Kiichi Nakai, Yuji Miyake, Yui Natsukawa, Koichi Sato 

Based on Jiro Asada's bestselling novel of the same title, Yojiro Takita directs this story of Kanichiro Yoshimura, a low-profile samurai warrior of the Shinsengumi militia (towards the end of the feudal Shogunate era). Freshly recruited to the Shinsengumi from the Nambu clan, Yoshimura was an extraordinary swordsman but an unbelievable miser when it came to money. This came from a strategy of desperation to save his family back home from poverty. A captain of the militia, Hajime Saito, at first despises him and watches over him sardonically, but gradually begins to feel for and respect his sincerity and truthful sense of honor ("gi"). Meanwhile, the feudal era reaches an end as the Shogunate reels. Shinsengumi is destined to demise. Kiichi Nakai plays Yoshimura, who announces, "I kill because I don't want to die." Koichi Sato plays a contrasting Saito, who retorts with a cool nihilism,"! live because nobody will kill me."
The period samurai drama is about the life and times of Kanichiro Yoshimura, a member of Shinsen-gumi (an elite shogunate peace-keeping force). Based on Jiro Asada's best-selling novel, the film was directed by Yojiro Takita of "Onmyoji: The Yin Yang Master." Soundtrack music by the acclaimed composer, Joe Hisaishi, best known for his scores for Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano films, including "Spirited Away," and "Hana-bi."