Atsu-hime/Synopsis Eps 31-49
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Episodes 31-40
- Episode 31
Ii hiked crackdown on those in reverence for the Emperor and the exclusion of foreigners, and Muraoka, who serves the head of Konoe family in Kyoto and attended Tenshoin’s wedding as her mother, was imprisoned. Trying to save Muraoka, Tenshoin sends her a white kimono which she wore at her wedding. Clad in the kimono, Muraoka pressures the interrogators by telling to whom the white kimono belonged and successfully proves her innocence. Meanwhile, Ikushima tells Tenshoin her intention to resign.
- Episode 32
Tenshoin sorrowfully accepts Ikushima’s departure which marked the end to their tight partnership. The shogunate prepares for a steamship voyage to the U.S., while Iemochi and Tenshoin meet a crewman Rintaro Katsu who leaves a strong impression on Tenshoin. Tenshoin faces Ii to confirm his intention of the cruel treatment of the dissidents; however, she is moved by his firm determination to save the country and decides to exchanges their thoughts more often. She soon hears the news of his assassination.
- Episode 33
Ii’s sudden death shook the shogunate which tried to restore order through marrying Iemochi with Emperor Komei’s sister, Kazunomiya. Tenshoin’s strong resistance to the marriage was ignored by the retainers of the shogunate. Tenshoin receives a letter from Satsuma asking her to return to her homeland, however, soon learns it was a conspiracy by the retainers and decides to continue to serve the Tokugawa family.
- Episode 34
In sending Kazunomiya to Edo castle, the Imperial Court made requests that upset the "Ooku." Once in the castle, she is attracted to Iemochi at first sight despite her anxiety. However, she is infuriated by given a lower seat than Tenshoin during their first meeting and expresses her anger by referring to her without an honorific title which hiked hostility between the two. Young frustrated samurai in Satsuma were planning to reform the shogunate.
- Episode 35
Although the wedding ceremony of Iemochi and Kazunomiya ended successfully, the tension between the Imperial Court remained. Tenshoin is concerned over Iemochi and Kazunomiya's wedding night and she finds out Kazunomiya had refused him and that she might be secretly carrying a dagger. Tenshoin loses her patience at Kazunomiya's silence over the incident. In Satuma, Saigo tries to keep Hisamitsu from vising Kyoto in an attempt to influence the Imperial Court for reforming the shogunate.
- Episode 36
Tenshoin feels relieved to see Iemochi and Kazunomiya building their trust. Meanwhile, thousands of Satsuma's troops led by Hisamitsu head for Kyoto to receive Emperor's approval to persuade shogunate to reform. However, Saigo was exiled to an island and some young frustrated samurai of Satsuma lost their lives for disobeying Hisamitsu's order. In "Ooku," Tenshoin is suspected of manipulating Satsuma's move and even Iemochi casts doubts on her.
- Episode 37
The Satsuma force led by Hisamitsu entered Edo accompanying an Imperial envoy. His aim was to reform the Tokugawa Shogunate. Meanwhile, Tenshoin was anxious if Tatewaki also came to Edo accompanying Hisamitsu. Against Hisamitsu's wish, the negotiation between the envoy and Roju came to a dead end. Hisamitsu became extremely impatient and ordered Okubo to threaten the Roju side by force. While Tatewaki felt awkward toward such a forceful approach taken by his comrades, Satsuma succeeded in pressing on the reform plan. Tenshoin, who was upset at Satsuma's cowardly move, sought an audience with Hisamitsu to ascertain his true intentions. With her unsuccessful meeting with Hisamitsu, she failed to exchange words with Tatewaki, who was in the company of Hisamitsu. Regretting this sour reunion with Tatewaki, Tenshoin asked Iemochi to invite Tatewaki to Ooku. Playing igo like when they were still in Satsuma, Tenshoin and Tatewaki engaged in friendly conversation and promised to each other that each would try their best to defend their own people: the Tokugawa clan for Tenshoin and the people of Satsuma for Tatewaki.
- Episode 38
Upon hearing the incident, Tenshoin urges Satsuma clan and the shogunate to apologize the U.K. An Imperial envoy sees Iemochi, asking for his visit to Kyoto, where Choshu clan, an extreme antiforeigner and supporter of national isolation policy, has swept the political leadership from Satsuma clan. Despite Kazunomiya's strong resistance, Iemochi decides to head for Kyoto to urge the Emperor and ask for his understanding that the nation could no longer remain isolated from the rest of the world. Kazunomiya expresses hostility toward Tenshoin for supporting Iemochi's trip.
- Episode 39
Upon his arrival in Kyoto, Iemochi finds himself in a difficult position with the Imperial Court which was controlled by extreme antiforeigner supporters. The shogunate is forced to give in to the pressure and agrees to close the country from other countries. Iemochi is also forced to remain in Kyoto and falls ill. Tenshoin blames herself for urging Iemochi to visit and asks Kazunomiya to convince the Emperor who is her brother, for his help in bringing Iemochi back to Edo. Kazunomiya however, refuses the plea.
- Episode 40
The Imperial palace in Kyoto was attacked by Choshu clan, that called for excluding foreigners from the country. Shogunate's army led by Yoshinobu and those of Satsuma and Aizu clan met the attack and defeated the Choshu. In "Ooku," Takiyama urges Tenshoin to ask Iemochi to have a concubine who could bear his heir, but Tenshoin turns it down sensing Iemochi and Kazunomiya becoming intimate. Kazunomiya shows signs of pregnancy which pleases everyone in "Ooku," however, it turns out to be false.
Episodes 41-50 end
- Episode 41
Despite growing distrust between Tenshoin and Kazunomiya in "Ooku," Iemochi leaves for Osaka to fight Choshu clan which raised its momentum to bring down the shogunate. In Satsuma, Tatewaki and Sakamoto Ryoma, a masterless samurai from Tosa clan, discuss teaming up Satsuma with Choshu clan to work for reforming the shogunate. More than six months have passed since Iemochi left Edo, but Tenshoin hears no news of Choshu's latest move. She is upset when she finally finds out that Tatewaki initiated Satsuma's alliance with Choshu.
- Episode 42
Tenshoin and Kazunomiya spend days praying for the safety of Iemochi who is in a difficult position in Osaka castle. To prepare for the war against Choshu, Iemochi orders Katsu in Edo to come to Osaka, however Iemochi falls ill before he arrives. Upon hearing Iemochi's illness, Tenshoin sends a doctor to Osaka, but he falls even more ill. After asking Katsu to look after Tenshoin and Kazunomiya, Iemochi passes away.
- Episode 43
Tenshoin is struck with deep sorrow after learning Iemochi's death. Kazunomiya says she wants to return to Kyoto rather than spend the rest of her life as a nun in Edo. She tells Tenshoin that she didn't care about the shogunate or the "Ooku." After talking with Tenshoin, Kazunomiya opens her heart to her in-law and decides to become a nun. In Satsuma, Saigo, Okubo and Tatewaki invite powerful feudal lords for a meeting to gain their support to reform shogunate. However the discussion fails with Yoshinobu's clever intervention.
- Episode 44
Yoshinobu, who became shogun after Iemochi's sudden death, prepares for the war against Satsuma-Choshu clan in Kyoto. Tatewaki, who seeks for a peaceful resolution with the shogunate, decides to side with Ryoma who plans to persuade Yoshinobu to return its political authority to the Emperor, while Saigo and Okubo side with Iwakura who plots to overthrow the shogunate by force. Despite the shocking news of Yoshinobu's decision to give up his political authority, Tenshoin learns from Katsu that Ryoma, who was later assassinated, had risked his life to save the country with the plan. She announces her decision at "Ooku."
- Episode 45
Tatewaki's attempt to stop Saigo and Okubo from taking a hard-line approach against the shogunate was ignored. The two and Iwakura prepared for war. Concerned about the safety of Tenshoin, Tatewaki, asks Tenshoin's mother to write a letter to her daughter to convince her to return to Satsuma. However, Tenshoin turns down the request and reaffirms her determination to devote the rest of her life for protecting the shogunate and the people in "Ooku."
- Episode 46
Despite hopes of Tenshoin and Kazunomiya, who is renamed Seikanin, the war breaks out. Satsuma-Choshu troops fought under the Emperor's banner and when the shogunate's army loses the battle, Yoshinobu flees back to Edo, leaving his men behind. Yoshinobu asks Katsu for help, however, he insists that the shogun should seek Tenshoin's help. Despite a series of misbehavior by Yoshinobu, Tenshoin sees Yoshinobu and together with Seikanin, decides to persuade the Imperial Court to pardon Yoshinobu whom she says is her family.
- Episode 47
In Kyoto, Tatewaki, who opposes the use of force, visits Saigo to make him change his plan to attack Edo. Saigo, however, refuses to meet him of fear of being talked into Tatewaki's idea and leads the Imperial army to fight the shogunate. To avoid the war, Ikushima, who lives in seclusion in Kyoto, sees Tenshoin and advises her to write a letter to Saigo to convince him to stop the attack.
- Episode 48
Tenshoin sees Katsu to find ways to prevent war and asks him to deliver a letter written by the late Nariakira to Saigo. Although Katsu asks Saigo to save the Tokugawa family in return for their surrendering the castle, Saigo rejects the proposal. It was only after seeing the letter from his late master that Saigo decides to gives up his plan of resorting to war. In Ooku, Tenshoin orders all the servants to calmly leave the castle under absolute order and comforts them by asking them to trust her for their safety as members of her family.
- Episode 49
As the day of her departure neared, Tenshoin spends time cherishing her memories at "Ooku" with her servants. Seikanin, who was to leaves ahead of others, tells Tenshoin that she would ask the Imperial Court to let the Tokugawa family stay in the castle. On the final day, Tenshoin walks around the castle to remember her home where she sees Honjuin arranging flowers, and suggests decorating "Ooku" with lots of flowers. In Kyoto, Tatewaki, who believes expropriation of only Tokugawa's territory was unfair in the process of restoring the Emperor's political power, tells his plan to submit Satsuma's territory to the Emperor to entice other clans to follow.
- Episode 50
Tenshoin spends peaceful days outside Edo castle and is delighted by a sudden visit by her mother and brother from Satsuma. She thanks her mother for raising her to follow her instincts. Meanwhile, Tatewaki falls ill and passes away after telling Ochika that he was happy. Saigo, who had returned to Satsuma after leaving the new government because of a political split with Okubo, is moved by Tatewaki's letter heeding the nation's future and decides to rejoin the government. Five years later, the former servants of "Ooku" visit Tenshoin to celebrate the engagement of Iesato who succeeded the Tokugawa family. After hearing the news of Iesato's wife's pregnancy, Tenshoin died peacefully at the age of 49 and her soul was finally put to rest in her homeland, Satsuma.
