Review of 'Toyotomi Brothers!' (Episode 24 'Strategist Kanbei!'): The Shadowy Depiction of a Final Moment and a Plump Kanbei

Episode 24 of 'Toyotomi Brothers!' (aired June 21) depicted two events essential to the story of Hashiba Hideyoshi's (Sosuke Ikematsu) Chugoku campaign: the siege of Arioka Castle and the siege of Miki Castle.

What left the strongest impression was the final moment of Dashi (Kasumi Yamaya), the wife of Araki Murashige.

Rather than showing the beheading directly, only the shadows were projected, and as the sound of the blade swinging down echoed, the shadow of the head fell.

While conveying the outcome clearly to the viewers, the production team chose not to use direct imagery. This directorial choice made Dashi's tragedy stand out even more strongly. According to historical records, Dashi was executed in place of Murashige, and I feel her resolve and the tragic nature of the event were well expressed.

And immediately after that, Kuroda Kanbei (Yuki Kura) is rescued.

I couldn't help but speak up at this point.

“Kanbei, isn't he a bit chubby?”

Of course, I don't intend to demand that the actor lose weight to replicate a year of imprisonment. That is neither realistic nor desirable.

Nevertheless, when a person who was supposedly locked in a dungeon at Arioka Castle for about a year, and who was said to be emaciated and crippled in one leg upon rescue, appears looking quite healthy—even if he was dragging his leg—it is hard not to laugh.

“Was the food in the Arioka Castle dungeon surprisingly good?”

That thought crossed my mind.

Meanwhile, at Miki Castle, after a starvation siege, the lord Bessho Nagaharu (Kyohei Shimokawa) commits suicide.

The castle fell after nearly two years of starvation tactics, and his end was truly a tragedy of the Sengoku period.

…However, as a history buff, I can't help but worry about unnecessary details here.

“Nagaharu, he looks healthier than I thought.”

Again, I have no intention of demanding extreme weight loss from the actor. Health comes first.

But as a castle lord who endured nearly two years of starvation, I can't help but think his cheeks could have been a bit more sunken.

Then again, this has long been a standard convention in Taiga dramas.

The hair of a warlord who has been on the run for years remains perfectly groomed, and their complexion stays radiant even after surviving a long siege. Considering the balance between realism and the actor's health management, it is likely unavoidable to some extent.

Even so,

Both Bessho Nagaharu, who endured a siege for nearly two years, and Kuroda Kanbei, who was imprisoned in an earthen cell for a year, look better nourished than I do.

As a history buff, that was the one point where I couldn't help but talk back to the screen.

Part of the fun of historical dramas is savoring the historical facts while occasionally letting out a wry smile and thinking, 'That's not quite right, is it?'

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