 This is a game article. For the anime series, please check this link.
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Hakuōki: Shinsengumi Kitan (薄桜鬼 〜新選組奇譚〜), also known as Demon of the Fleeting Blossom: The Tale of the Shinsengumi, is an otome game in history romance genre, the first in the Hakuouki Franchise. The first of three in the series developed by Idea Factory first designed for the PlayStation 2 and then later ported to PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS. It has been adapted into an anime series by Studio Deen; the first series was broadcast from April to June 2010, and the second series was broadcast from October to December 2010.
The game was remade in 2017 into Hakuouki: Kyoto Winds (Game) and Hakuouki: Edo Blossoms (Game), and is available on Steam.
Gameplay
Being a game in the category of 'otome' (or 'visual novel'), the player interaction within the game is very similar to that of "Choose your own adventure" books.
Hakuouki's gameplay does not require many actions from the player as most of the game's duration is spent on reading the text on the screen, which can either be a dialogue between the characters, Chizuru's narration or her inner thoughts about the situation or the romantic interest she is currently staying with. Sometimes the player is given a choice from 2-4 options displayed on the screen, and this choice affects the immediate result while also shaping the overall story further. These decision points appear randomly without any specific pattern, and during these time the gameplay pauses until a choice is made to further the plot in a specific direction.
There are six main plot lines that the players will have the chance to experience, one for each of the characters in the story (Hijikata, Okita, Saitou, Heisuke, Harada, Kazama). When interacting with the chosen characters, the "affection meter" raises if the player's answer pleases them. The ending the player will get in each route depends on the affection the player has achieved. Normally, there are a few endings for each character.
The game also includes all the basic otome-style functions such as CG Gallery, Music List, Scene Recollection, and skip options. Once completing a route, player can unlock the "Record of Service" to select exactly which chapter they would like to start the next play through on, as well as adjusting the bachelor's affection level to access the different endings. There is also a dictionary that provides small pieces of information to improve the player's understanding of certain events, places, titles, and so on.
In the updated remake Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms, 6 more routes are added: Shinpachi, Sannan, Iba, Souma, Yamazaki, Sakamoto (making it 12 routes overall). In Edo Blossoms, there is also a "corruption meter", which tells the players the bachelor's corruption rate after becoming a Rasetsu. High corruption level leads to getting bad endings (in Hijikata's case, for example, there are 6 bad endings, and 5 of them require having High Corruption level).
Player
The protagonist is a young woman, originally dressed in clothes only men wear as she tries to hide her gender. Her default name is Chizuru Yukimura. Before the start of the prologue, the player has the option of customizing the first name from Chizuru to their choice, however, she will still stay Yukimura, and other characters will not pronounce the custom name even though it will be written on the screen. At the beginning of the story, she leaves her childhood home in Edo and heads for Kyoto in search of her father, Dr. Koudou Yukimura.
She is instantly attacked by dangerous and scary creatures and taken into custody by the Shinsengumi, who also happen to be looking for her father.
Game Characters
The first-person narrator of the game and the person the player goes through the game as.
The "Demon" Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi who as well as being the most well-known from history, he is also the most prominently featured in the game's story. He is unflattering lay devoted to the Shinsengumi and their mission to defend Kyoto. Despite his reputation he cares a great deal for others and always has the greater good at heart.
The sadistic and sarcastic 1st Unit Captain who is known as a genius swordsman. While he displays vilentt tendencies towards everyone he meets, his teasing threats become very real when he or his friends are endangered. He holds unwavering loyalty towards the Cheif Commander Isami Kondou almost to the point of obsessive devotion. Although merciless, he is not heartless. He never acts without a good reason and does not follow duty blindly.
Hajime Saitou
The stoic, blunt, and socially inept Captain of the 3rd unit that prefers to let his blade speak rather than his words. He never acts without approval from the vice-commander and additionally never refuses an order once given. Over time this has resulted in him doing most of the dirty work and gaining an unsavory reputation. The reasons for his loyalty and his way of life are thoroughly explored over the course of the game.
The optimistic and charasmatic 10th unit captain. His caring and affable demeanor causes him to be well-liked among the other soldiers. His power in combat is unmatched and his mastery of the Spear makes him a deadly opponent. And yet he is a surprisingly warm and very gentle man with a kind heart. Unlike many of his comrades, his true dream lies far away from the dangerous and bloody life of a warrior.
Cheerful and friendly, Heisuke is the the youngest and captain of the 8th unit. Despite his size, his skills have put him among the Shinsengumi's best. His spirit and determination sets him apart, as he is set on charging forward away from the darkness of his part.
Chikage is the prince of an anceint demon clan, and serves as the story's main antagonist. However, he does have a side route that is unlockable after playing through at least two other routes.
The Cheif commander of the Shinsengumi, who I loved and respected by all of his men. His humble beginnings as a small dojo owner gave him a humble and approachable demeanour. He is generous to a fault and will always provide a helping hand no matter the consequences.
The captain of the Second Unit. Despite his status as one of the toughest (and at times rebellious) of the Shinsengumi, Shinpachi is actually a very cheerful and easy going guy. He and Sano share a bond stronger than even that of brothers.
Sannan is The 2nd Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi. Even with his great skill as a swordsman, he is more inclined to scholarly pursuits.
Despite Kaoru's feminine appearance, there is more under that pretty pink kimono than one would infer. Kaoru is the antagonist for Okita's route.
A member of the remaining demons loyal to the Kazama family. he is a master of hand-to-hand combat and serves as one of the rivals of the series. he is a very tradional man and never stray from the warrior's path. This philosophy causes him to be more aligned with the protagonists.