When the Last Sword is Drawn (Shinjinkouen)

I got to see the last sword shinko!! It was a pretty damn fun experience, my first ever live yukigumi shinko, and whilst the casting didn’t end up what I wanted it to be (I was praying for Agachin to get that lead), I was still REALLY impressed, and had a great time!

Ayami Sera, 102nd Class, as Yoshimura Kanichirou (Nozomi Fuuto) – she’s rough, really really rough. She didn't have Daimon’s accent and it really affected the story and the character. She was clearly trying to emulate Daimon a lot and I really think it hurt her interpretation. Daimon has this natural aura and maturity about her and Amichan, being a baby, just. Didn't. I thought she was good, but nothing solid. Her voice is sweet and she's very very earnest, but boy is she lacking. Apparently she's come a long way since phantom earlier this year but I'm not sure she's gonna beat the hulking titan that is Agachin, a year older than her but so much more tracked. Good for her though. Yoshimura is a deceptively hard role, kind and earnest and youthful and yet sad and mature, a killer who does so because there's no other way. He's ruthless and moneygrabbing but he needs to be sympathetic and amichan is just. Young. She plays the role well but she doesn't convince me for even a second. She’s also the GIRLIEST person I’ve ever heard in my life, holy SHIT. It’s cute!

Irodori Michiru, 99th Class, as Shizu/Miyo (Maaya Kiho) – Holy hot damn michiru can sing now?? She's never been an amazing singer in my mind, and this role isn't that heavy on singing, but man she impressed me. I found her better at playing miyo than I did shizu, but I think that kind of bratty selfish teenager is something that she's naturally just brilliant at. She doesn't quite have the natural grace that Kiichan has, she doesn't portray the loneliness and agony shizu faces in the way I've grown accustomed to, but she impressed me.

On the topic of these two, I felt Daimon and Kiichan's absence so hard in their relationship. Daimon and kiichan made it work, their romance wasn't hugely explicit but holy shit was it the basis for a lot of the entire show. Amichan didn't sell the pure primal fear Daimon did when she found out shizu tried to kill herself. Not did I feel the longing and desire Daimon fucking radiated when given the option to hold someone who looked just enough like his wife to make the pain go away, even for only a second. It's a super personal thing for me but it just makes the show worse in my eyes.

Suwa Saki, 99th Class, as Oono Jiroemon (Ayakaze Sakina) – I love this girl. It's her last year of shinkos and she's really fucking good guys. She was quiet and restrained, yet also really emotional. I found her friendship with Amichan a lot more earnest and giddy than Saki and Daimon, and it worked a lot better for the youthful nature of this shinko. It’s not necessarily better, but I REALLY liked that friendship. She seems angrier about a lot of stuff than Saki was, at least to me. Saki was playing it a lot more akin to traditional Japanese customs of honour, and duty, and Suwa was a little more prone to expressing her emotions. Her emotionality might partly be because she only has to put that into this role once, but I was impressed.

Agata Sen, 101st Class, as Hijikata Toshizou (Ayanagi Shou) – BOY I'm almost incomprehensibly biased, this girl has taken me in and ruined my life and I'm not entirely sure I can BE objective. She was different to Shou. Where Shou was endeared by the combined nonsense of Harada/Nagakura/Okita/Saitou, Agachin just wants to get rid of them. She just wants them all to go away and stop being so annoying so she can finally go to bed. She's perfect and hot and beautiful and she got the lightest role she could have but she ROCKED it. I honestly feel like her honkouen role was bigger than her shinko role, or at least far more impressive and more likely to stick in her mind, but I don’t really care? She’s handsome and imposing and carries a kind of maturity and strength FAR beyond what she should be pulling out as a ken-5. She was perfect I will hear nothing against her it was exceptional.

Seika Rian, 100th Class, as Saitou Hajime (Asami Jun) – she was really impressive!! I wasn't sure what I was expecting from shinko Saitou, but she impressed me. I don't have TOO much to say but I loved her and especially her relationship with Ikenami. She’s adorable at iride, has the nicest smile in the world, and I just really love her. I think she’s one of those kids to keep an eye on, she won’t be going anywhere but she’s a talented actress and I really like her.

Manomiya Rui, 100th Class, as Okita Souji (Towaki Sea) – another surprise!! I love Rui, she's got the sweetest smile and the friendliest face and she always seems so delightful at iri and I didn't know what I was expecting from her Souji but it was different. Hitoko plays him with an anger and a charm and Rui plays him a lot more. Sad, I think. Melancholic and restrained and I really liked that interpretation. If you’re looking for someone who has a lovely smile and a charming energy, I really can’t recommend someone more than Rui. I’ve always said, there’s a version of Alex who isn’t in her current club, and is in Rui’s, and that Alex is very happy because Rui ROCKS.

Other mentions

Arisu Himeka (102nd) playing Hime’s role. She’s having fun literally every time she’s onstage, and she was entertaining in the background.

My personal MVP, Yume Maoto (100th). She’s funny as HELL, upping everything Souno Haruto was getting up to, leaving the whole audience in STITCHES.  

Soumi Haruma (103rd) coming out of nowhere looking like a 70s mafia baron and having a voice like an angel. She sounded amazing, and I was expecting absolutely nothing. She’s the most masculine otokoyaku I’ve ever seen in my life, it’s AMAZING.

Kirara Umi (100th) had Ai Sumire's role, and it turns out she's an enka style singer. It didn’t change her solo that much, but it was a really fun surprise and it just added a little extra charm to the song

Aoha Reiya (104th) as Kari – I don't have anything much to say other than I just thought she was really charming?

Jun Hana (102nd) did a really good job as the older version of Mitsu, even though that role really is just. Nothing. I just thought she was cute and I'm excited for Hollywood Gossip.

Ichika Ao (102nd) was ADORABLE, she was adorable and I liked what she was bringing to the role more than Ayana did? That’s not really a slight against Ayana, just that I found Ao REALLY impressive, and fucking adorable.

Hiyori Haruma (101st) had her douki (Agachin)’s role as Ikenami. She wasn't anything exceptional but she WAS cute and her and dynamic with saitou was cute, I thought. She was more teasing than Agachin was, but I think a substantial part of that was due to the fact Rio’s Saitou felt a lot softer than Aasa’s. I think with this role especially, I’m VERY biased, but she did a good job, so props to her! I will say, Agachin and Izumiko have a super cute dynamic in skystage content, and I love them together. They’re really cute together, I enjoy their friendship a lot. Izumiko also really captures the feeling that Ikenami is the underclassman of the Shinsengumi, trying to butter up the superiors before having a change of heart and developing as a person. Her scream of “Yoshimura-san!” was also… really good. Heartbreaking, and really good.