I have to watch "Shinsengumi" in a Japanese-language course I'm taking right now. And what a horrifically made series is this. First of all, that music is so ridiculous-- it's even more out of place than the head-scratching ragtime score to Woody Allen's dismal "Sleeper." Then, you have "introductory captions"-- little messages that pop up on the screen to tell you who's who. Unfortunately, if you're watching this subtitled in English, you're just plum out of luck if you can't read kanji. Third, the performances are frightful, lacking the marks of any direction or useful information whatsoever! But fourth, the most ridiculous thing about this series is the footage used for the "Black Ships" scenes where Kondo Isami and the others are looking on the decks of the American ships. They're all in black and white, except for the American flag, and look like they've been pulled from some abominable silent comedy. There's really nothing to enjoy about "Shinsengumi!" except for the period details (the hair, the costumes, etc.). But for a Japanese history lesson, pull out a textbook before resorting to a humiliating mess like this.