A peek to the "Toyotomi Museum" in Nakamura, dedicated to the taiga drama "Brothers in Arms"∼

It's common for pop-up exhibitions related to Sengoku warlords to appear in the areas promoted by the currently aired taiga drama, and Brothers in Arms is no exception.
The Toyotomi Museum set up in the Nakamura Park of Nagoya city is one of those. The museum opened on January 24 and is scheduled to close on January 11 2027. The ticket costs 800 yen, but it's important to note that out of the three areas of the exhibition, only the one dedicated to the taiga drama requires the entrance fee.

First appearance of Nobunaga in "Brothers in Arms" taiga drama!

I got to see the first subbed episodes of the currently airing Brothers in Arms (豊臣兄弟!, Toyotomi Kyōdai!) taiga drama∼ I gotta say that I find it quite enjoyable, but I'm just the old man type that enjoys historical drama whatsoever 😅

Kubi (2023)

I was really looking forward to check on Kubi (首, "Head") (and its Nobunaga) and I finally had the chance to!
This gloomy, hyper-violent and parodic approach to the Sengoku era may bother the most refined of you guys, but I have to admit that, despite the grottesque vibe, it's probaby the most faithful portrait of an historical period where violence and free utilitarism actually ruled the land. The movie is a screen adaptation of the 2009's homonymous novel by Takeshi Kitano, that here acts as producer, scriptwriter, director and, as if this wasn't enough, grants himself the role of the hilarious Hideyoshi, the "peasant" who's going to win the war of wits of his most illustrious competitors.

Baban Baban Ban Vampire (2025)

So, while looking for Brothers in Arms I managed to find this movie I looked forward last year! So what about a review? This fun romantic comedy with bits of BL talks about the vampire Mori Ranmaru, portrayed by Ryo Yoshizawa, who survived his first love, Nobunaga, just to find a new motivation in perpetuating his eternal life anew: drinking the pure blood of his virgin saviour, the naive Rihito!
I'm not going to talk you about the movie in detail, as usual I'll just focus on the portrayal of its Nobunaga, here rendered by Shinichi Tsutsumi.

Shun Oguri is back as Nobunaga in "Brothers in Arms" Taiga Drama!

Ugh, sorry I'm late to the party about it, but here we go once again with Sengoku times, specifically the times of Japan Unification, for a taiga drama∼ The title is Brothers in Arms (豊臣兄弟！, Toyotomi Kyoudai!, lit.: "Toyotomi Brothers!") and it started airing on NHK on January 4!

Baban Baban-- Nobunaga!

Ah, how long since I updated this place∼ Looks like I have a chance because next year we're going to get a new Nobunaga in the features of Shin'ichi Tsutsumi!

The project is the live-action version of the manga Baban Baban Ban Vampire (ババンババンバンバンパイア) by Hiromasa Okujima, a BL-ish comedy where Ranmaru is a vampire working in a bath-house, aiming at Rihito's virgin blood. Nobunaga's role is going to be marginal, as he just appears in a flashback, but it's meaningful indeed, as it explains the rivalry between Ranmaru and his brother Nagayoshi in this work.
The movie is scheduled for February 14, so I'll keep you updated about further visuals of our hero.

The heart of historical drama enthusiast skipped a bit because Tsutsumi acted as a young Yoshinobu in Takeda Shingen taiga drama in 1988, so it's going to be meaningful seeing him in another major historical role, if just for a few scenes.

織田信長は堤真一さん‼️
信長役は堤真一さんですと聞いた時震え上がりました。🥶それで一本映画撮れるでしょうに‼️映画館で観るのが楽しみで仕方ありません‼️ #ババンババンバンバンパイア pic.twitter.com/z0iJpNyiWm

— 奥嶋ひろまさ (@HiromasaOkujima) November 26, 2024

This said, Baban Baban Ban Vampire is going to get an anime adaptation earlier on January 11, so we may enjoy an animated version of Okujima's Nobunaga, too.

The "Bookmarks of Fuji Tour" featured in "Dousuru Ieyasu"

So, past week aired the episode of Dousuru Ieyasu dedicated to the Honnoji Incident that closed the events dedicated to Nobunaga. Unfortunately the western fans of Jun Matsumoto decided that producing subs of this drama wasn't worth their time, so no subs are available and RAWs are stuck to episode 19, meaning that I have no way to review its Nobunaga ;_;

Anyway, the official site and SNS are active about promoting the drama and sharing stuff, so I can offer you guys something to enjoy.

In this article, I'd like to explore the fictional booklet dedicated to the tour of Mount Fuji area that Ieyasu entertained Nobunaga with in the 26th episode of the drama, "Casual Fuji Excursion". The booklet was compiled under the supervision of researchers Yasushi Ohishi and Yoshihiko Sata, following the events narrated in the Shinchoukoki.

THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY (2023)

So, I finally managed to watch THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY, the TOEI colossal featuring Kimura Nobunaga! Looks like the movie was featured in the Far East Film Festival this year, promptly followed by an international released over Amazon Prime Video! Lucky!

Ok, this movie is a perfect example of the "Watch before you speak" attitude that should be our first priority in judging media.
Is this historically correct? No.
Is it politically correct? Maybe, but probably no.
Is it a "feel good" Sengoku movie? No, by any means.
So, is it a good movie worth watching? Yes, oh, yes, it's quite good. As long as you pay attention and read through the lines.

PLEASE MIND THE SPOILERS. If you didn't watch this yet and plan to do, ignore this review for now.

Another movie featuring Nobunaga-- "Kubi" by Takeshi Kitano!

--I got to know about Nobunaga movies always by accident! This time it's about Kubi (首,"Neck"), based on a novel by Beat Takeshi. Feels like a controversial movie that could be just presented as a premiere at Cannes rather than partecipating the festival... The story circles around the betrayal of Araki Murashige, and follows Shinzaemon and the farmer Shigesuke in a spiral of events that would lead to the Honniji Incident.

One, No One-- Definitely more than Three?! A peek to the "Three Nobunagas" pamphlet!

--I realize how foolish it is to talk about movies that I didn't watch, but by now you are aware that I like to collect such items, as these various depictions of Nobunaga amuse me despite my actual experience about them, which is, in most cases, for obvious reasons, impossible!
Today's piece is quite significative in this sense, as I want to browse with you one of my last acquisitions, the pamphlet of the Three Nobunagas (3人の信長, Sannin no Nobunaga) movie, released in 2019. This looks like a fun comedy that plays on the exact issue of historiography: that nobody really knows "who" a historical figure "really" is, despite their importance or significance in history.

"THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY" Costumes Exhibitions!

Being late to the party, I'm now trying to catch up with the interesting bits of THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY. ^{Credits: 岡山城天守閣 @Twitter}
As you could imagine, one of these involves costumes, or, more specifically, the costume exhibitions that happened around Japan to promote the movie.

--Guess who's on the cover of the March Issue of "Rekishijin" 😅

Speaking of how medias are used to bend historical events to fanciful tropes to attract customers, the last released issue of Rekishijin (歴史人) features Kimura Nobunaga on its cover: The main article of the issue revolves around "Sengoku Legends", or those historical characters considered "heroes" for a reason or another. It offers a ranking, too.
Also, it looks like this is the first time that a celebrity hits the cover of the magazine.

Ah, the world of historical divulgation is so dirty∼

NHK+ × Shibuya "Dousuru Ieyasu" Exhibition Virtual Tour! A few considerations on Nobunaga costumes∼

Ok, I wanted to stop babbling about Dousuru Ieyasu for a bit, but a friend sent me some pics from the exhibition in Shibuya she was attending and that reminded me of the virtual tour available on the official site of NHK+! So, here are a few considerations about the exhibition with a focus on-- Nobunaga costumes, both in the exhbition and during the series!

"THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY" debuts on the big screen! A few pictures and the first reviews!

So, it looks like some blissful soul is subbing Dousuru Ieyasu-- As I wait for the episodes for my final review later this year (I guess Nobunaga won't be around for too much... My optimistic prevision is for a maximum of 20 episodes), let's talk about "Kimura Nobunaga"! The movie THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY (レジェンド＆バタフライ), in fact, debuted in theatres yesterday!

Nobunaga's spot looks like some demonic nest-- As "Dousuru Ieyasu" offers us some delicacies again.

Episode 2 of Dousuru Ieyasu was out past Sunday, and here we got more extensive flashbacks from Iey-Moyoyasu's traumatic childhood! --With a twist!

"Oda... Nobunaga?!" It's a nightmarish first appearance for Nobunaga in "Dousuru Ieyasu"!

I managed to check the first episode of Dousuru Ieyasu (still RAW, though!) and I found it-- well, interesting. I had some mixed feelings but I got that impression with Kamakura-dono no 13nin too. To be honest I like the audacity to play around with history this way, at least when it comes to fiction.
--I guess I'm getting old!

Anyway, the episode starts with the Battle Of Okehazama and the life of young Ieyasu Motoyasu. As our boy struggles to get hold of the new lifestyle in Mikawa and the battlefield, he's struck with the death of Imagawa, here portrayed as his "benefactor", for a change.

We're suddendly thrown into a nightmarish vision where Nobunaga shows off the scalp (?!) of his enemy while throttling triumpanthly:

"Kirin ga kuru" NHK Taiga Drama Guide's Overview!

So, as I mentioned you before, this past year I managed to collect the three guide books of Kirin ga kuru. To be honest I was disappointed by its conclusion just like you guys, but at the same time I really enjoyed following this drama during those troubled years back then, and I really enjoyed its original portrait of Nobunaga-- So I decided to get them for my collection. In this short, filled-with-pictures post I'd like to browse through its contents, sharing some infos and considerations about its controversial portrait of Nobunaga.

Take this first post of the year as a belated San Silvestro ritual where we pay our last homage to Sometani Nobunaga by throwing him out of the window to get ready to welcome the upcoming Nobunagas of 2023!

Okada Nobunaga's previews from "Dousuru Ieyasu" and Kimura Nobunaga's character poster from "THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY"

The "character posters" of THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY were out on the 15th, I hoped to see those of Dousuru Ieyasu within the end of the year but it doesn't seem the case, so I opted for some screenshots of "in action" Nobunaga from the last trailer released on the 25th! This "Okada Nobunaga" is not too shabby.

Here's the character poster for "Kimura Nobunaga", instead: It's super-effective, I'd say!

Looks like it's going to be an interesting 2023, Nobu-wise!

Looks like Gifu (again!) is going to be the greatest protagonist of "THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY"--!

I was wrong to ignore the making of THE LEGEND & BUTTERFLY (レジェンドアンドバタフライ) movie, as it bore quite the awesome stuff!

Let's go in order!
First promotional event, the presence of Takuya Kimura (Nobu) and Hideaki Ito (Fukuzumi Tadaie) as special guests at the Gifu Nobunaga Matsuri 2022!

First glimpse of Nobunaga's look from upcoming NHK Taiga Drama "Dousuru Ieyasu"

So, a few days ago the Twitter account of Taiga Drama Dousuru Ieyasu shared the first pics of the main cast in costume-- Okada starred in a short promotional video giving us a glimpse of his costume, so I roughly translated what he's saying there, followed by a few extra infos under the cut!