TV-Series
Description
Isaburō Sasaki is the former commander of the Mimawarigumi, an elite police force in service to the shogunate, presented as a parallel and rival to the Shinsengumi. As the eldest son of the prestigious Sasaki family, he is an elite figure known as the Monster of the Three Heavens, possessing a calm and calculating demeanor. He typically speaks in a polite, respectful tone and is often seen with half-closed eyes and a monocle over his right eye, giving him an elusive and unreadable appearance. A prominent and unusual trait is his severe mobile phone addiction; he forcefully registers his email address on others' phones under the name Sabuchan, claiming to have few friends, and habitually sends long, irritating messages filled with emoticons copied from celebrity blogs.
Beneath his composed exterior, Sasaki is driven by a deep-seated hatred for the corrupted Bakufu and the Tendoshu, the shadowy rulers of the country. In the past, he was involved in the founding of the Rōshi group that would later become the Shinsengumi, working alongside Matsudaira Katakuriko. However, he also colluded with the Naraku assassins. When he sabotaged a Naraku assassination plot, swayed by the presence of Kondō Isao and the nascent Shinsengumi, the Tendoshu punished him by sending assassins to kill his wife and children. This tragedy caused him to hate himself for his failure and to resent the nation that allowed it. Consequently, he infiltrated the Hitotsubashi Faction and worked with figures like Takasugi Shinsuke to ignite a revolution and overthrow the government. To this end, he extracted the assassin responsible for his family's death, a girl known as Bakai, from the Naraku to serve as his tool and assistant.
The most significant relationship in Sasaki's life is with Imai Nobume. He spared her life after she showed regret for her actions and kept her close, giving her the name he had intended for his own deceased daughter. Throughout the story, he consistently denies caring for her, treating her as a tool, but his actions reveal a deep paternal affection. He trusts her abilities implicitly, appointing her as Vice-Commander of the Mimawarigumi, and uses donuts as a reward for her good work. His complex feelings for Nobume become central to his character arc, as he eventually realizes he is projecting his lost daughter onto her.
Sasaki's role in the story is primarily as an antagonist, most notably as the main adversary of the Baragaki Arc, where he moves to crush the Shinsengumi. He looks down on the Shinsengumi as poor and incompetent, yet he also envies Kondō Isao's samurai lifestyle and admits he did not want to lose to them. He develops a begrudging respect for their leader, even protecting Kondō by faking his death, and becomes a temporary ally to Hijikata Tōshirō when the Tendoshu moves to eliminate them all. He also has a unique and playful antagonistic relationship with Sakata Gintoki, whom he views as his favourite email buddy, and he both uses and is frustrated by Gintoki's influence on Nobume. Sasaki treats his half-brother, Tetsunosuke, as worthless and a family failure, though he ultimately sacrifices his life to repay a debt to him.
Throughout the Farewell, Shinsengumi Arc, Sasaki's true motives come to light. As the newly promoted Commissioner of the Police Affairs Bureau, he leads a campaign against the Shinsengumi, but this is revealed to be a facade to draw out and oppose the Tendoshu. When the Naraku betray him, he is forced into an alliance with his former enemies. In his final moments, after shielding Nobume and his brother from enemy fire, he falls from a ship's gangway with a satisfied expression, his wish for his daughter Nobume finally fulfilled. After his death, he is mourned as someone who resisted power alone, receiving respectful tributes from both the Shinsengumi and his own Mimawarigumi. In combat, Sasaki is highly proficient, skillfully wielding both a handgun and a sword with techniques overwhelming enough to challenge someone like Hijikata.
Beneath his composed exterior, Sasaki is driven by a deep-seated hatred for the corrupted Bakufu and the Tendoshu, the shadowy rulers of the country. In the past, he was involved in the founding of the Rōshi group that would later become the Shinsengumi, working alongside Matsudaira Katakuriko. However, he also colluded with the Naraku assassins. When he sabotaged a Naraku assassination plot, swayed by the presence of Kondō Isao and the nascent Shinsengumi, the Tendoshu punished him by sending assassins to kill his wife and children. This tragedy caused him to hate himself for his failure and to resent the nation that allowed it. Consequently, he infiltrated the Hitotsubashi Faction and worked with figures like Takasugi Shinsuke to ignite a revolution and overthrow the government. To this end, he extracted the assassin responsible for his family's death, a girl known as Bakai, from the Naraku to serve as his tool and assistant.
The most significant relationship in Sasaki's life is with Imai Nobume. He spared her life after she showed regret for her actions and kept her close, giving her the name he had intended for his own deceased daughter. Throughout the story, he consistently denies caring for her, treating her as a tool, but his actions reveal a deep paternal affection. He trusts her abilities implicitly, appointing her as Vice-Commander of the Mimawarigumi, and uses donuts as a reward for her good work. His complex feelings for Nobume become central to his character arc, as he eventually realizes he is projecting his lost daughter onto her.
Sasaki's role in the story is primarily as an antagonist, most notably as the main adversary of the Baragaki Arc, where he moves to crush the Shinsengumi. He looks down on the Shinsengumi as poor and incompetent, yet he also envies Kondō Isao's samurai lifestyle and admits he did not want to lose to them. He develops a begrudging respect for their leader, even protecting Kondō by faking his death, and becomes a temporary ally to Hijikata Tōshirō when the Tendoshu moves to eliminate them all. He also has a unique and playful antagonistic relationship with Sakata Gintoki, whom he views as his favourite email buddy, and he both uses and is frustrated by Gintoki's influence on Nobume. Sasaki treats his half-brother, Tetsunosuke, as worthless and a family failure, though he ultimately sacrifices his life to repay a debt to him.
Throughout the Farewell, Shinsengumi Arc, Sasaki's true motives come to light. As the newly promoted Commissioner of the Police Affairs Bureau, he leads a campaign against the Shinsengumi, but this is revealed to be a facade to draw out and oppose the Tendoshu. When the Naraku betray him, he is forced into an alliance with his former enemies. In his final moments, after shielding Nobume and his brother from enemy fire, he falls from a ship's gangway with a satisfied expression, his wish for his daughter Nobume finally fulfilled. After his death, he is mourned as someone who resisted power alone, receiving respectful tributes from both the Shinsengumi and his own Mimawarigumi. In combat, Sasaki is highly proficient, skillfully wielding both a handgun and a sword with techniques overwhelming enough to challenge someone like Hijikata.