Sagaru Yamazaki

Sagaru Yamazaki
Information
Japanese Name:	山崎 退
Romanized Name:	Yamazaki Sagaru
Official English Name:	Sagaru Yamazaki
Date of Birth:	6 Feb / Aquarius
Age:	32 34 (Two Years Arc) 37 (future)
Titles:	Zaki Anpanman Jimmy Mobcop
Physical Features
Race:	Human (former) Cyborg
Gender:	Male
Height:	169 cm (5' 6½")
Weight:	60 kg (132 lb)
Hair Color:	Black Blonde (Two Years Arc) Green (Younger)
Status:	Deceased (as a human) Alive (as a Cyborg)
Professional Status
Affiliation(s):	Shinsengumi
Occupation(s):	Shinsengumi Spy
Strong Point(s):	Nondescript Anpan Obsession
First Appearances
Chapter:	Lesson 5 (human) Lesson 673 (Cyborg)
Volume:	1
Episode:	Episode 1 (Special) Episode 5 (Official)
Voice Actors
Japanese VA:	Tetsuharu Ōta
English VA:	Clint Bickham (movie) Adrian Petriw (Gintama°)

"Whether we're called insurgents or loyal retainers, we don't really care. We just wanted to be in the Shinsengumi with that man."

Sagaru Yamazaki

Yamazaki Sagaru (山崎 退 Yamazaki Sagaru ), formerly nicknamed as Mountain Zaki, is a spy working for the Shinsengumi. He himself confessed that he is "very plain" which helps him in undercover missions. He is known for his love for badminton, often playing or practicing badminton alone instead of working (he is often caught by his Vice-Commander Hijikata Toushirou and is subsequently roughed up as a result). Despite all this, Yamazaki still often at times get ignored and unnoticed. Prior to the Shinsengumi being officially established, he was a punk. During the war he is deceased, but ends up revived as a cyborg 2 years later. However at the end of the final chapter, Yamazaki possesses the ability of separating into various copies of himself with different personalities with one of them the former human version of himself.

Background

There has been no episode or chapter revealing Yamazaki's past.

Appearance

Yamazaki has neck-length black hair and usually wears the Shinsengumi lower-rank outfit. He looks quite plain compared to more colorful Shinsengumi members. His off duty clothes usually consists of a kimono and hakama ensemble with the kimono sometimes patterned. He is often given (forced into) different hairstyles, including but not limited to mohawk, afro, and hair parted and dyed blond for gags. Four year before the start of the manga/anime, Yamazaki was shown with a green mohawk and black hair stripes along the side.

During the events of the Dekoboko Arc he switched genders due to a virus and was seen in his female form. There is little difference except for having longer hair and a bust.

Personality

As the epitome of plainness, he actually surpasses Shimura Shinpachi. Despite this, however, it is implied by Hijikata in Lesson 243 that he is actually good at "wooing" women.

Yamazaki loves playing badminton, and when he is not doing it, he ditches work to practice Kabaddi with random people (which results in a beating from Hijikata afterwards). In Episode 62, the anime parodies the anime/manga series Prince of Tennis substituting its protagonist, Ryoma Echizen, for Yamazaki in a burlesque game of badminton.

He never goes undercover without equipping himself with the Shinsengumi Sausage. However, during stakeouts, he tries to limit his diet by eating only anpans with milk. He claims to hate anpans, to the extent of throwing them at people and walls instead of eating them, but he says he can't help but consume anpan because the "stakeout god" likes it. He views this dietary restriction as an act of sacrifice to the myriad of gods for a successful operation (or as what the detective dramas universally say...) even though he would rather eat curry, katsudon or yakiniku.

Since Yamazaki frequently works as an undercover spy, he writes incident reports like Saitou Shimaru (another investigative agent in the Shinsengumi) that are reviewed by Hijikata. However, his obsessive tendency and his inclination to write whatever he is thinking often takes over, and he ends up repeatedly writing the same words sometimes (which was how his crush on Tama was discovered).

Prior to the Shinsengumi being officially established, he was originally an uptight punk who referred to himself as "Mountain Zaki" and fought with everyone to become the chief before redeeming himself with Kondou's wisdom.

Strength & Abilities

Not much is known about Yamazaki's fighting ability besides wielding the Osafune Mark II. Though it can be said that like most of the Shinsengumi, he is a competent swordsman.

His best ability is infiltration and surveillance. Thanks to his nondescript nature, he can study his targets without them noticing him and is capable of thinking tactics based around this ability. Of course, sometimes he can be caught.

Yamazaki Sagaru's Gallery

Yamazaki Standard

Yamazaki Standard Chibi

Yamazaki parody "Prince of Tennis" character with a badminton racket

Yamazaki parody character in "Gintaman"

Yamazaki in his childhood

Artwork of Yamazaki

Shisako Yamazaki (Sagaru) in the events of the Dekobokko Arc

Yamazaki eating anpan in Episode 205

Yamazaki in a basketball jersey

Yamazaki off-duty outfit as well as in Be Forever Yorozuya

Yamazaki in Tsusengumi costume

Yamazaki rescuing Tsuu in Episode 56

Yamazaki disguised in a ninja outfit

Yamazaki and the Shinsengumi members looking at Sougo's older sister in Episode 86

Yamazaki look at Sougo's face to sorry Mitsuba in Episode 86

Yamazaki with an afro in Episode 87

Yamazaki playing kabaddi in Episode 98

Yamazaki disguised as a dead spirit in Episode 105

Yamazaki taking the Joui Test in Episode 109

Yamazaki with a mohawk in female attire

Yamazaki as Jimmy Yamazaki during the Timeskip Arc

Yamazaki making a sparkling anpan while throwing it into Hijikata's face in Episode 205

Yamazaki munching on an anpan in Episode 219

Yamazaki in winter garb

Yamazaki in Mimawarigumi uniform

Yamazaki in seppuku outfit in Episode 252

Yamazaki shedding tears of joy towards Tama in Episode 268

Yamazaki's dilemma in Episode 268

Yamazaki in genderbent form

Yamazaki before the Shinsengumi was established in Episode 312

Yamazaki as Zakiyama

Yamazaki converted into a cyborg two years after the war

Relationships

Friends & Allies

• Kondo Isao: Yamazaki's Commander in the Shinsengumi. If it weren't for his wisdom and kindness, Yamazaki would always been a punk forever.

• Hijikata Toushirou: Yamazaki usually takes orders from Hijikata, although he is almost always seen being physically abused by the Vice-Chief. This most likely stemmed from when he disrespected Kondou in front of the fiercely loyal Hijikata and Okita. The duo's show of superior strength cowed him, resulting in Yamazaki changing his ways. It also doesn't help that Hijikata has a short temper and always catches Yamazaki at a bad time.

• Okita Sougo: Okita is shown to be indifferent to him.

• Shimura Shinpachi: Both are known for their "plain-ness" resulting in a camaraderie, although in reality, Yamazaki is more ignored then even Shinpachi!

• Hattori Zenzou: In Episode 270, the two visit a ninja school to get their ninja license.

Love Interest

• Tama: Currently in love with her. In lesson 384, he is tasked with spying on the Yorozuya. When he goes out to buy more anpan for his boring stakeout, the copious amounts of anpan break the store scanner. Tama, the next person in line, fixes the machine by motivating it with kind words. Touched by Tama's speech, Yamazaki falls in love and abandons his assignment to spy on Tama.

Enemies

• Kawakami Bansai: Yamazaki was almost killed by Bansai for interfering with his plan to crush the Shinsengumi. Despite Bansai's apparent cruelty, he decided not to kill Yamazaki, as he wished to "listen to Yamazaki's song" a little longer.

• Narasaki Donbei:Yamazaki arrested him for absconding the group's money. After hitting him an anpan on the face.

• Utsuro:

Story

Gengai Arc

He was requested to buy a takoyaki by Hijikata. but the takoyaki was only few left and no mayonnaise. Because of that he was accused by Hijikata for eating the takoyaki the evidence is in Yamazaki's face. So Hijikata prepares for the seppuku for Yamazaki.

Memory Loss Arc

This section is currently under construction.

As ordered by the Shinsengumi, Yamazaki works as a spy/factory worker for the Mamushi factory, just to inspect the place for their hidden weapons stashes, and unfortunately for him, he also meets an amnesiac Gintoki, which also works in the factory. Yamazaku attempted to communicate him, but the amnesiac Yorozuya boss keeps calling him different names, much to his dismay. As Banzou introduces the Justaway, He complained the figurine's dullness, which made him lost his entire enthusiasm to work. He also gets baffled by Banzou's way of managing.

During the break time, he contacted the Shinsengumi that the factory doesn't possess any such weaponry...until he also told them that he found Commander Kondou, which also turns out to be suffering amnesia. As he attempted to bring Kondou back, Yamazaki tugged him until he drops a Justaway, causing it to explode. The exploding dull figurine allows the three men, including Yamazaki, to reveal it's true colors.

Benizakura Arc

After the Benizakura arc, Toushirou would instruct Yamazaki Sagaru to spy on Gintoki to found out the connection between Katsura and Gintoki. Toushirou would also orders Yamazaki to assassinate him but in the end Yamazaki wrote a school like essay with no crucial information.

Yagyu Arc

In the Otae's Cabaret club. He and his comrade was begging to stop the Marriage of Kondo from the True gorilla. but Otae refuses then bitten up to bits by Otae.

Shinsengumi Crisis Arc

He proved to be one of the loyal follower of Kondou's camp during the eve of Shinsengumi mutiny (Episode 102). He nearly dies during this arc, but Kawakami Bansai allows him to get away. By the time he recovers from his injuries the Shinsengumi believe him dead, and he worries about the reaction he'll get when he appears at his own funeral, but it turns out the funeral is mostly for a dog, and his picture is only in the corner and barely noticed.

Character Poll Arc

During the Character Poll arc he and Shinpachi commiserate over their rankings and the fact that such plain characters as themselves have no chance at beating the more dynamic characters. Yamazaki pretends to try to cheer Shinpachi up, but then is 'attacked' in an embarrassing way lowering his ranking further. He claims that it was a lower ranking character attempting to improve their ranking. This sets up a nasty battle between almost all characters as they attempt to protect their rankings and to bring down higher ranked characters. But it is finally revealed that he faked the attack himself, knowing that it would lead to the infighting and betraying which would eventually lead the fans to turn against all the characters, plunging everyone's ranking to the point where no one would be able to brag about their ranking or look down on anyone else. He and Shinapchi had a heart-to-heart talk over this, and during that talk they raise their ranking to the number one spot. But, while pretending to celebrate their accomplishment, the rest of the characters end up throwing them off a building, returning their rankings to normal.

Timeskip Arc

After a two-year timeskip, he appeared as "the Demon Vice-Commander Jimmy Yamazaki" of Shinsengumi with a violent, aggressive personality and continually bullied Hijikata, who pretended to be a gopher and endured his abuse. Not long after the latter revealed to be immune from the "timeskip," Yamazaki was tied up and hit in the head, revealing that he was under the control of the Kyousainetol parasite.

Yamatama Arc

Toushirou knowing that Gintoki is Shiroyasha instructed Yamazaki to spy on Gintoki again, however he is not interested in Gintoki past but those around him mainly Katsura. By using Gintoki as bait, Yamazaki would patiently observe. However Yamazaki at his limit changed his target to Tama who he has fallen for.

Confessional Arc

Having seen Tama leaving a pudding (instead of Tokugawa Shige Shige's body) at the door of the Shinsengumi's headquarter, Yamazaki went to the "Robo Girl Confessional," asking Gintoki if Tama had feelings for him. Under Gintoki's instruction, he got into the Yorozuya Gin-Chan and wrote "Zura" next to the Shogun's body to frame Katsura Kotarou. However, he was beaten by Katsura, who happened to visit the Yorozuya at the same time.

Shogun Assassination Arc

Yamazaki was one of the Shinsengumi officers to protect a Shogun double in Edo, questioning about Okita's whereabouts. By the time the Tendoshuu intervened the battle against the Kiheitai in Iga and announced Nobu Nobu as the new Shogun, he arrived there as a part of Shige Shige's allies.

Farewell, Shinsengumi Arc

After the Shinsengumi had been disbanded and Kondou Isao had been arrested, Yamazaki joined in Katsura's Joui faction, along with Saitou Shimaru and Sasaki Tetsunosuke. Later, in the lines of the Shinsengumi-Jouishishi alliance, he opened the way for the others and attacked the Naraku from behind with Elizabeth and Saitou. Nevertheless, he was injured in the leg by an arrow.

During this arc, it is revealed in a flashback that prior to the establishment of Shinsengumi, Yamazaki was a hot-headed punk who called himself Mountain Zaki. During the Roshigumi trials, he beats up a member of his school. Kondou, who sees the fight, compliments his fallen opponent, praising him for taking the beating without retaliating. An insulted Yamazaki confronts Kondou and insults him. When that fails to get a rise out of Kondou, he moves towards him with the intention to hit him, but is stopped by Hijikata's sword slash. Visibly cowed, Zaki quickly apologises to Kondou and introduces himself as Yamazaki Sagaru.

Silver Soul Arc

During the Silver Soul Arc, after the Shinsengumi return along with Yamazaki. The Shinsengumi prepare to charge after Utsuro alongside the 7th Division Harusame and Umibozu in order to attempt to take Utsuro's head and kill him. In early battle, Yamazaki comes up close to Utsuro and while frozen with fear, has his neck slit and falls to ground. As Utsuro is defeated, the surviving Shinsengumi members ignored Yamazaki's corpse and cheered on their victory. Hours later, his body is later recovered and rebuilt (with his memories erased as well) into a Cyborg named "Mobcop".

Other Appearances

Gintama Hana Matsuri 2010

Yamazaki and the rest of the main Shinsengumi members (including Kondou, who is reduced as a booger) arrived on the event's reflection meeting. He also stopped the angered Hijikata, who is outraged to Gintoki for naming him as a "Minor character" due to his lack of screentime (which Yamazaki can relate). Once Shinpachi mentioned Kondou's absence, Yamazaki and the two officers became extremely scorn, and he spits on the floor, lamenting his Commander's major screentime. 

Trivia

• Yamazaki Sagaru is based on Yamazaki Susumu, a Shinsengumi officer and a spy.
  • According to Sorachi, Yamazaki's first name, Sagaru, means "Take a step back, view things calmly and deal with them."
• The first kanji of his name (山 yama) means "mountain," and the second one (崎 zaki) means "rough."
  • In the past, he was a punk and called himself "Mountainzaki" (マウンテン殺鬼). Though, the kanji for "zaki" (殺鬼) here means "demon killer," completely different from the one in his name.
• Out of the entire characters in Gintama, Sorachi already mentioned that Yamazaki will not be on any cover of Gintama tankoubon/volumes. Indeed, so far, there has not been a cover featuring him yet.

The horrific card

• In an undercover mission, Yamazaki suffered from a mental breakdown due to eating anpan for a whole month. As a consequence, he threw an anpan in Hijikata's face, saw everyone's head as anpans, blacked out and arrived India in nothing but boxers. Later, on New Year's Eve, he even sent the Yorozuya a New Year card, writing nothing but "anpan" on it. This incident has become one of the most known non-arc events and begun a running gag about Yamazaki and anpan among the Gintama fandom.
• Of Gintama characters is he the most prone to be used to make fun of famous action movies. In chapters 606 he's a parody of Rambo, while as of chapter 674 is he a parody of RoboCop, called Mobcop to not run into problems with copyright.

Battles

Fight	Outcome	Time it Occurred
Yamazaki Sagaru vs. Kawakami Bansai	Loss	Episode 102

Quotes

• (To Oboro) You need to look carefully both above and below. That's an iron rule of surveillance, Crow-kun.

Gintama The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya

• (To the Jouishishi) Man, so much for the Shinsengumi. Now we're right back to being Joui rebels out to take down the Shogunate.