Cooking contests are usually a recipe for disaster. This is especially true of high stakes cooking contests in the feudal period between genderbent warlords. But this episode was an exception, and was actually one of the best episodes of Oda Nobuna yet.
Why? Because it starred Mitsuhide. She is so much more interesting to watch than all the lolis that the previous episodes have focused on. She actually has some ambition, and isn’t just the perfect sidekick. Now, her ambition might be silly, but at least she has some spunk and we can understand a bit of what makes her tick, which is more than I can say of anyone else in this show.
And we finally have someone who isn’t in love with Monkey for no apparent reason! Yay! Although of course that won’t last long. Also, keep in mind that this episode’s developments will likely form the seeds of her rebellion against Nobuna.
What’s Happening?
Still, I am very confused with what’s actually happening story-wise. Please correct me where I’m wrong.
From my understanding, Nobuna has advanced into Sakai. Sakai has had a strong European influence, and is a city ruled by wealthy merchants. Now, apparently Nobuna needed the merchants’ cooperation to get a bribe to install the shogun. It’s not really clear to me who the guy she’s bribing is and why she doesn’t just kill him, but anyway…
As far as I can tell this wasn’t her motivation for getting involved in Sakai historically. She actually came there to get control of a firearms factory. Plus the region’s vast wealth would help her to stabilize Kyoto, which was not doing so swell.
And what’s going on with these elephants? I still don’t get who they’re even fighting and why. Plus I kind of doubt that elephants would be very effective at urban warfare. Were the streets really this wide back then?
Random Thoughts
Right, the Jesuits just got there, and they’ve already build this beautiful church with stained glass windows… sure. What was that about vows of poverty again?
Gah her clothes and hair are cute. And that’s one enormous forehead.
Nobuna looks much better in a kimono than in her usual costume. In the first scene I actually didn’t recognize her…
I can’t blame you for being confused. This series has a habit of using one or two sentences to describe what’s happening on the battel field and then move on to more important (read: moe) things. Either than that I agree that this cooking (or rather frying) contest was quite enjoyable. I always laught when Sagara unintensionally “invent” things. At this rate even if Nobuna fails to rule Japan everyone will remember Sagara as the genius that invented Mayonnaise.
Oh, and about the elephants and the streets: it is a historical fact that elephants were used in that battle. And yes, back then Kyoto had wide streets to prevent the entire city from burning to ashes in case a fire broke (remember: the entire city was built from wood back then).
Huh, interesting. I’m surprised they had elephants, I thought those were native to India and Africa. It must have been quite the feat to bring them over.
The detail about the fire makes sense. Although it doesn’t seem to have helped that much: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kyoto's_fires
I completely agree w/ you re Mitsuhide! Just take her hairpin – it’s cute but just not too cute. What is it – some fruit and leaves, no? Reminds me of harvest season which fits with the autumn colours. Nice contrast to her blue dress. Mitsuhide also wears this cool looking kind of chest protection like Tari Tari’s Sawa in her archery outfit.
Nobuna on the other hand looks a bit nicer in that kimono but not quite. Why is it so short? Is it even a proper kimono at all? Her fake moe manner at the start of the ep was also rather annoying imo.
Re Sakai: I was hoping to see Sen no Rikyu (from Hyouge Mono) who was a Sakai merchant as first. But he didn’t appear, right?, and I’m quite sure he wouldn’t have consented to extend credit for creations like fried octopus w/ mayonnaise.
Yep, love Mitsuhide! Best character by far.
I don’t think Sen no Rikyu appeared, although I was on the lookout for him too. It’s pretty amazing how much of my knowledge of the period comes from Hyouge Mono…