EPISODE CONTEXT

Coming off the Ikedaya Incident in Episode 3, this episode escalates directly into the Kinmon Incident, marking a turning point where the Shinsengumi shift from reactive investigators to active combatants in a widening conflict. At the one-third mark of the season, Episode 4 serves as a critical bridge — introducing formidable new adversaries and deepening the supernatural undercurrent that will define the back half. The mysterious figures and unresolved tensions established here lay essential groundwork for the revelations and confrontations ahead.