#Birushana Rising Flower of Genpei

[miraneko19]

Realized this while playing Birushana. Tomomori. You know.

[tmetta]

I finished Birushana awhile back and Shungen's bad ending got me like 👀👀

[lunas-otome-blog]

Luna's Review: Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei

Official Summary:

Fifteen years after the Heiji Rebellion, the Heike clan has reached the height of its power, while the Genji clan remains devastated by defeat. Hidden deep within the mountains of Kurama lives Shanao, the youngest surviving male heir to the Genji name. However, Shanao harbors a deep secret known by very few.

The youngest heir to the Genji name is no man.

Her adventure leads her to find new cherished relationships, as well as something deeper than the feud between the rivaling clans.

Luna's Thoughts (Spoiler Free)

Fast-paced and serious, Birushana is an action-packed otoge that plays out like an anime.

MC Shanao (later Yoshitsune) is inflexible, with a strong sense of justice and an even stronger sword arm. Despite her fierce personality, she seems easily swayed by sincerity. She doesn't like when people put themselves in harm's way for her, preferring to sacrifice herself instead.

The fight scenes in this game are elaborate, with characters twisting and trembling to vibrant sound effects. Sprites move quickly and dramatically in ways I've never seen in an otoge before. The swordplay seems high stakes as the game shows you the impact of each swing rather than describing it in text.

This game would have benefitted from stripping down the number of characters in general, as there are a LOT of sprites, some with little screen time. There are also large time skips where relationships are formed between Shanao and her followers, but they feel a bit rushed because we didn't get to watch them develop.

This game is based on the real historical events of the Genpei War between the Heike (Taira) clan and the Genji (Minamoto) clan. While I do recommend playing your first route blind, you might find it fun to read through the Wiki article about the war afterwards, just to see where the game diverges from truth. Or maybe I'm just a big nerd lol.

Birushana is very, very Japanese, and if you're like me, you'll find yourself looking at the dictionary often. But much of the vocabulary is added for flavor, so it won't really affect your playthrough if you can't remember the modern-day equivalent of ancient Japanese cities or specific titles for monks.

The routes of this game all follow the same general plot, as it is based on a real war. If you're playing your first route and thinking "Man, this is super long," it's because there are common route scenes interspersed throughout character routes. So if you feel like you've played a certain scene before, it's probably because you have. Get that skip button ready.

Final thoughts: this game was okay. My main critiques are that the game could have done a better job introducing characters; the romanceable characters are not given enough screen time when you're not playing their route; and some of the routes are boring/predictable.

My recommended route order, based purely on the amount of information revealed, is: Noritsune -> Benkei -> Yoritomo -> Shungen -> Tomomori. This isn't the recommended order by the publisher, so play at your own risk lol.

For thoughts on each route in the order I played them, see below. Spoilers ahead.

.

Musashibo Benkei Route (Spoilers)

I didn't feel the game gave enough of an introduction to Benkei before shunting me off onto his route. While I understand why these characters get along, they are both immediately ride or die for each other in a way that felt unrealistic. Their dedication was too strong, too fast to be believable.

That said, I see why they make a nice couple. Benkei admires Shanao because of her strength, and she comes to like him because he has suffered in a similar way to her. Initially he reminds her of the father she never had, but her feelings become something more complex as the game goes on.

Benkei clearly admires Shanao as a warrior of justice, not because she's a woman. When he realizes his feelings are more than that of a vassal for his lord, he actually feels guilty it because he knows Shanao has had to sacrifice so much to become a "man." It was pretty cute.

There's some sexual assault themes in this route, and I felt it was handled well, with Shanao taken seriously and given ample time to heal.

There's unfortunately not much to Benkei beyond him being a general nice guy and die hard companion. You learn his backstory quickly and there isn't anything to add after that point. When Benkei lies to Shanao, which would have been a prime opportunity to create some tension or angst, she instead understands his motivations innately and forgives him right away. The same goes for him when he discovers Shanao has been hiding her true nature.

While I liked this route okay, it felt more like an outline of a route than a full plot. I'm glad I played this one first, as it was kind of a snoozefest.

.

Tomomori Taira Route (Spoilers)

I hated this character in the Benkei route, so I decided to play him next. I couldn't understand how the game could paint him as sympathetic enough to want to date.

Spoiler alert: it never does. I disliked Tomomori throughout his own route, too.

Tomomori could have easily been written as an obsessed yet passionate character, but instead he is just plain creepy. He steals kisses without consent, touches Shanao in her sleep, calls her by cringey names like "Princess" and is just generally flirty in a way that Shanao clearly doesn't like. When Shanao starts to fall for him, it felt more like Stockholm Syndrome than actual love. Girl, what??

His obsession with her, by the way, is never really explained. While his backstory was infinitely more interesting than Benkei's, it doesn't justify his actions toward her — or explain why she might reciprocate.

The whole point of his character is that he's chaotically suicidal and feels his life means nothing. It would have made more sense if Shanao had done something to give his life meaning. I could understand if he'd become obsessed with her because she shares his powers and represents a freedom that he never had. But that's not what happens. Instead, he decides a random crying woman will become his new toy, and we're supposed to believe that it was true love the whole time.

In the after ending scene, we find out he is literally keeping her at home instead of allowing her to visit her friends and family because he is too jealous to let her speak with other men. This is supposed to be romantic?

This whole route was icky and unhealthy. Not even the final act plot twist can save this pairing.

.

Noritsune Taira Route (Spoilers)

Noritsune is a better version of Tomomori. His obsession with Shanao, who is the same age as him, makes sense after she whoops his ass in battle. He sees her as a true rival and admires her desire to choose her own path, not just as a child of Genji but as an individual.

Despite his inferiority complex, Noritsune is a skilled warrior and a true man's man. Once he's seen how his own family treats its people, his allegiance wanes. While ultimately he does fight for the Heike, he, like Shanao, isn't interested in flexing his superiority, but in fighting for the weak. He's a good guy in a tough position.

When Noritsune discovers Shanao is a woman, he doesn't treat her any differently. While this is respectable, I was a little disappointed because I wanted to see Noritsune struggling with his attraction toward her haha. But don't worry, you do get a scene like this later. And while the ending is bittersweet, it felt more realistic than having everything work out perfectly.

Despite revealing less information about Shanao's backstory than the other routes, Noritsune's route was really solid. He goes through a satisfying arc, from a character who only cares about honor to someone who really embraces his leadership role and what that means to his people. Shanao also experiences growth as she spends time with the Heike and learns that there are good people — and bad — on both sides.

This route was my favorite in the game. It was sweet and romantic while still feeling overall like a "samurai" game. This is a fighting-heavy route as Shanao and Noritsune clash as Genji and Heike — and as two people who greatly respect each other and just want to test their skills.

.

Shungen Route (Spoilers)

Shungen doesn't get a lot of attention on the other routes, but you do get to see little bits of him that suggest he's the long suffering type. At the beginning, he chides Shanao for trusting too quickly. In Noritsune's route, he steps aside as she goes to him in the final battle, not understanding but respecting their bond. He's the sort of character who doesn't seek the spotlight, content with a supporting role.

This supporting nature is the first arc of Shungen's route, wherein his relationship with Shanao is questioned. They both consider a more formal arrangement wherein Shungen officially becomes Shanao's vassal, rather than the loose childhood friends relationship they have now.

The route continues to deal with with the topic of family, as Shanao evaluates her feelings about her brother and mother a little more carefully than the other routes. Of course, that leaves Shungen to question why he's feeling jealous, which is exactly the type of angst I want on a childhood friend route hehe. Shungen also gets to shine as a military strategist and leader in a way that isn't highlighted on the other routes.

There's an unexpected twist in this route, which surprised me because all of the other blogs I checked out recommended playing Shungen's route on the earlier side. As it stands, I'm glad I played it where I did, because it's a pretty big adjustment.

The one misstep in this route comes when Shungen and Shanao are pushed into a corner and must choose between being together and their morals. Shungen lacks his eye shinies in this scene, which we all know is the universal anime signal that he's gone mad. Together, Shanao and Shungen make a bad choice, which I figured meant I had gotten a bad ending. But no, it all works out, and you don't find out until the post credits scene that there's some trickery going on that allows them to have it both ways.

We basically see Shungen going off the deep end, becoming unhealthily obsessed with Shanao, and then there's just...no resolution. He gets better on his own without talking to anyone or letting the audience in on it. Idk if they ran out of space for more dialogue on this route or what, but I felt like it was missing a key scene before the ending.

Other than that, this was a pretty okay route.

.

Yoritomo Route (Spoilers)

Despite having a strong presence in every route, I had very little opinion of Yoritomo before his own route. He's cool, calm and collected, but seems to reveal very little of himself at any given time.

We find out through flashbacks that he does indeed have emotions, but boxes them up in order to take care of what needs to be done, including fighting his own family members when they get out of hand. He tries to keep his distance from Shanao so he doesn't come to care for her too much, but still gets jealous when she treats others with favor. He's a pretty cute, gap-moe sort of character.

Looking back on this route, you actually get less information about Shanao's background than on Shungen's route. But I didn't feel bored because I enjoyed watching Yoritomo's cold demeanor crack as he falls in love with Shanao.

If you want a punchy end to the game, this isn't the route to play last, despite it being recommended by the publisher. But it was one of the better, more believable romances imho.

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Other Endings (Spoilers)

Something very cool that Birushana does is include special endings for undatable side characters. You have to go to the flowchart to play them, and then only appear after you've completed a datable character's ending. But they're worth playing. Here are my thoughts.

Tadanobu: Simple and sweet. I wish we'd learned more about this character in the main game, but I enjoyed hearing a little of his backstory, including why he's such a flirt.

Shigehira: This is what Tomomori's route should have been and somehow includes more character development than his entire route. Shigehira, like his brother, is obsessed with torturing Shanao, but begins to fall for her kindness and becomes more of a tsundere after he learns she's a woman. I wish he'd been the full route rather than his sadistic brother.

Tsugunobu: This one was kinda boring. Not much happens. I wish it would have explored more of their relationship rather than just a one-sided promise.

Takatsuna: This character was so funny the entire game, because he's treated like a little kid despite legitimately being one of Yoritomo's vassals. In his ending, we get to see a very sweet friendship develop between him and Shanao. I still think he looks like a bug though lol.

[rayplaysotomes]

ok!! noritsune route post!! my silly! i have GOT to draw this guy. idk when ill get around to it but. i love his design sm.

as usual, spoiler warnings for noritsune’s route in birushana under the cut!

okokok!! first off, i wanted to talk about how much hes matured as a person and how his character develops throughout his route because i feel like thats the thing i thought of the most. like, he started out only seeing things through the lense of the heike, the towards the end he has a much broader perspective of the world and really considers his place in it. and like, he grew up being compared to shanao a lot because they were the same age and in similar positions in their respective clans, and bc he is very competitive, he was determined to fight her and sorta prove his worth in a way. atleast thats how i read that bit. 

then when he DOES fight her for a moment, and later gets to talk with her for a minute, he really sees their similarities and grows to like her, even if he still wants to duel with her. then of course theres how once he hears shanao talk about wanting to be seen as herself, and not only under the guise of genji or heike, he understands how she feels, and later accepts being disowned very easily and just leaves. then after seeing shanao again in hiraizumi and she saves him, he returns to the heike and takes care of his responsibilities. 

plus!!! when they met again in battle he wanted to fight her and there was that whole scene where he says shes running away from fighting him. interesting i think. and after that, when they were in kyoto trying to help the villagers while yoshinakas army was looting everything, and he said he wouldnt let her die until he could properly duel her. im sobbing. or in that same scene how he was explaining how hes ever felt so close and so similar to another person????? it really seems like at this point, he cant admit to himself that he actually just really cares about her, so he justifies the duel as a way to stay near her. 

then of course theres the last fight on the boats, he was fully ready to die during his fight with shanao before they had left. 

idk, i feel like his whole dynamic with shanao is super interesting where he originally didnt like her because of how often they were compared to each other, then he realized how similar they actually were, how much he could relate to her, and how she was actually a very good person and he cared for her a lot. i feel like this especially helped him mature and develop. 

and not only was noritsunes dynamic with shanao super interesting, the romance aspects of the route were really sweet. like!!! when the children wanted to dress up shanao like a princess!!! and noristune comes back and gets all jealous cause other people got to see her like that before he did!!! and he asks her to stay and live with him after the war!!

also!! shanao has become one of my favourite mcs idc if ive only finished one route so far she means everything to me. like she starts off only sorta seeing things from a black and white perspective, then once she sees yoshinakas army looting kyoto, and the heike children, and grows to really care about noritsune, she sees that there are bad people who are part of the genji clan, and that there are good people within the heike. and she comes to realize that all she really wants is to help people. she really just wants everyone to be okay. idk this is just such a well written aspect of her character imo, and i really respect this. 

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

tomomori really took 45 minutes to die in yoritomo's route... i'm done with this man

[atopearth]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei Part 4 - Yoritomo Minamoto Route

I never realised/remembered that Yoritomo actually had other brothers, and that he was the only one to survive out of his family during the Heiji Rebellion. I love how meeting Yoritomo in his route makes Shanao understand the deep pain Yoritomo must have suffered as one of the only survivors from the war and how much responsibility he must carry as a Genji leader. I wonder how many times Yoritomo has heard from his soldiers telling him to live on and take down the Heike for them if they are to die here as sacrifices to protect him. I can't imagine how heavy the responsibility it is to carry the lives of people who died for you believing that you will carry on their dreams and hopes. I think the part of Yoritomo's speech to his troops ordering them to flee and that they will reunite again one day when he raises his troops again was the most effective to me when he told them that he had been living in shame since he was fourteen. All this time he had been in exile, all this time he had to live with the burden of the Genji name and soldiers who died passing on their hopes and dreams to him, all this time he's been keeping all these feelings and all this pain inside himself, it really breaks my heart to think about it.

It's actually quite cute how much Shanao wants to get along with Yoritomo, I wonder if Yoritomo feels bad about it because he already knows that Shanao most likely isn't his real brother. It was so adorable how Shanao fell asleep imagining how it would be like to spar against Yoritomo, she really is like a child as he says haha. Honestly, even though it was probably distasteful for Yoritomo to let an out of control Shanao to keep fighting like a maniac but I can't really fault him for it because they did need her crazy prowess to win against the Heike and wait for reinforcements. And when you think about how he doesn't mind being shameless as long as it achieves his goals, it's very understandable. I'm glad he told Shanao that it was this power of hers that saved his life, so despite the negatives of it, in the end, she did help him and protect him as she said she would. It was so cute how Yoritomo was sad and probably annoyed over how Shanao wanted something from Takatsuna but not from Yoritomo haha! Shanao's good luck charm necklace that's a pair with Yoritomo is so childishly cute but so sweet at the same time. For someone like Yoritomo, her constant desire for wanting to be beside him and help him is probably what moves his heart the most. I guess the Shanao in this route prioritises familial connection very much, because I was a bit surprised at how adamant she was on wanting to not kill Yoshinaka. But I guess for her, she hasn't really seen him and his tyranny so she thinks that she wants to be able to stop him if she can, so I'm actually quite glad that Yoritomo told her his position and how he couldn't let the people who rely on him and believe him be disappointed that he won't cut down people who have no regard towards tormenting others just because Yoshinaka is of Genji blood.

It always feels so sad to see Yoshinaka never really get to put up a fight, like is he that weak or is it just for plot hahaha. Anyway, Shanao falling asleep super fast after Yoritomo put her on his horse was just so sweet and adorable. Yoritomo's brothers trying their best to protect Yoritomo and their father only to end up captured and executed must have been something very very difficult to witness. I can't imagine losing my whole family and being forced to live all alone in exile. LMAO I love how when Shanao went to consult Tadanobu about if he would feel lonely if Tsugunobu were to get married, Tadanobu was all like that's gross, eww hahahaha. I was so happy when Yoritomo immediately ran after Shanao with no hesitation. But it broke my heart to hear him say that he himself is also a tool for victory because his whole life since he was 14 was led to fulfil his "fate by heaven", kinda like his life mission I guess. When he finally shared his honest feelings with Shanao and said he didn't want to lose his family that he loves ever again and that's why he didn't want to get close to Shanao, it really made me want to cry😭😭😭 So Yoritomo in this route really had no idea Shanao was a woman, and he actually felt something towards her dangg! Scandalous haha! But I approve🥲

It seems like I underestimated the depth of Yoritomo's pain and emptiness, his father was very very cruel to him, but I guess I can understand why he forced Yoritomo to be the one to kill his brother when his wounds wouldn't have allowed him to go on with them. I just felt so bad for Yoritomo since his brother kept saying he didn't want to die and Yoritomo had to kill him or he would be humiliated by the Heike when caught.. Now I see why he doesn't really want to visit his father and his brothers' graves, since he was forced to kill them all. It's no wonder that Yoritomo had no qualms towards killing Yoshinaka. If he's been forced to kill his brothers and his father whom he loved and respected, why would he hesitate towards others when he knows that their dying wishes are what he should be focusing on as his reason to live and nothing else should stop him. The only thing I'm glad about is that Yoritomo's desire to defeat the Heike and restore the Genji is his own desire after seeing the tyranny of the Heike once they reigned. I couldn't help but cry when Shanao hugged Yoritomo and said she wanted to share his burdens, and he asked if he really isn't alone anymore and that he's basically allowed to "feel things". On the other hand, I wonder why Ikenozeni (Kiyomori's mother) is so intent on destroying the cursed Heike bloodline that she got a child of the Heike (Shanao) to live as a Genji and come back to destroy the Heike... It was so sweet when Yoritomo told Shanao to think of him whenever she's afraid, and that even though they might be fighting on different parts of the battlefield, he told her that he'll always be with her!! I love that. Especially considering how he's been all this time, seeing him show emotions of jealousy, love and just in general kindness and thoughtful towards Shanao just makes my heart warm. When Yoritomo retorted Shanao saying she's a monster that consumes spirit by saying to her that he consumed the lives of his brothers and his father, I admit I couldn't refute him either. He was right and I'm glad Shanao was able to be convinced by him. But most importantly, the kiss!! I love how much Yoritomo wants to support Shanao just as much as she always has for him.

Considering how cold Yoritomo looked when we first met him, it's crazy how much love, care and emotion he shows in the CGs with Shanao. I love how gently he looks at her and he treats her with such love! I didn't expect to like him but I actually really like Yoritomo. The tragic love ending was quite sad and different, I liked it. It was sad to see Shanao lose her sense of sight, ability to move etc but be forced to live because Yoritomo wouldn't be able to go on without her in his life. It was certainly tragic because it's a difficult situation. Just as Shanao wants to die to be relieved from a life where she is completely helpless, Yoritomo won't be able to live on without her existence beside him. Seeing Shanao always getting brutally murdered or heavily injured to the point that she might as well be dead is so sad...

Overall, I liked Yoritomo's route more than I expected! After Shungen, I really wasn't expecting much tbh but I think if you enjoy seeing Shanao chase after Yoritomo and really desiring that familial bond she never got, always trying her best to meet Yoritomo's expectations and to do whatever she can to support him, you'll probably enjoy this route. I found it quite adorable because it was cute to see Shanao prioritise "familial love" whilst understanding her position as a general and a Genji. I also really liked Yoritomo's reasons for being the person he was. I really felt for his story and I couldn't help but tear up thinking about how much he had to go through since he was a teenager. He was all alone and finally had someone who willingly wanted to stay beside him forever and help him, how could he not like Shanao haha. I think it was cute to see Yoritomo finally feel like he could relax with Shanao and have a life outside of his "fate" as the Genji survivor. Seeing him do things like chase after Shanao and very honestly telling her his story and his feelings really made me like him more and more because I loved how he didn't shy away from revealing his insecurities and he always did his best to show how much he cares for Shanao. He is definitely the big brother type and route haha. My favourite boy alongside Benkei!

[not-so-secretfangirl]

I finished Noritsune's route. And it was SO GOOD. It was in fact so good that now I can't play the tragic lovers ending or the bad endings BECAUSE MY BABIES DESERVE TO BE HAPPY FOREVER OK? NO MORE PAIN FOR MY NEW SHIP

[koladelight]

So about Birushana...

I have finally almost finished the game (some bad endings yet to finish). This game made me struggle for real. I was sobbing through Noritsune's route and I played his first because it was the recommendation.

It took me FOREVER to be able to continue playing the game because I only wanted my lovely pink gay-for-Shanao Noritsune.

Worst thing is that even after finishing all the other routes, he is still the best and no one will convince me otherwise.

Sidenote: I don't cry easily. Haven't sobbed like that since playing Saint Germain's route in Code Realize.

[citronavalkiro]

I really like how in Birushana Noritsune basically figures out you are a girl simply because being attracted to you and enjoying cuddling with you would be gay. Seriously…

[pygmalimoon]

「牢不可破的、如珠似玉的」

[lollia-tea]

[aishaarashi]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei ~Shungen - Happy Ending~

This is a guide/walkthrough on how to get Shungen’s Happy Ending.  

❈The “SAVE” in this guide corresponds to the “LOAD SAVE” from the Tragic Love Ending guide, which can be found HERE.

One recommended route order: Noritsune ➔ Benkei ➔ Shungen ➔ Yoritomo ➔ Tomomori

Chapter 1:

Silently watch the samurai.

There’s got to be a way out of this…

Chapter 2:

As a Genji, I must talk with him.

But the Heike aren’t afraid of me!

I feel the same way about you, Shungen!

Our priority is to capture Benkei.

We’re stronger together.

I’m just glad to know she’s alright.

What makes the Heike so great?

Chapter 3:

Thank you…

I want to live up to their expectations…

Would you…hold my hand?

Chapter 4:

I rely on you too much.

Chapter 5:

I feel so relieved.

Chapter 6:

You should be more confident, Shungen.

Chapter 7:

It’s so embarrassing…

Nodded.

Chapter 8:

SAVE

I’m sorry.

Chapter 9:

Keep his heart next to mine.

I’m happy about it.

Chapter 10:

I can’t wait either.

Chapter 11:

Let me see your face.

Chapter 12:

No…

➔ Happy Ending

IF ENDING:  (Unlocks after completing Shungen’s route)

Go to Flowchart ➔ Start Tsugunobu Ending   (It can be found underneath Shungen’s Ch.5-2)

➔ Ending - The Basis of My Feeling

[meibemeibelline]

all aboard the shungen x noritsune ship!!!! (and then they were merman)

we love two grumpy boys fighting against each other and then falling in love

[doomed-prophetess]

[riddlesinthedark]

finished birushana and now idk what to do with my life

[atopearth]

Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei Part 6 - If endings & Final Review

Tadanobu Sato

It's so cute and funny to imagine Tadanobu giving flowers to girls and being flustered over how to communicate with them haha. HAHAHA, Tadanobu has to be the worst person to find out that Shanao is actually a woman, he's so obvious it's hilarious, I feel bad for Benkei and Shungen constantly trying to cover up his mistakes. It's so funny that it took a whole month of training every day for Tadanobu to go back to how he was with Shanao before haha! I guess it's better than before because he's more comfortable with her now and so honest about what he thinks lol. I guess Tadanobu has a soft spot for women because the live-in maids would always comfort him when he cried as a little kid haha, so sweet and cute.

Tadanobu placing a bellflower on her hair was cute!! Too bad the ending is so short! It actually makes me sad lol! It's like he's a potential LI but you'll never get a proper story with him and that makes it even sadder than if he was just a side character lol. Oh well, it was still cute I guess haha.

Tsugunobu Sato

How typical for Tsugunobu to discover Shanao is a woman because he went into her room thinking she was injured. It's random but honestly, I feel the same as Tsugunobu. When I used to have problems that I didn't know what to do about, I would sit outside my primary school and just look at the moon for a bit on my walk home. I never stayed for too long, but gazing at the moon always helped calm me a little bit before going home and having to act normal in front of my family. Tsugunobu blushing is so cute! It was so sweet how he noticed the little things Shanao does when she's happy hahaha, just imagining it makes me think they're so cute. Tsugunobu was so bold to kiss her fingers like that! I love the CG.

Overall, I didn't mind this ending. I think it was quite cute and Tsugunobu is quite gentlemanly and sweet. I think it's nice to imagine Shanao and Tsugunobu bonding by gazing at the moon together and sharing their thoughts together. But I'll admit that the main reason Tsugunobu is nice is because he has a pretty face hahaha!

Takatsuna Sasaki

It's kinda funny that all these guys names start with T lol. Considering how playful, innocent and cute Takatsuna looks, he's much more reliable than expected! I kinda thought he was more of a reliable messenger guy that does alot of fieldwork going around to different places for Yoritomo, but he seems to know everything, like a capable assistant/secretary for Yoritomo haha! It's kinda cute how Shanao just kinda told Takatsuna that she's actually a woman, I feel like she could have continued to deceive him but yeah, the route is short so might as well get that part out of the way lol. It's sweet to see Takatsuna thank Shanao for protecting Yoritomo with her powers. I like how Takatsuna took her out to play and got her to explore makeup, so cute!

Overall, I honestly didn't expect much from Takatsuna but I think he's much cuter and vibrant than I thought. Like, I thought he would be quite boring tbh, but I think he's quite adorable in that he's unafraid to voice his thoughts, he's a reliable leader to others but at the same time he's also very playful and knows how to get Shanao to relax and just be herself for a moment. It was refreshing to see them not have to think about war or anything and just be a bunch of youths playing around.

Shigehira Taira

Shigehira is such an ass to everyone and I love it. I think the idea of it being him going to Hiraizumi to observe Shanao and them to see if they want to rebel against the Heike is such a fun touch because he obviously doesn't care and just wants to go around annoying people for his amusement. I love how he bothered to get a servant to get Shanao for him only to tell her to get water for him lmao. And I think it's quite cute that Shigehira's interest in Shanao stems from the fact that Tomomori is interested in Shanao and he wants to understand why when his brother is never interested in anything. I like how Shigehira is the one following Shanao around but because he thinks that her plans for the day are boring, he forces her to change them lolll. It was hilarious when she asked him what games are good (for children) to play and he starts talking about drinking and killing people🤣

It's so cute and innocent how the children have no idea who the Heike are and how that is relevant. Hiraizumi really is a nice place. I find it really sweet to see Shigehira get to play these children's games with other children though. He always wanted to play more with Tomomori and Tokuko when they were young but due to Tomomori basically getting traumatised from being forced to fight in war and Tokuko being taken over by Rengetsu, he never got to continue having that "fun childhood" he had playing with his siblings in their dreams, so I guess he's always chasing after this "fun" to this day to make up for that hole. He's such a kid that it's adorable tbh. It was so sad to see that all the adults Shigehira played with as a child let him win and called him smart when they never seriously played with him. It's also so sad but cute how Shigehira doesn't really know what a 'friend' is because he's never had one before since everyone around him is ranked. Shigehira blushing at Shanao laughing at him for being scared of Tomomori's ghost stories was so cute hahaha!! Especially since he didn't want to be alone in his room at night lol. How does this adorable little boy survive when he runs around everywhere haha!

I guess what makes me can't help but love Shigehira is how much he loves his family and how much he wants to spend time with them. He follows Tomomori around because he wants to be with his brother. All his happy memories are of his childhood when his father took him out or when he used to play with Tomomori and Tokuko. Shanao taking care of the sick Shigehira was very sweet. I love the CG where he hugs Shanao and says he doesn't want to give her to Tomomori. Considering how Tomomori is basically his priority in life, the fact that he likes Shanao so much that he's not willing to give her up to him is very heartwarming to me. I think the sweetest thing was that in this short little story, Shigehira learnt that someone choosing to be with you rather than being ordered to be with you is so much more precious and desirable. I loved it when he told her that he didn't want to force her to be with him and that instead he wants her to choose to be with him of her own free will.

Overall, I definitely think Shigehira's If Ending is the best! It felt very natural, realistic and didn't have them stay together for random reasons and instead acknowledged that they liked and understood each other better but still had their respective positions to think about. I think his character development was the best and I honestly think it actually made me feel like I learnt so much more about Shigehira as a character through this ending and he was just so cute because of how childish but sweet and innocent he was compared to his usual crazy murderous self. Definitely looking forward to his route in the FD! Surprisingly, I would say I liked Takatsuna second best, then Tadanobu and Tsugunobu. I feel like the latter two never explored further into their personalities enough to make me think that was something I never knew about them or expected, so hopefully the FD will help with that haha. I very much hope to play the FD one day because I'll legit buy it just for Shigehira, my one true love hahahah.

Final review

Overall, I think people hyped up Birushana for me too much so I don't feel like I enjoyed it as much as I thought it would. People said it was like a 'better Hakuoki' but I personally love Hakuoki so much more. Although I don't like the supernatural elements in Hakuoki either, I liked the way they used it in the story more than in Birushana because I think it better explored the pain of having that power but also the need for it since the characters are based on real people and they would have died at that point in time if not for it. Hakuoki also never delved too much into it and instead focused on the characters struggles with it, whereas Birushana tried to tie it up with Rengetsu etc but I feel like it would have been better left as a mystery because I didn't like the Rengetsu thing at all lol. I do appreciate that all of the routes in Birushana are different enough though and I think most of them were interesting enough. My personal list from most favourite route to least favourite route would be Yoritomo, Benkei, Noritsune, Tomomori and then Shungen. I just love the pain and anguish demonstrated by Yoritomo in his route, it was my favourite moment haha. And Benkei is such a softie, he made me cry at how gentle and kind he was. He was the best guy to come back from work to and listen to because he was always so encouraging, so full of belief in Shanao and so caring. Noritsune gave me strength to stand on my own two feet and be unafraid of stepping out of my comfort zone if it means I'm living according to my beliefs and dreams. And I didn't feel much for Tomomori and Shungen's routes haha, sorry.

But yeah, I've realised that my mood can really affect how much I like a route too. I would rate the game a 7/10 probably because I don't think the overarching story was interesting enough for me, but I loved the characters struggles, especially Shanao's. I think her struggles in each route were different enough to not be boring, but understandable enough that it wasn't annoying. I liked her struggles with her identity, her responsibilities and how each LI helped her get through it and how she helped each LI better themselves. I can see why people really like Shanao, because I do too! However, the story just didn’t click enough for me sadly.