Toranaga being a "keikaku master" makes no sense when it was very, very clear how much the earthquake fucked his plans with his army and that he only escaped death because of this son unintentionally seppuking.
Also, it's just my mind playing tricks, or most of this episode was just a dream?
Also, another potential bs - assisting in jigai, female seppuku. Women usually did it alone, nobody helped them…
Maybe you missed the most important aspect of the whole scene, the religious? As a christian, suicide is the biggest sin, she would go straight to hell. That's why she asks Kiyama to assistis her. By having a second to actually end her life she avoid the sin of suicide. John understands this, that's why he volunteers and talks about hell.
Mariko was the MVP in this episode, but as I've said this before, her character is suicidal for no good reason,…
Is a mix of personal feelings and duty. She puts her duty and honor above her wishes, that's why she can't kill herself if not allowed by her "master".
Volunteers to cut her head. She falls in love with you. Onna Musha Logic.
To quote The Master, Mr. Anno Hideaki: "What a woman..." But seriously, what the fuck was this ending?! Makes no sense for Mariko to do that, after what had just happened with her!
I also don't understand Ishido. If he had left Mariko go would be bad for a reason, if he hadn't let her got would be bad for another reason. Which one he did choose in the end? BOTH! He choose the option that gave him TRIPLE the backlash, making him lose the most allies!
Like it less than I thought I would. There's too little of the tank, it's not as important as it seems. It's just like "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" where there's no machine gun. It's unfortunate that just the day before I watched the first episode of Janus no Kagami, that also touches the subject of teacher abuse and violence, so consequently whatever this film showed felt diminished. The teachers here are really just violent abusers without depth. The most interesting thing was noticing that Rie Miyazawa wasn't using a bra during the whole movie. She was just 15 producers!
We are at episode 8 and I'm getting tired of repeating myself, but... this series is at the same time very good and very disappointing, strangely. I just want to let this recorded here. If this series had the intention of revealing that yes, Toranaga is really a big master blaster manipulator and strategist, to me it failed. The only reason why he isn't dead yet is, besides the usual "plot armor", by this very script, is luck. He can be praised for sensing and using his opportunities, but too much is happening because he was lucky. He is getting too much from doing too little.
Her husband being alive or dead was irrelevant. He also won't touch her and for what I know these types of night…
Are you quoting the book? I ask this because this isn't the book, or the original series, there are some changes here in this version and information lacking. You may be right that Mariko refuses Buntaro, but I think this started after what her father did. O got the sense he had no interest in her for many years anyway, and was just angry that she changed for the Anjin.
It is also his stubbourness that kicks in. Like the dinner scene , Mariko tried to emphasize he needs to tell…
There's also other problem, a bigger one, with the scrip of this episode. John regressed. In episode 4 he demonstrated more effort into trying to understand and adapt. Episode 5 instead of following that development made him regress.
EP5 If I was in the John place I would had "coronged" so hard forever. Listening to the commentaries of the channel "The Shogunate", I think I understand a change they made here. John had went to Anjiro with a demand/threat, he had to learn the language in six months or else all the villagers would be put to death. They cut this but made he feel responsible for Uejiro's death by not understanding the language and culture, by being dismissive. No matter how wrong he thinks it is, he is in their land, in their society, no matter what he thinks and does things will work their way. I just felt strange that Mariko's presence as his translator meant nothing. Shouldn't she translate more and explain better to prevent things like this from happening? No one explain anything to John, anything, he had no idea he was doing something "wrong" and harmful.
K-Drama 
Also, it's just my mind playing tricks, or most of this episode was just a dream?
As a christian, suicide is the biggest sin, she would go straight to hell. That's why she asks Kiyama to assistis her.
By having a second to actually end her life she avoid the sin of suicide. John understands this, that's why he volunteers and talks about hell.
She puts her duty and honor above her wishes, that's why she can't kill herself if not allowed by her "master".
Again, as always, this series is very good and at the same time so disappointing!
She falls in love with you.
Onna Musha Logic.
To quote The Master, Mr. Anno Hideaki: "What a woman..."
But seriously, what the fuck was this ending?!
Makes no sense for Mariko to do that, after what had just happened with her!
I also don't understand Ishido.
If he had left Mariko go would be bad for a reason, if he hadn't let her got would be bad for another reason.
Which one he did choose in the end?
BOTH!
He choose the option that gave him TRIPLE the backlash, making him lose the most allies!
There's too little of the tank, it's not as important as it seems. It's just like "Sailor Suit and Machine Gun" where there's no machine gun.
It's unfortunate that just the day before I watched the first episode of Janus no Kagami, that also touches the subject of teacher abuse and violence, so consequently whatever this film showed felt diminished. The teachers here are really just violent abusers without depth.
The most interesting thing was noticing that Rie Miyazawa wasn't using a bra during the whole movie. She was just 15 producers!
Full of fluffy hair and intense stares!
And better yet, it's an interesting story.
I just want to let this recorded here.
If this series had the intention of revealing that yes, Toranaga is really a big master blaster manipulator and strategist, to me it failed. The only reason why he isn't dead yet is, besides the usual "plot armor", by this very script, is luck. He can be praised for sensing and using his opportunities, but too much is happening because he was lucky. He is getting too much from doing too little.
This series is good, but at the same time very disappointment.
You may be right that Mariko refuses Buntaro, but I think this started after what her father did. O got the sense he had no interest in her for many years anyway, and was just angry that she changed for the Anjin.
Don't know even what I'm feeling.
Whatever.
The "machine gun" only appears in episode 2 and 11, and in episode 11 it fails!
There isn't much of good here, they had no idea what to do in terms of story.
The ending of episode 7 in retrospect makes this scandalously clear.
John regressed.
In episode 4 he demonstrated more effort into trying to understand and adapt. Episode 5 instead of following that development made him regress.
If I was in the John place I would had "coronged" so hard forever.
Listening to the commentaries of the channel "The Shogunate", I think I understand a change they made here.
John had went to Anjiro with a demand/threat, he had to learn the language in six months or else all the villagers would be put to death. They cut this but made he feel responsible for Uejiro's death by not understanding the language and culture, by being dismissive. No matter how wrong he thinks it is, he is in their land, in their society, no matter what he thinks and does things will work their way.
I just felt strange that Mariko's presence as his translator meant nothing. Shouldn't she translate more and explain better to prevent things like this from happening? No one explain anything to John, anything, he had no idea he was doing something "wrong" and harmful.
The ending left me VERY intrigued.
WHAT HAPPENED!