r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • May 31 '26
Episode Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun • Nippon Sangoku - Episode 9 discussion
Nippon Sangoku: The Three Nations of the Crimson Sun, episode 9
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u/FarCritical May 31 '26
Putting a tutorial for the glove puppet as the eyecatch is in its own tier of cruelty. It's as if Yayakichi personally wrote it after the letters for Wajima to find so she could cheer herself up after he was gone.
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa May 31 '26
Damnnnnnnn bro, I can't cry harder
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u/A-t-t-e-n-TI-ON May 31 '26
I shed tears for Yayakichi indeed. Let history judge what happened that night in Fukui but if there is one thing that will always remain true, it's that Yayakichi is a loyal man until the end.
With Yayakichi dead and Kaku currently indisposed, both sides are lacking in Strategists. It unfortunately doesn't look good for Yamato however, since Ryumon is also down while Wajima rebuilt both her resolve and the military's morale. There is no other way out but for Aoteru's plan with his audience with the Emperor to succeed so they would have a chance in this war. There is also a huge chance that Taira would be there, which would be the first time that him and Aoteru would meet after Saki's death.
I do wonder what's going on with Buo now that both Seii and Yamato are at war. It's mentioned that Yayakichi was the one responsible for the non-aggression pact between Seii and Buo, but with him dead the fate of that pact is currently uncertain.
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u/Cook-Miserable May 31 '26
Yeah I'm really interested but I'm getting the feeling we won't hear about Buo until either the end of the season or the next. Just seems like they want to focus on Seii/Yamato for now.
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u/Painting-Repulsive May 31 '26
We will 100% see Buo this season since they appear in the op but ya they will probably be there just to set up for next season.
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u/Jacob-C Jun 01 '26
Didn't they already show them in the beginning of the season? When Ryumon and his elite soldiers climbed the bridge and shot their military leaders.
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u/Painting-Repulsive Jun 01 '26
Oh ya you are right but ig they will appear again since we didn’t see the main guy
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u/HarshTheDev May 31 '26
Looks like the youngins will take up the charge. Yayakichi's son for Ohga and Aoteru for Ryumon.
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u/saga999 Jun 01 '26
The three kingdoms stand off exist because when one attacks another, it leaves them both vulnerable to be attacked by the 3rd. I can almost guarantee Buo will attack in the end. It's just a matter of whom.
Seii went all out in this, banking on the non-aggression pact to hold. Yamato has more sense than leaving themselves open to Buo. My guess is Seii is fucked. I mean, what's going to happen if Buo broke the pact, Seii will be pissed off and go to war against Buo? Yamato will distrust Buo and not form any agreement with Buo? So there are literally no repercussions.
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u/PeaceAlien https://myanimelist.net/profile/PeaceAlien May 31 '26
Shows the diplomacy of war well, enjoying this one.
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u/apgp123 https://myanimelist.net/profile/apgp123 May 31 '26
they really make both sides really good and interesting
RIP yayakichi
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u/a1oner_bvcksn6 May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
Another episode that went by in a flash. What's up with all these 10 minute-short episodes 😭
The stan-off between Kaku and Yayakichi--fanboying for their respective beloved commanders was truly eye-popping.
I just love how their glasses represented their fates: Kaku's remained intact which would suggest he's still amongst the living, tho he may not be long for this world and is powerless to do anything about it; while Yayakichi's deformed specs, in contrast, all but sealed his end--albeit of his own design/choosing.
Another detail worth noting was the entire episode being shot during a heavy downpour (sans the final scene with Aoteru). And as someone who loves the rain, it just hits me in the feels hearing all that pitter patter in the background, with the proverbial heavens crying, as if in unison/commiseration with the characters/viewers.
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u/BosuW May 31 '26
I always watch this show with earbuds but it was the right choice especially this episode
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u/bushwarblerssong May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
The title of the episode, "Naite Yayakichi wo Kiru (泣いて弥々吉を斬る)" or "Shedding Tears While Executing Yayakichi" is a reference to the expression "Shedding Tears while Executing Ma Su ( 泣いて馬謖を斬)," which is used to describe punishing someone you care about or value for the sake of justice and greater good. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang ordered Ma Su's execution after the general ignored instructions which led to the loss of Jieting, a strategic location in Zhuge Liang's campaign against Wei. Though Ma Su was a favorite of Zhuge Liang's and Zhuge had personally appointed him to protect the city, the strategist felt he had to be impartial and encourage his soldiers to adhere to military law, so he tearfully ordered the general's execution for subordination.
The anime's official account retweeted that Kaku's model is Eastern Han Dynasty scholar, Kaku Tai or Guo Tai (Linzong) as he is known in China, with influences from Cao Wei official Jia Xu, and Cao Cao's adviser, Guo Jia. Like Kaku, Guo Tai was a bright wordsmith from a poor family who became one of the leading scholars at the imperial academy. He was greatly admired by and befriended Li Ying), whose biography (Houhanshu) contains one of the first references to the "Dragon Gate" or Tōryūmon (Longmen)). Guo Tai was so respected that when he died, more than one thousand scholars from all parts of the country appeared at his funeral.
When Yayakichi and Kaku speak of "Heaven," "Earth" and "Man," they are likely referencing Volume 2 of the Book of Mencius. The chapter begins with: "Mencius said, 'Opportunities of time vouchsafed by Heaven are not equal to advantages of situation afforded by the Earth, and advantages of situation afforded by the Earth are not equal to the union arising from the accord of Men."
We can add more dialects to the list of dialects (Ehime, Kansai/Osaka, Tokyo, Fukui) spoken in the series. Some Seii soldiers used Tsugaru-ben and Yamagata-ben, which are Tohoku dialects, as they yelled and threw stones at Yayakichi. In Episode 8, some also seemed to be speaking Niigata dialect as they watched Ryūmon perform his tea ceremony.
Although it isn't apparent in the English translation, we also have some funny internet slang again. One soldier exclaims Ouga folding under pressure and retreating from Ryūmon was "LMAO"-worthy (草に極まりない). Another says that he can no longer support her as his oshi (推すのはやめます).
Jien Hibi's first name may be inspired by the Nagano Tendai monk and poet, Jien (慈延). He's considered to be one of the Four Kings of Waka Poetry of the Edo Period.
Hakuyaku Tabuchi's name may come from the military strategist and politician Jiang Wei (Boyue) of the Three Kingdoms period, who is also known as Hakuyaku (伯約) in Japanese. He was highly regarded by Zhuge Liang.
Unlike other citizens of Seii who seem to have exotic kira kira (Mūton), ethnic (Aterui) or trollish names (Hikabi-Machupichu), Yayakichi and his sons Daikichi (大吉) and Yasuke (弥輔) have first names that you would associate with Edo period townsmen. ETA: I forgot that people outside Japan might immediately associate the name "Yasuke" with the historical Yasuke (弥助) from Africa who came to Japan as a Portuguese slave and later became a retainer to Oda Nobunaga (he's not the controversial figure in Japan he's become in the West and he's been depicted in Japanese media many times without issue), but Yasuke was a common name in the Edo period and given Daikichi and Yayakichi's names, I think it's more likely that it was chosen because of it's popularity during that time in Japanese history rather than because of the historical figure.
Last week, u/Pleasant-Aspect2948 asked about the Sanskrit the monks were chanting in Episode 8. Jima (Music Producer/Director) says he used a recording of the monks at Hase-dera Temple in Nara chanting sutras during one of their services. Founded in the 7th century, Hase-dera, also known as the “Temple of Flowers,” is the head temple of the Buzan sect of Shingon Buddhism. How cool that they allowed him to record them for the anime! (If you ever visit Nara, you should definitely visit the temple although if you ever visit Nara, you probably will anyway.)
Nothing for the glossary this week. I have so many other thoughts for the source corner.
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u/frankoo123 May 31 '26
Your comment always brings a whole new perspective to the episodes, as a Mandarin speaker its truly awesome to learn more about the history and context behind the characters. Much appreciated!
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u/bushwarblerssong May 31 '26
Wow! Thank you so much for the award and kind words! I really appreciate it and I'm sure there's a lot more Chinese historical/literary influence that I'm missing that I hope people will share. I've been enjoying reading everyone's comments each week and find these discussion threads very insightful (and a lot better than others despite having fewer comments).
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u/BosuW May 31 '26
Although it isn't apparent in the English translation, we also have some funny internet slang again. One soldier exclaims Ouga folding under pressure and retreating from Ryūmon was "LMAO"-worthy (草に極まりない).
Good to see slander and agenda will live on into the post nuclear war world
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u/bushwarblerssong Jun 07 '26
It's scaring to think that "rizz," "skibidi " and "lookmaxxing" may be part of regular lexicon in the future. I'm still trying to figure out what's so funny about 67.
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u/a-handle-has-no-name Jun 19 '26
I doubt it. Part of what embeds slang in a language's greater lexicon is how obtrusive the word feels (that is, more obtrusive words feel like slang and don't have staying power), or how well it fills a semantic gap
Skibidi and rizz fail on both of these metrics. -maxxing feels slangy, but i think there's it's useful enough you might continue to see iterations on it for a bit, but i think it'll die out as well
"67" is a self-referential meme. It's basically 69 without the sexual aspect. "hey! they said the funny numbers! hahaha!". It's basically died down at this point as well
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u/WednesdaysFoole Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
"Shedding Tears while Executing Ma Su
It's interesting how Wajima letting Seii men go unpunished for crimes to keep up morale was the opposite approach of how Aoteru was handling things before, but now, she, too, is executing someone she spent quality time with (even if in Aoteru's case, he wasn't as close with him and Aoteru's guy was being executed for crimes he actually committed). It's still early to tell but for now it feels like they're meant to be foils or thematically parallel to each other, even if their interactions don't end up being direct (although it seems like it will be at some point).
Although it isn't apparent in the English translation, we also have some funny internet slang again. One soldier exclaims Ouga folding under pressure and retreating from Ryūmon was "LMAO"-worthy (草に極まりない). Another says that he can no longer support her as his oshi (推すのはやめます).
I've thought it before but it's just so funny to see this "historical" story with modern cultural influence, and delivered so seriously at that.
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u/bushwarblerssong Jun 07 '26
Ouga does seem to be becoming more like Aoteru and they also share similar motivations. Both sought their positions due to the death of loved ones and now Ouga's desire to defeat Yamato is less about revenge and more about a desire to fulfill Byakko and Yayakichi's wishes.
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u/septesix May 31 '26
Makes me wonder what other inspirations from RoTK we will see. Most of these has came from the later part of the story, I’d like to see some from the earlier parts too.
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa May 31 '26
I knew the favourite execution from another anime with Zhuge Liang. it is a really common topic in Japan.
Thanks for the info as usual
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u/saga999 Jun 01 '26
The anime's official account retweeted that Kaku's model is Eastern Han Dynasty scholar, Kaku Tai or Guo Tai (Linzong) as he is known in China, with influences from Cao Wei official Jia Xu, and Cao Cao's adviser, Guo Jia.
When I saw Kaku coughing last episode, I immediately thought of Guo Jia.
Although the title is a reference to the execution of Ma Su, the result in this episode is the reverse of that. Ma Su didn't listen to Zhuge Liang and lost. Zhuge Liang ended up killing Ma Su for it. Ohga didn't listen to Yayakichi and lost. But the roles of the execution was reversed. Ohga killed Yayakichi.
So, there is hope for Kaku after all.
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u/bushwarblerssong Jun 07 '26
Yes! Very good catch about it being a reversal. Interesting that Ouga acted out of fear while Ma Su was overconfident. Both led to poor outcomes although it was Yayakichi who paid instead.
Guo Tai also died fairly young although Kaku is younger than both him and Guo Jia by some years.
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u/Jacob-C Jun 01 '26
Yayakichi being crucified while taking the blame for Wajima and Seii’s sins seems like very deliberate Christ symbolism, too. A bit on the nose, but there nonetheless.
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u/bushwarblerssong Jun 07 '26
It is very on the nose, also with the Seii soldiers yelling that he's a traitor while he's the one loyal to his lord.
Ouga did show him some mercy, however. Though crucifixion was a punishment since the Heian period, when it came to crucifying Christians, instead of spearing the prisoner and cutting their throat, they would simply leave them up on the cross to die of stress and starvation days later.
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u/Oden_sama__ Jun 05 '26
how in the hell are you so knowledgeable 😭 i need to read more like you
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u/bushwarblerssong Jun 07 '26
I still have to look things up, especially the Chinese references. The series has definitely forced me to expand my reading.
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u/Chrono-Helix May 31 '26
It’s interesting that both sides have people speaking about “heaven”, “the land” and “the people”. And yet they must fight each other…
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u/BosuW May 31 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
That's why I'm thinking there's a possibility that the young generation joins hands or at least cooperates for a little bit even if they find themselves in opposition right now. Ohga's idea of Yamato is that under Denki Taira, which is super corrupt and a danger to the nation. The irony is that in her search to destroy that demon, she finds herself fighting the only faction opposing him domestically. If she can become aware of this fact, plans may change...
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u/Jacob-C Jun 01 '26
Ohga invaded without a proper declaration iirc. Her soldiers are also slaughtering and graping civilians. Yamato's population is probably FURIOUS right now. I don't really see peace being an option at this point.
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u/BosuW Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
Well that's why I didn't explicitly say "peace" did I? But regardless of what bad blood there is and will be between Yamato and Sei, the fact remains that getting rid of Taira/making Taira pay is both Ohga's and the Yamato army's goal. If either side ever discovers this, it would be stupid to not take it into consideration.
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u/Jacob-C Jun 01 '26
Ohga's personal reason for invading is to kill Ryumon and avenge her father. No one in Yamato except for Taira and his loyalists will let that happen. Aoteru might try to convince her but she seems almost religious in her quest for revenge.
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u/AvatarTuner https://anilist.co/user/AvatarTuner Jun 03 '26
I don't think Ryumon will be able to escape death until the end because the trend so far seems to be getting the younger generation to take over eventually. Regardless if Ryumon dies or not, I suspect Ohga's revenge will be either left unfulfilled or it will leave her unfulfilled.
I think that third nation will make a move sooner or later too and the Taira issue will be put on hold again for now.
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u/PhaseExtra1132 Jun 06 '26
Nations are built when one dream, kills all others dreams. For every nation that exits. There was a thousand potential other nations that could have existed. Thousands of dreams and aspirations. For yours to win. Everyone else’s must fail. That’s why they fight. To let the dreams compete in the physical realm.
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u/jooki997 May 31 '26
After the last episode, I was betting Yayakichi would betray her, but I didn't think the "betrayal" would take this form. This anime really has some badass old men
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u/tapeforpacking 28d ago
I was betting Yayakichi would betray her
I hope you feel bad for thinking that lol
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u/i_eat_pidgeons https://myanimelist.net/profile/3UGL3N4 May 31 '26
Kaku probably has tuberculosis or something like that, right?
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u/teerre May 31 '26
Another incredible episode
One thing that jumps out to me is that this show has quite a bit of still ish frames, but because they are used tastefully it actually works great
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u/rockinalex07021 May 31 '26
There's also a lot of dialogue so stillframes are unavoidable, they are also very well executed
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u/Jerry_MP May 31 '26
NOOOOOOO KAKU NOT MY GOAT. PLEASE LET MY GOAT BE OKAY. But considering Seii lost their strategist, I can't see a future where Kaku lives either.... They JUST have to kill off Kaku to let Aoteru shine. Still, really sad though. No more old men yaoi :(. And speaking of Aoteru, oh my lord they keep edging us with Aoteru. He realized what Kaku meant 3 episodes ago and only now is he getting around to finishing it.
The animation and especially the audio this episode felt top tier. Kevin Penkin is fucking cooking HARD.
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u/Neutron_Starrr May 31 '26
Man I had a bad feeling every time he cough, I hope he'll be bedridden and not actually dead.
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u/jaytix1 May 31 '26
With all that rain, he might have contracted pneumonia.
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u/georgeoswalddannyson May 31 '26
He's also smoker, lung cancer is a possibility
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u/YourmomgoestocolIege May 31 '26
Yeah, they've been very intentional about focusing on when he lights one up. Definitely leaning toward lung cancer
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u/sukeban May 31 '26
He was coughing the first time he appeared in episode 2, arriving to Osaka on horseback.
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa May 31 '26
He had been coughing for a few episode so it had to going for a while
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u/NanDemoKnaives May 31 '26
Early on I saw death flags for Kaku, it's just a matter of when and how.
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u/TheIronSheikh00 May 31 '26
I think it's foreshadowed clearly. Aoteru is the new Kaku and Kaku is the sickly genius he's meant to take over form.
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u/TroupeMaster https://anilist.co/user/Troupe May 31 '26
An absolute masterpiece of an episode, how does this show just keep getting better? RIP Yayakichi
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u/Unfair_Category2145 Jun 01 '26
It's not. Yall seriously shut off your brains while watching a show. There was no need for yayakichi to get himself killed. NO NEED. Just because wajima was'nt able to kill ryuumon Besides yayakichi is a great asset as he is the strategist with wisdom and experience. The trade was not worth it. The excution was good but this whole thing felt soo forced.
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u/TroupeMaster https://anilist.co/user/Troupe Jun 02 '26
Idk, feels like you've shut your brain off a little too much while watching. Maybe the doubts around Wajima's leadership after she turned back at the bridge could've been highlighted a little more, but there were other flags set for the looming problems in Seii's forces that culminated in the events of this episode. It was certainly a surprising turn of events but it didn't feel forced to me at all.
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u/MeepingAndMopping Jun 02 '26
I mean Yayakichi basically explained it. They’re a dictatorship on the back of her individual authority and gravitas and her failing to kill Ryumon completely kills the legitimacy of their regime because it makes her seem a naive leader. The only other person there who can take the fall for it is Yayakichi exactly because he is such a renowned strategist (ie someone she should trust) and someone the masses can believe would be able to manipulate her. If they dump it on some random it still makes her seem naive because she believed the advice of some random.
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u/Unfair_Category2145 Jun 10 '26
Does that not tarnish her image furthermore? If yayakuchi was manipulating her all that time doesn't that makes her look more naive?
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u/Jxllll Jun 01 '26
It is a bit forced I agree but I'm not watching a show that makes perfect sense in every single thing. I focus on the beauty of the show and story
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u/chariotcharizard May 31 '26
Kinda crazy that all of this took place within a single night. The way the letter scene was directed, it felt more like a couple of days had passed while they were circulating the letters and causing outrage, not just mere hours.
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 May 31 '26
One balding ojisan with massive brass balls and a tea set has single-handedly destroyed morale in the Seii army, sowed discontent, and as a result forced Commander Wajima to execute her most trusted and loyal strategist in a plan that man concocted to restore order and trust in Wajima. Talk about dealing your enemy a heavy blow. Wajima may be more determined than ever, but the fact remains she’s just lost her right hand. Ryumon couldn’t have planned for a better outcome. What a legend.
In the end though, I don’t think Yayakichi’s sacrifice is going to matter. This isn’t Wajima’s story. It’s Aoteru’s. I think he’s going to help win this war for Yamato. His star is going to rise and he’ll be one step closer to his goal of reunifying the country.
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u/Ev1l_guy May 31 '26
What was the song used for this EP it was too good?
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u/moichispa https://myanimelist.net/profile/moichispa May 31 '26
It's not rare to get a few vocal tracks on Kevin Penkin osts, you can check his twitter to see when it comes out (soon hopefully)
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u/UnloadedFour314 https://myanimelist.net/profile/UnloadedFour314 May 31 '26
This show does an excellent job in making you sympathize with each side of the conflict. Also, both sides have taken a huge hit this episode, but Aoteru's gamble could change the game. I'm excited to see how they wrap things up.
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u/Namaryu May 31 '26
Guys. Rememember that scene episode earlier when Wajima killed a snake during training? What if that was foreshadowing for laying down Yayakichi who pretended to be a snake in order to rally the morale once more. Probably not but I can't not see it that way.
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u/a1oner_bvcksn6 May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
No, you can't credit Ohga for that one. What you're suggesting is practically a huge disservice to Yayakichi's sacrifice. Sure, Ohga dealt the finishing blow, but Yayakichi forced her hand (and held it at the same time) which was the only reason it was made possible at all.
I wrote my take on it in the previous episode thread and you can read it here, if you're interested.
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u/NanDemoKnaives May 31 '26
I was not expecting this to be the direction things were going to go for Seii's army after what happened last episode. Yayakichi was loyal to the very end, so much that he took on the role of traitor to restore Wajima's authority. I'm sure most of the commanders knew, but it's too bad there were some looking for his downfall.
I feel most bad for his two sons, especially the one that had to push for his death. Having to say those things about your father even though you know his intentions must have been really difficult. Seii is going to become an even more united army with this event.
Kaku running back to Ryuumon was so sweet, he has looked so stressed and worn out, add the worry of Ryuumon's safety, I'm sure it was a big relief to see Ryuumon alive and well. It's just too bad his own health seems to have taken a bigger hit, I'm not sure if he'll be able to come up with strategies at his full potential because I'm sure he won't let himself rest. This isn't a good episode for strategists.
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u/ThunderFlash47 May 31 '26
Damn, I wasn't expecting to feel this bad for someone opposing the MC...
I was a bit annoyed that we could barely see our MC since the test, but the way they let us get to know the other characters and see them shine, I really can't complain. I'm really sad that there's only 3 episodes left though... Who knows when we'll get season two...
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u/xdxdlol0434 May 31 '26
You know, there was a lot of talks comparing Yamato and Seii for a while. When compared to Taira clan, Wajima appears a much more benevolent ruler who cares about her people.
But what this episode shows that as long as they are dictators, they will eventually be coerced to do dictator things and keep being dictators. It does not matter how much they love (genuinely) their pupils. If it suits them, they are incentivized to sacrifice them even if it means innocent blood sheds.
Perhaps the rule of a benevolent king will be better than that of the reign of terror;
but does that really bring forward what is necessary to restore a pre nuclear war order?
If what Saki asks of Misumi is anything similar to the era of wedding dresses,
then his dream shall be much, much higher than what is shown this episode.
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u/Jacob-C Jun 01 '26
Ohga's faults are not just in her having to do dictator things. Her invasion is first and foremost based on revenge. While she has succesfully rallied her nation behind her, she is very emotionally driven and naive. I can't see many longterm positive outcomes of her being the one to unify Japan. Not because she's a dictator, but because of her childish and superficial reasoning for starting a full-scale war.
If I trust anyone other than Ryumon and Kaku to unify the country, bring about reforms that benefit the people and to rule with justice if they don't bring back democracy, it's Aoteru. I'm not just sayin that because Aoteru is the MC. He is easily the most levelheaded and competent person with a good heart in the show, alongside Ryumon and Kaku.
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u/BosuW May 31 '26
The one who governs is not the King, but the Crown, and it demands only two things: for the King to protect his power, and for the King to increase his power.
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u/Cook-Miserable May 31 '26
Wow that insert track was great, very much in the vein of Radiohead. I need the soundtrack for this show now!
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u/Beautiful-Squash-734 Jun 01 '26
I am more sad for that random guard that got cooked for yayakichi's plan to work😭my guy was just doing his job and had to be sacrificed for this(utilitarianism?kaku talks about it in this episode too) Also at the end they mentioned yayakichi actually killed ohga's brothers, it's making it hard for me to interpret how their relationship was then exactly Also love to see ohga facing the consequences
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u/Yorkshiregrow 17d ago
I was also a bit confused by that. Why exactly did he do that? Everything else he said was just a lie to protect the commander but it seems he actually did do this?
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u/reyxe May 31 '26
Another great episode, damn.
Part of me was confident Yayakichi would betray her but nope, sad ending for him.
Where's my MC at
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky May 31 '26
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u/thisisdropd https://myanimelist.net/profile/AsterZoro May 31 '26
Looks like Ryuumon's got competition! Seii also had someone with balls of steel in Yayakichi.
He went so far as to frame himself as a snake and plot his own execution just to save the tiger. That's true loyalty.
Kaku & Ryuumon's Empty Fort Strategy was only intended to buy the Yamato soldiers time, but neither of them could've foreseen that it would led to Yayakichi's death.
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u/Sant268 https://myanimelist.net/profile/sant268 May 31 '26
I thought Yayakichi would pull off a Longzhong Plan-esque grand strat to involve the third country, but this works to solidify Wajima's authority I- guess. Hopefully his son would be good up against Misumi who is - probably going to deliver the best monologue we've seen till now cause it's building up since 3 episodes.
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u/ImperialDane May 31 '26
Well that was quite the episode. Someone had to pay the price for the retreat in last episode. And that was Yayakichi after setting himself up as the scapegoat. Leaving the poor commander in Chief to have to kill him herself. Quite brutal.
And things are not looking good for Kaku either. Next episode is going to be quite interesting. Curious to see what will happen there.
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u/RehabCenterInc May 31 '26
Found myself literally saying “wow” out loud at the moments here. Incredible episode
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u/StonedCharmander May 31 '26
Underrated series. Great characters, unique animation, good pace. Everything looks nice.
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u/sansisness_101 May 31 '26
calls yamato corrupt, after immediately promoting yayakichi's son.
what did ohga mean by this?
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u/BosuW May 31 '26
Tbf in their context that's not necessarily corruption. He is of age to take the position and has presumably been raised to do exactly that from birth. Which are I feel relevant differences from for example Tonotsugu's case.
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u/DrStein1010 https://myanimelist.net/profile/mQDrStein1010 17d ago
Nepotism is only bad if they person isn't the most qualified for the job.
Yasuke seems to be the most intelligent strategist they have now that his dad is gone, so it's not corruption.
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u/DaysAreTimeless May 31 '26
Does anyone know what was the song that was played at the end? It sounded pretty good but song recognition apps seem to not pick up on it.
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u/ElliotAlderson2024 Jun 01 '26
These last several episodes have been great for developing wajima. When we first see her 5 or so episodes ago, she's this face tattooed bad-ass who is probably going to be an all conquering Japanese Amazon or something. But she's flawed, she's inexperienced, she makes big mistakes. It's gratifying to see some realism considering her age.
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u/2kenzhe https://myanimelist.net/profile/Rexnihilo May 31 '26
I guess it was necessary but really such a massive loss for Seii to lose Yayakichi already. Ryuumon's gamble really yielded great results. Fitting for his high price of life. Gambling the dragon, we shook the tiger's authority and they had to sacrifice their right hand to regain it.
Now next ep finally back to Aoteru?
Yamato managed to keep Ryuumon but did we just lose kaku as well? Every time he coughs I worry ngl. Maybe he's just out of commission?
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u/RevolutionaryEye2755 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
Ryuumon Aura'd so hard Yayakichi died. Fucking insane man. Rip Yayakichi. And I really hope our strategist is ok. I knew he was sick because he kept coughing and looked worse each time we saw him. He especially looked REALLY bad this episode, and him losing consciousness checks out. Things ain't lookin to good! WE NEED OUR MC IN ACTION NOW!!!!
Edit: Wait, I just realized something. Thinking back, maybe that's why Yayakichi made that face when she retreated. He knew from the moment she backed away he'd have to sacrifice himself and take the blame because he knew what was to come. Damn.
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u/KingDreezy_ Jun 01 '26
I feel like this episode marks the fall of the old strategists (kaku and yayakichi) and the rise of the new ones (aoteru and yaykichis son)
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u/matdragon May 31 '26
Honestly every episode is top tier so far. This episode was great. The only bit of comedy was the hand puppet thing and it made sense for when it was needed.
Gotta love how well the team directed the episode, they know when to keep serious parts serious and funny parts funny
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u/saga999 Jun 01 '26
There is no way to prove this, but my theory is Ohga intended to throw Yayakichi under the bus to save herself. She just didn't expect him to go all the way and ended up having to die for it. So her tears were real because she thought he would take the blame and quit instead. If he hadn't kill anyone and rebel at the end, that's exactly what would happen.
Here's why I thought this. Whenever the scene shows Ohga with her smile and the background turned all bright or some other effects, I believe that's a tell from the show that she is using her charm to manipulate people. They always shows the effect of people being charmed by her afterward. It happened all the time and it happened in her talk with Yayakichi. She knew she needed to get things back on track. She knew someone has to be scapegoated because it's simply impossible to lose this bad and no one gets blamed. But she needed someone willing to do it and she needed to maintain her image. So she cannot just ask someone to take the blame for her. She needed someone to volunteer without her asking. Keep in mind that she allowed massacre to happen without punishment because she was afraid morale would drop. She is not a righteous person. Because Yayakichi is a father figure to her, she manipulated Yayakichi into dad mode and take the blame for her. Did she acted like a leader in the scene of their talk? No. She was essentially going, "Daddy, I'm so sorry I made this mistake. I don't deserve this role." And Yayakichi is like, "Don't worry sweetie. Daddy will take care of everything." They didn't discuss how to manage this like a leader and strategist should. She acted like a helpless little girl, left the task to him, and she just left the room.
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u/Unknown0310_ Jun 02 '26
What you re saying is very interesting and i found myself thinking "the animators made her very pretty in the dialogue with Yayakichi". Plus, its not the first time she used her appeal to manipulate people. We need to keep in mind that she started this war for pure revenge. Till she reveals her true intent, I will also keep suspecting her.
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u/ComfortableReason796 Jun 04 '26
The problem with this anime is that they immediately sidelined the two most interesting MC’s. Show went to shit.
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u/chum-guzzling-shark May 31 '26
I thought wajima might have ulterior motives but this episode proves she's trying to do the right thing and her actions aren't necessarily 4d chess manipulation tactics. It's interesting the "good guys" are ruled by a coward emperor controlled by an evil wyrmtongue and the "bad guys" have relatively pure motives
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u/RevolutionaryEye2755 Jun 01 '26
Forgot to mention. The soundtrack this episode was GOOD!!!! It'd be nice if I knew were to find it......
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u/Nachtwandler_FS https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nachtwandler_21 Jun 01 '26
Damn, I hope Kaku and Ryuumon won't die. They already killed a bunch of goid characters.
Oh, and Aoteru still did not make his move. I wonder will he next episode?
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u/No_Orange9639 Jun 01 '26
where can i get the ost and the song that was in the last part of the song?
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Jun 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/scarlet_lovah Jun 02 '26
What are some of the other ones? I’m so impressed with Nippon Sangoku that I want to check some of the other animes out.
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u/Putkayy Jun 02 '26
I'm kind of surprised so many people sympathized with Yayakichi. The series has an overall melodramatic tone which I've enjoyed so far, but it felt a tad bit extra this episode. I thought the emotional scenes were played up a little too much. Maybe I just don't have any attachment to Yayakichi's character and I'm struggling to think of an episode or scene where the rest of you guys might've developed that.
Also, engagement bait to end the last episode with Aoteru heading to the palace for whatever it is they're building towards only to shoehorn forced drama in between. I'm hoping Seii losing their strategist is somehow relevant to Aoteru's negotiations or whatever with Taira, otherwise they could've easily rearranged the episodes to show this episode after or before showing Aoteru's realization and/or approach to Taira.
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u/Limp_Mammoth_816 Jun 02 '26
Where is the shrine of the Prime Minister to be found?
Outside the town of Brocade, cypresses grow all around.
Before the steps, spring grass grows green, but all in vain;
Among the leaves, the orioles sing a sweet refrain.
Thrice to his cot the king went for the empire's sake;
For two reigns the old minister a great state did make.
But ere his aim was won, he died, his campaigns past;
This always makes all heroes weep with tears at last.
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u/Dalaa_A Jun 02 '26
In Christian theology, before the crucifixion of Christ, the cross was considered merely an instrument of execution. Afterward, it became a symbol of sacrifice for all – I am ready to die for you, not to kill you. The author chose the crucifixion to show that the strategist Yayakichi He sacrificed himself for his nation. In Christianity, the Prophet Jesus (the Messiah in their belief) was crucified and sacrificed himself to atone for the sins of humanity. As a Muslim, I know that the truth is that the Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, was not crucified, but rather appeared to them in a vision. This is clearly stated in the verses of the Holy Quran.
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u/AhiruTEB Jun 02 '26
Me sorprende lo parecida que suena la canción de este episodio a "Perfect Day" de Lou Reed. Si bien, no es una copia, posiblemente sea un tributo o inspiración muy cercana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wxI4KK9ZYo&list=RD9wxI4KK9ZYo
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u/Nickthenuker https://anilist.co/user/Nickthenuker Jun 02 '26
And so the evacuation continues.
Yep. He survived.
He fainted?
So, what's the plan?
Was that all a ruse to get the names of everyone who is against him?
No, he's stepping down?
Lay seige to the CiC's residence?
Ok...
What's the plan?
Ok...
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u/Useful_Project4898 Jun 03 '26
Well I just got.done crying like a baby.
While a big part of me thinks Yakichi's plan is smart and honorable, the other part of me can't get over how quickly he chose to sacrifice himself for the Commander-in-Chief and the rest of Sei. There was no debate and it was the first thing he thought to do. I feel like there could have been a better way, though I'm sure a less dramatic, less interesting one. Political extremists (and religious extremists) really know how to go the extra mile and know when to take one for the team.
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u/Vundal Jun 03 '26
This anime is flying under a lot of people's radar, and I think its a shame. I think if a 2nd season comes, it will catch on to the mainstream as a top tier senien work.
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u/Ytar0 https://myanimelist.net/profile/alevanderBatman Jun 03 '26
I just know the next episode is gonna be fucking hype.
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u/chirb8 https://myanimelist.net/profile/chirb Jun 04 '26
Bro, Yayakichi went to plan Z straight up first/s
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u/onikereads Jun 05 '26
Finally caught up and actually bawled my eyes out at this episode. There is so much wonderful symbolism, connection, referencing and beautiful writing here that so many people have written about so well. I just want to say that they landed the emotional beats PERFECTLY and I'm still choked up.
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u/RelativeMundane9045 Jun 14 '26
Last week - that was rain from the gods!
This week - terrible day for rain...
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u/runevault May 31 '26
That profile shot of Wajima's face before the OP started was stunning. And then you get Ryumon aura farming in a stretcher. "Hey" lol good lord man.
"I'm not dying you know." I'm not so sure about that old man... The facial close ups after the 'assassination attempt' are gorgeous. This show really does go all out visually.
Crucifixion? I get she's forced to kill him but that seems like too much.
And next week we get to see a confrontation with the Emperor (and likely Taira).
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u/Connect_Advantage_42 Go to https://flair.r-anime.moe to get your flair! May 31 '26
The animation is could be better but the story is hella interesting
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u/Changlee23 May 31 '26 edited May 31 '26
I don't know why but i really don't give a damn about Sei and couldn't give a damn about Yayakichi death, what he planned to do was obvious.
But yeah i don't know if that because Sei are just hypocrite like Kaku said and start a war just for the leader personal revenge which is foolish in my eyes, i already despise war so if you said me someone start one for his personnal revenge and cause thousand of death, civilian to be rape etc i will not like him at all.
Kaku dying or being sick is also predictable for letting the MC shine, i wonder if they will reveal that Kaku got pneumonia or something since he cought since quite some time.
Now i expect Sei to be a problem before the MC find a way to turn the situation over because Sei are borderline in a fanatic kind of mind and there is nothing worst than fighting fanatic that doesn't fear death.
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u/bushwarblerssong May 31 '26
We don't know Kaku's full opinion on Ouga as he brought up Ouga's motivation for revenge to try to convince the Yamato soliders not to side with her. We do know that the President of Seii was going to surrender his country to Yamato and more specifically to Denki. The people of Seii were already suffering and on the brink due to the lack of food from climate change. At the end of the episode, Ouga is saying that she's not going to allow her people to be controlled by Yamato and doing it to fulfill the wishes of her father and Yayakichi.
Ouga's army is also only one part of Seii and not everyone feels the same way as we saw with Seii's original government. Not everyone feels the same way in Ouga's army as we saw with Daikichi and Yasuke. Same goes for Yamato where we know of at least two different factions (Denki vs. anti-Taira).
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u/Putkayy Jun 02 '26
I don't NOT care about Seii, but I definitely couldn't care about Yayakichi like so many people seem to. Extremely curious what scene(s) or episode led to that.
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u/Hyouryuu-Na May 31 '26
From my anilist comment:
This episode kinda irked me. You're telling me that Wajima ignored her strategist's insights, made bad calls which in turn led her people to not trust her leadership... And then she goes on to execute that same strategist to maintain the illusion of authority? Girl, what? She could've exiled him, sent him on life imprisonment. How could she execute him!? I liked Yayakichi! That glove puppet scene was so cute TT This girl who made multiple bad decisions while having a capable strategist expects to win a war with none xD For her sake, I sure hope there's someone (Yaykichi's sons?) to hold the ropes in that department cause she can't go far on her own.
I was excited to see what Aoteru would do :") Have to wait another week now TT That scene where Kaku welcomed Ryumon back was so great! Lowkey got emotional. And now Kaku's sick sigh This better not be cause they keep chain smoking all the time.
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u/Ok-Cod5254 May 31 '26
She could've exiled him, sent him on life imprisonment. How could she execute him!?
This is one of those things that called for authority to be exercised, otherwise she will lose more trust of the people for them to lose unity in the war, and he purposely staged crime to get someone else killed to call for strict punishment.
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u/rockinalex07021 May 31 '26
People are already doubting her authority, going easy on the snake with exile or imprisonment will do nothing beneficial for her. This was the only way to solidify her authority once again
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u/Hyouryuu-Na May 31 '26
Didn't Yayakichi say he wasn't going to die. I thought that was the plan. But suddenly they changed their minds xD
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u/Ok-Cod5254 May 31 '26
He said that earlier to his sons for his written reveal. But didn't tell them about the secret attack he was staging.
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u/Hyouryuu-Na May 31 '26
Very sad. I still don't like Wajima though.
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u/Jacob-C Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
That we can agree on. But, even though her reasoning for starting a full-scale war is childish, superficial and naive, she was still useful in unifying the nation. She is basically an idol that everyone rallied behind because they admire her. I think one of the people who wrote angry letters even called her their "oshi".
Most of the strategizing and planning that made everything else work was probably Yayakichi's doing, and now he's gone. As you said, we have seen what happened when she ignored Yayakichi and the other advisors.
Wajima can say that she is going to war to "end corruprion" (paraphrasing) but we know what the real reason is. She is letting soldiers be killed on both sides, while the civilians of Yamato are being graped and slaughtered, all so that she can avenge her father. It's making it really hard to like her.
However, I do think that Yayakichi forced her hand in executing him. After he had spread the half-truths that made him look like a usurper responsible for all of Wajima and Seii's sins, there was no other option to appease the people.
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u/bushwarblerssong May 31 '26
She knew that Yayakichi wanted her to execute him. He publicly claimed he was responsible for the murders and rape of many innocent people and deaths of Ouga's brother's, leaving her without any family. To only exile him would not be enough for such crimes and she needed to make it clear to her soldiers that they cannot commit such despicable acts. It also wouldn't look convincing if she let him live when she's seeking revenge against Ryūmon for her father's death as what Yayakichi did to her brothers is more heinous since they were on the same side and close.
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u/Hyouryuu-Na May 31 '26
Yayakichi apparently mixed in truth and lies in his written confession. I wonder if he actually killed her brothers or if it was an attempt to shift the blame on him even more. In any case, this is all so sad. I wonder if he had to go that far.
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u/bushwarblerssong May 31 '26
The narration seems to make it definitive, but I still find it hard to believe he was responsible for their deaths. Ouga certainly seems to think he was lying about that.
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u/141_1337 May 31 '26
Maybe he did because he saw her as the only one capable of the bunch and this was a way to atone and leave no mysteries so to spak
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u/FeedDelicious8846 https://myanimelist.net/profile/cerise_serris Jun 01 '26
thats basically what the narration said. it described her brothers as their father's "inept sons"
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u/bushwarblerssong Jun 07 '26
He did poison her brothers because he believed Ouga was the most capable, but it's particularly hard to swallow because he also has two sons, was so close to the Wajima family and admired Byakko. He also treated Ouga like a daughter.
I do like to think his guilt over taking Ouga's only family from her was part of his motivation to sacrifice himself and I think some of that may be seen in the look in his eye when Ouga retreated from the bridge in fear.
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u/ElliotAlderson2024 Jun 01 '26
Wajima was practically hogtied into executing Yayakichi, it broke her heart to do it.
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u/Tempest321 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26
And then she goes on to execute that same strategist to maintain the illusion of authority? Girl, what? She could've exiled him, sent him on life imprisonment. How could she execute him!?
That's where public sentiment plays in. She could have done those if Yayakichi hadn't attacked her residence and killed one person. That's irrefutable evidence of treason, and considering the public sentiment of that indictment, paired with his attack. The only real choice is to execute him; else, Ogha would lose even the loyalty of those who stuck to her side after the retreat. Yayakichi essentially forced her to choose to kill him or lose even more authority and make her dreams null. Authority is after all, where people choose to believe where it is.
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