Just recently AKSYS games have released Hakuouki, a very popular Otome Game in English. I pre-ordered my game and received my copy on February 21st but couldn't play it because of college work until yesterday. By the way, an Otome game is usually a visual novel where your choices in the game can lead you to certain endings with the different love interests of the game. In Hakuouki, this is based on the legendary Shinsengumi. If you aren't to sure, who they are or what they are, no worries this game provides you enough information (and an extensive encyclopedia that is constantly updated as the game progresses) to keep you knowledgable.
However, just in case you wanted a quick blurb about them, there are quite a couple of sites that have some good research on them. Just a quick type into the Google search bar can give you many sites to choose from. Wikipedia provides a pretty good overview, and I enjoy this site as another good overview. The basics are that the Shinsengumi worked for the Shogunate and were brought from Edo to protect Kyoto.
The Shinsengumi are a popular bunch to write about or base story lines. Besides this game there are numerous games, anime, manga, dramas and novels based on them. Their stories are both heroic, tragic, and in ways legendary. Personally, I've been enamored in them since I watch the anime Peacemaker Kurogane.
So how does Hakuouki play into this?
Hakuouki is about you playing as a young woman, Chizuru Yukimura if you choose not to rename yourself, who sets off from Edo to Kyoto in search of her missing father. There she meets with Demon Commander Hijikata Toshizou, Saitou Hajime, and Okita Souji. They save her from a group of rogue rounin (the game is heavy on japanese words, but no fear they will and I will always explain!), samurai who have no masters. Unfortunately, she sees something that she isn't suppose to and she is dragged back to headquarters to await the faith of her life. As apparently these dicey hot men are wondering if it is better just to kill her or not!
Obviously you don't die, if you did then you'd have wasted quite a bit of cash for nothing...well let me amend that, you don't die in the beginning (oh dear spoilers!) and so you set off on your adventure. You are given six choices, five from the Shinsengumi; the demon-like Commander Hijikata Toshizou, the devilish Okita Souji, the stoic Saitou Hajime, the womanizing Harada Sanosuke, the honest Toudou Heisuke, and the not-a-Shinsengumi demon Chikage Kazama. It's a good list of personalities and each path brings you down the storyline in unique ways. By the way, the latter part is important. Who you choose will alter where you are in the story and even who the main enemy is.
Also take note, if you know anything about the Shinsengumi the story is not going to be love-love for the whole game, and you can get a happy ending but it won't necessarily be “happily ever after” or a happy ending for everything. And I honestly think that is what makes the storyline so drawing and beautiful. (Well besides Kazuki Yone's gorgeous art style) So if you are use to the lighthearted UtaPri or the fluffy Starry Sky, strengthen your hearts!
So Ohimechama will take you along the corrupting path of otome games and give you a review of each gorgeous warrior's path! Please stay tuned and if you have any comments please leave some! I'm still a novice in all of this so please be kind.
REVIEW LIST:
- Okita Souji
- Hajime Saitou
- Toudou Heisuke
- Harada Sanosuke
- Hijikata Toshizou
- Chikage Kazama
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