Nippon Sangoku Character Spotlight: Is Ryumon Mitsuhide the Only Hope for Yamato?

As Taira’s corruption spreads, Ryumon Mitsuhide stands as the final barrier. Can he change Yamato’s future? Dive deep into the "Old Snake" who has balanced the scales of power and protected the nation from total collapse.

Although Yamato is one of the three nations of Nippon Sangoku and has an emperor named Fuji III, the country is actually controlled by Taira Denki, the Lord of Home Affairs. After all these years, Taira now holds more power than Fuji III. By controlling Yamato's economy and filling every important position with his own men, Yamato is no longer ruled by Fuji III, but by Taira Denki.

Just from the first episode of Nippon Sangoku, we can easily see how terrible Taira is. Although he is the Lord of Home Affairs and holds the real power to control the country, he has the worst personality among the characters we’ve seen. He is greedy, only cares about his own benefit, and doesn’t truly care about the people of Yamato. He kills anyone who stands against him; in just five episodes, he has shown us how terrible a man can be. Most importantly, the behavior affecting Yamato the most is that he no longer shows any respect for Fuji III.

Yamato is not only facing two other countries, but it is also suffering the terrible effects of this "worst old man." When a country is ruled by such a person, it would normally be ruined very quickly. However, thanks to Ryumon Mitsuhide, not only is Fuji III still alive, but the country hasn’t been destroyed. Ryumon is the one who has protected Yamato and its emperor for so long, making him the biggest threat to Taira.

As the general whom the main character, Misumi Aoteru, follows, and as the man threatening Taira’s world while protecting Yamato from Seii—he is the most important character for both the nation and the story of Nippon Sangoku. Ryumon is likely the character who affects the plot the most right now, so in this post, let’s discuss him and get to know him better. I understand everyone’s concerns regarding spoilers: although Nippon Sangoku is based on a manga, I want to ensure everyone gets the best experience possible, so this post will contain no manga spoilers. However, since this post focuses on Ryumon, it does contain anime episode content. If you want to avoid all spoilers, please stop scrolling now!

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

The Famous Guardian of Yamato: The Borderland General, Ryumon Mitsuhide

Since this post is going to dive deep into Ryumon Mitsuhide, let’s first share some background on him. Nippon Sangoku is truly an amazing anime; every character feels like they are actually alive. Unlike Taira Denki, who appeared in Episode 1 and left everyone with a terrible impression, Ryumon made his debut in Episode 2. By Episode 3, we finally get to see what kind of person Ryumon really is.

There are many reasons why the people of Yamato love Ryumon. First, as a borderland general, he is formidable in war and has protected Yamato countless times; second, he is a man of high moral character. It is rare for a borderland general to maintain such values. As you may know, a borderland general lives far away from the emperor, meaning that regardless of his actions, the emperor has little power to intervene. Despite having this freedom, Ryumon did not exploit it to become another Taira. Instead, he stuck to his principles, which is ultimately what makes him such an amazing general.

Ryumon is truly an amazing general; by the beginning of Episode 2, we can already tell how capable he is. During the Battle of Nagashino, Ryumon launched a surprise attack and secured an incredible victory, despite the enemy having a larger army and higher morale. When I first watched that scene, I was shocked myself, I never imagined seeing an army climb up a bridge to launch an attack like that.

After the Battle of Nagashino, the entirety of Episode 3 showed us why Ryumon deserves our respect and how he is truly capable of supporting all of Yamato. In this episode, not only did he use his own body to test every candidate’s physical strength, but in the final part, he showed incredible mental fortitude by kneeling on the floor for the sake of Yamato’s future. Ryumon is a great man; he understands the darkness within Yamato, yet he always does whatever he can to support the country.

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

The Biggest Threat to Ryumon Mitsuhide: The Lord of Home Affairs, Taira Denki

As a talented and outstanding borderland general, Ryumon and his army are almost invincible when it comes to war. Not only does Ryumon possess a physically strong body, but he is also familiar with various war tactics. He even has Kaku Yasuaki, the excellent strategist who never fails; no matter who the enemy is, Ryumon always secures an amazing victory. However, even for someone like him, there is one major threat capable of killing him at any time, from anywhere.

The major threat to Ryumon is not a general from other countries, but someone from his own: the Lord of Home Affairs, Taira Denki. Although Taira and Ryumon serve the same country and emperor, they absolutely loathe each other. Ryumon hasn’t explicitly mentioned his feelings toward Taira yet, but it isn’t hard to guess that he hates him—or perhaps even wants to kill him deep down. After witnessing everything that happened in Episode 3, how could Ryumon not feel resentful toward Taira?

Since Taira has such a terrible personality, it is only natural for Ryumon to hate him, or even want to kill him. However, this is also the typical fate between a general and an imperial official; they are almost destined to be at odds. Taira doesn't threaten Ryumon just for fun; from Taira’s perspective, Ryumon is his biggest threat as well. After all these years, it's clear that almost everyone with power has either joined Taira or been killed by him, everyone except Ryumon.

Not only has Ryumon, a borderland general in command of a vast army, refused to join Taira, but his numerous victories have also made him famous among the people of Yamato. With excellent allies like Kaku and the main character, Misumi Aoteru, working for him, Ryumon is becoming stronger every day. For someone looking to take over the country, how could Taira not be on high alert? Although Taira has a terrible personality, he understands reality: he needs Ryumon to fight against Buo and Seii, but he cannot allow Ryumon to grow any more powerful, as he will eventually interfere with Taira's plans.

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

The Biggest Challenge for Ryumon Mitsuhide: The Upcoming War with Seii

In Nippon Sangoku Episode 5, due to Emperor Fuji III’s order, Ryumon has no choice but to take Kaku and a tremendous number of soldiers to Kaga. For Taira Denki, this is definitely good news, but for Ryumon, it is a dangerous situation. Although the full-scale war with Seii hasn't officially started, Seii has already launched two powerful tactics against Yamato: the "Self-Injury Stratagem" (苦肉の計) and the "Alienation Stratagem" (離間の計).

In Episode 5, although Kaku mentioned that the new dictator of Seii, Wajima Ohga, is not a major threat, the rapid actions Seii has launched against Yamato suggest otherwise. Wajima is clearly a significant danger to both Yamato and Buo. Both the "Self-Injury Stratagem" and the "Alienation Stratagem" are excellent tactics, and Ryumon currently has no choice but to play into them. Not only does Seii have a great chance to ambush Yamato’s army, but they are also able to isolate Ryumon from his forces, which ultimately weakens his military strength.

Through these two tactics alone, Seii has made it incredibly difficult for Ryumon to move, but Ryumon’s challenges don't end there. Since Taira had his son, Tonotsugu, to join the army and head to the frontline, the entire force has no choice but to protect him at all costs. If anything happens to his son, the whole army could be executed in Taira’s rage. This makes the war against Seii far more difficult and dangerous; while Ryumon and his army are capable of surviving almost any situation, the story changes completely when they have to protect a small child at the same time.

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

You may find it hard to understand what Taira is thinking, since it is incredibly dangerous for a young child to join the army, but to be honest, it is a brilliant move. The only thing Taira lacks is control over the military; if he can secure that, he can turn the country upside down whenever he wants. Unlike other political positions, controlling an army requires proving yourself.

The easiest way to gain that influence is to have his son, Tonotsugu, join the ranks and achieve brilliant results, which would ultimately pave the way for Taira to take command. From Taira’s perspective, this is a simple mission his son is expected to clear easily, especially since the entire army will protect him even if it costs them their lives. Because of this, Taira let him join without a single worry.

Because so many challenges are waiting for Ryumon, the upcoming war against Seii will be incredibly difficult for him. Tonotsugu is just like his father, he has a terrible personality, yet the entire army must protect him while simultaneously fighting Seii. Just imagining it, we can already feel how hard it will be to win. However, if we look at it from a different perspective, this might actually be the biggest opportunity Ryumon has ever had.

Source: 『日本三國』公式 Official X account

The Biggest Opportunity for Ryumon Mitsuhide: The Path Ahead for the Borderland General

While the upcoming war against Seii is a great challenge for Ryumon, it is also a massive opportunity for him to create a better future for the people of Yamato. Even though the war hasn't fully started, we can already predict its trajectory. Wajima Ohga is a talented leader; she will likely secure some amazing victories in the beginning, but because she is so closely tied to the state of her own country, it will be hard for her to emerge as the final winner. On the other hand, while Ryumon may face some initial defeats, his options will actually increase as the war continues.

As long as Kaku stays by Ryumon’s side, Ryumon will always be able to compete with Seii in terms of tactics and strategy. Although Wajima may win some battles, Ryumon has the endurance to stand until the very end. While protecting a child during a war is difficult, if Ryumon commits his entire force of 35,000 soldiers to that single task, it is entirely possible to ensure Tonotsugu’s safety. Despite the many challenges, Ryumon is still capable of emerging victorious, or even achieving a much larger victory than expected.

The invasion from Seii was quite unexpected for Ryumon and Yamato, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it provides a valid reason for Ryumon to gather more resources and offers a great chance for him to climb even higher. Although Taira plans for his own son to take all the credit, in an era of warfare, the heads of enemy generals are worth a lot. Even if Tonotsugu is meant to be the "biggest winner" according to Taira’s plot, if Ryumon manages to defeat famous or important generals, those victories alone will elevate his status. They will give the Emperor a valid reason to praise Ryumon, regardless of Taira's schemes.

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For someone like Ryumon, I believe he knows that Yamato has no future as long as Taira is alive. I think the only reason Ryumon has stayed still for so long is because Taira’s influence is currently too massive. Although Taira is a terrible person, killing him alone wouldn’t solve anything, as his men have already occupied every corner of the country. In order to dismantle Taira’s forces, Ryumon first needs to become famous and strong enough to protect everyone, eventually inspiring them to betray Taira and join his cause instead.

Currently, the country has no future, but Ryumon, Kaku, and Aoteru do. As Wajima Ohga goes all out to defeat Yamato, Ryumon and his team will have plenty of chances to showcase their talents and climb even higher. For the sake of both Yamato’s future and their own, Ryumon must gain more influence and become a greater threat to Taira; otherwise, Taira will turn around and "bite" Ryumon the moment he gets the chance. As a borderland general in command of a tremendous number of soldiers, the day Ryumon truly faces off against Taira will eventually come.

Ryumon has earned many victories in his life, which is undoubtedly impressive, but it has also led him to a point of no return. The dictator of Seii, Ohga, Taira and his family, and even the Emperor of Yamato, Fuji III—every important character is deeply connected to him. He truly possesses the power and ability to turn Yamato into either heaven or hell, and the path he chooses will ultimately shape the fate of the Three Nations. Ryumon isn't a foolish man; after witnessing everything that happened in Episode 3, I believe he already has an answer, though the time has not yet come for him to reveal it.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Conclusion:

Having witnessed the terrible things Taira has done, it is natural for us to hope that Ryumon will overthrow him in the upcoming episodes, but in reality, it is not that simple. Although Ryumon, Kaku, and Aoteru have the power to kill Taira easily, I believe Ryumon is held back by what would come next: endless war.

If Ryumon were to simply attack Taira, there is a high possibility that Yamato would be torn apart, with others mimicking his rebellion and leaving the country even more divided. The solution to saving Yamato isn't just killing Taira; it's about influencing enough people to turn against him so that Taira is eventually neutralized from within. In fact, during the Three Kingdoms era, no one could kill Dong Zhuo because he was protected by the strongest man, Lu Bu. However, once Lu Bu turned against him, Dong Zhuo’s empire vanished instantly. In an era of warfare, it is hard for people to stay loyal forever. Once Ryumon proves himself in the upcoming wars, the future of Yamato will start to change dramatically.

Here’s a great YouTube video worth checking out.

Thank you for reading this post! 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! If you are wondering where to watch, and what to watch please refer to the table below.