Komyo ga Tsuji/Synopsis Eps 1-30

Synopsis By Episode

• Koumyou ga Tsuji/Synopsis Eps 31-49

Episodes 1 thru 10

Episode 1 - 桶狭間 (Okehazama) - 19.8

In 1560 in Omi, current Shiga Prefecture. Chiyo is the daughter of a samurai who serves the feudal lord Asai. The time is the Age of the Civil War and the lord Asai has been fighting small battles against the lord of the neighboring domain. During a battle in the year, Chiyo’s father is killed and Chiyo escapes to the mountains with her mother. Losing her mother as well during the escape, Chiyo wanders around alone. When she comes to a river bank in Owari, a region which is a part of present Aichi Prefecture, Chiyo meets a down-and-out warrior Kazutoyo Yamauchi. Kazutoyo has been roaming about looking for a lord to serve and waiting for the opportunity to take revenge on Nobunaga Oda, a feudal lord based in Owari, for his father’s death. Kazutoyo advises Chiyo to visit his mother who has been taking refuge with a friend. After he parts from Chiyo, Kazutoyo becomes acquainted with Tokichiro Kinoshita, who later becomes Hideyoshi Toyotomi. Urged by Tokichiro to see how Nobunaga fights a battle, Kazutoyo goes to Okehazama where Nobunaga is preparing for a fight against Yoshimoto Imagawa, a feudal lord who leads a great army.

Episode 2 - 決別河 (The River of Parting) - 22.7

Kazutoyo comes to see his mother to ask for her permission to serve Nobunaga Oda because Nobunaga has caused his father’s death. At his mother’s place, Kazutoyo meets Chiyo again. Chiyo tells him that she soon will leave for Mino, a region which is a part of current Gifu Prefecture, to stay with her mother’s relatives. Knowing that Nobunaga is going to invade Mino, Kazutoyo tries to stop her but Chiyo is determined. Chiyo leaves Owari for Mino. Before long, Nobunaga begins to make inroads into Mino. The battle lingers as the commanders of the both sides, Hanbe Takenaka for Mino and Tokichiro for Owari, hold their respective forts with sharp tactics. A few years pass. One day, Chiyo visits a strategic point with Hanbe and happens to find Kazutoyo at the other side of the border river.

Episode 3 - 命会 (A Destined Reunion) - 22.6

Rokuheita, one of Chiyo’s old acquaintances from Omi, comes to see Chiyo. Hearing that he has acquired espionage skills, Chiyo asks him to see if Kazutoyo is fine in Owari. Around that time, Tokichiro is given the name Hideyoshi by his master Nobunaga and Kazutoyo, who has been working as Tokichiro’s right-hand man, is officially admitted by Nobunaga to be a Tokichiro’s retainer. One day, Kazutoyo accompanies Hideyoshi on a visit to Hanbe Takenaka, who has protected the domain of Mino from Nobunaga’s attacks. Hideyoshi tries to persuade Hanbe to side Nobunaga, but Hanbe declines the offer. In Mino, Kazutoyo meets Chiyo who has matured into a beautiful woman. Since then, Kazutoyo cannot stop thinking about her. After a while, Hideyoshi receives a letter from Hanbe which asks him to visit Hanbe with Kazutoyo. At Hanbe’s place, Kazutoyo finds Chiyo waiting for him.

Episode 4 - 炎中抱 (An Embrace Within Flames) - 22.0

At Hanbe’s place in Mino, Chiyo and Kazutoyo express their feelings to each other. Although they find they care about one another, the two have to be parted since Kazutoyo works for Nobunaga who is trying to seize Mino while Chiyo lives as the adopted daughter of a samurai family of Mino. Meanwhile, Hanbe changes his mind and decides to side Nobunaga. Nobunaga prepares to attack the major castle of Mino, gaining other warlords to his side as well. Chiyo and her aunt’s family shut themselves in the castle with other retainers of Mino. Hearing Nobunaga’s order to kill everybody in the castle even women and children, Kazutoyo is worried about Chiyo. The impregnable castle does not fall easily, which makes Nobunaga irritated. Hanbe tells Nobunaga about a secret path into the castle and at the same time he secretly urges Kazutoyo to getting into the castle first to save Chiyo.

Episode 5 - 新妻誓 (The New Wife's Vow) - 21.5

Having become a married couple and started living together, Chiyo and Kazutoyo talk with each other a lot every night. Hearing Kazutoyo’s dream to become a feudal lord, Chiyo decides to pursue his dream together. Around that time, Nobunaga prepares to draw to his side the Azai family, a feudal lord in Omi. Ichi, Nobunaga’s younger sister, volunteers to be married into the Azai family to make them the Oda family’s relatives by marriage. Since Chiyo is originally from Omi, Ichi visits her to ask about the region.

Episode 6 - 山内家旗 (Raising the Yamauchi Family Flag) - 21.8

Shinemon Sofue, one of Kazutoyo’s retainers, moves into Kazutoyo’s house together with his wife and seven children. Feeding Shinemon’s family makes the household budget of Kazutoyo hard-pressed. Chiyo skips her meals to make ends meet. One day, Kazutoyo finds Chiyo collapsed from hunger. Moved by how well Chiyo cares for his retainer’s family and wanting to reward her efforts, Kazutoyo goes hunting and prepares a boar stew for Chiyo, his retainers and Shinemon’s family. In July 1568, Kazutoyo and his followers leave for Kyoto accompanying Nobunaga and his great army. Before his departure, Chiyo hands Kazutoyo a flag on which she has embroidered the crest of the Yamauchi family.

Episode 7 - 妻覚悟 (A Wife's Resolution) - 21.9

Nobunaga suddenly visits the main castle of the Azai family accompanied by only a few attendants. Nagamasa Azai, Ichi’s husband, stops his father and retainers who insist on assassinating Nobunaga. Meanwhile, Shinemon’s wife Fune suffers a miscarriage and dies. Chiyo listens to Fune’s last words that her death must be kept secret from her husband in the battlefield, finding the way how samurai’s wife should be. Next spring, Nobunaga appoints Hideyoshi one of the officials governing Kyoto. Having no choice since he is working for Hideyoshi, Kazutoyo stays in the capital as well.

Episode 8 - 命懸功 (Deadly Ambition) - 20.8

Nobunaga starts a battle against the Asakura family who has been allied with the Azai family. During the battle, Kazutoyo achieves a great feat of defeating a renowned warrior of the enemy, despite suffering a severe wound in the face. Although his army is sweeping all before them, Nobunaga decides to retreat since Ichi secretly lets him know that her husband Nagamasa Azai is taking part in the battle to support Asakura. Hideyoshi volunteers to bring up the rear, resolutely prepared to die if necessary. Despite his deep wound, Kazutoyo asks Hideyoshi to let him join the rearguard.

Episode 9

Despite great loss of soldiers, Hideyoshi and his followers fulfill their duties as the rearguard and return to Kyoto. Kazutoyo, who fought in spite of his wound, gains a pay raise for his achievement in the battle. Kazutoyo stays at a hut in a temple compound with his retainers for a while, waiting for the wound to heal. One day, a young woman comes to the temple looking for someone. The woman, Korin, ends up staying at the hut with them.

Episode 10

Hearing Kazutoyo’s confession that he had an affair, Chiyo cries aloud. Becoming unable to stand the awkwardness between her and Kazutoyo, Chiyo goes to stay with her uncle and aunt in Mino. When Chiyo’s uncle is thundering out at Chiyo to go back, they hear a conch shell horn sound to call out troops. Chiyo hurries back home, but too late to see off Kazutoyo. Chiyo is afraid that something wrong may happen to Kazutoyo and learns her worry has become a reality when she hears that Kazutoyo has gone missing during the battle.

Episodes 11 thru 20

Episode 11

A few days after he returned safely to Chiyo, Kazutoyo heads for Omi with Hideyoshi and other soldiers to watch for the Azai family’s movements. Around that time, Nobunaga’s enemies begin surrounding his dominion from west and north. The Azai and Asakura families also deploy their armies in Mount Hiei. Nobunaga approaches Enryakuji Temple, the head temple of the School of Tendai Buddhism that rules the mountain, with a demand to force his enemies off or stay neutral at least. The temple sends no reply and Nobunaga is driven into a corner. Meanwhile, Chiyo spends days teaching Hideyoshi’s nephew reading and writing, asked by Hideyoshi’s wife, Nene.

Episode 12

Kazutoyo and Hideyoshi’s troops continue staying in Omi for quite a long time containing the Azai family’s main troops. To turn the tide, Hideyoshi attempts to gain a local ruling family on their side by offering them his nephew as a hostage. At the nephew’s departure, Chiyo tells him to be strong and outlive any hardships. Around that time, Shingen Takeda, the influential lord of Kai, advances his troops west defeating the army of Ieyasu Tokugawa, one of Nobunaga’s right hands. Being attacked from east by Shingen and from west by Yoshiaki Ashikaga, Nobunaga is put in a predicament. One day, however, word comes that Shingen has died.

Episode 13

Episode 14

Episode 15

Episode 16

Episode 17

Episode 18

Episode 19

Episode 20

Episodes 21 thru 30

Episode 21

Episode 22

Episode 23

Episode 24

Episode 25

Episode 26

Episode 27

Episode 28

Episode 29

Episode 30

• Koumyou ga Tsuji/Synopsis Eps 31-49