Yoshitsune #10: The image of a Father
•ƒ‚̖ʉeYoshitsune and company finally arrive at Oushuu Hiraizumi. They meet the head of the ruling Fujiwara clan, a man called Fujiwara Hidehira. Hidehira is puzzled when Yoshitsune introduces himself as "Kurou Yoshitsune" instead of "Shanaou" and is surprised to learn that he had gone through the Genpuku ceremony by himself. Being still wary of him, Hidehira keeps Yoshitsune away by arranging for him and his followers to stay in a dilapidated hut detached from his own residence.
Meanwhile Hidehira finds out from Kichiji that Yoshitsune went through Genpuku without an "eboshi-oya" (someone who acts as a guardian during Genpuku). He tells Kichiji that he is not yet sure whether to welcome Yoshitsune or not, as he is afterall a fugitive from the Taira clan. In otherwords, a (lit.) "troublesome poison" (I think he meant something like 'time bomb'). Should he find Yoshitsune a worthless burden to carry, he will just... ... x__x
Later that night, they hold a gathering to welcome Yoshitsune's arrival. Hidehira introduces members of his clan to him. Yoshitsune drinks wine for the first time and he doesn't seem to take it well. Hidehira's eldest son Kunihira (pls pass this guy a shaver!) takes the opportunity to ridicule him. As the night does on and they watch some (really BORING) dance performances, Yoshitsune fell asleep under the influence of the wine. (You can't really blame him... its SERIOUSLY BORING STUFF!! *yawn* ALL their dance music sound the same!!) The Fujiwara sons are shocked at his behaviour (sweatdrops) and Hidehira seems offended. (I think because the dance was a commemorative dance for some annual event.)
After the dinner ended and Yoshitsune left, the Fujiwara clan stayed behind. Kunihira and the brothers voice out their complaints about Yoshitsune, for being so rude as to fall asleep during an important event. Everyone seems unhappy with Yoshitsune's presence in Hiraizumi, with the exception of the second son Yasuhira, who tries to speak up for him. Hidehira is displeased with Yoshitsune for falling asleep during the dinner not because it is rude, but more because it implies that Yoshitsune is not taking precautions against people who might be his foe (i.e. the Fujiwara clan). This is not something that a Genji samurai should do. In any case, Hidehira decides to observe Yoshitsune for the time being and send one of his men Sato Sanburo Tsugunobu to watch over him.
Tsugunobu tells Yoshitsune he will visit them everyday to "see that all is right for them", although everyone knows that his real motive is spy "openly". Benkei and company thinks it is an insult to Yoshitsune but the latter thinks it is natural for Hidehira to do it.
Back at the capital, the Heike receives news that Shanaou has gone through Genpuku and becomes Yoshitsune, and is currently seeking shelter at Fujiwara's place in Hiraizumi. Morikuni and Munemori thinks this is a relief for them, as it beats him reuniting with his brother in Izu. Morever, they have just accredited Hidehira with some title, meaning that he is on the Taira side. So they think having Yoshitsune there is as good as still having control over him. But Shigemori thinks otherwise. Since Fujiwara is not part of the Taira family, they are not guaranteed allies. Kiyomori thinks the same way too. Hidehira is from a family of wealth and power. Being the ruler of Oushuu, he could be a more dangerous enemy to Heike than Yoshitsune.
In Izu, Masako tells Yoritomo that his brother Yoshitsune has gone to Hiraizumi. Yoritomo tells her that he doesn't really treat him as his brother, because his father has many mistresses and children from those relationships (Yoritomo's mother is Yoshitomo's official spouse). Yoritomo's mother is the first wife, and she used to remind Yoritomo when he's young that he is a son from the honryuu (true/main bloodline) and he must distinct himself as such, and not mix with the sons from the shoryuu ("branch/inferior" bloodline, lit.).
Masako: "And this Shanaou is a...?"
Yoritomo: "Shoryuu."
(Yoritomo has this look of regret. It seems to me perhaps his father Yoshitomo had neglected his mother when he was alive for Tokiwa, Shanaou's mother.)
Meanwhile in Hiraizumi, Yoshitsune and his company are preparing planting fields and renovating the dilapidated house given to them to pass time. Tsugunobu still goes over everyday to watch over them. One day, everyone is hard at work except for Saburou, who is trying to impress the village children with his own heroic tales. However, Kisanta comes over and exposes his lies. Benkei starts scolding Saburou for not working seriously and they start to fight. Jirou tries to stop them but ends up arguing with them instead. It is Yoshitsune who stops the fight eventually.
Kichiji is returning to the capital and he meets Hidehira to bid goodbye, but not without first asking him for his impression of Yoshitsune. Hidehira thinks (from Tsugunobu's reports) that he is an "interesting" person. Kichiji reveals to Hidehira that he has suggested to Yoshitsune to conduct his Genpuku ceremony after reaching Hiraizumi, so that he can ask Hidehira to be his eboshi- oya. However, Yoshitsune is not sure if Hidehira will be friend or foe, hence he decides to conduct the ceremony himself, before going to Hiraizumi. Hearing this, Hidehira is very happy to know that Yoshitsune is not that naive and takes precautions afterall.
Jirou decides to go back to his ship as he is worried about his men. As his boat sails away, Yoshitsune yells to him to not give up on his dream.
It is now 1172. Tokuko marries the new Emperor Takaguchi Tennou and becomes the Empress, thus enhancing Taira's power.
Yasuhiro visits Yoshitsune at his place one day and presents Yoshitsune with a splendid white horse from Hidehira. Yoshitsune names the horse Hakudouji and starts to learn horse-riding from Tsugunobu. A few days later, Hidehira summons for Yoshitsune. He is very impressed that Yoshitsune rides so well despite that he has never ridden a horse by himself before coming to Hiraizumi. He decides to show Yoshitsune around Hiraizumi by himself on horseback. Hidehira tells Yoshitsune about his dream to build a magnificent temple like his ancestors, a temple called Muryoukoin.
In the meantime, the Fujiwara brothers are jealous that their father seems so involved with Yoshitsune and is full of praises for him. They think Yoshitsune is just good at impressing others. Yasuhiro seems divided. (He seems to be bothered by the fact that Hidehira is showering so much attention on Yoshitsune, but yet at the same time, cannot bring himself to dislike Yoshitsune.)
Hidehira shows Yoshitsune around his country somemore and Yoshitsune is very impressed by its beauty. He cannot understand why people will want to wage war on such beauty. Hidehira tells him wars are started due to worldly desires. He tells his philosophies about ruling which reminds Yoshitsune of Kiyomori and his own father whom he does not remember. Hidehira asks if Yoshitsune once thought of anyone as his own father and Yoshitsune tells him about Kiyomori (without actually saying it is Kiyomori but Hidehira guesses it anyway). Hidehira tells Yoshitsune he will treat him as one of his own sons from now on.
It is now 1175. Utsubo shows up in Hiraizumi. Yoshitsune is very happy to meet her. That night, Utsubo cooks for them. Benkei asks when she is going back but Utsubo does not plan to go back. Benkei thinks it is not convenient for her to stay but Utsubo insists and Yoshitsune lets her. All of a sudden, Jirou barges into the house. He tells Yoshitsune he has been feeling empty since returning to the ship and begs Yoshitsune to take him in as a follower. Yoshitsune agrees and the group begins to live happily under one roof.
One day, Yoshitsune goes hunting with the Fujiwara clan. Suddenly, Yasuhira is reported missing. Men are sent out to look for him but with the sun dipping and pouring rain, it gets more and more difficult. Hidehira decides that if Yasuhira is to die in such a way, that is his destiny, and sets to leave. Yoshitsune can see that Hidehira ia actually worried and decides to go into the jungle to look for Yasuhiro himself. Later that day, Benkei hurries to Hidehira's place and tells him about Yoshitsune. Hidehira gets even more worried, for Yoshitsune does not yet know the terrain well himself.
Meanwhile, Yoshitsune searches for Yasuhiro in the jungle covered in deep fog...
~End of Episode 10~ | 
4 more days to Takki's birthday!!!!
It's probably pre-recorded but i wonder if they celebrated his bdae on the show... going by how much that obaachan adores Takki... Haven heard anything about Zubari recently... Is he even still on that show??? Lol~
Must be because of the Kame doing DB thingy... I now have an issue with Kattun. I know i cant blame them but i can't help it. Even my non-Takki JE fan-friends thought it was a bad idea... and so very unfair to Takki... but oh well, it's still gonna be done no matter wat so what the heck... -___-
But for the record, their rendition of it was rather FLAT~ So emotionless, so tuneless... 
The yayayah brats had to actually sing along so that the song wouldn't sound so flat... But then again, they didn't do a good job of it either. And what's worse, the 2 Thai Jrs both had hairstyles similar to Takki's!!! 
I'm so glad that T&T are debuted... at least they will get more pay that if they were still part of Jr... deshou? 
Sakusen Tokyo 
hahahahhah... It's actually a poster promoting Iwate Pref, Esashi as a sightseeing location. And cos they filmed there, Takki is on the poster... him in that red samurai gear.. like REALLY HUGE 
... ahhahah... i shamelessly asked for it at the recent travel fair when i saw it at one of the japan representative prefectural booths. Actually, it was my colleagues who told me about it.. They all told me to go and be nakayoshi with the people there, so that i can get the poster after the fair! ahahha.. so on my first day at the fair, i was like all dittery...and my manager actually took me there to aisatsu... ahahah... 
... i should take a pic of it and post here. No more whines about not being able to put up pictures of Takki around my workstation unlike Cheryl who could plaster her workstation with Takki's Olympus flyers all over! Now let's see if that poster will attract any fellow Takki fans to my office....*evil grins*
