3 Historical (Taiga) Dramas You Could Watch
1. Onna Joushou Naotora (II Naotora : The Lady Warlord)
A tale of a female Daimyo (Lord) during the warring era of Sengoku Jidai (Feudal Japan), named Ii Naotora, who would later raised her adopted son, Ii Naomasa, to restore the honour of House Ii, which was lost during the long war due to treachery and betrayal.
House Ii is a small clan which is often caught in between the bigger warring clans, such as the established Imagawa and the rising Oda Nobunaga. Due to it's strategic location and fertile rice fields, her clan is often placed in a precarious situation.
She grew up watching her father and uncles, making hard decisions to ensure the survival of family clan. With her male family members and relatives killed in battles or executed for treason, she finds herself assuming the leadership role to continue her father's legacy to protect their own.
Picture by Red Samurai
She turned down marriage proposals by her Clan's rivals in the name of political and military alliances and protection, which she knew to be a complete facade as they are vying to take control of her weakened clan through her.
She defied the society's expectations of the time that a woman is forbidden from becoming a Lord and proves to them that she is just as capable in leading her clan, doing things that no men had ever done before, instead of doing things men had already done just to be their equal.
It is worth watching if you are looking into films with a strong female lead, especially one that is based on actual history. Ko Shibasaki, known to western audience for her role in 47 Ronin, acting alongside Keanu Reeves, plays an amazing role in this as a hot headed Ii Naotora.
Her character is the polar opposite of the one she played in 47 Ronin as she is more vocal, resourceful and smart, a loving daughter to her parents, a protective mother to her adopted son, a compassionate ruler to her people and a steadfast leader to her retainers.
She inspired loyalty to those around her into wanting to serve and protect her, her once rivals, becoming her allies. She's a perfect example that a strong female character doesn't necessarily mean one that is physically strong but mentally resilient and creative in thinking out of the box.
2. Yae No Sakura (Yae's Sakura)
It tells the story of a musket-woman named, Yae Niijima, who defended Tsuruga Castle in Aizuwakamatsu against the modernised Imperial army during Boshin War that will forever change the course of Japanese history, which marks the end of the Shogunate and the birth of Imperial Japan.
A war which erupted after the arrival of the American navy led by Commodore Perry, which threw the country into chaos as there are mounting anxieties about being an isolated and inferior nation that is incapable to defend itself from the technologically advanced western powers.
The story starts from Yae's childhood years, growing up different than most women of the era as her interest is akin to that of a man, in wanting to learn to use a musket (Tanegashima) after she discovers it from her elder brother who is a keen learner of western knowledge of science and warfare.
Her brother's ambitions is to reform the decaying traditionalist Shogunate. His open minded way of thinking supports her sister's interest but their father disapproves as he fears Yae would be unwanted as no man would want to marry a woman who is more skilled in rifles than cooking.
However, due to his unconditional love of his daughter, he eventually becomes soft hearted and seeing a political storm brewing, he understood her desires in not only learning to use a rifle but to protect herself and her family household if all the males have gone out to war one day.
Haruka Ayase played her role as the fearsome Aizu female warrior brilliantly, as she had done with her other characters in other films, from romantic comedies to action thrillers. The film also depicts another female warrior named, Takeko Nakano, who led other women defenders to fight.
While Takeko and the the women defenders left the Castle to aid the remaining Samurai in their fight against the overwhelming number of Imperial forces, Yae commanded the rest of the able bodied men, women and children, acting as the last line of defense at Tsuruga Castle.
A must watch drama as it shows the political climate which changed Japan from being a traditionalist Shogunate to a modern Imperial, with various factions fighting for different ideals and agendas, each wanting a different version of a better and stronger country that can match the western powers.
3. Kiri ga Kuru (Awaiting Kirin)
A story told from the perspective of the man who would betray the first unifier of Japan (Oda Nobunaga), Akechi Mitsuhide. A story from his younger years as a retainer in his homeland of Mino Province, serving the cunning Daimyo, Saito Dosan, to serving Oda Nobunaga himself.
It explores the close relationship between Akechi and Kicho, Saito's daughter who later became known as Lady No when she marries Oda. A reason why Akechi ended serving Oda later on. She later proves to be instrumental in Oda's early days in his rise to power before he became mad with power.
Although the main motivator which drives Akechi into serving Oda was due to his belief that Oda is the only risk taker at the time who can restore the Shogun in Kyoto, unify the lands under a single banner and stop the civil wars between clans that has been happening for centuries.
However, like every warlord, with greater power came greater hunger for more, as Oda become more convinced that no one else can stop him in his rise to power that he even abdicate the Shogun and control the Emperor, both of whom he was supposed to revere, support, serve and protect.
By the time Akechi realized that he had created a monster, waging prolonged wars that could be avoided and massacring monks, women and children, it was too late. While reluctant and hesitant to turn against Oda in the beginning, he finally turned against him when he sensed a new hope.
A new hope in the form of a young Tokugawa Ieyasu, whom he believe can save the country. When Akechi is pushed beyond his limit being mistreated and punished repeatedly over everything, he finally made a daring move to overthrow Oda in order to restore the Shogun and peace across the lands.
Hiroki Hasegawa did an amazing job playing this conflicting character who is caught between doing what is expected of a loyal retainer at the time and what is right or needed to be done for the greater good, even if it means being disloyal to the man he was supposed to serve and protect.
You can sense his stress and tension in being caught in the middle of a political horror show, making critical decisions that will not only affect his own position but those around him like his family and friends, and the people under Oda's rule.
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