Character Relationship Map: Taboo

Characters

• Toshizo Hijikata (played by Takeshi Kitano) — protagonist

  A senior commander of the militia who consults with Isami Kondo before accepting Sozaburo Kano and Hyozo Tashiro as recruits. When Isami Kondo leaves on official business, Toshizo Hijikata takes charg...

• Sozaburo Kano (played by Ryuhei Matsuda) — protagonist

  An eighteen-year-old merchant’s son and former assistant to a swordsmanship master, Sozaburo Kano is accepted for his exceptional skill and appointed as an aide. His beauty, reserve, and relationships...

• Hyozo Tashiro (played by Tadanobu Asano) — supporting

  A highly capable fighter from the Kurume clan, Hyozo Tashiro is accepted alongside Sozaburo Kano and assigned to the First Unit under Okita Sōji. He is slightly inferior to Kano in training, appears j...

• Isami Kondo (played by Yōichi Sai) — supporting

  One of the militia’s leaders, Isami Kondo consults with Toshizo Hijikata before accepting Sozaburo Kano and Hyozo Tashiro. His departure on official business leaves Toshizo Hijikata in charge during t...

• Okita Sōji (played by Shinji Takeda) — supporting

  An officer in the militia who commands the First Unit to which Hyozo Tashiro is assigned, Okita Sōji is involved in managing the recruits’ dangerous situation. He is ordered to observe the meeting bet...

• Samurai Tojiro Yuzawa (played by Tomorowo Taguchi) — supporting

  A samurai whose disappearance and murder trigger an internal investigation within the militia. Samurai Tojiro Yuzawa is found with fatal wounds to his back and belly, and evidence suggests that the ki...

• Susumu Yamazaki (played by Tommy's Masa) — cameo

  An investigator assisting with the inquiry into Samurai Tojiro Yuzawa’s murder, Susumu Yamazaki traces clues associated with two men with Higo accents and watches locations they may visit. His evidenc...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Toshizo Hijikata → Samurai Tojiro Yuzawa (Professional Murder Investigator) — Hijikata oversees the organization confronting the unresolved murder.

  The militia investigates Yuzawa's disappearance and murder while Hijikata is in charge.

• Sozaburo Kano → Hyozo Tashiro (Romantic Suspected Lovers) — Their rumored attachment becomes a source of institutional anxiety.

  Other soldiers suspect that Kano and Tashiro are lovers, and the rumor spreads through the ranks.

• Toshizo Hijikata → Okita Sōji (Power Commanding Officer) — Okita follows an operational order from Hijikata.

  Hijikata orders Okita Sōji and another officer to observe Kano's meeting with Tashiro.

• Hyozo Tashiro → Okita Sōji (Professional Unit Assignment) — Tashiro serves within Okita's First Unit.

  Tashiro is assigned to the First Unit under Okita Sōji.

• Isami Kondo → Hyozo Tashiro (Power Recruiting Authority) — Kondo participates in the decision that brings Tashiro into the militia.

  Kondo and Hijikata consult their officers before accepting Tashiro as a recruit.

• Isami Kondo → Sozaburo Kano (Power Recruiting Authority) — Kondo exercises authority over Kano's admission.

  Kondo and Hijikata personally assess the candidates and accept Kano into the militia.

• Toshizo Hijikata → Sozaburo Kano (Professional Commander And Aide) — Hijikata belongs to the command structure that places Kano in an aide position.

  After consulting their officers, the commanders accept Kano, who is appointed as an aide.

• Toshizo Hijikata → Isami Kondo (Professional Commanding Partner) — They jointly manage recruitment and militia policy.

  Hijikata and Kondo are identified as leaders of the Shinsen militia and consult on accepting the two recruits.

Story Dynamics

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

• Okita Sōji → Sozaburo Kano (Narrative Assigned Observer) — Okita monitors Kano's dangerous meeting without authorization to intervene.

  Okita is ordered to observe from a distance when Kano prepares to confront Tashiro.

• Hyozo Tashiro → Samurai Tojiro Yuzawa (Conflict Murder Suspect) — Tashiro becomes the focus of suspicion in the murder investigation.

  A missing dagger and Tashiro's apparent jealousy strengthen the belief that Tashiro murdered Yuzawa.

• Susumu Yamazaki → Samurai Tojiro Yuzawa (Narrative Investigator And Victim) — Yamazaki investigates the circumstances surrounding Yuzawa's death.

  After Yuzawa disappears and is found murdered, Yamazaki traces clues and watches places connected to possible suspects.

• Susumu Yamazaki → Toshizo Hijikata (Alliance Investigative Supporter) — Yamazaki supports the militia's investigation during Hijikata's command.

  Yamazaki helps investigate Yuzawa's murder by tracing clues connected to two men with Higo accents.

Story Analysis

Within a politically unsettled militia, recruitment, forbidden attachment, jealousy, and murder threaten the unit's fragile order.

Plot Progression

1. The Selective Recruitment — The militia relocates to Nishi Honganji Temple and changes its recruitment policy. Kano and Tashiro are personally assessed and accepted.
2. Beauty and Suspicion — Kano's beauty and reserve attract attention, while training establishes his superiority over Tashiro. Rumors of a relationship spread among the soldiers.
3. Murder Inside the Ranks — Kondo leaves and Hijikata assumes command as Yuzawa disappears and is found murdered. Evidence suggests the killer may be connected to the militia.
4. Affairs and Evidence — Yamazaki follows Higo-related clues while officers uncover Kano's involvement with a captain. A missing dagger and Tashiro's jealousy deepen the suspicion.
5. The Unresolved Meeting — The commanders fear that the affair and murder will divide the militia. Kano is ordered to confront Tashiro while Okita observes without intervening.