Masanobu is here!

I've been waiting for this!
Our Kenichi Matsuyama as Masanobu Honda has finally returned.

There are no detailed historical records of exactly when Masanobu returned, and since he is such an important advisor to Ieyasu from this point on, it was up to the screenwriter to decide where to bring him back.

There were many moments where it could have happened, but the long-awaited scene has finally arrived.

There were few direct exchanges between the two, but there was still a sense of 'perfect rapport' between them.

Their future confrontations will be something to see, so that is definitely a point to watch.

At the greatest moment of crisis
at the very last second

'How pathetic, Ieyasu.'

Masanobu Honda, who had appeared briefly in the previous preview.
I was looking forward to seeing how he would appear during the 'Iga-goe' sequence, and I must say, it was brilliant writing to have him save Ieyasu from such a dire situation while remaining so nonchalant.

His speech was a bit exaggerated and theatrical, but the way he mentally cornered the Iga leader, Tanba Momochi (Kyusaku Shimada), by striking at the core of his psyche was masterful.

It wasn't just against Momochi.
The way he subtly appeals to Ieyasu as well is also clever!

In a way, he has now done Ieyasu a favor, seizing the perfect opportunity to make his comeback.

'Do me a favor.'

The final deciding line came from Ieyasu.
With this, Momochi sheathes his raised sword.

Ieyasu had once given up on living, but this resulted in him driving a nail into the feelings of Momochi, who had begun to waver due to Masanobu's words.

In fact, Ieyasu, who later became the ruler of the nation, did protect Iga.
After this, Hideyoshi, who would become the ruler, supported Koga, and Ieyasu supported Iga.
The Iga vs. Koga rivalry began at this time, and if you read between the lines, this is the beginning of the Tokugawa vs. Toyotomi dynamic.

That is why Momochi's decision at this moment was truly correct!

Hattori Hanzo's predictions all backfire

What was interesting was how Hattori Hanzo's (Takayuki Yamada) predictions all backfired.

For some reason, he is never portrayed as cool, and Hattori always provides a bit of comic relief.

That serves as a good breather in a positive sense.

Since he is a character who has traditionally been portrayed seriously, this setting is fresh and interesting.

Furthermore, despite being one of the truly prestigious families in Iga, the fact that he gets completely shunned pays off the setup from before.

I have written articles about the Iga-goe route and ninjas in the past, so I think reading them will make it easier to understand.

Nobunaga's love for Ieyasu

Returning to the story, Nobunaga's feelings for Ieyasu came to the forefront during the Honno-ji Incident.

The interaction between the two before that was quite profound.

Ieyasu, the only one Nobunaga trusted

The confrontation between the two at Azuchi Castle just before the Honno-ji Incident revealed their feelings for each other and was quite tense.

And after the event occurred, he realized the truth about Nobunaga and felt a sense of helplessness, but that might be unavoidable.

Nobunaga's attitude is very difficult to understand; it is not just strict but purely intimidating, and it would be impossible for Ieyasu to feel any affection there.

Come to think of it, when Ieyasu snapped at Nobunaga during a council in the past, Nobunaga shed tears even while scolding him with his words.

Junichi Okada mentioned in a talk show that he had no plans or intention to cry, but the tears came out naturally.

I also thought at the time that those were tears of frustration from being defied by his own pet dog, but there was true affection deep down, wasn't there?

As a result, this became foreshadowing for this moment, making it a very effective scene.

Realizing Nobunaga's love too late

It was good how this series of events overlapped with Nobunaga's childhood.

It made it possible to understand the environment in which Nobunaga was raised and the foundation of his character development.

Although it was a bit extreme, it is thought that Nobunaga received every kind of gifted education to survive the Sengoku period.

His father, Nobuhide, must have been a man of great insight to have recognized his potential and designated Nobunaga as his heir early on, no matter how much opposition he faced from those around him.

As the Danjo-no-Chu family was the lowest-ranking among the Oda clan, he must have anticipated the fierce battles that lay ahead.

The pressure on Nobunaga must have been immense.

However, it was only later that Ieyasu realized Nobunaga's love.

Even when he mocked Ieyasu as a "white rabbit," he wasn't looking down on him; he was genuinely fond of him.

And yet, I tried to kill Nobunaga!
Moreover, Nobunaga was aware of it!

When I try to fathom Nobunaga's true feelings, it is just too sad.

Here are past articles that touch upon the environment in which Nobunaga was raised and the Oda family.

"Oh, it's you."

Even so, this version of Akechi Mitsuhide (Yoshi Sakou) is a small-minded person.
Isn't it rare for a historical figure to be portrayed so differently depending on the screenwriter?

Nobunaga's remark the moment he learned it was Mitsuhide who was attacking was an incredibly cruel thing to say.

To be so deeply disappointed...

Mitsuhide, having been told this directly, becomes even more enraged.

The real Mitsuhide should have been polite, respectful of others, and always calm and composed; if he had carried out the Honno-ji Incident on his own, there must have been a significant cause.

It certainly couldn't have been because of a 'the carp smells' remark, and Mitsuhide was not foolish enough to attack Nobunaga over something like that.

For Mitsuhide, this must have been a once-in-a-lifetime uprising where failure would mean the destruction of his entire clan.

And yet, why is there such a disparity?

I understand that since Ieyasu is the protagonist, they wanted this setup, but I wish they had portrayed Mitsuhide as a more capable warrior.

Kirin ga Kuru featured a Nobunaga (Shota Sometani) who loved Mitsuhide, and his tearful suicide was pathetic, but the pathos of this version of Nobunaga was also quite striking.

Delusional theories about the 'Honno-ji Incident'

The 'Honno-ji Incident,' an unprecedented mystery, remains unsolved to this day, and it was a major event that caused Japanese history to take a sharp turn.

Various speculations are flying around even among expert scholars.

The general questions are as follows:

1. Why Honno-ji?

In the first place, Honno-ji must have been Nobunaga's regular lodging in Kyoto.
The location of Honno-ji at the time was slightly lower than the surrounding area, making it easy to look down upon.

I believe that someone in Nobunaga's position could have built a sturdy castle in Kyoto, just as Hideyoshi and Ieyasu did later.
What could be the reason he didn't?

Moreover, the fact that he went out of his way to enter Honno-ji Temple with only 100 to 200 men at this time to hold a "tea ceremony" was, by any measure, far too careless and an act of rashness unthinkable for the Nobunaga we knew until then.

2. Why is there no body of Nobunaga?

This is the biggest reason why Akechi Mitsuhide's reign ended in just three days.
Even in the Taiga drama, the fact that Momochi did not kill Ieyasu is largely because Honda Masanobu said this.

Also, it is said that Hideyoshi, during his rapid march from the Chugoku region, went around claiming that "Lord Nobunaga is still alive."

Whether Nobunaga was alive or dead would have greatly changed how each daimyo acted, and at this point, no one could move carelessly.

Who on earth hid it, and where?

・The head priest of the nearby Amida-ji Temple
・Someone among those invited to the tea ceremony
・Yasuke, the black retainer

There are various speculations, but the truth remains in the dark to this day.

3. Why did Mitsuhide attack Nobunaga?

In the first place, Mitsuhide's clear motive is unknown.

・Ambition Theory
He simply wanted to seize control of the country.

・Resentment Theory
Several cases can be considered, but the one I find most compelling is that despite being in the middle of peace negotiations with the Chosokabe clan of Shikoku, Nobunaga ordered the conquest of Shikoku, completely undermining Mitsuhide's position.

・Fear Theory
Did he feel fear at Nobunaga's ruthless decisions, such as banishing his senior vassal Sakuma Nobumori and his son, or ordering his own transfer of territory from Omi and Tanba to Izumo and Inaba?

・Mastermind Theory
Did Hideyoshi, Ieyasu, or Ashikaga Yoshiaki instigate Mitsuhide from behind the scenes?
I will summarize this theory at a later date.

Could it be that the strategist was drowned by his own strategy?

I touched on this briefly in a past article, but an interesting new theory was written in a book that Kenzaburo, a descendant of Akechi Mitsuhide, researched and wrote on his own.

I won't write the details here, but
what I thought from this book is that Nobunaga, who was always well-prepared, intentionally kept the guard thin at Honno-ji Temple on this day to kill |someone| and used himself as a |decoy|.

That |someone| might perhaps be Tokugawa Ieyasu.
He may have plotted to crush the Tokugawa, who were likely to become a nuisance in the near future.

For some reason, could it be that the one who went to catch the mummy ended up becoming a mummy himself?

The only thing I can say is that I don't think anyone expected Mitsuhide to betray them.

Then why was Mitsuhide recorded in history as the culprit?
It is frustrating that some important pieces are still missing.

However, Japanese history took a sharp turn with this incident, and both Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, who later became the rulers of the nation, must have been pumping their fists in secret.

◇◇◇

Now, in the upcoming episodes of "What Will You Do, Ieyasu?", the story will unfold at a dizzying pace.
Since Hashiba Hideyoshi (played by Muro Tsuyoshi) has a somewhat unique character setting, his future power struggles with Ieyasu will be a must-see.

[Reference Books]