TV-Series
Description
Katakuriko Matsudaira holds the position of Police Director, serving as the immediate superior of Isao Kondo and the Shinsengumi. He is a high-ranking official with significant authority under the Bakufu government. Physically, he is an older man of average stature, characterized by his gray hair, a perpetual pair of sunglasses, and a white scarf tucked into a modified Shinsengumi uniform.
Earning the infamous nickname of the God of Destruction, Matsudaira is infamous for his extreme and violent methods of problem-solving. His preferred approach is to simply blow up anything that stands in his way, often employing pistols, bazookas, and even tanks or entire fleets to annihilate targets. He lives by a peculiar personal philosophy summed up in his catchphrase that a man only needs to remember the number 1 to survive. This is demonstrated when he counts down from three but begins firing upon reaching one, dismissing any questions about the missing numbers with this maxim.
Beyond his destructive work persona, Matsudaira has a colorful and lecherous personal life. He is a self-indulgent womanizer who frequently visits cabaret clubs, where he is known as a VIP customer. When drunk, he becomes uninhibited and lewd. He also harbors an irrational paranoia towards individuals who wear sunglasses, believing them to be assassins, a suspicion he holds despite wearing them himself at all times.
Matsudaira's primary driving force is his overwhelming devotion to his daughter, Kuriko Matsudaira. He is obsessively protective, to the point of enlisting the Shinsengumi's top officers to help sabotage or eliminate any boyfriends who dare approach her. This extreme behavior is balanced, however, by a genuine love for his daughter, and he can be quite indulgent with her at home. Another key relationship is with the Shogun, Tokugawa Shige Shige, whom he affectionately calls Sho-chan. Acting as a self-appointed father figure, he frequently takes the young Shogun on outings to various seedy and adult-oriented establishments, often abandoning him to get into trouble. His relationship with the Shinsengumi is complex; he is their chaotic and often unreasonable boss, but he also holds deep respect for Kondo, stating he is one of the top five most important people in his life.
In the story, Matsudaira plays a significant role as a mentor and recruiter, having personally brought Kondo and his group into the police force, which later became the Shinsengumi. He often drags the Shinsengumi into his personal schemes, but also defends them in political matters. Despite his reckless nature and tendency to mix personal life with work, he demonstrates sharp political judgment and a keen eye for people. He can see through deceptions, such as when he recognized Kotaro Katsura in disguise, but chose to let him go out of gratitude for help given to his daughter.
Over the course of the series, Matsudaira undergoes development, particularly during the serious arcs. Following the assassination of the Shogun, he is sentenced to death for failing to protect him, but he escapes alongside Kondo. He then becomes a key figure in the resistance against the government and later serves as a guardian to Soyo Tokugawa after the war. In terms of abilities, aside from his proficiency with firearms and heavy weaponry, Matsudaira is an exceptionally capable combatant. He has been shown single-handedly eliminating an entire group of heavily armed terrorists using only a pistol, proving that beneath his absurd and chaotic exterior, he possesses formidable skills that justify his high-ranking position.
Earning the infamous nickname of the God of Destruction, Matsudaira is infamous for his extreme and violent methods of problem-solving. His preferred approach is to simply blow up anything that stands in his way, often employing pistols, bazookas, and even tanks or entire fleets to annihilate targets. He lives by a peculiar personal philosophy summed up in his catchphrase that a man only needs to remember the number 1 to survive. This is demonstrated when he counts down from three but begins firing upon reaching one, dismissing any questions about the missing numbers with this maxim.
Beyond his destructive work persona, Matsudaira has a colorful and lecherous personal life. He is a self-indulgent womanizer who frequently visits cabaret clubs, where he is known as a VIP customer. When drunk, he becomes uninhibited and lewd. He also harbors an irrational paranoia towards individuals who wear sunglasses, believing them to be assassins, a suspicion he holds despite wearing them himself at all times.
Matsudaira's primary driving force is his overwhelming devotion to his daughter, Kuriko Matsudaira. He is obsessively protective, to the point of enlisting the Shinsengumi's top officers to help sabotage or eliminate any boyfriends who dare approach her. This extreme behavior is balanced, however, by a genuine love for his daughter, and he can be quite indulgent with her at home. Another key relationship is with the Shogun, Tokugawa Shige Shige, whom he affectionately calls Sho-chan. Acting as a self-appointed father figure, he frequently takes the young Shogun on outings to various seedy and adult-oriented establishments, often abandoning him to get into trouble. His relationship with the Shinsengumi is complex; he is their chaotic and often unreasonable boss, but he also holds deep respect for Kondo, stating he is one of the top five most important people in his life.
In the story, Matsudaira plays a significant role as a mentor and recruiter, having personally brought Kondo and his group into the police force, which later became the Shinsengumi. He often drags the Shinsengumi into his personal schemes, but also defends them in political matters. Despite his reckless nature and tendency to mix personal life with work, he demonstrates sharp political judgment and a keen eye for people. He can see through deceptions, such as when he recognized Kotaro Katsura in disguise, but chose to let him go out of gratitude for help given to his daughter.
Over the course of the series, Matsudaira undergoes development, particularly during the serious arcs. Following the assassination of the Shogun, he is sentenced to death for failing to protect him, but he escapes alongside Kondo. He then becomes a key figure in the resistance against the government and later serves as a guardian to Soyo Tokugawa after the war. In terms of abilities, aside from his proficiency with firearms and heavy weaponry, Matsudaira is an exceptionally capable combatant. He has been shown single-handedly eliminating an entire group of heavily armed terrorists using only a pistol, proving that beneath his absurd and chaotic exterior, he possesses formidable skills that justify his high-ranking position.