OOC: Character Information and Application
For any characters who would have knowledge (even a surface/pop culture) knowledge of Japanese history, I've included information on the historical Okita Souji.
Historical Information
So the Bakumatsu is the period that ends the Tokugawa era in Japan, where the Imperialists (rebels from Choushuu and other provinces) rose up against the Tokugawa shogunate and reinstalled the Emperor. It's the revolution that began the Meiji Era and really opened Japan to the West.
More information on the Bakumatsu here.
However, Okita Souji (historical) was on the side of the Tokugawa government. He was born in Edo as Okita Soujirou Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi, the only son to his father's samurai family. He fought with the Shinsengumi based at Mibu Temple in Kyoto to stop the Imperialists (specifically the Choushuu rebels) to keep power for the Aizu Clan and the Tokugawa shogun. He was known as one of the most powerful and deadly of the Shinsengumi swordsmen, and was Captain of the First Unit. One of the youngest members of the group, Okita gained mastery of his swordsmanship style, Tennen Rishin Ryu, by the age of 18. He fought at the Ikedaya inn, which was a major loss to the Choushuu forces, but also fell victim to his tuberculosis there. Okita died at age 25 (according to the East Asian Calender) from tuberculosis alone in a hospital in Edo, while the rest of the Shinsengumi were fighting a losing battle against the Imperialists.
More detailed information on Okita can be found at the Wikipedia page.
More information on the Shinsengumi is here.
Okita Souji (PMK) has all of the memories of the historical version, but only he has not experienced the Ikedaya. He doesn't know that he'll die from tuberculosis or that the Shinsengumi lose. He's also girly as hell, has purple hair and eyes, and usually carries around a pet piglet. PMK!Okita loves sweets which isn't true of history!Okita, but they share a clean freak streak and the love of children. Of all the Shinsengumi members, he, Hijikata and Kondou are the ones nearly every single Japanese person will know. In fact, I just learned today that some Japanese people only know of those three and Okita is, by far, the most popular because he was a genius and died young of a tragic disease.
Application
Character: Okita Soujirou Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi - which is fancy talk for Okita Souji
Fandom: Peacemaker Kurogane (anime)
Time Period: When Okita goes to bed after having stolen Hijikata's poetry book, he wakes up in Sieben. So the end of Episode 15 "Song" of the anime.
Brief Synopsis: Okita Souji is the boy genius swordsman of the Shinsengumi, the special police task force somewhat sponsored by the Aizu clan and ultimately backed by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Shinsengumi are supposed to keep Kyoto safe from the Imperialists, otherwise known as the rebels from Choushuu, the Ishin Shishi. Their job is to keep the rebels from overturning the Tokugawa government and Okita serves as captain of the first unit charged with that same task.
Okita Souji started out life in Edo as Okita Soujirou Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi in the early 1840s, and was gifted at a young age with an unnatural talent at swordfighting. His parents died when he was very young and Okita still assumes it was his fault due to him gaining a cursed sword as a child. With his parents gone, he and his two older sisters are left to fend for themselves, so as one is married off, the other gives Okita to a family friend - the Kondou family who run the Shieikan. At nine years old, Okita was a crybaby and refused to pick up a sword again, so he was relegated to cleaning chores. This is how he met Hijikata Toshizou, but they didn't exactly like each other. Following an incident with the cursed sword from before - the Kikuichimonji - Hijikata realizes Okita's true strength and tells him to pick up the sword. Okita, desperate to be of use to someone, follows Hijikata and begins training at the Shieikan.
However, he earns the nickname "demon child" because of his unnatural genius and his lack of control. At the age of 18, he mastered the Tennen Rishin style taught at the Shieikan and began his role as the youngest teacher there. His signature attack is called the Mumyo-ken that was said to strike an opponent's head and shoulders almost simultaneously. His skills came in handy when, on February 8, 1863, the Shinsengumi under the leadership of Serigawa Kamo and Kondou Isami, marched to Kyoto under orders to keep the Choushuu out. They set up their headquarters at the Mibu Temple, but due to Serizawa's reckless and brutal use of violence, they quickly became known as the Wolves of Mibu.
To combat this reputation, the Aizu clan lord ordered Serizawa's assassination and Kondou, Hijikata, Yamanami Keisuke and Okita followed their leader's command. They killed Serizawa as he slept and Kondou assumed complete control of the Shinsengumi - naming Hijikata and Yamanami as his vice-commanders. Slowly, they've been able to change the reputation of the Shinsengumi, but the taint still remains in the anime.
The series actually begins in 1864 when a 15 year old named Ichimura Tetsunosuke appears demanding to be enlisted into the ranks. Since he's so small, the guards refuse him and he gets dragged off by his older brother, Tatsunosuke. Fortunately, Okita notices him and eventually gets Hijikata to relent and take the boy under his wing as a page. Okita really takes care of Tetsu, trying to help him decide whether to exact his revenge for his parents' murders or maintain his current bloodless life. Okita actually pushes for Tetsu to pick up the sword, but also understands that not everyone should be made to dirty their hands like he has done.
At the point where I'll be taking Okita from the anime, he hasn't started exhibiting signs of tuberculosis, the disease that will eventually kill him four years down the road. Up to Episode 15, the Shinsengumi have been living relatively peaceful lives as they begin to realize that the Choushuu are planning something. Prior to Episode 15, Okita has mostly been helping Tetsu and Tatsu adjust to life at Mibu with the help of the other members of the Shinsengumi and his pet piglet, Saizou.
Random sample of Mitsuki Saiga (Okita's seiyuu) singing here.
If you have any questions regarding Okita Souji, or comments/criticisms about how I play him, please let me know here.
As of 4/23/09, Anon commenting is ON, IP logging is OFF, and all comments are SCREENED.
Historical Information
So the Bakumatsu is the period that ends the Tokugawa era in Japan, where the Imperialists (rebels from Choushuu and other provinces) rose up against the Tokugawa shogunate and reinstalled the Emperor. It's the revolution that began the Meiji Era and really opened Japan to the West.
More information on the Bakumatsu here.
However, Okita Souji (historical) was on the side of the Tokugawa government. He was born in Edo as Okita Soujirou Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi, the only son to his father's samurai family. He fought with the Shinsengumi based at Mibu Temple in Kyoto to stop the Imperialists (specifically the Choushuu rebels) to keep power for the Aizu Clan and the Tokugawa shogun. He was known as one of the most powerful and deadly of the Shinsengumi swordsmen, and was Captain of the First Unit. One of the youngest members of the group, Okita gained mastery of his swordsmanship style, Tennen Rishin Ryu, by the age of 18. He fought at the Ikedaya inn, which was a major loss to the Choushuu forces, but also fell victim to his tuberculosis there. Okita died at age 25 (according to the East Asian Calender) from tuberculosis alone in a hospital in Edo, while the rest of the Shinsengumi were fighting a losing battle against the Imperialists.
More detailed information on Okita can be found at the Wikipedia page.
More information on the Shinsengumi is here.
Okita Souji (PMK) has all of the memories of the historical version, but only he has not experienced the Ikedaya. He doesn't know that he'll die from tuberculosis or that the Shinsengumi lose. He's also girly as hell, has purple hair and eyes, and usually carries around a pet piglet. PMK!Okita loves sweets which isn't true of history!Okita, but they share a clean freak streak and the love of children. Of all the Shinsengumi members, he, Hijikata and Kondou are the ones nearly every single Japanese person will know. In fact, I just learned today that some Japanese people only know of those three and Okita is, by far, the most popular because he was a genius and died young of a tragic disease.
Application
Character: Okita Soujirou Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi - which is fancy talk for Okita Souji
Fandom: Peacemaker Kurogane (anime)
Time Period: When Okita goes to bed after having stolen Hijikata's poetry book, he wakes up in Sieben. So the end of Episode 15 "Song" of the anime.
Brief Synopsis: Okita Souji is the boy genius swordsman of the Shinsengumi, the special police task force somewhat sponsored by the Aizu clan and ultimately backed by the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Shinsengumi are supposed to keep Kyoto safe from the Imperialists, otherwise known as the rebels from Choushuu, the Ishin Shishi. Their job is to keep the rebels from overturning the Tokugawa government and Okita serves as captain of the first unit charged with that same task.
Okita Souji started out life in Edo as Okita Soujirou Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi in the early 1840s, and was gifted at a young age with an unnatural talent at swordfighting. His parents died when he was very young and Okita still assumes it was his fault due to him gaining a cursed sword as a child. With his parents gone, he and his two older sisters are left to fend for themselves, so as one is married off, the other gives Okita to a family friend - the Kondou family who run the Shieikan. At nine years old, Okita was a crybaby and refused to pick up a sword again, so he was relegated to cleaning chores. This is how he met Hijikata Toshizou, but they didn't exactly like each other. Following an incident with the cursed sword from before - the Kikuichimonji - Hijikata realizes Okita's true strength and tells him to pick up the sword. Okita, desperate to be of use to someone, follows Hijikata and begins training at the Shieikan.
However, he earns the nickname "demon child" because of his unnatural genius and his lack of control. At the age of 18, he mastered the Tennen Rishin style taught at the Shieikan and began his role as the youngest teacher there. His signature attack is called the Mumyo-ken that was said to strike an opponent's head and shoulders almost simultaneously. His skills came in handy when, on February 8, 1863, the Shinsengumi under the leadership of Serigawa Kamo and Kondou Isami, marched to Kyoto under orders to keep the Choushuu out. They set up their headquarters at the Mibu Temple, but due to Serizawa's reckless and brutal use of violence, they quickly became known as the Wolves of Mibu.
To combat this reputation, the Aizu clan lord ordered Serizawa's assassination and Kondou, Hijikata, Yamanami Keisuke and Okita followed their leader's command. They killed Serizawa as he slept and Kondou assumed complete control of the Shinsengumi - naming Hijikata and Yamanami as his vice-commanders. Slowly, they've been able to change the reputation of the Shinsengumi, but the taint still remains in the anime.
The series actually begins in 1864 when a 15 year old named Ichimura Tetsunosuke appears demanding to be enlisted into the ranks. Since he's so small, the guards refuse him and he gets dragged off by his older brother, Tatsunosuke. Fortunately, Okita notices him and eventually gets Hijikata to relent and take the boy under his wing as a page. Okita really takes care of Tetsu, trying to help him decide whether to exact his revenge for his parents' murders or maintain his current bloodless life. Okita actually pushes for Tetsu to pick up the sword, but also understands that not everyone should be made to dirty their hands like he has done.
At the point where I'll be taking Okita from the anime, he hasn't started exhibiting signs of tuberculosis, the disease that will eventually kill him four years down the road. Up to Episode 15, the Shinsengumi have been living relatively peaceful lives as they begin to realize that the Choushuu are planning something. Prior to Episode 15, Okita has mostly been helping Tetsu and Tatsu adjust to life at Mibu with the help of the other members of the Shinsengumi and his pet piglet, Saizou.
Random sample of Mitsuki Saiga (Okita's seiyuu) singing here.
If you have any questions regarding Okita Souji, or comments/criticisms about how I play him, please let me know here.
As of 4/23/09, Anon commenting is ON, IP logging is OFF, and all comments are SCREENED.