guys i just watched spacesweepers..

Damn Souma’s route is so good, can I just say how cute he and Chizuru are together? 😭 He’s definitely up there as one of my favourites with Heisuke, Harada, and Okita (they’re all number 1 to me, I have a hard time deciding), I haven’t seen Iba, Sanan, Yamazaki, and Shinpachi’s routes quite yet.

But aaaaa Souma’s route is heartbreaking at the same time.

Everyone dies (barely any of the OG cast is alive) which I can understand why it may be an unpopular route and some people don’t like his personality apparently? I also wouldn’t go as far as to say every character in the game likes him...I mean, look at Miki, Kazama, and Iba (to an extent) with some being neutral towards him, alongside with how he’s often reprimanded for his behavior by the higher ups. I think his interactions otherwise are wholesome (and hilarious at some parts especially when he’s with Nomura), despite being a  fan boy but it’s understandable with the reasons he provided. At the same time, his route is the closest to being realistically canon since the real Souma did become the last Shinsengumi commander (after Hijikata’s death) before surrendering (and survives afterwards including getting married on the island), alongside with most of the members have died during the war.

Kaoru pretty much never showed up at all and Kodo was only mentioned, so Chizuru didn’t really get too much on her part lore wise. I really didn’t like Miki for obvious reasons, but he’s a good antagonist and that voice acting is amazing.

The bad endings are tear jerking especially the tragic one, where Chizuru essentially broke up with him prior to his surrender and he went along with it, ending their relationship just like that. Q_Q;;

Seriously though, the gradual character growth and romance at the end is just too good to pass up. I also like how everyone at Ezo were shipping them (especially Hijikata LOL), except for Iba. xD The whole talk about the North Star and how Chizuru refers to him as such is so romantic and written well symbolically. That scene where they were potentially spending the last night together is so bittersweet, with the uncertainty between the two that they may never see each other again because of Souma’s decision to surrender and may very well encounter the same fate as Kondou. Yet, Chizuru waited 3 years to learn whether or not he survived and even stated she’ll wait forever. The timeskip reunion (thankfully!) between Chizuru and Souma at the end is incredibly wholesome -- that’s real relationship commitment right there, which would be a major part of why Souma’s route is up there as one of my top pairings.