On Shinsengumi! Episode 1
I'll admit, I'm only watching this show because I chose to app PMK!Saitou to Amat and I've found that Taiga are really helpful for fleshing out the background of characters based on Japanese Historical figures. Tenchijin is a good example, as it focuses on Naoe Kanetsugu, a person that us Westerners know very little of because we're too busy fapping to Nobunaga and Ieyasu apparently.
But anyways, with the this episode I should note: there are two halves to it. The first is set during the Shinsengumi days as an introduction to our characters, dealing with their pursuit of Katsura Kogoro, which fails. We also get introduced to Sakamoto Ryoma and have some hints of the ties between him, Katsura, Kondo Isami and Hijikata Toshizou. Then we get to the more interesting half of the episode, a flashback to ten years ago, before the Shinsengumi's start.
Kondo seems to be set up as our lead, a likeable everyman type who has inherited a run down dojo. He's friends with Hijikata, dashing young breaker of women's hearts who comes from an old farm family. We get to see some conflict between them and Katsura, who is portrayed as being a well meaning but arrogant man. We also meet Ryoma, an enthusiastic young man ready to embrace all the west has to offer.
The last part of the episode involves Ryoma, Kondo and Hijikata getting the rare opportunity to see one of the Black Ships and we see the conflict that many of the characters in the series feel: to absolutely reject the west or to embrace it fully.
All I have to say at this point is this series if funny, with the potential for the dark turn that most Shinsengumi inspired series must inevitably take. I love Kondo so far and I really hope he continues to be the focus of the series.
And well, this was derpy.