THE STORY OF TOSHIZO HIJIKATA - CHAPTER FIVE: WE LIVE A DYING DREAM (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN)

It’s not the Boshin War that triggered the downfall of the Shinsengumi, however. They did it themselves.

After their success with the Ikedaya Inn affair, they became pow[...]

THE STORY OF TOSHIZO HIJIKAZA - CHAPTER FOUR: BOYS IN BLUE UNIFORMS

Katamori Matsudaira’s brilliant plan on getting extra manpower ended up with a most spectacular plot twist, one that feels as if ripped from a totally insane spy movie. You cannot make shit like this up – rea[...]

THE STORY OF TOSHIZO HIJIKATA - CHAPTER THREE : THE CURTAINS FALL (A LESSON IN HISTORY)

In popular culture, there is a common misconception that the Boshin War was a clear-cut, ideological conflict between the forces who wanted to modernize Japan and open it up to the rest of the[...]

THE STORY OF TOSHIZO HIJIKATA CHAPTER TWO – BEING NOTICED BY SENPAI

Somewhere in late 1850s’ – the exact year is, alas, lost to history – the region of Hino was affected by a wave of armed robberies. A group of thugs attacked and ransacked the homes of wealthier merchants[...]

THE STORY OF TOSHIZO HIJIKATA

CHAPTER ONE – THE PRETTYBOY WHO WANTED MORE

When Toshizo was born in the spring of 1835, his father had already been dead for several months, having succumbed to tuberculosis, a fashionable disease back in the 19th century. Toshizo w[...]

It's always kinda tricky to do a cosplay from a series you're not fond of - or, as is the case with me and "Kill la Kill", that you actively dislike. When I wore Ragyo's costume, I was approached by many a "Kill la Kill" enthusiast who'd happily start gushing about the anime's awesomeness and h[...]