I'm still not 100% sure that I understand the point of this series... Obviously the story is set in a very specific time period in Japanese history, with historical characters, events, and behaviors alluded to, but I'm not really up on my Japanese history and therefore feel like I'm missing a lot of things. Some of the cultural references are clear (and others are common to most traditional cultures), but it's difficult to figure out who the Shinsengumi are for or against when I'm not even sure who the ruling political/military parties of Japan are at this time period. ( )

This volume started out hilarious, and then ended sadly. I had to even wipe away a tear at the end. Poor Yamanami. ( )