alias_sqbr

He's an interesting contrast to Chojiro, who gives similar advice in a different way. Chojiro is traumatised, constantly repressing a sentimental nature gone sour, and has to follow bad orders from a bad boss. Hanzo is...plausibly also traumatised, but pragmatic by nature, and has a (relatively) good boss who gives ok orders. So for Chojiro, being a Good Shinobi is a constant struggle, which has him all twisted up inside, while for Hanzo it's mostly not so bad so he's a lot more chill about it.


That's a good observation! There's a lot more desperation to Chojiro.

And rounding it out is Goemon, whose reaction is just, "meh."


Chojiro, in the distance: Why didn't I get that order on MY path :(

I chuckled. :D

PHEW. What a dynamic.

I forgot how shippy Hanzo and Tokugawa are!! I'm also absolutely fascinated by this line: Tokugawa: People cannot live on facts and cold logic, not even you and me.

Hanzo will keep her alive, but for the first time in her life noone is here to protect her.


:D This is reminding me of how much I love the route and how it pushes her out of her comfort level. And it seems like whenever Enju is pushed in this game (defending Tokugawa, capturing Goemon, and all of Hanzo's route), she proves more than capable of handling it.

It makes me go "what could have been!!" at all the other routes.

Chojiro says he's returning to make his report, implicitly leaving Gekkamaru to find and protect Enju.

It's absolutely interesting to me, because wow, Chojiro's nice actions are examples of inaction as well.

It never occurred to me before that Enju is Gekkamaru's Master in the "shinobis obey their Master" sense.


:DDD His route goes into this more! and is VERY angsty, but fun.


Aw, I'm glad this isn't some weird projection-of-old-crush-on-mother thing.

Haha, I do actually ship Enju's mom/Hanzo as a tragic thing! And a "what could have been" if Hanzo had actually helped Kagari, and how much better Enju's life would have been if Kagari and Hanzo had raised her.

And goodness, now I'm fascinated by how Kagari and Tokugawa would have gotten on. I'm sure he would have found her useful. OT3?

It's a little hard holding this in my head in parallel with Hanzo's route.

But everyone has their own reasons to live, and their own reasons to die.
Enju: What is your reason to live?
Hanzo: ...I don't have one. I am alive because I am.

OUCH.

This seems to parallel the line with Chojiro's route about being taught to die, and I think it plays out in other routes as well.

when she's all "I was bad at my first attempt so I just suck" says he has to learn to be good at things as much as she does. She asks him to train her one on one and he smiles and puts his hand to her cheek saying "Good. Those are the eyes of determination"

I think this was one of the points where I fell in love with this route! How Hanzo isn't Always Perfect, but he actually had to learn things, and he's so much more human than the Legendary Bestest Ninja everyone else thinks he is. And what he values is trying, not just being good.

And the game makes a point of telling you that he worked hard, which isn't a thing I see a lot in this kind of fiction, I think?

Yes, ok game, I understand you have a theme to uphold.

HA HA. I forgot that line bout "niece disciple", wtf!!

I guess that also explains how Goemon's route passed muster too..

The two themes: pseudo-incest and But Have You Thought About Your Reasons to Live Or Die Recently.

Hanzo talks about how Enju is too kind to be a shinobi, yet embodies it's spirit: to hold pain in your heart like a blade, and bear it.

...I have so many mixed feelings about this line. I can't tell if it's More Shinobi Repression or if it's a good thing.

I love how he's an evil capitalist ninja.

....You're RIGHT.


Enju: Father...no, Ueno Kando. Prepare to die!

:D :D :D

He is not remotely prepared for how strong she is and SHE KILLS HIM :D :D

I KNOW. And it's so easy for her that she ends up feeling like its anticlimactic!!!

That was great. I think I still slightly prefer Goemon, since his entire route is him going "Being a shinobi sucks, let's be happy pacifists", but on the other hand I'm really glad she got to STAB HER DAD IN THE FACE.


:D I'm glad you enjoyed it!

On one hand, happiness! On the other hand, revenge! And an otome heroine getting personally to go "you have no power over me" and STAB STAB!

Honestly I feel like Tokugawa's actions make the most sense if he's a little in love with Hanzo but doesn't consider it a major priority, and is aware Hanzo doesn't love him back (and also still sees him as a servant).

Yes, agreed! I read it as a bit I Want My Beloved to Be Happy.

...I feel like I'd also go for the interpretation where he's kinking on the fact that he's the one who set up the situation that teaches Hanzo about feelings and that he got Hanzo and Enju together.

I was very surprised when he killed Kazoari, the game did a great job of making me forget that he's a warlord.

Definitely don't ship him with Enju. I can see it but...nah.

I don't ship it either, and I'm not quite sure why. I think I like Tokugawa as as amoral and scary and occasionally benevolent in the background. And I wouldn't want either a master-servant relationship between them or an equal lovers relationship, and also Tokugawa/Hanzo feels more there to me. ...I'd play that route if there was politicking and also Enju got her own ninja clan (which is what I still really want, I'm stuck on it) and many questions were asked and answered about Leaders, etc.