Character Relationship Map: Assassination Orders

Characters

• Sakoi Kanbei (played by Hideki Takahashi) — protagonist

  A ronin who seeks to develop his swordsmanship for himself, Kanbei becomes implicated in a crime and must fight to prove his innocence. He sets out to rescue Princess Tsubaki from danger, and his purs...

• Tsubaki (played by Yoshiko Miyazaki) — supporting

  The eldest daughter of a clan’s ruling family and its expected successor, Tsubaki is imprisoned by leaders plotting to displace her. Sakoi rescues her, and she travels with him as they try to escape t...

• Nakatsugawa Shumei (played by Isao Natsuyagi) — supporting

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Tsubaki → Nakatsugawa Shumei (Conflict Pursuer And Fugitive) — Tsubaki is among those the authorities are trying to keep from escaping, and Nakatsugawa is summoned during that effort.

  Nakatsugawa Shumei is summoned as the authorities prepare for the possibility that Sakoi and Tsubaki might escape, while troops are assigned to surrou...

• Sakoi Kanbei → Nakatsugawa Shumei (Conflict Pursuer And Fugitive) — Nakatsugawa is summoned amid the authorities' efforts to contain Sakoi and Tsubaki, placing him on the opposing side of Sakoi's attempt to escape with the princess.

  As the authorities prepare for the possibility that Sakoi and Tsubaki might escape, Nakatsugawa Shumei is summoned while the pursuit tightens.

• Sakoi Kanbei → Tsubaki (Narrative Rescuer And Protected Person) — Sakoi takes responsibility for rescuing Tsubaki and keeping her safe, while their journey brings conflict over her autonomy and how he treats her.

  Surviving retainers ask Sakoi to help rescue the imprisoned Tsubaki, and he gets her out of the prison. During their escape, he urges her to keep goin...

Story Analysis

A wandering samurai becomes responsible for rescuing a princess from a corrupt clan and evading the authorities pursuing them.

Plot Progression

1. The Stolen Gift — Sakoi agrees to carry gold to an old man, but the money is stolen. He helps the old man and learns that the gift was sent by his absent son in an attempt to make amends.
2. A Princess in Peril — Sakoi becomes involved in a clan crisis after its leaders imprison Tsubaki and plot to favor another claimant. Surviving retainers ask him to rescue her and protect her outside the clan's territory.
3. The Failed Mountain Route — Sakoi gets Tsubaki out of prison, but the escape is difficult and their disagreements grow. Their attempt to cross the border fails when they realize they have circled back near the castle.
4. A Narrowing Perimeter — The fugitives hide among ordinary people and reach a house of prostitution, where Sakoi protects Tsubaki from a customer. Tsubaki confesses her despair, while the authorities intensify their search an...