+ ONE + TWO + THREE + FOUR + FIVE + SIX + SEVEN +

(Ratings is 21.1%!!!!! Yayyyyyyy!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sorry this was a super long snyopsis. It's supposed to be a summarised version!!! But.. as usual, I couldn't help it! Oops... Moreover, last week's episode of Zubari is ranked 1st at 23.5%!!!! Zubari has beat SxS!!!!! Yoshitsune has beat Zubari too!!!! Kyahhh!~~~~~ OMG!!!! SxS is ranked 12th whereas Zubari is FIRST and Yoshitsune is 7th!!! Snuffles and Huay, the day arrived so much earlier than expected!! This calls for a celebration!!! *pops champagne bottle* )

One day before the battle...

Preparing for the coming battle against the Heike clan, Yoshitsune has Jiro to go check out the sea tide and works out tactics. At a tactics meeting among the Genji troops, Kagetoki offers to lead the vanguard but Yoshitsune appoints another warrior for the post. Yoshitsune feels that the other warrior is accustomed to the sea as compared to Kagetoki. Seeing Yoshitsune give priority to victory over Kagetoki’s taking credit, Kagetoki disagrees with Yoshitsune and the relationship between the two becomes further damaged.

Meanwhile, the Heike women let Yoshiko out of the locked room and discuss what to do with her as she had overheard of the secret plan to protect young Emperor Antoku. Tokiko tells Yoshiko to leave the ship of the Heike family but Yoshiko refuses, expressing her resolution to stay with the Heike family. Progressing with their plan, Tokiko and Tokuko stay in a boat with Shinno-sama. The other Heike women, including Yoshiko stay on another disguised boat with Emperor Antoku. Yoshitsune is concerned whether Yoshiko would follow his instructions that he wrote in the secret letter sent to her. However, without any means to remove his worries, Yoshitsune sails onward to face the battle against the Heike.

On the battle day...
(I thought the scene of the two huge fleets of Heike and Genji boats sailing towards each other is *quite* majestic... at least an effort!!! )

Ok, there are lots of shots of many arrows flying everywhere and people falling into the sea in slow motion. (I know NHK is trying hard. But seriously, they should hire someone from the LOTR crew already!!! A taiga deserves much better cinematography than this yo!! ) Benkei starts hurling huge boulders onto the boats nearby, oncoming to the main Genji boat. (Really, I have no idea where he got the boulders from. They stored huge boulders on the boat??!!! Ain't that kinda space-consuming, not to mention that it adds hellva weight to the boat too??!!? ) Munemori and Kiyomori's brother are hiding in the Heike boat while Tomomori leads the Heike to battle. (What cowards... and Munemori is supposed to be the head of the the Heike clan?! *pui* ) As the battle commences, more Genji reinforcements arrive by sea. These are the recent affliations with local navies which Yoshitsune and Benkei have convinced to join them. At first, the reinforcements pretended to be part of the Heike boats by putting up red flags. Then, at the last moment before joining in the battle, they throw down the red flags and switch to white instead, indicating that they are in fact part of the Genji fleet.

Though the Heike has disguised their most important boat with Emperor Antoku, Yoshitsune sees through their plan. Yoshitsune notices that there are small boats surrounding and protecting the disguised boat with Emperor Antoku, whereas the fake boat has none. Thus, Yoshitsune decides to sail towards the disguised boat. Yoshiko, upon seeing this, steps out to the side of the boat and uses a piece of long white cloth to identify herself. It is the method of protecting herself that Yoshitsune had written in the secret letter to her. Upon seeing this, Yoshitsune could finally confirm that Yoshiko is indeed his half-sister. He told his retainers to turn the boat around. Then, Emperor Antoku comes out to the side of the boat as well. Yoshiko panicks and uses the white cloth to cover Emperor Antoku instead. In the meantime, the Heike boats are fast approaching and blocks Yoshitsune's view of Yoshiko and Emperor Antoku. Then all the Heike women gathers on the boat with Emperor Antoku. More boats gather and surround to protect the Heike women.

Outside, Tomomori's boat and Yoshitsune's boat are meeting headlong. A face off is inevitable. The two fight against each other. Yoshitsune stops his retainers from helping out as it should be a fair fight between the two leaders. Tomomori and Yoshitsune exchange blows. Yoshitsune loses his footing on some arrows lying on the floor, slips and falls. Tomomori deals Yoshitsune a blow which cuts his long wooden sword into half. Kisanta sees this and is worried. In order to distract Tomomori's attention, he throws the nearest thing that he found around him, which was a bag of gold dust. He flings it at Tomomori and Tomomori slashes his sword at the bag. (Thus, we have the result of gold dust glittering in the sun and a gold dust covered Yoshitsune. ) Then, Yoshitsune pulls out his metal sword. Tomomori ditches his long wooden sword and pulls out his metal sword too. A fierce fight between the two continues. Yoshitsune did a long leap to the opposite boat. Everyone including Yoshitsune's own retainers and Tomomori stares in awe. (Watashi mo!!! ) Tomomori jumps after Yoshitsune, albeit a much shorter distance. After exchanging a few blows, Tomomori manages to inflict a cut on Yoshitsune's left cheek. (Gyahhhh~~~~~~~~~ Dame dame!!!! Anything but Yoshitsune-sama's face!!!! ) Yoshitsune fights back. Yoshitsune jumps around a few times, evading and confusing Tommori. He manages to inflict a cut on Tomomori's right cheek as well. Tomomori is stunned at Yoshitsune's skills. He stares at Yoshitsune and is reminded of their childhood days when they used to wrestle each other for fun. He realises that he cannot defeat Yoshitsune and win the battle.

Back on shore, Noriyori fends off the incoming Heike troops from the sea.

Tomomori goes to the Heike women's boat and informs them of the battle loss. Tokiko tells them that they will all jump off into the sea. (To end one's own life is considered to be more honourable than to die at the enemy's hands because you retain your family's honour.) Tokiko says that because they originated from the sea, so they will return to the sea ( I know Tokiko said say that they will return to the sea. But I'm not sure what the reason is. Gomen... my knowledge of nihongo is terrible. ) Being still young and ignorant, Emperor Antoku asks Tokiko if there is anything in the sea. Tokiko said that there are people waiting for them there, like Kiyomori, Shigemori and Koremori. Emperor Antoku then said that he wishes to see Kiyomori very much. Upon hearing that, Tokiko bursts into tears. However, she suddenly has a revelation. She has thought of an idea to save Emperor Antoku. Tokiko decides to entrust Emperor Antoku to Yoshiko as Yoshiko is after all, Yoshitsune's half sister. He is sure to spare her and the young Emperor as well.

Then, the Heike women with 3 of them holding each of the 3 treasures, together with Shinno-sama, line up at the side of the boat and mumble prayers as they prepare to jump into the sea. One by one, they start jumping off the boat with their eyes closed and palms facing each other in prayer. (Gyah....... no~~~~~~~~ It was really very saddening to watch this scene as they jumped off. ) Yoshitsune sees this from a distance and starts shouting to them to stop. He is totally shocked and upset. (I believe I saw tears welling up in his eyes. Gyah~~~~ watashi mo!!!) He tells his retainers to sail the boat quickly towards the Heike women. Yoshitsune continues to shout to them to stop jumping. Tokiko was the last woman standing at the side. She looked at Yoshitsune, gave him a smile, carried Shinno-sama and one of the treasures and jumped off. Yoshitsune is shocked in horror and shouts to her to stop, but to no avail. (More tears welling up here!!! ) Yoshiko and Emperor Antoku are still hiding inside the boat.

On another Heike boat, Munemori and Kiyomune are supposed to jump off into the sea too. However, they have no guts to. Munemori's retainer even had to push him off. Kiyomune jumped off after Munemori. However, they resurfaced and did not die. Munemori's retainer then saved them with a long wooden stick. (Why push him off and then save him after that?) Tokitada was still too shocked and depressed about the battle loss and remained hiding inside the boat.

Despite being wounded with many arrows, Tomomori continued to fight off the Genji soldiers valiantly alone. Then, Tomomori took a rope which was tied to a boat's wooden anchor and let himself fall off into the sea.

In the evening, the battle had ended. The surrounding waters were covered with fallen red flags. Although the Genji had won the battle, none of them were feeling victorious. They were all feeling sad with all the lives lost. Yoshitsune stood alone and stared into the sunset.