Character: Kiyomitsu Kashuu Canon: Touken Ranbu Current Canon Point: S2 episode 5 New Canon Point: End of Hanamaru's Hana no Maki (basically season 3, movie 3) Updated Background:
Yuki no Maki Over the next year or so, the Citadel fills up with around 20 more swords. Kiyomitsu continues his duties as the caretaker for newer swords, showing them around the Citadel and getting them used to life in the Citadel as a sword warrior. One of the more prominent arrivals is Yamanbagiri Chougi, the original Yamanbagiri sword after whom Yamanbagiri Kunihiro was modeled.
Because Chougi is so new, he's not as skilled at fighting with a human body as some of the others, including Kunihiro Yamanbagiri. So, when Kunihiro saves him from an attack that might have broken him, Chougi is frustrated by his own shortcomings. Kiyomitsu notices this and approaches him later to have a talk with him.
During this talk, he tells Chougi about last year when the Saniwa--their master--refused to send Kiyomitsu out on missions. Kiyomitsu explains that he had been desperate to get their master's attention, that he had tried so hard to make himself pretty and to become stronger so the master would select him for missions. Even a year later, he makes it clear that losing to Atsushi in that sparring session still stings a little.
His point, though, is that losing to Atsushi was a low moment for him after he had spent several months training non-stop to become stronger. Kiyomitsu reveals that it was Yamanbagiri Kunihiro who saved him from that despair. Kunihiro had talked sense into him and let him know why the Saniwa had refrained from sending Kiyomitsu off on missions: they simply thought for how hard Kiyomitsu had been working, he needed a break. Ultimately, Kiyomitsu admits that he should have just asked the master what the reason was instead of fretting about it.
After seeing the conflict between Chougi and Kunihiro and how Kiyomitsu helped deescalate the situation, Yasusada encourages Kiyomitsu to go on his own kiwame training mission like Yasusada had done in season 2. While noncommittal to the idea at first, Kiyomitsu eventually decides to ask the Saniwa for permission to go on a kiwame journey. Yasusada promises to take care of the new swords while Kiyomitsu is gone and makes Kiyomitsu promise to become stronger. And so, while the snow is still on the ground, Yasusada meets Kiyomitsu at the time shift device to see him off, just as Kiyomitsu had done for him previously.
Tsuki no Maki Kiyomitsu is absent for the majority of the second movie. He trains from winter up until near the end of summer in a different time period (Edo). During his kiwame training, Kiyomitsu enters the Shinsengumi as a new recruit and is able to spend time with Okita Souji. He observes Okita's history and his declining health, but does not interfere or change the course of history. He also participates in the Ikedaya Inn raid, the incident which ended with his own blade being broken in the original timeline. His blade breaks again as Okita wields him, and although it unnerves Kiyomitsu, he doesn't dwell on it.
When he finally returns from his training, the Citadel is in the middle of a summer fireworks festival. Nearly everyone is there to greet him, and once he sees Yasusada, he makes a beeline right for him. Yasusada asks him if he kept his promise to become stronger, to which Kiyomitsu asserts that he did. They end the day by watching the fireworks together on the porch of the Citadel.
Hana no Maki Now in autumn, Kiyomitsu and Yasusada are walking together in the Citadel when there's an explosion in the distance. They immediately head over, only to discover that their time shift device has exploded. One of the units sent off on a mission was in the middle of manifesting at the Citadel when the device had exploded, and they explain that the piece of steel they found must have caused the malfunction. One of the newer swords, Nankaitarou Chouson, offers to lead the investigation on how a piece of steel could have affected their time shift device so severely. At the same time, it's discovered that the Saniwa had collapsed and would not wake up.
Eventually, Chouson shares that the piece of steel had been cursed, and due to the Saniwa's linkage with the time shift device, they were affected and collapsed due to it. Later on, Konnosuke, a fox caretaker at the Citadel share further information. He explains that because of the curse, the Saniwa's heart had been locked away, trapping them in a dream world. Moreover, if they're not able to wake the Saniwa, the curse will eventually spread throughout the entire Citadel and will eventually destroy it.
In order to wake the Saniwa, Kiyomitsu and Yasusada agree to dive into the dream world that the Saniwa is trapped in. They gather the other members of the Shinsengumi swords and use a special spherical device which rips their spirits out of their bodies and spirits them away to the dream world.
The dream world is filled with hundreds of various monstrous spirits which the two of them destroy as they search for the Saniwa's heart. The constant battles take a toll on them, and even by the time they've nearly reached their limit, they're still not able to find the Saniwa's heart. However, back in the real world, the swords of the Citadel have gathered around the cherry blossom tree with candles, hoping their wish of Kiyomitsu and Yasusada being successful is granted. Their wishes take form in the dream world as lights, which Kiyomitsu and Yasusada follow to the dream world's version of the cherry tree.
They discuss what to do since they don't have the energy to stay in the dream world forever, and the two of them decide to ask the tree for help. As it's done before, the tree grants their wish and a shiki talisman appears with the Saniwa's seal on it. They know for sure this must be the representation of the Saniwa's heart, and they both declare that they will always be there to protect the Saniwa.
The shiki talisman glows, and the light disperses the curse of the dream world, leaving the landscape bright and peaceful. Exhausted, Kiyomitsu and Yasusada slump against the tree, well past their limits. Knowing that they've done their duties and that the safety of the Citadel, the swords and their master is secured, the two of them fall asleep together under the cherry blossom tree.
Updated Personality: At his current canon point, Kiyomitsu is at his lowest point -- afraid that his master doesn't love him and that he will be abandoned, and that he has no place or purpose in the Citadel. The rest of season 2 sees Kiyomitsu become a little more confident after his conversation with Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, but he's still plagued by insecurity. At the end of season 2, although Kiyomitsu is incredibly happy that Yasusada finally came back from his kiwame training after roughly 16 months, that's all Yasusada's return did -- it made him happy. It didn't change how he felt that it was likely he'd be discarded and eventually unloved by the Saniwa.
In the first movie, Kiyomitsu has become complacent in his role as the caretaker to all of the new swords. While he's not as direct as Yasusada in resolving conflict, he does take a softer, more gentle approach. For example, he comforts a newly manifested Shizukagata Naginata, who feels that because he's so large, smaller things, including smaller swords, are likely to be hurt around him. Kiyomitsu also allows himself to talk about a vulnerable moment with Chougi to help him mend his relationship with Yamanbagiri Kunihiro. He is generally in tune with the emotions of those around him, and assumes a natural leadership role when it comes to resolving conflict between swords.
In the second movie, Kiyomitsu basically gets a dream come true where he gets to be with Okita as a person, rather than as a sword. When he comes back from his training, he's a lot more confident about who he is and about his own worth.
The third movie builds upon his confidence, where he takes a key role in saving the Saniwa's heart and the Citadel from destruction. He knows that he is a capable sword, and he knows that because of his own drive and determination to succeed, there's no chance for failure. Even as he and Yasusada expend all of their energy searching for the Saniwa, Kiyomitsu (and Yasusada, too, for that matter) refused to give up and return without rescuing the Saniwa.
So, in comparison to how Kiyomitsu is now versus his current canon point: he's reached an understanding that even though he is a sword that broke, he is loved. Loved by the Saniwa and loved by those around him. While there may be a lingering fear that someday he will be discarded -- after all, the Saniwa is a human and humans are mortal -- it is not at the forefront of his thoughts anymore. In both seasons 1 and 2, Kiyomitsu was discreetly obsessed with maintaining his appearance and performing well to earn the Saniwa's love, but at the end of the third movie, Kiyomitsu knows that he has that love.
All in all, he is a happier person who is more confident in himself while still maintaining a kind heart and surprisingly gentle, empathetic disposition. Losing to Atsushi still stings, though!
Any other updates: I guess he's canonically a dreamwalker now.
Regain Baubles? Nope! Opting for the dream method.
Questions/Other: Since his battle attire changes in canon without any explanation as to how or why, can his battle attire he used a regain bauble for also just magically update?
CANON UPDATE
Canon: Touken Ranbu
Current Canon Point: S2 episode 5
New Canon Point: End of Hanamaru's Hana no Maki (basically season 3, movie 3)
Updated Background:
Yuki no Maki
Over the next year or so, the Citadel fills up with around 20 more swords. Kiyomitsu continues his duties as the caretaker for newer swords, showing them around the Citadel and getting them used to life in the Citadel as a sword warrior. One of the more prominent arrivals is Yamanbagiri Chougi, the original Yamanbagiri sword after whom Yamanbagiri Kunihiro was modeled.
Because Chougi is so new, he's not as skilled at fighting with a human body as some of the others, including Kunihiro Yamanbagiri. So, when Kunihiro saves him from an attack that might have broken him, Chougi is frustrated by his own shortcomings. Kiyomitsu notices this and approaches him later to have a talk with him.
During this talk, he tells Chougi about last year when the Saniwa--their master--refused to send Kiyomitsu out on missions. Kiyomitsu explains that he had been desperate to get their master's attention, that he had tried so hard to make himself pretty and to become stronger so the master would select him for missions. Even a year later, he makes it clear that losing to Atsushi in that sparring session still stings a little.
His point, though, is that losing to Atsushi was a low moment for him after he had spent several months training non-stop to become stronger. Kiyomitsu reveals that it was Yamanbagiri Kunihiro who saved him from that despair. Kunihiro had talked sense into him and let him know why the Saniwa had refrained from sending Kiyomitsu off on missions: they simply thought for how hard Kiyomitsu had been working, he needed a break. Ultimately, Kiyomitsu admits that he should have just asked the master what the reason was instead of fretting about it.
After seeing the conflict between Chougi and Kunihiro and how Kiyomitsu helped deescalate the situation, Yasusada encourages Kiyomitsu to go on his own kiwame training mission like Yasusada had done in season 2. While noncommittal to the idea at first, Kiyomitsu eventually decides to ask the Saniwa for permission to go on a kiwame journey. Yasusada promises to take care of the new swords while Kiyomitsu is gone and makes Kiyomitsu promise to become stronger. And so, while the snow is still on the ground, Yasusada meets Kiyomitsu at the time shift device to see him off, just as Kiyomitsu had done for him previously.
Tsuki no Maki
Kiyomitsu is absent for the majority of the second movie. He trains from winter up until near the end of summer in a different time period (Edo). During his kiwame training, Kiyomitsu enters the Shinsengumi as a new recruit and is able to spend time with Okita Souji. He observes Okita's history and his declining health, but does not interfere or change the course of history. He also participates in the Ikedaya Inn raid, the incident which ended with his own blade being broken in the original timeline. His blade breaks again as Okita wields him, and although it unnerves Kiyomitsu, he doesn't dwell on it.
When he finally returns from his training, the Citadel is in the middle of a summer fireworks festival. Nearly everyone is there to greet him, and once he sees Yasusada, he makes a beeline right for him. Yasusada asks him if he kept his promise to become stronger, to which Kiyomitsu asserts that he did. They end the day by watching the fireworks together on the porch of the Citadel.
Hana no Maki
Now in autumn, Kiyomitsu and Yasusada are walking together in the Citadel when there's an explosion in the distance. They immediately head over, only to discover that their time shift device has exploded. One of the units sent off on a mission was in the middle of manifesting at the Citadel when the device had exploded, and they explain that the piece of steel they found must have caused the malfunction. One of the newer swords, Nankaitarou Chouson, offers to lead the investigation on how a piece of steel could have affected their time shift device so severely. At the same time, it's discovered that the Saniwa had collapsed and would not wake up.
Eventually, Chouson shares that the piece of steel had been cursed, and due to the Saniwa's linkage with the time shift device, they were affected and collapsed due to it. Later on, Konnosuke, a fox caretaker at the Citadel share further information. He explains that because of the curse, the Saniwa's heart had been locked away, trapping them in a dream world. Moreover, if they're not able to wake the Saniwa, the curse will eventually spread throughout the entire Citadel and will eventually destroy it.
In order to wake the Saniwa, Kiyomitsu and Yasusada agree to dive into the dream world that the Saniwa is trapped in. They gather the other members of the Shinsengumi swords and use a special spherical device which rips their spirits out of their bodies and spirits them away to the dream world.
The dream world is filled with hundreds of various monstrous spirits which the two of them destroy as they search for the Saniwa's heart. The constant battles take a toll on them, and even by the time they've nearly reached their limit, they're still not able to find the Saniwa's heart. However, back in the real world, the swords of the Citadel have gathered around the cherry blossom tree with candles, hoping their wish of Kiyomitsu and Yasusada being successful is granted. Their wishes take form in the dream world as lights, which Kiyomitsu and Yasusada follow to the dream world's version of the cherry tree.
They discuss what to do since they don't have the energy to stay in the dream world forever, and the two of them decide to ask the tree for help. As it's done before, the tree grants their wish and a shiki talisman appears with the Saniwa's seal on it. They know for sure this must be the representation of the Saniwa's heart, and they both declare that they will always be there to protect the Saniwa.
The shiki talisman glows, and the light disperses the curse of the dream world, leaving the landscape bright and peaceful. Exhausted, Kiyomitsu and Yasusada slump against the tree, well past their limits. Knowing that they've done their duties and that the safety of the Citadel, the swords and their master is secured, the two of them fall asleep together under the cherry blossom tree.
Updated Personality:
At his current canon point, Kiyomitsu is at his lowest point -- afraid that his master doesn't love him and that he will be abandoned, and that he has no place or purpose in the Citadel. The rest of season 2 sees Kiyomitsu become a little more confident after his conversation with Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, but he's still plagued by insecurity. At the end of season 2, although Kiyomitsu is incredibly happy that Yasusada finally came back from his kiwame training after roughly 16 months, that's all Yasusada's return did -- it made him happy. It didn't change how he felt that it was likely he'd be discarded and eventually unloved by the Saniwa.
In the first movie, Kiyomitsu has become complacent in his role as the caretaker to all of the new swords. While he's not as direct as Yasusada in resolving conflict, he does take a softer, more gentle approach. For example, he comforts a newly manifested Shizukagata Naginata, who feels that because he's so large, smaller things, including smaller swords, are likely to be hurt around him. Kiyomitsu also allows himself to talk about a vulnerable moment with Chougi to help him mend his relationship with Yamanbagiri Kunihiro. He is generally in tune with the emotions of those around him, and assumes a natural leadership role when it comes to resolving conflict between swords.
In the second movie, Kiyomitsu basically gets a dream come true where he gets to be with Okita as a person, rather than as a sword. When he comes back from his training, he's a lot more confident about who he is and about his own worth.
The third movie builds upon his confidence, where he takes a key role in saving the Saniwa's heart and the Citadel from destruction. He knows that he is a capable sword, and he knows that because of his own drive and determination to succeed, there's no chance for failure. Even as he and Yasusada expend all of their energy searching for the Saniwa, Kiyomitsu (and Yasusada, too, for that matter) refused to give up and return without rescuing the Saniwa.
So, in comparison to how Kiyomitsu is now versus his current canon point: he's reached an understanding that even though he is a sword that broke, he is loved. Loved by the Saniwa and loved by those around him. While there may be a lingering fear that someday he will be discarded -- after all, the Saniwa is a human and humans are mortal -- it is not at the forefront of his thoughts anymore. In both seasons 1 and 2, Kiyomitsu was discreetly obsessed with maintaining his appearance and performing well to earn the Saniwa's love, but at the end of the third movie, Kiyomitsu knows that he has that love.
All in all, he is a happier person who is more confident in himself while still maintaining a kind heart and surprisingly gentle, empathetic disposition.
Losing to Atsushi still stings, though!Any other updates: I guess he's canonically a dreamwalker now.
Regain Baubles? Nope! Opting for the dream method.
Questions/Other: Since his battle attire changes in canon without any explanation as to how or why, can his battle attire he used a regain bauble for also just magically update?