So, today, for a change, I was thinking of writing up a post on Otomate's
First, some things on my personal taste. I LOVE anime like Rurouni Kenshin and the anime-version Hakuouki i.e. Japanese history-type stuff. Heck, that old Jap feel is one of the things I like about Naruto, too. I first came into contact with Hakuouki when I watched the anime version back in my junior year of high school. I loved all those bishies and then finding out this was a game I bought a PSP (pink one) and the Hakuouki game PLUS the fandisc. And I officially got married to Okita-san.
So, to introduce you to the REAL versions of Shinsengumi people:
Vice-commander HIJIKATA TOSHIZOU was very handsome in real life, and taller than average Japanese people of that time. He did die at the same time as he did in the anime... *sniff* All the geisha loved him and sent him letters, etc. apparently.
1st Unit Captain OKITA SOUJI. Now, the below info is all from Japanese sites.
現在残っている肖像画は、沖田の姉のミツが孫・要を「総司にどこか似ている」と称したことから、昭和4年（1929年）に書かれたものである。: The portrait currently left of Okita is merely a portrait drawn by request of his sister Mitsu who thought her grandson "looked a bit like Souji"
OKAY. SO THAT UGLY PORTRAIT IS NOT ACTUALLY SOUJI THANK GOD; it was a drawing of another guy long after Souji died, PLUS in old-Japanese style. SO WHAT WAS HE REALLY LIKE?
いつも冗談を言っては笑っていた陽気な人物: always joking around, a smiling, bright person
子供達ともよく遊んであげていた: played a lot with little children
新選組に表立って敵対した者以外には人当たりの良い好人物であったと考えられている: was a sociable person with people other than outright enemies of Shinsengumi
「色の白い、小さい男だった」「長身」「肩の張り上がった」 : "a man of pale complexion and a slim body" "tall" "proud shoulders"
"最近になり沖田総司らしき写真がある。一人で写っている写真、近藤勇と一緒に写っている写真がある。 この写真によると確かに目の間隔が寄っている。[...] 後ろで現代でいうポニーテールになっている。 この写真だと美青年である。 この写真が今はいちばん有力なもの" : Recently, there have appeared photos that seem to be Okita Souji. [...] He has his hair in a ponytail like other men of the age. There is a photo where he is alone as well as a photo where he is with Kondou Isami. If this photo is him, then he is a bishonen. This photo has, as of now, the highest possibility of being Okita Souji."
He died less than a year before Hijikata did, so the timing is about the same as in the anime, I guess.
3rd Unit Captain SAITOU HAJIME was... ugly... in real life. Puffy eyes and thick lips. *ahem* But he lived through that last appearance in the anime
8th Unit Captain TOUDOU HEISUKE was a slim-build bishie (小柄な美男子) in real life and was just a few months younger than Okita-san and therefore the youngest in the Shinsengumi. And he was killed by mistake despite Kondou-san's orders to spare him... I feel so sorry for him...
10th Unit Captain HARADA SANOSUKE was... A normal chubby Asian man. Your average good-natured cha-han cook. But according to his acquaintances he was handsome in his younger days (before he...... gained weight.....). He is said to have died in the Boshin War but there is a rumor that he somehow escaped to China and made a band of yakuza or something like that... and appeared to help Japan in the first Sino-Japanese war. Hmm...
So all-in-all Hijikata-san and Okita-san (most likely) and Heisuke were the only true bishies... And Sano was one when he was young. And I guess Kazama since he's a fictional character. So because, personally, I love bishies and like to think of historical otome game people as my love in a past life or something, Saitou and Harada go to the end of my preference list. On top of that, Harada didn't become a Rasetsu which is supposed to be part of the point of Hakuouki LOL. Here goes my preference list from bottom to top:
6th Place: Saitou Hajime
Fine... I like his personality in the anime... And his sexy voice... And that snow-rabbit thing... And the way he blushes... It's just that it's annoying that he has to be so disappointing *cough cough* in real life. In addition, his outfit is sort of... Unrealistic, since you can't fight with a sword unless you're wearing PANTS (hakama), not a robe/skirt kimono. I like his scarf, though.
5th Place: Harada Sanosuke
Well, he WAS handsome when young. So he's better than Saitou for me. And he's sexy with that spear of his. And I love sake like he does. Plus he seems like he'll be a good dad to his kids. On top of that he might have survived. Yusa Kouji isn't my favorite voice actor, but he did a good job for Sano's role. Sano is also the most... Um... Well, let's just say he has the *sex*iest route. But I seem to have a thing for vampiric stuff (?) so..... His not turning into a Rasetsu is actually a turnoff.
4th Place: Kazama Chikage
C'mon, he's hot! And why not go for the same kind as yourself
3rd Place: Toudou Heisuke
He was a real bishonen historically, which is a plus point for me. And I like cute, brighter guys better than adult-ish, only hot ones (sorry Sano-san). Plus, he and Chizuru look good together; it's the friend-to-lover relationship story, no? Actually I felt really bad placing him below Hijikata-san but I just did because Hijikata is canon in the anime and I like Hijikata's outfit better... But dang, Heisuke is soooo... sooooooo short. (=_=^) Plus, his bangs are weird;;
2nd Place: Hijikata Toshizou
I have no idea why our dear handsome Fukuchou is not as popular as Saitou... Maybe most girls don't care about real history? LOL anyways. I would have liked his ponytail to have been higher up like Kenshin in his old Bakumatsu days, though. And I like Miki Shinichirou's voice because of Roy Mustang my FMA love. Plus, he's cute when he blushes, and the fact that he fought to the end is also quite attractive. In the anime, he kills Kazama and dies of exhaustion from all those shots... And that scene just made me cry and cry and cry over him;;
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1st Place: OKITA SOUJI SAMA
My love in Hakuouki and my favorite anime/game character of all time AND my husband AND my love in my past life in the Bakumatsu period.
A lot of people wonder why Souji is so popular but I personally think it's the gap between the many facets of his personality. Normally he is a bright guy who plays along with kids and cracks jokes and likes to tease and scare cute girls. Then, he gets frighteningly loyal to Kondou-san (I think he feels of Kondou as if he were his father or something) and the Shinsengumi - a ruthless master swordsman, who eventually becomes a Rasetsu from the fear he will become useless. In the game he says something like Chizuru deserves a better guy or something? And I can't help but think that he was trying to stop himself from liking her throughout the first part of the game (-_-). God, Souji. Stop making Chizuru weep and weep and weep.
On top of that, in both the anime and the game he shows a greatly sacrificial side, showing great mental strength despite his illness.
First, in the anime. I still think that in the anime he eventually liked Chizuru but didn't want to show it because 1) Souji's friggin sick and dying (I wish I had a time machine so I could bring him to this age and treat his tuberculosis & 2) Hijikata will take better care of her... So I think he died to protect the two things that were most important to him: the Shinsengumi and its cause, now taken up by Hijikata; and Chizuru. I cried an ocean when Souji died.
Second, in the game. As aforementioned Souji didn't want to make Chizuru think he likes her. So I seriously was so moved when he saved her from those bullets (F*CK YOU KAORU). And I seriously half regret seeing the bad end but once you see it you can't stop loving him. Another plus point: Morikubo Shoutarou's voice is sexiness and cuteness combined.
There is another more personal reason I love Souji so much but that is only for one or two very close friends :P
Many people think Souji is a yandere. Well, he does start out as one. But it's not severe at all (coughMiraiNikkicough). Actually I think he's more on the stereotypical I'll-protect-her-by-pushing-her-away type. I would have hated him if he were yandere till the very end LOL
The game itself was all in all quite satisfactory for me, although I didn't play Harada and Saitou's routes (only went through the fanbook). All the voice actors fit their characters quite well. I do wish that the merchandise were less limited though (but can't complain since I got all I want except for a hair scrunchie and a bromide). Kazuki Yone's art was wonderful (dat kiss with my Souji-samaaa). The setting itself gave the game a kind of 'setsunai' air (I really dunno how to say this in English; something like feeling love and longing and sadness at the same time?). Souji's route had a lot of well-thought-out lines, too, like in that scene when he was sick and he was like "Why... why is it that every time I open my eyes you are there beside me? Nande?" in that weak but soooo sweet voice... and Chizuru was like "WTH am I sposed to answer???? omgomgomg"
The anime was also quite well-made and heartbreaking. That last scene with that music. And Hijikata's ghost saying Chizuru's name before he leaves to the other world. I wonder what Chizuru did after all those bishies died. I would have mourned Hijikata for the rest of my life or something. How would you think of marrying another guy when a guy you loved died for you?! Personally I think the anime had better music than the game, but the game was better for me because my favorite character is Souji-san. Souji's end in the anime was really moving, though. And it was a good thing they didn't show Saitou died or anything because he did NOT. As for the Reimeiroku anime, I wish I could have seen Ryuunosuke and that maiko girl being all lovey-dovey... But it was satisfactory.
So in my next post I'm thinking of writing about Urakata Hakuouki and Toki no Kizuna.
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