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alias_sqbrMasterlist and guide
The first three chapters are a shared common route with Saizo.
This has mostly been pretty good! He's VERY invested in benevolent sexism, but otherwise an adorable sweetie.
So I wasn't sure when/if I'd play another main route, but I was pretty charmed by Saizo and Yukimura in the Penchant for Refinement event and since they have the same common route decided to give it a shot.
Also I came across this review of Yukimura's route which made it sound pretty charming.
Shingen: Hi, new poison taster. You know this job might kill you?
MC: Yes.
Shingen: Cool, bye.
Me, with Nobunaga as my only other point of comparison: BEST BOSS EVER
Yukimura: HELLO NEW MALE FRIEND LET'S SPAR :D :D
MC: *is very bad at sparring*
Yukimura, pulling her into a headlock: Ha! Is that the best you can...*suddenly freezes and blushes*
Other soldiers: What's up?
Yukimura: He smells...nice??
Soldiers: Ahahaha you really need to get laid
MC is changing in her room when Saizo suddenly appears and puts a knife to her throat.
Saizo: What is a woman doing in here?
MC: *incoherently freaks out*
Saizo: Ok you're too incompetent to be an assassin BUT I'M WATCHING YOU
Later:
Yukimura: Hi, MC, this is my retainer Saizo!
Saizo: Nice to meet you :)
MC: D: D:
The dynamic is interesting since Saizo is loyal and subordinate to Yukimura but also ten times as smart and self confident. We also meet Sasuke, who is Saizo's student and Yukimura's retainer, and is a moderately endearing and fairly typical ten year old boy except when he's being a scarily competent ninja.
Yukimura's sweet boyishness around friends contrasts with his intense bloodthirstiness and vicious fighting on the battlefield, which is...something.
When MC is injured during a battle Yukimura picks her up and is all wow you are light WHEN WE GET BACK I AM HELPING YOU BULK UP AND TRAIN
Soldiers: Oooh, MC is blushing, you better not be getting a crush on LI!
God I love crossdressing tropes.
Apparently on Shingen's route Yukimura sees Shingen sexually harassing the crossdressing MC and is like "Isn't it cool how Lord Shingen doesn't discriminate based on gender?". So I guess Shingen's employees are all used to a lot of dubcon bi flirting. My headcanon is that Shingen hit on Yukimura, but while absolutely into the idea of making his lord happy he's straight and could not make himself be into it. So then Yukimura felt bad for having such narrow tastes, especially since he's too shy around girls to ever get anywhere with them either.
But now he's found a 'guy' he kinda likes maybe? Yay!
And now Yukimura has invited her to hang out and share sake and snacks on the roof with Saizo.
Saizo: Why'd you bring the third wheel :/
Aw did she spoil your date with Yukimura.
Yukimura: You laugh like a girl
MC: I get it from my older sister >.>
Saizo: ... :/
I love how cheerfully cavalier this game is with ages. Saizo and Yukimura have apparently known each other since they were 10 and 14 respectively. Nice specific ages there, because they get to both be Datable Age.
But Shingen, who is also a LI on an another route, has known Yukimura since "he was a little boy" and like...from context is like 20 years older or something. But they don't say it explicitly. Maybe he became Lord at like 12! We don't know!
Yukimura: *Waxes lyrical about how much he loves being a samurai*
MC: (his dedication is admirable but does it have to be to MURDER?)
Yukimura: MC?
MC: Just thinking about how dedicated you are!
Yukimura: Aw! You're a good man!
Saizo: Get a room you two :P
Yukimura: Hey. Hey! *hugs Saizo* You should listen to my stories the way MC does!!
MC: Ok they're adorable, I'll just leave them to it. *stumbles and nearly falls off the roof*
Yukimura: *Grabs her to stop her falling, inadvertently squishes a boob*
MC: D:
Yukimura: ????????????????
MC: Uh
Yukimura: *Falls off roof*
Saizo: AHAHAHA
MC: Stop laughing, he could be hurt!
Yukimura, lying stock still on the ground: ??????????
END OF PROLOGUE
She later finds Yukimura, who just threw himself into a well to 'cool off', and he promises to help her. On the one hand it is ADORABLE how embarrassed and apologetic he is, on the other hand I could do with less of his apologies being for benevolent sexism stuff like "putting another man's daughter in danger, his responsibilities as a man" etc.
The next day, MC is called in front of an angry Shingen: Someone heard her talking with Yukimura about her false identity and she is suspected of being a spy for Ieyasu (who we briefly saw cheerfully trying to assassinate Shingen during the battle)
Everyone starts arguing and noone can decide if she's guilty.
Saizo, drawing his sword: Or I could just kill her?
MC: Saizo D:
Saizo: I can't allow Lord Yukimura to be so distracted. Don't take it personally and haunt me, ok? :)
WOW OK THEN SAIZO
Yukimura shows up and saves her, saying it's his duty to protect her because he TOUCHED A BOOB and that they will be MARRIED. MC objects but literally nobody cares about her opinion one way or the other :/
Shingen thinks it's adorable and MC is bundled off to be dressed in a pretty, fancy kimono by some of his maids. When Yukimura sees her, he drops what he's holding and goes beet red. Saito is quietly pissed.
Yukimura spends the entire journey blushing and unable to look her in the eye, which almost makes up for how sexist and controlling he's being.
At first MC is too overwhelmed by everything but eventually she thinks about being married to Yukimura forever when she doesn't love him and he's a much higher class and only doing this out of obligation. She demands to be allowed to go home to Kyoto, but he refuses, and only lets her off her horse after she shouts at him a bunch. She storms off.
MC: Maybe I should just run away...
Saizo: The road to Kyoto is that way :)
Yeah I am...definitely reading this as him being in love with Yukimura, and jealous. Although "he turns into such an idiot around you that he will literally get us all killed" would also be a logical motive.
Saizo: It won't surprise you to know I can't approve of a reluctant bride. I'll take care of the whole spy thing.
MC: You believe me?
Saizo: :)
MC: Yay! Someone's on my side!
MC. HE TRIED TO KILL YOU. AN HOUR AGO.
MC: Wow this cliff is really steep, better watch my step!
Saizo: Yes :)
MC: ...hey, where did he go....
Yukimura: MC! That road's not safe for a woman!
MC: Ack! *falls off cliff*
Saizo: She's probably fine :)
Ok I'm mostly sure he didn't push her off somehow...
She lands...on top of Sasuke (sure) and they are immediately captured by Masamune, who happened to be passing (sure) who was a regular at MC's restaurant (SURE) and seems to be arch nemeses with Yukimura.
Sasuke: Don't take another step! This is Lord Sanada Yukimura's wife!
Masamune: His wife? :(
MC: Hey! I'm not-
Yukimura, charging in, spear in hand: LEAVE MY WIFE ALONE D:<
Masumune, parrying: Congratulations on your marriage.
I find Masamune's retainer Kojuro kinda interesting, he was polite but hard to read in the Masamune extra I read but in this context comes across a bit Evil Grand Vizier. I wonder what he's like as a LI.
He tells his men to let Yukimura ride away with MC on his horse, but Yukimura still ends up taking an arrow for her.
HA and then I get a letter from Masamune: "That was rude of me. Congratulations on your wedding"
Does he have a crush on MC? That would be cute. Speaking of which, sometimes she wonders how Inuchiyo is doing, having no idea he's working for Shingen's enemy Nobunaga. I wonder if there'll be a tragic reunion of childhood friends on the battlefield.
So MC only just figured out that Yukimura didn't JUST want to marry her because he touched her boob, but also to save her from being killed. She insists on tearing up her sleeve to make a bandage for his wound, though he's all "this will heal quickly, I don't want to damage a woman's silks".
Any time I get annoyed at all the gender essentialism he gets all bashfully blushy while covered in blood and I forgive him. Look at this face:
MC: Why have you gone to so much trouble for me?
Yukimura: I promised I'd help you, didn't I? But I know I haven't paid attention to your feelings.
MC: You do?
Me: You do??
Yukimura: If you're in love with another man, you should marry him instead.
MC tells Saizo she's staying, to repay Yukimura for helping her: if she leaves now, it'll looks like she was a spy all along which will reflect badly on him. Saizo's smile briefly falters.
Heee a note from Yukimura where he tries to hide how much he wants to be friends with Sasuke's cute trained ninja owl.
MC is taken to Yukimura's home, and notices that the villagers adore him the same way as his men. She meets his older brother Nobuyaki, who gives off "polite, gentle older-brother type who is secretly yandere" energy.
Nobuyaki: I was relieved you finally showed interest in women but worried about what kind of woman you'd persuade to marry you. But you seem perfrect for each other :)
MC: *is consumed with guilt*
Yukimura gets annoyed and embarrassed by the teasing. But he gets nearly as tense as MC when his coldly unfriendly dad Masayuki arrives.
Masayuki: Marry whoever, you know what I expect of you.
Yukimura: I do :/
Masayuki: Live and die as a samurai. Show the world the true heart of the Sanada Clan through your decisive battles and noble death.
WOW. I knew this was coming from the summary I linked above, but I didn't think it would be that blatant! Talk about the heir and the spare /o\
(Note from Kojuro saying Masamune and Yukimura are rivals because they're so similar, and 'perhaps Masaumne is trying make certain what Yukimura truly wishes for comes to pass'. 'What he wishes for'...as in happiness? Or Death?)
Anyway. While MC is thinking "Wait...literal death?!"
Masayuki: Does she know what that means?
MC: What what means?
Retainers: *shocked gasp at her rudeness. For...speaking?*
Masayuki: Our crest is the six coins we always carry to pay passage to the underworld. If you join our clan you must live while being prepared to die.
MC: (he's here idolising death while my father the cook was forced to go to war and die?!) I refuse.
Yukimura: MC! It's a good thing!
Nobuyaki: You two must be tired. Go rest.
Masayuki: Mmm :/
Still a better "meet the parents" experience than most of the ones in Hakuoki, lol.
Overall I'm quite enjoying this, I don't like the specific way Yukimura is pushing MC into marrying him but he does have a good reason, and isn't at all skeezy about it. And if he thinks he's going to die soon I guess he figures she won't be stuck with him long :/ (Also he is a cute woobie who needs hugs)
The first three chapters are a shared common route with Saizo.
This has mostly been pretty good! He's VERY invested in benevolent sexism, but otherwise an adorable sweetie.
So I wasn't sure when/if I'd play another main route, but I was pretty charmed by Saizo and Yukimura in the Penchant for Refinement event and since they have the same common route decided to give it a shot.
Also I came across this review of Yukimura's route which made it sound pretty charming.
Shingen: Hi, new poison taster. You know this job might kill you?
MC: Yes.
Shingen: Cool, bye.
Me, with Nobunaga as my only other point of comparison: BEST BOSS EVER
Yukimura: HELLO NEW MALE FRIEND LET'S SPAR :D :D
MC: *is very bad at sparring*
Yukimura, pulling her into a headlock: Ha! Is that the best you can...*suddenly freezes and blushes*
Other soldiers: What's up?
Yukimura: He smells...nice??
Soldiers: Ahahaha you really need to get laid
MC is changing in her room when Saizo suddenly appears and puts a knife to her throat.
Saizo: What is a woman doing in here?
MC: *incoherently freaks out*
Saizo: Ok you're too incompetent to be an assassin BUT I'M WATCHING YOU
Later:
Yukimura: Hi, MC, this is my retainer Saizo!
Saizo: Nice to meet you :)
MC: D: D:
The dynamic is interesting since Saizo is loyal and subordinate to Yukimura but also ten times as smart and self confident. We also meet Sasuke, who is Saizo's student and Yukimura's retainer, and is a moderately endearing and fairly typical ten year old boy except when he's being a scarily competent ninja.
Yukimura's sweet boyishness around friends contrasts with his intense bloodthirstiness and vicious fighting on the battlefield, which is...something.
When MC is injured during a battle Yukimura picks her up and is all wow you are light WHEN WE GET BACK I AM HELPING YOU BULK UP AND TRAIN
Soldiers: Oooh, MC is blushing, you better not be getting a crush on LI!
God I love crossdressing tropes.
Apparently on Shingen's route Yukimura sees Shingen sexually harassing the crossdressing MC and is like "Isn't it cool how Lord Shingen doesn't discriminate based on gender?". So I guess Shingen's employees are all used to a lot of dubcon bi flirting. My headcanon is that Shingen hit on Yukimura, but while absolutely into the idea of making his lord happy he's straight and could not make himself be into it. So then Yukimura felt bad for having such narrow tastes, especially since he's too shy around girls to ever get anywhere with them either.
But now he's found a 'guy' he kinda likes maybe? Yay!
And now Yukimura has invited her to hang out and share sake and snacks on the roof with Saizo.
Saizo: Why'd you bring the third wheel :/
Aw did she spoil your date with Yukimura.
Yukimura: You laugh like a girl
MC: I get it from my older sister >.>
Saizo: ... :/
I love how cheerfully cavalier this game is with ages. Saizo and Yukimura have apparently known each other since they were 10 and 14 respectively. Nice specific ages there, because they get to both be Datable Age.
But Shingen, who is also a LI on an another route, has known Yukimura since "he was a little boy" and like...from context is like 20 years older or something. But they don't say it explicitly. Maybe he became Lord at like 12! We don't know!
Yukimura: *Waxes lyrical about how much he loves being a samurai*
MC: (his dedication is admirable but does it have to be to MURDER?)
Yukimura: MC?
MC: Just thinking about how dedicated you are!
Yukimura: Aw! You're a good man!
Saizo: Get a room you two :P
Yukimura: Hey. Hey! *hugs Saizo* You should listen to my stories the way MC does!!
MC: Ok they're adorable, I'll just leave them to it. *stumbles and nearly falls off the roof*
Yukimura: *Grabs her to stop her falling, inadvertently squishes a boob*
MC: D:
Yukimura: ????????????????
MC: Uh
Yukimura: *Falls off roof*
Saizo: AHAHAHA
MC: Stop laughing, he could be hurt!
Yukimura, lying stock still on the ground: ??????????
END OF PROLOGUE
She later finds Yukimura, who just threw himself into a well to 'cool off', and he promises to help her. On the one hand it is ADORABLE how embarrassed and apologetic he is, on the other hand I could do with less of his apologies being for benevolent sexism stuff like "putting another man's daughter in danger, his responsibilities as a man" etc.
The next day, MC is called in front of an angry Shingen: Someone heard her talking with Yukimura about her false identity and she is suspected of being a spy for Ieyasu (who we briefly saw cheerfully trying to assassinate Shingen during the battle)
Everyone starts arguing and noone can decide if she's guilty.
Saizo, drawing his sword: Or I could just kill her?
MC: Saizo D:
Saizo: I can't allow Lord Yukimura to be so distracted. Don't take it personally and haunt me, ok? :)
WOW OK THEN SAIZO
Yukimura shows up and saves her, saying it's his duty to protect her because he TOUCHED A BOOB and that they will be MARRIED. MC objects but literally nobody cares about her opinion one way or the other :/
Shingen thinks it's adorable and MC is bundled off to be dressed in a pretty, fancy kimono by some of his maids. When Yukimura sees her, he drops what he's holding and goes beet red. Saito is quietly pissed.
Yukimura spends the entire journey blushing and unable to look her in the eye, which almost makes up for how sexist and controlling he's being.
At first MC is too overwhelmed by everything but eventually she thinks about being married to Yukimura forever when she doesn't love him and he's a much higher class and only doing this out of obligation. She demands to be allowed to go home to Kyoto, but he refuses, and only lets her off her horse after she shouts at him a bunch. She storms off.
MC: Maybe I should just run away...
Saizo: The road to Kyoto is that way :)
Yeah I am...definitely reading this as him being in love with Yukimura, and jealous. Although "he turns into such an idiot around you that he will literally get us all killed" would also be a logical motive.
Saizo: It won't surprise you to know I can't approve of a reluctant bride. I'll take care of the whole spy thing.
MC: You believe me?
Saizo: :)
MC: Yay! Someone's on my side!
MC. HE TRIED TO KILL YOU. AN HOUR AGO.
MC: Wow this cliff is really steep, better watch my step!
Saizo: Yes :)
MC: ...hey, where did he go....
Yukimura: MC! That road's not safe for a woman!
MC: Ack! *falls off cliff*
Saizo: She's probably fine :)
Ok I'm mostly sure he didn't push her off somehow...
She lands...on top of Sasuke (sure) and they are immediately captured by Masamune, who happened to be passing (sure) who was a regular at MC's restaurant (SURE) and seems to be arch nemeses with Yukimura.
Sasuke: Don't take another step! This is Lord Sanada Yukimura's wife!
Masamune: His wife? :(
MC: Hey! I'm not-
Yukimura, charging in, spear in hand: LEAVE MY WIFE ALONE D:<
Masumune, parrying: Congratulations on your marriage.
I find Masamune's retainer Kojuro kinda interesting, he was polite but hard to read in the Masamune extra I read but in this context comes across a bit Evil Grand Vizier. I wonder what he's like as a LI.
He tells his men to let Yukimura ride away with MC on his horse, but Yukimura still ends up taking an arrow for her.
HA and then I get a letter from Masamune: "That was rude of me. Congratulations on your wedding"
Does he have a crush on MC? That would be cute. Speaking of which, sometimes she wonders how Inuchiyo is doing, having no idea he's working for Shingen's enemy Nobunaga. I wonder if there'll be a tragic reunion of childhood friends on the battlefield.
So MC only just figured out that Yukimura didn't JUST want to marry her because he touched her boob, but also to save her from being killed. She insists on tearing up her sleeve to make a bandage for his wound, though he's all "this will heal quickly, I don't want to damage a woman's silks".
Any time I get annoyed at all the gender essentialism he gets all bashfully blushy while covered in blood and I forgive him. Look at this face:
MC: Why have you gone to so much trouble for me?
Yukimura: I promised I'd help you, didn't I? But I know I haven't paid attention to your feelings.
MC: You do?
Me: You do??
Yukimura: If you're in love with another man, you should marry him instead.
MC tells Saizo she's staying, to repay Yukimura for helping her: if she leaves now, it'll looks like she was a spy all along which will reflect badly on him. Saizo's smile briefly falters.
Heee a note from Yukimura where he tries to hide how much he wants to be friends with Sasuke's cute trained ninja owl.
MC is taken to Yukimura's home, and notices that the villagers adore him the same way as his men. She meets his older brother Nobuyaki, who gives off "polite, gentle older-brother type who is secretly yandere" energy.
Nobuyaki: I was relieved you finally showed interest in women but worried about what kind of woman you'd persuade to marry you. But you seem perfrect for each other :)
MC: *is consumed with guilt*
Yukimura gets annoyed and embarrassed by the teasing. But he gets nearly as tense as MC when his coldly unfriendly dad Masayuki arrives.
Masayuki: Marry whoever, you know what I expect of you.
Yukimura: I do :/
Masayuki: Live and die as a samurai. Show the world the true heart of the Sanada Clan through your decisive battles and noble death.
WOW. I knew this was coming from the summary I linked above, but I didn't think it would be that blatant! Talk about the heir and the spare /o\
(Note from Kojuro saying Masamune and Yukimura are rivals because they're so similar, and 'perhaps Masaumne is trying make certain what Yukimura truly wishes for comes to pass'. 'What he wishes for'...as in happiness? Or Death?)
Anyway. While MC is thinking "Wait...literal death?!"
Masayuki: Does she know what that means?
MC: What what means?
Retainers: *shocked gasp at her rudeness. For...speaking?*
Masayuki: Our crest is the six coins we always carry to pay passage to the underworld. If you join our clan you must live while being prepared to die.
MC: (he's here idolising death while my father the cook was forced to go to war and die?!) I refuse.
Yukimura: MC! It's a good thing!
Nobuyaki: You two must be tired. Go rest.
Masayuki: Mmm :/
Still a better "meet the parents" experience than most of the ones in Hakuoki, lol.
Overall I'm quite enjoying this, I don't like the specific way Yukimura is pushing MC into marrying him but he does have a good reason, and isn't at all skeezy about it. And if he thinks he's going to die soon I guess he figures she won't be stuck with him long :/ (Also he is a cute woobie who needs hugs)
no subject
Date: 2020-03-15 09:29 pm (UTC)Yukimura sounds cute enough to make up for the benevolent sexism.
Shingen: Hi, new poison taster. You know this job might kill you?
MC: Yes.
Shingen: Cool, bye.
Me, with Nobunaga as my only other point of comparison: BEST BOSS EVER
Right? Everyone seems so decent after Nobunaga!
Also, oh my goodness, jealous Saizo is...hilarious in a terrifying way? He has so many plans for getting rid of MC. (And I bet he at least noticed she was going to fall, if he didn't push her off the cliff.)
no subject
Date: 2020-03-18 01:19 am (UTC)Yeah, Saizo is certainly something on this route.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-16 03:51 am (UTC)Shingen's MC read as older to me than some of the others. But Shingen is definitely older than Yukimura, by a lot.
The six coins for the underworld thing sounds intense. I can see MC hating that.
Yukimura does sound lovely, and honorable and sweet. Thank you for the summary!
no subject
Date: 2020-03-18 01:15 am (UTC)Yeah she is NOT A FAN. She keeps thinking wistfully about her own dad.