The first two episodes of Song of the Samurai have garnered a high viewership on HBO Max from over 100+ countries, with the third episode coming out on May 23.
Song of the Samurai is based on the Japanese manga series “Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem,” which follows former street fighter Hijikata Toshizo (Yuki Yamada) as he joins the Shinsengumi samurai corps and fights to survive the violent years of the Edo period. This season shows the complex natures of the fighters within each corp and the brotherhood that is needed to keep each person alive.
TV Insider spoke with Yamada about what the first few episodes are like and what’s in store for the future of Song of the Samurai.
Roles like Toshizo Hijikata are nothing new for you, Yuki. What makes Hijikata stand out to you in his character compared to the others you have played?
Yuki Yamada: I’ve certainly played characters with a similar kind of presence before, but what makes this one special is that he’s Toshizo Hijikata from Song of the Samurai. Hijikata is someone who has been portrayed and talked about countless times across so many different works. But the version of him in the original manga has this incredible intensity and passion to him. That fire is what made him feel truly unique to me.
After reading the manga Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem, how did you shape your character around Hijikata, while adding in your own personal quirks to make him more relatable to you?
The first thing I thought about was where Toshizo Hijikata’s passion comes from. To understand that, I started by looking at myself. “Why am I an actor?” It’s not because I want to be rich or famous. I want to carve out my own path through acting, and more than anything, I genuinely want to become better at it. If that kind of drive is what you’d call “passion,” then for Hijikata, it’s the desire to become the strongest with a sword. In the age of the samurai, losing a sword fight meant death.
At the same time, that passion is shaped by encounters, farewells, and changes in society and the world around him. Even someone with that burning determination can begin to lose their way at times. I wanted people to feel that humanity in him. What I focused on most was probably the action. His fighting style does not have a fixed form. It is raw and almost like street fighting. From the beginning, you can see him gradually becoming more and more of a true samurai, and I wanted that transformation to feel natural. As he develops his own style and begins to carry the weight of his comrades — his newfound family — he also gains vulnerabilities. I hope people can feel that progression through the action as well.
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There is a lot of athleticism that goes into playing these action roles. What was your gym regimen like when preparing to play a role like Hijikata?
Production schedules in Japan are incredibly demanding. Honestly, I do hope that changes going forward. It’s actually more common not to be given months of preparation for a role like this. That is not really the fault of the production side. It is more about the overall working culture surrounding Japanese dramas and films.
So within those very limited windows of time, we build the foundation for the action while also continuing to practice during filming. I tried to get as close to Toshizo Hijikata as I could. I even bought a replica of Hijikata’s sword and practiced swinging it at home. I also practiced with a wooden sword in my living room. However, since my living room is not exactly spacious, there were times I ended up accidentally stabbing the ceiling!
Everywhere Hijikata goes, he thrives off motivation. How did you develop that character trait within him and yourself while battling and just speaking with other characters?
If you are alone, you won’t become a burden to anyone else. If you are alone, then losing simply means you’re going to die. It’s as simple as that. But once you gain comrades, you gain the power to change the world. At the same time, if you try to change the world through fighting, there is always the possibility that you may lose someone along the way. I felt that inner conflict absolutely had to exist within Hijikata. His passion is not always burning at full force. I also wanted to portray those moments of doubt and hesitation. More than anything, simply acting alongside such an incredible cast naturally brought out a range of emotions in me.
Hijikata always says the term, “don’t you dare look down on me,” before going into battle. What relevance does this have to Hijikata’s past, or how will it impact his future as a swordsman?
It is certainly one of the most iconic lines associated with Hijikata in the original manga. But I do not think of it as just a simple catchphrase. This is just my own interpretation, but this story takes place in an era with a very rigid class system. Honestly, maybe that kind of thinking has not completely disappeared even today.
Hijikata came from a farming background. He was not born a samurai or part of a prestigious lineage. I imagine he was looked down on many times because of that, and probably carried a strong sense of inferiority over it as well. But when he picks up a sword and fights, he does not want anyone holding back because of status or background. To me, that line expresses his desire to fight with everything he has, on equal footing.
At the same time, as he rises through the ranks as a samurai and takes on responsibilities within the Shinsengumi, including protecting his comrades and Lord Katamori of Aizu, things gradually become more complicated. He reaches a point where he can no longer live as freely or simply as he once did, and there is a certain sadness and fragility in that.
From the first episode alone, we see that a brotherhood is already being formed around the characters. How was it working with everyone on and off-screen in terms of building the team’s chemistry?
The Shinsengumi cast truly became like a family. We would get together to do script readings, and even during filming, we would revisit the material many times. We talked about our personal lives, shared meals countless times, and spent a lot of time together. Go Ayano gave me all kinds of advice, and with Kento Nakajima, it genuinely felt like we became true friends. Jun Matsumoto was also very thoughtful toward me as the lead actor. Before filming even began, he gathered everyone together and created opportunities for us to sit down and really talk things through. It was an incredible team. I do not think I will ever forget this experience.
The final scene ends with a man slayer craving “divine retribution.” How will Hijikata and his newfound brotherhood continue to morally fight when those around them become more sinister?
People are quick to divide others into allies and enemies, but I do not really see things that way. Everyone is trying to protect something. Everyone wants to change the world in their own way. People want to come together around the beliefs they hold. For me, this is not simply a story about justice versus evil. If you shift your perspective, every single character is living with everything they have, putting their entire soul on the line just to keep moving forward.
At the very beginning, Hijikata says, “The coolest thing is doing what nobody else can do.” In Japan, cherry blossoms are often seen as a symbol of life itself. They bloom, and then they fall. There is something fleeting and fragile about them that feels very much like life itself. In the end, it is about how brightly you can make your own flower bloom while you are alive. Hijikata, the Shinsengumi, and all the other characters continue to throw their entire lives into the beliefs they hold, each trying to bloom in their own way.
Song of the Samurai, Saturdays, HBO Max
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