Original subtitles

Hakone is famous as a hot spring resort.

Since the Edo Period,

it has bustled with tourists visiting its Seven Famous Hot Springs.

When Masamune joined the Siege of Odawara,

Hideyoshi ordered him to confine himself at Sokokura,

one of the Seven Famous Hot Springs in Hakone.

There is still a rock-surrounded bath in which Hideyoshi soaked himself.

It's called "Regent's Rock Bath."

It's accessible only through this arduous path.

It keeps going down to the bottom of the valley.

It was on the other side of Jakaotsu (Snake Bone) River.

Hot water still springs from there.

When Masamune confined himself here,

he was ready to be beheaded.

As he soaked himself here,

how was he feeling and what was he thinking?

Only the warmth of this hot spring water...

...knows his feelings now.

MASAMUNE, THE ONE-EYED DRAGON

Episode 24: The Ruler

Screenplay: James MIKI

Original Story: YAMAOKA Sohachi

Music: IKEBE Shin'ichiro

CAST

Date Masamune: WATANABE Ken

Date Shigezane: MIURA Tomokazu

Katakura Kojuro: SAIGO Teruhiko

Kita: TAKESHITA Keiko

Princess Mego: SAKURADA Junko

Ishida Mitsunari: OKUDA Eiji

Lady Yodo: HIGUCHI Kanako

Hashiba Hidetsugu: JINNAI Takanori

Asano Nagamasa: HAYASHI Yoichi

Narration: KASAI Seiji, NHK Announcer

Mogami Yoshiaki: HARADA Yoshio

Neko-Gozen (Lady Cat): AKIYOSHI Kumiko

Tokugawa Ieyasu: TSUGAWA Masahiko

Toyotomi Hideyoshi: KATSU Shintaro

Subtitles: Koala Fansubs

QC by: Kame Fansubs

Director: YOSHIMURA Yoshiyuki

May it please your honor, Your Excellency.

My name is Date Tojiro Masamune.

I am extremely and humbly delighted...

...to have an audience with you.

Masamune.

- Masamune. - Yes, sir.

- You came late. - I am terribly sorry.

Since Northern Kanto is dangerously unsettled,

I had to bypass and avoid Echigo and Shinano.

I apologize for my late arrival.

You bypassed to find out which side will win?

Not at all, sir!

Tell me the truth.

Show me the bottom of your heart.

I, Masamune...

...came prepared to be beheaded.

How old are you, son?

24-years-old, sir.

You're a good actor.

I'm not acting, sir!

Your Excellency, I came to show...

...everything I have in my mind!

What a lucky boy.

If you came after I captured Odawara Castle,

your head would have been gone.

I saw the bottom of your heart.

I'll spare your life.

Thank you!

I am humbled, sir!

I heard you're the roughest neck in Oshu.

Is that true?

Tell me.

Yes.

I am nothing in front of you, Your Excellency.

Battles in Ou are child's play, sir.

Child's play, huh?

Is that what you're saying?

My wish is...

...to learn from your deployment attacking Odawara, and...

...make your strategies our family treasure for future generations.

Refrain, Sir Date.

- Masamune. - Yes, sir.

Look.

Odawara Castle is in the palm of my hand.

It's closely besieged by me.

Have you ever...

...deployed a grand army like this?

I'll never be able to, sir.

This is my first time, you know.

I can teach only you.

In this battle,

I'm using tactics for hitting on a girl.

I caress her, cajole her...

...into asking me to sleep with her. Then...

Do you have a woman back home?

Yes, with all due respect, sir...

...I do have some.

SOKOKURA

- Really? - Rest assured.

His Excellency became quite fond of the lord.

The lord could save face.

- Thank God! - How grateful!

I almost gave up.

Welcome home, sir!

- I'm glad that you were successful! - I'm happy for your safe return!

Let me ask you.

What kind of man was the regent?

- Just a low class guy underneath! - Yes?

But I forced myself to...

...get on my knees and use excessive flattery.

I feel for you.

He made me hold onto his side sword...

...and peed at ease on top of Mr. Ishigaki.

- Pee? - I could have killed him.

I could have pushed him into the valley.

I don't know why,

but my hands and feet started shaking in terror.

I couldn't move an inch.

I hate to admit it,

but I was overwhelmed by his presence.

You controlled yourself well.

Patience is crucial now.

Indeed.

Regent is not alone.

He has a galaxy of well-known daimyo lords.

The rest are all small fries!!

Tomorrow, I'll give them a scare...

...at his camp in Nebukawa!

CAMP IN NEBUKAWA - You were quite an actor yesterday.

Aren't you in burial outfit today?

These two gentlemen are flag banners.

- Be nice to them. - Yes, sir.

My name is Date Tojiro Masamune.

This attendant is my vassal,

Katakura Kojuro, lord of Omori Castle.

My name is Gamo Ujisato.

I am Ishida Mitsunari.

What was your name? Kojuro?

His Excellency is extremely fond of Sir Masamune.

"I thought Masamune was a rustic, but he has dignity."

"He must be a courageous and kind-hearted warrior."

"He's a city man in a rural area," he said.

Thank you very much.

"City man in a rural area," huh?

Makes sense.

This is a small gift for His Excellency.

I'd like you to examine it.

Please forgive my rudeness.

- How dandy. - Indeed.

He's a real dandy.

- Are you Masamune? - Yes, sir.

I'm Hidetsugu.

Did you ask Rikyu to make tea for you?

Yes, I did.

How commendable for a rural daimyo.

Unfortunately, Rikyu is ill.

Instead, His Excellency will make tea for you.

Go to the Tensho-an Tea House now.

Yes, sir.

- Did you see Mt. Fuji? - Yes.

Isn't it magnificent?

It's a spiritual mountain.

It is just as you say, sir.

It's a rare spiritual mountain.

If I can,

I want to bring it back to Kyoto and look at it every day.

You don't have children?

Not yet.

I'm sorry for you.

How many concubines do you have?

- One, sir. - One?

One does nothing.

Get more concubines.

- Get him more concubines. - Yes, sir.

His Excellency called his heir, Prince Tsurumatsu, over here.

This is the prince's third day here.

Congratulations, sir.

I finally got my heir at this age.

- Masamune. - Yes.

Having a child is like fighting a battle.

Keep shooting.

You're still young. You'll hit the target soon.

Yes, sir.

Hidetsugu.

Give him...

...my favorite medicine.

Do you mean 'Kosei-gan'?

- It's called 'Kosei-gan'. - 'Kosei-gan'?

It's tiger's testicle.

It works good! Works great!

You...

...use it too much.

Thank you very much, sir.

Works good, you know?

As for Aizu...

Yes.

When are you handing it over me?

With all due respect, sir...

...Aizu is yours already.

Until you march up there,

I, Masamune, will guard it for you.

Are you sure?

Yes, I am.

Lands other than Aizu...

...will remain yours.

Yes, sir.

Thank you very much, sir.

KUROKAWA CASTLE, AIZU - Princess Mego!

A message came from Odawara by post-horse.

Must be good news. People are cheering.

It's a letter from the lord.

His meeting with the regent went better than expected.

The Date clan is allowed to continue.

- Really? - Please look at it.

Lord and Kojuro were invited to the regent's tea ceremony.

And he received a sword from the regent.

That's what he says.

Great lord of the Date. I'm proud of him.

He found a way out.

I'm relieved for now.

God must have protected him.

What a great pleasure.

Your prayers were answered by Heaven.

Lord...

I might not be able to see you anymore.

If I am killed,

go back to Tamura and find another happiness.

What are you saying?

Listen.

I have no parents, children or siblings.

If something happens to you, Lord,

I'm determined to kill myself.

After you're gone,

I'm ready to leave this world.

Mego.

If I meet you again in the Pure Land,

I'll marry you again.

You're making me happy.

I want to stay with you...

...for 1,000 years, 10,000 years...

Brother...

Brother.

Kojiro...

Rest in peace!

I didn't kill you because I hated you!

To bring peace in the Date clan,

I had no choice!!

Kojiro!!

Kojiro!!

Kojiro!!

My name is Mogami Yoshiaki,

lord of Yamagata Castle in Ushu.

I belatedly arrived with my 400 soldiers.

- Face me. - Yes sir.

How dare can you come now?

You're good for nothing!

You must have been sitting on the fence.

Sir, I arrived late...

...not only because of warlords in Oshu and Ushu,

but also because of Date Masamune.

I had to keep an eye on him to intercept his possible betrayal.

Who asked you to do that?

I did.

Mogami Yoshiaki is Masamune's uncle.

He is familiar with affairs in the Date fief...

...and did everything to make Masamune come here.

You received all the detailed reports on that.

Same applies to Ou provinces.

I hope you will forgive him.

With all due respect, sir,

Sir Mogami severed his ties with the Hojo early on.

- Mitsunari... - Yes, sir.

What's the date today?

June 12, sir.

What time is it?

I think it's around noon.

Send back anyone who comes after 12:00 tomorrow.

And confiscate their fiefs!

Right away, sir!

That was close.

Thank you for your words.

You'll receive his orders on deployment later.

Stay in your accommodations.

Certainly.

- Thanks. - Um...

Was Masamune beheaded?

He's pretty tough.

Far from it.

He's been the regent's favorite.

Several days later,

Mogami Yoshiaki secretly visited Masamune.

Yoshi acted foolishly.

She tried to poison her son...

...and lost everything.

You must have instigated her, Uncle.

Don't talk stupid.

Please quit acting!!

Lord.

I know nothing.

I was surprised when Yoshi told me what happened.

But, Masamune...

You shouldn't hate her.

To stabilize the Date clan,

she reluctantly did something like that.

She believed the regent would kill you.

That's why she decided to poison you.

I don't have a mother.

Come on, you must understand her.

If she finds out you're still alive,

She'll be astounded and feel deep remorse.

She'll beg for forgiveness at your feet.

Please stop.

You can't tell him about Lady of the East.

He forced himself to forget about her...

...and cut off his human desires.

Why are you digging up that story now?

- You're cutting his heart deep... - Back off!

If you don't like what I said,

go ahead and kill me.

I won't forgive anyone trying to disturb my lord's mind.

Kojuro.

We must get along with each other.

Our fiefs are secured. We both went under the regent's umbrella.

We must pacify Ou together.

Uncle and nephew can't lock horns against each other.

The Date are different from the Mogami.

How different?

I venture to say...

...that my body has Lord Oda Nobunaga's soul.

What do you mean?

You'll find out.

We'll launch an attack on Odawara Castle soon.

Before we capture the castle, go home and...

...prepare for handing Aizu over to the regent.

When you go home,

IMAI CAMP - Kimura Yoshikiyo will accompany you.

He'll accept control of Aizu.

All right.

Generals are supposed to know when to withdraw.

Make sure you take care of everything properly.

Yes, I know. Now...

After we withdraw,

is Sir Kimura receiving Aizu?

We don't know yet.

At any rate, you have no voice in that.

With all due respect, I have only one request to make.

Speak.

I don't want Aizu to be returned to Ashina Yoshihiro.

Please ask His Excellency not to do so.

How come?

It used to be the Ashina's fief.

As I already mentioned,

the Ashina are the Date's archrivals.

We finally paid off old scores with our blood and sweat.

If everything comes to nothing,

we'll be extremely vexed.

Ha.

How can you turn defiant at this stage?

It's not about myself. My vassals will get upset...

...with the idea of handing Kurokawa Castle over.

Shut up!

If you don't obey, we have no choice.

We'll bring you to the ground with force, just like Odawara!

Stop it.

Stop it.

On June 25,

Masamune returned to Kurokawa Castle after 40 days of absence.

Welcome home.

I made you worry.

I saw you in my dreams several times.

You're handing Aizu over?

Not only Aizu.

Asaka and Iwase counties will be confiscated.

What?

Are we starting over again?

I'm extremely vexed...

We have no choice now.

What?

We should be happy with the lord's safe return...

...and that his old fief has been secured.

- That's a different story! - He's the regent!

Quit saying that so proudly!

- Shigezane. - Yes...

I'm more vexed than you all.

My vassals' hard work came to nothing.

Still, I have to unwillingly obey Hideyoshi's words.

Lord...

But I cannot go against the times.

We have to gracefully withdraw to Yonezawa for now...

...and build up our strength for future.

- At your will. - Listen.

Hideyoshi is 54, I'm 24.

The wind doesn't blow only from west.

Someday, I'll make the wind blow from east.

All right!

- Kuniyori. - Yes, sir.

Write and circulate my letter of apology to the people in Aizu.

Letter of aplogy?

Apologize to them for all the troubles caused by a series of battles...

...and for my disgraceful withdrawal without building a new administration.

"If you suffer from poor administration by the new lord,"

"report to me immediately."

"I will go to help you with my military forces."

The Hojo holed themselves in Odawara Castle for three months.

But they ran out of spirit and finally surrendered.

Send Ieyasu to receive the castle.

Yes, sir.

To Hojo Ujimasa and Ujiteru,

order them to commit seppuku.

Certainly, sir.

What about Ujimasa's heir, Ujinao?

With all due respect, sir,

you must punish all the Hojo men to strike at the roots of the evil.

Ujinao is Sir Ieyasu's son-in-law.

You should put your personal feelings aside.

You have a point,

but if his life is spared, Sir Ieyasu will feel thankful for His Excellency.

Did Ieyasu say something?

No, I didn't hear anything from him.

Good.

Here.

Should I spare his life? What do you think?

Here.

Grow big.

Grow big fast.

Up you go.

Send him to Mt. Koya, huh?

That's it.

Send him to Mt. Koya.

Certainly.

You made a fine decision, sir.

It's Tsurumatsu's decision.

Oh.

You made a good decision.

Very good.

Sir Mitsunari.

Oh, hello.

I'm sick and tired of staying in the countryside like this.

I want to get out of here now.

Please bear with it for a little while.

No.

"After Odawara is captured, His Excellency will return to Kyoto with Tsurumatsu."

That's what you said.

Well, unfortunately...

Unfortunately?

The post-battle conference was held.

We decided to go to punish Oshu.

Oshu?

Excuse me.

Sir Mitsunari.

Is that true?

Excuse me.

Hideyoshi's favorite concubine, Lady Yodo, gave birth to Prince Tsurumatsu.

She was 23-years-old at this time.

Tsurumatsu...

Good night.

YONEZAWA CASTLE Masamune heard Odawara Castle was captured.

He entrusted Kurokawa Castle to Kimura Yoshikiyo...

...and withdrew to Yonezawa.

- What's going on in north? - Yes.

Those who joined the attack on Odawara are relieved.

Those who didn't join, like the Osaki and Kasai, are in great fear.

That's not true.

There are some warlords who have backbone.

Quite a few of them will scare Hideyoshi and die with dignity...

...rather than just sitting and watching Hideyoshi confiscate their fiefs.

I won't allow them.

Yes?

If anyone defies the regent,

I'll be the first one to kill him.

Oh, my goodness.

What inappropriate words for the governor of Oshu!

They'll get mad at us, saying, "The Date betrayed us!"

"Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars."

It's incredibly foolish to oppose Hideyoshi on their own..

...and make Hideyoshi angry.

I'm going to lie low for a while, let him pacify Ou...

...and get the entire Ou when the right time comes.

Oh, I see.

No! Wait!

What is it?

Lord.

Neko (Cat).

I missed you.

I'm so sorry.

I'm glad you came back.

Have you been doing well?

Yes!

I've been waiting for today forever.

I didn't want to die until I got to see you again.

Miss Cat, please refrain!

Lord is having a meeting.

That's all right.

I owe her.

Yes?

I've done wrong.

You conceived my...

Please think no more of it.

It can't be helped now.

I'm extremely sorry.

Please don't feel sad.

I'll have your boy next time.

For the Date clan,

I'll have more than one.

You'll rule this country for sure.

Your fortune hasn't changed at all.

Please...

...believe my words.

Hideyoshi gave Ieyasu eight Kanto provinces and headed for Oshu.

Masamune welcomed his party in Utsunomiya.

I feel my armor is getting heavy these days.

I stumble, and my back is...

I've become a burden.

Your bear haired helmet and deutzia-color armor are...

...all masterpieces, sir.

- Do you like it? - Yes.

A military fan-decorated helmet.

That's amazing, sir.

- You can have it. - Excuse me?

I said I'm giving it to you.

What a surprise!

I'm very honored, sir!

Sir Date, this is a lucky armor.

Right.

He used it for his campaigns in Western Japan, Kyushu, and Odawara.

Remember that well.

This is an armor to have power over the country.

I'll give you my military fan, too.

I'll make it my family treasure for my future generations.

- Nagamasa. - Yes, sir.

Brief Masamune with my judgment.

Certainly, sir.

His Excellency will confiscate all the fiefs north of Osaki and Kasai...

...except for Nanbu Nobunao's fief.

As for Tamura Muneaki, Ishikawa Akimitsu and Shirakawa Yoshichika,

he'll confiscate all their fiefs, too.

As for the warlords who joined him in Odawara,

he'll secure their original fiefs.

But Date Masamune must return...

...Aizu, Asaka, and Iwase.

Very well.

Who's getting Aizu?

Sir Gamo Ujisato.

- I hope we'll be good friends. - I do, too.

Sir Ujisato is so smart that...

...he was chosen to marry Lord Nobunaga's daughter.

He'll become your good mentor in controlling Ou.

Thank you very much.

- Masamune. - Yes, sir.

I have a favor to ask you.

Is that all right?

Please tell me anything.

Kojuro, come closer.

That's all right. Come forward.

Come closer.

That's all right.

You're the Date's secret brain.

I want to see you closer.

Face me.

You have a good face.

- Masamune. - Yes, sir.

I trust his abilities and want to give him Miharu Castle.

What do you think?

I'll make you the lord of the Tamura fief.

Depending on how much you achieve,

You'll get 100,000 koku, 200,000 koku, or even 300,000 koku.

How's that, Masamune?

What are you doing, Kojuro?

Why don't you thank the regent?

I feel grateful for your words.

But, please accept my humble decline, sir.

What?

Are you insane?

What do you think the regent's words are?!

Please forgive my rudeness, sir!

Late Lord Terumune promoted my sister and me to...

...serve Lord Masamune as his guardians.

For last 19 years, I've been serving the Date clan...

...and receiving more than I deserve.

Are you saying so, to respect Sir Date's feeling?

Not at all!

I, Kojuro, am determined to die as a Date vassal.

Please forgive me, sir!

Ha.

You don't want to die as my man?

You want to die as a Date man, instead?

Say something, Sir Date.

If you say you'll let Kojuro go, he'll agree.

With all due respect, sir,

serving the Date now means serving you, Your Excellency.

I'll work harder as a faithful servant.

Please forgive me!

You don't want to obey your master's order?

If the Date clan doesn't need me anymore,

I'll be ashamed of my disloyalty and slit my belly immediately!

Look.

Did you see that?

I knew he was as good as this.

Kojuro.

For your true heart,

I'm giving you this.

How stupid you are.

You wasted your chance to become successful.

It says, "More haste, less speed."

10 years from now, the regent's rule will be gone.

And time will come for the Date to rise.

I trust your caliber, Lord.

I want to work hard for you believing in the realization of your ambitions.

That's why I declined the regent's offer.

- Quit talking down to me! - I don't mean that.

Kojuro.

To tell the truth,

you made me happy.

You do me too much honor.

I'll never forget...

...your loyalty.

End of Episode Twenty Four