Hakuoki: Souma
Jul. 16th, 2018 12:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrBackground information and links to previous posts
Souma Kazue is a very earnest, emotionally volatile young man who cares A LOT about being a GOOD WARRIOR. I went in knowing that (a) he spends a chunk of the first half thinking Chizuru is a guy (b) he calls her "sempai" (senior/mentor)
Which sounded pretty appealing! Alas this game is too committed to heteronormativity to really have fun with stuff like crossdressing confusion, and this path in particular felt a bit tired and underwritten. So it was ok, but not great.
** Spoilers**
Ok so I was curious how they were going to insert Souma scenes after his introduction when I was SURE there was no options to hang out with him and it turns out it really is some weird alchemy of completely unrelated choices that somehow just...results in him turning up again. I mean maybe it's if you got that one Souma point from his introduction scene and no points for anyone else?
Anyway, thanks to walkthrough alchemy I get a scene where Harada teaches Souma a very special lesson about the importance of police brutality lol. Sometimes I have to just let the politics of these people wash over me.
Aw he calls Chizuru "Yukimura-san" at this point.
Souma: If you're Commander Hijikata's page you must know a lot about being a warrior! Let's aim to be great warriors, as underlings!
Chizuru: Ahahaha, yeah! Go us!
Harada: *Snicker* Hard work is important, but swordfighting's not really your thing, is it, Yukimura?
Souma: *grasps Chizuru's shoulders* Oh, you don't have a lot of muscles, huh? So soft, almost like you're a girl...you should train more!
Chizuru: MMMmmm yeah I should! (Oh god this dude is just...feeling up my arms...WHY IS HARADA JUST LAUGHING AND NOT HELPING)
Aw Yamazaki helped with the cooking and laundry!
Souma becomes a TOTAL SHINSENGUMI FANBOY (so honourable and egalitarian!) and joins up. Chizuru feels a pang of jealousy that she will never truly be a Shinsengumi, no matter how long she stays. (This game flirts at the edge of subverting gender roles then is like...nah...) Souma is made Chief Kondou's page along with another new member, Nomura, and since Chizuru is supposed to have been Hijikata's page all this time she becomes their sempai (senior)
Chizuru has a lot of imposter syndrome but finds she is into this whole being called sempai thing and teaches them what she can about the non-combat parts of the job. She very explicitly does not join their sword training lessons >:(
Saito clearly thinks Souma is ADORABLE, with his earnest desire to be the BEST WARRIOR EVER. He actually smiles at him. Okita likes him too, because he is suitably OBSESSED with keeping Kondou safe.
Imperialist Itou's douchebag brother Miki suspects Chizuru of being a girl and starts pulling at her kimono but Souma and the other page Nomura tell him to knock it off, even though Miki outranks them.
Nomura: HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM A GIRL THAT'S RUDE
Chizuru: Um.
Nomura and Souma are brought in to talk to the captains, who decide to let them in on the secret.
Okita: Can you really not tell Chizuru's true nature?
Nomura: OH MY GOD IS HE THE ILLEGITIMATE SON OF SOMEONE COOL.
Okita: Don't you see anything odd when you look at him?
Souma, in a serious tone: I see a great sempai.
This game's insistence on how VERY CISGENDERED Chizuru is is kind of off putting. I cheered myself up thinking about who could be trans, and have decided I like Sen as a trans woman and Hijikata and Shiranui as trans men.
...so apparently Souma is younger than Chizuru? Ok then I have no idea how old anyone is any more because the game says Souma < Chizuru < Heisuke, but in real life Heisuke was younger than Souma.
Souma's something of an outsider, like Chizuru, not knowing about vampires etc. He's also pretty average at swords, and has a huge inferiority complex about it. It's an interesting change from most of the other characters (Heisuke is not AMAZING at swords but mostly does his actual job ok)
Some repetitive historical detail about some important personage dying goes by and for the first time I realise that it's Mysterious Unseen Love Interest Sakamoto! He's an ally of the Imperialists whose death was important for some reason? Guess I'll find out about that on his path!
Inoue and Yamazaki sacrifice themselves to save Chizuru and Souma.
The big final battle at the end of Kyoto Winds is with Miki, Imperialist Itou's douchebag brother. He works well as a foil: he is an ex Shinsengumi, who is full of bitterness because the Shinsengumi killed his brother in a somewhat morally dubious way. This contrasts with Souma's simple hero worship of the Shinsengumi.
Miki beats the pants off Souma until Souma tricks him into letting him drink the vampire potion by saying it's poison. Souma chooses not to kill him for reasons that felt a bit "well we need a villain for Edo Blossoms Act 5".
My problem with this path is Souma's this sweet earnest dude and I know he dies EVENTUALLY if you don't romance him, but it feels like going on this path is making him way sadder than he would otherwise be. Heisuke was equally sweet but I'd already seen him be miserable without Chizuru on other routes so it was nice to see her making things a bit less awful.
Upside: now I know when I romance Sakamoto that he was otherwise going to die in like Chapter 4 of Kyoto Winds.
On to Edo Blossoms!
Souma keeps training over and over, determined to be better at swords, so that he never fails his duty to protect Chief Kondou and Chizuru again.
We actually see Kondou get shot. Souma is helping guard him and feels terrible and useless and survivor's guiltish about it.
OH LOOK. THE DEPRESSING BATT....OH HEY SOUMA IN A CRAVAT.
Souma and Chizuru are trying to rescue Kondou from The Depressing Battle but are captured by Nemesis Miki and a squadron of Imperial soldiers.
One of these men knows how to wear a cravat, and that's why he gets the girls:
Miki did you get that outfit tailored especially so that the buttons would sit naturally open at your navel.
And lo he is a vampire too, now. And so are all his soldiers.
Souma is handily defeated, both because he is shitty at swords and because daylight. Aw Chizuru tries to stab Miki too.
Kondou is actually competent but there's just too many vampires....
AND THEN! THWACK THWACK
I got all excited thinking it was Yamazaki's throwing knives then remembered he is dead :( Instead, it's... HELPFUL DEMON AMAGIRI.
Miki: Aren't you...on my side?
Me: Lol, I wonder what excuse Amagiri will use for saving the heroes this time.
Miki: Anyway YOU TRIED TO KILL ME DURING THAT ONE POLITICALLY COMPLEX BATTLE so sure, let's fight.
Me: haha oh yeah he did, that'll work.
Amagiri: Weren't you arrested for tax fraud? *the game offers me a historical detail popup I cheerfully ignore*
Miki: Yes but then Stabdad let me become a vampire :D
Amagiri: I'm guessing he didn't mention the bit where it kills you.
Miki: Uh...
Amagiri: Anyway: Chizuru, you should run.
Chizuru: Thank you but aren't you...a bad guy?
Me: You would think, and yet.
Nagakura and Harada leave due to Kondou's incompetence and Souma is heartbroken. His found family :(
Commander Hijikata finally finds out Souma has been hiding his vampire-ness. Souma is all PLEASE LET ME KEEP DOING MY JOB I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE VAMPIRE DORMS which is very sad.
Then he says "I wanted to be the one to carry your torch when the time comes" which just feels silly, I mean he DID do that historically but I don't see why anyone would have predicted Commander Hijikata and Chief Kondou dying (along with anyone else in the intermediate chain of command) and Souma living. It's just luck things turned out that way.
Hijikata points out that literally every vampire they have ever had eventually succumbed to their condition, so working in sunlight in front of people is a disaster waiting to happen no matter how much Souma wants otherwise.
Afterwards Souma just starts punching a wall until his hands bleed. He feels useless, like he'll never be able to replace Inoue and Yamazaki, who sacrificed their lives so he might live.
The great thing about Souma being Kondou's page is how much we are connected to Kondou's incredibly tragic personal arc. It's. Great. We also see more of the other page, Nomura, who is a cheerful sweetiepie.
When Kondou is about to be arrested, Souma wants to stay with him, but he is told to protect Chizuru instead. He is clearly torn between his two senses of duty, but eventually Chizuru and Souma leave Kondou and Nomura to be arrested ;_;
OH NO Chizuru got separated and accidentally wound up back at the place Kondou is /o\ AND THEN SHE GETS ARRESTED TOO. Kondou is pretending to just be some random nobleman but it's not going to work D: He describes Chizuru as a "handmaiden", presumably so she will get gentler treatment.
After several days of solitary confinement, Souma comes to save them! With letters of clemency! I think for the fake identities Kondou gave?
But when they go to rescue Kondou he says it's too late, he revealed his true identity when Nomura and Chizuru were threatened. "Rescuing me required you to use your vampire powers, didn't it? Enough young men have died for my sake". He hands Souma a fancy sword he bought to celebrate the Shinsengumi's new status, and says to hand it to Commander Hijikata, who will lead the Shinsengumi better than he ever did. KONDOU ;_;
Chizuru, Nomura, and Souma escape to Chizuru's old house, and live there in hiding trying to find a way out of the city and back to the Shinsengumi. As they're sneaking around the backstreets of Edo, who should stumble across them but Artist Ibuki! And when they go to his house IT'S HARADA.
NAGAKURA DIED OFF SCREEN D:
Harada: I guess I have good luck dodging death :D
Ibuki: No, you were...*is hushed by Harada*
Me: Saved by your demon boyfriend? :D
Harada: Anyway I'll help you guys get out of Edo!
Ibuki: But you're... :(
Me: Ah. Dying :(
Oh no Harada and Ibuki are having a bittersweet farewell, this was more fun on Harada's path when I could be pretty sure he wouldn't die D:
Souma: I will sacrifice myself as a distraction
Harada: Are your balls so small you have to overcompensate? You took a vow to protect Chizuru.
Souma: But I'm not sure I can :(
Harada: Suck it up. I'll be the distraction.
Chizuru figures out that he's dying, and they sadly accept his sacrifice.
Later, Chizuru finds Souma brooding alone, consumed with survivor's guilt: so many people have sacrificed themselves for him, when he is the bottom of the chain. Chizuru says she has the same guilt, but perhaps all they can do is try and live long enough to see why fate wants them to be alive.
A vampire soldier attacks! But before Souma can transform himself, there is a flash of green!
Me: Ok this CAN'T be Okita. But who else is green???
BUT NO IT IS OKITA
Oh no I think he might be here to try to kill Hijikata since he hasn't had Chizuru's calming influence.
When he finds out that Kondou's dying wish was to give the fancy sword to Hijikata, he mutters to himself bitterly.
More vampires!
Souma: I WILL SACRIFICE MYSELF AS A DISTRACTION
Okita: Pfft. Leave it to Captain...*coughs up blood*
But then YELLOW SWORD SLASHES
Me: Yellow? Who's....
IT'S ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLL HEISUKE :D
OH NO
OH NO IT'S ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLL HEISUKE D:
Heisuke: You guys run and protect Chizuru. As if us Captains need help from pages. We'll be just behind you!
THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT AND IT'S NEVER TRUE
Nomura, Chizuru and Souma arrive in Aizu too late to meet up with Hijikata, but just in time to see Saito about to make his fatal last stand (and tell him his best friend is probably dead)
Saito orders them to leave. "This place is a graveyard, there will be no victory. Are you really ready to die here? It is too early for you to shoulder this burden. Find Hijikata, he will give you purpose."
(It's a little weird knowing that in real life Saito was actually slightly younger than Souma and Nomura, but afaict at this point we're supposed to read him as mid to late 20s and them as around 20)
Souma says he doesn't know what his purpose is but he's willing to wait for it.(I have sometimes pondered the similarities between this and Hamilton but it is so much less subversive)
Souma talks about how Chizuru's support has helped him come to this realisation, and she feels a little less survivor guilt herself.
Souma: Sorry for going on about myself so much.
Chizuru: But I like listening to you talk?
Souma: *blushing* Really? I mean, I...before I joined the Shinsengumi I'd never really...talked to a girl alone...
Chizuru: What's that got to do with it?
Souma: NOTHING. FORGET I SAID THAT. OH GOD.
Hey, they caught up with Commander Hijikata before Doomed Democracy Island! Souma tries to give Hijikata the Sword That Symbolises The Shinsengumi from Chief Kondou, but Hijikata gives it back to Souma, saying that for him the Shinsengumi was too tied up with Kondou for him to feel like he can be a real part of it's future.
Chizuru finds out that Okita, Heisuke and Sanan all died fighting her father's new vampires and literally collapses in guilt.
Hijikata makes it clear that there's no more hope of winning the war now, that he intends to make his final stand soon on Doomed Democracy Island but he doesn't expect them to join him. But of course they all say they want to come. He doesn't object especially to Chizuru joining them, though he affectionately tells her she's a fool. This is the first time I've seen Chizuru take the journey to Doomed Democracy Island with the Shinsengumi: On Hijikata's path this is the point where he leaves her behind for her own good, and on every other path she and her love interest's lives go in a different direction before this point.
Ha! Chizuru gets her western style uniform and for the first time we get a long shot down her body and her love interest blushing and saying she looks very nice.
There's an election on Doomed Democracy Island! Hijikata is voted Army minister, Souma his aide, and Chizuru becomes Souma's page. HE FINDS THIS VERY DISCONCERTING. SHE IS THE SEMPAI.
OH HEY IT'S IBA. HI IBA.
Ha so Hijikata asks Chizuru to talk to him alone, and it occurs to me that we never see the slightest sign of jealousy from love interests about Chizuru spending time with other Shinsengumi, except for a tiny bit from Heisuke, and even then only when he's not dating Chizuru (yet). ...and then it turns out what Hijikata wants to say is that he deliberately set Chizuru and Souma up to work together cos he figures the only reason Chizuru would come out to Doomed Democracy Island is out of love (which is NOT TRUE, ACTUALLY, Hijikata, she came here on the Kazama path too)
I think this might be the first time I've seen Chizuru admit to having feelings to someone else before her love interest. She's all BUT DOES HE LIKE ME BACK and Hijikata rolls his eyes tells her to read between the lines. "But I guess at your age you need things spelled out with words and tongues" HIJIKATA YOUR INABILITY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS IS NOT MATURITY
Aw, Hijikata says Chizuru got rid of Souma's hot headed violent tendencies.
Holy crap Hijikata just straight up asks Souma to declare his feelings for Chizuru. (At a point in the story where HE was still getting up the courage to say he liked having her around at all)
Hijikata: There, he said it, Yukimura, happy now?
HAHA WHAT. They are interrupted by realising that Nomura, Iba, Shimada, and Hijikata's boss are all listening at the door.
Lol and then Hijikata says Iba had a thing for Chizuru. Dude she spoke to him once three years ago. And then Iba does act all jealous? YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN. ALL GAME.
BUT WE DON'T SEE CHIZURU TELL SOUMA SHE LIKES HIM BACK. ONE MIGHT CONSIDER THAT IMPORTANT?
Game, I have seen you do seven romances and they all had better mutual feelings realisations than this.
OH WELL ANYWAY THEY'RE DATING NOW I GUESS
Everyone is implausibly interested in their love life and it is painfully silly. Game, now is not the time for farce they are all about to die.
After being teased they're like SO I GUESS...WE COULD KISS??? But they are both intensely awkward and Souma loses his nerve. Ok that's cute, if a little surreal after all the sexy blood drinking. (though he does keep covering her eyes so she won't see him do it because that definitely makes it less of a sex thing)
FUCKING. KAZAMA.
Demon Lord Kazama beats the crap out of Souma while Amagiri holds Chizuru back. So she bites her tongue and attempts to choke on her own blood. (Chizuru!)
The look on Kazama's face when he realises she's in love with this puny human and would rather die than go with him :D
Amagiri: You know that if this Demon girl dies Princess Sen will kill us, right?
Kazama: ...this is a misunderstanding *cough* I was only here to rescue you because I thought you were a hostage. But if you want to stay here and be slaughtered with these miserable fucks then I won't stop you.
Everyone: ...
Amagiri: Anyway, as you know, Stabdad and his vampires all died in a fight with the Shinsengumi vampires.
Chizuru: Yes :(
Me: NO??? THAT WAS NOT MADE CLEAR.
Amagiri: So the only two remaining vampires are that boy wiggling in the snow, and Miki. We can't find Miki and...eh, this kid is not a threat to anyone. Bye.
Souma is all PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO KILL YOURSELF FOR ME but Chizuru makes no promises.
Nomura dies bravely and tragically but it's a bit overdone and it's like YES. I GET IT GAME. EVERYONE SOUMA VALUES SACRIFICES THEMSELVES AND HE FEELS BAD.
They hear that Commander Hijikata has been shot, and rush to find him. He is barely alive and they help him rest against a tree. The pathos is undercut slightly by it being exactly the same same tree Chizuru and Hijikata made out against when he got shot on his path.
Anyway, Hijikata hands the blood-stained flag of the Shinsengumi, and it's leadership, to Souma. Because there's noone else left. And then he dies. It's sad.
And then, Nemesis Miki appears!
But his heart isn't in the battle. When pressed, he says everything he cared about is gone, even the people he wished vengeance against for being directly involved in his brother's death. Souma puts away his sword, saying they are both men who have been left behind by those they fought for, and suggest Miki wait and see what life he can make for himself after the war.
"Sounds boring," says Miki, then sighs and walks away.
The war ends, and Souma offers to surrender as Chief to keep the rest of the Shinsengumi from punishment. He worries Chizuru will try to stop him, but as much as it breaks her heart she realises he has finally found his purpose.
Instead she asks for one thing: if this is to be their last night, they should spend it together. They have sweet, sad, fade-to-black sex. He starts calling her Chizuru-san instead of Yukimura-sempai which I find very endearing.
He is not killed! He is sent to...exile, I guess? The game isn't clear but I read that on Wikipedia about the real Souma.
I thought Chizuru might join Souma in his three years of exile (which I think the real Souma's wife did) but instead she spends the time studying to be a doctor!!
They have a cute reunion and go off to their happy ending but it doesn't address the vampire thing?? At all???
THE END, I GUESS
So yeah that was...mostly cute? I liked the idea of it more than the execution: a younger man who sees the heroine as a mentor, then grows up into adulthood and responsibility and purpose over the game is a nice idea but it didn't quite click for me. Maybe if it felt more like she was growing up too? Also I think I just need a break from paths which follow the most common historical and emotional beats, they're a bit tired at this point.
Souma Kazue is a very earnest, emotionally volatile young man who cares A LOT about being a GOOD WARRIOR. I went in knowing that (a) he spends a chunk of the first half thinking Chizuru is a guy (b) he calls her "sempai" (senior/mentor)
Which sounded pretty appealing! Alas this game is too committed to heteronormativity to really have fun with stuff like crossdressing confusion, and this path in particular felt a bit tired and underwritten. So it was ok, but not great.
** Spoilers**
Ok so I was curious how they were going to insert Souma scenes after his introduction when I was SURE there was no options to hang out with him and it turns out it really is some weird alchemy of completely unrelated choices that somehow just...results in him turning up again. I mean maybe it's if you got that one Souma point from his introduction scene and no points for anyone else?
Anyway, thanks to walkthrough alchemy I get a scene where Harada teaches Souma a very special lesson about the importance of police brutality lol. Sometimes I have to just let the politics of these people wash over me.
Aw he calls Chizuru "Yukimura-san" at this point.
Souma: If you're Commander Hijikata's page you must know a lot about being a warrior! Let's aim to be great warriors, as underlings!
Chizuru: Ahahaha, yeah! Go us!
Harada: *Snicker* Hard work is important, but swordfighting's not really your thing, is it, Yukimura?
Souma: *grasps Chizuru's shoulders* Oh, you don't have a lot of muscles, huh? So soft, almost like you're a girl...you should train more!
Chizuru: MMMmmm yeah I should! (Oh god this dude is just...feeling up my arms...WHY IS HARADA JUST LAUGHING AND NOT HELPING)
Aw Yamazaki helped with the cooking and laundry!
Souma becomes a TOTAL SHINSENGUMI FANBOY (so honourable and egalitarian!) and joins up. Chizuru feels a pang of jealousy that she will never truly be a Shinsengumi, no matter how long she stays. (This game flirts at the edge of subverting gender roles then is like...nah...) Souma is made Chief Kondou's page along with another new member, Nomura, and since Chizuru is supposed to have been Hijikata's page all this time she becomes their sempai (senior)
Chizuru has a lot of imposter syndrome but finds she is into this whole being called sempai thing and teaches them what she can about the non-combat parts of the job. She very explicitly does not join their sword training lessons >:(
Saito clearly thinks Souma is ADORABLE, with his earnest desire to be the BEST WARRIOR EVER. He actually smiles at him. Okita likes him too, because he is suitably OBSESSED with keeping Kondou safe.
Imperialist Itou's douchebag brother Miki suspects Chizuru of being a girl and starts pulling at her kimono but Souma and the other page Nomura tell him to knock it off, even though Miki outranks them.
Nomura: HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM A GIRL THAT'S RUDE
Chizuru: Um.
Nomura and Souma are brought in to talk to the captains, who decide to let them in on the secret.
Okita: Can you really not tell Chizuru's true nature?
Nomura: OH MY GOD IS HE THE ILLEGITIMATE SON OF SOMEONE COOL.
Okita: Don't you see anything odd when you look at him?
Souma, in a serious tone: I see a great sempai.
This game's insistence on how VERY CISGENDERED Chizuru is is kind of off putting. I cheered myself up thinking about who could be trans, and have decided I like Sen as a trans woman and Hijikata and Shiranui as trans men.
...so apparently Souma is younger than Chizuru? Ok then I have no idea how old anyone is any more because the game says Souma < Chizuru < Heisuke, but in real life Heisuke was younger than Souma.
Souma's something of an outsider, like Chizuru, not knowing about vampires etc. He's also pretty average at swords, and has a huge inferiority complex about it. It's an interesting change from most of the other characters (Heisuke is not AMAZING at swords but mostly does his actual job ok)
Some repetitive historical detail about some important personage dying goes by and for the first time I realise that it's Mysterious Unseen Love Interest Sakamoto! He's an ally of the Imperialists whose death was important for some reason? Guess I'll find out about that on his path!
Inoue and Yamazaki sacrifice themselves to save Chizuru and Souma.
The big final battle at the end of Kyoto Winds is with Miki, Imperialist Itou's douchebag brother. He works well as a foil: he is an ex Shinsengumi, who is full of bitterness because the Shinsengumi killed his brother in a somewhat morally dubious way. This contrasts with Souma's simple hero worship of the Shinsengumi.
Miki beats the pants off Souma until Souma tricks him into letting him drink the vampire potion by saying it's poison. Souma chooses not to kill him for reasons that felt a bit "well we need a villain for Edo Blossoms Act 5".
My problem with this path is Souma's this sweet earnest dude and I know he dies EVENTUALLY if you don't romance him, but it feels like going on this path is making him way sadder than he would otherwise be. Heisuke was equally sweet but I'd already seen him be miserable without Chizuru on other routes so it was nice to see her making things a bit less awful.
Upside: now I know when I romance Sakamoto that he was otherwise going to die in like Chapter 4 of Kyoto Winds.
On to Edo Blossoms!
Souma keeps training over and over, determined to be better at swords, so that he never fails his duty to protect Chief Kondou and Chizuru again.
We actually see Kondou get shot. Souma is helping guard him and feels terrible and useless and survivor's guiltish about it.
OH LOOK. THE DEPRESSING BATT....OH HEY SOUMA IN A CRAVAT.
Souma and Chizuru are trying to rescue Kondou from The Depressing Battle but are captured by Nemesis Miki and a squadron of Imperial soldiers.
One of these men knows how to wear a cravat, and that's why he gets the girls:
Miki did you get that outfit tailored especially so that the buttons would sit naturally open at your navel.
And lo he is a vampire too, now. And so are all his soldiers.
Souma is handily defeated, both because he is shitty at swords and because daylight. Aw Chizuru tries to stab Miki too.
Kondou is actually competent but there's just too many vampires....
AND THEN! THWACK THWACK
I got all excited thinking it was Yamazaki's throwing knives then remembered he is dead :( Instead, it's... HELPFUL DEMON AMAGIRI.
Miki: Aren't you...on my side?
Me: Lol, I wonder what excuse Amagiri will use for saving the heroes this time.
Miki: Anyway YOU TRIED TO KILL ME DURING THAT ONE POLITICALLY COMPLEX BATTLE so sure, let's fight.
Me: haha oh yeah he did, that'll work.
Amagiri: Weren't you arrested for tax fraud? *the game offers me a historical detail popup I cheerfully ignore*
Miki: Yes but then Stabdad let me become a vampire :D
Amagiri: I'm guessing he didn't mention the bit where it kills you.
Miki: Uh...
Amagiri: Anyway: Chizuru, you should run.
Chizuru: Thank you but aren't you...a bad guy?
Me: You would think, and yet.
Nagakura and Harada leave due to Kondou's incompetence and Souma is heartbroken. His found family :(
Commander Hijikata finally finds out Souma has been hiding his vampire-ness. Souma is all PLEASE LET ME KEEP DOING MY JOB I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE VAMPIRE DORMS which is very sad.
Then he says "I wanted to be the one to carry your torch when the time comes" which just feels silly, I mean he DID do that historically but I don't see why anyone would have predicted Commander Hijikata and Chief Kondou dying (along with anyone else in the intermediate chain of command) and Souma living. It's just luck things turned out that way.
Hijikata points out that literally every vampire they have ever had eventually succumbed to their condition, so working in sunlight in front of people is a disaster waiting to happen no matter how much Souma wants otherwise.
Afterwards Souma just starts punching a wall until his hands bleed. He feels useless, like he'll never be able to replace Inoue and Yamazaki, who sacrificed their lives so he might live.
The great thing about Souma being Kondou's page is how much we are connected to Kondou's incredibly tragic personal arc. It's. Great. We also see more of the other page, Nomura, who is a cheerful sweetiepie.
When Kondou is about to be arrested, Souma wants to stay with him, but he is told to protect Chizuru instead. He is clearly torn between his two senses of duty, but eventually Chizuru and Souma leave Kondou and Nomura to be arrested ;_;
OH NO Chizuru got separated and accidentally wound up back at the place Kondou is /o\ AND THEN SHE GETS ARRESTED TOO. Kondou is pretending to just be some random nobleman but it's not going to work D: He describes Chizuru as a "handmaiden", presumably so she will get gentler treatment.
After several days of solitary confinement, Souma comes to save them! With letters of clemency! I think for the fake identities Kondou gave?
But when they go to rescue Kondou he says it's too late, he revealed his true identity when Nomura and Chizuru were threatened. "Rescuing me required you to use your vampire powers, didn't it? Enough young men have died for my sake". He hands Souma a fancy sword he bought to celebrate the Shinsengumi's new status, and says to hand it to Commander Hijikata, who will lead the Shinsengumi better than he ever did. KONDOU ;_;
Chizuru, Nomura, and Souma escape to Chizuru's old house, and live there in hiding trying to find a way out of the city and back to the Shinsengumi. As they're sneaking around the backstreets of Edo, who should stumble across them but Artist Ibuki! And when they go to his house IT'S HARADA.
NAGAKURA DIED OFF SCREEN D:
Harada: I guess I have good luck dodging death :D
Ibuki: No, you were...*is hushed by Harada*
Me: Saved by your demon boyfriend? :D
Harada: Anyway I'll help you guys get out of Edo!
Ibuki: But you're... :(
Me: Ah. Dying :(
Oh no Harada and Ibuki are having a bittersweet farewell, this was more fun on Harada's path when I could be pretty sure he wouldn't die D:
Souma: I will sacrifice myself as a distraction
Harada: Are your balls so small you have to overcompensate? You took a vow to protect Chizuru.
Souma: But I'm not sure I can :(
Harada: Suck it up. I'll be the distraction.
Chizuru figures out that he's dying, and they sadly accept his sacrifice.
Later, Chizuru finds Souma brooding alone, consumed with survivor's guilt: so many people have sacrificed themselves for him, when he is the bottom of the chain. Chizuru says she has the same guilt, but perhaps all they can do is try and live long enough to see why fate wants them to be alive.
A vampire soldier attacks! But before Souma can transform himself, there is a flash of green!
Me: Ok this CAN'T be Okita. But who else is green???
BUT NO IT IS OKITA
Oh no I think he might be here to try to kill Hijikata since he hasn't had Chizuru's calming influence.
When he finds out that Kondou's dying wish was to give the fancy sword to Hijikata, he mutters to himself bitterly.
More vampires!
Souma: I WILL SACRIFICE MYSELF AS A DISTRACTION
Okita: Pfft. Leave it to Captain...*coughs up blood*
But then YELLOW SWORD SLASHES
Me: Yellow? Who's....
IT'S ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLL HEISUKE :D
OH NO
OH NO IT'S ADORABLE CINNAMON ROLL HEISUKE D:
Heisuke: You guys run and protect Chizuru. As if us Captains need help from pages. We'll be just behind you!
THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT AND IT'S NEVER TRUE
Nomura, Chizuru and Souma arrive in Aizu too late to meet up with Hijikata, but just in time to see Saito about to make his fatal last stand (and tell him his best friend is probably dead)
Saito orders them to leave. "This place is a graveyard, there will be no victory. Are you really ready to die here? It is too early for you to shoulder this burden. Find Hijikata, he will give you purpose."
(It's a little weird knowing that in real life Saito was actually slightly younger than Souma and Nomura, but afaict at this point we're supposed to read him as mid to late 20s and them as around 20)
Souma says he doesn't know what his purpose is but he's willing to wait for it.(I have sometimes pondered the similarities between this and Hamilton but it is so much less subversive)
Souma talks about how Chizuru's support has helped him come to this realisation, and she feels a little less survivor guilt herself.
Souma: Sorry for going on about myself so much.
Chizuru: But I like listening to you talk?
Souma: *blushing* Really? I mean, I...before I joined the Shinsengumi I'd never really...talked to a girl alone...
Chizuru: What's that got to do with it?
Souma: NOTHING. FORGET I SAID THAT. OH GOD.
Hey, they caught up with Commander Hijikata before Doomed Democracy Island! Souma tries to give Hijikata the Sword That Symbolises The Shinsengumi from Chief Kondou, but Hijikata gives it back to Souma, saying that for him the Shinsengumi was too tied up with Kondou for him to feel like he can be a real part of it's future.
Chizuru finds out that Okita, Heisuke and Sanan all died fighting her father's new vampires and literally collapses in guilt.
Hijikata makes it clear that there's no more hope of winning the war now, that he intends to make his final stand soon on Doomed Democracy Island but he doesn't expect them to join him. But of course they all say they want to come. He doesn't object especially to Chizuru joining them, though he affectionately tells her she's a fool. This is the first time I've seen Chizuru take the journey to Doomed Democracy Island with the Shinsengumi: On Hijikata's path this is the point where he leaves her behind for her own good, and on every other path she and her love interest's lives go in a different direction before this point.
Ha! Chizuru gets her western style uniform and for the first time we get a long shot down her body and her love interest blushing and saying she looks very nice.
There's an election on Doomed Democracy Island! Hijikata is voted Army minister, Souma his aide, and Chizuru becomes Souma's page. HE FINDS THIS VERY DISCONCERTING. SHE IS THE SEMPAI.
OH HEY IT'S IBA. HI IBA.
Ha so Hijikata asks Chizuru to talk to him alone, and it occurs to me that we never see the slightest sign of jealousy from love interests about Chizuru spending time with other Shinsengumi, except for a tiny bit from Heisuke, and even then only when he's not dating Chizuru (yet). ...and then it turns out what Hijikata wants to say is that he deliberately set Chizuru and Souma up to work together cos he figures the only reason Chizuru would come out to Doomed Democracy Island is out of love (which is NOT TRUE, ACTUALLY, Hijikata, she came here on the Kazama path too)
I think this might be the first time I've seen Chizuru admit to having feelings to someone else before her love interest. She's all BUT DOES HE LIKE ME BACK and Hijikata rolls his eyes tells her to read between the lines. "But I guess at your age you need things spelled out with words and tongues" HIJIKATA YOUR INABILITY TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS IS NOT MATURITY
Aw, Hijikata says Chizuru got rid of Souma's hot headed violent tendencies.
Holy crap Hijikata just straight up asks Souma to declare his feelings for Chizuru. (At a point in the story where HE was still getting up the courage to say he liked having her around at all)
Hijikata: There, he said it, Yukimura, happy now?
HAHA WHAT. They are interrupted by realising that Nomura, Iba, Shimada, and Hijikata's boss are all listening at the door.
Lol and then Hijikata says Iba had a thing for Chizuru. Dude she spoke to him once three years ago. And then Iba does act all jealous? YOU HAVE NOT SPOKEN. ALL GAME.
BUT WE DON'T SEE CHIZURU TELL SOUMA SHE LIKES HIM BACK. ONE MIGHT CONSIDER THAT IMPORTANT?
Game, I have seen you do seven romances and they all had better mutual feelings realisations than this.
OH WELL ANYWAY THEY'RE DATING NOW I GUESS
Everyone is implausibly interested in their love life and it is painfully silly. Game, now is not the time for farce they are all about to die.
After being teased they're like SO I GUESS...WE COULD KISS??? But they are both intensely awkward and Souma loses his nerve. Ok that's cute, if a little surreal after all the sexy blood drinking. (though he does keep covering her eyes so she won't see him do it because that definitely makes it less of a sex thing)
FUCKING. KAZAMA.
Demon Lord Kazama beats the crap out of Souma while Amagiri holds Chizuru back. So she bites her tongue and attempts to choke on her own blood. (Chizuru!)
The look on Kazama's face when he realises she's in love with this puny human and would rather die than go with him :D
Amagiri: You know that if this Demon girl dies Princess Sen will kill us, right?
Kazama: ...this is a misunderstanding *cough* I was only here to rescue you because I thought you were a hostage. But if you want to stay here and be slaughtered with these miserable fucks then I won't stop you.
Everyone: ...
Amagiri: Anyway, as you know, Stabdad and his vampires all died in a fight with the Shinsengumi vampires.
Chizuru: Yes :(
Me: NO??? THAT WAS NOT MADE CLEAR.
Amagiri: So the only two remaining vampires are that boy wiggling in the snow, and Miki. We can't find Miki and...eh, this kid is not a threat to anyone. Bye.
Souma is all PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO KILL YOURSELF FOR ME but Chizuru makes no promises.
Nomura dies bravely and tragically but it's a bit overdone and it's like YES. I GET IT GAME. EVERYONE SOUMA VALUES SACRIFICES THEMSELVES AND HE FEELS BAD.
They hear that Commander Hijikata has been shot, and rush to find him. He is barely alive and they help him rest against a tree. The pathos is undercut slightly by it being exactly the same same tree Chizuru and Hijikata made out against when he got shot on his path.
Anyway, Hijikata hands the blood-stained flag of the Shinsengumi, and it's leadership, to Souma. Because there's noone else left. And then he dies. It's sad.
And then, Nemesis Miki appears!
But his heart isn't in the battle. When pressed, he says everything he cared about is gone, even the people he wished vengeance against for being directly involved in his brother's death. Souma puts away his sword, saying they are both men who have been left behind by those they fought for, and suggest Miki wait and see what life he can make for himself after the war.
"Sounds boring," says Miki, then sighs and walks away.
The war ends, and Souma offers to surrender as Chief to keep the rest of the Shinsengumi from punishment. He worries Chizuru will try to stop him, but as much as it breaks her heart she realises he has finally found his purpose.
Instead she asks for one thing: if this is to be their last night, they should spend it together. They have sweet, sad, fade-to-black sex. He starts calling her Chizuru-san instead of Yukimura-sempai which I find very endearing.
He is not killed! He is sent to...exile, I guess? The game isn't clear but I read that on Wikipedia about the real Souma.
I thought Chizuru might join Souma in his three years of exile (which I think the real Souma's wife did) but instead she spends the time studying to be a doctor!!
They have a cute reunion and go off to their happy ending but it doesn't address the vampire thing?? At all???
THE END, I GUESS
So yeah that was...mostly cute? I liked the idea of it more than the execution: a younger man who sees the heroine as a mentor, then grows up into adulthood and responsibility and purpose over the game is a nice idea but it didn't quite click for me. Maybe if it felt more like she was growing up too? Also I think I just need a break from paths which follow the most common historical and emotional beats, they're a bit tired at this point.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-02 04:44 pm (UTC)I love the way his ark takes him from being a kind of belligerent twerp to truly understanding that sometimes the best way to be a warrior is to take responsibility for giving the surrender. I also *loved* the way he saw Chizuru, who doesn't fight, as the model of what a samurai should be, and how her example was part of what draws him to the Shinsengumi in the first place. It felt like an interesting counterpoint to Saito's arc of rethinking what it is to be a true warrior, but with a very different character with a different background and personality who comes to different (but also good!) conclusions.
I agree that the romance was undersold, I felt like although *I* thought it was hot to have Chizuru dating someone younger than her who calls her Sempai, the writers really didn't. Also it filled me with CAPSLOCK RAGE when Souma accepts a promotion over her that turns her into his assistant. Once they are already dating.
Also, although Souma figures some stuff out at the end, he's written as not very smart. Which annoyed me.
I thought Miki was an interesting and well-done antagonist, he's not evil, just hurting from the death of his brother and trying to figure out how to deal with that as an honorable warrior. I really liked how the conflict was resolved in the end.
Nomura: OH MY GOD IS HE THE ILLEGITIMATE SON OF SOMEONE COOL.
Watching Heisuke's reaction to that was...ouch. I wanted Chizuru to suddenly flip over to her Heisuke-route self and go hug him.
Finally, 'Miss Yukimura' is such a wrongheaded translation for Sempai that I don't know where to start. Sigh.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-05 01:36 pm (UTC)Allll of this.