Okita Mitsuba (沖田 ミツバ) is the older sister of Okita Sougo and the main love interest of Hijikata Toushirou of the Shinsengumi 真選組. She loved to add spice to all the food she ate, having a fanaticism on par with Hijikata and his mayonnaise. Mitsuba suffered from a lung disease which would ultimately become her demise, as seen in Episode 87.
Background
She single-handedly brought up her younger brother Okita Sougo in Bushuu, a part of the Musashi province, after their parents passed away, while Sougo was still very young. As seen in Episode 86, Mitsuba herself admitted that she pampered Sougo until he was spoilt rotten, resulting in the aloof character that he is now[1]. She took such great care of him that she neglected her own health and developed tuberculosis, and forfeited her own chance for marriage when she was of marriageable age. As a result, Sougo respected her immensely, addressing her very respectfully as Aneue (姉上) and using the formal courteous form boku (僕) to refer to himself when speaking to her. She in turn called Sougo affectionately as Sou-chan.
When they were still young, Sougo, Hijikata, Kondou Isao and the rest of what would become the Shinsengumi decided to move from Bushuu to Edo to try and find success there. Mitsuba expressed her wish to follow Hijikata to Edo, but was rejected by him, out of his concern for her safety and happiness. However, it was later revealed that Hijikata did, in fact, love her. He felt that he was unable to give her happiness, and that is why he treated her coldly.
Appearance
- Height = 168cm (5' 6")
- Weight = 43kg
Her appearance was strikingly similar to that of her brother, Okita Sougo, with short, sandy brown hair and brown eyes. She was usually wearing a light brown/green yukata.
Personality
Although her younger brother resembled her a lot when it came to appearance, character-wise they were the exact opposite. Mitsuba was the archetypal virtuous female character, termed yamato nadeshiko (大和撫子) aka traditional feminine virtues of olden Japan, as well as the stereotypical figure of 美人薄命 bijin hakumei aka the beautiful die young.[2]
Story
Okita Mitsuba Arc
Many years later, Mitsuba's sickly condition would deteriorate when she came to Edo to marry her husband-to-be Kuraba Touma, who unbeknown to her, was using her and Sougo as pawns in order to 'buy over' the Shinsengumi so as to allow his own illicit arms trade with Joui extremists come to pass. He was killed by the combined efforts of Hijikata and Sougo, while Mitsuba would later die in the hospital, before getting a chance at marriage, but after she had said her last goodbyes to Sougo.
Trivia
- Based on Okita Mitsu 沖田みつ, the eldest sister of Okita Souji. Souji later suffered from tuberculosis and Mitsu took care of him until his passing.
- In Gintama, Mitsuba was in poor health and Sougo took care of her.
References
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