02x12 - Jidai

[bunniefuu]

THE ELUSIVE SAMURAI

THE ELUSIVE SAMURAI

We now live at
a great turning point in history.

RISING PRICES
RISING RAW MATERIAL COSTS

Old certainties are crumbling,
the values we relied upon are being lost,

and the age yet to come
remains out of sight.

NARRATION
ANNOUNCER NORIO ISHIZAWA

Japan of 700 years ago, too,
was in an era of uncertain future.

As the age of warrior rule came to an end

and a single notion of what was right
began to waver,

warriors took up their own causes
and headed into battle.

At the quiet threshold of the great
upheaval that was soon to begin.

-Yasaburo! So it has finally arrived.
-Yes!

YASABURO HOSHINA

Myojin has risen to his feet
and will strike them down!

SAEMONTARO SHINOMIYA

It's just as Mr. Messenger said.

It was worth surviving,
even if it meant fleeing.

Wait. Are we to serve as the vanguard?

We have been ordered to attack Kiyohara,
the provincial official,

and begin the great battle!

We must be quite highly regarded.

For our families, our people,
and all those who were sacrificed,

we will settle two years' worth
of grievances!

Is Lord Kiyohara all right?

Ever since he came racing back from Kyo,

he has been building something
as though possessed.

But what we really lack are soldiers.

His elite unit in Shinano,
the provincial official's guard,

has been weakened by the loss of Yonemaru.

Nor does it appear that he has hired
any new burly men.

His enthusiasm and drive
are impressive, but…

SHINANO-NO-KAMI KIYOHARA

Indeed. His blueprints are flawless,
as are his arrangements for materials.

SAFETY FIRST
KIYOHARA - MATSUI

Had he been born in a peaceful age,

he might have found a place
where he could shine more brightly.

All we can do is hope that his drive
leads to a favorable outcome.

I cannot accept this, Father.

Why, for someone like Tokiyuki Hojo,

must you and Grandpapa
risk your lives in battle?

YORITSUGU SUWA

Yoritsugu, the Hojo clan
favored our Suwa clan in many ways

and elevated our standing.

By making the Emperor the Arahitogami
of the court nobles

and Myojin the Arahitogami
of the warrior families,

the warrior families were able to become

spiritually independent
of the court nobles.

In a similar way, it is thanks to Lord
Hojo that we were able to prosper as gods.

We could never forget
that debt of gratitude.

Furthermore,
to save the people of Shinano,

secure the future of the Suwa clan
as a warrior family,

and uphold the righteous cause
of aiding an ill-fated prince…

As things stand,
there is no reason for us not to fight.

If the worst should happen,
I am counting on you, Yoritsugu.

I may have raised you
to be somewhat spoiled,

but at heart,
you are a loyal and kind child.

Live so that you have nothing to regret
before your own conscience.

Oh, you're awake today, young heir.

Kojiro.

We finally have a departure date,
so I figured I'd come see you before then.

I'm sorry, Kojiro. You're always the one
who ends up in danger.

NEXT HEAD OF NEZU CLAN
KOJIRO NEZU

I wish I'd taken after you in valor
as well as in looks.

What are you talking about?

I'm going because I like fighting.

Under the young lord of the Hojo,

I'm gonna make the name Kojiro Nezu
known far and wide.

After Yasuie Hojo returned from Kyo…

LET'S DO THIS

…the Suwa forces completed their
preparations for w*r in just a few days.

Each carrying in their heart
a cause they believed in…

Sadamune Ogasawara. I deem your deeds
an honor to the warrior class.

Receive this sword, and bring
still greater honor to your family name.

I am deeply honored.

I shall surely prove worthy of it!

You were sleeping with your eyes open.

Do you really think
Suwa will take up arms?

No doubt. Do not take your eyes off them
for a moment.

That's why we sent out scouts, but
I'm telling you, there's been no movement!

Are we speaking as equals now?

In the first place, what good would it
do them to remain loyal to the Hojo now?

A warrior must protect his lands.

Is it not only natural, then, to choose
which banner he should rally under?

Kamakura is a place
of special significance to warriors.

It is where the age of warrior rule began,

and where warriors
first set forth with pride.

Surely loyalty should be
founded upon reason, should it not?

Perhaps so.

But…

The spirit of "To Kamakura!"
still lives on among them.

For them, at least.

What am I overlooking?
What am I failing to see?

Young Lord! You look good in armor!

Yeah! Ah, a commander
should indeed be fully equipped

with great armor and an iron helmet.

As expected of our commander!

Even at a time like this,
not the slightest sign of faltering!

Such presence just from standing there!

That's commander material!

Now behold! Such overwhelming presence
without even moving a muscle!

That stance…

Could it be the Immovable Sword,
Earth-Cleaving Strike?

Look! Cracks in the ground! Cracks!

Oh… Yeah!

Young Lord…

Young Lord!

I guess it was too much after all.

It's a little too heavy, isn't it?

You don't want to wear an armor?

I can't take it anymore.

I've only been wearing it
for a short while,

and I feel like
I'm going to die of exhaustion.

'Cause Young Lord isn't very strong.

A warrior's full battle gear
weighs over 30 kilograms,

and even a child's set
can make it difficult to so much as jump.

There's another problem too.

They have no motivation at all.

What's going on?

Well, since this is your order, I'll obey.

But this is an important battle
to honor the dead,

and yet we're under the command
of a child like this…

That boy doesn't seem to have
any spirit at all, either.

What shall we do, Lord Yorishige?

Would it not be better
to reveal Lord Tokiyuki's true identity?

We had originally planned
to use the final month

to get him accustomed to his armor
and coordinate with Kamakura Party.

The move Ashikaga made using Tengu
is having its effect.

We were so wary of their surveillance
that many of our preparations fell behind.

No, but taking off his armor
would obviously be dangerous,

and he would lose his commanding presence…

And we already put him in it
in the opening…

Huh?

Mr. Yorishige.

I want to earn their recognition
by winning.

And for that,
I want you to let me take off the armor.

Both our strategy this time
and the new technique

require him to be light and unencumbered.

Do you really want to
take it off that badly?

Yes, I do!

I want to strip it all off
and run away to my heart's content!

Is that the rumored naked little freak
who runs away?

It's the naked little freak who runs away.

-Father.
-Hmm?

Thinking something like this might happen,

I asked an armorer to make a prototype
before we left for Kyo.

It's armor made
especially for Big Brother,

specifically designed for escape.

Since the large number of lamellar plates

that make up the armor
are what make it so heavy,

LAMELLAR PLATES
THESE ARE LAYERED TO FORM ARMOR

I used the cloth-wrapping technique

and placed the plates
only where protection is essential.

I integrated the clothing and armor
into a single piece

and made the overall form
as slim as possible,

focusing on reducing weight,
improving mobility,

and making the wearer harder to hit.

From this period onward, warriors' armor
became progressively slimmer and lighter.

Greater importance came to be placed
on ease of movement,

and warriors each began
creating armor for a new age.

Yes! I can move in this!

-Mr. Miura!
-Huh?

I am your commander.

We're going to carry out
a dangerous operation,

but I'm going to need you to follow me.

When we claim our first victory,

I'm sure that finger will never
go up your nose again.

What? The moment he changed armor,
he suddenly became much more spirited.

Lord Yorishige…

It should be about time for the fawns
to come down from the mountains.

Grilled, sprinkled with salt
and a pinch of sansho pepper.

Just thinking about it
makes my stomach growl.

Usually, this is the time of year

when preparations for
the Misayama Festival keep everyone busy.

I'm sorry for dragging you into all this.

Did you see the future?

No. But I can feel a wind blowing
beyond those peaks.

A wind that carries those who are young,
light, and trying to move forward.

All we can do is give them a push forward.

The future beyond that is theirs to see
with their own eyes

and walk toward on their own.

I will accompany you,
whatever fate may befall us.

Mr. Yorishige!

This armor is incredibly easy to move in!

Come on, Young Lord.
You're getting a little too excited.

Oh, that is good to hear…

Hmm? Hmm?

Huh? Um, what is wrong?

Lord Tokiyuki.

You said that you met Doyo Sasaki's
daughter in Kyo, did you not?

Yes. Her name is Mima…

THUMP THUMP THUMP

N… N… N…

No!

The three-timing general.

What?

You've been acting strange
for a while now, Mr. Yorishige.

And why have you laid out a futon?
Surely you aren't planning to sleep here--

I am a god. Wherever I may be,
it is by divine will!

I cannot have
Lord Tokiyuki making nocturnal visits.

What are you muttering about?

You're wide open!

That's strange. Apparently, there is
a game of throwing pillows in the future.

They definitely don't do that
with wooden pillows!

Pillows that aren't made of wood?
Hmm. Such things exist?

Please just leave already.

We march to battle tomorrow.

That's why I thought we might not have

another chance to talk peacefully
for some time.

Well, this is a fine opportunity.
Let us sleep in the same futon!

What?

You spent those years without your father,

when you most wanted his affection,
did you not?

You must have really wanted
to sleep beside someone

and have them hold your little hand.

No! That's creepy!

Surely there is nothing wrong
with holding hands!

Come now, come into Yorishige's arms!

I've had enough! You glowing old man
with no sense of boundaries!

On the eve of battle…
What a ridiculous thing to be doing…

Can you see a future
in which we make it as far as Kamakura?

No. Once the fighting moves
beyond Shinano,

my foresight
will scarcely function at all. Oh…

But it matters not
if I cannot see the future.

After watching you these past two years,
I am convinced.

You can surely become a hero.

I guarantee it not as a god,
but as Yorishige the man.

He has not only given me the chance
to fight to restore the shogunate,

but has also become the family I lost.

I owe this man nothing but gratitude.

You could at least hold my hand. Stingy.

I will… reclaim the throne,
no matter what.

Let's see… Shokan, is it?

SHOGEN

It is pronounced Shogen, Kusunoki.

Ah, never mind how it's pronounced.

We're nobodies who have only just taken up
arms, not yet worthy of giving our names.

When you become a worthy warrior
and face a worthy enemy,

then you can proudly give
your proper name.

EARLY JULY 1335

In early July of 1335, the sleeping god
of Shinano finally stirred.

With Tokiyuki's name still kept secret,

Yorishige personally led his forces
and began the advance.

It marked the beginning of
the Nakasendai Rebellion,

in which a single boy
would shake all of Japan.

SHINANO, OUTSIDE THE PROVINCIAL
OFFICIAL'S RESIDENCE

SHINANO PROVINCIAL OFFICIAL

Let's go!

Now is the time to settle our grievances!

The long-awaited great battle

began with Hoshina's army launching
an attack on the provincial official.

However, Sadamune Ogasawara
had anticipated the attack,

and he and Sukefusa Ichikawa
moved in from the north and south

to aid the provincial official.

Yorishige's army
advanced in Sadamune's wake.

Hoshina Party would never fight
a battle they couldn't win on their own.

That means the main Suwa force
is certain to appear.

They intend to use Hoshina as bait and
strike Lord Sadamune's army from the rear.

How naive, Suwa Myojin.

I'll crush a scheme like that
with one of my own.

When the main Suwa force
attacks Lord Sadamune's army,

mine will strike from
the mountains behind them.

The sparrow eats the mantis
stalking the cicada.

The "sparrow behind the mantis" stratagem.

Give the order to the entire army.
Move quickly through the stretch ahead.

Why's that?

An open cliff to our upper right,
and a deep river below left.

If archers were on the cliff,
we'd be perfect targets.

Uh-huh.

Am I being too cautious?

To wipe us out with arrows
in terrain we can quickly pass through,

they'd need 300 horsemen.

From the numbers our scouts saw,

Yorishige shouldn't be able to spare 300
horsemen to hide in mountains like these.

And yet…

Even if we are attacked,
stay calm and keep moving in good order.

You're a mean one, boss.

Making us hold off on k*lling
until we're past the cliff…

We've never held back before!

Don't go wild and fall off!

Though we'll leave you behind if you do.

That's right.

Once we're past that, we'll cut loose.

Yeah!

Good. We made it in time.

Hey, Chojumaru!

Are you really going to
do something this suicidal?

Of course! We learned how to ride from the
people of Shinano last night, remember?

Whoa, that's high. That's scary.

Why are you getting excited?
You little brat!

Brace yourselves, guys.

This is how Young Lord fights!

Once you get used to it,
it's insanely fun.

Right…

When I used that as a landmark
while playing tag with Yoritsugu,

I wondered what on earth it was used for…

Yes. Once every six years, the people of
Shinano become completely absorbed in it.

EXCITED EXCITED EXCITED

What madness…

I had no idea Shinano had
such a wonderfully dangerous festival…

All right, everyone! Let's move out!

Hmm?

What's that sound?

It's not the sound of arrows,
or of men and horses.

-What…
-What the heck is this?

Woo-hoo! Faster, faster!

So? What do we do after this, Young Lord?

What do we do?

At this speed,
there's no way we can get off.

Right! Let's just keep going!

Run!

The Fire-Oxen Tactic? No, cattle
could never climb a cliff like that!

ELUSIVE STRATEGY:
FLAMING HOLY PILLAR

Let's settle this, Shokan!

Argh! I thought I was going to die!

You pulled something completely insane!

You all right, Young Lord?

Young Lord?

The enemy commander isn't even here!

It's the Hojo child!

We're going down, too.
Fubuki's probably down there.

Yeah.

Good grief.
Guess this isn't going to end easily.

Let's wrap this up quickly
and go find Young Lord!

Yeah!

My lord! Please answer me!

The year was 1335.

KYO - GODAIGO'S RESIDENCE

History was about to undergo
a momentous shift.

MUTSU PROVINCE

And far to the north,

there was also one military strategist
quietly envisioning the future.

GENERAL OF THE PACIFICATION
HEADQUARTERS - AKIIE KITABATAKE

Before long, the name Tokiyuki Hojo
would emerge amid that turmoil.

FARM SERVANT
SHIINA

TENGU'S LEADER
NATSU

Guided by encounters
and carrying the weight of farewells,

the boy steps into an age of w*r.

Will he be able to survive?

But knowing how skilled you are
at escaping, I'm sure you'll be just fine!

Lord Tokiyuki, do your best!

Ah, that was fun.

But now it's over.

Shokan. Today, I came here
as commander to defeat you.

NANBOKUCHO GAME OF TAG

MANOR LORD OF NISHI TOYOSHINA,
SHINANO PROVINCE

SHOGEN HIRANO, A MONK

My lord!

Fubuki!

Let's go!

THE ELUSIVE SAMURAI
YUSEI MATSUI

-I can see the future.
-What? What?

I can see a future where
everyone watching this will be happy.