KingC

Except for whatever too bright filter that they used to overlay the scenes, the first episode was unexpectedly cute and funny. Not to mention the epic ending.

@Sima uploaded the image from the manga in which the EP4 scene occurs and you were right! Maki-san was indeed the third wheel in the trio.
I'm rewatching the drama right now, and it seems like Suzuki understood that Yukiko might've had feelings for Maki in EP1 after the cafe scene. Infact, the whole of EP1 in the scenes with the trio, it's always somebody's expression changing while seeing the other two together. (first, we have Suzuki, Yukiko and Maki in the cafe, then we got Yukiko in the parking lot, then we have Maki himself during the group photo.)

As for EP3, I thought that it was Maki asking for Suzuki/Suzuki's memories to not drive Aoki mad as he had just revealed that he had gone through his brain.
Maki is an easy, yet complex character to read. But, from what I got at the end of EP4 and EP6, he was unwittingly drawn to Aoki, inspite of his decision to remain an overworking, cold, Chief who is seemingly awaiting death.

Aww! Thanks! That review still requires a few tweaks as I had just completed watching it and wanted to write down the jumble of emotions somewhere. :D

This was intense. It reminded me of a TW drama 'Oh No! Here comes trouble!' though both the dramas cannot be compared, except for their vivid depictions of the deceased, their emotions, the people they left behind and their desires, albeit in different ways.
Suzuki's death was a surprise. I didn't know that Aoki was a totally different person.

Maki was truly a lonely character. Even with Suzuki and Yukiko, he still stood apart. Suzuki might've had the connection from their University days that made him believe in Maki, but it didn't go further beyond that. Kaimuna was kind of on point with some of his observations, even if he was a psycho.

I feel that Aoki is much more genuine since he got to know and understand Maki-san under very different circumstances. I never felt the 'one-sided' vibe from him.
Also, Okabe-san was another hidden hero of the story. Have to give it to Yukiko-san too. Girl really went head to head with both Maki and Aoki in EP6, EP10 and 11. Though, Aoki still didn't seem to get it. She was strong even as an independent character.

Seeing Maki-san living in his labyrinth of guilt was tough. The final parting words by him made me feel happy because it seemed like he finally found someone who wouldn't disappear on him. (There is a scene somewhere where he looks at their photo and thinks that he knew he would be taken away. As to whom 'he' refers to, I'm not sure.)

All in all, a hopeful ending and a time well spent from my side. :D

I think she wanted to be the head of the Goto family as a part of her revenge and desire to destroy everyone. Not because she really wanted to be a 'leader'.
Even the Gotos (if you can even call them that at this point) were terrified of her.
In the beginning of EP1 (which I guess is somewhere near the end of the drama) we hear the pilots say that there is a huge fire and requesting backup. So, I guess someone did end up burning the place down.
And it seems that the villagers are starting to turn against them too.
Well, I hope that Daigo survives all this mess. Man has seen and heard too much.

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.