The Results of the Third Character Popularity Poll!
1. Himura Kenshin 10896
2. Sagara Sanosuke 4242
3. Saitou Hajime 4115
4. Shinomori Aoshi 3864
5. Seta Soujirou 3009
6. Myojin Yahiko 2903
7. Kamiya Kaoru 2051
8. Hiko Seijuurou 1914
9. Makimichi Misao 1874
10. Kamatari 870
11. Sagara Souzou
12. Okita Soushi
13. Shishio Makoto
14. Hanya
15. Takani Megumi
Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Sixteen--Divine Providence
Part 135--Those who Gather, Those who Leave
Soujirou: If you just go a little farther you’ll find Mr. Shishio. You won’t need Miss Yumi to guide you anymore.
(Kenshin and Sanosuke pound down the corridor.)
Kenshin: I wonder if he’ll be all right.
Sanosuke: What? He’s fine. He’s not gonna die, anyway.
Kenshin: Not of his wounds.
Sanosuke: Oh--you mean the problem of his heart. It’s not for us to say now. We should be thinking about what’s up ahead.
Kenshin: True enough.
(In Soujirou’s room)
Yumi: Will you be all right? I should be going too--
Soujirou: Mm. Just a little longer. Your thighs are so soft.
Yumi: . . . You’re weird . . .
Soujirou: Ha ha. Joking aside, you don’t have to worry. Through those doors is a secret passage that will take you straight to Mr. Shishio. Get to him before Mr. Himura does; there’s something I want you to tell him. Tell him what the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki really is . . .
(In the library, Aoshi slowly gets to his feet, obviously in pain. He tries to pull his sword from the floor, but has to stop.)
Saitou (at the door): I see you got your ass kicked again.
Aoshi: Saitou Hajime . .
Saitou: Hm? You should know me as Fujita Gorou.
Aoshi: I heard about you from a man called Seta.
Saitou: Is that so.
Aoshi: Well, you’ve been hanging around here for a while. Battousai’s long gone.
Saitou: Then everything’s going according to plan.
Aoshi: What . . .
(Saitou tosses him a folded paper.)
Aoshi (opening it): This is . . . (thinking) A rough sketch of the headquarter’s interior . . . How did he . . .
Saitou: Your intelligence network is formidable, but the national system is the best in the country. It's one of the reasons I work for the government. If you’ve gotten this far in, you won’t need a guide. Splitting up is the better plan.
Aoshi: So you're only using Battousai and the others as decoys.
Saitou: Yes. Something like that. This is a war to decide the future of this nation. Nothing can come before that.
Aoshi: Then what about your match? The conflict between you and Battousai, that you've carried on ever since the Bakumatsu and still haven't settled? If Battousai dies here, what will you do?
Saitou: Then whoever lives is the victor. You’ve been useful. (as he walks out) Your fight with Battousai distracted both the enemy and Battousai from me. I’ve been able to move in the shadows.
Aoshi (thinking): Saitou Hajime, captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi . . . Seasoned veterans like him were thronging to Kyoto during the Bakumatsu. If the Oniwabashuu could have fought then . . . (he closes his eyes) Regrets . . . (he pulls the kodachi from the floor) The present is more important than the future. The time to fight is now!
Yumi: The Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki?
Soujirou: Yes . . . I saw it all in that instant. It’s--
Yumi: The left foot?!
Soujirou: Yes. The standard move in battou-jutsu is to step into it with your right foot, so as not to cut your own leg. But Mr. Himura stepped with his left. Of course he wouldn’t cut himself. At the culmination of the swing of the hand and the twist of the hips in an draw of the sword meant not to kill, the last step is taken at that one fleeting instant.
That step gives his sword an instant more of acceleration and power. It changes his godspeed battou-jutsu into the ultimate godspeed technique Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki.
Yumi: So with that one step . . .
Soujirou: Yes. But it’s a difficult step to take. A step taken on the edge of life and death. A measure discovered in desperation. If he had even the slightest hint of hesitation, it would be impossible.
Yumi: You mean you couldn’t do it?
Soujirou: I couldn’t. That’s why I was defeated. But I think Mr. Shishio will be able to break the technique. The succession technique Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki can’t be done without that left-footed step. So if he focuses on Mr. Himura’s left foot instead of his eyes or his arms, he’ll know when he’s about to use it.
Yumi: I understand. I’ll tell Lord Shishio right away.
Soujirou: Wait a moment. I have another favor to ask of you.
(He opens a drawer.)
Yumi: This is . . .
Soujirou: The wakizashi Mr. Shishio gave to me long ago. I’ve treasured it for these past ten years . . . Please return it to him now.
Yumi: Boy . . . then you’re . . .
Soujirou: Mr. Shishio wasn’t wrong. What saved me then was this wakizashi and Mr. Shishio. That’s the undeniable truth. But, like Mr. Himura said, I’ve decided to search for the true answers myself. So I’m leaving . . .
Yumi: I see .. . That’s best, I think . . .
Soujirou: Give my best wishes to Mr. Shishio.
Yumi: Even if I didn’t, Lord Shishio’s unbeatable.
Soujirou (turning away): No . . . he’s not . . .
Yumi: I know. Good luck.
(The door closes behind her. A tear trickles down Soujirou’s cheek.)
(In his chamber, Shishio sits holding the wakizashi in one hand.)
Shishio: I see. Soujirou, hm . . . so the Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki and this sword are his parting gifts to me. And I’m the only one left to fight.
(He stands, clenching his fist until the wakizashi splinters and breaks.)
Shishio: After all, who could follow my strength!
The Makings of the Characters--Seta Soujirou--Supplement
Soujirou was really popular, but in the end, he caused me a lot of grief. I used Okita Soushi of the aforementioned "Record of the Bloodshed of the Shinsengumi" by Shiba Ryoutarou as the basis of his character, but when it came time to draw him, expressing his personality was really, really difficult, and on top of that it came just at the busiest time of the year, the year-end advance. I didn’t have time to consider the problem seriously, and my assistant ended up coming to my rescue. (My assistant understands Soujirou a lot better than I do.)
Since Okita Soushi died young, a lot of fans were worried that Soujirou would see the light and then die. But actually I had decided he would survive from the beginning. Because of his painful experiences Soujirou left everything to Shishio and gave up thinking for himself; he couldn’t finish off his life and escape into death, but had to live on even in pain and atone. It’s a rejected, harsh way of thinking, but it’s a choice one should make as a human being. (If you replace Soujirou’s relationship with Shishio with that of a fanatical believer who entrusts his mind to the leader of an extremist religious cult, I think you’ll understand my reasoning.)
No matter how harsh the external influence of family or society, no matter how bitter your life, I believe that the one thing you can’t do is give up thinking for yourself.
Well, no matter how much of this I write, because of Soujirou’s personality, he’ll go on smiling and looking innocent as always. Like Anji, he’s a character I feel I didn’t use as much as I could have, and I’d like to bring him back at some point. Maybe it’s a false hope, but . . .