Unmarked spoilers are ahead, per Spoilers Off rule.
Bakamatsu Tenrouden has a lot of tearjerker moments:
Unlike most depictions of it, the story does not romanticize Okita's tuberculosis, instead emphasizing the unpleasant aspect of it with how violently he coughs up blood and how his friends knew he wasn't long for this world but couldn't do anything to change it. Kondo and Hijikata's conversation with him in the hospital was especially heartbreaking because it was clear that they were trying to keep a brave face for the person they had come to regard as a brother. It’s also not much better on the Touken Danshi’s end, either, as Yamatonokami struggles with his desire to save Okita and his envy over Kashuu being chosen over him by Okita when they were still swords. In the end, he accepts that he has to give Okita up, and returns him home where he would eventually pass away.
Nagasone's struggle with killing his former master and breaking down in tears will make anyone misty, especially when he realizes he lacks the strength to go through with it, prompting Hachisuka to spare him the pain of killing someone he loves by doing it for him. Musubi reveals that Nasagone still has yet to heal from this, telling Mutsunokami that he feels empty.
Tsuwamono Domo ga Yume no Ato has The Reveal that Mikazuki has taken it upon himself to do the dirty work and travel back in time an innumerable number of times to correct the course of history, all by himself, bearing all the emotional burden. Worse, he's clearly grown to care about the men he's forced to pit against each other, especially Yasuhira, whom he befriends and promises to leave lotus flowers on his grave when he dies, flowers over which the two have grown close. At the end of the confrontation, he compares himself to a crescent moon, not having enough time to shine, but believing that even the dim light of a crescent moon is better than having no light at all.
The musical also makes you feel bad for Yasuhira and Yoritomo, who have to willingly sacrifice themselves for the sake of ensuring a good future and are clearly emotionally conflicted about their roles when they go to battle with this knowledge.
Musubi no Hibiki, Hajimari no Ne:
Due to the Historical Revionists intervention, Izuminokami ends up in the same situation as Nagasone where he has to kill his former master so that history can proceed as intended, but he’s unable to find the strength to do so, forcing Mutsunokami to break his rule against killing people and do it for him. Everyone except Mutsunokami and Tomoegata breaks down as Mutsunokami shoots Hijikata dead. This must have been particularly upsetting for the audience, as Hijikata's actor was directed to enter the audience for his death and thusly was "killed" in front of a few people, heightening the scene's impact.
Then there's Mutsunokami, who admits that he secretly mourned his own former master's death before running offscreen to cry some more. Before that point, the audience (and the other characters) got the impression that he wasn't bothered by the loss at all.
There's also a subplot with the Historical Revisionists that makes them feel a little more human than most portrayals of them, as they decided to side with Hijikata not out of a genuine desire to change history, but so they could die alongside him and gain their own stories due to being born into the world without them. Tomoegata empathizes with them despite being their enemy because he, too, is a Touken Danshi without a story, and he lays them to rest together after they die.
Shizuka no Umi no Paraiso may be the saddest musical yet, as it is unflinching about the horrors of war and the emotional toll it takes on those forced to participate.
The conversation with Chiezu reveals that there are no winners in this situation, as the Shogunate does not actually want to kill Shimabara rebels and sympathizers, but they believe they have no choice because it is the only way to discourage rebellion and maintain peace. Chiezu tears up as he tells Tsurumaru about what he's been forced to do in order to achieve his goal, despite his dislike for war, which Tsurumaru sympathizes with due to being put in a similar situation.
The play will make you feel a bit sorry for Emosaku, despite the fact that he is the one who started the whole mess and is ultimately responsible for the deaths of all 37,000 people, leaving him as the sole survivor. Tsurumaru tells him this before the slaughter begins, and he is not happy about it at all, even breaking down at the end of the musical after seeing the corpse of the elder brother due to knowing he caused his death.
Urashima tries to smile through his tears after Tsurumaru confirms to him that their mission during the Shimabara Rebellion is to ensure that the rebels and sympathizers die. In the end, he can't hide his sadness and runs away.
Matsui and Urashima breaking down after the death of the elder brother. The sobbing is visceral and almost unbearable to watch, as if they really did witness the death of a close friend.
After only having brief moments throughout the musical in which the cracks in his carefree mask began to show, Tsurumaru finally has his chance to break down and cry and deliver an impassioned rant after laying the elder brother to rest, which he confirms was cathartic for him.
Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyokusai is a particularly moving performance, as a fifth anniversary celebration that looks back on previous musicals and all that Touken Danshi and productions have accomplished over the years, with a song dedicated to thanking both the audience and the production itself.
The Kotobuki version of "Touken Ranbu" is so moving that it will make you cry. Mikazuki and Tsurumaru dance as the song builds up, while the other Touken Danshi gradually walk to their positions around Mikazuki. Then they all begin to sing the theme song together, united as a citadel, demonstrating how far they've come.
Some fans found Kuroba Mario's performance in Kotobuki Ranbu Ongyokusai difficult to watch because he was visibly on the verge of tears throughout, most likely due to how emotionally moving it was. The actor took to Twitter to further express his feelings, stating that he enjoys performing on stage because it gives him the strength to live.
Michi No Oku, Hitotsu Wa Chisu
After watching Aterui and his companion spar, Yamanbagiri Kunihiro sings nostalgically and reminisces about Mikazuki and Tsurumaru playfully sparring together and joining hands in solidarity, demonstrating how close the two were before their relationship fell apart. The scene concludes with Mikazuki and Tsurumaru coldly facing away from each other, with Tsurumaru giving Mikazuki one last one-sided glance before leaving, reflecting on how their relationship is in the current day.
In their main story duet, Tsurumaru sings longingly about Mikazuki's absence and how there is a hole in his heart now that he is gone. What's worse is that when Tsurumaru sings about whether he should pursue Mikazuki, Mikazuki shakes his head, as if he doesn't want to be chased, and is actively to leave Tsurumaru behind.
Knowing that Mikazuki wouldn't come out on his own even if he called out to him, Tsurumaru goes to extreme lengths to entice Mikazuki into a direct confrontation, brutally beating up Suishinshi while saying taunting and "surprising" things like how he will break him if he does not come out to bait Mikazuki. When Mikazuki finally appears, the fight scene that follows is a tragic mirror of Mikazuki and Tsurumaru’s earlier light-hearted sparring scene, with the two brutally cutting each other to understand each other's feelings and yet still not getting anywhere in the end because they won't verbally communicate with one another or simply cannot understand each other's position.
Just before attacking him, Tsurumaru affectionately pats Suishinshi's head and advises him to cuddle up to Mikazuki until he gets tired of it, because he can't anymore in a regretful tone. This is especially hurtful given that Tsurumaru knows that Suishinshi is the person that Mikazuki let in, recruiting him to help him on his mission, whereas Tsurumaru himself was left behind despite their once close relationship and now realizes, or simply believes, that he can't share the metaphorical half-seat on the flower pedestal with Mikazuki.
If you ignore the lighthearted scene between Yamanbagiri and his team, the play ended on a fairly bittersweet note in terms of Mikazuki and Tsurumaru's storylines, as neither of them made any progress. Mikazuki still refuses to return to the citadel because he is still on his mission to find what cannot be found, leaving Tsurumaru extremely lonely in his absence, to the point of hallucinating Mikazuki being with him in the citadel. After the illusion of Mikazuki disappears, Tsurumaru quietly mutters “Hana no Utena” before stopping himself, coming to the conclusion that he shouldn't be allowed to sing it as if once again realizing that he and Mikazuki can't share the half-seat.
Mikazuki's brief relationship with Yahiko, who befriended him and offered him comfort after he'd been suffering alone for so long, was cut short when Yahiko was senselessly killed, leaving Mikazuki powerless to intervene. He offers him a lotus as a symbol of their friendship and places it next to his corpse, with his voice shaking as he speaks to Aterui, as if about to cry.
In the scene where Aterui and his companion die, Mikazuki cuts their bindings and gives them a chance to escape their fates, but they choose to face their deaths while scolding Mikazuki about his life being his own, and Mikazuki is forced to listen to it. Worse, it is implied that this happens in every loop, but Mikazuki cannot accept that they choose death, so he witnesses it every time.
Any hint toward the broken sword, as it's very clear that all of the early swords (Yamanbagiri Kunihiro, Mikazuki Munechika, Tsurumaru Kuninaga) and the Saniwa loved him very much and are grieving him in their own ways that the newer swords, who have not known the grief of the early citadel, can't fathom.
The scene is brief, but a young Yasuhira gives Mikazuki a lotus flower before being led away by his adult self, alluding to the long-lasting impact Yasuhira and their friendship had on Mikazuki.
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