TV-Series
Description
Lt. Tokushirō Tsurumi is the First Lieutenant of the Japanese Imperial Army's 7th Division and serves as the primary antagonist of the series. He is a former intelligence officer who fought in the Russo-Japanese War, including the Siege of Port Arthur, and bears a severe head wound from shrapnel sustained during the Battle of Mukden. This injury damaged his skull and frontal lobe, an injury he sometimes claims is responsible for his more erratic and violent behavior. He is known for the bandages wrapped around his head and a visible cranial plate.
Tsurumi's personality is a study in contrasts. On the surface, he can present a warm, gentle, and approachable demeanor, often speaking in a calm and persuasive tone. Beneath this lies a profoundly calculating, cold, and manipulative mind. He is exceptionally skilled in reading people, identifying their weaknesses and desires, and using that knowledge to secure their loyalty. His actions are driven by a single-minded purpose, and he is willing to commit any atrocity—including torture, murder, and betrayal—without hesitation to achieve his goals. This chilling duality is reinforced by his unpredictable outbursts of extreme violence, such as biting off a superior's finger or cutting off the ears of a traitor. He is also known for having a taste for sweets and is often depicted in association with the opium poppy, a symbol of his intoxicating yet destructive influence.
The central motivation for Tsurumi is his desire to recover the hidden Ainu gold. He has sought this treasure long before the events of the story began. His ultimate goal is not personal wealth but to use the gold to fund a rebellion and establish an independent military state in Hokkaido. This ambition is rooted in his deep resentment over how the Japanese government and high command treated the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Russo-Japanese War. He believes the soldiers were used and discarded, and his plan is to create a nation that honors their memory and sacrifice. This patriotic grievance is genuine, but it is increasingly intertwined with a personal, obsessive need to prove himself right and to destroy the legacy of Wilk, the revolutionary who hid the gold.
In the narrative, Tsurumi is the leader of a powerful faction within the 7th Division, which he has turned into his own personal army. He acts as the primary obstacle for the protagonist, Saichi Sugimoto, and the Ainu girl Asirpa. His role is to create a constant, overwhelming sense of threat through his vast resources, strategic acumen, and network of loyal soldiers. He is the force that transforms the treasure hunt from a personal quest into a large-scale military conflict, pushing the plot forward through his machinations and direct confrontations.
His key relationships are defined by manipulation and loyalty. He commands the absolute devotion of soldiers like Sergeant Hajime Tsukishima, whom he saved from execution, and Lieutenant Otonoshin Koito, a young officer who idolizes him with near-religious fervor. Sharpshooter Hyakunosuke Ogata also serves under him for a time, though his loyalty is more conditional and rooted in shared interest. Tsurumi's relationship with Sugimoto is complex; he respects Sugimoto's legendary fighting ability and survival instinct, referring to him as "Invincible Sugimoto," and repeatedly attempts to recruit him. In contrast, his rivalry with the former Shinsengumi commander Toshizo Hijikata is one of mutual respect and bitter opposition, with Hijikata recognizing Tsurumi as a kindred, dangerous spirit.
Tsurumi's development throughout the final season reveals the profound depth of his obsession and the pain that drives it. The narrative peels back layers to show that his grand political project is inseparable from a personal vendetta against Wilk. The traumatic loss of his wife and daughter, combined with his wartime trauma, has left him broken beneath his charismatic mask. In the climax, this vulnerability is laid bare; he is shown as a man possessed by the ghost of his past, even going so far as to wear Wilk's skin in a grotesque ritual. His followers begin to see the cracks in his facade, forcing them to confront whether their loyalty is to a cause or to a man who may have been using them all along.
Tsurumi's notable abilities lie in his intellect and influence rather than physical combat. As an intelligence officer, he is a master strategist and tactician, capable of orchestrating complex multi-layered plans and thinking several steps ahead of his enemies. He possesses an almost preternatural ability to gather, analyze, and weaponize information. His charisma and oratory skills are his most potent weapons, enabling him to inspire fanatical loyalty in his men. He is also an expert in psychological warfare, capable of breaking an opponent's will with carefully chosen words or brutal demonstrations of power. While not a front-line fighter, he is far from helpless and is willing to lead from the front when necessary, exhibiting the ruthless competence of a hardened soldier.
Tsurumi's personality is a study in contrasts. On the surface, he can present a warm, gentle, and approachable demeanor, often speaking in a calm and persuasive tone. Beneath this lies a profoundly calculating, cold, and manipulative mind. He is exceptionally skilled in reading people, identifying their weaknesses and desires, and using that knowledge to secure their loyalty. His actions are driven by a single-minded purpose, and he is willing to commit any atrocity—including torture, murder, and betrayal—without hesitation to achieve his goals. This chilling duality is reinforced by his unpredictable outbursts of extreme violence, such as biting off a superior's finger or cutting off the ears of a traitor. He is also known for having a taste for sweets and is often depicted in association with the opium poppy, a symbol of his intoxicating yet destructive influence.
The central motivation for Tsurumi is his desire to recover the hidden Ainu gold. He has sought this treasure long before the events of the story began. His ultimate goal is not personal wealth but to use the gold to fund a rebellion and establish an independent military state in Hokkaido. This ambition is rooted in his deep resentment over how the Japanese government and high command treated the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Russo-Japanese War. He believes the soldiers were used and discarded, and his plan is to create a nation that honors their memory and sacrifice. This patriotic grievance is genuine, but it is increasingly intertwined with a personal, obsessive need to prove himself right and to destroy the legacy of Wilk, the revolutionary who hid the gold.
In the narrative, Tsurumi is the leader of a powerful faction within the 7th Division, which he has turned into his own personal army. He acts as the primary obstacle for the protagonist, Saichi Sugimoto, and the Ainu girl Asirpa. His role is to create a constant, overwhelming sense of threat through his vast resources, strategic acumen, and network of loyal soldiers. He is the force that transforms the treasure hunt from a personal quest into a large-scale military conflict, pushing the plot forward through his machinations and direct confrontations.
His key relationships are defined by manipulation and loyalty. He commands the absolute devotion of soldiers like Sergeant Hajime Tsukishima, whom he saved from execution, and Lieutenant Otonoshin Koito, a young officer who idolizes him with near-religious fervor. Sharpshooter Hyakunosuke Ogata also serves under him for a time, though his loyalty is more conditional and rooted in shared interest. Tsurumi's relationship with Sugimoto is complex; he respects Sugimoto's legendary fighting ability and survival instinct, referring to him as "Invincible Sugimoto," and repeatedly attempts to recruit him. In contrast, his rivalry with the former Shinsengumi commander Toshizo Hijikata is one of mutual respect and bitter opposition, with Hijikata recognizing Tsurumi as a kindred, dangerous spirit.
Tsurumi's development throughout the final season reveals the profound depth of his obsession and the pain that drives it. The narrative peels back layers to show that his grand political project is inseparable from a personal vendetta against Wilk. The traumatic loss of his wife and daughter, combined with his wartime trauma, has left him broken beneath his charismatic mask. In the climax, this vulnerability is laid bare; he is shown as a man possessed by the ghost of his past, even going so far as to wear Wilk's skin in a grotesque ritual. His followers begin to see the cracks in his facade, forcing them to confront whether their loyalty is to a cause or to a man who may have been using them all along.
Tsurumi's notable abilities lie in his intellect and influence rather than physical combat. As an intelligence officer, he is a master strategist and tactician, capable of orchestrating complex multi-layered plans and thinking several steps ahead of his enemies. He possesses an almost preternatural ability to gather, analyze, and weaponize information. His charisma and oratory skills are his most potent weapons, enabling him to inspire fanatical loyalty in his men. He is also an expert in psychological warfare, capable of breaking an opponent's will with carefully chosen words or brutal demonstrations of power. While not a front-line fighter, he is far from helpless and is willing to lead from the front when necessary, exhibiting the ruthless competence of a hardened soldier.