I LOVE THIS PART (very end, episode three). Osawa Takao actually has really nice teeth haha. And can you believe this is his first drama in three years? He’s been doing movies, sure, but what a way to make a comeback. In a great drama such as this (so far, so far).
JIN, Episode 2: The Cholera Chronicles
All seems well but then BAM! CHOLERA HAPPENS. The doctors at the Western Medical Office, including the president (Ogata Kounan) are informed, and he recalls Saburi talking about a certain doctor with unheard-of techniques.
Shogunate politics, yeah yeah yeah. This group of samurai are obviously not fans. Ryoma asks how exactly they plan on protecting the country, and even before they use their swords, they’ll be shot down by cannons and that would be the end of it.
… with weak methods like that, they’ll just cut ya down, one ta another. So how many years do ya think it’ll take? No matter how you look at it, I don’t think it’ll turn out well.”
Another samurai notes that while his point his valid, “Divine Punishment” could still be effective. Anywayyy, their target is Katsu Rintaro. Ryoma and Guy #1 volunteer to go out for this assassination attempt.
After Ryoma leaves the meeting, he spots a man being yelled at for “selling out the country” (aka pimping prostitutes) and rescues him by saying it’s a bad idea to cut this guy down. As repayment for saving his life, he gets to pick out a prostitute! While mulling it over, he spots the fierceness that is Nokaze. Yep. HMMMMM.
Saki resolves to be Jin’s assistant, blah blah blah. He’s hesitant to tell her anything more about what he knows (he was telling her about bacteria) because what if this changes history? That’s a recurring theme throughout most of the episode. Shit happens — okay, this is kind of important but Kiichi gets cholera — and Jin realizes he can’t NOT help people (after refusing Ogata’s request for revealing knowledge of what he knew about “korori”) just because he can’t change history.
Katsu is played by a favorite of mine, Kohinata Fumiyo! Anyway, the assassination attempt fails because Guy #1 trips, Ryoma farts because he’s nervous (I’m not kidding), then Guy #1 gets cholera. He takes the guy to Jin (as per the suggestion of Kyotaro, who was there too — apparently he’s an assistant to Katsu). blah blah blah tense dialogue, but Saki brings Jin more help (from the Western Medical Office) and Ryoma comes back to aid him, too.
Episode 3: THE CHOLERA CHRONICLES II — Everybody Lends A Hand!
Basically. Jin gets people to make makeshift IVs, sterilize, make ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution), blah blah blah
MOAR SHOGUNATE POLITICS. By lending a hand to significantly reduce the korori (brought in by foreign countries), “the authority of the Shogun will increase all the more.”
Fortunately the IVs work and Kiichi (among others) start getting better, which is great news for Tae (his mother). Unfortunately Jin gets cholera, which is no surprise considering he’s been around patients all day/night.
Big Bro tells Little Sis it might be a good idea if she rests, but she wants to stay and save Jin. Mrs. Tachibana pops out of nowhere (heh) and tells her she can’t come until she finishes the battle. She must “win … and then return home”. Then she eats some rice with Big Bro and cries while doing so. This reminded me of a Studio Ghibli movie I’ve seen before, but I’m not sure which one. It might have been Spirited Away … or some manga. I can’t remember.
Jin is pretty sick, and you know how you get a feeling that something bad happened to someone? Well, that’s what Tae and Ryoma felt as soon as Jin fell out of consciousness (?). #He kind of looks like the baby fetus with his eyes closed and it creeps me the heck out. He sees Miki in his dreams and she tells him they’ll meet again someday. I don’t doubt it.
SAKI’S TEARS = WATER OF LIFE
Overall, the IVs didn’t make much of a difference (sucks), but the willpower of the people and preventative measures were really what helped to stem the flow of cholera. Ogata asks Jin to help him “correct medicine”, he later accepts the request.
Now THIS is where I started to get nervous. Tae leaves Kiichi to go drop off edamame and boiled eggs at the Tachibana residence and it gets QUIET. Ominous, if you ask me. She jogs back to the city, smiling.
It’s quiet up until the point a man comes up to Jin and Saki to break the news: Tae was killed by a samurai who wanted to test his sword.
“I’m calm, Sensei. Everyone dies. But … Sensei wasn’t wrong, but … it would’ve been better if you hadn’t saved me.”
At the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Ryoma decides to work with … KATSU. Either Ryoma is a really good actor and is trying to get in good with Katsu Rintaro so he can cut him down later or he just betrayed his group. I’d like to think the former, given the history (?!?!?!)
Notes
Second episode was so boring I almost cried tears. While it lays the foundation for some upcoming moments, it was just like blah blah blah cholera/korori blah blah blah. Or maybe it was because I’ve watched it so many times, hahah. Third episode was better though!
Theory #2: WHAT IF THAT BANDAGED GUY WASN’T RYOMA, BUT JIN?! I know this is first episode stuff, but I’m pretty sure they showed bandage man a couple times and it got me thinking. MAYBE Jin’s appearance and influence on Sakamoto Ryoma, he just messed up history! YOU NEVER KNOW WITH DRAMAS. I didn’t expect for Tae to die, which was Final Destination: Edo Edition and :[ makes me sad. I guess by this logic KYOTARO IS NEXT?! NOOOOOO