OVA
Description
A rōnin from Tosa operating under the alias "Saitani Umetaro" to evade pursuers, Ryouma Sakamoto draws inspiration from the historical figure known for forging the Satsuma-Chōshū alliance against the Tokugawa Bakufu. Born into a low-ranking samurai family in Tosa, he endured systemic discrimination rooted in ancestral ties to Tokugawa enemies from the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara—prohibitions that denied him socks, shoes, or parasols. Resentment towards the feudal caste system deepened when Tosa officials took his family hostage, coercing his compliance. This fuels his progressive vision for Japan: ending social stratification and creating a society where the weak aren't exploited, inspired by Western models like the U.S. Congress and British Parliament.
Sakamoto projects a carefree, approachable demeanor yet remains perpetually guarded, never lowering his defenses around strangers; Saitou Hajime notes his vigilance persists beneath the relaxed exterior. Pragmatic and skilled at conversation, he readily twists truths to advantage his goals. His blunt critiques of institutions like the Shinsengumi’s "propriety and loyalty" as tools of oppression create significant friction, particularly with Hijikata Toshizo.
Tasked by Tosa to gather intelligence on the Shinsengumi, Sakamoto targets Chizuru Yukimura in Kyoto. He instantly discerns her disguised gender, offering help to find her father—a pretext to extract information. He employs charm honed in red-light districts, but Chizuru resists his tactics, maintaining emotional distance and refusing to disclose critical Shinsengumi details.
Despite his initial ulterior motives, Sakamoto finds unexpected peace in Chizuru’s presence. Her willingness to listen without demanding agreement allows him to reveal his authentic self. Their ideological divide—her support for the Shinsengumi—doesn't provoke hostility; instead, Chizuru seeks to understand his perspective. This fosters genuine affection, leading him to visit the Shinsengumi compound under various pretexts solely to see her. In later stories like *Ginsei no Shou*, he expresses feelings through Western terms like "My Honey," which Chizuru often interprets as teasing.
Sakamoto brokers weapons deals with anti-Bakufu factions like Satsuma and Chōshū, marking him as a Shinsengumi adversary. He acknowledges his morally ambiguous methods, calling himself "no saint" and "no different than a devil," but justifies them as necessary to unify Japan against foreign threats, deeming internal conflicts secondary. Protected by political connections within the Bakufu, he avoids direct confrontation unless he initiates aggression.
In combat, he favors firearms over swords, though he carries dual katanas as symbols of Japanese cultural pride—reflecting his belief in preserving national identity while pursuing modernization.
Narratively, Sakamoto dies in all routes except his own. His survival hinges entirely on player choices in *Kyoto Winds* and *Edo Blossoms*, where Chizuru’s influence averts his historical assassination. In other pathways, Harada Sanosuke is implicated in his death.
Sakamoto projects a carefree, approachable demeanor yet remains perpetually guarded, never lowering his defenses around strangers; Saitou Hajime notes his vigilance persists beneath the relaxed exterior. Pragmatic and skilled at conversation, he readily twists truths to advantage his goals. His blunt critiques of institutions like the Shinsengumi’s "propriety and loyalty" as tools of oppression create significant friction, particularly with Hijikata Toshizo.
Tasked by Tosa to gather intelligence on the Shinsengumi, Sakamoto targets Chizuru Yukimura in Kyoto. He instantly discerns her disguised gender, offering help to find her father—a pretext to extract information. He employs charm honed in red-light districts, but Chizuru resists his tactics, maintaining emotional distance and refusing to disclose critical Shinsengumi details.
Despite his initial ulterior motives, Sakamoto finds unexpected peace in Chizuru’s presence. Her willingness to listen without demanding agreement allows him to reveal his authentic self. Their ideological divide—her support for the Shinsengumi—doesn't provoke hostility; instead, Chizuru seeks to understand his perspective. This fosters genuine affection, leading him to visit the Shinsengumi compound under various pretexts solely to see her. In later stories like *Ginsei no Shou*, he expresses feelings through Western terms like "My Honey," which Chizuru often interprets as teasing.
Sakamoto brokers weapons deals with anti-Bakufu factions like Satsuma and Chōshū, marking him as a Shinsengumi adversary. He acknowledges his morally ambiguous methods, calling himself "no saint" and "no different than a devil," but justifies them as necessary to unify Japan against foreign threats, deeming internal conflicts secondary. Protected by political connections within the Bakufu, he avoids direct confrontation unless he initiates aggression.
In combat, he favors firearms over swords, though he carries dual katanas as symbols of Japanese cultural pride—reflecting his belief in preserving national identity while pursuing modernization.
Narratively, Sakamoto dies in all routes except his own. His survival hinges entirely on player choices in *Kyoto Winds* and *Edo Blossoms*, where Chizuru’s influence averts his historical assassination. In other pathways, Harada Sanosuke is implicated in his death.