Nippon Sangoku Fuji III Review: The emperor of Yamato, you might had misunderstood

Do you think Fuji III is just a weak puppet ruler in Nippon Sangoku? Think again. The situation of Yamato is much harsher than you imagined.

As its name suggests, there are three countries in Nippon Sangoku: Seii, Buo, and Yamato. Fuji III is the current emperor of Yamato. Compared to other amazing characters, Fuji III isn't that famous; you may even think this character is weak, stupid, or even hate him. I can easily imagine and understand how everyone feels towards Fuji III, but actually, he has done his best.

Although Fuji III’s performance isn't that great in the anime, and as viewers following Misumi Aoteru’s perspective, we of course want him to stand up or even fight against Taira Denki’s forces, it just won't happen. The situation in Yamato is way more chaotic and complicated than we can imagine, and there isn't much Fuji III can do for his country.

This is the ultimate fate of every young emperor, you know that certain strong people or families can’t be trusted, but at the same time, you can’t trust anyone else either. While we as viewers quite enjoy the political aspect, Fuji III was truly born in the worst era. Before diving deep into this post, I understand everyone's concerns regarding spoilers. While Nippon Sangoku is based on a manga, I want to ensure you get the best experience possible, so this post will contain zero manga spoilers. However, since we will be discussing some content from the anime episodes, if you want to avoid absolutely all spoilers, please stop reading and save this post for later!

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

Fuji III and the Taira Family: The Relationship Between a Young Emperor and a Powerful Family

In order to understand the current situation of Fuji III, we first need to look back at the history between him and the Taira family. Without knowing this history, you can’t really understand why Fuji III did nothing against them. But after learning about it, while the relationship is clearly still unhealthy, at least it starts to make sense.

Taira Denki was originally an important figure during the era of Fuji II (the emperor before Fuji III). We still don't know the exact reason or the full story behind the event, but Taira killed Fuji II and chose Fuji III to be the new emperor of Yamato. Just like any powerful historical figure who appoints a child emperor, Taira immediately began taking control behind the scenes.

He arranged marriages, placed his own people into key government positions, and had his family take control of Yamato’s economy. While it might be hard to fully grasp what this means just by reading about it, if you try to put yourself in Fuji III’s shoes, you will start to understand. Because all of these things happened while Fuji III was still a child, it means that from a very early age, Taira was able to completely control his growth, thoughts, and even his education.

This is the cruel fate of every young emperor. While it may feel strange when viewed from a third-person perspective, when you grow up surrounded by these unusual circumstances, they eventually become your normal. This environment inevitably shapes a child into someone who appears weak, lacks the capacity for deep thinking, or cannot even speak their mind out loud, acting just like an obedient puppet.

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

Fuji III and Ryumon Mitsuhide: The Relationship Between the Emperor and Borderland General

From a third-person perspective, we can't help but wonder: Fuji III definitely doesn't feel good when he gets mocked by Taira and his men, and he must harbor some resentment against them. So why didn't Fuji III choose to side with Ryumon Mitsuhide instead of allowing Taira to do whatever he wants? While it's true that Fuji III is quite weak as an emperor, choosing Taira over Ryumon actually makes a lot more sense for him.

From the viewers' perspective, we naturally want to defend Ryumon and his team, but from an emperor’s perspective, it is a completely different story. The fact that Ryumon is capable of uniting the three kingdoms and is almost invincible in battle is incredibly terrifying for an emperor. This highlights another cruel fate between generals and emperors: as long as a general possesses the power, talent, and ability to tear the country down, the emperor can never stop suspecting them and will never truly trust them.

From the viewers' perspective, we have spent a lot of time with Ryumon, so we naturally believe in him and truly hope he will save Yamato. It is natural for us, but not for Fuji III. When you view the current situation through Fuji III’s eyes, you realize that Ryumon is a terrifying figure. Not only does he have a massive army at his command, but he is also invincible in battle and always wins.

While Ryumon is definitely capable of completing the unification of Japan, it also means he has the power to completely tear down Yamato. Of course, we might say that Ryumon would never do something like that, but can we really be sure? Anyone can tell that Ryumon has a terrible relationship with Taira Denki, so sooner or later, they will have a massive clash, and Fuji III will be caught in the middle. We understand Ryumon because we watch him, but Fuji III simply can’t trust him so easily, unless, of course, something major happens.

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

Fuji III and the Future of Yamato: What Kind of Future Will a Young Emperor Face?

Although we as viewers don't really like this character, and I think most people won't even root for him, the kind of future he faces is actually incredibly important for the series as a whole. We know that Ryumon Mitsuhide and Misumi Aoteru will continue to grow into much more powerful figures, and Fuji III will eventually have to face the two of them.

Working together to defeat the Taira family, aligning with the Taira family to wipe out the Borderland forces, or even getting killed by Buo—the third country that hasn't made a move yet, there are so many possibilities for what Fuji III will face from now on. Although Fuji III himself doesn't really believe it, luckily Ryumon doesn't have any intentions of starting a rebellion, at least at this point, so right now he doesn't need to worry about a civil war.

For better or worse, Fuji III doesn't need to worry about a civil war right now, but as long as the Borderland forces and the Taira family both exist, Yamato can’t truly escape one. As viewers, we want Fuji III to make a choice and start fighting alongside the Borderland team, but deep down, we actually already know which side he is going to choose.

Even in Episode 10 of Nippon Sangoku, Fuji III once again chose the Taira family. In that episode, Fuji III almost allowed Taira to take full military power to fight against Seii and Wajima Ohga. I believe a lot of people were quite shocked by that scene, almost thinking, "Is Fuji III crazy?" But actually, as I mentioned earlier, this is the cruel fate of a young emperor—they will always prioritize safety over anything else.

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

The Obedient Puppet and the Taira Family: Will the Taira Family Protect Fuji III No Matter What?

From our perspective, we know that the relationship between Fuji III and the Taira family is obviously strange and toxic. But for Fuji III himself, he doesn't actually feel that way, because the Taira family has always been by his side since he was a child. This is the cruel, ironic fate of a young emperor: throughout all the years they spend with these powerful figures, those captors actually become the closest thing to family the emperor has.

While we have been questioning throughout the whole series why Fuji III hasn't said anything against the Taira family, and why he always chooses them, the truth is that Fuji III has actually always made the best possible choice given his situation. From his point of view, no matter what he chooses—whether he sides with Taira or Ryumon—the ending won't be great, because Fuji III doesn't truly know where Ryumon's loyalty lies.

Betting on Ryumon, or what we could call the new forces is simply too risky for Fuji III. Naturally, not just him, but most young emperors in history will always default back to the faction they have spent the most time with; in this case, the Taira family. You may think it is ridiculous, but in fact, the only ones who will protect and defend Fuji III no matter what happens are Taira, his family, and his men.

Taira will protect Fuji III no matter what happens for a very simple reason: all of his power is built on Fuji III's existence. As long as Fuji III is alive, Taira can rule Yamato as much as he wants. Conversely, if anything happens to Fuji III, the story changes dramatically. Ryumon and Misumi has witnessed too much and won't let Taira Denki off the hook; if anything happens to the emperor, the two of them will gain the legitimate authority to fight Taira and take back the country. Taira is not stupid. To prevent that from happening, he needs Fuji III alive, at least until the day he can fully conquer all of Japan.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Conclusion:

Taira Denki found massive success with his biggest investment: putting Fuji III on the throne as the emperor of Yamato. Taira’s psychological victory is unquestionable; no matter what happens, even when Taira murders people right in front of him, Fuji III will always choose to stay by his side and listen to him. Although it may seem pathetic and weak, making it hard for us to root for this character, he is actually doing the absolute best he can.

As viewers, because we follow Ryumon and Misumi’s journey, we think Fuji III has had plenty of chances, but the reality is quite the opposite. For someone who has been controlled by a master manipulator for such a long time, it is almost impossible for Fuji III to imagine living in a world without the Taira family. I hope Fuji III is one of the characters who survives until the very end, and hopefully, he will be able to build a connection with Ryumon and Misumi so they can step in and help him one day.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Thank you for reading! I will be publishing more content soon, including plot explanations, character deep-dives, and much more, so please stay tuned. While you wait for my next post, feel free to leave as many episodic reviews as possible, as there are plenty of challenges waiting for you on AnimeOshi! Plus, AnimeOshi has just launched a new Mahoseka Film Club, everyone is welcome to join!

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.