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eleiyaumei · 5 months

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Poll response: Gender in Hakuōki

A few months ago I made a poll asking about how you feel about how Hakuōki portrays/handles gender and this is my response to it.

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who voted. This was intended as a poll about your feelings, i.e. personal impressions, and not meant to find out the “truth”. I’d like to encourage everyone who wants to elaborate on their impressions to do so and for those knowledgeable about topics like Historical Accuracy, to publish posts about these in order to spread knowledge and potentially clear up misconceptions.

Secondly, to the person who asked/chose the option: “Why do you care about this?”

I care about this because every person has their own relationship to gender – indifferent or not – and my relationship to it clashed so hard with Hakuōki’s in KW/EB that it gave me gender dysphoria. I wanted to know how other Hakuōki players/fans reacted to it – not to judge them, just to understand them better.

Thirdly, I want to lead the way and tell you about what I feel in regards to how Hakuouki treats gender. To be exact, I’d like to discuss the appeal of the franchise’s fem MC with the leading question:

Whom is Chizuru for?

Oh, and before I start:

Please don’t judge people for (not) being okay with Hakuōki’s treatment of gender. Everyone has their own experiences and reasons for feeling these ways. Reducing it to “internalized misogyny” is generalizing and redundant.

(BTW, internalized misogyny (or sexism) can influence both sides of the coin:

PROs can be okay with the conservative gender roles in Hakuōki because they were taught this is the way men and women are and should be and they’re comfortable in these roles.

ANTIs can be not okay with them because they were taught femininity/womanhood was inferior and weak and they don’t want to be seen that way.)

Now, I hope I can illustrate the ways that make us feel what we do in regards to gender.

1) Chizuru is for “Not Like Other Girls™ but also kinda still like other girls” girls and women

Snappy (and provocative to some) way to say:

Chizuru is for girls and women that struggle with their femininity/girlhood/womanhood but still identify with it.

Perhaps they don’t like makeup or feminine clothing, perhaps they don’t like hyperfemininity (i.e. wearing pink, skirts, dresses, accentuating their fem* body characteristics, going shopping etc.). In some areas, they might think of themselves as unfeminine but in others, they’re able to fulfill what’s expected of girls and women (e.g. having sex only in romantic relationships, marrying a man, starting a family, being a housewife or stay-at-home girlfriend).

Despite not matching with 100% of their gender’s expectations, they still want to be seen as a girl or woman and not as man or stereotypical lesbian or whatnot. And they want to be desired and respected specifically as a girl or woman.

Most Hakuōki guys, especially Harada and Hijikata, acknowledge that and that’s appealing for girls and women as described above.

And then there’s...

2) Chizuru is for people that don’t care about gender roles and expectations

Androgynous-looking, cross-dressing, sword-wearing, living-in-a-men-dominated-world Chizuru is appealing for Gender-Non-Conforming, trans*, non-binary, genderfluid, genderqueer people and others.

I was raised by a gender-non-conforming woman who builds sheds and does housework, whose income feeds the family, who wears colorful but gender-neutral outfits, whose arms are muscular, chest rather flat but body still feminine, who did karate and handball, who likes women like Whitney Houston, Sigourney Weaver/Alien’s Ripley and Downton Abbey’s Dowager Countess of Grantham, who loves the military not for the “hot masculine men” but for the discipline, weaponry and combative prowess... (I don’t like the military but I see where she’s coming from.)

What I meant to say was: The way I grew up influenced my view on gender. My education lacked a focus on gender roles and expectations, with my mom constantly defying them and my dad not being fond of (hyper)femininity. I wasn’t told that fighting was only for boys and men so I never felt bad for being interested in it. I never questioned my gender identity because no one seemed to care about how feminine or not I was.

The game developers did not include the wishes of players who wanted to fight in a samurai visual novel. They added a singular training scene with Kondo, not to teach Chizuru swordfighting but for the player to develop sympathy for Kondo so that they’ll feel bad once he’s executed.

They could have fixed this easily by including the options to fight so every player that wanted to could do so and those who didn’t could have not done it – and accompanying both options should have been no or neutral consequences so as to not tell players that they are wrong to choose one option over another. Or if they are positive/negative consequences, make them adhere to the respective love interest. (Like how saving Harada at the end of KW does not give you affection because it hurts his masculinity/does not fit with his preferences for his future wife.) Easy fix to make everyone happy, no? Instead of hating the game (experience), we can instead come to the conclusion that we like one love interest less or more.

Also, I want to address this statement I saw:

“The way Chizuru is portrayed is nice to see because women should not have manly qualities in order to be seen as strong.” (*This is no direct quote.)

Yes, you’re right. Feminism is about not forcing roles and behaviors onto people depending on their gender, physical attributes etc., and it’s also about not privileging one gender (expression) over another.

But, do you know that a lot of people in the manosphere and other patriarchal spaces use this sentiment to enforce traditional gender roles and exaggerate the masculine attributes they see in popular media (like Shadiversity sees in Princess Peach in the new Mario movie) and claim that popular media only portrays “strong women” as having masculine attributes, often without convincing arguments? I just say this here to spread awareness so that you don’t fall for manosphere conspiracy theories and such.

Especially when we look at otome games, most fem MCs adhere to traditional fem gender expectations and this is okay (while also often criticized in reviews) but this makes any strong feeling you have towards not wanting Chizuru portrayed in ways you associate with masculinity seem over-the-top. Like, don’t you think that there are otome game players out there who want their MCs to be different from the majority – for whatever reason? It’s great you can see yourself in these fem MCs or you just like seeing such fem MCs but please acknowledge that you are not the only otome game players out there and others might feel differently from you.

(I hope you’re not coming from a place of seeing otome games as ‘one of the last bastions of traditional femininity/gender roles’ because gatekeeping this whole genre of games and forcing each game to adhere to certain standards relating to gender is not fair to anyone [and arguably sexist].)

Another reason why some people are frustrated with Chizuru or with the treatment of her by characters and the franchise as a whole has to do with what X talked about in their critique of the Hakuouki anime series:

Set-up and pay-off.

KW sets up Chizuru as a cross-dressing young woman with a sword, who has basic knowledge in sword fighting, proves herself to be able to protect herself sufficiently (in the test by Saito and Okita), wants herself to be useful and not a burden on others.

So it feels forced, illogical, maybe even ill-willed whenever KW/EB puts Chizuru in compromising situations where she does nothing but scream and cry and has to be saved by others which fuels her self-loathing and feelings of being a burden but she never asks or is being offered to be trained nor does she become able to defend herself in the long run. There are singular scenes of her training but it never pays off. (If she was never set-up to be swordfight-savvy enough to protect herself, her always not being able to protect herself would be justified and not (as) frustrating.) And even in Okita’s EB route, Chizuru wants to fight, Okita allows her to, she kills a man, then has to be saved from another and what does Okita say to Chizuru, who clearly wants to fight by his side? That she has to leave everything to him – without offering her to teach her even though he is a kenjutsu prodigy and instructor. Set-up: Chizuru wants to fight. Pay-off: She fights and kills a man ONE SINGULAR TIME. Like, at least adhere to the Rule of Three... (Or do you think this adheres to this rule: 1) Chizuru proves herself to Saito and Okita, 2) she saves Okita from Kazama, 3) she kills a soldier? Well, it’s at least not enough pay-off for me.)

EB especially spends a lot of time describing in excruciating detail how much Chizuru suffers from guilt and self-loathing, thinking herself a burden on anyone, and how is this resolved? By the love interests saying some phrases about caring about and loving her, needing her (as emotional support...pet, tbh), kissing, sometimes sleeping with her and/or marrying her. She is never given a character arc for growth/change because the love interests are always prioritized over her.

(And she is so goddamn passive in 'her own story'... I would argue that Hakuōki is not about Chizuru, it's about the love interests. She is the Watson to the Sherlock Holmes.)

#hakuouki #hakuoki #hakuōki #kyoto winds #edo blossoms #my polls #gender #discussion about gender #analysis #hakuouki analysis #just my opinion though

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stars-and-clouds · 1 year

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Iba Hachiro- Character Behaviour Analysis

Yandere: A character, who has an obsessive and possessive side in regards to their crush, ready to use violent and murderous means to maintain an exclusive bond.

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding in regards to many characters which makes sense because of the numerous adaptations with canon changing each time but Iba Hachiro’s case is interesting because he has only one canon- the two main games Edo Blossoms and Kyoto Winds.

I'll try to explain why Iba is not a yandere/psychopathic/gaslighting/manipulating/lying man (I have read all of these adjectives being used to describe him and it’s really upsetting...).

Following are the reasons I came up with when having a discussion with a fellow server member and I thought I’d share them here to let others like me know that you’re not crazy or gaslighted by him for liking him...

1. He is completely missable if you don't pick his first two romance options. Yanderes do not give up, whereas Iba stops coming around if you don't remember him. He moves on. Something he would not have done if he was obsessed and was chasing Chizuru around.

2. You meet him again in other story paths and he does not talk beyond formality to you.

3. He stopped coming around and they grew distant as children as is wont to happen naturally. If he was deeply in love, that wouldn't have happened. They lived in the same city. His training would not have consumed his every day, every hour as he was still a child. He would have plenty of opportunities to come around.

4. Iba is not possessive at all. Kazama is actually the only possessive romance option afaik. Iba encourages you to look at other shinsengumi men because they're his friends too.

and politely asks you to wait a little bit so he at least has a chance. That seems very fair to me and he does not hint even once that if she does choose someone else, he will act crazy to obtain Chizuru instead of them.

When she does choose someone else, Souma in this case, he is supportive first and then naturally acts protective over a dear friend.

5. He pays attention to Chizuru's inner turmoil, very similar to Harada and Saito. When you pick the option to reluctantly leave the shinsengumi in chapter 5, he interrupts Hijikata (which is interesting since his dedication to Hijikata is on Yamazaki and Saito’s level) to say that knowing Chizuru’s wishes is important even when Hijikata scolds him for confusing Chizuru, and asks Chizuru if she really wants to leave. When she says no, he puts a rock on his own heart and let's her stay even though it is making him extremely worried knowing she'd be in the centre of a battlefield.

6. Actually cares for her mental well being by taking her out of the headquarters and by giving her new experiences like trying new sweets, taking walks to new areas, etc.

7. He wanted to kill himself for letting his demon arm control him. The man was seriously depressed of what he was doing to Chizuru when all he wanted was to make her happy.

7.1 He was literally asking her to leave him because he is unable to keep her safe. In an abusive relationship, such as with a yandere, possession is the ultimate goal. You don't ask for what you covet to leave you.

8. He is not gaslighting or manipulating Chizuru: He only brings up the past in about three instances and none of them are put in a way that is to gaslight her. They are always either in regards to her power or to explain why he feels protective of her. He never uses it to force her to feel a certain way about him.

9. He has not been obsessed with her for over a decade and did not train and become a warrior only for her: If that was the case he would not treat her with as much formality as he does on your non-romance paths. Their relationship would have always been on the front for him. He takes his Okuzume duties very seriously as his bushido is just as important to him as it is to the shinsengumi men. He is basically a shinsengumi warrior who couldn't be in the shinsengumi.

10. The nostalgia he holds for Chizuru makes sense since he is only 19 when you meet him. Chizuru is about 16-17. They had only 2-3 years between them. Since he was older, he would remember it better than Chizuru does and obviously think deeply upon the person who pushed him to go train. I have no doubt he would have picked up the katana at some point in his life, being the heir to one of the biggest dojo, but when he did it wasn’t out of a sense of filial duty, it was to protect a close friend. We all remember the reason or the person we were pushed onto our path in life. For him, it was Chizuru.

10.1 He is not lying or gaslighting Chizuru about her past: He cannot be lying about her bullying and healing powers because up until the game begins, Chizuru's powers are her best kept secret. How could he have known about them, if he wasn’t there when it happened? Not to mention, her recalling the past happens from her perspective. I feel like people take away Chizuru’s agency and treat her like an idiot when it comes to her own mind (I’ve seen this happen when people discuss Harada’s romance too). She isn’t a genius but she’s not a donkey either.

11. Chizuru's suppressed memories: in Kazama's route we learn what happened at Chizuru's village when she was a kid: the fire, killing, kidnapping etc. was a traumatising event. Being attacked with stones by bullies who call you monster is another traumatising event that happened only a few years later. Chizuru has had a traumatising past and it makes sense for her to forget a big chunk of her childhood, which would include forgetting the people she met, like Hachiro and replace it with a more familiar person like her father.

12. In regards to him being a "white knight": Firstly, why is being a white knight a bad thing? Secondly, that's literally his job. He is a samurai. They are sworn to their lords and a samurai's behaviour reflects upon the lord they serve. He is an okuzume which means he is directly connected to his lord i.e the shogun. If he is not behaving knightly, he is failing at his job. Not to mention, he is extremely sensitive and empathetic. He holds his values very close to his heart and believes in treating everyone with respect, despite his privilaged, noble upbringing. Being a bystander to injustices goes extremely against his nature and lifestyle.

13. Wearing his heart on his sleeve does not make him weak: I think a reason people dislike Hachiro is because he is very open about his feelings from the start. Somehow, his honesty is his problem...? I have seen the more cryptic love options like Kazama, Saito, Hijikata and Okita being more popular than the more open and honest ones like Harada, Iba and Sakamoto. Perhaps it is a preference but being openly vulnerable shows a different type of strength and it should be respected, imo.

14. He respects her wishes: He could sense Chizuru was not ready for sex yet and he respects it, even in his drunken state. Even when you choose to deny him, he is not passive aggressive. Again, yanderes/abusers/gaslighters don't do that. They would get offended and make you feel bad or scared of them.

Side note: I don't think Hachiro was ‘in love’ with Chizuru as a child. One can’t truly understand love at the age of 7-8. He uses the older brother honorific for himself in the first few interactions we have with him and only afterwards (chapter 2 iirc) that he stops using it, showing the transition from the childhood friend/older brother to a grown man who wants to court a woman.

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ishaslife · 7 months

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welcome, weary wanderer 🌖

ABOUT ME:

name: Isha

age: 20

gender and pronouns: female, she/her

MBTI: INFJ-T

socials: YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest

games: dragon age, bg3, ffxiv, elden ring, hakuoki and other visual novels, wayhaven chronicles and many others.

hobbies: playing video games, occasional writing and reading, making ambience and playlists, cooking & baking, making moodboards, photography, learning/studying history, literature, fables, myths, legends and simping over fictional men alongside being delulu. This may be TMI but, I am a university student majoring in English Literature.

I make ambience and playlists on YouTube, my channel is linked above. My content focuses on imagined ambiences and playlists, i.e. how I imagine a fictional place to sound based on descriptions and music representing characters, locations etc.

romances and favourite characters (at least those I can remember off the top of my head):

Alistair Theirin, Fenris, Solas (dragon age)

Astarion (baldur's gate 3)

Harada Sanosuke (hakuoki)

Gilbert Redford (piofiore)

Hattori Hanzo (nightshade)

Zayne (love & deepspace)

Hien Rijin, Aymeric de Borel, Haurchefant Greystone, Emet-Selch (ffxiv)

Hebaron Nirta (under the oak tree)

Jaime Lannister, Jon Snow (asoiaf)

Alucard (Adrian) Tepes (castlevania)

Popular work on YouTube:

astarion is falling in love with you (bg3)

valyrian ambience (asoiaf)

an evening with astarion (bg3)

shadowlands of asshai (asoiaf)

Fanfiction:

unbroken oaths (series) [fandom: under the oak tree, RI: Hebaron Nirta] MLIST

a starlit rendezvous [fandom: baldur's gate 3, RI: Astarion.]

Posts a lot about: everything fantasy, but mostly video games. As of August 2023, the blog has been very focused on Astarion and Baldur's Gate 3 but I also post about ffxiv, dragon age, asoiaf, hakuouki, lotr, gothic arts and literature, history to list a few of my interests. My interests are ever changing and when I get obsessed with something new, I post about that thing for months.

I also write character/game analysis on this blog along with sharing my thoughts on video games, film, television, characters, themes etc. This blog is not political and I have no wish to make it so, it is a place where I share my work and interests.

I don't make new posts everyday, but there are a lot of reblogs.

Moodboards:

Astarion Ancunín (bg3)

Hebaron Nirta (under the oak tree)

Hien Rijin (ffxiv)

Dame Aylin (bg3)

Zayne: Foreseer (love & deepspace)

Xavier: Lightseeker (love & deepspace)

Dr. Zayne (love & deepspace)

Enjoy your stay 🤍

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widemushroom · 1 year

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I love talking about my favorites

Now I want to tell you about my favorites

Now that's my favorite thing to always talk about

Okay now let's start with who I love the most

I have talked a lot and thought a lot about that but still to no avail

When I first got into hakuouki I was worried that maybe Chizuru and Hijikata are not together

I kinda felt disturbed. But When I realized Chizuru is Hijikata's lover I was hype. And thankful.Then I got to know Kazama. I wished a lot that Kazama loves Chizuru too even if he is not her lover like Hijikata.So I was very worried that maybe Kazama doesn't love Chizuru. Then I was hype and grateful when I realized Kazama loves Chizuru. This whole story happened when I first got into hakuouki anime and didn't know there was a game. When I realized there is a route for Kazama I was extremely happy. But anyway I was not feeling disturbed or worried about the rest of the guys in anime not being in love with Chizuru like I was worried regarding Hijikata and Kazama. So maybe this way. We can say Hijikata and Kazama were my top favorite

Then I started reading about each character in game and I started watching them on YouTube as well as watching the CGs of each one. That moment I don't remember who I was worried for at first. Maybe Saitou Maybe iba Maybe okita Or......MAYBE HARADA I still don't remember which one was first after Kazama and hijikata but I'm Sure Harada was one of those guys I was so disturbed about him not having enough hints and content that he loves Chizuru. And even until now as you see these three are the most I'm interested to talk about and analysis their relationship with Chizuru. Whenever there is new hakuouki content the first I search for are firstly Kazama or Harada then Hijikata. Whenever drama CDs or records are released I first run to Harada Kazama and hijikata ones. And I always look for fanarts of Kazama and Harada the most. Most of the time on pixiv I look for them. And I always look for fanworks regarding them on fanfiction first thing. I'm the happiest when I find works regarding Harada or Kazama. But at the same time there are CGs and scenes from other guys that make my heart skip a beat. Plus sometimes certain fanworks literally steal my heart. And I become so happy that I need to take several deep breaths to calm down. Like A hijikata chizuru work I read recently which nailed their romance so perfectly. And a Sakamoto Chizuru work I read months ago which made me much more interested in Sakamoto.I was not interested in Sakamoto at all until I read that work which made me much more interested in him.

I like how Iba is into Chizuru but I don't seek his fanfic works a lot. Though I love his fanarts .I'm interested though in talking about Iba and reading analysis of him.

As for Okita and Saitou I appreciate how much energy and time the hakuouki team put in them as well as how much they love Chizuru. I love Saitou and Okita only because of how caring they are for Chizuru. And because of their deep relationship with Chizuru.

Plus I seek Saitou fanarts and fanfics and I rarely get bored of Saitou fanfiction. There's one person I seek the very very least in anime or game or fanworks. Heisuke I appreciate how caring he is for Chizuru. But I can't get a long with his hair and clothes at all. I dislike his clothes and hair in Kyoto winds. I just can't help but I dislike them. I like him more in edo Blossom because of how he looks like. But his look in Kyoto winds doesn't get erased from my head. Oh and by the way. I just remembered something. The very least is not Heisuke It's Sannan. I don't even like talking or reading about him. There's nothing I appreciate about him.

Shinpachi used to be my least favorite too because I thought he was an absolute womanizer. But not anymore. Especially after meeting some hakuouki fans my view on him completely changed. And now I like him.

First

Either Kazama or Harada or Hijikata

Second

Hajime and Okita

Or maybe Iba too in second place

Then

Shinpachi souma Sakamoto and Yamazaki recently joined my heart too after the latest record that Kumori Yami released on YouTube

And I love his CGs so much

Then Heisuke

Then Sannan

But don't forget that there are lots of things I appreciate regarding Heisuke like how much he cares for Chizuru

I find the tuberculosis thing of okita very annoying as they keep emphasizing on it and how much of a shadow it casts on his life and Chizuru life

Like in every okita content there's tuberculosis

I wish if we could imagine how things would be different if Okita didn't suffer from tuberculosis and how his relationship with Chizuru would be different

I know one thing for sure

And it's that I cant get enough from Hakuouki content

Especially Kazama Harada and hijikata

And I can't get enough of talking about them

And reading about them

I always appreciate it when I see someone teaching me new things about them

I just know that I can't get enough from Hakuouki

And I'm optimistic by the way

Optimistic that this year we probably get new hakuouki content and this year can be a very good year for hakuouki

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queengurako · 2 years

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A little plot theory for Hakuouki New OVA 2021

Hello everyone ! I’ll share with you a little theory for Hakuouki New OVA’s plot :D

If you don’t want to be spoiled or influenced by my interpretations for the next episode, please don’t read it

Also, be aware that it’s just an interpretation biased by my formation in History and my love for crime fiction ; maybe I will be completely wrong or maybe not...we will see Saturday with Episode 2 !

First of all, a quick summary of the plot :

Recently, a group of Imperialists pretended to be the Shinsengumi to extort money to several merchants. Even f it is not the first time it has happened historically and in Hakuouki lore, it is mentioned by Saito and Hijikata that the “fake Shinsengumi” are NOT from the usual bunch. Contrary to the others, money doesn’t seem to be their only motive, since they are also clearly trying to create a confusion around who’s really part of the Shinsengumi or not (since even Heisuke, a known captain, can be “accused” of being a fake in the middle of the street).

At the time, the only two details they have to identify them are their accent from the West and their lack of uniform.

During the first part of the episode, we see Chizuru try to retrieve new uniforms at a kimono shop on two occasions ; the first time, with Heisuke, the uniforms are not ready but they cross path with ronins speaking with a western accent who stole fabric. The second time, she goes in with the accountant Sakai but an incident breakout and they are attacked by the same ronins who accuse them again (even though Sakai is clearly wearing his uniform and handband this time).

After the incident and her and Sakai’s disappearance, Okita is then seen making a report to the rest of the captains, explaining how he has found the bodies of the owners of the kimono shop. Yamazaki then confirms that the ronin in front of the shop had an accent from the Tosa Province, like the Fake Shinsengumi. The rest of the OVA confirms that both are linked together. We also witness the disappearance of a few rasetsus thanks to Kaoru disguised as Chizuru : that allowed him to confuse everyone and gain the trust of the rasetsus (it also proves that their transformation is recent, since they know Yukimura). However, the captains do not link the two events, since, to them the rasetsu seem to have escaped on their own.

Right after the disappearance of Chizuru, and despite the desire of the captains to go look for her, Kondo and Hijikata explain to them that she is not their priority, since they got a direct order from Matsudaira Katamori (The commissioner from Aizu and THEIR DIRECT SUPERIOR) to protect the Shogun while he is in Kyoto to prepare the Second Expedition against Choshu. Looking around for her would cause too much agitation and, since they didn’t find any body, she’s certainly still alive, either captured or in hiding. Thus, they have to prioritize their orders.

So, the OAV’s plot seems to go toward an investigation, using the historical and political context of 1865.

HOWEVER, a question remains : where are the uniforms Chizuru was supposed to pick up ?

HULLO GUYS! Some thugs stole your uniforms! THE ONES that Soji literally said to be more important to him than Chizuru herself when he dropped her off at the shop (way to go buddy) and felt guilty about when she disappeared?!

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THESE UNIFORMS?

And then, there was this line from Kazama at the end of the episode that gave me my theory

But before my theory, let’s have an historical point about the Second Expedition against Choshu!

The second expedition against Choshu (1865-1866) follows the first one, that took place in 1864.

The first expedition was led for several reasons, such as of the Ikedaya and Kinmon no Hen affairs, during which, Choshu conspired against the Shogunate, as well as several attacks on occidental ships in order to respect an edict promulgated in 1863 by the Emperor to expel the occidental, despite the Shogunate’s attempt to negotiate. These attacks led to the Kagoshima bombings by the same naval forces as retaliation and an obligation for the Shogunate to act against Choshu to prevent further escalation by the occidentals. Yup… 1864 was a real rollercoaster politically and diplomatically…

On Choshu’s part, if a complete destruction by the first expedition was successfully avoided through negotiation and the use of foreigner’s canon, the clan quickly regain strength thanks to several reforms and the creation of modern militia, such has the Kiheitai… with no other than Takasugi Shinsaki, also known as Shiranui’s and Sakamoto Ryoma’s best buddy :D

All in all, this wasn’t good news for the Shogunate and they decided to lead a second expedition to make an exemple out of Choshu and avoid a potential alliance with other clans (LIKE, FOR EXEMPLE, WITH SATSUMA, THE NEXT YEAR ? THANKS TO SAKAMOTO?? “That’s why everyone wanted you dead, you beautiful idiot” as my friend said <3)

As soon as march 1865, the Shogunate Iemochi came to the castle of Nijo, in Osaka, to supervise the preparation. We see that exact same castle in the game and in the anime, when Chizuru met the demon trio for the first time, while the Shinsengumi was tasked to protect the shogunate. However, the expedition’s organization was severely delayed for financial reasons, since the Shogunate was also trying to deal, AT THE SAME TIME, with the pressure of several occidental countries to open new ports (Kobé, Osaka and Hyogo) as mentioned in treaties signed in 1858 (another fun year, in which a LOT of people were eliminated to clear the way for the Shogunate, such as Takasugi’s mentor and several Imperialist that were later involved in Ikedaya).

1865 also saw the involvement of several European countries, like France, who lined up with the Shogunate and England, with Choshu (THANKS TO RYOMA AGAIN) In the end, the second expedition finally took place between the summer of 1865 until the summer of 1866, when the Shogunate died of illness (and for ONCE it WASN’T tuberculosis).

In Hakuouki, this expedition is mentioned in Souma’s route and moreover in the main intrigue of the fandisk Hakuouki Tsukikage no Shou, that takes place at the same time. We can notably see that Kondo, Itou, Takeda and Miki leave ( @salty-hakuouki kindly translated it! They are a treat to read!!) and the failure of the second expedition is evoked by Souma as warning for Toba-Fushimi. The Shogunate indeed got out of that expedition weakened and vulnerable, which pushed their opponent to act more aggressively. It also led to Japan being involved in the conflict between France and England on their own commercial interest.

Back to the OVA

From all we know, the Tosa domain seems to plan on taking advantage of the chaos surrounding the preparation of the Second Expedition to assassinate the Shogun. But the big question is “how are they planning to do that?”

What do we know at the end of the episode and my theory

The ronin from Tosa extorted money by posing as the Shinsengumi and created a confusion on who was really a Shinsengumi member, going as far as accusing a captain and a soldier wearing his uniform. This does seem to work, since the population is seen growing unusually wary during a patrol.

Thanks to Kaoru’s help, they were able to capture a few rasetsus (that still seem to think that he is Chizuru)

The two ronin who confronted Heisuke stole blue fabric and were certainly scouting the shop for the attack that took place the next day (they were also around when Sakai and Chizuru went in, certainly as lookouts.)

The uniforms that Chizuru was supposed to retrieved disappeared (and Soji didn’t mention them in his report to the others (seriously how did you even become the captain of the first division ??ah yeah right, nepotism)

The fake Shinsengumi seems to be from the Tosa Domain which led to their surveillance by Yamazaki’s spy division. However, the spies mistakenly identified Kaoru as Chizuru, blowing their cover in front of him by calling him “Yukimura”, which led to their death (the Tosa ronin sent the captured rasetsu to them to calm their blood crisis)

The Shinsengumi captains haven’t made a link between the Tosa ronnins and their rasetsu’s, but considering the fact that their cage was simply opened with Sannan’s key, not broken in, they could only conclude that they escaped on their own, not that they were captured.

We can also notice that the rasetsus are willingly staying, since they attack the spies even though they know they are from the Shinsengumi (they certainly know that they would be killed if they returned to the Shinsengumi anyway)

NO SERIOUSLY GUYS, NONE OF YOU ARE WONDERING WHERE YOUR BELOVED UNIFORMS ARE??? (I know they have a lot on their plate but COME ON)

Knowing that, I think that Tosa wants to assassinate the Shogun Iemochi during his visit in Kyoto AS THE SHINSENGUMI by using their stolen uniforms and potentially their rasetsus to reach their target and/or cause more chaos, as well as efficiently discredit Shinsengumi.

The teaser of the second episode seems to show the guys assigned to the Shogun protection.

To be honest, I’m just waiting for the fight: the teasing of the second episode, the opening and the ending all lean in that direction so

GIVE ME BLOOD.

Since it’s a three parts ova, I don’t think the big confrontation will take place there, but we can certainly assume that :

They will eventually make a link between the disappearance of their rasetsus, the fake Shinsengumi and the ronin that crossed path with Heisuke

The guys understanding that it could be an assassination attempt and that their own rasetsus are now loyal to their ennemies

Sakai being used as a rasetsu

Kaoru used his resemblance with Chizuru to create more chaos or to discredit his twin sister in Shinsengumi’s eyes.

Chizuru trying to escape ? Or used to harm the Shinsengumi ?

Sakamoto Ryôma’s cameo ? Iemochi cameo plz ? (lol I can dream Harold !) More Mikisaburo /sbaf

The use of the GOD DAMN UNIFORMS

Mybe I’m completely wrong but at leat it was fun to think about it.

Thank you for coming to my TEDTalks

Also a BIG THANKS for my friend SunFlowerEmpress who helped me A LOT to translate my confused explanation in English. Luv u girl <33

#gurako's analysis #hakuouki #hakuoki #hakuouki analysis #hakuouki new ova

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soloragoldsun · 4 years

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Okay, so I need to talk in detail about the ear scene in Saito’s Edo Blossoms route, because I figured out why I love it so much (besides the obvious fanfic fodder, of course).

First, let’s quickly go over the moment. Saito is, yet again, dealing with a bout of bloodlust. By this point, Yukimura has given him her blood several times to calm his Fury symptoms. Earlier in the game, Saito specifically chose to cut her ear when she offered her blood. Now, Yukimura readily makes the cut there herself and embraces Saito, pressing close to him so he can drink from her. He does, and Yukimura is relieved that she can ease his pain. Then, she realizes that the cut has healed already, but Saito is still licking and sucking on her ear. She asks if he needs her to make another cut, and he immediately backs away, embarrassed and blushing as he realizes what he was doing.

There are certain actions that cross the boundary between chaste and sensual, and I think ear and neck kisses absolutely fall into that category. In this scene, Saito’s bloodlust as a Fury melted away into a very human form of lust. He no longer needed Yukimura’s blood, but he absolutely wanted her.

The fact that Saito, one of the most disciplined and self-restrained characters, lost himself so completely to such a sexually-charged act shows that the attraction between him and Yukimura isn’t just an emotional one. It’s also very much a physical and sexual one, and I love that!

Throughout Kyoto Winds, Yukimura deals with a lot of self-doubt, and a good portion of that is directed toward her own appearance. She is forced to dress as a man to maintain her disguise as a page, and starts to doubt her attractiveness and her femininity, especially when interacting with other women.

Between the ear scene, and the scenes of Saito describing the sincerity of Yukimura’s eyes, it is very clearly shown that she’s the most beautiful and desirable woman in the universe as far as he’s concerned. I’m always soft for characters telling their love interest how beautiful they are, but this route went a step further by showing it in a very tender, sexy way.

Saito is amazing, and ear noms are a sign of love. That is all.

#hakuoki #hakuouki #edo blossoms #kyoto winds #spoilers #saito hajime #yukimura chizuru #ramble #ear noms #scene analysis #sex positive #love #ship

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gula-melaka · 5 years

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Harada Sanosuke Appreciation Post

I’m gonna start out by saying that Okita Souji is my bias, but if I had to pick any of the Hakuouki men to date and marry irl, it would be Harada Sanosuke.

I’m writing this out of my deep admiration for his character.

On the surface, Sano is the boy with a pretty face, who’s popular with the ladies, and really good at flirting.

*deep sighs*

It helps that in his route, you don’t have to worry about any bloodlust, and there’s more saucy CGs, and he actually wants to settle down and start a family, and he actually beds the lady. *wink wonk* So yeah, Sano probably has the most “traditional” otome route out of all the Hakuouki men.

But one of the main things I like about Sano is his honesty. He straight up says “I can’t lie”. He even stumbles when trying to cover up for the rasetsu incident in front of Itou. Honesty is really important in a relationship to build trust. It takes away room for fear and doubt. It’s easier to come to an amicable conclusion if all parties are honest about their feelings, instead of being vague, then suddenly your expectations are not met.

Also thanks to his honesty, he is not shy to say what is on his mind. And intentionally/unintentionally flirt. |D I mean, who doesn’t like compliments?

Sano is also a matured man who speaks from experience and the mistakes of his brash past. He has this advantage since he’s older (compared to Chizuru who is what, 16?) But still, experience is a great advantage, and he learns from it, and is a better person for it. He is also a man with a clear goal. He knows what he wants - a beautiful wife, a family, a quiet life. And even when faced with difficult choices, he is able to commit to that which is most important. (family life over warrior life)

#inspirational #relationshipgoals

But most of all, I love how Sano is a respectful human being, especially towards his lover. Chizuru tried to leave him three times (srsly girl???) Each time, Sano doesn’t react in anger. Instead, he is there to listen to her thoughts and feelings.

Sano was shocked to see Chizuru sneaking away without telling him. He never says “no you can’t leave” or “I’ll kill you”. (*cough Okita cough*) He simply respects her decision, and is even willing to help her, whether or not he agrees to her actions. All he wanted to know was “why”. He wanted to know what was bothering her.

The second time Chizuru wanted to leave, she refused to tell him why. Sano doesn’t get angry. He just wanted to be sure that Chizuru has thought out a proper plan for the future, and that she was serious.

Towards the end of their conversation, Chizuru was even “seething with anger teetering on the edge of resentment” because Sano couldn’t understand her feelings for wanting to leave alone. Yet, Sano was still calm, collected. Despite throwing her frustrations at him, he reacted to her not with anger, but with love. To be honest, this is an extremely hard thing to do. By nature, we want to be heard and we want our opinions to be acknowledged. And so, we become defensive and aggressive (see: Chizuru).

But hey, that doesn’t stop Chizuru from leaving for the third time. Still, Sano is chill. A little annoyed, yes. If anything, I think Sano is just hurt that Chizuru doesn’t trust him enough to share complete honesty, and also sad that she is unable to deem herself worthy enough for his love.

But True Love™ conquers all, so Sano helps Chizuru see the light and she begins to be able to accept herself and accept Sano’s sacrifice. He helped Chizuru become better.

Even when he bones her, he asks for consent. Sano is #woke. What a wholesome love! *cries tears of joy*

In all situations, Sano doesn’t react with his emotions. He takes time to talk it through, and he makes sound judgements through logical thinking and questions.

Sano’s route was very realistic. Definitely dramatised, but the struggles were real. Sano had already gone through relationship meltdowns from his short-tempered self in the past, and so his current personality was already well-established, and he was a stable character. Instead, we see Chizuru’s struggles over her identity, and how she is undeserving of sacrifice and love, and how this blindsides her from the love that is right before her. Personally, it was all very relatable.

tl;dr Sano is a handsome, honest, matured, respectful, and dependable man. Do I dare say that Harada Sanosuke is the ideal boyfriend? Hell yeah. xD

#hope you enjoyed this character analysis #i just wanted people to appreciate good bf material #and to see sano in a different light #hakuouki #harada sanosuke #edo blossoms #kyoto winds #otome game #shinsengumi #relationship

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kawaiikatanabushi · 5 years

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Random Sano fan: "Guys, get the stretchers!"

Random Saito fan: "What seems to be the problem?"

Random Heisuke fan: "Kawaiikatanabushi melted the Souji fans... again."

Random Shinpachi fan:"Aw, that's the third time this week!"

Random Hijikata fan:"Just get a mop."

Random Sannan fan: "We can fix that..."

Random Yamazaki fan: "NO"

Random Souma fan: "....what?"

Random Kazama fan: "pffft. Team human."

Chizuru fans: "Please stop fighting! Let's just have tea!"

Souji fans ressurect: "Tea? And, dango?"

The four Kaoru fans in the corner, envious of them all: "They will rue this happiness!"

Iba fans: "Who wants castella?"

All the fans say: "We do!!!!!!!!"

Fin.

A random conversation between @hakuoki-dreams and myself. This is just for giggles. Please, do not be offended.

#hakuouki #hakuoki #shinsengumi sillies #hakuouki humor #just for laughs #fandom analysis #not really

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kyotowinds · 5 years

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Takeda Kanryusai isn’t an entirely malicious character and can easily be redeemed had the events of Iba’s route gone a slightly different way. He can grow and shows a capacity to do so especially towards the first few chapters, but his harmful fixation (that most likely arose from his background) on trying to be the best was manipulated and taken advantage of by horrible people to make him go down the self-destructive path that he did. In this essay I will

#takeda kanryusai #hakuouki #hakuoki #i literally have an essay drafted dont even try me #im the biggest takeda apologist only because i love his friggin hair just that much i’ll stand by my title #seriously- if anyone wants the full thing i’ll turn it into a formal essay with analysis #just dm me #im not excusing how shitty he is that much is given #but the capability for some change is there #ok if you’ve made it to the end of these tags. the truth is i just love long hair ok

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bibliomint · 5 years

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Character Analysis: Saburo Miki

I think the majority of the fandom either doesn’t appreciate him enough or wants his route. While I can’t give him enough justice to write a route myself, I can give my best attempt at a character analysis bc lets be real, his wiki page is, well, lacking at best

Obviously spoilers, but if you’ve come for an analysis of a character who’s barely in the game, you’ve probably played through at least two routes and know the gist of what’s happened.

We all know him as that one guy who was Tall and Abrasive and, if you’ve played through Souma’s route, Somewhat Cruel and Possibly Insane.

Yes, he’s brash, and abrasive, and speaks before he thinks. Yes, he’s clearly rough around the edges, he’s arrogant and blunt. But those are all surface observations. Those are things you pick up from other routes. They don’t give you every angle that makes him a well rounded character/antagonist.

Sure, the devs could have gone into more detail about his backstory. We all would have loved that. It would have made his ambitions more clear and his motivations easier to understand. But since they didn’t, we are left to sift through the few scenes he’s in to piece together his character. There really isn’t much, but what we do have is enough to get a good idea for his primary motivation and drive: his pride.

This is pretty clear from his surface-level personality. He’s arrogant, brash and rude and a tinge of cruel (see Kyoto Winds, Souma’s route, near the end when he’s smashing Souma’s face in the dirt.) He’s used to getting his way. He’s used to people following him, to people falling at his feet. It’s very clearly gone to his head. But that all comes crashing down when his brother is murdered. When people he thought were on his side turn out to be spies and backstabbers cough saito cough heisuke cough.

During the whole thing, after Itou dies, the best way to describe Miki is lost. His leader is gone and he doesn’t know what to do. Suddenly he’s in charge of himself. He has to think for himself. No longer is he directly following the Imperial-Nationalistic ideologies of his brother. He’s forced with a worldview check at the same time he loses his closest and possibly only family member. Itou had been the only person keeping a check on him, keeping him in line, that it’s no surprise he completely snaps. (see Kyoto Winds, chapter 3, when he’s first introduced.) He doesn’t know what to do with himself. His home is in the middle of a Civil War, his only family is gone, his friends have all betrayed him and are currently using him for selfish means, and he just doesn’t know what to do. He’s good at carrying out orders, not making them. Miki’s been roughly thrown into more chaos than any person should have to deal with at once.

Just because he’s a follower doesn’t mean he’s stupid. He’s just a slice and dice now, ask questions later kind of guy. He acts on impulse and figures he’ll deal with the repercussions later.

He was ready to manhandle Chizuru into the bathhouse, just to prove a point. That he could, that his suspicions were correct, that she really didn’t belong and stuck out like a sore thumb. When Souma arrives, he backs off some and goes to plan B. He almost prompts her to admit that she’s a girl. If Nomura hadn’t said something, she probably would have admitted to it and the entire route would have gone differently.

It’s no surprise that he becomes a Fury. He felt like he didn’t have a choice. Miki’s a follower, not a leader. He just doesn’t know how to lead. “Who am I kidding? I’m no leader.” He’s used to being the backup brawn for his thinker of a brother. He’s used to following orders and not thinking about it.

“They made a Fury out of me, something I never wanted.” He felt that his hand had been forced by his superiors. He doesn’t know how to say ”no” to people above him, because he’s never had to.

Having your closest friend and family member murdered in cold blood purely for a political move would make any sane person seek restitution. He wanted justice for what he rightly felt was a crime. Sure, maybe he thought that his brother had done some things that weren’t the purest, but he was still family. Itou was still the only thing he had in the world, and it had been cruelly ripped away from him.

It’s no surprise that Miki chases them throughout Souma’s whole route. He’s been so beaten down and betrayed, the only thing he can think of is to finish what remains the Shinsengumi, even if he isn’t angry at the surviving members. Revenge is the only thing that gets him out of bed. He’s very clearly depressed at the end of the story, saying things like, “What’s the point in life?” ”Fate is cruel...at some point, we are made to expect nothing. It’s hopeless.” and, “I’m nothing more than a monster. A wretched beast. A burden.” He doesn’t know what to do anymore, forced to wander the earth until he either finds someone else to follow, or burns his life out by using his Fury abilities, which is possibly the saddest ending out of them all.

But, as overwhelming are his negative characteristics are, he does have some positive things going for him. Chizuru makes a direct reference in chapter 4 of Kyoto Winds, commenting that even though they weren’t close, he seemed pretty responsible. It leads me to believe that, if his ideologies had been the same as the Shinsengumi, he would never have left, carrying out his duties until his final day. He was also very loyal, sticking with Itou even though it meant leaving a safe position with the Shinsengumi to a more questionable position, one that didn’t necessarily mean victory in the long run. Even after Itou dies and Miki’s thrown into chaos, he still tries to follow what he thinks is a wise move, running after Kodo and the Imperialists. It lands him in trouble, turning him into a Fury; not always what we think is right turns out to really be the wisest of moves. You can’t blame him for chasing after the only hope he had. Running for his allies only for them to dump him onto the street isn’t necessarily his fault. Could he have seen it coming? Probably, if he hadn’t been so blindsided by his desperation.

He has a little bit of Okita about him. He makes the comment “A job is a job. I don’t plan on making it personal.” Take that how you will. Maybe it’s a good thing, that he knows when and when not to get attached, or maybe it’s proof of something colder.

His “ability to let his mouth run loose” according to Itou also leads to moments where I think he has a decent sense of humor. The scene in Kyoto Winds where everyone is cleaning is an example. Takeda is whining about cleaning, and Miki is straight up savage with him, joining in on the teasing of the 5th Division Captain with Harada. He also exhibits good teamwork in that scene.

Something tells me if life had gone a little differently for him, if it had treated him a little kinder, he might have turned into an amazing person. But he got the shorter end of the stick, and has one of the most unfortunate and tragic endings of all the characters in the game. If he had had a route, I’m sure his character development would have been amazing to see, to watch him grow from someone so brash to someone softer, who knows how to treat people decently and to know how to forgive and let go.

#i just #feel passionately about my tol evil babe #what can i say #he deserves better #character analysis #saburo miki #miki #hakuouki #hakuoki

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rennarenofao3 · 5 years

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Thoughts on Hakuouki’s Sannan Keisuke

(with some observations on his relationships to/with the rest of the Shinsengumi) Based solely on Seasons 1 and 3

In the course of watching the series I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about Sannan’s character, and about what his motivations might have been for joining the group. Please note that this is strictly my perspective on what I’ve seen so far, and also contains a bit of speculation about some things. I’ve tried to clean it up to make it a bit easier to read and less ‘stream of consciousness’ but I’m not sure how well I ended up succeeding in that.

(note that this contains some spoilers for the events of seasons 1 and 3 of the anime)

· Sannan seems to be an outsider, even and perhaps especially noticeably so, among his fellow Shinsengumi, though a line from Hijikata in season three does indicate that he knew them while the group was still in Edo before coming to Kyoto. The man simply does not seem to fit in with the rest of the group. While he does appear to have loyalty to the group, and a respect for Kondou, his loyalty seems as if it may be less long standing and for somewhat different reasons than most of the other captains as he doesn’t seem to have known him as long or have quite the same perspective on Kondou. Could he have possibly decided to join in on their mission only shortly before the group left Edo to go to Kyoto?

· He seems to be well educated, while also being strong despite his more scholarly nature, and is a reasonably skilled fighter. But unlike some of the other characters, he doesn’t necessarily seem eager to resolve things by, or involve himself in fights. And in fact he frequently acts as more of a peacekeeper, breaking up fights and attempting to mediate when a conflict is developing. So it is unlikely that he would have joined the Roshigumi/Shinsengumi out of a desire to become embroiled in a never ending series of battles.

· Fame or notoriety seems to be perhaps the most unlikely reason for Sannan to have joined the Roshigumi/Shinsengumi. In general Sannan seems to stick to the background of things, to the point where I imagine that he is all but invisible to anyone outside the group, considering how bold and colorful some of the others are. This ‘fading into the background’ could also be noted when his opinion gets virtually ignored later on when the group is debating on moving locations. (Kondou, who generally seems to try to please everyone, is essentially the only one who appears to give any validity to what Sannan says) Plus, when Sannan would have originally hooked up with the Roshigumi/Shinsengumi, the group was not yet famous.

· Another potential reason for Sannan joining the Roshigumi/Shinsengumi is an agreement with or belief in the ideals and mission of the group. Given Sannan’s personality, and how strongly dedicated he is to them, I think that this probably stands the best chance of being the ‘why’. Sannan has given no indication of being the type to take action on a whim, especially when it could well be something he would end up dying for. He would carefully consider as many aspects as possible before choosing a path to take.

· From here it should be taken into consideration who put forth the mission of the Shinsengumi. It seems like a lot of the time throughout the series Hijikata is more the driving force behind the Shinsengumi’s goals. To the point where Hijikata intends to eliminate Serizawa and place Kondou as the group’s sole top leader, even though Kondou doesn’t really seem to have any drive to act to take the leadership role. Along this same line of thought is that it seems a bit like Sannan is closer with Hijikata than Kondou. Usually most of his comments for running things seem more addressed to Hijikata, however that could simply be because Sannan is smart enough to recognize who is ‘really’ in charge. But overall, it seems possible that Hijikata himself, and perhaps his potential to actually accomplish the ideals of the group, might also have something to do with Sannan’s reason for joining.

· Sannan’s reaction to Chizuru’s preparing a special meal for him after being injured is also interesting and perhaps is reflective of aspects of his background in terms of his home life and also touches on his being an outsider to the Shinsengumi. Could he have come from a background where ‘manly’ strength was highly valued, but given his less overtly masculine personality traits (quiet, scholarly, not seeking out fights/eager to show off physical prowess) was perhaps looked down on or seen as weak within his own family? Taking note of the way the Shinsengumi is very accepting of ‘warriors’ who might not ordinarily have been accepted as samurai this makes Sannan’s joining them more logical as it would give him the opportunity to become something that might have been expected of him but he was unable to fulfill to the satisfaction of others in the usual manner. This would also explain why Sannan was so profoundly upset by losing the use of his arm/ability to fight, since the Shinsengumi is a group of warriors and even though he did not fight often, not being able to fight at all makes him useless to the group and cuts off (in his mind) the reason he is allowed to be there, and his connection to the others entirely.

· Sannan does also seem as if he may have some self-confidence issues as well, or at least seems to not view himself very highly at times. After he is injured Sannan’s opinion of himself seems to fall almost immediately, to the point where he is only able to bring himself to be around the others with Chizuru’s encouragement. In contrast if one of the others who is also more firmly integrated with the group had experience a similar injury, they probably would have laughed off it off a lot more, and even if (for example) food had been spilled it would have gotten turned into a joke by the others and probably have resulted in some horsing around. And even if Sannan had joined in with the group before Chizuru had made him special meals, such an incident would probably at least have been overlooked and not commented on. …So one wonders why Sannan seems so disproportionately ashamed of it potentially happening in the presence of the others.

· An additional note on Sannan being an outsider even within the group. It seems like the others don’t really know how to relate to him. This is probably most obvious in the awkward silences that happen after Sannan is injured. When he is not around the others worry and talk about him, but as soon as he comes into the room the atmosphere freezes up. Rather than greet Sannan, and overall act normally, everyone just falls silent after a few brief comments. And it is doubtful that Sannan would have minded if they had said more to him, or simply overlooked his being injured, in fact it probably would have helped him feel more a part of the group/better about himself. Especially the joking around, for as much as Sannan comes across on the surface as being very solemn, he has a sense of humor, that may not actually be that far removed from that of the others. An example of this is during the scene where Chizuru is first brought to the group and Shinpachi, and Sanosuke, are teasing Heisuke. In contrast to Hijikata and Kondou reacting with annoyance/upset at their behavior, Sannan is sitting there watching with this tiny amused smile on his face.

· However in spite of the others not really knowing how to relate to him, Sannan cares deeply for them. Possibly to a level equaling that of Hijikata, even though his means of ‘looking out for’ the group differs. He also seems to have a good understanding of each of their personalities. Aspects of Sannan’s affection for the others can be seen in the incident mentioned above, in the way he seems to know what to say to each of them when it comes to reasoning with them and subtly looks after them, such as when he is the first to ask if Hijikata is all right after a confrontation with Serizawa and follows/seeks out Heisuke to give him medicine that will alleviate the bloodlust caused by the ochimizu.

· This care for the others could also be reflected in that he quickly spoke up to say that he would work with Kodou when the ochimizu was first introduced. In doing so Sannan could monitor what was going on, and by not allowing the others to be involved he could and possibly even would have attempted to make it seem as if the rest of the Roshigumi/Shinsengumi were not involved if the somewhat unsavory experiments were to come to light and reflect badly on the others. He is pragmatic enough to realize that it would be difficult for the group to gain financial support they desperately needed if they failed to comply, and as a benefit it also provided the opportunity to remove a member of the opposition from leadership by suggesting that Niimi step down from his role as a chief to focus on the research.

· Of the group Sannan may be closest to Heisuke and Hijikata. He is seen walking with and visibly reacting to Heisuke’s excitement after the pairings for the demonstration matches are announced, and Heisuke also seems to feel very free to visit Sannan in his room to talk. (we never really see other characters approach Sannan individually like this) As mentioned before Sannan seems to talk to/address Hijikata most often in group discussions, frequently seems to be on Hijikata’s side on things, and seems especially concerned about Hijikata’s well-being.

#hakuoki #hakuouki #sannan keisuke #character analysis

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eleiyaumei · 1 year

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My (ups and) downs watching the second Hakuōki movie

A follow-up to my post about the first movie.

(Note: I’m sorry if in this post I come off as harsh. But it is possible to love something and simultaneously criticize it and illustrate its (potential) flaws. And that’s what I intend to do here. Plus: This is only my opinion and if yours differ from mine, that is totally valid! ^-^)

Yeah, I’m not a fan of this one... But to be fair to the movie and fans of it, here’s some things that I like:

(+) IBUKI THE FEMINIST – Hyperbolic way of praising Ibuki for saying: “Harada and Hijikata think they know what you want but the only person who is able to know that is you.” (*This is my translation of the German subs which I expect to be more accurate than the English sub/dub but that might be wrong, so feel free to correct me!)

(+) Sannan infiltrating Kodo

(+) HaraShira – Harada’s death scene & Shiranui bringing his spear to Aizu, fulfilling the former’s last wish

(+) Okita getting to fight one last time & him (talk-)fighting together with Saitō

What I dislike the most about this movie is the ways in which the narrative and/or characters both disrespect female protagonist Chizuru and undermine the romance between her and Hijikata - in my opinion.

Detailed analysis below the cut.

1) (The Narrative) Disrespecting Chizuru

- after Kondō’s surrender, Chizuru prepares to fight but Hijikata has already killed every enemy (I’m not saying she should fight but her being passive in general is my major problem with the movie’s handling of Chizuru.)

- Harada completely understands Hijikata’s reasoning for lying to her and leaving her alone in Edo but does not acknowledge the fact that Hijikata has hurt Chizuru and disrespected her choice/autonomy (but then agrees with Ibuki that Chizuru should do what makes her happy)

- While fleeing Edo, Chizuru falls off a (seemingly obvious) cliff and is saved/taken in by Kazama.

- There, when Kazama asks her what she would do about her evil-doing father, she answers that she would stop him. – Later, Kazama stops Kodo instead by killing him and Chizuru thanks her for that. Kazama says that makes her worthy of being the heir of the Yukimura clan. For what? Being not too proud to show gratitude?

- Chizuru is forcibly and passively confronted with her father – the reason she started her journey with the Shinsengumi in the first place – instead of actively seeking him out and confronting him.

- Heisuke saves her and Kazama kills Kodo.

- Chizuru takes a journey alone to give Hijikata the Makoto flag. But this is never shown, she misses the Shinsengumi and is taken to Ezo by Kazama.

- In Ezo, she runs towards the Shinsengumi and is hit by the impact of an explosion. Her Oni powers activate – I bet she will heal soon enough to get out of the danger zone. But Hijikata runs up to her, ultimately saving her, and she passes out.

- When Hijikata is shot off his horse, Chizuru falls off with him, sees him lying and bleeding, is attacked by a Fury, does nothing and is suddenly saved by Hijikata. (That attack wasn’t in EB.)

(The Narrative) Undermining the Romance

- several emotionally bonding/romantic scenes/CGs are left out (see above)

- Hijikata doesn’t eat her food – It starts out with Chizuru noticing that he hasn’t eaten and then telling him he should eat. He refuses. When she later brings him food with a note he should eat, we never see if he listens to her or not because he is overwhelmed by bloodlust.

- Hijikata doesn’t drink her blood. When Hijikata is overwhelmed by bloodlust and Chizuru notices it, she offers her help but he throws her out of the room. Separated by a wall, both suffer from that situation. Just painful to watch, not romantic at all.

- Kondō includes “becoming a rasetsu” in the things Hijikata did to fulfill his (Kondō’s) wish – even though in the first movie, it was ambiguously framed but hinted at that he did it to protect Chizuru. Hijikata does not disagree with this statement and both share an emotional farewell. Platonic, most likely, but as dramatic as a scene where two lovers have to part (and the music that plays during the scene would fit there too) (Kondō/Hijikata shippers, I get you.)

- After Kondō’s surrender, Hijikata doesn’t react to Chizuru’s encouraging words when she hugs his back.

- “dumped over DM”: Hijikata tries to say to Chizuru’s face that he wants her to stay in Edo but then lies to her to wait for him at a tea house. She waits for him for hours then finally receives a letter from him. He’s disrespecting her choice and autonomy just like in the game but him not having the guts to talk to her directly makes this worse – or at least bad in a different way.

- 1 hour into the movie, with 12 minutes left, we have our first and longest romantic scene between the two leads where they pour their hearts out. All in all, too much too late with too little build-up.

#hakuoki #hakuouki #hakuoki movie 2 #hakuouki movie 2 #warrior spirit of the blue sky #hakuoki analysis #hakuouki analysis #hakuoki critique #hakuouki critique #analysis #critique #hijikata toshizo #yukimura chizuru #justice for chizuru #just my opinion

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homeoftheunderrated · 7 years

Photo

Character Similarities--Chizuru Yukimura and Yuuki Cross (Vampire Knight.)

Both women heal those around them by just being themselves. Zero and Hijikata are able to continue on after losing everyone they have ever cared about because of Yuuki’s and Chizuru’s relentless want to be close to them.

((Edit: Also I feel like those words spoken by Hijikata were the words Zero wanted to say but didn’t have the courage. He wants Yuuki to stay by him, but he can’t bring himself to say it because he truly doesn’t believe she would stay with him. He doesn’t think he deserves her.))

Other Character Analysis: [x] [x]

#hakuouki #vampire knight #yuuki cross #zero kiryuu #hijikata toshizo #chizuru yukimura #character analysis

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impracticaldemon · 4 years

Note

what mbti type do you think are the captains of the shinsengumi?

Hi Anon!

I’m not an expert on MBTI, and I tend to overthink the Shinsengumi guys from Hakuouki. So this is a little rough, but conveys the key elements of how *I* perceive their characters :)

Myers-Briggs uses 4 basic traits; there is also a 5th indicator (newer)

Extroverted / IntrovertedIntuitive / SensoryThinking / FeelingJudging / Perceiving[Assertive / Turbulent ~ I’ll leave this out]

Hijikata Toshizo ~ appears extroverted to some, but actually somewhat introverted; borderline intuitive/sensory; more feeling than thinking (as Sannan often points out); judging ~ INFJ (can appear as ESTJ, but remember that this man is both creative and a visionary, and prefers small groups; introverts can be - often are - leaders, but it takes a toll on them)

Okita Souji ~ extroverted, because although he doesn’t like sharing anything of himself, he does seem to derive pleasure and energy from being around and teasing/interacting with others (positively or otherwise); intuitive more than sensory (he’s intuitive in both a positive and negative sense); feeling rather than thinking (he’s intelligent, but passionate); judging more than perceiving (overall, he’s stubborn, with strong personal biases and a dislike of change; loyal for good and for bad; intense and can be very attractive) ~ ENFJ

Saitou Hajime ~ introverted (the truest introvert of the lot); sensory rather than intuitive (mostly a benefit, but can make him appear cold; he cares more than it seems, but cares logically which can be distancing); thinking rather than feeling (again, more balanced than it appears, but he tends to bury or not understand the feeling aspects of what he does); perceiving more than judging (he can be more accepting and flexible with respect to what is real or necessary than most; but again, he can appear cold when he isn’t; he’s very perceptive, but often awkward or silent) ~ ISTP

Toudou Heisuke ~ an extroverted sweetheart (but don’t forget that he does a lot of self-reflection when he’s down); intuitive (tends to add his own “gloss” to the basic facts, or ignore what he doesn’t like until it’s too late); feeling (for good and for bad!); a mix of judging and perceiving, on balance more perceiving: he wants to stay open to different possibilities and is constantly looking for better ways to act and think ~ ENFP

Harada Sanosuke ~ extroverted, but with a streak of self-reflection (he also appreciates the intimacy of close friendships and smaller groups); a mix of sensory and intuitive, but more sensory (he tends to work with reality and facts, and only cautiously adds his own personal take); feeling (he tries for thinking, but his basic personality is feeling; maturity has helped balance things a bit); perceiving rather than judging (Harada is flexible in his outlook and adapts well to most changes in plan; like most of them, he’s stubborn about certain things) ~ ENFP

Kazama Chikage ~ introverted more than extroverted (he truly seeks solitude over companionship; being domineering/arrogant is a form of introversion, in his case); intuitive (he interprets the world almost entirely within the context of his own values and upbringing); thinking (he is confused when others don’t follow the “logical” path - although logical to him may be different than to others; put another way, he’s not empathic, and honestly finds it difficult to relate to the “illogical” behaviour of others); judging ~ INTJ [Note that his character has an innocence to it, despite his casual violence; he absolutely believes in himself, his role/place, and his duties; he’s immature by most standards, especially early on; the world is disillusioning to him]

I’ll have to put a shorter analysis for the newer or new route characters, both for time and knowledge reasons… Maybe to explore later?

Nagakura Shinpachi ~ ENFP (I could go into more detail, but he’s actually one of the easier ones to categorize, although he’s as complex a character as anyone; don’t underestimate his intelligence or ability to be logical)

Sannan Keisuke ~ ISTP (the textbook scientist?; maybe, but don’t underestimate his capacity for feeling, or his tendency toward non-logical reactions; still ISTP is probably the best fit - in many ways, he’s the true realist of the group)

[image: Iba, Sannan, Hijikata]

Yamazaki Susumu ~ ISTP, with tendencies toward F and J; I love Yamazaki, and he reacts more from his gut than you’d think (consider his not-as-buried-as-he’d-like romantic views of the world - hence the ninja, the devotion to the Shinsengumi etc); keep in mind that this middle-class doctor’s son “ran away” to become a samurai

[image: Okita, Yamazaki]

Iba Hachiro ~ moderately extroverted (he likes being with people, and likes people); more intuitive than sensory (a romantic type); feeling (ditto); more judging than perceiving (both by personality and upbringing, but moderate) ~ a moderate ENFJ

[image: Miki Saburo, Nomura, Souma]

Souma Kazue ~ a sweetheart who wears his heart on his sleeve (”earnest” should be his middle name!) ~ ENFJ (very moderate E)

Sakamoto Ryouma ~ a very strong E (yeah, okay, that part’s obvious); seriously, though, he’s quite canny, logical, and tends to see things as they are; flexible and always on the lookout for a better solution ~ ESTP

I hope this was interesting, Anon-san & others!

~ Imp

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queengurako · 5 years

Text

About Okita Souji’s birthday

According to Okita Family’s Legend, Souji was born during a thunderstorm or a solar eclipse. We always doubt about his birthyear. 1842 or 1844 ? The family register told he was born in summer. It’s the only thing we surely know. If we followed the legend there is actually a solar eclipse during 1842.

In Shinsengumi Makoto I found this information :

Family legend has it that Okita was born during either a terrible thunderstorm or during a solar eclipse. And it appears that there was indeed a solar eclipse in June of 1842, the year now most commonly given as his birthyear.

The problem is I found nothing during June of 1842 concerning a solar eclipse. (I had a false joy concerning June 26 because there have been a solar eclipse…and it’s the International Day in Supports of Victimes of Torture…please let me laugh at the irony of Souji the killer born during this day XD but nope it was in 1824 T__T). The only solar eclipse during summer 1842 I found was in July 8 which you can find on wikipedia (Solar eclipse of July 8, 1842 ). You even can find a map :

In 1844, there was also a partial solar eclipse (June 16) but Japan was never concerned by it (follow this link to have more information and check the map you would see the difference between the previous one ). Moreover in Hakuouki, the creators chose 1842 as Souji’s birthyear. So let’s keep 1842 !

However, I’ve got a doubt about July 22, 1842 (10 July, 1842 in old calendar) because it was a partial lunar eclipse and Japan was touched by it…but Okita’s family register said it was during a solar eclipse. So let’s follow the legend (bcz Soji IS a legend). Even if I don’t exclude this date on my mind.

Though, I needed an another confirmation about this. Also because Shinsengumi-no-makoto and the “a solar eclipse in June of 1842″ gave me doubt and I have to check the Japanese Lunar Calendar.

Believe me it’s awfuuul ! I tried to understand all the Month table but keep in mind I could do a mistake. Anyway ! In 1842, the six month of lunar calendar was July and began in…7/08 !!

Although I don’t speak Japanese (I can just read hiragana and a little katana), I did some research to see if the solar eclipse is mentionned somewhere. This following page explained that Soji could be born in June 1 of lunar calendar, according to the legend but also the searcher Yoishi Tsuri.[nb : If someone who speak Japanese could confirme me this information with a good translation…it would help me a lot !!!]

By the way one of my friend told me July 8 of 1842 was a new moon, so a new lunar month…which is fucking badass for Okita to her and I completely agreed ^^

SO ! What can we conclude ? (with my horrible english and I’m very sorry for everyone who tried to read me)

Okita Suoji was born in summer of 1842 or 1844.

The legend told us he was born during a solar eclipse.

A total solar eclipse occured on July 8, 1842.

Shinsengumi-no-makoto and the Japanese blog explain that Okita Souji was born in June. Precisely on June 1 of the Japanese lunar calendar.

June of the lunar calendar of 1842 began July 8, 1842.

And guess what…? Soraichi gave THAT date of birth for Okita Sougo in Gintama 8D !!

(sorry but I couldn’t resist for this gif)

In conclusion, for historical legend, Hakuouki and Gintama… Okita Souji was born July 8, 1842 : the first day of the sixth month of Tenpou 13.

And his astrological sign is Cancer.

Now do what you want with these informations :D

. . .

/!\ Keep in mind I could do mistakes even if I did some researchs and checked them. So please if you have others informations (with the Japanese link or others japanese blogs or anything else) or corrections…please share it ! Let’s talk !

Also don’t forget the real birth date of Okita Souji is still unknown. All of this topic is based on deductions from sources. If we know he was born in summer the birthyear was not written in the family register. All of these researchs were done to find if the solar eclipse was a historical fact and to determine Okita’s birthday in Japanese lunar calendar. It’s also an help for people who want to write fanfictions about Okita, who are curious about him (or even why Sorachi chooses this day for Sougo’s birthday) or who love Souji. From Hakuouki or any fandom where he appears <333</p>

/!\ . . .

If you want to go further @fuckyeahbakumatsu and @fierce-little-miana talked about Soji’s birthday and Soji’s astrological sign in this post :)

Sources :

- List of Solar eclipses in the 19th century - wikipedia eng. - Okita Soji - wikipedia (eng, fr, jap) - Okita Soji - Shinsengumi no Makoto. - Solar eclipse of July 8, 1842 - wikipedia eng. - Total Solar eclipse of 8 July, 1842 - Moonblink. - Partial Lunar eclipse of 22 July, 1842 - Moonblink. - Okita Sougo - Gintama wikia. - Japanese Date conversion. - Tsuri Yoishi - amazon japanese page. - 沖田総司の生まれた日(？)

#okita soji #history #analysis #shinsengumi #hakuouki #hakuouki headcanon #gintama #okita sougo #okita souji #gurako's analysis

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tackyink · 4 years

Text

The making of Anomaly, chapter 1

Link to chapter

Since I need to reread the fic to take notes and some of you said you were interested in reading my commentary, here it is. This is going to be part behind the scenes, part character analysis.

Makoto was born on a late August afternoon of 2016, and the first chapter of Anomaly was posted a day later.

She appeared in vacuum, fully formed, blunt and snarky, with curtains of black hair framing her face and bangs that concealed a pair of unsettling eyes. She blinked little. In a way, sometimes I think she was her own person who happened to find me at the right time, sat me down, and said “you’re going to write my story.”

I knew four things about her: she was a student at Meiou, she was half-human, half-demon, her grandmother was at the hospital, and she could see the future.

Her name, Makoto, written with the kanji 誠, means “honesty.” It was a straightforward name for a straightforward girl. Concise, gender-neutral, and I settled on that kanji because I’m a Hakuouki fan and that was the character in the Shinsengumi’s flag. But that happened later down the line. When she sat me down that day, she said her name was Makoto, and I’m not about to argue a stranger’s name.

The narration is snappy and too concise, especially in the first chapter, for two reasons: I wrote it in one sitting, in a matter of three hours or so, and Makoto’s natural state is snappy and concise. This was somewhat lost as time went on, since I was putting more effort into the chapters, my style shifted as I wrote this and Inked on Skin, and Makoto’s voice, too, evolved.

Her speech pattern is meant to sound stilted. I imagine her as someone exerting such an effort to keep her energy under control that she ended up speaking in a very deliberate, controlled way, because it helps her keep calm and makes her feel more in control of herself. This is also why she counts to three when she feels something coming. She’s been doing these things for many years, so they come naturally to her, but! At the same time, that makes her hilarious to write when she goes off on someone, because she either:

gets angry, but is very obviously trying to maintain her composure and the dissonance is funny

starts using contractions left and right and yelling. She doesn’t care anymore. You’re a dumbass and she’s gonna let you know, and that’s even funnier

I didn’t expect anybody to like her, to be honest. I wasn’t even sure I liked her, but I found her interesting and wanted to find out what she was up to. This was a break I took while I was working on my other fic, and the only reason I uploaded it to Fanfiction.net was that it was readable and I figured someone wanting to kill time might get some enjoyment from it. But I got a couple of reviews in the following days, and I was feeling the Inked on Skin burnout so hard that it was nice to write something else for a change, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see where the story started going.

Regarding the contents of the chapter, I went with the flow, adding details and scenes as I needed them. How did she know what Minamino was? What is she? What is her power? What does she think of the people around her? Why is she at the hospital?

He dropped a notebook full of math problems on her lap. Offended, she said, "Today you are going to buy a ham, cheese and lettuce sandwich. And you will regret it."

I also found out that she had an odd sense of humor.

I’ve never been happy with the conversation where Kurama tells her about his situation. I realize that it isn’t out of character, since he did the same with Yuusuke and they had known each other for even less time, but I don’t know. Feels clunky. I could’ve done that better.

I do like the bit that comes immediately afterwards, though:

Makoto watched his body language out of the corner of her eye. It didn't betray anything.

"Who are you?"

"…Excuse me?"

"You speak of yourself as opposed to Shuuichi. Who are you?"

This time, she caught his full attention with the question, and he looked at her again.

"My real name is Kurama. I was a thief in my former life."

The pieces that formed the enigma of Makoto's anomaly clicked together in place. 'Kurama.' Yes, it was fitting. It was wider, filled the spaces that 'Shuuichi' didn't cover. The human body with youki finally made sense.

It’s a hint that Makoto’s power works in an undefined way that she can’t control. It isn’t just premonitions, she knows when something is right or not. It’s a gut feeling with perfect accuracy, and her bullshit detector being so finely tuned is one of the reasons she dislikes lying so much.

Kurama’s guilt about lying to Shiori for fifteen years is what makes her open up a little for the first time. She empathizes because she sees a bit of herself in him, and because it’s not often that she finds someone else caught between two worlds that she can get along with. As much as she denies it, she longs for connection with someone who understands.

That is why she gets so angry when Kurama puts in motion his suicide plan. She just found someone she could talk to, and as soon as she had gotten used to him, which is something that Mako just does not do, he decides to leave. She is used to people ignoring her warnings, but this instance feels like a personal slight.

So when Kurama’s plan goes tits up and both he and Shiori live, Makoto gets so thrown off that she forgets about how upset she was, because what the hell. What. The. Hell.

And… that’s pretty much it for chapter one.

#making of anomaly

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