Shine On! Bakumatsu Bad Boys

In the aftermath of a ferocious onslaught by the insidious Masked Demons—an imperialist marauder gang, the Shinsengumi's Eighth Division—a stalwart, law-upholding squadron in Kyoto that pledges allegiance to the shogunate, is left in ruins. Amid the ashes stands the sole survivor, Heisuke Toudou, clinging onto life by a thread. Encouraged to resurrect the Shinsengumi by Katamori Matsudaira, the local feudal lord, Toudou hatches a bold plan. He extends an olive branch to eight felons, offering a lifeline for redemption: they must shed their old identities and step into the boots of the eight fallen Shinsengumi captains. Seven accept the challenge, but one rebellious soul meets an immediate demise at the hands of the ex-assassin, Sakuya. However, Toudou soon realizes that turning these seven reformed criminals into dedicated warriors is like herding cats. Among them is the impetuous and revenge-driven Ichibanboshi, whose family was cruelly taken by the Masked Demons. His fiery temperament risks torching Toudou's delicate plans. As Toudou solemnly vows to shield the shogunate from the onslaught of imperialists and foreign adversaries, other factions, such as the secretive group led by Kogorou Katsura, silently set their plans into motion. With their eyes firmly set on seizing power, the shadows of the Edo period's twilight become a breeding ground for clandestine power plays.