01x04 - Sadamune tôjô!

[bunniefuu]

EMPEROR GODAIGO

Takauji Ashikaga,
to honor your efforts
in leading the attack

on the Kamakura shogunate,

I will bestow upon you
a character from my real name.

EXALTED

From today on,
you shall write your name
using the kanji for "exalted."

HEREBY KNOWN AS
TAKAUJI ASHIKAGA

I am deeply honored.
Thank you.

CE 1333 [GENKO YEAR 3]
AUGUST 5TH KYOTO

[Godaigo] It is thanks to you
that I was able
to win back the country.

If there is
a position that you want
in the new imperial court,

don’t hesitate to tell me now.

I am a mere soldier, my lord.

Surely the position of a scribe
is not meant for me.

Be that as it may,

my retainers here with me

possess too much wisdom,
courage and purity of heart

to keep company with
the likes of me.

I would be pleased
if positions
within the imperial court

were to be given to them
instead of me.

[all] Wow.

[noble 1] I’ve heard
he’s the warrior
who destroyed Kamakura.

[noble 2] I wonder
how demonic his face is.

He has such a kind smile.
I could melt
just looking at him!

So, it turns out
the man is human after all.

The Emperor’s wish was granted.

The time has come
for the Emperor and the nobles

to replace the shogunate’s rule
all over the country.

[steward] Good work today.

What plagues you, Moronao?

ASHIKAGA HOUSE STEWARD
MORONAO OF KO

It’s nothing.

I’ve been serving you
since you were a child.

But your smile has started
to look less and less human.

That is a foolish thing to say.

I need you.

We will appeal to everyone
to support the Emperor.

[Moronao] Sir.

[song playing]

THE ELUSIVE
SAMURAI

THE ELUSIVE
SAMURAI

[thud]

Lord Takauji,

I am grateful to you
for recommending me
to the Emperor

for governor of Shinano.

The truth is
you have earned this reward
more than any other.

You were the first one
to betray the Hojo
and fight as my retainer.

However,
your province of Shinano

was also where
Hojo’s top retainers, the Suwa,
are located.

I have no doubt
the Hojo clan survivors
are taking refuge there.

I trust you will hunt them down.

I can see that there are
four males and one female
among those ticks.

[Takauji chuckles]

You can count on me,
Lord Takauji.

My keen eyes are as sharp
as the eyes of a hawk.

And my arrows never miss.

I will find and k*ll
those little bugs.

SADAMUNE OGASAWARA

SLUGGISH

[sighs]

You serious?

I’ve never seen anyone
struggle to cut through
a bundle of straw.

[shrine maiden giggles]

It is because
even on the offense,

Lord Tokiyuki’s muscles
have been conditioned

so that he’s ready to run away
at any given moment.

Thus, as a result,
he has never fully committed
to his sword swings.

-[buzzer sounds]
-[sighs]

You have to really
put your back into it
and do it over and over again.

[groans]

SQUEEZE SQUEEZE

No, that’s the opposite
of what we want.

If we focus too much
on his attacking skills,

then his running-away muscles
will weaken.

He will be mediocre
at both attacking and evading

and thus lose
what makes him special.

What are running-away muscles?

Oh-h*!

My lord, I really didn’t expect
you to be such a good shot.

[chuckles] Yeah, well.

My father enjoyed
watching archery competitions.

[exclaims] Your archery skills
are truly impressive,
Lord Tokiyuki!

Thank you.

-[Jiro] Bulls-eye!
-[Saburo] Huh?

It’s a clean bulls-eye!

You’ve hit it
right in the center.

Well done, Lord Tokiyuki!
Well done indeed.

I may look weak,
but I have had plenty
of archery training.

-[Yorishige] Well then.
It is decided.
-[both] Hmm?

We shall enhance
your archery skills.

A general who only runs away
will weaken his army’s morale.

[Tokiyuki laughing, grunting]

He must make the best of
Lord Tokiyuki’s special skill.

He must learn to run
and attack at the same time.

But where to find an instructor

who can teach such an
unorthodox method of battle?

-Lord Yorishige!
-[grunts]

[priest] Sadamune Ogasawara
of West Shinano is arriving.

He came unannounced.

[Yorishige] Sadamune?

Who is that?

Do you mean to say
you’d never met him in Kamakura?

No, I haven’t.

Maybe his status
didn’t allow him

to freely visit
my father’s residence.

Ah, I see.

Well, to be safe,
let’s have you hide
in that shack.

You can watch from there.

Yorishige, it’s been so long
since we’ve seen each other.

Sadamune, I must thank you
for making the journey.

Tell me, what prompted you
to visit our shrine today?

I hope you’ll forgive me
for showing up unannounced.

I really wanted to
greet you in person.

As you know,
the shogunate has fallen.

And the rule has been returned
to our great Emperor Godaigo.

I carry with me
an Imperial Command
from the Emperor.

He has appointed me,
Sadamune Ogasawara,
as governor of Shinano.

IMPERIAL COMMAND = DECREE
*DO NOT DEFY

In plain terms, from now on
you take orders from me,
Yorishige.

Do you understand
what I’m saying to you?

[narrator] Squish.

SUWA FAMILY MEMBER
MORITAKA SUWA

Just days ago,
you were working for Suwa,

and now you just come here and
think you can give us orders?

When the Kamakura
shogunate fell,

we were of great service
to the Emperor

and took up swords
against the Hojo rebellion.

You, on the other hand,
took Hojo’s side.

Many of you fought
on their behalf.

You can’t complain if your
territory is taken from you.

It’s a logical consequence.

I would like to discuss
this matter another day.

You see, there is
one more reason I’ve come here.

If you’re sheltering
any of the Hojo clan
or their retainers,

hand them over to me
or you will face consequences.

[gasps]

I’m not sheltering anyone
at all.

How could I possibly hand over
someone I’ve never even seen?

You’ve never seen anyone
from the Hojo clan?

Hmm.

In the distance,
I spy two soldiers

watching from
behind the cedar tree,
following everything closely.

Over there is a man
clutching his short sword,
ready to fight.

And I see children hidden
in a small shack watching us
through narrow slits.

They look very suspicious,
just like children
who are taking shelter.

You can’t fool these eyes,
Yorishige.

They see everything.

I will catch them all
in no time, rest assured.

That’s all. I am so glad
that I stopped by.

Take good care for now.

[Moritaka sighs]

[Sadamune] Oh,
I forgot to mention one thing.

I didn’t bring gifts,
as I came in a hurry.

Please accept this deer
as a symbol of my generosity
towards Suwa Myojin.

[Yorishige] Deer?

[Sadamune]
They say it spells good fortune
to catch a deer with a split ear

at Suwa Grand Shrine.

[shouts]

-Sakae!
-Sakae!

[Sadamune laughs]

A fortuitous gift for you!
A true split-eared doe.

Precious as any!

[laughing]

He’s awful.

How’s Miss Sakae?

She said
it’ll sew back together.

She laughed it all off
and said it really wasn’t
a big deal, although...

[Ayako sighs]

Sadamune’s archery prowess
is well-known throughout
the entire country.

His excellent vision
and observational skills

are matched by no other.

His appointment
to governor of Shinano
spells trouble for us all.

Damn him.

That bug-eyed creep dared to
hurt a simple shrine maiden.

It’s unforgivable.

What do you think, my lord?

He has acted disgracefully.

And it’s obvious
he’s a bug-eyed psychopath
with an evil heart.

-However...
-Yes, my lord?

His archery
was really beautiful.

[gasps]

[gasps]

The boy is honest and generous
to the core.

-He can appreciate
the skills...
-No, you’re right...

-...of even his most
despicable enemy.
-I would never condone...

Once he becomes general,

his fair and
level-headed character
will be very useful.

[laughs]

And I just found
the perfect instructor.

-It is decided,
Lord Tokiyuki.
-[gasps]

The next game of tag
will be a game of hide-and-seek.

Hide-and-seek?

Sadamune has two goals.

The first is to find
surviving members
of the Hojo clan.

That will help him
achieve his second goal.

Reduce the Suwa clan’s
influence.

You also have two goals.

First, conceal your identity.

Second, learn from
his archery technique.

OGASAWARA TERRITORY
SUWA TERRITORY

Sadamune will no doubt abuse
his position as governor,

and provoke
confrontations with us
whenever he gets the chance.

GOVERNOR COMMAND

Which means you’ll get
plenty of opportunities

to see his archery in action.

At times,
you will physically hide.

Other times,
you will hide your identity.

In either case,
you’ll be close enough
to observe and study his form.

[grunts]

The game is hide-and-seek.
Evade his eyes and his arrows!

Experience the thrill of
not knowing if you’ll be
found out or impaled!

I bet you are brimming
with excitement, Lord Tokiyuki!

[shudders]

A rumor has been circulating,
Sadamune. It appears that
in three days...

ASSISTANT TO GOVERNOR OF SHINANO
SUKEFUSA ICHIKAWA

...a dog-sh**ting competition
will take place
at Suwa Grand Shrine.

[Sadamune] Hmm,
a perfect opportunity
to execute my plan.

We’ll weaken
Yorishige Suwa’s influence,

at the same time seek out
the Hojo clan’s last survivors.

[whispering] I’ll participate
in the competition,

and I’ll pick a fight and
set the following conditions.

If I win, I get what I want.

GRIN

-[chuckles]
-[laughs]

A splendid idea.

That whisper
and those protruding eyes
gave me the creeps!

DAY OF DOG-sh**ting COMPETITION

-[dogs barking]
-[crowd cheering, shouting]

[both exclaiming]

Damn it. I hate this.
I can’t hit anything!

I’ve got to get better at this.

Huh?

Lord Tokiyuki, you’re next
in the competition.

Good luck to you.

Mm-hmm.

Shizuku, it’s dangerous to say
Lord Tokiyuki’s real name while
in the presence of this crowd.

For now, it would be best
if you use a false name instead.

I’m sure you can think
of a good pseudonym, right?

Hmm. I’ll call you Big Brother.

-[grunts]
-Huh?

-[Kojiro] My lord!
-[grunts]

You have to see this!

[announcer]
We have a surprise contestant!

The governor of Shinano,
Sadamune Ogasawara,

is joining the competition!

What makes him think
he can just show up and join in?

That is sheer entitlement.

Dog-sh**ting competitions
are Shinano’s most celebrated
events.

As governor of Shinano,
it is my duty to join the party.

Will I be granted a spot,
Yorishige?

Of course. It is an honor
to have you with us.

You have five arrows.

Scoring is based on
the contestant’s posture

and where the arrow is shot
on the target.

[Sadamune grunts]

Release the dogs!

[shouts]

[yelps]

[judge] Right side to torso.
Four points!

Right side to head.
Five points!

[grunts]

Right side to neck. Five points!

What skill.

All his shots
are on the right side,
giving him maximum points.

LEFT SIDED

sh**ting to the right
is much harder than to the left.

Drawing the bow
while twisting your body
is very difficult.

RIGHT SIDED

And he’s hitting
the dogs’ critical points
on the upper half.

[gasps]

Mr. Yorishige
looks like he’s trembling.

Is he scared of
Sadamune’s skills?

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE

It’s not that. It’s just that
in the future, this sport’s
considered animal abuse.

But during this time,
it’s normal.

I hope I don’t get
what’s known as canceled.

Who in the world
are you justifying yourself to?

[crowd cheering]

[Sadamune] Now let’s see,
what place am I currently in?

Uh, in the individual scoring,
you’re in first.

Ha!

Does it come as a shock to you
that a surprise contestant
manages to take first place?

Is this the level
of the Suwa Grand Shrine
to the God of w*r?

Don’t get c*ck!

Plenty of strong competitors
to come!

Really?

Then let those competitors
come forth and bet against me
on a one-on-one match.

[Moritaka] A bet?

[Sadamune] As you know,
I’m looking for survivors
of the Hojo clan.

My proposal is this.

I am willing to face
anyone who dares challenge me,

but if none of you can beat me,

then I’ll be allowed to
search for them in your homes
without complaint.

Since I suspect you of
sheltering the refugees.

Scumbag, imposing conditions.

He only has a few men with him,
but he’s acting so bold.

We have to be careful
in opposing him.

After all, the Emperor himself
appointed him governor.

On the other hand,

he was the one
to make this proposition,

which means
he can’t evade responsibility.

[grunts]

This is the game.
It is a fight without a fight.

We will both advance
and retreat, push and pull.

I will accept your bet,
Sadamune.

Hmm?

But here is my counterproposal.

If we win, you must guarantee
that our territory
will go untouched.

A fair bet, not?

[chuckles] You took the bait.

As a Suwa landlord,
you have your pride.

When challenged
in front of your people,
you have to accept.

Now you’ll lose
and suffer the embarrassment!

Afterwards, when
the Hojo refugees are found,

I will expose your crimes!

Suwa will fall, and you’ll
have to surrender to Ogasawara!

HOJO

[laughs]

And who is this
strong competitor
you’re betting on to oppose me?

Let’s see...

For you, I think
this child here is surely
a strong enough competitor.

[shouts]

What?

-His name is Chojumaru.
-[gasping]

He’s Suwa’s
least-skilled archer,
so it should be a good match.

Are you mocking me, Yorishige?
Is that what you’re doing?

It’s not very interesting to
do things as we always do them,
wouldn’t you agree?

So I propose a rule that
grants the competitors points

if they manage to hit
the opponent’s body.

Oh, my. What is this?
Are you shaking
in your little boots?

Unlike the shrine maiden
you shot the other day,

this boy has a weapon
to strike back with-- Ooh!

Please stop this,
Lord Yorishige!

The Young Lord has
the combat prowess of a rabbit.
Suwa will end!

[groans] You’ve seen that
when he’s trying to be strong,
you know he will lose.

What they said!

Father, I don’t understand
why you’re so determined

to make the hunted fight against
the one who is hunting him.

There is great value in it,
you see?

Battling a true master
will make you grow
more than anything else.

Lord Tokiyuki,
I can see a bright future
full of growth for you

if you find the courage
to go up against
Sadamune Ogasawara.

But the real reason...
You must fight him.

When the battle is finished,
you will gain a new skill.

At least,
I have a feeling you will.

I wonder if it’ll happen.
[giggles]

Just say it!

So what are we going to do,
my young lord?

It’s up to you.

You can choose
danger and growth,
or to run away.

Only you can decide, Young Lord.

But that’s not really true,
is it?

In the end,
you always make me do
what you want me to do.

On the other hand, I’ve decided
to k*ll Takauji, so...

Shizuku, arrows.

[crowd cheering]

[Ayako] What a strange person.

Always taking to heel,
but today,

with a formidable enemy,
he chooses to stay.

I can now also
see his future clearly.

It might be in his blood
to always want to escape.

But he won’t run away from
the things he sets his heart on,

and that are important to him.

Listen to me, child.

I will make you pay the price
for daring to disrespect me,
you hear that?

In that case,
please send the bill
to Mr. Yorishige.

I can tell you lack any skill
just by looking at you.

You really think
you can win this?

Well, only God
can answer that question.

Begin!

[Sadamune] Hyah!

Should I collect points
by hitting the dogs as usual?

No!

-I have
a more exciting target!
-[Tokiyuki grunts]

[grunts] You brat!

Are you trying to make me angry?

[Yorishige]
You don’t have to land a hit,

but use your first shot
to make him put his entire
focus on you as his target.

Warriors are by nature
incapable of turning down
a challenge.

He will no doubt
aim his arrow
right back at you.

First, dodge his shots.

[Sadamune grunts]

Sadamune doesn’t like to
sh**t in rapid succession.

He takes his time,
and puts everything
into a single shot.

You’ll have some time before
he lines up his next arrow.

Use it to sh**t a dog
and gain some points.

There should be a red dog
running close to you.
It’ll make for an easy target.

That dog was trained
just to entertain people!

There is such a thing?

[dog] You’d better get me,
you lousy shot!

I only get venison
if you hit me.

One more try!

[dog] That’s it.

-Left side to torso. One point!
-[crowd cheering]

[spectator]
Little brat got the first point!

-Damn you!
-[grunts]

[Yorishige] Your goal is
to simply focus on evading him.

For someone who doesn’t
know you, it will surely be
a difficult task to hit you.

TOP MAJOR LEAGUER’S BEST SPEED
ABOUT 160 KM/H

THIRD KEISEI SKYLINER TOP SPEED
QUICKEST 36 MIN.

ARROWS WERE SLOWER
THAN MODERN ARROWS.

DODGING THEM WAS NOT UNHEARD OF.

Not good. My last arrow.

I have no points, so if I miss,
I’m guaranteed to lose.

[Yorishige] Sadamune is
feeling the pressure now.

He is sure to readjust his aim
toward the dogs.

The dogs chosen for this event
are Suwa Grand Shrine’s
best runners.

Sadamune will be distracted
and unable to hit you
so easily.

While continuing to evade him,

use your remaining arrows
to aim for Sadamune himself.

The fear of being
targeted by you will make him
frustrated and confused.

Having lost all composure,
he won’t even be able to
aim at the dogs.

[Tokiyuki groans]

[groans] This is bad.
Sadamune is in his blind spot.

It’s impossible for
the Young Lord to aim no matter
how he twists and turns.

Holding a bow
isn’t enough to win a w*r.

You have to be on horseback
to gain the advantage.

This is no longer
a dog-sh**ting competition.

It’s two mounted archers
fighting a battle.

[Kojiro] Lord Moritaka.

[Shizuku] Suwa Grand Shrine’s
king of commentary.

[announcer] Chojumaru continues
his attempts to lure Sadamune
out of his blind spot

by frantically
turning his horse.

Sadamune pursues him with ease,
having let go of the reins
altogether.

[narrator] Emperor Godaigo
himself praised Sadamune
Ogasawara’s great skill

in the martial arts.

[Godaigo] Hmm. It’s good.

The Emperor has said
"It’s good!"

KING

[narrator]
"Sadamune should serve as
an example for all warriors."

As a result, the Emperor
granted him special permission

to use the character "king"
in his family crest.

Even today,
in the 21st century,

Sadamune’s discipline
of martial arts
is widely practiced.

[Sadamune]
Your attention is divided

between steering your horse
and dodging my arrows.

You can be sure the split
second you lose focus of either
will not escape my gaze!

NANBOKUCHO GAME OF TAG
ALL-SEEING DEMON OGASAWARA

[grunts]

[all gasp]

Right side to head. Five points!

-Whoa, what a comeback!
-[crowd cheering]

Sadamune gave it everything!
He’s now winning by four points!

Well,
I’ve exhausted all my arrows.

You’re free to aim
for dog or human.

I won’t give up my position
in your blind spot though.

And I’ll run my horse into you
to hinder your shot on a dog.

The game is over, kid.

[Tokiyuki]
There’s blood. It hurts.

There’s no winning. I’m scared!

If that had been a real arrow,
I’d be dead.

[horse whinnies]

[Sadamune] Why do you run?

Are you afraid?

Have you realized
you can’t win?

This is fun!

[song playing]

EPISODE 5 [YEAR OF 1333]:
SETTLING THE SCORE! A DOG-
sh**ting COMPETITION AND THEN... Let’s go!