> 1) Name/Nickname/Screen name whatever (+ anything you would like us
to know about you)
secretarytocapt3, AIM = badgerturtle, Yahoo Messenger = tnamwong
I am a graduate student with a special focus on Thailand, because I am
fully bilingual (English is my first language but with all the typos
you can never tell)...I study almost every aspect of the kingdom
I am sadly, the originator of our old "fundoshi" joke due to
babelfish's translation of Fujita Goro washing his "lower headband"
everyday. Serizawa Kamo
(
http://victorian.fortunecity.com/stanford/130/bio.html), a member of
our list pointed out that the word was not "headband" but in fact
underwear. Due to this error we have developed a fascination with
fundoshi and its fashion possibilities here in the west...read my idea
here
http://www.livejournal.com/users/demonscircular/4427.html
I am also deeply interested in studying law enforcement...a little
from the Tokugawa but mostly during the Meiji era and a little of the
modern police. I have side interests in things related to Aizu, the
Joushitai especially. I've always loved persimmons I'm so happy there
are persimmons in Aizu...should I ever visit Aizu I'll be eating
dozens upon dozens of this fruit. My dream is to visit various
Shinsengumi related locations, Aomori included, and experience the
locations during the exact day/time variuos events occurred. I would
even want to camp out at Buddha Hall and walk around the castle at
various times of the day. AND walk the Kyoto patrol route during the
hours the Shinsengumi worked.
> 2) How did you "discover" the Shinsengumi?
Rurouni Kenshin...I fell in love with Saitou's voice, BODY, his way of
life and how he slipped his most deepest secret....the existence of
TOKIO ::gasp::
So I've loved Saitou since the late 1990s and revived my interest in
2003 at the now gone saitou-hajime.com before coming here
> 3) Do you have a favorite Shinsengumi member? Why?
Saitou Hajime, Nakajima Nobori, Yamazaki Susumu, Shimada Kai and
Habutae Miki. Saitou is a very complex man with *issues* and
ultimately I believe he tried his best in every role he assumed or
ordered to perform. To top it off...he married a woman of Aizu. I
think that he stayed in Aizu for more reasons than just blind loyalty
(or the widely accepted theory that he was their spy)...there is more
to the story. I think Saitou had a reserve of not only physical
strength as a warrior but mental strength as well from the description
of his death.
Nakajima Nobori similarly was a man of many talents and his decision
to join the Shinsengumi affected his family life. The love and skill
poured into the production of his paintings is his expression of
sincerity towards comrades he lost. Yamazaki Susumu like some members
of the Shinsengumi had other options besides joining a police
troop---but he obviously put his skills to good use. The information
gathering arm in the shinsengumi is most complex and sadly reduced to
simple cross dressing and ninja stereotypes.
Shimada Kai is to me loveable...his wife was lucky he COULDn'T DRINK
even if he wanted to! I want to learn more about everyone but until
we get a translation company together to publish these books we'll
never have access to details.
I do love Hijikata Toshizo however my interest is very superficial (I
saw the picture ---end of story) I can't think of him beyond his good
looks.
Miki, was a good man caught up in circumstances beyond his control. He
also had a charitable side and prayed for the men who murdered his
brother, yes he tried to exact revenge (which was a ok under the
circumstance) ....simply he had more strength than we can even gauge.
Miki is the butt of our jokes and even his guardian fangirl
accidentally be-littles him...quote from PHIL....(^_^)
(Suzuki may have been sent to the Tokaido, the eastern road connecting
Edo and
Kyoto... not sure about that yet... no big deal since his Second
Patrol was disbanded two weeks after it was created.)
>
> 4) What Shinsengumi media have you read/seen?
all the ones Barb mentioned
> 5) In terms of film/television portrayals what film (or series) do
you think captured your favorite member(s) the best and why?
Rurouni Kenshin's Fujita Goro to me is how I imagine historical Fujita
Goro when he was at work. From my readings on police mentality...they
divide work and home and adopt almost different personalities in each
sphere.
Shinsengumi Keppuroku = Hijikata, Okita (both characters HIGHLY
believable)...a series which at times captures the complexity of the
situation better than NHK
MIbugishiden = OKita (for his dark portrayal), Saitou is a bit too
rude/rough which actually flies against my own view of historical
Saitou...Mibugishiden was too keen on contrasting Saitou with
Yoshimura...but Koichi Saitou is too darn SEXY
Mibugishiden Nagakura...that face those eyes...we NEED MORE NAGAKURA
and I can imagine this actor to be more sociable like historical
Nagakura too!
NHK = Hijikata (has the looks but not the *presence), Serizawa Kamo
(PERFECT), Saitou (good but why make up the carving detail while
LEAVING OUT his practice time with Yamazaki Susumu?) but I love JO
ODAGIRI, Yamanami Keisuke (superior acting, and the thoughtful
narrowing of eyes) he carries the drama of the series ....ITOU +
TAKEDA Itou is sooo cold blooded, devious and hot...and Takeda is
just funny
NHK has sacrificed historical detail (which can be presented in an
interesting way) because they don't have faith in the audience. I
have said to myself many times that a time of hardcore fans could
write better scripts using this cast. The series is uneven and is
rescued by some of the stronger actors (thankfully). But now it will
take a while for new fans to work past the fictional devices to get to
the really good stuff.
> 6) Do you have any questions that are nagging at you about any
> particular Shinsengumi members or events?
Too many to post
I'm very open minded and for every *positive interpretation for a
person or situation I have a *dark interpretation as well. I have my
own vision of a Shinsengumi narrative set in modern times which does
not simply "modernize" them superficially. The struggles of the
Shinsengumi is also a matter of social class, and ultimately universal
,tragic and are participants in history as well as victims. We have
overlooked their lives as martial arts practitioners and people who
*think and *change. I frequently imagine the survivors reflecting on
their tumultuous youth and the pain of having to keep their past to
themselves from new families and friends who would never be able to
understand.