KingC

That's what I said. If she had simply killed everyone who harassed her, I would've cheered. But, instead she attacked and subjected innocents to horror. That scene in EP6 where they killed all men and decided on what to do with the women is one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen.

And Goto Ai is not her biological daughter -- she simply snatched a kid and used her as a tool. It's beyond sick.
She doesn't have any emotions except hatred.

EP6 was brutal. I sort of get where Gin is coming from, like... I can feel that void in her. But, it's difficult to root for her. If it was me, I'd just settle to become a serial killer.

Daigo is crazy. But, the way he scoffed at the Priest's groundbreaking sob story and grabbed his gun to do his thing was hilarious.

Goto Gin's revenge went too far. She seems to have struck a deal with the Kashihabe in exchange for not eating her. And they seem to be the "real" cannibals.
I guess the main members of the Goto family were killed and then the remaining ones and the rest of the Kuge village have most of their kids snatched and sacrificed to 'That Man' as a part of her twisted revenge. They all seem too terrified of her.
If 'That Man' is indeed whom you think it is, then the Goto family line has definitely ended somewhere.

As for Sumire? I think she is the only normal person in the series at this point. She does know the red flags, but is just too scared to do anything.

He was known for his acting chops in CDramaland and had an explosive breakout in 2021. (He was popular for Legend of Yun Xi and Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion, but Word of Honor shoved him into the "traffic star" category, which is pretty much a curse .)
This was almost immediately followed by his 'erasure' after which he left the Chinese entertainment industry. So, you won't find him in any recently popular dramas.
As for him being first in the rankings? Fans of CEnt in particular put more effort in the Stars Leaderboard, and it is not an accurate indication of who is more popular.

Randomly checked on him and I'm relieved to see that he is doing well in life and managed to breakthrough.

Either it is this explanation, or the it's because the actor is underage. So, they can't focus on the smoking part.

I read that the reason was because the actor is underage. So, he can't be shown smoking. In the manhwa, he did pick up the habit of smoking. Or they might've just shown it for the sake of the manhwa.

I don't usually get emotional, but the scene where Minase was smoking is really something.

It was the best ending they could give, and a huge improvement from the manga's.
The drama ends in 1866, and after that it's a straight nosedive for the Shinsengumi in reality. Though, I'm surprised that they shipped off Sakamoto Ryoma along with Kyujuro. (A wise decision, since he was assassinated in 1867.)
And I never felt that Kyujuro and Daisaku could be called ‘enemies' since both of them seemed to not really care about all the political power play.
What I find sad is that it was Kyujuro who got cornered in the end.
Daisaku took matters into his own hands in the drama and made decisions for him, literally handing him over to Ryoma once he realized that things were starting to spiral out of control. And Kyujuro straight up deserted the Shinsengumi in order to save him. He could neither go back, nor move forward with Daisaku as the Choshu would get him.

Like what Katsura said, Daisaku got what he wanted. Which might be the reason why he decided not to kill him off since the person responsible for Daisaku's actions was finally far away. And he had bigger things to worry about other than a rogue member. (That part in EP19 where Daisaku decided on his next target was shocking.)

It's hopeful (particularly for the Sakura group since there is nobody left) and times did change after that. If they take the story further into the future, they'll have to rewrite history or else show the fates of the remaining members, which is tragic.

Both Kyujuro and Daisaku clearly know where their sincerity lies and as Namunosuke said, they'll meet as long as they are alive. (Just like how he and Shinnojo managed to reunite after years just because they had chosen to survive.)

Sort of lost motivation to watch this after Namu and Shinnojo's departure since they were the only two characters who tried to make the best out of everything and had nothing else going on.
Atleast, they changed that from the manga and gave them a happy ending and let them escape the dark future. 😁
Zero hopes for the other couple with all the previews and added on political atmosphere unless the scriptwriter saves them, though it is heavily implied that Daisaku is no longer there while Kyujuro is narrating. ☠

At this point, Daisaku's best ending is death by Kyujuro's hands. (A synopsis mentioned that they'll fight to death. )
He has cornered himself to a point of no escape -- Katsurai has him clocked for death (pretty sure he'll attempt to do something soon), his secret spy work puts him at stake in the Shinsengumi. He himself knows that he won't live to see the fireworks bloom. (He repeated the same lines as that of EP10 during the initial firework promise at the beginning of EP1. 💔☠ It's still Kyujuro who suffers in the end.)

Sakamato Ryoma made a good point about finding a way to life together instead of selfishly protecting him.

Kyujuro is in no better situation either, unless Sakamoto Ryoma manages to save him.
There is is a still of Namu alive and well in the EP18 page of official site.
(I expected him to pass away in EP11, when they released a still of him unconscious.) I'm not trusting the previews anymore. ☠
He is the purest character present now. Simple, yet loyal. He died in the manga, but I have no idea if ttey are gling to kill him off here too.

Sanosuke and Saito are the only remaining normal members, but judging by how confused Sanosuke was by the end of EP17...
The rest are all going through emotional trauma.
It just turned to one big depressing drama in the second half. But, by now, I've found some part of the ending acceptable, though it might be terribly unfair.

No, no. It's alright; I myself am currently attending classes.

I think it's better for you to watch the drama. It seems like those who do not know the last bit of the book were not much bothered with the change. I haven't checked out the second half thoroughly, but that change left me feeling a little miffed since I learnt of it. Maybe I'll not be bothered too?
As for the context of certain characters’ actions… the drama technically ends exactly like how the book did. But, there ‘“was a VERY BIG reason” why it ended the way it did. (This does not include XL's death, which was forfeited right from the beginning of both the story and the drama. His inner monologue before his death is the final epilogue of the series, which would've been a memorable end, but it didn't happen.)

LYF is a character driven story and we see Cang Xuan's spiral into a darkness from which there is no return during the second half.
There were things that remained the same in S2 of LYF, but that one seemingly insignificant change removed a whole part of a character's desperation.

Someone on YT described the story as a love triangle between a chaebol heir, a businessman and a gangster. (Feng Long never struck me as a love interest - their relationship was one of convenience.)

TSJ is a nice character; but it's because of this that people dislike his inability to fight back with his family. But, you know how CDrama families are. One person does wrong and the entire family/sect is implicated. (Someone explained to me that both XL and Cang Xuan had bigger troubles, yet found time for Xiao Yao, whereas TSJ couldn't even handle a measly family matter.)

Yes, LYF is multi-dimensional, but some of the character hate is rather narrow minded and baseless. Even the leading lady, Xiao Yao, receives significant hate for her choice of TSJ, which for a character like her, is rather apt.

Same goes for another drama, the Untamed. Jiang Cheng is portrayed by viewers as a villain, but anyone who watches tons of wuxia and xianxias know that a rather small sect like the Jiangs is powerless when compared to the Jings. (The Uninvolved Little Man, as you mentioned.) There was nothing that JC could do to save Wei Wuxian's neck without getting his whole sect implicated. And Wei Wuxian was no Einstein, either. But, nobody is ready for that talk. (The end of EP49 pisses me off like anything.)

And whoa! 18 soulmates is a really huge number to have. (I have a list of friends who are compartmentalized into various categories, thank you trust issues.)

Okita Soji is definitely going to be some pivotal part of the story cause no way is he going down with a simple retirement, based on how he is portrayed in the drama. He is actively fighting in EP18 previews.

I think spy Saito knows that the brothers are wary of him. He doesn't give a complete account about what they spout to Hijikata; rather just what he gleaned from following them. (They are not my favorite, unfortunately. Ito-dono is going to have some hard time in EP18, but his holier-than-thou attitude keeps irritating me.)

I've watched Jab We Met, but it was so long ago that I've forgotten the details of how things went down. Except that the hyperactive girl who changed the guy's perspective on life, ended up being the lost one, then the guy returns to give it back to her even if it meant giving up on her.

Sakamoto Ryoma is the only character who can save those two. He literally tells Daisaku something in EP17, which makes total sense. I don't know how far the manga delved into Daisaku's relation with Ryoma, but in the drama, he is the only guy who knows about both sides of the story. It's funny that he is the man who asks Daisaku to protect Kyujuro or else he'd die in EP2.
If things go as planned with Daisaku's death, maybe Ryoma will break the news about what Daisaku had done for him.

Your point about ‘single-mindedly pursuing a goal’ really hits home, as I've personally witnessed seemingly good people throw away basic respect for a fellow being to achieve their aim. Though, on a very smaller scale, the fact still holds true.

It's indeed romance. I feel bad for Gengo – imagine, spilling your evil plan to your bestie, only to find out that said bestie had ratted on you without any warning because he wanted to protect the dream of his beloved person, who is actively trying to kill you. 🤡
I don't think anyone in the drama is going to top that level of dumb, unless Kyujuro proves me wrong within these episodes.


I think the drama was advertised as a story of the Shinsengumi youth, particularly based on the author's manga.
So, I guess the writer took liberties with the characters and gave it a romantic twist, since attempting to portray their relationship as well as expanding the story beyond the boundaries of the manga without looking like a filler needed some succinct writing. Well, maybe it's because I don't pay attention to labels. As long as the story is good and convincing.

Daisaku is down deep in his emotions, and I do admit to a certain extent that his feelings are unrequited. I mean right from the beginning of EP12, I felt that he took every word from Kyujuro to his heart. Particularly that firework promise, which he himself later tells is one he'd never forget after the river incident.

But… Kyujuro is indeed “grudgingly aware” of him, according to me. He doesn't know how to respond when Daisaku kept pestering him and going out of his way to end up in the idiot gang, calling him ‘disgusting/sickening’ when he kept trying to be nice to him, after that fan dude incident. He literally changed his heart and used the flower scent after that back hug from Daisaku. Even in EP16, when Daisaku tells something along the lines of how he'll shoulder his pain for him, Kyujuro suddenly walks away, as if not knowing what to respond and nonchalantly asks him about the fireworks promise. (Which is like one of the couple goals I've seen in JDramas, though I could be wrong.) This might also be him thinking that Daisaku was fooling around, thanks to his very confusing behavior in S1.
He is definitely not giving the same ‘romantic’ vibes as Daisaku, who indeed has made Kyujuro his sole life's purpose. ☠ 💔There is no more which could be more evident from his side.

And judging from the inner monologues that we hear from Kyujuro in EP1-11, he indeed knows that his times with Daisaku were the most precious.

So, that's what Katsura meant in EP16? I misread the meaning of the subtitles I guess. Dude is evil, but makes some real points. I can understand why he is pissed off with Daisaku. Man's out there protecting this single dimunitive boy (to Katsurai and anyone who views the bigger picture), who in addition was a member of the opposing faction, when there were peoples' lives at stake.

And wait a minute! So, Hijikata, Kondo and the rest of the gang are sucking up to the Shogunate for being ‘accepted as members of the samurai class’? I kept thinking what Hijikata meant by ‘dream’ every time he mentioned it. I did not expect it to be something like this which makes the whole point of the Shinsengumi sort of useless, considering that there were bigger things happening.

Yamanami-sama was indeed a surprisingly powerful character in spite of being the only comical one after Namu, and perhaps Sanosuke. He is also the only one who understood Serizawa-San in S1.
I sort of felt bad for Kondo - he offered him.a way out, yet, he still stuck to the rules.
EP15 was totally his. It looked more like he was punishing himself for having led so many students astray with the promise of a dream.
In a way, I think he would've been unable to live with the guilt.

Love Like The Galaxy is not that depressing actually. It's more along the lines of a historical slice of life, with the right amount of family, comedy and romance. I don't usually watch serious historicals, but this one was engaging enough to make me begin the second part. I still have around 9 episodes to complete, but life called. Didn't even bother with Blue Whisper cause the vibes didn't strike me right. 🙄

To be honest, I hate love such as Daisaku's and Shinnojo's. To me, it seems so much worse, particularly when you come to know what the other party had gone through to make sure that you lived a good life.
Both Daisaku and Shinnojo are aware that they are being selfish.
Kyujuro will live on, but he will never be able to get over Daisaku, who had given up on his life's purpose, betrayed his comrades for Kyujuro's dream, gave up on taking revenge for his friends, killed his own members and turned against his own faction for saving Kyujuro from a sure death at the hands of Katsurai Kogoro. (His monologues in S1 say that much. He reminisces about the secret under the moon, Daisaku's tears and the beautiful stars.)

I, for one, will never be able to sleep in peace even for a single day and probably cry myself to death/go insane if anyone goes so far for me.

I'm kind of impressed how the writer managed to incorporate elements of the manga in some way or the other. Honestly, that speech is much more impactful from Yamanami-sama than Kyujuro, whom I frankly can't picture saying those words without sounding like a 30+ year old man who is much more experienced in life. Kyujuro is much more apt for emotional moments of enlightenment such as in EP9 and EP16.
I like Sakamoto Ryoma's character a lot. Maybe it's because he seems outlandish but has the ‘Grey Gandalfy’ vibes about him. I hope he smashes both Daisaku's and Kyujuro's heads. And aren't English/foreigners not allowed by the Shogunate? Or is it the other way around?

As for Shinnojo and Namu. Hehe. The showrunners might've given up on portraying their relationship as “childhood friends” trope cause nobody was going to believe them anyway. And there is this character chart stating every characters’ relation with the other and they have something like ‘deep bond’ (? Google Translate) while Daisaku and Kyujuro have ‘irreplaceable’ (?):
https://kisskh.at/photos/BdD2KV_3


I've watched EP17 and it seems like they are the mirror couple of Kyujuro and Daisaku. Heck, both Daisaku and Shinnojo are both aiming for the same thing: protecting their loved one.
Though, I have to say, Shinnojo went overboard with the sword fight. But, he indeed is the only one at present who has a clear idea about what and where he wants to go and do.

Things are rather ominous for Namu based on the preview of EP18, but the stills show a fully awake Namu, so maybe they are pulling our legs like the last time? I really hope so. 🤡

Namu, just like Kyujuro, is the small man caught in the middle of the war. There is a scene where both Daisaku and Shinnojo watch those two from behind and the contrast between them couldn't be more clear. I admire Namu. I don't think he is too invested in knowing the intensity of his relationship with Shinnojo (just like Kyujuro) and sort of takes care of Shinnojo because he is so accustomed to it since he was a small child. He automatically is under Shinnojo's beck and call – he even tells that he will not follow Shinnojo because Shinnojo, the person whom he serves, asked him not to. Plain tragic that one. 💔
He smiles through all that sadness and if he dies it's going to be a useless, painful death.

Ugh. Just end all this already. And Daisaku's hidden identity is still out there, and slowly coming really close to its reveal. What was the use of all that ‘futility of swinging swords at each other’ when Kyujuro is going to kill Daisaku in the end? The only person who is going to come out happy with the setting is Daisaku: he gets killed by the hands of his person instead of Katsura Kogoro. I don't know whether to be happy about this change from the manga, where Katsura never really wanted to wipe off Daisaku.

Kyujuro will have to leave Japan anyway, because no way is Katsura going to let him get away with that murder. All this happened (in the drama) because Kyujuro existed, and Daisaku did all that for him. Unless the drama proves me wrong and he manages to stay alive in Japan itself. The monologue of S1 is from the future, where Kyujuro speaks to an incorporeal Daisaku. 😭 I
wonder where that happens.

I'm glad Yamanami-sama died before he could witness his kids fall into despair and disappear.

Kudos to the writers for making characters with some sort of depth instead of just ‘names’ because I did not expect to suddenly find Sanosuke to be memorable. I'm following this drama quite closely because of the characters. And with the 20 minute run, it's just perfect without having any unwanted “filler” like many CDramas and KDKDramas.

One thing I know for sure is that Sakamoto Ryoma isn't going to die; he still has to save Kyujuro as per the manga. And Saito too. As for Hijikata and Kondo, there is no time to portray their deaths, which happens quite late.

The drama's title is "I Will Bloom With You/ With You, I Bloom". Since 'bloom' implies living your life to the fullest and achieving your deepest desire before perishing (which is protecting Kyujuro for Daisaku and protecting Namu for Shinnojo; fighting together till the end for Kondo and Hijikata; whom I guess are the 'pairs' of the drama), who is going to bloom with whom if one of the other is going to die? 🤡

This drama will 100% end up in my ‘frustrated’ category, because I'm sure the characters will haunt me, knowing their fates. ☠☠

(EP17 Preview) I knew Shinnojo always was ready for the future and parting with Namunosuke right from the beginning. But, I did not expect that it is going to be explosive like this, which is so unlike him. 😮 Namu is my favorite character, and (aside from the fate that Shinnojo will have to suffer for his choice) I have a terrible feeling about this, based on some spoilers. He is the most ordinary character with simple wishes and a good heart. He and Yamanami-san were the only ones who somehow lightened up the ominous atmosphere, and now with Yamanami-san gone, it's one straight spiral downwards for everyone.
Yamanami-san's death seemed like he was punishing himself and his decision hit the mark. 💔
I feel sorry for both Kyujuro and Namu for getting stuck in this self-sacrificing love story. ☠️ It makes the beginning of EP1 palatable, but it's not my favorite.
I wonder how this drama is going to end for the rest of the members. (Particularly Hijikata and Kondo.)

Lost You Forever literally depends on the characters. The title refers to Cang Xuan, the ML and Xiao Yao’s cousin, who eventually loses what he treasures the most (Xiao Yao) when he gains the entire Da Huang.
Tushan Jing is a very pivotal character by his own rights, but everyone is too busy comparing Xiang Liu to TSJ that nobody appreciates the individual characters anymore.
I personally never thought that he was a second lead – everytime he appeared, Xiao Yao got triggered like a cat, even when Xiang Liu was standing right beside her. It's pretty self explanatory. At least to me. She did love Xiang Liu, but not enough to convince me that they were meant to last forever. They were no doubt, the soul mates of the novel, but as lovers… ?

I read a fan translation: https://koalasplayground.com/2014/02/18/lost-you-forever-chapter-1-life-is-short-like-a-temporary-stay/amp/
I'm sorry to say that a major plot point was resolved/changed in a really bad way for the drama, but I guess it's okay for first time watchers, but to me, it's a loss.

Lost you Forever is unique because it somehow made me realize how people interpret different characters, whether right or wrong.

As for Kimi to Yukite Saku… I don't think they'll have time to depict everyone's death, but in EP13, the fan dude tells how long he must take care of this ‘dying organization’.
As he is assassinated by a very displeased Hijikata (in history and judging by the looks of it, the drama, too, maybe?), they might conclude it with his arc? One thing to be noted was that both Daisaku and Kyujuro no longer get had their official coats on.while they criss swords at the beginning of EP1.
Plus, Okita's illness is about to be discovered, so Okita might not be going to make it to the end of the story.


And Saito is actively on spy duty – more ominous days ahead.

As for Daisaku? I have no idea what he is doing, and for once, I want the perspective to be from Kyujuro, who is actively avoiding him. I remember mentioning how I'd like the characters to be somehow split apart to ease the pain when they eventually kill each other, but once they did do it for Part 2… Kyujuro is definitely doing it for some other reasons too.
And you were right about Kyujuro being the only one Daisaku cares about because so far, it definitely looks like he had given up all plans, doesn't care about Katsuragi's warning, and is diving headlong into this doomed relationship. I think Katsuragi planning to off Daisaku was not a part of the manga. So, somebody will get both Daisaku and Kyujuro if they don't kill each other, anyway. ☠️

What's more? He is preparing for death, but wants to save Kyujuro I would've believed that it was possible in the manga since their characters were different. And since Ryoma is out of the picture Kyujuro is walking down a path – which I highly suspect, he himself knows leads to nowhere. Pretty sure he feels empty after killing off his dad's murderer. Just like the manga and he is hanging onto ‘something’ to justify his actions/guilt. But, the switching of perspectives isn't helping at all.
For such a secretive character, Daisaku is fairly vocal about his feelings. And very mature.
In part 1, Kyujuro spent all the time tip toeing around Daisaku and his turbulent emotions, (eg: EP7) unable to ever come into a proper conclusion, in the second part, Daisaku seeks out Kyujuro, who is now distancing himself from him.

To be honest, I prefer the simple story of Part one when compared to the angsty romance (I'm unable to simply categorise it as bromance by hearing all that endless monologue from Daisaku) of part 2. Kyujuro is more of a tsundere type of character now. Or just hasn't seen enough of the world, which he himself admits consisted of him, his father, the tea shop and the customers there. He doesn't belong there, as Daisaku thinks.

And he is definitely not dying – Daisaku’s wish was that he will continue to live on, for him, which he reveals in person… It was a blessing. So, now Daisaku is out of the picture in the very near future.
Which is a very cruel fate. I was watching Love Like the Galaxy and a character tells her soon-to-be-executed husband that she'll live past his death as his eyes and ears. Same thing is here. But, I just can't get over how painful it is. I wonder if Kyujuro will ever know how much deeply Daisaku loved him.

(By the way, another thing that chokes up everyone in Lost You Forever is how much Xiang Liu sacrificed for Xiao Yao – she never gets to find out anything about it. But, that's why I adore Xiang Liu's character. He knew he'd never make it, so he made sure that the person he loved received all the care and safety she desperately needed before passing away. And he never wanted anything back in return.
Heck, even his death is absolutely beautiful in the drama – he went down fighting, never ever bowing down to Cang Xuan’s greed.)

Daisaku never intends to take revenge for his comrades by killing Kyujuro. Or he does plan to spy on and die in the process, but will manage to get Kyujuro out safely. At least he is aware of why he is dying – apparently he and the remaining guys sold their souls to the cause a long time ago, just like you said. To be honest, Namu and Kyujuro are the only ‘simple’ characters with no lofty background, education or family power’. They are just ‘there’.
There is an examination thingy in EP13 and Daisaku scores high and is ‘chosen’ by fan dude along with Shinnojo and Saito. (Two people closely associated with anti-shogunate shenanigans and the last standing soldier of the Shinsengumi.) So, I think you are right about the Han school thingy. And that just puts this huge unintentional gap between Daisaku and Kyujuro again.

I expected Daisaku to be a bit more strong, and now there are episodes of him regretting about the plight of his comrades (understandable since that's his whole world) and thinking for Kyujuro. (💀 Bro… I'm not sure I like how intense his emotions l are for Kyujuro. While the latter is so much in the dark and seeing him through Daisaku's eyes makes me want to punch him instead of pitying him.)
And it sort of sucks because the last thought we hear from Kyujuro’s point of view is him going ‘Daisaku!’ after realizing that Daisaku was in danger.

There is an alternative thought that maybe Kyujuro does somehow suspect that Daisaku is a spy and is trying to distance himself. (He is unbelievably mean, but he is still selectively dumb when he wishes to be. EP7 hinted that he knows very well how to read emotions, it's just that he gives people personal space.)

Yamanami-san, as expected, is the first one (the 4th as a whole) to go. The historical aspect is interesting. But, I have to give props to the scriptwriters for making me like his character so much. I'm not too thrilled by his inevitable death. Pretty sure nobody is ready to watch EP15. And judging from the stills, he is going to get Okita to kill him, maybe?
Kondo-San I'd conveniently absent throughout EP14 as expected. ☠️

Okita's demise might very soon follow, since he is terribly sick at this point. I've always had a feeling that he idolised Hijikata and follows him around a lot, though I could be wrong. And judging by how Yamanami-san was trying to choke Hijikata, he ain't gonna make it out of EP15 alive for sure. I e synopsis of EP15 went how Kyujuro thinks about Serizawa-San's plight by seeing Yamanami-san.

To be honest, Serizawa was a really, really memorable character. The actor was just perfect in that role and raised the stakes quite high. His death and downfall, everything in the last few moments were the highlights. Except for Sakamoto Ryoma, I don't think any other character could top or stand on equal footings with Serizawa. Even the fan dude has zero effect for me.

I don't know how they'll depict the real deaths of others since Hijikata and Kondo both were actively involved in battles.
Ito being there will lead to his assassination as per history. That happened really late I guess.

I'm sorry to say that I liked Hijikata’s character a lot in the beginning.
The actor playing it had the right 'elder brother' energy. (My own sister is about the same age as him too.) Seeing him turn suddenly evil is upsetting.

As for Namu… I think the relationship between him and Shinnojo is starting to shift as of EP14, though I'm not sure. It's pleasant to have a very normal character amongst this bunch of highly emotional young men – but I guess Shinnojo is starting to change too. And Namu will give him the space he needs, thankfully. The second death that I'll absolutely hate will be his.

At this point, I want all my favorites to die quickly before EP20. That'll be just like ripping a band aid off.

Well, that's what's going to happen, right? In the beginning of EP1? And literally every single teaser being released right from the beginning is hinting at a bad end for everyone as it is based on history. (The Shinsengumi were real people. Blazing and disappearing like fireworks is literally this drama's tagline.)
There are many changes from the manga. I haven't read it, but spoilt myself.
Unless you are curious, I won't spoil it for you.
Between, terribly sorry if I did somehow spoil something. 🙏

I don’t know if switching perspectives was good or bad, because right now, Kyujuro is the one whose head I really want to get into. There is a lot of emotions from his side -- him pushing Daisaku off might be because he knows that he can no longer be the person he was before, along mixture of sadness, guilt and suspicion (?). But, seeing him through Daisaku's eyes, I feel like Kyujuro deserves to shed a few tears after killing Daisaku off... who seems to have only Kyujuro in his mind, inspite of Katsuragi's warning. This just makes the ending even more sad.

— 😁 I'm not much of a CDrama pro since I only began watching them sometime around 2016 or 2017? Me and my sister used to binge a lot of 80s Hollywood stuff and Japanese movies prior to the ‘drama phase’.
But, I've watched enough thanks to their easy accessibility on YT and came to realize very soon that 90% of them are predicable. Once you've watched around 10 dramas, chances are that you will be able to predict the remaining.
60+ episodes are good. Particularly for those long xianxia dramas. But, the cut down episodes in one way was a benefit. Half of the idol dramas drag around endlessly in circles.

— Goodbye My Princess truly deserved the ending. The number of people I cared for in the drama all got killed within the first 9 episodes, so I wanted the remaining ones to perish too. Cause, oh boy…

—- Lost You Forever is actually centered around two cousins - Xiao Yao and Cang Xuan.
Xiang Liu, in a way, does have a very major role - particularly when it comes to Cang Xuan. Hint? Xiang Liu is the fearsome General of the remnants of the Chen Rong army… and Cheng Rong was captured by Cang Xuan’s grandfather, The Emperor, by force, because when you are a King, you gotta so something to make somebody hate you. And Xiao Yao has a very ‘complicated’ and loyal relation with Cang Xuan – they literally only have each other.
But, both in the book and the drama, all characters get adequate screen time and chapters that help us establish a sense of familiarity with them.
The author herself is one of the scriptwriters for the drama, so there are not many changes. I read the novel after watching the drama and felt that all the drama did was literally bring the characters and story to life. Particularly Xiang Liu, because we get to see him for who he is and analyse his reactions instead of seeing it through the FL’s eyes.
Same goes for S2. So far, they are sticking quite strong to the novel’s roots.


To me, the author intended Xiang Liu to be more than just Xiao Yao's potential love interest. But, there are so many ship wars going on that the true depth of his character is forgotten. Plus, it doesn't help that the audience in general are easily attracted to characters like him. So, I personally feel like people are trying to fit him into their narrative, which ultimately erases who he is.
When you watch the drama, (and read the book) you realize that he is the only character who truly had his own agency. Everyone else are bound by some stuff that will bring them pain. Even the female lead, Xiao Yao, inspite of how hard she fights her destiny. They both underwent similar situations, but Xiang Liu truly got a chance to choose whereas Xiao Yao didn't.
He has a tragic ending by the way, but it's the ending he clearly says that he would like to have much earlier in the story. In a twisted way, he too, fought for what he believed in till the end, just like the Shinsengumi.
And the terrible airing schedule of CDramas? They've already had about 11 episodes out and it began airing like only about 10 or 12 days ago. I watched some glimpses from the center cause I just do not have the time to sit and watch 4 hours worth of episodes in a day. 😵‍💫 But, what I watched did not disappoint when it comes to adaptations.

—- This drama sure is capable of selling itself as a star-crossed lovers story, whether it is intentional or not. Pretty sure that one of the taglines on the recently released poster goes something like ‘I thought we'd be together forever…’ (based on Google Translate) and about how they were destined to kill each other. If you didn't know the context, it could mean anything. Plus, there is a very interesting character chart released.
Basically it's established that there are two pairs: Kyujuro and Daisaku + Namunosuke and Shinnojo. Plus, I watched episode 12, sans audio, and we are now being given Daisaku's perspective.
And… I don't think the drama is going to go all dog-blood because they introduced two more characters who were “real life” historical figures.
Ito Kashitaro and his younger brother, which indicates that they plan to go headlong into history instead of a complete filler.
— Kondo Isami comes off as passive throughout the first half, almost always at an edge every time. I personally know people who try to play safe, yet be in the central role, and unfortunately, it's not as calm as this drama. Ill feelings develop quite quickly and resentments start to heighten. He is able to read people to and extent – he was able to see through Kyujuro's innocence, and Daisaku’s ruthlessness. In a way, he is a nice guy. But…
Daisaku was 100% right when he told how he couldn't trust such a person.
Kondo does indeed have the brains and is observant, which might be why Serizawa thought that he could be the one.

— That's an interesting take on Daisaku's character! Okita mentions in EP2 about how he fights as if he was already dead - a dead man's sword.
He himself speaks the motto of the Choshu faction: that he came because he was ready to die. (That was a dead giveaway and one clean check would've confirmed that he was from the other side.)
Gengo mentions how they are asked to throw away their lives. The same seems to have been going on for Daisaku until he met Kyujuro and Namu.
Honestly, I felt like he decided to stick around Kyujuro after the confrontation with Sakamoto Ryoma. He never really tries to be his ‘friend’ and even seemed to have refuted Ryoma's question as to whether he was. (We are never shown this. I might be wrong though.) It wasn't until he realized that Kyujuro behaved more like a puppy completely trusting its mother than a soldier, did he finally decide to take him under his wings. He does try to push him away. (The sword dance episodes.) Then, caves in when he realizes how pure he was.
And now that we are being told the story from his point of view, it looks particularly sad.

— Too late for him to start making decisions on his own now. I'm saying this after watching EP12.


And you are right – Hijikata does what he did in the manga. I'm surprised that it happens quite early on in the second half - probably because Hijikata got new people to worry about? (The brothers.) The only difference is that Hijikata, I'm unsure about this too, isn't aware of ‘who’ the spy is. Only Kondo suspects as of now. By the way, he is legit scary. ☠️
I kinda choose the manga when it comes to characters and brains because the Daisaku in this version dug his own grave.
Honestly, if he spills the truth to Kyujuro even now, he may be livid, but he'll still probably let Daisaku live. Don't even get me started on Kyujuro. 💀 I am starting to see why Serizawa went “bye, Kondo stooge”.
There is literally an exact line told by Serizawa to Hijikata in EP9 being repeated here. But by Daisaku to Kyujuro. The foreshadowing is just too strong, and in the final shot of the new end credits where everyone is walking away from the screen, the entire Shinsengumi is there. I didn't see Kyujuro, or maybe he was just walking in front?
I just feel irritated that he is the only one in the dark. I'm not sure if Kondo ever said that the letter and information he got were from Daisaku.
I'm not even sure that Hijikata knows. It looked like Kondo was still trying to find out more about the spy thingy and speak things out slowly when Hijikata decided to jump the wagon.

Which means that the seniors are hiding information from him and in a twisted way, using his new found rigor to eliminate the enemies.
—- Yamanami San… he passed away in 1865. So, if they really are going to depict the deaths of certain characters, he would probably be the first one to go. With the introduction of the new characters, the stakes have heightened. (Apparently they joined at the end of 1864 as per history. So…)
And from what I read, things turn pretty ugly. Atleast, Saito Hajime now has company upto EP20. 🤡 The younger brother survived.

— I'm not a fan of Katsuragi or that Aizu Lord. Both of them are jerks of their own kind. But, at least Katsuragi has a reason to be mad. In an ordinary sense, him asking Daisaku to murder Kyujuro is fair. The Aizu Clan are brats that live in opulence. Heck, if someone spoke to me like how the leader did in EP12, I'll head straight out and leave them for the Ishin Shishi.

— Damn. Where is Sakamoto Ryoma when you need him? If it followed the manga, it's time that Kyujuro admitted that seeking revenge was pointless to him, right? But, unlike the manga, Kyujuro here starts to suspect Daisaku's identity. So… better things to worry about?
Apparently Kondo Isami was beheaded for suspected involvement in Ryoma’s assassination.
Plus, he has now become enlightened by some twisted idea that he can somehow protect the people if he becomes ruthless. Was this what Okita did?
And Sakamato Ryoma does indeed seem to have a part in the second half. He is officially introduced in the character connection poster as a ‘world teacher’ to Kyujuro.
So, they must be sticking to the manga's ending.

By the way, how come Kyujuro is able to stand Sakamato Ryoma, who is an Ishin Shishi? And how did he even get away by dealing with him without getting discovered by the seniors? Pretty sure he would’ve been the first one to go.

--- Daisaku will go full on spy mode. I think that's one thing that will never change in the manga or the drama.
The only trouble is that his identity is at stake.
Whatever the case, the drama just complicated a seemingly straightforward story. I think Daisaku never had to attempt to kill Kyujuro in the manga – his identity was the reason that they were put in a difficult spot.
Here, he is ordered to murder Kyujuro because he murdered his best friend.
I don't think there is any going back for anyone. But, this is the first time I'm seeing a story take such an irreversible turn to darkness when the manga, although dark managed to avoid the push and pull drama between Kyujuro and Daisaku. The history was steeped in misery, and literally everything related to this drama is advertised ominously and very clearly mentioning how everyone are eventually going to die – disappeared like a flash of lightning/fireworks.

—- That's what annoys me to no end. The manga version of Kyujuro irritated me from what you said, as it seemed like he took Hijikata seriously enough to kill his friend, whatever the reason was. But, the drama version is too innocent and blinded by his friend’s affection that he spectacularly fails to see how much Daisaku is hiding. Not to mention how he comes up with the most misconstrued explanations for every suspicious or cruel word Daisaku spoke. But, I guess that part of him bid farewell after his first kill – he needed the strength to protect his loved ones. 💀 How ironic. I still can't wrap my mind around how he is unable to read Daisaku when people like Shinnojo do it in a glance. Daisaku holds himself responsible for somehow managing to change Kyujuro. But, wait… since there are two pivotal characters being introduced, we can expect more to the tale.

—- Escaping out of a window! 😂 Well, they did depict it as accurately as possible. Katsuragi did come into the frame, but left/escaped on time. But, he unfortunately, seems to have the mind of a General or someone of power. Honestly, I wonder why when we are shown glimpses of Choshu meetings, they always seem to be stuck in some hideout. The overall reaction from the general public towards the Shinsengumi's approach is closer to their ideals. (Like, everyone looks at them in a rather weird way on the
streets.)

— 🤣 “Generally sad at how much his life sucks” pretty much sums it up. Gengo wasn't a bad guy from what I understood. Definitely at the extreme end of the stick, but not a terrible human being in general. I disliked him for his “divine retribution” and endless murder without a second thought. Ryoma mentions that he bad been warned to behave – which means he must've been infamous for his attitude. Who knows what he had suffered? He was hell bent on dying for his cause.
Kyujuro ending him sort of completed the circle. But, I still feel terrible for him. He didn't have a clue about Daisaku and Kyuu’s friendship and neither did Kyujuro.

—- Well, it was a secret meeting right? Gengo can't definitely go up to him and say, “Long time no see, bestie. We are going to have a secret meeting at this Inn to plan to set fire to the city the day before the Gion festival. Please join.”
Gengo was probably passing on the message to Daisaku from the Choshu side. It's just that he was able to meet up with him in person to do that. I think it's the same way that Daisaku manages to communicate with others – through written messages. As to how the message manages to make it out of the camp, I have no idea. Pretty sure that the original Shinsengumi had more than just 10 members, including potential spies.
– I think Daisaku knew that people would die, but he couldn't stand and watch that happen. So, he decides to run away with Kyujuro, who tells him that he wants to, but doesn't want his dad’s misfortune to fall on any other common person. He wants to enjoy the festival with Daisaku, just like how the kids told him they wanted to. When he stays to protect, Daisaku stays with him and spilled the plan to make it come true.
To be honest, Daisaku seems to have been the one who took the fireworks offer a bit ‘too seriously’ from EP12.

— I think they are heading to portray upto some extent of history. There are 8 more episodes, so they can't possibly fit all the endings, right?

—- Shinnojo did ‘ditch’ him! I sort of neglected that part entirely. After watching EP12, it's evident that he has many similarities to Daisaku. Namu and his master-servant relationship and sincerity makes it easier for Shinnojo to express his emotions even if he is not completely open about it. And Namu doesn't understand him to that extent, or rather, he is too straightforward, innocent and trusting.
At this point, I just want Namu and him to be happy. Kyujuro and Daisaku are a lost cause. ☠️ That monumentaly dumb plan ruined a lot.

I really want to know where Okita and the remaining team's stories are heading.

— Yep, the 2nd part seems to be from Daisaku’s perspective. He was training in a Han school before getting kicked out? [I remember Shinnojo speaking about it in EP8.]
Either he gets killed an episode early, or judging from the runtime, the beginning of the final episode. Or as he himself is the one narrating, there is a chance that he chooses to kill himself to make it easier for Kyujuro if he is unable to do it? Daisaku hesitates to kill Kyujuro in EP12.

(In EP13,'s preview, Daisaku seems to become 'dead' once again.)
They have to switch perspectives anyway. From the first episode:
– We already know that Kyujuro is narrating from the future. He introduces himself as someone back then who didn't know any better.
– ‘Cutting one's own heart’ – he understood it far too late.
— He has no way of knowing/ asking Daisaku anymore questions.
You are right about the Titanic thing in a twisted way. Heck, even the manga had such an end. But, Rose met Jack in the afterlife. Here, chances of them meeting is zero or the writers did film something similar.
— We get a lot of Hijikata and Kondo scenes. And Hijikata is legit scary and implacable. And with the introduction of the new characters, one of whom is historically significant as his rival, pretty sure that things will take a turn. As to how Yamanami comes into the mix?

— The series seems to have been filmed in a very short time. Probably because most of the effort went into the acting and sword fights instead of costumes. I appreciate them for that because most of the CDramas I watch go overboard with costumes and accessories and have zero story.

--- I don’t check any BTS too. Just follow the episodes as they are released. This one and I Hear The Sun Spot are the ones I'm currently following due to their convenient runtime. I lost track of My Stand-In after EP8 when things got too hectic, unfortunately. But, the lead guy didn’t piss me off too much even though he was innocent . Some people are just born nice.

I decided to spoil myself for Lost You Forever S2 cause by the time I'm ready to begin, everything would be out already.

I began this in April, without much knowledge, but it's a decent drama to be honest. Not too flashy, but just enough to pique my curiosity. And the fact that they are mixing the historical portrayal with the real one is interesting.
It's a wonder that they didn’t mess up so far.

I kept wondering after I stumbled on twitter, why people kept thinking he was going to kiss him. 😂

His hands are in 100% "SQUEEZE!" mode.

It's obvious that Katsuragi orders him to kill Kyujuro. Blood for blood. The same thing sort of happens in the manga in a rather twisted manner.

Here is the link for Nutmegfluff's post. She took a lot of time to explain all this to dumb old me, so if you aren't bothered by spoilers: https://kisskh.at/762955-kimi-to-yukite-saku-shinsengumi-seishunroku#comment-17521709

And no more sakura. Plus, now that I think about it, the fight that happens at beginning maybe for a totally different reason - possibly Daisaku does try to kill Kyujuro and he finds out everything in a rather terrible manner?
Well. Daisaku is dying anyways.
As you said. Let's find out.

No, no. Don't be sorry. Thank 'you' for taking your time to respond. Long replies don’t bother me. 😁

Well, I guess Daisaku's confusion about his feelings ended with Gengo's death. The synopsis for the next episode pretty much goes: They finally became enemies. Not to mention, there is a scene which seems to be Daisaku going to strangle Kyujuro while he is sleeping.

Honestly, all this could’ve been avoided if Daisaku had just confessed the truth to Kyujuro.

I think the
main reason he chose to save Kyujuro was because he (and the rest of the Yamanami corps), unlike Gengo, himself and the rest of the people who were blinded by their goals, was simply there in a desperate attempt to somehow become stronger and try to protect the people he loved. He had his happiness snatched away, and he was still too naive, young and innocent to be put in such a difficult situation.

But, I do agree that Daisaku made a lot of questionable decisions in the past few episodes. But, I do believe that he made those decisions for what he thought would be the best. That letter thingy was decided when Gengo refused to give up the fire plan and wanted a 'necessary sacrifice'. And Katsuragi, from what I observed, is not exactly the kindest man there. Pretty sure that Daisaku thought that making the Shinsengumi incite a ruckus would ruin their plan somehow. I'm sure he was dying of guilt and the situation was highly unfavorable for him -- he had saved a frozen Kyujuro, yet couldn’t say a single word to Gengo that would reveal his identity. (Which pretty much got ruined anyways.)

The manga ended before the Ikedaya, and they changed several stuff anyways. (I haven't read it myself, but there is well described summary by Nutmegfluff from a month ago if you scroll down.) So, whatever is happening now is the scriptwriter's and crew's imagination.

– Trust me. Chinese dramas taught me to be wary of endings because 90% of them are just terrible. And it does not help that we invest about 40 - 60 episodes just to end up regretting the time we've wasted. But, there are also bad endings that are actually worthy: Hard to Find, The King's Woman, Goodbye My Princess, Nirvana in Fire are a few that I do think went well.
-- Yep, the whote haired fellow his him. The actor was initially listed as a “guest role” because Xiang Liu is a character who appears only whenever the female lead needs him and pretty much works behind the scenes. Yet, I think he was wonderfully written. It's sad to see his role get dumped down to a favorite ‘ship’ rather than for who his character is. The novel in which the drama is based ends with Xiang Liu’s final and only point of view, which itself speaks volumes.

— Honestly, I think Daisaku does have a deeper feeling for Kyujuro, but seeing how the drama ends, I don't think he'll just ‘throw’ everything away. Even the spy letter thingy doesn't make him innocent yet. And things are set to turn pretty dark during the second half of the drama.
He just wanted to avoid unnecessary deaths, not betray his people; like how you described that the manga version of the characters shared the same ideology. But, you are right about one thing. In EP11, Kondo immediately clocks that he is a spy when he lies about how he obtained the information. So, there is no turning back for him from that.
Plus, during the incident he was seeking out Gengo (Okita Soji notices him searching for someone in the midst of the attack, so more trouble ahead), which itself tells that he never intended to betray the Ishin shishi. Maybe stop their attack and save the people.
As they have deviated from the manga's roots and the story has taken a new path, I'm pretty sure Daisaku will be kept as a ticking bomb in the Shinsengumi by the seniors till the very end. (I suspect that a few major characters would definitely have said their farewells by the time Kyujuro and he fight off at the river bank.)

— I personally feel that the first part of the drama peaked at EP9. I mean, it was perfect – the tension, the confusion, the violence, the music (which is just so haunting and an upgrade), not to mention Serizawa-san himself. I, too, miss his presence because after his departure, I feel like the drama lost one of the few characters who actually had a brain. Now it's led by two muddleheads and two innocents, (I'll get to that later) and the seniors who are too stringent and implacable. Katsuragi himself said that it's easier to move about thanks to his demise. Which meant that Serizawa’s extensive spy ring did have an impact.
Yamanami-san is the only remaining hope, but we all know how that ended. ☠️
And really, I took that as an insult when he told Kyujuro that he was like Kondo. Kondo Isami is a character whom I don’t understand. To be honest, he reminds me of those 'playing safe' people, who just watch everything by the sidelines, yet never fully dives headfirst to solve a problem with resolve. I guess this was what Daisaku hated about him.
The character Kyujuro is too blinded by acts of kindness I guess. That's what I gathered so far from his actions that were plain naive. The same thing goes for his relationship with Daisaku.

— Well, I saw EP11 yesterday and I don't even know if it's good news or bad news right now. Daisaku does get slashed by Gengo, who believes that he betrayed him and raises his sword. Kyujuro (who had narrowly escaped moments ago) seeing this, kills Gengo. So we have our first half out with both the leads making it out alive, but the ending lines are from Daisaku’s point of view– the same opening lines.
Why did I tell that they were muddleheads?
Well, for starters, Daisaku. I think the manga one was a lot smarter than the drama one. Him lying about his identity did no good except get his friend killed. To Kyujuro, he was saving Daisaku (and getting revenge for his father) from a killer. To Daisaku, Kyujuro just killed his own friend. He wishes that he never met him in the first place.
Which is tragic because Kyu was only trying to save his friend (in his view, thanks to Daisaku never having told his past). I feel like I was right about Kyujuro being the pitiful one in the end. He has blood on his hands now.
And the short preview I saw for EP12 doesn't seem good. I'm sure that I saw him kill more people (aka, he literally awakened his killing aura and became a terminator) and Daisaku crying. And trying to strangle him in his sleep. I guess the “protect Kyujuro” part expired.
Which is a major change because I guess the manga Daisaku never had to physically harm his friend. The drama version now has a valid reason to off Kyujuro, however twisted the situation is.

I wonder what the end is. Here, it looks like finally having to kill his friend is the only thing that opens Kyujuro’s eyes to reality. Or something like that?

—- Well the one thing Kondo did find out by himself is that Daisaku was lying and was most probably a spy from Choshu. I have a feeling that he is going to somehow wait to see the chinks in Daisaku's armor or probably tail him, waiting for a chance to attack. Cause there are 9 episodes left. They need to have something to push the story forward. I somehow now understand why the manga stopped right before things got anymore worse for either of the main characters — the author literally made them disappear off Japan.
If Kyujuro is definitely Kondo'a stooge… ☠️ I'm okay if they kill each other, but I don't want Kyujuro to kill Daisaku because of someone's “orders”. Judging from how they were violently trying to maim the other (and the preview of EP12 where Daisaku seemingly goes to strangle Kyuu in his sleep, most probably because he was instructed to do so?) there must be some serious movement from the Choshu side. Possibly involving death.


Katsuragi lost points from me after he chose to run away and abandon everyone. A simple order of retreat would've ended so many casualties. In a sense, he is correct. But, it still hurts to see it happen. I can literally feel Gengo's helplessness at that point.
— That incident in EP11 was just confusing and emotionally exhausting, particularly for Daisaku alone, because the dude made some questionable moves which somehow not only implicated his identity as a spy, but also caused Gengo’s death, which I have to admit, was quite sad. Yep, final nail in the coffin indeed. Because Daisaku now seems to regret meeting Kyujuro. I said somewhere in a post before, he can't have his cake and eat it. Either he had to confess and make Kyujuro understand, or just stayed away from the whole thing.
What exactly is the drama’s story about anyways? It seems more like a love story gone wrong at times.
But, I'm pretty sure that Daisaku is going to take the reins to right the wrong that had been done. He must have done something pretty major to make Kyu enraged at him enough to cross swords and kill.
—- I heard tons about the Double. But, my last experience with ‘In Blossom’ was rather not memorable, so I decided to stay away and begin that when I feel like it. And the mass release of episodes doesn't work well with me. This is the major issue I have with CDramas. Hence, why I have stuck to following Korean, Japanese and Thai dramas during my busy days. They release episodes as per schedule unlike CDramas, who mass release 4-8 episodes at once.

—-Shinnojo is definitely going through it since the last few episodes.
[And Namu is going to have to go eventually as of now because the foreshadowing is too strong. He will literally do anything to make sure that Shinnojo stay safe. Or the drama fools us, but chances are low.]
Not to mention, during his very first appearance, he spoke about what he fears to Daisaku, as if he already knew that there would come a time when they'll be forced to part.
He literally runs off during the Ikedaya Incident and wonders about how the anti-shogunate factions were feeling. And you are right – he does know to some extent that both Daisaku and Kyujuro are incompatible. When Kyujuro snaps at Daisaku for expressing his dislike for Kondo, it's Shinnojo who asks him to calm down. (Also, when Namu and he were praising Kondo, he was literally just standing there and pondering. Plus, he does know that he and Daisaku share a lot of sentiments. The episode in which Sakamoto Ryoma had to save Kyujuro was right after an argument in which he tries to reason for the anti-shogunate factions.)
Here is the interview. I used Google Translate to understand, so my deduction might not be correct.

https://www.walkerplus.com/article/1205028/3.html

— The advertisements were those newspaper articles announcing the cast. They mentioned how they blossomed and fell off during the end of the Edo period. I saw it far too late to stop myself from watching this on air. 🤡

— Nope, I was wrong. The first part is based on the manga and they didn't kill off any character. Rather, things turn dark between the two leads during the 2nd half. Many pivotal stuff already happened such as Okita Soji's tuberculosis finally worsening and Gengo calling Daisaku a traitor at the end of the first half. Kyujuro hears this, but judging by how they are still together as a pair to some extent, I believe he himself cooked up an explanation in his usual naive manner. But, it's implied that he becomes adept at killing people.

Here is the link for a short bit of EP12: https://x.com/naruhina279/status/1808975097916453315

—-The end of EP11 and I guess the second half is indeed going to have some Daisaku moments. But, since the voice-over monologues are from Kyu's point of view, I wonder if they'll have to switch perspectives after Daisaku is gone.
—- Okita is definitely dying. I was surprised to find that I actually felt sad seeing him like that. The actor's portrayal is just spot on. I somehow began to accept him as this all-powerful and undefeated Okita Soji. As for Yamanami… it's evident that the killing off Serizawa left him scarred for life. He won't live long if Hijikata looks closely and realizes that he isn't as enthusiastic about his cause as before.
— Kyujuro is a sad character to be honest. The more evident this becomes as the story progresses. He went from wanting a simple life, seeing his father murdered, seeing Serizawa murdered and then attempts to seemingly ‘save’ Daisaku by killing off Gengo. The Yamanami corps are just a bunch of regular people who sought refuge for different reasons. It's strange seeing how far the drama has come from all the flowery beginnings.

— I wish that Kyujuro dies too somehow. And that he reunites with Daisaku in heaven at least. (Chances are nil since he is the one narrating ) Since the influences of the manga's story are zero right now, I'm really curious about how they plan to end it. At least, now both of them have a reason to kill the other and it's not plainly because of someone's orders. 💔

— That's what I find upsetting. Though, the whole thing starts off really ominously when we think back – the boy's father just got murdered. He joins the Mibu Roshigumi for revenge and then we have Yamanami-san screaming and Namunosuke fumbling around when we reach there. Daisaku is literally the only person right from the get go, whom we know doesn't really fit there.
The manga had more violence. I still find the ending frustrating (but it hits the nail on the head about how everything happening was just pointless). But, this drama is another level. I don't know which direction they planned for Kyujuro's character, who is now a part of post Ikedaya Shinsengumi, which you mentioned was the peak of their power.

—-I invested my time for My Stand-In, but the runtime was a problem and I missed two episodes. So, I guess I'll have to catch up. Every episode of that one gave me anxiety because of how foolishly kind the lead guy was.

--- Cute fanmeet... I guess they are sticking to the theme of the poster instead of what is 'inside' the drama. I wonder how the atmosphere was while filming. Honestly, there are episodes which are just comic in certain aspects (for eg: the sword dance practice, we have Namu and Shinnojo failing spectacularly when about a minute ago, there was a very neat and serious performance by Soji and team.) Then when things do turn serious, they go all out. EP9 and EP11 are the best examples. They wrapped it up well despite the limited runtime.
But, I guess the ending of the first part is a turning point for every single character. Particularly, Kyujuro.

I guess this drama's theme is more along the lines of 'sincerity'. Which I think is pretty hard to define as it changes between people and perspective.
Well, so far, EP11 disturbed/annoyed me enough to motivate myself to focus on important tasks, so I'll have to thank the drama for that.
I just hope that they don’t character assassinate anyone for shock value.