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Shinsengumi

23 Apr 2004
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I'm new to this forum and haven't been through every thread yet so if this is an old subject you're all tired of please forgive me.

After seeing many film and animated portrayals of the Shinsengumi I've become very interested in finding out as much as I can about the real men, especially the lesser know members.

I think I've come across most of the English language sites and unfortunately for me more information is on Japanese language sites (and try as I might the only result I get by trying to use the Babelfish translation program is a headache).

If anyone can recommend English sites or a different type of web page translator I'd be most appreciative. Feel free to send me a private message or email if you prefer.

Also I invite anyone who shares my interest to join us on the brand new Shinsengumi forum (url in my signature). We have quite a few very interesting threads going on not only the Shinsengumi in fact and fiction but on martial arts Japanese culture and various eras of Japanese history as well.
 
NHK is showing a serialized drama about the Shinsengumi this year. It is an absolutely unwatchable piece of garbage starring Shingo from SMAP, but it has had the side benefit of generating a lot of interest in the Shinsengumi. There are tons of books and magazines related to the subject being released these days, but unfortunately I don't know of any in English! Sorry.
 
senseiman said:
NHK is showing a serialized drama about the Shinsengumi this year. It is an absolutely unwatchable piece of garbage starring Shingo from SMAP, but it has had the side benefit of generating a lot of interest in the Shinsengumi. There are tons of books and magazines related to the subject being released these days, but unfortunately I don't know of any in English! Sorry.

I've actually seen some of this, (episodes 1-6 subtitles) and the latest few unsubbed and I rather like it though I imagine there's quite a bit of fictionalizing going on. Can you tell me what about it is "wrong" or why you find it unwatchable?

The thing I like about it is the fact that this is the first time I'm not seeing Kondou portrayed as some "kindly old man" type.
 
No. The one I was asking senseiman's opinion on just began this January. It's a year long mini series on NHK (http://www.nhk.or.jp/taiga/)

I'm very curious as to how closely it follws the actual history since there's so little detailed information in English. From what I've seen it appears to be acurate in terms of the main events so far, but I only have a broad overview to rely on for background information.

Does anyone know if there is any type of database available listing Japanese history books that have been translated into English?
 
There is none that has been translated that I have ever seen. It doesn't generate enough interest IMO for someone to invest their time in. Most of my knoweldge of the Shinsen Gumi comes from living with my family in Miburo. The building they lived in still stands, full of absolutely amazing historical knowledge. For example there is a knotch in the wood above the door where Kondo Isamu (with Hijikawa Toshizo), hit his sword trying to kill Serizawa Kamo. That was amazing how you could see a running battle through the house from one room to another until where Kamo was finally killed beside a dresser.
 
I think there probably would be decent sales of such books IF they were available made available. I do know that Ridgeback press is coming out with something this fall and I know most everyone on the online groups I belong to will snap up copies of that.

If you have time to share any other information you've come by or describe sites you've seen I'd love to hear it.

Thanks!
 
yes but how big are those online groups. You need several thousand people to make it even close to profitable.. and the shinsen gumi's exposure in the west is basically due to the anime, where most ppeople aren't too interested about a side story to kenshin.
 
Actually I believe the majority of people who were introduced to the Shinsengumi ARE interested in the real men behind the fiction. There are a lot of groups out there and it would add up.
 
I agree with Barbara, I definitely think there would be enough of a market to justify English versions of the story of Shinsengumi. Lots of Japanese stories like Musashi, the Heike Monogatari, the Taiheiki, etc. have been translated into English despite there being no previous fan base to market them too.

I don't know much about its historical accuracy, but I found the NHK shinsengumi series to suffer from the same problems that pretty much every NHK drama suffers from. Bad acting, horrendous lighting, cheap-looking sets, extremeley unrealistic action scenes, etc. etc. I don't think I've ever seen a good NHK series.
 
I don't know much about its historical accuracy, but I found the NHK shinsengumi series to suffer from the same problems that pretty much every NHK drama suffers from. Bad acting, horrendous lighting, cheap-looking sets, extremeley unrealistic action scenes, etc. etc. I don't think I've ever seen a good NHK series.

I've never seen one of their productions before so it really didn't bother me. The won me over by simply portraying Kondou as a take charge kind of guy instead of the useless old geeze he comes across as in everything else.

For those interested I found out that the English language book on the Shinsengumi coming out this fall is not from Ridgeback Press but Tuttle Publishing. The author is Rolumus Hillsborough. If I come across a release date or anything I'll post it if anyone is interested.
 
i would have too agree that as far as the united states go, any shinsengumi book would dissapoint simply because there is no kenshin.

the actual story behind the men is certainly interesting, but i cannot see it building a fan base. even among those i know research japanese history look at you blankly when you mention anything after matsudaira takechiyo (if you dont know who this is you get my point) until the russo-japanese war.
 
Just becasue a bunch of scholars don't think anything past the start of the Tokugawa era "counts" doesn't mean there's no interest in the subject. I'd sure rather see a handful of books on late 19th century Japan than the endless volumes of cheezy celebrity tell alls and paper cutter bestsellers taking up bookstore shelf space.

Of course I know first hand how senseless the publishing world seems to be. It's all about the "numbers" , but as usual they fail to realize that if all you put is subject X out for sale then all that will sell is subject X which they interpret to be an incredible interest in subject X so the cycle never ends until "the big thing" happens to sneak through and it all starts again.
 
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