English Dub Review: Kochoki “Coming of Age”

Oda Nobunaga: The Middle School Years

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Famous/infamous Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga once led his army to battle in 1560 to great victory, but 15 years prior, in 1545, he was known as Kippoushi, the middle child of the Oda clan who was constantly up to some scheme with his aid Katsaburou at his side. While his younger brother, Kanjuurou (later known as Oda Noukatsu), idolized him, his mother, Gozen, wanted nothing to do with him.

One day, Kippoushi heads into town to help his lower class friends, Rokurou-saburou, Takichi, and Okou, steal some cargo before it gets shipped away to give some of his father’s treasure to the less fortunate. He gets a keepsake from it to take back to a hidden room he has in the house that is full of secret treasures. On the way back, he almost tramples a girl named Ikoma Kitsuno, daughter to another noble family, who he takes a fancy to.

But the keepsake is soon found out as Kanjuurou blabs about the secret room, leading to Kippoushi being in a lot of trouble with his elders, including putting him as a suspect in the recent thefts. Oda Nobuhiro, his half brother, arrives in his defense, but while this gets him off the hook, it means it’s too risky to help out his friends with future heists. They decide to do one last job to give them a final way to support their families, but turns out to be a trap to capture them. Kippoushi then learns that his father, Oda Nobuhide is planning to execute them for their crimes. They try to hide that Kippoushi was involved, but he freely admits his involvement, even at the threat of needing to commit seppuku. He even turns it around on Nobuhide, saying their successful thefts so far would only reflect poorly on his reputation. As a sign of approval, Nobuhide leaves the group alive and under Kippoushi’s supervision.

At the start of the next year, 1546, Kippoushi came of age and changed his name to Oda Saburou Nobunaga. He then led his army to a successful victory following his fourteenth birthday.

OUR TAKE

Oda Nobunaga is a figure I have seen adapted in many different ways in many different shows, sometimes as a valiant hero and other times as a demonic villain (and as either a hot guy or girl in either category). Being not super familiar with Japanese history, I obviously have no real frame of reference for how this particular interpretation matches up with the facts, but I guess it would make sense that such an influential figure of Japan’s past would appear this frequently with so many differing takes in their media.

As for this series itself, it is fittingly a very VERY Japanese show inside and out…which inadvertently makes it a bit alienating for people like me who don’t have a ton of interest in learning about Japanese history. I should point out that I don’t necessarily need a sci-fi epic or a fantasy drama to hold my attention, and I’m fully willing to dive into some historical bio-pics if they’re done well enough, but so far, this feels like it was made more for those with an already encyclopedic knowledge of Oda Nobunaga than those who want to dip their toe in and just enjoy the story with some educational benefits…but it also doesn’t seem like it’s going to be prioritizing historical accuracy over drama either. Then again, while I can’t name that many off the top of my head, I do know that western adaptations of major real life events are often over dramatized for entertainment value, so why shouldn’t Japan do the same with theirs?

So, at the end of the day, I’m not certain how to feel about Kochoki just yet. I’m also not sure what Kochoki is even referring to at this point, but both of these uncertainties will hopefully be cleared up in time. This is a short series of only twelve episodes, so I know that, at the very least, it likely won’t be overstaying its welcome. As a first episode, it sufficiently established Nobunaga’s cunning and strategic mind even at a young age, so I look forward to seeing that be put on display as he grows up and begins commanding the influence that he is best known for in the modern era. I can’t say all the pretty boys here really appeal to me, but I guess I’ll just chalk that up to how almost NONE of this is really supposed to.