FUCK YEAH SHINSENGUMI

"Though my body may decay on the isle of Ezo My spirit guards my lord in the east."

songforbabybirch — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:01:08 -0400

“Though my body may decay on the isle of Ezo
My spirit guards my lord in the east.”

- Hijikata Toshizou, death poem (1869)

This blog is currently very inactive

songforbabybirch — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:05:09 -0400

but I am happy to say that I will be picking it back up this summer. Junior year of college happened and posting new information became difficult.

I will be back at the end of May.

until then, you can still submit.

please do!

do you know which episode in Ouran High School when they were Shinsengumi?

songforbabybirch — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:55:00 -0400

I believe it is episode 22. :)
I have not finished the manga so I’m not sure when/where it is in there!
hope that helped… :) maybe I will post some of the screenies this summer when I am able to be active on FYS again…

sorry to everyone else who is still following me » picking this blog back up this summer.

Shinsengumi (Kaze Hikaru) related tumblr -- so any of the posts here!

omnilegent-deactivated20110416 — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:00:16 -0400

http://hellyeahkazehikaru.tumblr.com/

"Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo, My spirit guards my lord in the east."

songforbabybirch — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:22:42 -0400

“Though my body may decay on the island of Ezo,
My spirit guards my lord in the east.”

- Hijikata Toshizo’s death poem.

Shinsengumi: The Shogun s Last Samurai Corps

songforbabybirch — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 17:12:12 -0400

Shinsengumi: The Shogun s Last Samurai Corps:

californiadreamin2:

The Shinsengumi were a group of swashbuckling samurai who supported the Shogun against the rebellious ronin who wanted to oust the Shogun for failing to keep the barbarians out of late nineteenth century Japan.

ore-samaheronoblog: Hetalia Shinsengumi :D

songforbabybirch — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:29:34 -0400

ore-samaheronoblog:

Hetalia Shinsengumi :D

saydeebaybee: Kaze Hikaru <3 we’re pretty big Kaze...

songforbabybirch — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:46:48 -0400

saydeebaybee:

Kaze Hikaru <3

we’re pretty big Kaze Hikaru fans here at FYS ;) nbd nbd

"This book is about bloodshed and death and atrocity. It is also about courage and honor and..."

songforbabybirch — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 14:56:12 -0400

“This book is about bloodshed and death and atrocity. It is also about courage and honor and fidelity. It explores some of the darkest regions of the human soul, and some of its most noble parts. The underlying themes in this historical narrative of the Shinsengumi are the extraordinary will to power and sense of self-importance of the leaders of that most lethal samurai corps, and the unsurpassed propensity to kill instilled by them into the rank and file.”

- Romulus Hillsborough, in an excerpt from his book Shinsengumi: The Shogun’s Last Samurai Corps. [I bolded my favorite line :)]

Photo

songforbabybirch — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:23:38 -0400

reynardine: Iconic scene from Mibu Gishi Den (When the Last...

songforbabybirch — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:04:49 -0400

reynardine:

Iconic scene from Mibu Gishi Den (When the Last Sword is Drawn)

Hey everyone,

songforbabybirch — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:20:31 -0400

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us though we haven’t updated as of late (my fault, I admit).

Anyway, it’ll be easier for me get motivated in the coming months to update because…. drumroll… I have to write a paper on the Shinsengumi! I’ll be reading a book called Shinsengumi: The Shogun’s Last Samurai Corps by Romulus Hillsborough.

Anyway, I hope to post tidbits that I find particularly interesting/well-written as well as our usual gorgeous artwork and fanarts of our beloved bushi :)

I think this is the first time I’ve actually looked forward to writing a paper… hmmmmm…

-Sasha

ending theme of Peacemaker Kurogane “HEY! JIMMY” by...

songforbabybirch — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 17:05:44 -0400

ending theme of Peacemaker Kurogane “HEY! JIMMY” by HAV.

NHK Taiga Drama “Shinsengumi” 2004main theme...

songforbabybirch — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:31:48 -0400

NHK Taiga Drama “Shinsengumi” 2004
main theme performed by John Ken Nuzzo

This is truly amazing (some day I’ll get my hands on...

songforbabybirch — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:37:14 -0400

This is truly amazing (some day I’ll get my hands on this.. Though I won’t be able to read it without a lot of help!).

This is the cover of Nagakura Shinpachi’s published memoirs (1998) of his days with the Shinsengumi. This eventually turned into a tv special and a couple different editions. Though apparently the 1998 is the most accurate version, because in 1913 Nagakura had given an oral history to a journalist who in turn grossly embellished it (lots of inaccuracies and purple prose).

a scene from the movie Gohatto [Taboo] (1999) This movie is...

songforbabybirch — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:15:00 -0400

a scene from the movie Gohatto [Taboo] (1999)

This movie is about a young man who enters the Shinsengumi and his beauty causes the majority of his fellow samurai to fall in love with him. It’s pretty interesting to say the least… :)

for thegrumpus. This is supposedly a photograph of Okita Souji,...

songforbabybirch — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:37:32 -0400

for thegrumpus.

This is supposedly a photograph of Okita Souji, although the validity is questionable according to certain historians. For now, this seems to be the only one that exists…

Thanks for answering my question about vol 19 of Kaze Hikaru! And thanks especially for posting a link!! I had looked over the site but couldn't find anywhere that I could ask Viz directly. I have submitted the question to them (politely asking, and stating how wonderful the series is). I hope that everyone who loves the series does the same, so that Viz will know how beloved the series is! ^_^ Many thanks!!

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:24:01 -0400

Yes! I wrote one myself! So, any fans of Kaze Hikaru out there, just let VIZ know how much you love it.
Thank you Abby for letting us know.. so sad!! This series HAS to survive!!
-Sasha

Okita Soji: the Last Swordsman (1974) movie review

songforbabybirch — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 20:28:00 -0400

OKITA SOJI (1974)
imdb
alternate titles
Okita Soshi (Samurai Okita Soshi)
I’d like to state right off the bat that MANY fangirls will appreciate the casting choice of Okita. He is tall, rugged,
and has very beautiful eyes. Simply, he is a very manly Okita! Easily one of the best actors to portray Okita. Both Kondou and Hijikata are miscast.
I’ll mention some parts of the film which I found striking.
Shieikan is depicted as experiencing financial hardship (based on what the characters were eating). The future members of the Shinsengumi all
look as if they haven’t bathed for weeks.Mention of the popularity and spread of Tennen Rishin Ryu and moving in on the “turf” of other schools.
Kiyokawa Hachiro and Murakami comment on the Shieikan men “either they’re loyal to the Shogun or they’re dirt poor.” Serizawa Kamo is shown in a helmet splitting demonstration. Hijikata while in the Roshigumi “never in the Tokugawa history could this large a group of
ronin walk in public.” Kondo dreams of being a hatamoto. Hijikata dreams of forming the greatest army in Japan and Okita dreams of eating sweets in Kyoto. Assasination of Serizawa Kamo was shown briefly but in a pretty creative manner.Pretty graphic depiction of the torture of Furutaka Shuntaro (if you ever wondered how and where the
candles were stuck on the guy—well this is the movie which shows it).

The Raid on Ikedaya is very brief however the event gave the viewer a “first person” claustrophobic view. Unlike many well staged
depictions this film gives you a taste of fighting in the dark. The chase after Yamanami Keisuke has a unique twist. There was no Itou Affair to speak of—it was just another excuse for bloodshed for the filmakers.
There is a shift in tone when the film adopts an almost sarcastic/mocking tone with their take on Kondo Isami’s photograph and the last battles of the Shinsengumi.
If you can get past the 70s music, predictable love story, cliched metaphors, one nightmare sequence and shifting tone of the film you have atleast a decent film.

found here.
(hehe…manly Okita me gustaaaa!! -Sasha)

thegrumpus: fyshinsengumi: I could see how people would design...

songforbabybirch — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:47:00 -0400

thegrumpus:

fyshinsengumi:

I could see how people would design Hijikata as pretty or handsome. he looks handsome here, I think. and dashing!

I wish more people would draw Hijikata Toshizo accurately, though. Everyone draws him with this long hair and this pointed face… LOOK AT THIS MAN. Hijikata-san is damned FINE this way. I wish we had more old photographs of the Shinsengumi. I’ve NEVER seen a real photo of Okita Soji, and there was maybe one of Saito Hajime? Augh I love me some Japanese history.

Glad to see someone agree with me!
On that note, I’d say the Hijikata in Watanabe’s Kaze Hikaru looks the most like him of all the versions.

As for a photo of Okita Souji, I’ve posted one on here a couple times I think… Oh well, I suppose it’s time to post it again! :)

-Sasha