosuke is given a clean bill of health - both physically and emotionally - when Shinpachi and Heisuke are both shown with mental scarring and emotional wounds from the lives they're leading. Shinpachi's even told to be more like Sano in terms of how he deals with the emotional aspect of the job - which is to say, Sano laughed everything off and then went on his merry way in search of food. He's a big-hearted and kind person for the most part, though this becomes irrelevant when he's doing his job. He's a loyal person and will go to just about any lengths to protect those he cares about, even going back into what could be seen as a no-win situation in order to save Shinpachi.
Weaknesses:
Physical: Sanosuke's swordsmanship isn't the greatest. It would probably be considered his weakness if talking about Shinsengumi abilities though, because he chooses to carry a spear into battle, it hardly matters. Compared with your average person, however, Sano's probably still above average. Perhaps his real physical weakness is that…he gets hungry easily. And often. And eats a lot.
Mental: Sano isn't the cleverest captain of the Shinsengumi. He's not lacking in terms of his abilities when it comes to strategy for his unit - none of the Shinsengumi Captains are otherwise they wouldn't get too far as captains. When it comes to actually studying, he probably isn't the best student and definitely leaves the clever scheming to other people. Such as the Vice Commanders. And Shinpachi. He prefers not having to think too hard about things, as seen through most of the canon when Shinpachi is usually the one pointing out things to him, and Sanosuke laughing it off.
Emotional: Perhaps the fact that he doesn't take things too much to heart can also be seen as a weakness. He's quick to forgive, as seen by his easy forgiveness of Heisuke, though that could simply be because Heisuke means that much to him. Because of how loyal he is, he can also be pretty reckless, which can be seen in that he does go back for Shinpachi even though everyone else thinks it's a hopeless situation where he's going to die. He's also quick to anger, as seen by how quickly he gets mad at Heisuke when he tells them he's leaving the Shinsengumi - another reason Sano can sometimes act recklessly. He's definitely someone who reacts before he can think it through.
Samples
First Person: [VOICE]
Hello. HELLO! IS THIS THING ON? [Louder than strictly necessary. You might hear some mumbling in the background if you listen carefully, and Sano goes quiet for a few moments.] Oh! I don't have to shout? [Hahaha! Laughing loudly.] Okay, okay, I understand now. I just talk normally, right?
Sorry about that. Some of this tech-no-lo-gy is still very new. It's all amazing though. So useful!
Now, they said I could ask anything on this thing, right? That if I talk into it and ask a question other people will answer me! That's just great.
So, here's my question...[Pause. Throat clearing. Deep breath.]
Where is the best place in this village to find food? What is the best food? C'mon, help a guy out, will you? It's a serious question!
Third Person:
Sanosuke was not the world's best cook. It wasn't his fault, exactly - at least, he would say it wasn't his fault. Although they took turns to help out in the kitchen, for the most part, Ayumu had been the one to do most of it. Because it tasted better when she cooked it and because, quite simply, the rest of them simply weren't as talented as they'd like to think they were.
After Ayumu died - Sano still hated thinking about that, but he was a captain of the Shinsengumi and captains of the Shinsengumi faced the truth head on - they had started to cook for themselves. Even with the practice, Sano's cooking could never and would never compare to Ayumu's. Since he'd been in Luceti, however, it was back to business as usual; Ayumu was creating those amazing creations of hers in the kitchen and…
Well, Sano thought Ayumu deserved a break once in a while. Which was why he had raided their store of raw materials and set it out across the table.
Sano had put on the cooking apron, complete with tying his hair back, and was now contemplating the pile of vegetables and meat in front of him. He looked from the pile to the pot - the biggest on he'd been able to find in the cupboard, and back at the pile again. Sure, Ayumu had told him she didn't make as much food as she used to because she wasn't feeding the entire Shinsengumi anymore - just the few that she was stuck with here in Luceti - but Sano wasn't entirely sure how to cut down on ingredients. Especially since most of it - like the cabbages and the meat - came all in one big piece… Was he supposed to cut it first?
Mentally shrugging, Sano got to work slicing and dicing. When he was done (and the ingredients all chopped exactly the same size with precision and skill), he stepped back and grinned as he looked over his handiwork. Putting half of it back into one of the containers, also discovered in the cupboards, Sano returned it back to the fridge where he'd found it.
That done, he turned around and…stared at the stove. He'd seen Ayumu cook things on here. Okita had warned him about the technology here (like the fridge) but he'd figured out how to work some things (like the fridge), and this couldn't be that difficult, right?
Right.
Stepping up beside the strange contraption, Sano stared at it. Then waved his hand over the top of it. When nothing happened, he settled for pushing buttons and turning knobs, leaning down to try to -- immediately, the heat flared and Sano swore loudly as the tip of his hair caught fire.
"Oh, damn it!" His eyes narrowed into a glare as he contemplated the "stove" again, he looked around and picked up one the heavy knives from Ayumu's collection. "If you think you're going to defeat me that easily…. you're wrong." He took a threatening step towards it - and immediately, a picture of Ayumu's face came to mind. Her face, complete with murderous glare at his having destroyed her kitchen. Sano frowned, eyes narrowing a little more. "You still aren't going to defeat me that easily." Huffing out an irritated breath, Sano spun around and left the house.
Technology? Who needed technology when you could build yourself a nice hot fire to cook with anyway? He crossed his arms and stared at his handiwork - a blazing fire in the middle of their backyard - and he laughed. "Take that, stupid stove. I told you you couldn't beat me."