I just don't understand why Yamanami essentially resigned himself to death. Before I got to this episode I predicted that Hijikata would be to blame given his M.O. and since I totally disagreed with his decision to not compensate anyone not physically participating in the Ikedaya Jiken, but it later became fairly obvious that he didn't really want Yamanami to die. All the main Shinsengumi gave Yamanami every opportunity to "escape", and yet he still chose to die. Why did he even go back to Kyoto? He seemed conflicted when he told Akesato that they should hurry along when she wanted to take more time to smell the flowers, but then boldly stepped out in front of Soji. I didn't feel that the drama built up enough conflict/tension to convince me of why he ultimately chose this horrid path. It's such a shame since he finally found a woman who complements him so well.