#hakuoki review

[mishkakagehishka]

actually i meant the otome game, i already downloaded the ritsu one!

HSHSHDB okay okay. The one that's currently on sale is Taisho x Alice, I can't give it any hype because I haven't tried it, I just read a bit about it and thought "oh this seems like smth that i'd like" (bc i like that sort of fairy tale inspired stuff :]). One that i CAN hype up though is Cinderella Phenomenon, the first game is free and 10/10 actually made me cry, I enjoyed it so much I event went for the route that has a trope that squicks me out just because I wanted to see what would happen, the sequel I haven't tried, but I'm literally looking at my credit card right now bc I wanna get it saur bad. It was so good. Real ones remember the way I made Cinderella Phenomenon propaganda back when I first played all the routes of the first game. Obsessed. Ob-sessed.

[kumoriyami-xiuzhen]

Hakuoki Shinkai Hana no Shou Animate Bonus Drama CD "Unchanging Feelings" Eng translation

Anyone happen to know where content that is probably under the title of 「土方さんの習字について」 comes from? Found it saved in my Nimble file in both JP and CN... and I have no where idea it came from. It's short exchange between Hijikata, Souji and Kondou.

Anyway, this translation is of the Hana no Shou Animate Bonus CD 「変わらぬ想い」. I actually had this on my to-do list for a while since I'm pretty sure I don't have any Iba content that's longer than two sentences (well, I'm at least pretty sure about that?)... but I just never got around to it (or a number of other drama CDs that I want to have translated...😅). Suppose it helps that I got discouraged (again) from translating the Shimabara Disturbance drama's first track as I have to go and review some videos to fill in the gaps where text is missing for that... and doing this felt like less work despite how it felt like a pain to do.

enjoy~? Almost didn't make it because I had a hard time with one sentence...

Hakuoki Shinkai Animate Bonus Drama CD "Unchanging Feelings"

Translation by KumoriYami

Iba: As expected, the Shinsengumi's training is strict, but I also feel that the time spent has been very meaningful. And practising with the officers has been exhausting.

Toudou: Oh, isn't that Hachiro? Have you come to train?

Iba: Heisuke-kun! Yes, I've just started to rest now.

Heisuke: Speaking of which, you really do seem to like our training.

Iba: I'll take that as a compliment.

Heisuke: How was the training?

Iba：There are many people who use different techniques and styles, and it's a great learning experience. I accidently got carried away and sparred with everyone many times. If I don't properly rest, I feel that my body won't be able to keep up.

Toudou: That's because Hachiro is very popular. There are many members who want to train with you.

Iba: Truly, I'm very happy.

Toudou: That's right! Who did you train with today?

IbaL Shinpat-san was my first opponent. He's as strong as ever.

Toudou: Shinpat-san is very strong.

Iba: If we were in a tsubazeriai*[references at end], I would be the one to lose, so I tried to prevent that from happening as much as possible.

tsubazeriai can be used to describe a situation where two swordsmen are very close to each other where they both try to push forward. To simplify this would be to say that they are in "neck-and-neck" competition."

Toudou: But Shinpat-san would definitely charge ahead without any mercy, right?

Iba: Precisely.

Toudou：If that happens, it feels you'd get supressed right away. It truly feels good to know that he's companion.

Iba: That's true. Ah, after that, I sparred with Saito-kun.

Toudou: Oh, how was that?

Iba: Saito-kun's iai has great value. That being said, there's no time to think about that during training.

Toudou: Hajime-kun and Shinpat-san aren't the same when it comes to strength.

Iba: My own training is insufficient.

Toudou: Hehe, then I can't lose!

Iba: Heisuke-kun still hasn't changed at all.

Toudou: You say that, but isn't it the same for Hachiro?

Iba: Me?

Toudou: That's right, it's just like that time, as long as Hachiro showed up at Shiekan, you and everyone would engage in matches.

Iba: Yes, I previously used to train a lot.

Toudou: As long as someone challenges you, you'd accept accept it.

Iba: Isn't that the same for Heisuke-kun? Didn't you Shinpat-san used to have some pretty wild fights before?

Toudou: Ah, I miss those. They were the sort that didn't end unless someone collapsed.

Iba: Of course, the two of you were both over your heads/stubborn.

Toudou: Even though I really got beaten until I collapsed, we were scolded by Hijikata-san.

Iba: Even if we try to console him, he wouldn't listen at all.

Toudou: It's because it feels like Shinpat-san's physical strength is endless, that his attacks are relentless.

Iba: I know how you feel. It's because we know the other party is strong that we fixate on not losing.

Touodu: We surprisingly haven’t changed at all.

Iba: Indeed, even back then, Toshi-san was obsessed with victory and defeat.

Toudou: Why are you bringing up Hijikata-san now?

Iba: When mentioning things that haven't changed, the first person that comes to mind is Toshi-san.

Toudou: Hachiro, you've really admired Hijikata-san for a long time.

Iba: Yes, Ithis hasn't changed since then.

Toudou: Hey, what exactly is so good about HIjikata-san? Not that I hate him or anything.

Iba: Toshi-san is a very good person. Not only is his swordsmanship excellent, but I was attracted to his character.

Toudou: Like how/For instance/example?

Iba: For example, he's very strict but is still treats us with love.

Toudou: Love!?

Iba: On one hand, he has resolute and unwavering beliefs, but he simultaneously has a weakness to cute things.

Toudou: Was there such a thing?

Iba: Even his ability to not drink is quite charming.

Toudou: Haha, I get that!

Hijikata: Tch, you guys, what exactly is it that you know.

Heisuke: Hijikata-san?!

Iba: Tosh-san! We were just talking about Toshi-san.

Hijikata: Yeah, I figured… I could hear uncomfortable subjects from afar.

Iba: Toshi-san, you you like to talk about this too?

Hijikata: What do you want me to say?

Iba: Of course, about how outstanding Toshi-san is.

Hijikata: Spare me. Furthermore, it'd be too embarrassing if the other members heard this so please stop.

Iba: Is that so. That's a pity. Since Toshi-san has said that, I won't say anymore.

Hijikata: Geez, you. Also, Heisuke! I'm not bad at drinking!

Toudou: Ah, I get it. (Hijikata walks away). That scared me. Hijikata-san has seriously good ears, I don't know he always appears when he's mentioned.

Iba: That aspect hasn't changed at all.

Toudou: That's right. Who knows when he started listening/when his ears became so sensitive.

Iba: Hey, Heisuke-kun.

Toudou: What is it?

Iba: You, Heisuke-kun, who has since been learning from everyone else and going in the same way since the beginning/Everyone, including Heisuke-kun, who used to be shrouded in obscurity is now in Kyoto as the prestigious Shinsengumi, and I became an Okuzume. Although we're not in the same position, we all serve the shogunate. Thinking of about it all this way, always feels incredible.

Toudou: Ah, that's right.

Iba: What's wrong?

Toudou: I mean this hypothetically, but what if you questions about where you fit in/belonged?

Iba: Eh? Do you have questions about where you belong?

Toudou: Yeah.

Iba: If I had any questions, then I would be not be questioning where it was that I belonged, but myself.

Toudou: What do you mean?

Iba: I have my own beliefs about the work I do as an Okuzume. Because of that, I often get anxious about whether or not what I do is useful.

Toudou: I see. So Hachiro also feels the same way.

Iba: Yes, I have thinking of this especially lately.

Toudou: I've been thinking about some things lately. the people who've been joining the Shinsengumi, and how it's changed. In the future, when these changes become bigger and bigger, will I be able to think as I do now?

Iba: Heisuke-kun...

Toudou: Sorry, I said something weird.

Iba: Ah, no, not really.

Toudou: Forget about what I just said. It's almost time for me to go on patrol. I'll be going!

Iba: Oh, Heisuke-kun! Wait a moment!

(Heisuke runs off)

What happened to him? Ah? Toshi-san! How long have you been there?

Hijikata: Ah, you noticed me. I was just passing by. By the way, is that guy Heisuke, okay?

Iba: Ah, Toshi-san is also worried about Heisuke-kun? That's why just now.

Hijikata: We've known each other for a long time so it's hard to not notice any changes to him. Although I've been trying to keep more of an eye on him lately, that guy's been worrying about something by himself all the time.

Iba: So that's how it is. Although Heisuke-kun seems to be thinking about a number of things, I think it's best to leave him to think to himself.

Hijikata: I see.

Iba: It's fine. If Heisuke-kun really has a problem, he has a trustworthy comrade beside him.

Hijikata: Trustworthy is it, well, maybe so.

Iba: Speaking of which, Toshi-san, do you had questions about where you belong after that?

Hijikata: What, why are you suddenly asking about this sort of thing.

Iba: It just came to mind. Of course, just hypothetically.

Hijikata: The moment I suspect that the Shinsengumi is over, I think it's my responsibility to prevent that situation from happening.

Iba: : Even so, if one day the Shinsengumi really changes, and if that sort of thing really happens, will Toshi-san be able to stay the same as before?

Hijikata: As long as Kondou-san and I are alive, the Shinsengumi will not change. But if change happens, then I won't change, regardless of how large the changes are around me, I just need to stick to my beliefs.

Iba: As expected, Toshi-san is indeed the same Toshi-san from before.

Hijikata： What are you saying.

Iba: It's so great that I met Toshi-san, I've been attracted to you for a long time.

Hijikata: Hey, that's why I asked you to stop saying such embarrassing things for others to hear.

Iba: Really? Is it something embarrassing?

Hijikata: You haven't changed at all. How is it that I can be so interesting to you?

Iba: Of course that's because I respect Toshi-san.

Hijikata: As you wish, but, just don't mention this sort of thing in front of the other soldiers.

Iba: Ah, I understand.

Hijikata: Then I'll be going first.

Iba: Ah, please Toshi-san, I'll be going back to training, so please accompany me!

(footsteps)

(The current situtation is very turbulent,but even if everything changes, the ideals I have in my heart will remain unchanged. The guidance he gave just now, has clearly been engraved into my thoughts. I will just believe in what you said, Toshi-san.)

Hijikata Toshizou: Miki Shin'ichiro

Toudou Heisuke: Yoshino Hiroyuki

Iba Hachirou: Miyano Mamoru

---end---

image was taken from suruga-ya

*references:

https://www.japanesewiki.com/culture/Tsubazeriai.html

https://www.tanoshiijapanese.com/dictionary/entry_details.cfm?entry_id=41759&element_id=204340

https://samurai-shodown.fandom.com/wiki/Locking_Swords

note to self: maybe use an audio translator to check over that line when Iba first mentions the Okuzume... not sure about that part since the translations of the differing tls I use are very different in that part.

[glatisant-questing]

Personal Hakuoki Translation/Collection Masterpost

I mainly post translation practices/reviews/analyses/memes of Hakuoki special edition booklets/magazine content/artbook content on this blog.

My favorite characters are Souji, Yamazaki, and Saito. So I will prioritize the translation/collection of materials related to these three characters.

My translations are definitely not 100% accurate, so feel free to leave a comment to help me improve my Japanese skills.

My scans (as well as translated content) all come from my own copies which I purchased.

I translate/post stuff as a hobbyist learning Japanese and a passionate fan of Hakuoki. If you like my content and are new to the Hakuoki universe, please consider supporting the Hakuoki franchise. As of 2023, the franchise is still releasing new content.

An index of the stuff I have posted on this blog:

Manyo no Shou Special Edition Booklet:

Yamazaki's short story

Souji's short story

Saito's short story

Hijikata's short story

Heisuke's short story

Kazama's short story

Harada's short story

Shinpachi's short story

Sannan's short story

Iba's short story

Souma's short story

Ryoma's short story

Manyo no Shou Stellaworth Booklet

Part 1 (Okita, Saito, and Yamazaki)

Part 2 (Hijikata, Sannan, and Souma)

Part 3 (Heisuke, Sano, and Shinpachi)

Part 4 (Kazama, Iba, and Sakamoto)

Drama CDs

Manyo no Shou Bic Camera Bonus (Yamazaki, Iba and Hijikata)

Scans of Selected Pages of Artbooks/Goods I Own:

Pages from Ten'un no Shou Box Set Artbook "Hakuoki Shinkai Artbook （薄桜鬼真改絵巻）: Information magazine article illustrations （情報誌揭載イラスト）

Manyo no Shou Ebten cards.

Manyo no Shou Wondergoo Yamazaki message card.

My Random Thoughts/Memes

Hakuoki + Disco Elysium =?

Yamazaki's shorthands

Ochimizu (repost)

My Fics

The Charm (Omamori) (Yamazaki/Chizuru)

[otome-asylum]

Piofiore: Fated Memories Review

From the game box's summary: "Navigate a world of organized crime. Three mafia families fight for control of Burlone City, and Lili discovers she is in the center of their deadly turf wars. Her encounters lead to danger and distraction. Drawn into this shadowy world, she realizes there is no going back..."

Piofiore: Fated Memories is an Otomate game from Idea Factory, localized by Aksys Games for the Nintendo Switch.

Overall Score: 8/10. I really liked the game in general--romanticized mafia is super fun! I loved the mafia premise and the thrill of illicit activities, haha. The love interests and side characters were excellent, too. The voice acting is fabulous! Two of my favorite VAs voice love interests: Showtaro Morikubo as Gilbert Redford (also voices Souji Okita in Hakuoki and Impey Barbicane in Code Realize) and Ryohei Kimura as Nicola Francesca (voices Kageyuki Shiriashi from Collar x Malice). Even fell in love with the voice acting of a new guy--Nobuhiko Okamoto as Yang (also does a side character's voice in Collar x Malice).

What I was not expecting was the somewhat heavy emphasis on Christianity and religion. That makes it sound a little more intense than I mean, but considering I wasn't expecting it at all...well. It wasn't the way one might expect, but it was enough that it was completely out of left field when I was expecting, you know, mafia. Honestly, had I known it wasn't just straight mafia, I might not have bought the game, but it was easy enough for me to ignore most of the time. There were some very--I mean very--minor translation issues, mainly typos, but it was good overall.

Heroine: 6/10. To start with, my opinion of the Heroine varied depending on the route. She was my favorite in Gilbert's route, and I liked her enough in Yang's, but she was kind of pitiful in the other three (not including the Finale/Henri endings; admittedly, I didn't read the Finale). Frankly, I found myself annoyed at her most of the time. It's annoying when a character that's meant to represent the reader (as a general rule) does, says, and thinks things that I never would. She has decent points at least once in most of the routes, but especially in the beginning of each route, she's so naive it makes me want to throw up. There are in-game reasons for why this is, so I understand it, but I still dislike it.

By the end of each route, she comes to terms with the fact that she's fallen in love with an incredibly dangerous man and gets over the fact that she's inadvertently complicit in organized crime, but the road to this acceptance is long and annoying. At the end of it all, she's still a bleeding heart. Not that I really thought that would change, but still. Progress.

I'm just bored to death of many otome MCs' main (and often only) strength being strength of will and/or character. Mental and emotional toughness are good, but could the MC also be useful and have more interesting qualities? Just once, I'd love to play a badass MC, who's a bit hardened, not a bleeding heart, and isn't shocked by the sight of blood... Yeesh...

Narrative: As is typical of these console games, the plot varies slightly from route to route, though there is an overarching plot. Without giving too much away, MC is Special™, and that comes out/is relevant in only 3/6 routes. All of the routes were well written, though I didn't find all of them that interesting. The overarching plot bored me to tears. I just wasn't into it. In a world of what I assumed was just your standard period mafia piece, there was a lot of weird mysticism and Christian mythology. There's not magic or anything like that, but there are sacred relics that can only be retrieved from their super secret locations with specific "ingredients," if you will. MC has one of those ingredients, and in a game where it really advertises the mafia (that's literal the entire pitch of the game, there's no mention of anything else on the game case), it feels very out of place.

I can tell they were trying to do something different with the mafia premise, and I commend the writers for that, but I think it fell a little flat. I found myself enjoying the routes where there was more of those organized crime attributes--smuggling, drug and arms dealing, counterfeiting, etc.--most, while the routes that heavily focused on MC's specialness were a slog to get through. Of course, this is my own personal opinion, so others may feel very differently. Despite that, I truly enjoyed the game and can't wait to play the sequel (fandisc)!

Love Interests: I adore these characters, period. They're all very unique and interesting, even if a few weren't my type. There are technically six love interests: Nicola Francesca, Dante Falzone, Yang, Gilbert Redford, Orlok, and Henri. Gilbert is locked until you completed Nicola, Yang, Dante, and Orlok's routes, and the Finale/Henri is locked until you complete Gil's. You don't get a feel for who Henri is at all until you play the Finale route, so I personally didn't care for him. I had no vested interest in him, so full disclosure, I mostly skipped his route...

The other characters were wonderfully varied, so I think there's a personality type to suit nearly everyone. I can honestly say that, although not all of them are for me, I can pick out a quality I like in all of them. Dante is the kuudere of the guys; Gilbert is gallant and chivalrous; Yang is selfish and craves violence (in the best way, though); Nicola is a flirt; and Orlok is the quiet, shy one. Henri is mysterious, though not in an interesting way for me, personally.

Game Mechanics: The "Status" page is difficult to understand, especially when you first start playing and have no idea what you're looking at. I had to look up how to interpret the status of the character. The more colorful the flower on the status page is, the higher the affection, and the clearer the page (in this case, how much blood spatter is visible) is related to the tolerance level. So, full-color flower and no blood spatters are very good.

I also don't love the Meanwhile side stories. While you're plaything through every story, periodically you'll get a pop-up that is sometimes automatic, sometimes optional, that takes you to a different perspective--something that's going on at the same time as the main story. I like the idea in theory, but it sometimes felt like they came at inopportune times and broke the story flow.

Music & Art Style: The music is jaunty and fun, very 1920s jazz, screams mafia, too. If that makes sense. If you decide to play it, you'll see what I mean. The art style is beautiful! It looks very similar to, if not outright the same as, Hakuoki. Since that's the game that started my love affair with these types of games, I love that it looks so similar. The CGs are gorgeous and worth collecting all of them, so 100-percenting the game is worth it. Some of them get pretty hot, too, like aaahhhhh. So 10/10 on the art!

[rainbowdonkee]

One of these days I really should post like a review of all the otome games I've played. Since playing Olympia Soiree back in Winter 2023, I have not stopped playing otome games xD

I first got into otome thanks to Hakuoki on Steam back in 2017 and thankfully Nintendo Switch has been REALLY supportive towards the VN genre and I hope they continue this strong support <3

[kurayami-no-ko]

I have a Sannan issue right now

So I watched one Hakumyu show. Then I watched another because the first one was so good. And my mind right now is basically just: Sannan, Sannan, Sannan, Sannan,... you get the gist.

I wrote a review of Sannan hen and posted it on the otome games subreddit. Here is the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/otomegames/comments/12xdslx/hakuoki_a_review_of_the_recent_sannan_hen_mainly/

I just ordered two Sannan drama CDs because I wanted to hear Sannan speak.

Recently, I started playing Hakuoki SSL and when he started speaking about how he always left his homework to the literal last day because he wanted to enjoy the suffering, I died. This man is just so cute. He literally can do anything, and I will find it cute. He is perfect. I can’t deal with it. Save me. This man will be the death of me, I swear.

[valhala90]

Ninja Shadow, Sakamoto's route review

My emotions can be summed up as boredom

and rage for fucking up great tropes

IT WAS RIGHT FUCKING THERE FOR THE TAKING. ALL YOU HAD TO DO IS MILDLY COPY HAKUOKI FOR FUCK'S SAKE.

Anyhow, let me elaborate on it further. We're talking about this guy

in case you forgot that he existed, and I wouldn't blame you because his route was so forgettable.

As you know, he's based on a historical figure Sakamoto Ryouma and you might remember the character from Hakuoki under that name. This route only reflects his ideals to change the politics of the country and to bring peace. That's all they have in common. In no way shape or form does this follow the historical events even just a tiny bit, since Shogun is also a playable character and love interest and they basically settle things with talk, and Shogun agrees to his terms.

This route is also very short with plenty of checkpoints that require a lot of Talent-n-skills points to pass it. I recently played it again just so I can see it with fresh eyes since I read it a couple of years ago, and yeah my opinion didn't change.

I won't go into the details about Saori Shishido, the MC, (you can change her name) but in the nutshell, her twin brother gets killed by Saburo Suigetsu because he sacrificed himself to save a woman whose village was set on fire by the said piece of shit. Kaname, Saori's brother was supposed to join the secret organization called Nagasaki vigilantes so that he can earn support for his impoverished village. Saori takes his place and his identity and when she meets the vigilantes she has to choose an instructor.

Almost all of the stories start out like that with a couple of exceptions, depending on which season you're playing. In the earlier routes, it's all about avenging her brother and the final chapter is when she gets to assassinate Suigetsu, but as more and more charas were added that plot took a backseat; she still gets to do that but it's just a subplot often treated like a task to do so the main plot can happen. Other original vigilantes, and when I say original I mean the earliest versions of the vigilantes, also fade into the background and are treated just like generic characters without their cool fighting techniques and strengths. The same happens to original villains. Suigetsu becomes just a target practice, sometimes involved with the other, more important antagonists in newer routes, who often dispose of him as some insect, and not that I'm complaining 'cause he's a scum, but I just want to point out that the original story doesn't matter much in the later routes.

I dislike the treatment of Toru Nakagawa, who's portrayed as a highly skilled swordsman, being able to hold his own against multiple vigilantes and is so eager to bring the new era to the country through any means necessary. Now, he and the original vigilantes are nothing but the sad doggo meme against Hades, who has a thicker plot armour than the MC, or shadow vigilantes, and whatever came next. So that's my main issue with this game.

Sakamoto's route is somewhere in between. The main "villains" are Toru and Tsubaki since they think the new era can only start with violence/revolution and plan to kill the shogun, you know, closer to historical events. Vigilantes play a minor role since MC gets a task to supervise Sakamoto just when she is about to choose her instructor. Makoto orders her to follow him since he heard that he's gathering rebels to overthrow the shogun. Sakamoto is a former vigilante and knows how they operate. He's also a people person, similar to Ukyo and is always cheerful and smiley, without regard for personal space. He doesn't get bothered by having Saori shadow him and wants to become friends instantly. He quickly grabs her to show her the town since it's her first day at Nagasaki and treats her to a meal, giving her a lot of compliments that make MC uncomfortable since she's pretending to be a guy, but that always bothered me because she picked the girliest possible garments and her lips look all shiny and shit. But ok. We ain't getting no Mulan disguise.

So, Zeyo is touchy-feely, and Saori wonders why he left the vigilantes. They are on the beach, and Zeyo suddenly turns serious and asks her why did she choose the name Kaname. Remember, she's pretending to be her brother. She's taken aback, especially when he says he knows that her name is Saori. Petrified, Saori denies it all, and that she's often mistaken for a woman. Zeyo backs off, apologizing for disturbing her. He then elaborates that one of his friends saw a woman with her description and sure enough, Yoshiyuki appears, calling her by her real name. Yoshiyuki is a childhood friend of Kaname and Saori. He greets her stating that she's the woman he loves and Saori starts to panic since her cover is completely blown. Yoshiyuki, in true otome fashion, says they were destined to meet again since she's his future wife, and Zeyo's like, back off dude. Anyhow, Yoshiyuki is a part of Zeyo's organization called Kaientai and they deal with trade.

For now, let's say I buy all of this information dump in the first chapter and don't question anything

When he starts asking about details of why she is calling herself Kaname and what she is doing in Nagasaki, Zeyo comes to her aid, stating that they shared a table when they ate and that he promised that he will show her around town. He also tries to justify why she's using her brother's name. Yoshiyuki, apparently, buys all that and leaves, since it's totally fine to leave someone you're friends with, and love so much with your boss, who's a stranger, but it's okay since he's a great guy.

Again, ok, I'll go with it

Saori thanks Zeyo for helping her out. He also says that he will keep her secret as long as she needs him to and asks about the wife thing with Yoshiyuki. Saori denies it and then he flirts with her, saying that she should consider him also as a husband candidate. MC brushes it off as a joke. They part ways in the evening, but Makoto comes out of the Meiko salon and says to her to keep an eye on Sakamoto 24/7. How convenient for the plot.

So here is where my main issues with this route start. I already said that it's a problem because it's really short, the next problem is the lack of personality of both MC and Sakamoto. She moves in with him basically and the conversations they are having are so boring that I seriously fell asleep reading it. MC is supposed to be a ninja with a task to observe a potentially dangerous and suspicious man who is gathering/riling up people for rebellion to overthrow Shogun and maybe even assassinate him, and there she is saying sorry to intrude on your home, thank you for your kindness, blushes at the complements and oh boy, I'm getting annoyed just writing this.

She is not supposed to let her guard down 'cause for all she knows Zeyo is someone good at pretending and a very skilled person who she knows nothing about, but he knows a lot about her and about her employer, the vigilantes. He has a lot of advantages over her, and instead of using that as blackmail maybe to inject this story with some life, he's like nah, I like you, you're pretty blah blah. She should be cautious and take Makoto's words seriously, and perhaps gradually let the guard down if Zeyo proves that he's really a good and kind person who's not a threat.

The dialogue where they have friendly banters, cute chit-chat and moments should come waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay later. They didn't build anything! It feels helluva weird!

A few days later, she's giving her report about Zeyo to Makoto, and Makoto warns her about Shinsengumi coming to sniff out the potential rebels (yet when they eventually meet up she's a Pikachu meme). Shinsengumi in this game are clowns. Okita and Hijikata have a few good banters but that's about it. So do not expect Hakuouki level at friggin' all. He also tells her if she catches Zeyo conspiring against Shogun to assassinate him.

And I'm like, fuck yeah, finally some plot!

Saori is like, I understand sir, but inside she's whining and being like, I like Sakamoto I know him for less than a week but he's great he won't betray my trust! (I will mention otome 《My Vow to My Liege》 that has the best betrayal route that I've ever read, and I would be so happy if 1% of that happened here but nah). Also, I realize this is nitpicking but WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SMILING WHEN HE ASKS YOU IF YOU CAN DELIVER THE KILL? JESUS.

They go through the town and Zeyo's like, let me show you the alleys and routes that you can use after you assassinate people to run away, and MC is like oh, I will soon have to kill people *nervous* after she just smiled and confirmed that she can kill the man in front of her if needed. Kunihiro makes an appearance just so he can be all mysterious and I was like ok, they are trying to make us suspect Zeyo, but if you played Kunihiro's route as I did, you know there's nothing to worry about, so he's there just to say enjoy your date and disappear and then MC and Sakamoto are all like uh, he told us we're on a date

Not a forced intimacy or anything. We are being asked, by the author(s), to forget the circumstances of the world they created in the past billion routes, and kinda fall into the idea that MC is doing something wrong since Sakamoto is the bestest guy ever, take this screenshot for example:

We're also supposed to believe that he fell for her from the start and wants MC to reciprocate his feelings, without any emotional leverage, or investment, since Sakamoto clears the suspicions about him being involved in anything insidious pretty quickly and Makoto's like yeah, I knew it from the start but had to be sure, also I know you're a woman and if you had issues with being with a guy in close quarters I would dismiss you, but now I'm gonna let you off the hook.

In the earlier routes, all who found out the vigilantes' identity had to be killed and that had a lot of weight in the stories but here it's okay since the plot can be changed as the author(s) see fit. This is what I hate in these kinds of games that have zillion datable characters. The lore gets forgotten and dismissed since they introduced so many ludicrous plotlines in the latest stories that quickly solve some problems and deliver quantity over quality for a cash grab, but create massive plot holes for people who actually followed their shit for years. like MCU for example.

Let's wrap this up since it doesn't deserve to be talked about this much.

MC and Sakamoto are already deeply in love when they have that talk with Makoto, btw. Toru and Tsubaki are still gonna go with their plan and do something resembling the actual history, so ofc Sakamoto and MC go to Edo to prevent the assassination of Shogun and also so that Sakamoto can ask for the official meeting with the shogun and talk about the future of the country and fulfil his dream that suddenly becomes Saori's dream as well, 'cause fuck her village.

I actually like the stories where she returns there to become the village chief. Oh, and the revenge for her brother is handled as quickly as possible as well as her PTSD of killing a person on her first mission. Sakamoto says some words of encouragement and not in a good way like Ukyo handled it in his route, since we need to get that out of the way because it ain't about MC anymore, it's about Sakamoto. They basically stop Toru with talk no justu and he kicks the shit out of them since Sakamoto cannot fight with guns up close? WHAT THE FUCK

Do you not know how guns work? You fucking wound him since you don't wanna kill him and end of fucking story! I saved you some space that you could have used to DEVELOP AN ACTUAL STORY AND ROMANCE.

Sadly, I paid for this shit and while CGs are mostly good, some are awkward. Oh, and Shogun comes and says, yes I accept your terms, Sakamoto, we're gonna change this country and be best buds yay!

They let go Toru and Tsubaki with a warning

Toru and Tsubaki are turned into Team Rocket and say we'll be back if you fuck things up shogun so you better not!

I can't anymore 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

This route is as bland as they come. Goes to show that you can have the greatest potential and tropes in the world and still make a pile of hot garbage because you don't know how to write. I'll remain bitter for giving money for this manure.

[sasazusa]

Are you going to be posting walkthroughs for the new Hakuoki game? Thanks 💜

maybe? i'm still waiting for my copy to arrive, but i will definitely add it to my list of things to cover since i do want to write a review on it. :)

[hellcatinnc]

Love Interests That I Long To Play

(My List Of Guys I Plan To Start Playing)

I sat down and said the hell with it I have gone from game to game and I try to finish the whole game then moving on but unless it makes me like do some story before another I decided I'm gonna start going out on a limb and doing the characters I love or are pulled to first. I know sometimes I love ones I didn't expect but I have such a back log I feel like if I don't do this I will never get to enjoy some of my favorite love interests. I know some find anime's to ruin otomes however my problem is I fall in love with who they are in anime's so when I go to the games I sometimes get disappointed however I play some games like Radiant Tale and long for a anime to it. anyways these are the sexy men I plan to start romancing also I will probably start putting a review of each guy as I do them or a few at a time cause tumblr doesn't like that I like to share alot of pics and sometimes my favs I want to spam pics lol. If you see any you like or plan to or even have done before feel free to comment just try not to spoil too much please. This way I can update this list as I do them too.

Otome Love Interests (no particular order)

Radiant Tale/Radiant Tale Fanfare

Paschalia - (Fanfare)

Zafora (Fanfare)

Vilio (Both)

--------------------------------------------------------

Dance With Devils

Lindo

Urie

Rem

--------------------------------------------------------

Piofiore Memories/1926

Nicola

Gilbert

Dante

Yang

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Nil Admirari No Tenbin/Libra Of Nil Admirari

Hayato

Akira

Shizuru

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Kamigami No Asoba

Hades

Loki (2nd Ending Only)

Baldr

--------------------------------------------------------

Variable Barricade (After Story Only)

Ichiya

Shion

Taiga

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Cafe Enchante

Misyr (sadly have to do everyone first)

Ignes

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Lover Pretend(I know all of them interest me)

Eiichirou Asagi

Yukito Sena

Kazuma Kamikubo

Harumi Makino

Riku Nishijima

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Star Crossed Myth

Scorpio

Teorus

Karno

Zyglavis

Partheno

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Enchanted In The Moonlight

Kiryu

Kyoga

Chikage

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Steam Prison

Adage

Eltcreed

Fin

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Bustafellows

Shu

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Hakuoki Kyoto Winds/Edo Blossoms

Hachiro Iba

Toshizo Hijikata

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Norn9

Kakeru Yuiga

Itsuki Kagami

Akito Syukuri

Heishi Otomaru

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London Detective Mysteria

William H. Watson

Jack the Ripper

Jean Lupin

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Collar x Mallice (All Yet Again)

Kageyuki Shiraishi

Aiji Yanagi

Kei Okazaki

Mineo Enomoto

Takeru Sasazuka

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Taisho x Alice

Wizard

Kaguya

Red Riding Hood

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Spade no Kuni no Alice White/Black

Boris Airay

Blood Dupre

--------------------------------------------------------

Charade Maniacs

Mamoru Chigasaki

Mei Dazai

Ryoichi Futami

Takumi Haiji

--------------------------------------------------------

Diabolik Lovers

Laito

Subaru

Ruki

Kou

Yuma

Azusa

--------------------------------------------------------

Brothers Conflict

Kaname

Tsubaki

Natsume

--------------------------------------------------------

Olympia Soiree

Yosuga

Kuroba

Riku

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Even If Tempest

Tyril I Lister

Crius Castlerock

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Magic Kyun! Renaissance

Teika

Rui

Mone

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Uta No Prince Sama All Stars

Reiji

Ren

Ranmaru

Tokiya

Natsuki

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I left out voltage games because I usually do them in sets of the whole game if it changes I'll add. Plus this is not all my games just some that are nearer the top of my lists I need to play.

[blog-retrogradewear]

Review: Winter’s Wish: Spirit of Edo Feels Made for Hakuoki Fans https://t.co/XxW7W3XJEr

Review: Winter’s Wish: Spirit of Edo Feels Made for Hakuoki Fans https://t.co/XxW7W3XJEr

— Retrograde Wear Gaming (@RetroGradeWear) May 9, 2023

from Twitter https://twitter.com/RetroGradeWear

[eleiyaumei]

My thoughts when I played Hakuōki for the first time

It’s been 2 years since I first played Hakuōki Kyoto Winds/Edo Blossoms so I thought I could share the notes I took back then. It’s mostly rankings with explanations.

Short Backstory: I only play otome I find on Steam and one day I found Hakuouki on there. I saw the time period, was reminded of the movie “Last Samurai” with Tom Cruise and immediately was like: “Oh, no, I don’t wanna play this misery fest.” But I was still interested (since there’s so few otome on Steam) and thus watched the first movie on Amazon. I don’t remember exactly what I thought of it but I must have been frustrated by how they handled Chizuru... One day, it’s the pandemic, I was stuck in my apartment and I bought KW & EB. And the rest is history…

Note: This is no debate, just my opinion, so don’t expect well-written, logical arguments for anything I wrote here. My opinions aren’t meant to offend anyone but if you don’t like Hakuōki or your favorite character(s) being critically/negatively discussed, please don’t read this or proceed with caution.

Feel free to share your first impressions of KW/EB or Hakuōki in general!

My thoughts after playing Kyoto Winds:

Love Interest Ranking:

1.      Saito – perfect Kuudere! Always rational and logically-thinking.

2.      Okita – child and adult at once, stubborn, teasing; I find myself in him. (I wasn’t in love with him back then and had to warm myself up toward him.)

3.      Iba – perfect, but maybe TOO perfect… (I thought he would turn out to be a Yandere.)

4.      Toudou – such a cute little baby!

5.      Kazama – human-hater for good reasons, sadist with a soft side to him.

6.      Nagakura – my broooo; his energy is contagious!

7.      Hijikata – strict and soft at once.

8.      Ryouma – hot, but TOO hot, too pushy, seems fake sometimes.

9.      Yamazaki – powerless and seeking-to-be-useful like MC.

10.  Harada – friendly sexist. (Did you know there’s a thing called “benevolent sexism”? That’s what he embodies. Yes, that’s still my opinion about him.)

11.  Sannan – craycray for understandable reasons.

12.  Souma – fanboy with ideals instead of a real personality.

 Routes

1.      Saito

2.      Okita

3.      Toudou

4.      Iba - I didn’t like the ending. I also didn’t like that he let Takeda drift away in the river and MC didn’t question his behavior. No matter if he was an enemy, that still was dishonorable of Iba.

5.      Hijikata

6.      Ryouma

7.      Kazama – too few moments

8.      Nagakura

9.      Harada

10.  Sannan – too few/weak moments

11.  Yamazaki – too few/weak moments

12.  Souma – more a love story between him and the Shinsengumi

 MC (‘s personality)

1.      Kazama

2.      Heisuke

3.      Okita

4.      Saitou

5.      Hijikata – she apologizes too often

6.      Nagakura

7.      Harada

8.      Ryouma

9.      Iba

10.  Sannan

11.  Yamazaki

12.  Souma

 Love Stories

1.      Heisuke – puppy love: Heisuke is such a lovable cinnamon role.

2.      Okita – slow-burn

3.      Kazama – MC learns that he isn’t a complete jerk.

4.      Saito

5.      Iba – cute with problems

6.      Nagakura – more like a bromance

7.      Hijikata – slow approach but nothing romantic yet

8.      Harada – he admires her strength but doesn’t want her to fight: imbalanced.

9.      Ryouma – more sexual than romantic

10.  Yamazaki – in the end too much too fast

11.  Sannan – barely any chemistry, few moments

12.  Souma – no chemistry between MC and him

 My thoughts after playing Edo Blossoms:

Love Interests:

1.      Okita – joker with so much passion and so much warmth… (Can you tell I had fallen in love?)

2.      Sakamoto – full of life and passion, his heart in the right place, jokester, intelligent

3.      Heisuke – puppy that grows up

4.      Nagakura – energy, empathy/compassion for enemies, sense of responsibility for his comrades, love for freedom/independence

5.      Hijikata – strict, honorable, soft, can also tease/joke

6.      Iba – such a good guy

7.      Souma – a boy that grows into a man, cute like a kitten, courageous and proud like a lion

8.      Saito – rational and shy, strong will

9.      Harada – kind and hot but believing in traditional gender roles

10.  Kazama – JERK with kind side, CAN be respectful

11.  Sannan – I can’t warm up to this Kuudere; he tends towards madness because he doesn’t want to be (seen as) useless.

12.  Yamazaki – irrational, crazy, power-hungry many times due to his low self-esteem, walking red flag. Why should I believe that he sees MC as more than a token and blood bag? He shyly asks for his first kiss but then he immediately doesn’t care if MC wants to kiss him or if the kiss is hurting her. Furthermore, he doesn’t show much interest in MC.

 Routes:

1.      Okita – all these feelings… This isn’t just Sōji’s route but Yukimura’s as well.

2.      Sakamoto – kinda had everything (humor, drama, emotion) and nothing that bothered me too much.

3.      Hijikata – Drama, baby! Many ups and downs, moments to laugh and to cry. The moment Kazama recognizes Toshi as a demon has gravitas and his death is honorable. The Sannan-subplot makes sense, Kodo’s death is cheap and easy. I love that Okita gets another scene BUT after that he is never mentioned again!

4.      Heisuke – heartbreaking how a ray of sunshine turns into a depressive pessimist… Sannan as a crazy villain is an absolute no-go! This makes him weaker in Toshi’s and his own route because his downfall doesn’t really fit his character.

5.      Nagakura – because of the depressive phases and MC’s will to fight. I find it immensely astonishing that Nagakura didn’t need nor used his Fury powers.

6.      Iba – because MC took over control several times and Iba respected her decisions.

7.      Saito – it’s only about him… (His route frustrated me the most since I was so hyped up at the end of his route in KW...)

8.      Sannan – tragic how many distrusted him and he still kept on fighting. …Wait! How come that Kaoru was useless if Kodo only wanted pureblood blood?? …More scientific stuff would have benefitted the route.

9.      Harada – MC is an anxious nerve wreck. (This influenced my whole perception of the route.)

10.  Souma – still too much focus on the Shinsengumi but Souma has a good character development – from boy into a man.

11.  Kazama – boring, nothing happens, threats are taken care of too soon; basically Yukimura’s route just with Kazama.

12.  Yamazaki – Kazama takes the final blow from MC! Plot hole/Error: Furies don’t attack MC until Yamazaki defeats Kodo.

 MC (‘s personality)

Baseline: She always feels guilty for everything and is just glad to serve as a blood bag…

1.      Okita – She does not feel guilty for once and isn’t the only one that cares and makes sacrifices. Plus, she fights physically two times (against Kazama and imperial soldiers, she kills one) and verbally with Kaoru and Kodo in the end.

2.      Iba – She has helpful ideas several times and Iba trusts and listens to her. But she thinks Iba is too good for her… BIG NO GO: MC would have let Iba r*pe her because she was sure that this was the demon arm’s doing. This situation traumatizes her for a little while.

3.      Sakamoto – intelligent, passionate and strong-willed. She is not let down by insecurity, guilt etc., isn’t  wailing the whole time and she is seething with anger towards her father due to his experiments (instead of wailing and not wanting to accept the truth).

4.      Nagakura – she exercises fighting and enjoys Shinpachi’s blood-sucking. However, she accepts his proposal when they kiss for the first time and she never fights…

5.      Toudou – she has a rather strong will and motivates Heisuke with her optimism but she doesn’t fight or does something else…

6.      Hijikata – she cries easily but can talk big, has a strong will. But she is nothing more than a housewife…

7.      Saito – she is nothing more than a caring, loyal housewife and a slow-witted blood bag (doesn’t understand what he feels for her until it is spoken out loud). But hey: At least she initiates her first time – on top of him.

8.      Sannan – strong-willed but even she is doubting Sannan towards the end…

9.      Kazama – she isn’t afraid to speak her mind in front of him, she regulates her objectives. She doesn’t want to re-open the Yukimura clinic even though she likes to take care of others, she is not a fan of marriage, would only marry Kazama.. But in the end, she gives up everything to be with Kazama.

10.  Souma – she doesn’t do anything, does not confess to Souma but at least she asks him to spend the last night together with her. She only follows Souma and waits for him – as she is his senpai, I would have expected more of her. Since the north star represents Souma’s purpose of life for him and he is MC’s north star, MC’s purpose of life is Souma…

11.  Harada – zero self-confidence, zero self-worth, 1000 anxieties… Harada’s love gives her strength, she only wants a peaceful life as wife, housewife and mother. (The first part reminds me too much of my hurting and depressed teenage self, the last part is something I cannot relate to.)

12.  Yamazaki – completely dependent on him, weak, low self-worth, likes to be used.

 Love Stories:

1.      Okita – so mutual, equal and not toxic. At the beginning, MC takes care of Soji, later he takes care of her. For the first time in his life, he wants to live for ‘selfish’ reasons and wants to spend the rest of his life with MC. Both support each other until the very end.

2.      Iba – cute.

3.      Sakamoto – he jokes a lot but develops feelings for MC, takes care of her and respects her wishes.

4.      Heisuke – it’s more about fighting Heisuke’s problems than their relationship..

5.      Saito – slow burn but only MC sacrifices herself for him, not the other way round.

6.      Hijikata – takes a long time but is rather cute. He gets softer and can tease MC.

7.      Souma – kitten love but development isn’t really visible. Others have to bring them together…

8.      Harada – MC depends on his reassurance. It feels bad that Harada is leaving his friends behind for her even though that’s a ~romantic~ gesture.

9.      Kazama – he respects her wishes and learns something new. But in the end, he is as ignorant and arrogant as in the beginning… (I HATE THIS still.)

10.  Sannan – seemingly pure love: all-trusting, all-forgiving… (You should not trust someone when they don’t trust you back. You should not forgive if you never get anything back in return.)

11.  Nagakura – romantic development rather sudden or primarily in the blood-sucking scenes.

12.  Yamazaki – rather one-sided and toxic.

 Couples I can support:

OkiChi, IbaChi, SakaChi.

Couples I can accept:

HijiChi, SaiChi, HeiChi (Somewhere along the line Heisuke got lost in his own feelings and stopped empathizing with MC. Granted, that’s how depression works, but it does not make for a good relationship. At least in his epilogue, we see him apologizing to MC for not helping reach her goal of finding her father. A glimpse of Kyoto Winds’ Heisuke.), NagaChi, SomaChi

Couples I can barely tolerate:

HaraChi (MC depends too much on Harada’s support; Harada projects his own dreams too much on her without really considering her feelings (though it seems like he cares at first sight).)

SanChi (There’s not much common ground between the two. Sannan does not seem to have much of a romantic interest in MC. He seems more like a happy single. Pairing him with MC is like rewarding her loyalty, kindness and patience with a relationship despite a lack of reciprocated feelings.)

KazaChi (JUST because of that darn ending!)

Couple I find repulsive and can only warn others about:

YamaChi

[druidstavern]

Snow bunnies ❄️

[rennarenofao3]

I’ve gotten a chance to try out another of the Hakuouki themed teas from Adagio tea that I got for my birthday.

Of the two teas I have left, I decided to try the Hijikata themed tea first. For this tea, I used my new tea cup and saucer that I got with a gift card I was given for Christmas, and paired the tea with some chocolate chip cookies as a treat. 

When I first opened the box of tea, I initially noticed how sweet this one smelled in comparison to the two that I’ve already tried. (Sannan and Heisuke’s teas) In my opinion the scent of this tea is also a very ‘warm’ one, but not unpleasant at all. In fact it has one of the most interesting scents out of the three I think.

As per usual I added a bit of honey and milk to the tea, then started settling into the cup. The flavor of this tea is a somewhat spicy one, and that spiciness was the first thing I noticed about it upon taking a sip. Personally I found that I wasn’t as much a fan of that particular aspect of the tea, however I did find myself liking the tea more and more the further I got into the cup. ...And if you like a more spicy tea, then this one might be a good one for you.

Overall this tea was probably my least favorite of the three, so far. But it was still pretty good, and if I’m in the mood for something a bit outside of my usual taste preferences I could see this tea being a good one to turn to.

Heisuke’s very lemon-y tea is still holding on as my favorite.

[deathbyotoge]

Reasons to Support Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds

If you are or ever were feeling skeptical about playing the latest remastered version of the beloved Hakuoki series, I was right there with ya! However, after actually buying and playing Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds for myself, I can honestly say that it is worth supporting. 

Mind you, these sentiments are coming from someone who has only played the original Hakuoki ~Demon of the Fleeting Blossom~ when it was first localized in English on PSP back in 2012. I wasn’t really a die-hard fan of Hakuoki so I haven’t played any of the spin-offs or re-releases prior to Kyoto Winds, so I may have been hit by the nostalgia effect. But regardless, this recent remastering of Hakuoki has instilled a new love and adoration for the series that I didn’t have before, what with all the fresh content and updates they added. I can now see the amassing appeal to the series even though I didn’t quite buy into the game all those years ago. If that doesn’t tell you something about how well-done the remastered rendition of the game is, then I can’t tell you what will!

Improved UI: Updated, cleaner, and more visually appealing than before. I am a sucker for sleek and user-friendly UI, so I personally appreciated the modernization.

Improved Visual Effects & Animation: 

Transitions between scenes are more fluid

Ambient effects (rain, snow, cherry blossom petals, etc.)

Flashback, character movement/ motion, combat (sword, spear, gun, etc.), & blood effects

Blinking & speaking animation

Stellar New Music: More immersive, convincing, and addicting! Many new pieces were added that correspond well with the mood and scenarios.

New Dialogue: As it sounds, new dialogue was added for old and new characters alike. As a result, the overall plot and character development received more clarity and became more convincing as both were more fleshed out accordingly. If anything, the new dialogue made me love all the characters even more! So much so that I’d like to just point out that the new dialogue for Chizuru gave her much more personality and backbone in comparison to before (WHICH I LOVED because I’m not down for the damsel MC archetype). As for the love interests and side characters, they were also given some extra love that really did an amazing job to flesh out their personalities and relative plot points as well. Reading the story this time around really made me buy into the appeal for this game. If there were to be any real reason to support this remastered version of Hakuoki, the new dialogue would be it!

New CGs: The classic beloved characters were given a few new CGs that followed their new scenarios, which really added to the natural development of the relationship between Chizuru and her potential love interest. I thought it was a nice touch to the original story as it helped bridge the gaps that may have existed with some of the characters where their budding romance felt abrupt or lacking. The new CGs definitely helped fill those gaps with ample SQUEE~! moments. The quality of the new CGs also look so good that I wish they redrew the art of the old CGs as well (I’m sure between then and now, the artist’s style has improved and changed over the years, so the more recent CGs stand out much more than the old CGs -- not that I’m complaining! It was just an observation more than anything). So then what this means for the new characters is that all their CGs were just stunning ☆◡☆

Ryouma Sakamoto (voiced by ♥ Daisuke Ono ♥): Obviously I’m biased but trust me, play his route for yourself and let me know if you just couldn’t help falling in love with this man and his voice ≧ヮ≦

Support Needed in Order to Localize More Otome Games: Yes, Kyoto Winds is only half of the original game (obviously, since it’s named as so), but I know many people out there have had a gripe about the lack of advertisement of such. Honestly, even if you didn’t know that the game is split into two, it’s no excuse to not buy the game or QQ on forums or review pages to deter people from buying the game. After all, the only way that we can hope to get more otome games localized in English is to make it known that there is a lucrative business and growing interest in the niche genre in the West.

TLDR; If you’re interested in Hakuoki, even if it’s only slight, I promise this remastered game is worth your while. And I can also promise that if you enjoy the game during the Shinsengumi’s Kyoto days, then you’ll absolutely love the second half of the game in Edo. Stick the wait out for part two & support this game in the meantime! There is definitely high replay value as you wait, I assure you. Now buy the game if you haven’t already and happy romancing! (ღˇ◡ˇ)~♥

[wonderfulwonderland]

Hakuoki Kyoto Winds route review (pt 2)

(Part 1 here)

Sanan: what a lovely surprise! I was surprised how well he and the MC got along. I think it’s cool that they have a similar internal struggle. Sanan can be a bit... sketchy in other routes, and while he still makes some questionable decisions in his route, it was nice to learn about what was going through his mind. The MC is a bit of a humanizing (hah) influence on him, and it’s interesting to see how perhaps what Sanan really needed was for someone to empathize with him. I honestly really liked the MC is this route, and we learned more of her backstory, so definitely don’t skip this route!

Yamasaki: best boi. Child. Must protect. I liked how his story ties into the main storyline, I think his route could be a good first route. His internal struggle is interesting and it’s cool that the MC really helped re-shape his perspective on how he sees himself. I think it also gave her some perspective on herself too, so yay for a more confident MC! It was a nice message I think, about how in times of struggle people play many different roles, and though one may not be on the front lines that doesn’t mean they’re any less brave or important.

Iba: surprisingly meh. It’s probably because the childhood friends angle allows for a shortcut for his romantic feelings for the MC, so it doesn’t feel built up or really grounded in anything that happens within the actual story. They hardly delve into their childhood so it’s underdeveloped. So the foundation for their relationship seems pretty shaky. I don’t know why Iba likes the MC, whereas in other routes there are clear reasons why these characters grow closer. Also, the MC is particularly clueless in this route, doesn’t understand why Iba is so dedicated to her, and seems to feel a bit awkward. So I just didn’t buy into their relationship in either direction. But I did like the villain side of things in this story, as well as the last chapter.

Sakamoto: pretty good. The political angle is a lot heavier in this route, which makes sense, and I like the way that the story went. I really like Sakamoto, though I’m not sure why he likes the MC tbh. Sakamoto is an interesting dude that’s fun to hang out with, and it’s funny seeing the Shinsengumi react to him, as he doesn’t show up in front of them at all in other routes. I also loved the villains in this route, and finding out more about the MC’s background. I’d still have to give this route a kinda “meh” rating though because of the lack of chemistry between the MC and Sakamoto.

Kazama: I enjoy Kazama as an antagonist, though I had trouble nailing down what his real agenda is. I did like his developing relationship with the MC and their differing world views. He gives me some ‘yikes’ vibes from his expressed interest in her, and honestly without that I’d be much more on board. But if I try to just forget that, I appreciate the actions he takes in his route. I always cheer when he shows up in other routes because he’s just a fun character, and that remained true in his route as well. I liked the few plot revelations, though having played most of the game it didn’t necessarily come as a surprise. But I’m looking forward to his route in Edo Blossoms because I think the plot will be interesting!