薄桜鬼

The dynamic between them is so cute because they're the same age. Spoilers and thoughts ahead. Seriously, the way their relationship develops is so adorable 😭 Historically, he believed in the Sonno Joi ideology, left the Shinsengumi, and became part of Ito's faction, only to die in the Aburakoji Incident. So, while cruel, the 'medicine of immortality' was a kind of salvation. His deep regret afterward showed so much humanity, making his fate as a Rasetsu even more ironic... But it's after he becomes a Rasetsu that things really heat up!! He becomes even more considerate of us, and is just so gentle with the heroine the whole time...! Compared to the other members, he's still so fresh and earnest... I love energetic, bright, dog-like characters!! He even ends up getting along with the 'marriage hunter' in the end, he's like sunshine!! But it's not just that; he carries a lot internally. Compared to the first two routes I played, he's straightforward with his feelings and the most equal partner. The heroine really spoke her mind at that point too!!! If you're interested, you should definitely play it. Now, I guess it's Harada's route next... 🤔 Just a hunch, but I feel like Harada is definitely the 'sexy' type. After that, it'll be Saito's route, which is kind of my main goal (he's the only main member who survives the Boshin War).

Could this be the quintessential romance route? (Only cleared two so far) Minor spoilers and thoughts below. I suspect the heroine might be modeled after... the doctor's daughter who was Souji Okita's childhood friend... The ending seems happy, but unlike those who died in battle, Okita died of illness, so he probably won't live long... It's so sad... 🥲 He kept saying 'I'll kill you' at first, but he protected me every time, and each time he was shortening his own lifespan... He just wanted to protect Kondo and the Shinsengumi, not be a burden... but he completely fell for the yandere deception of his manipulative brother... If the heroine hadn't spoken up and gotten angry, he would have joined us after we moved to Edo, and that's where the real fun of Okita's route would have begun. Next should logically be Saito's route, but maybe Toudo or Harada first? That's because among the original five Shinsengumi members, he's the only one who survived historically. So, even if it's not as historically focused as Hijikata's route, it'll likely have strong historical elements. Plus, as a Rurouni Kenshin fan, I can't possibly... dare to... pursue Tokuo before... 💦

Watched the second season yesterday... sob... 🥲 Warning: Contains minor spoilers below Hijikataaaa 😭 Okitaaaaaa...... 😭 Saito... 😢 Nooo, Hira-chan 😭 Sa...Sano... 😭 Kondo-san... 😢 Nagakura... 😔 Shimada... 😔 Ootori Keisuke... 🤝 Marriage hunting o... oh... stopping the marriage hunting? 😌... 🥲 Wait, wasn't Kuroda Kiyotaka there 😖⁉️ (←My favorite Prime Minister from the Restoration) Season 2 is just too much... the flow of time and the changes in comrades scattering again, it's tough... The Boshin War was long... I miss Season 1...... Watching it as an anime gave it a different flavor. It's not just the farewells of each character, but especially Okita fighting alone without anyone by his side, turning to ash and disappearing, and then Hijikata and Chizuru finding him... that hit me the hardest... 😭

I saw it... I saw it... all of Season 1. Below are my thoughts, including spoilers (I've gone mad, not recommended) Hijikata-san?! 😳 Kondo-saaan 😊 Yamnan-saaan......😔 Okita......😢 Saito...😌 Shinpachi-saaaaaan 💪 (← My real Shinsengumi oshimen) Heii-chaaan 😣 Gen-saaan......🥲 Sano-suuuuun ⚾ Itooooooo 😠 Yamazakiiiiiiiii😭 Um... seriously, I keep forgetting it's a dating sim... It's based on Hijikata's route, so I guess it can't be helped, but Season 1 had fewer romance elements. It felt more like a historical drama with handsome men, blending the flow from the Ikeda-ya incident to the Battle of Toba-Fushimi with daily life, and how the story progresses with the 'marriage-hunting demon.' As a history buff, I was satisfied.

Honestly, I forgot this was a dating sim. Below are some thoughts with minor spoilers. I personally thought Kondo's farewell would hit me the hardest, but I was completely taken by Toudo and Sannan's fates. Knowing from history that both died due to Ito Kashitaro, becoming demons was a form of death historically, but also a salvation for those whose lives were extended. And then, to have nothing left but ashes at the end... 😭 It felt somewhat rare that Nagakura wasn't an early capture target, with Toudo and Harada being there instead. But I understood it was a character selection fitting the story, and the title Hakuoki served as foreshadowing. It was also skillfully done how Saito was an exception in that sense, as he becomes Fujita Goro. Maybe I'll add a bit about the advance party later.