OVA
Description
Shinpachi Nagakura, born May 23, 1839, in Edo, was the son of a Matsumae clan retainer. He started swordsmanship training at age eight at Okada Juusuke Toshisada's Shindō Munen-ryū dojo, earning menkyo kaiden certification by eighteen. At nineteen, he left clan service to travel and hone his skills, training at various dojos and meeting future Shinsengumi comrades like Shimada Kai.
He enlisted with the Rōshigumi alongside Kondō Isami in 1863. After the group disbanded in Kyoto, he remained with Kondō, Hijikata Toshizō, and others to form the Mibu Rōshigumi, later renamed Shinsengumi. Nagakura served as assistant vice commander, participating in pivotal events such as the 1864 Ikedaya incident where he sustained a severe thumb injury. By 1865, he rose to captain of the 2nd unit and gained hatamoto status in 1867. During this time, he faced the heartbreak of his daughter Iso's birth to Kyoto geisha Kotsune, who died shortly after. Due to the escalating Boshin War, he arranged for Iso's care with Kotsune's sister, never reuniting with her.
The OVA "A Memory of Snow Flowers" depicts Nagakura during a Shinsengumi reconnaissance mission in Shimabara. He forms the "baka trio" with Harada Sanosuke and Heisuke Tōdō, their camaraderie involving skipping duties for drinking and lighthearted antics. During the geisha operation, he engages in a drunken brawl while escorting Chizuru Yukimura back to headquarters. Later, on New Year's Day, he impulsively carries Chizuru on his shoulders at a crowded shrine so she can see the altar. His protectiveness surfaces when covering duties for ill comrades like Okita Sōji and advocating for Chizuru's safety during missions.
In the 1868 Boshin War, he led a suicide squad at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. Disillusioned with Kondō's leadership and refusal to address grievances, Nagakura and Harada defected from the Kōyō Chinbutai. They joined former Tokugawa retainers to form the Seiheitai, fighting Imperial forces at Utsunomiya Castle and Imaichi before disbanding after Aizu's surrender.
Later in life, he married Sugimura Kine, adopting her surname to become Sugimura Yoshie. He lived peacefully until his death on January 5, 1915, from periostitis, his last words reportedly "Kui wa nai" (No regrets). Per his wishes, he was buried at the Shinsengumi grave in Tokyo.
He enlisted with the Rōshigumi alongside Kondō Isami in 1863. After the group disbanded in Kyoto, he remained with Kondō, Hijikata Toshizō, and others to form the Mibu Rōshigumi, later renamed Shinsengumi. Nagakura served as assistant vice commander, participating in pivotal events such as the 1864 Ikedaya incident where he sustained a severe thumb injury. By 1865, he rose to captain of the 2nd unit and gained hatamoto status in 1867. During this time, he faced the heartbreak of his daughter Iso's birth to Kyoto geisha Kotsune, who died shortly after. Due to the escalating Boshin War, he arranged for Iso's care with Kotsune's sister, never reuniting with her.
The OVA "A Memory of Snow Flowers" depicts Nagakura during a Shinsengumi reconnaissance mission in Shimabara. He forms the "baka trio" with Harada Sanosuke and Heisuke Tōdō, their camaraderie involving skipping duties for drinking and lighthearted antics. During the geisha operation, he engages in a drunken brawl while escorting Chizuru Yukimura back to headquarters. Later, on New Year's Day, he impulsively carries Chizuru on his shoulders at a crowded shrine so she can see the altar. His protectiveness surfaces when covering duties for ill comrades like Okita Sōji and advocating for Chizuru's safety during missions.
In the 1868 Boshin War, he led a suicide squad at the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. Disillusioned with Kondō's leadership and refusal to address grievances, Nagakura and Harada defected from the Kōyō Chinbutai. They joined former Tokugawa retainers to form the Seiheitai, fighting Imperial forces at Utsunomiya Castle and Imaichi before disbanding after Aizu's surrender.
Later in life, he married Sugimura Kine, adopting her surname to become Sugimura Yoshie. He lived peacefully until his death on January 5, 1915, from periostitis, his last words reportedly "Kui wa nai" (No regrets). Per his wishes, he was buried at the Shinsengumi grave in Tokyo.