Dousuru Ieyasu’s Twitter account released some Oichi teasers so I did a little article hunting (since I can’t find the stream for this episode to look at).
“Tomboy” Oichi is something that I see very often in manga, but I think this is the first time I’m seeing it in live action. She’s even wearing the two-coloured kimono that Nobunaga often wears in dramas (katamigawari kimono, it’s a real fashion that already existed since the late Kamakura period).
The actress commented that her role feels more like “Nobunaga’s younger brother” than a younger sister. I think the writers created this in reference to this widespread legend where Nobuanaga said that if Oichi had been a man, she would've been a great warrior. I wonder if that will change, because I’ve seen some stories make her lose that “tomboyness” after getting married.
A rather unique take here is that when Nobunaga and Ieyasu* was forming their alliance after Okehazama, Nobunaga proposed that Ieyasu marry Oichi. However, Oichi refused, despite apparently harbouring feelings for Ieyasu. Apparently in this scenario, they had became close at the time when young Ieyasu was snatched up by the Oda.
I’ve seen unusual romances pop up in novels or manga (Ieyasu being in love with Oichi happened in the Nobunaga Concerto manga), but I don’t know if NHK Taiga dramas ever did this before. NHK is being really daring with this. I applaud them for trying, though, haha. I always welcome new takes.
*) Ieyasu still goes by Motoyasu at this point, but supposedly he will become “Ieyasu” only a few months after he allied with Nobunaga.
... Not again. Kagekatsu is younger than Ieyasu, and having these actors look really old is just so weird to me. They really should've made Matsumoto's "old man" makeup older looking.
I do like this guy's look, though. It's just... come on Taiga drama...
Lee Haein (KOR): Notre Dame de Paris | 2023 NHK Trophy
(note: i don't know whether to laugh or cry about her four-time 4th place grand prix streak... but don't worry, haein-ah! i believe you'll overcome this!!)
Back when the cast photos were released, I commented that I thought the costume department dressed up Nobukatsu in an outfit that is meant to be reminiscent of the classic Nobunaga painting in green, white, and red outfit.
I hadn't been entirely sure, then, because the lighting made the green "vest" look a little yellowish, but in the actual scenes it's more clearly visible that it's green.
I also mentioned that I think he looks very much like Sometani's Nobunaga from the Kirin ga Kuru drama.
Dousuru's Nobukatsu was wearing is some sort sleeveless attire that is tied in the middle, as opposed to a the standard kataginu depicted in the Nobunaga painting. In Kirin, Nobunaga most often wears a doubuku (Sengoku era haori), which has that exact same cloth ties, so I was wondering if it was done with the intention of emphasising the resemblance.
However, Ieyasu also wears this exact same stringed "vest" in Dousuru, so perhaps I was actually wrong.
On the subject of attire, though.
That "vest" with the strings to tie it close, which is called chanchan or denchi, is actually not only quite anachronistic (dates to at least the late 1600s or 1700s Edo period), but very pedestrian. It's worn by street hawkers and peddlers, and it was said to have been "invented" because the sleeves of normal haori or doubuku would just get in the way of them working.
It's highly popularised as the costume of "Mitokoumon", when he's out in "commoner disguise", and also a classic special birthday gifts for senior citizens (for "special numbered" ages like 60, 70, 80, etc).
Taiga drama isn't necessarily the most historically accurate when it comes to costumes, but I am kind of curious if there's a special reason behind this or if it's just "it looks nice". NHK's website every now and then posts the concept art for the costumes and sometimes they would go into details for the reasoning behind specific designs.