Shinjiro Taiga

Shinjiro Taiga (大河 新次郎, Taiga Shinjirō) is the captain of the New York Combat Revue's Star Division. Shinjiro is the nephew of Ichiro Ogami, the current commander of the Imperial Combat Revue. He is the playable character and main male protagonist of Sakura Wars V: So Long, My Love.

Appearance
Shinjiro is a good-looking Japanese young man with short black hair and darker eyes.

He wears a white shirt and blue tie along with a yellow vest and dark purple pants.

As a member of the Five-Rings Warriors, Shinjiro has the Five-Ring mark on his stomach at the same place he was struck with Nobunaga's arrow.

Personality
As a playable character, much of Shinjiro's personality is based on the actions of the player.

Dispatched to New York to be part of the Star Division, Shinjiro was met with both open hostility and disappointment from the team, who had been expecting his famous uncle rather than the rookie from the academy. He was forbidden from combat and reduced to an usher. All but Gemini believed him incapable of combat and one demanded he be sent back to Japan and have his uncle come. It was not until the team’s captain, Ratchet, was incapacitated that they were forced to allow him to fight. Unknown to him, he has a power hidden inside him yet to be unleashed to its full potential.

Background
Shinjiro was born on August 20th, 1908 in Tochigi, Japan. He learned to become a samurai alongside his mother Futaba.

When Shinjiro later falls into a coma due to Nobunaga's arrow piercing him, it is revealed that Shinjiro is a reincarnation of Koya Hijiri, one of the original Five-Ring Warriors that fought the Demon Lord in medieval Japan.

Sakura Wars V: So Long, My Love
In 1928, Shinjiro is in Tokyo where he tells himself how a new life is awaiting in the capital. To his surprise, he is approached by Sakura Shinguji, a legendary actress from the Imperial Combat Revue who tells him about how the Revue quells evil within the hearts of all citizens through the magic of song and dance. Both arrive at the Theater to meet up with Shinjiro' s uncle Ichiro who is the current commander of the Imperial Combat Revue.

There, Shinjiro greets his uncle and says that he is assigned to join the Imperial Combat Revue. To his surprise, Ichiro then tells him that he was not dispatched to join the group but to go overseas in America and join the Star Division of the New York Combat Revue. While Shinjiro is nervous at the idea of going overseas, Ichiro reassures him that he also felt the same when he went to Paris and that he will tell his friends in New York to help his nephew out if necessary. Before leaving Japan, Shinjiro is given a black pouch by his uncle who tells him to use it only if he finds himself in a tight spot. He also tells him to believe in himself no matter which enemies he comes across. Shinjiro promises his uncle that he will do his best.

Eventually, Shinjiro boards a ship towards America. After arriving in New York City, Shinjiro looks at the city skyscrapers and declares his intention to join the New York Combat Revue and make everyone proud by showing everyone his samurai spirit and protecting the Big Apple.

Chapter 1: A Samurai Makes His First Stand
As Shinjiro is waiting for someone, he comments on how big and different the city and its' people are. Suddenly, he witnesses a bank robbery commited by two thieves. As he tries to catch the runaway bandits, he sees a horse-riding masked woman with a samurai sword slash the two men with her sword and stopping them in their tracks. When Shinjiro confronts the Masked Woman, she reassures him that they're still alive before having her horse kick a bag of money into his hands. With a smile, the Masked Woman leaves the scene while everyone is cheering.

Shinjiro is wondering what to do with the bag of money when he is suddenly handcuffed by Detective Salt who mistakes him for the one behind the robbery due to the bag of money in his hands. Shinjiro tries to prove his innocence but to no avail. As he fears for the worst, a beautiful long-haired woman arrives and tells the detective that he's innocent. With a grouchy attitude, Salt releases Shinjiro who thanks the woman for helping him. The woman asks him if he's seen other Japanese people around as she is looking for Ichiro Ogami. Hearing his uncle's name, Shinjiro introduces himself as Ichiro's nephew who is assigned to join the New York Combat Revue (which is not what the woman expected). The woman then introduces herself as Ratchet Altair, Captain of the New York Combat Revue's Star Division.

Ratchet takes Shinjiro to the Littlelip Theater ,which serves as the base of the New York Combat Revue, to meet up with the Revue Commander Michael Sunnyside. While Shinjiro finds the man weird due to his lighthearted attitude, he confirms his intentions to dedicate his life to the New York Combat Revue. Sunnyside tells Shinjiro that he should not consider commiting harakiri and to live with his mistakes in America. After that, he gives the young man the address of the apartment that he should live in.

In the streets, Shinjiro proceeds to make his way to his apartment when a red-haired young woman accidently bumps into him. When he mentions going to the Village, the young woman asks him if she could tag along with him as she's been trying to get there all morning. Shinjiro introduces himself as originating from Japan which pleases the young girl who has a love for samurai. After losing herself in a small samurai fantasy, the young girl introduces herself as Gemini Sunrise, a young girl from Texas who dreams of becoming an actress. Gemini asks Shinjiro if she could call him Shiny to which he agrees. After a small talk, both proceed to arrive at the Village. Once there, Gemini goes her way while Shinjiro makes his way towards his new apartment.

Shinjiro arrives at the apartment at the same time as Gemini who is surprised to see him. After the young man reveals that this is his new apartment, Gemini reveals that she works at the Littlelip Theater and that she's been told to clean up 'the new guy's room. Shinjiro enters the apartment to be faced by a kimono-wearing girl and a sultry-looking maid who are both confused by his claims of owning the apartment. Gemini enters and tells the two women, Anri Yoshino and Cherry Cocker, that Shinjiro is the new guy that will live there. After clearing up the confusion, Shinjiro receives his uniform from Cherry before being visited by Yuichi Kayama, the self-proclaimed Mysterious Merchant and owner of Romando, a shop located in the Midtown of New York. Kayama leaves the scene with Cherry and Anri returning to the Theater. Shinjiro is then taken by Gemini to a tour and visit of the city.

After the tour, Shinjiro is summoned to the Manager's Office by Ratchet while Gemini returns to work. He is given a free ticket to the Star Division's next show before Ratchet takes him to meet the rest of the Star Division. While making their way to elevator, Shinjiro and Ratchet encounter Subaru Kujou, the other Japanese member of the Star Division. While Shinjiro is wondering whether Subaru is a boy or a girl, the androgynous girl claims that gender is nothing more than a difference of organs and that Subaru is simply Subaru. When Ratchet mentions that Shinjiro comes from the Imperial Combat Revue, Subaru claims that there is no way that Shinjiro can replace him which makes Shinjiro question who she could be talking about. Afterwards, Shinjiro and Ratchet go to the dressing room to meet the other member of the Star Division, Cheiron, but find her nowhere. Ratchet tells the young man to wait while she goes to search for Cheiron. While waiting, Shinjiro encounters Subaru again as well as a Afro-American woman who confuses him for a visitor and tells him that he's not allowed here. When the woman reveals herself to be Cheiron, Subaru introduces Shinjiro as the Theater's new employee. Thinking Sunnyside is illegally putting a minor on the payroll, Cheiron takes Shinjiro by his arm and decides to confront Sunnyside. While being taken by Cheiron, Shinjiro tries to ask Subaru for help but is denied her assitance.

Shinjiro is taken to Sunnyside's office where Cheiron angrily confronts a nonchalant Sunnyside about disrespecting the law and putting a 13-year-old boy to work. After Sunnyside claims to not be as stupid as Cheiron thinks, Shinjiro tells the lawyer that he's 19 years old which makes the woman laugh. Sunnyside says that while Shinjiro may look younger than what he is, he is their new employee who was sent from Japan as their  very best . Cheiron is angered by the fact that Japan has decided to send some  half-grown greenhorn  instead of Commander Ogami who she thought was supposed to come (a claim that shocks Shinjiro). Upset, Cheiron leaves the scene after telling Sunnyside to sent back Shinjiro to Japan and bring the  real  Commander. After mocking Cheiron's grumpy attitude, Sunnyside is asked by Shinjiro about Cheiron's claims that his uncle was supposed to come instead of him. The Commander admits that they requested Japan's best man for the job and Shinjiro's coming to America instead of his famous uncle is pretty much a disappointment to everyone, a declaration that Shinjiro sees as brutal.

Granblue Fantasy
Taiga is one of the playable Sakura Wars characters alongside Ichiro Ogami, Sakura Shinguji, Erica Fontaine and Gemini Sunrise.

Super Robot Wars 30
Taiga is set to be one of the playable Sakura Wars characters alongside Ichiro Ogami, Sakura Shinguji, Erica Fontaine and Gemini Sunrise as DLC.

Etymology

 * The name Shinjiro means "fresh, new" (新) (shin), "next" (次) (ji) and "son" (郎) (ro).
 * Shinjiro's surname Taiga means "big, great" (大) (tai) and "river, stream" (河) (ka/ga).