Sagara Sōzō was the captain of the first squad of the Sekihōtai and a major influence on the lives of Higashidani Sanosuke and Tsukioka Katsuhiro.
Appearance[]
Sōzō's visage, despite his wartime experiences, displays a soft essence of innocence and peace. He is a handsome young man with shiny black hair that is well-groomed in the back, but flows in sweeping bangs which fall over the right side of his face, obscuring his right eye. Even in death, his face displayed no pain.
Sagara's attire during his depiction in the series consists of a standard Sekihōtai officer's uniform (including the red bandanna identical to Sanosuke's) and he is constantly seen carrying himself with grace and pride.
Personality[]
Sōzō had a caring and ambitious personality, wanting to help create a Japan where people live under freedom and equality, much like Himura Kenshin. A natural leader and mentor, he was fond of children and a champion of the common man. He did his utmost to teach these principles to those under his lead and it is because of these ideals that Sanosuke befriends Kenshin, despite him being a former Ishin-Shishi.
Relationships[]
- Sagara Sanosuke - Sōzō and the Sekihōtai took Sanosuke as a small kid under their wing as ward of the Sekihōtai and taught him their ideals and principles.
- Tsukioka Tsunan - Sōzō and the Sekihōtai also took Tsunan as a small kid under their wing as ward of the Sekihōtai (alongside Sanosuke) and taught him their ideals and principles.
- Shindō Tatewaki - Tatewaki was the responsible for betraying and murdering the Sekihōtai (and Sagara Sōzō), whom he charged with spreading false information about halving the taxes of farmers, despite having been ordered to do so by the Meiji Government.
Abilities[]
Not much is known about his abilities, however, considering that he was the leader of the Sekihōtai, it is likely that he was an extraordinary combatant and a capable commander.
History[]
Born Kojima Shirō, the captain was not born into a samurai lineage but rather became the scion of the wealthy Sagara family. Perhaps as a result, he came to dislike the haughtiness of samurai and the great difference between classes during the Tokugawa dynasty's rule. When the Bakumatsu began, Sagara left his wife and family to join the Sekihōtai: a militia of farmers and merchants fighting on the side of the Ishin Shishi.
He was promoted to Captain of the first squad and took on the responsibilities of leading the makeshift force and spreading news of the Meiji Government's promise to halve taxes. Sōzō took great pride in his role during the bakumatsu and used his influence for the sake of the people, eventually taking two poor boys, Sanosuke and Katsuhiro, under his wing as wards of the Sekihōtai and teaching them his ideals and principles.
However, when the new government reneged on its promises of tax reform, it marked the Sekihōtai as lying frauds and attempted to purge them from its ranks. Seeking compromise, Sagara reported willingly to his Ishin Shishi commanders in Shimosuwa, but rather than explaining, the government had him and his comrades executed by decapitation and put his head on public display.
Though the truth of Sagara Sōzō's heroism and sacrifice was buried by the Meiji Government and unknown to the general public, the Captain's noble life and ignoble death would serve to shape the worldviews of Sanosuke (who took on the surname of Sagara to honor his hero) and Katsuhiro throughout their adult lives.
Tokyo Arc[]
Sagara Sōzō is just shown in flashback scenes when Sanosuke fights against Kenshin, and when Sanosuke meets Tsukioka Tsunan several years after.
Kyōto Arc[]
In Act 73, while Sanosuke is training in the forest near Shimosuwa, Captain Sagara appears before him as a spirit, asking his former ward to consider his life more carefully.
Development and Reception[]
Watsuki said that since Sagara Sōzō is an actual historical figure, "talking about his "motif" as a character seems beside the point." The author's mental image of Sagara Sōzō became important in the character development. According to Watsuki, the framework of Sanosuke's memories glorifies Sagara Sōzō in the story. Since, according to Watsuki, Sagara Sōzō genuinely wanted equality for Japan's people, Watsuki wonders about the fate of Japan if Sagara Sōzō survived. Watsuki debated whether to include the Sekihōtai Incident due to its obscurity.
Since he believed that the movement exposed the truths and lies of the Meiji Restoration, he decided to include the movement. One of Watsuki's friends told the Rurouni Kenshin author that another one of his friends feared that Watsuki may be "getting in too deep." In addition, as Watsuki wrote the storyline, the popularity of the series fell to the lowest point since the debut of the series. Watsuki reasoned that he wished to explore the "true story of the Meiji Revolution" and therefore could not leave out the story of the Sekihōtai.
Watsuki did not base the appearance of Sagara Sōzō on actual historic photographs; he wondered about the appearance of the real Sagara Sōzō. Watsuki instead formed his version of the character based on his mental image of the real person. He says that the character is popular "in the eyes (and hearts) of female readers." [1]
Trivia[]
- His depiction in the 1996 anime has one of the biggest pieces of censorship: In the original manga there is a moment in which Sanosuke remembers watching Sōzō's decapitated head on display (and there is an explicit panel showing the frontal decapitated head). This is ommited in the 1996 anime series.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Watsuki, Nobuhiro. "The Secret Life of Characters (5) Sagara Sōzō," Rurouni Kenshin Volume 2. VIZ Media. 28.