An additional cast member of the Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys (Bucchigire!) anime has been announced
Shintarō Asanuma (Tokyo Ghoul’s Nishiki Nishio) will be voicing Kogoro Katsura.
On top of that, a non-credit OP video featuring the opening theme song “Ichiban Hikari! -Butchigire-” by Takanori Nishikawa has been made available on Youtube:
By the by, the ending theme song is “Danzai Democracy” by Jizō Sonzai name-less.
Bucchigire! premiered on July 8, 2022, on Tokyo MX. Crunchyroll is streaming the series.
Bucchigire! in a nutshell
Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys (ブッチギレ！, Bucchigire!) is created by Twin Engine (Vinland Saga) and produced by Geno studio (Golden Kamui). Tatsuo Hirakawa (Afro Samurai: Resurrection) is directing the series, with Hiroyuki Takei being in charge of character design.
The cast is, as follows:
- Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Yuri!!! on Ice’s Yuri) — Tōdō Heisuke
- Shinichiro Miki (My Hero Academia 4’s Sir Nighteye) — Sōgen*
- Taku Yashiro (Fire Force’s Vulcan) — Rashōmaru
- Yusuke Shirai (Sasaki and Miyano’s Sasaki) — Matsudaira Katamori
- Koji Ishii (Gintama’s Kagura) — Teijirō Akizuki
- Gen Sato (Dr. Stone’s Chrome) — Ichibanboshi
- Shunichi Toki (Tokyo Revengers’ Kazutora) — Sakuya
- Sumire Uesaka (Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro’s Nagatoro) — Akira
- Yuto Uemura (Vinland Saga’s Thorfinn) — Suzuran
- Wataru Takagi (Great Teacher Onizuka’ Onizuka) — Gyatarō
- Fukushi Ochiai (Teasing Master Takagi-san’s Kimura) — Bō
- Shintarō Asanuma (Tokyo Ghoul’s Nishiki Nishio) — Kogoro Katsura
The Hakuōki franchise had Shinichiro Miki voice Hijikata Toshizō, whereas he’s voicing Sōgen in Bucchigire!.
Bucchigire! follows seven criminals chosen to double as key Shinsengumi (see below) members under the only surviving Shinsengumi member Tōdō Heisuke. The plot is set in the Bakumatsu period where the real-life Shinsengumi played a significant role in the turmoil preceding the Meiji restoration. In the anime, the imposters struggle to keep peace in Kyoto, just like their predecessors did.
Who were The Shinsengumi?
The Shinsengumi (新選組, “New Corps”) was a special police force directly supervised by the Bakufu (shogunate). It was the only corps allowing commoners to become samurai and, as such, often recruited men from Edo (Tokyo) sword schools.
The Shinsengumi numbered a couple of famous swordsmen, including the first unit’s captain Okita Sōji, who was considered a prodigy, and the mysterious left-handed captain of the third unit, Saitō Hajime.
The Shinsengumi members wore distinctive uniforms — light blue linen jackets with pointed white stripes at the base of the sleeves.
They fought under the Makoto flag (誠, “sincerity”), which symbolized their loyalty to the Tokugawa. The symbol was emblazoned on the corps’ banner, white against a red background. According to various historical sources, the banner was ca. five feet long and nearly four feet wide.
When was the Bakumatsu Period?
The Bakumatsu period (幕末, “End of the Bakufu”) lasted from 1853 to 1868. It was triggered by the Perry Expedition (1853–54) and ended with the Meiji Restoration that effectively put a stop to the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Edo period.
Following the restoration, Japan was reinstated to imperial rule under the emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) and underwent rapid changes in politics and economics, bringing about the Westernization of the country.