"Gintama" is a hugely popular manga and anime. It's so popular that there is no one who doesn't know about it. A new anime movie of "Gintama" will be released in January 2021, and it is currently a hot topic again. The famous special police that appears in Gintama is, of course, the "Shinsengumi." Needless to say, the model for the "Shinsengumi" is the "Shinsengumi." The Shinsengumi are one of the most popular historical figures, and they have many fans. What do the "Shinsengumi" and the "Shinsengumi" have in common? This article will compare the two!
What are the "Shinsengumi" and "Shinsengumi"?
The "Shinsengumi" that appears in Gintama is a special police force that protects Edo. Their main job is to guard the Shogun and patrol the streets of Edo, but they are sometimes given menial jobs as well. The chief is Kondo Isao, and the group is made up of vice-chief Hijikata Toshiro, captain of the 1st division Okita Sougo, and others. Although they are skilled swordsmen, they also use bazookas and grenades in addition to swords, and commit assaults after apprehending criminals, so they have a slightly bad reputation among the public and are sometimes called "tax thieves" and "24-hour thug police." However, they are an indispensable part of the story, and are actually quite popular among readers.
What is the Shinsengumi?
The Shinsengumi, which is the origin of the Shinsengumi, are ronin who worked to suppress the Sonno Joi movement in Kyoto during the late Edo period. During the late Edo period, Kyoto was the political center. The Kyoto Mimawarigumi, which was under the shogunate, was a regular organization made up of shogunate retainers, but the Shinsengumi was made up of ronin and was an irregular organization called the Aizu Domain Caretaker. The Shinsengumi started with 24 members of the Mibu Roshigumi, but at its peak, it had more than 200 members. However, there were constant internal conflicts, and they had an extreme side, such as purging those who violated the rules of the bureau without any sense of samurai morality. The chief was Kondo Isami, the vice-chief was Hijikata Toshizo, and the captain of the first squad was Okita Souji.
Comparison between the Shinsengumi and the Shinsengumi① "Kondo Isami" and "Kondo Isami"
From here, let's compare the people of the Shinsengumi and the Shinsengumi with actual photos. First of all, Kondo Isami from Gintama is the head of the Shinsengumi. He has a straightforward personality, but he also has a side to him that makes him lose sight of what's going on around him. He's a character who often does things for the sake of his own interests, such as taking off his clothes quickly, being called a "gorilla," and almost being forced to go on a blind date with a gorilla (!), but he is trusted by his corps members, and they are acting for Kondo rather than for the shogunate. He is of course a skilled swordsman, but he is a stalker of Shimura Tae. (lol)
Who is Kondo Isami of the Shinsengumi?
"Kindo Isami" is a samurai from the late Edo period. Kondo served as the head of the Shinsengumi and was the fourth head of the Tennen Rishin-ryu school. He formed the Shinsengumi with Serizawa Kamo and others, and later became its captain. The Shinsengumi was recognized by the shogunate after the Ikedaya Incident and other events, but was defeated in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi after a series of events. Kondo then changed his name from "Okubo Tsuyoshi" to "Okubo Yamato," but was captured and beheaded at the age of 35.
Comparison between Shinsengumi and Shinsengumi② "Hijikata Toshiro" and "Hijikata Toshizo"
Hijikata Toshiro from Gintama is the vice-captain of the Shinsengumi and is feared as the "demon vice-captain". Among the many crazy members of the Shinsengumi, he is a relatively normal member and often plays the role of the straight man. However, he is by no means normal and is an extreme mayonnaise lover. He eats everything with so much mayonnaise that it becomes unrecognizable, and he calls rice bowls with mayonnaise on them "Hijikata Special", which is Hijikata's favorite food. However, Okita calls him "dog food." He's a cool, handsome character, but for some reason his pupils are always dilated. He's a heavy smoker.
Who is "Hijikata Toshizo" of the Shinsengumi?
"Hijikata Toshizo" is the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. Although he was the vice-commander, it was Hijikata who actually ran the Shinsengumi. He is feared as the "demon vice-commander," just like in "Gintama." His family was a medicine seller, selling a medicine called "Ishida Sanyaku." By the way, Hijikata eventually headed to Sendai during the Aizu War. He died at the age of 35. In real life, Hijikata Toshizo is very cool, and he has many fans among history buffs!
Comparison between Shinsengumi and Shinsengumi③ "Okita Sougo" and "Okita Souji"
"Okita Sougo" from Gintama is the captain of the first division of the Shinsengumi. He has a sweet face and a princely appearance, but he is actually quite sadistic. He is also a very cunning and sharp-tongued character. Okita is always aiming for the vice-captain position and even Hijikata's life, and even though he is supposedly an ally, he always fires a bazooka at Hijikata. Of course, he is a skilled swordsman. He also has the frightening skill of easily making women fall in love with him with his sadistic nature and easily turning them into his servants.
Who is "Okita Souji" of the Shinsengumi?
"Okita Souji" is the captain of the Shinsengumi's first unit and a master swordsman. He learned Tenshinrishin-ryu at the age of 9 and was a fellow student of Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizo. Souji was a very skilled swordsman and was already a master of the art at the age of 20, and joined the Shinsengumi around that time. However, he was infected with tuberculosis, an incurable disease at the time, and was only active as a member of the Shinsengumi for about three years. There are various theories about his age at death, but he is said to have been 27 years old.
Comparison between the Shinsengumi and the Shinsengumi ④ "Yamazaki Tai" and "Yamazaki Susumu"
Yamazaki Tai from Gintama is an inspector for the Shinsengumi. Yamazaki appears many times in Gintama, but he is often teased for his plainness, and he often ends up in a pitiful situation. By the way, instead of a sword, he often holds a badminton racket and practices swinging it. Sometimes he seems to neglect his duties and practice badminton, which gets him scolded by Hijikata. He is also called "Minton". He also plays "Kabaddi". By the way, Yamazaki often does stakeout work, but for some reason he has a mysterious rule that he only eats anpan when he is on stakeout (it doesn't seem to be his favorite food), and if the stakeout goes on for a long time, he seems to go crazy due to various stresses.
Who is "Yamazaki Susumu" of the Shinsengumi?
Yamazaki Susumu was born in Kyoto and joined the Shinsengumi in Bunkyu 3. After that, he was appointed as a junior executive and was highly valued. In the Boshin War that followed, Yamazaki was seriously injured and died. By the way, the fact that Yamazaki's handwritten diary was discovered in recent years has also become a hot topic. The main records of the Shinsengumi are those of Shinpachi Nagakura and Kai Shimada, but this is a recollection written in the Meiji period, and it is very rare to see one written in real time.
Comparison between the Shinsengumi and the Shinsengumi ⑤ "Saito Hajime" and "Saito Hajime"
"Saito Hajime" from Gintama is the captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. Saito is a very silent young man, and never speaks a single word. He has a very fluffy afro hair, and is nicknamed "Afu-ro (ro)", short for "Afro Wolf". He covers his mouth with a mask like a ninja and only speaks "Z". However, even this is snoring while sleeping, so it is not included in the speech sound. Although he is a character who first appears in the long story called "Afro Arc", he has been friends with Kondo, Hijikata, Okita, and others since before the formation of Shinsengumi. He is also characterized by sleeping so well that he can sleep upright. Even though Saito is such a swordsman, Okita acknowledges his swordsmanship skills, and he can fight on equal terms with Katsura. He is basically a two-sword style swordsman.
Who is "Saito Hajime" of the Shinsengumi?
His real name is Yamaguchi Hajime. Although much is unknown about his birth, he was born in Edo. He became a companion of Kondo Isami in Edo or Kyoto and became a member of the Shinsengumi. He was a skilled swordsman, and it was said that "Okita is the sword of a warrior. Saito is the sword of an invincible man." During the Boshin War, he fought on the front lines, but when his unit fell apart, he remained in Aizu and surrendered. He lived a long life, and during the Meiji period, he began working for the Metropolitan Police Department under the name Fujita Goro, and also participated in the Seinan War. By the way, after retiring from the Metropolitan Police Department, he worked as a security guard at the Tokyo Museum of Education and opened his home as a dormitory for female students. He currently rests in Aizu, where he and his wife are buried.
【Gintama】Summary of the Shinsengumi and Shinsengumi!
That's all about the Shinsengumi that appears in Gintama and the real Shinsengumi. What did you think? We learned that they are modeled on not only the names, but every aspect of historical figures. Both are very cool.
