Tetsunosuke Sasaki

Tetsunosuke has a youthful and cute appearance, often described as having a "baby face." His eyes are large and sparkling like those from a girls' manga, which can change the mood even in serious situations.

At first, he used sunglasses to cover his eyes. Interestingly, when he wears them, he suddenly seems to develop a mustache and thick lips.

Tetsunosuke starts out as a rebellious troublemaker who does not want to obey the rules. After joining the Shinsengumi, he slowly becomes more serious and hardworking, inspired by Toushirou Hijikata.

He respects Hijikata a lot and wants to win his trust.

Despite his cheerful nature, he carries emotional scars from being ignored and treated badly at home, especially by his half-brother.

Tetsunosuke claims to be a "B-boy," joking about being cool, but he is also proud of his cute face, even calling himself "baby face."

Tetsunosuke comes from the Sasaki family, which is very powerful.

Because he was born to a mistress, he was disliked and sent around many departments before finally ending up at the Shinsengumi.

He was once mixed up with a rebellious group called the Chiekuuto when he was younger, before joining the Shinsengumi.

• Toushirou Hijikata: He deeply looks up to Hijikata. Being his page helped Tetsunosuke grow into a better person.

• Isaburo Sasaki: His half-brother, leader of the Mimawarigumi. They have a strained relationship, with Isaburo treating him harshly. Despite this, Tetsunosuke mourns his brother deeply after his death.

• Nobume Imai: She was close to Isaburo. After Isaburo's death, Tetsunosuke talks with her and shares his feelings, and together, they honor his brother's memory.

• Gintoki Sakata, Sagaru Yamazaki, Saitou Shimaru, and others: He works together with them and helps during the rescue of Isao Kondou.

Sent to the Shinsengumi

Tetsunosuke’s difficult attitude and lack of a job lead his family to send him to the Shinsengumi. He becomes the page of Toushirou Hijikata.

He is disliked in his own family, and especially mistreated by his half-brother Isaburo Sasaki.

Slowly, under Hijikata’s care, Tetsunosuke’s personality changes. He works hard, gains Hijikata’s trust, and decides to live more seriously.

Kidnapped by His Past

Back when Tetsunosuke was a troublemaker, he got involved with a rebel group called Chiekuuto. One day, they kidnap him and hold him as a hostage.

They want the heads of Isao Kondou and Isaburo Sasaki in exchange for his life.

During a tense standoff, Isaburo’s Mimawarigumi want to rush in without caring about Tetsunosuke’s safety, while the Shinsengumi try to save him.

Thanks to the efforts of the Shinsengumi and Gintoki Sakata, Tetsunosuke is saved.

The Sad Final Chapter

After the Shinsengumi are disbanded, Tetsunosuke is moved to less important jobs.

He joins Sagaru Yamazaki, Saitou Shimaru, and others to help Kotarou Katsura rescue Isao Kondou.

At the battle on Kurotanajima, Tetsunosuke tries to save his brother Isaburo, who is badly hurt.

He sees Isaburo fall from a ship after an attack and cannot stop it. After escaping, Tetsunosuke talks to Nobume Imai. They share their feelings of grief and salute Isaburo together.

• Tetsunosuke has a running joke about his "B-boy" side and his cute, manga-like eyes.

• The origin of his name comes from a real samurai, Ichimura Tetsunosuke, who served as Hijikata’s page in the original Shinsengumi.

• His background as an unwanted child from another family is similar to Miura Keinosuke, also a real member of the Shinsengumi.

"Iron must be struck while it's hot."