#the tokugawa fight was actually so funny i love it genuinely

[todayisafridaynight]

its cute kondo and hijikata both have fireball attacks but i wanna know why the fuck tokugawa has a whole fucking flamethrower

[poopyballz28]

Okay, before I ask the question, I just want to tell you that your posts are the best, dude. Like, my fucking god, they make me feel so much better after a shitty day, so thank you for existing on here, genuinely. For the question, do you have a ranked top five list for favorite + least favorite Baki characters?

(Though, I think I can already tell who your number one in favorites is, lol ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ)

BRO THANK YOU. ACTUALLY POWER TO YOU 💯 I'm glad my stupid goofy writings and posts are able to lighten people's day. Thank you.

Now to answer your question :D I kinda yapped so lemme put it under a cut

My number one? Guess. Guess who my number one is, guys. You'll never be able to get it. It's fine if you need a hint.

Okay, you got me it's Kiyosumi. Sigh. I love him. Sadly. Something about his character, personality and design just have me in a choke hold. He's just so neat. Not to mention how much I just relate to him as a person, it's quite strange, but I see some of myself in him. I don't particularly want to go into deep detail but something about him I really resonate with. He's funny. He will always be my top number one stunnaboy. I'm proud to be his number one fan.

My second favorite has always been Katsumi, he's just a goober. I'm in love with his character arc and his silly attitude and god do I want my face in between those breasts. But in all seriousness he's an amazing character and Itagaki's writing for him is immaculate, just objectively. He's one of the best written characters in the series, along with Retsu. (In my opinion, of course.) His recent blow up in popularity really surprised me, and made me a bit jealous, to be real. I dunno, I feel like people don't truly appreciate his writing, you know? Maybe it's just me.

See, now here's where I start to struggle. A lot of my favorite characters before those two, I can't really rank (I love them too much equally) But I will definitely list them!

I'm really enamored by Kozue, especially lately. One of my favorite types of characters are kind, cute girls who kinda just be silly but have some lowkey depth behind them. It's my absolute favorite. I've always been a fan of anime's/games where girls are just hanging out or having fun with each other, I love it. I'm always thinking about Kozue being in Bang dream or D4DJ, man.

Doyle...sigh. What a mess this guy is, but that's why he's up in my favorites. He gives me gender envy, even though, I'm already a guy. Maybe it's just his ability to rock both or his beauty, I don't know. But his character is absolutely stellar to me. Super interesting to write things for. He's so complex in my mind, he's just a joy to think about.

Doppo is definitely high up there on my list of favorites. He's absolutely hilarious and such a cool character. He's genuinely one of the most badass in the series to me. I love his hidden kindness and love for his kids (karate boys) and pupils. He's just incredible and MAD funny. Love him.

Kosho, this makes sense because he's basically gothic Kiyosumi. I mean not actually, I'm being funny, but you get the idea. They are definitely similar though. He's an incredible character, I love his sassiness and whole demeanor and not to mention his backstory and depth. Love this Vkei guy forever.

Ahh, Retsu, how I love you. His character is probably one of my favorite written in manga. The fact he's somewhat a mediator and very mature, but also immensely immature as well, doing things he knows aren't right to please himself cause he just loves FIGHTING. Ohhh, there's so much depth to him it's incredible. I just love this guy.

If I were to list my other favorites...

Atsushi, Chiharu, Oliva, Shibukawa, Tokugawa, Kureha, Spec, JEEZ do I love the characters in this manga. The list kind of goes on too. I just can't get enough of these guys.

It's very difficult for me to rank my least favorites since I really enjoy all of these characters, but one I really dislike is...Yujiro. Man, does that guy suck. For real. Okay but let me preface this by saying I think his written character is great, it's wonderful. But him, I hate. He's such a backwards piece of garbo. He's honestly one of the character's I think about the least.

Other than that, nobody else really comes to mind. Sorry I love these goober mcgoobersons too much. Itagaki, thank you as always.

Thank you for the question as well, bro.

[the-acid-pear]

I just can't get enough it seems, time to start the next Baki the Grappler book!

It seems that this one will take on the saga i saw on the anime (at least by the end) so that's exciting

Chapter 1

First off quality is SHIT lmao

Yesss i remember this. I still think that shit about everyone trembling is a lil... Mmmm bullshit.

Baki be like <:] but in a smug way

Look at Tokugawa my man

OH RIGHT HE LEFT THE TOURNAMENT WITH A CAST

This feels so random

Oh right the synchronicity shit

Baki is so -_- in this manga

Look at the old timer go

YEAH FR TOKUGAWA JUST BROUGHT EXPLOSIVES TO A SCHOOL FULL OF CHILDREN TO MAKE A SHITTY ANALOGY SHSHWKWGGE FREAK OLD MAN

Chapter 2

Ahegao

Epic grandpa

HO NICE

Mf really swam thru the Pacific ocean

Chapter 3

Huh i thought he was Scottish

This random guy was pretty interesting looking, the one executing Doyle

Fucked up shit how they still do this stuff

King, i can somehow still remember his voice in particular fsr

Also since no one reads this i will say it: Doyle does NOT look white ahagdbafhsdbc

I like that he didn't bother killing the doctor

Is that Strydum? 🥺👉👈

Chapter 4

Shagddjd i was going to say that, this dude could have easily taken a different path from violence

GAARN? MY MAN? MY BELOVED GARLAND? IS HE ALIVE STILL?!

FFS NOT FOR LONG HHH LOOK HOW THEY MASSACRED MY BOY...

I mean it's fair, Sirkosky uses weapons, but man, Garland... :'/

This all hits so different once you know the characters :]]]

Chapter 5

That pic is still so brutal

What an absolute troll shsshwgxgd

Also fun fact when i watched the anime i didn't pay much attention at first so I assumed the Russian was Spec (i didn't even know Sirkosky's name)

I love how that was unnecessary shagdhsr

ADAGDFAGAFAD this guy was also great

Spec was fucking insane man aggsggahsfg

I love he's full of tattoos

The absolutely king

OH RIGHT Spec is sus *laugh track*

Chapter 6

Oh hell yeah, grandpa's ex

Baki tf you doing there in the cover you madlad

...bottom storage.

THEY ARE SO MEAN LEAVE HIS SHORT ASS ALONE SHSGJSGS

He's my size btw

Was there a motive for him to be naked or was he just a freak btw?

I love the shape of his eyes ngl

I love how scared the guards are while he just calmly rambles

I don't wanna call yanagi my grandpa because i think yanagi can get it and it would be like calling him daddy but the Gilf™ is Dorian man life is so hard when you are me

I love Yanagi's face lol he's handsome

Chapter 7

Poor Baki lmao he just got better from the maximum tournament and now this

Lmao Baki has a point

Unnecessary, Doyle

Chapter 8

I love how they were recruiting dangerous mfs to beat up this random guy bc his vibes are fucked up

This guy looked a lot like jack

You gotta be brave to shove a knife that sharp into your pants

I love how Baki literally did nothing to em

Baki's face just looks wrong this isn't my beloved child

Imagine you are about to fight this mf and he just shoves his hand inside his pants

Chapter 9

This dude really looks like, fully japanese jack hanma

JWGWKEGWKSGE I LOVE HIM

I love how Spec just showed up dressed up as a fucking monk or something

Chapter 10

You guys know, Dorian reminds me of my now dead great grandfather, with the moustache look even more.

Not impressed, 15 yo Hanayama did the same when throwing a tantrum

He's so insane i luv him

Okay but look at the cut of that outfit look at how well it hugs his chest and waist but flows bellow... Spec my dude you could have been a mad good model 😐 he's even giving me gender envy! 🥺

I love how Baki used both his hands for the handshake

Chapter 11

Ho, speak of the devil, i was just talking of this fucker with Blood

Mf got so old

I like how there was no motive for him to be naked he literally is just Like That

Also it's from here that he got that wasp waist lmao

Mf just flexing at this point lmao

GRANDPA!! <3

Yanagi got cake

That's so unnecessary rude, obsessed. Also, as if you weren't old Yanagi. I see why they broke up now ;/

Chapter 12

11 and 12 are the same fsr

Chapter 13

I honestly wonder where these prisoners got their clothes, like, aside from Doyle that one time everyone else is never shown shopping or even owning money

Also i love the fact that on a daily basis i dress the same as Spec, that definitely says something bout me jagsjsgwhwfwg 😭

To be honest, considering the size of Spec's body, they should definitely feed him more

He didn't wash his hands 😢

Dick and balls too strong ajgshsgsg

I love how fucking, polite he is.

Oh i see, i thought he might have stolen a wallet or something but nah

Btw i genuinely don't remember shit JAGSKSGWJGS even if it watched the anime i forgot most of this

Chapter 14

GOD the way the anime butchered Katsumi, he's so handsome in the manga in comparison 😐

Also i like how they aren't explaining this like, Katsumi was the one who lost, did he wait until Retsu was okay to fight again in HIS ("") dojo?!

RETSU STOP DOING THESE SORT OF TRICKS THAT'S PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE AJDGSJSG

HE'S JUST BUILT DIFFERENT

Okay he actually explained, oddly nice of Retsu to accept tho

Hoho this scene hits different now that i know and like Katsumi

Also I'm not even gonna question where Doppo is, dude is never just around skdgksgd

Chapter 15

I love this genre of cover

WHITE BOY SJDGSJGSHS-

I love that retsu is just watching, he's still an asshole QJGSJSGWH

If i didn't know Katsumi I would say he died

I did actually think he had died when watching the anime

Retsu still has his thicc ass i see

Chapter 16

See all this makes sense now that i know retsu and the shit he has seen and been thru!

Angry lad, lucky his hair didn't burn

I DIDNT EVEN REALIZE HE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH HIS SCREAM

Chapter 17

Ahegao in the cover

I'm looking at the pages and I'm obsessed with Doppo being described as a "bold, badass karate master", it's so accurate <3

Also Igari being called eccentric, and the mention he defeated Mount Toba!! <3

Baki is slowly looking more like Baki

"my mother is dying"

Tasks keep failing successfully

Chapter 18

mAh boy...

That happens and it's the worst

Musashi you good boy 🥺

Chapter 19

Igari <33

That's insane

Chapter 20

I love that Igari looks legitimately worried and sad, not sweating tho

I love how he didn't have any serious damage until the punches like, okay.

Poor Igari tho

DID HE CHEW EM OFF OR SOMETHING? SHSHWGEGCH

Was anybody going to tell me is Sikorsky and not Sirkosky?

Also i love how legitimately scared Tokugawa is, probably more than when Yujiro picked him up

Chapter 21

The heights are so off in this saga

Oh my fucking god i didn't know Spec was 221

Either heights are all over the place or Yanagi is not 160

Either way HOW CAN YOU BE THAT SMALL? 🤣

GAFSFWEAD Tokugawa like "i own this place 😐"

Doyle is still the most decent one of the bunch

URSURSUTSUSTSRU

LOOK AT YANAGI DORIAN AND SIKORSKY ALREADY GETTING THEIR HANDS READY SBDGSHW

I googled how big Andreas from the tournament was and like, 2.40 😦

LET'S GOOOOO EVEN WITH A BEARD OMFG 😳😳😳

I see Hanayama descended into alcoholism after losing in the tournament. Also tf is with that bag? Was he hiking or something?

Jsgsjsgd Shibukawa is so excited too

I think this is chronically the first time Doppo appears with fully casual clothes, usually he either was in a suit or in his karate uniform

I'm straight up simping to the public now sgsjsgwhw

Chapter 22

LOOK AT THESE DUDES..... 💞

FUCK I WAS GONNA SAY THERE WERE MORE BAD THAN GOOD GUYS THEN LOOKED DOWN AND REALIZED THAT NO, SHIBUKAWA WAS JUST NEARLY OUT OF FRAME 😭

They all look so upset about that information

SIKORSKY NAME GOT SPELLED AS SILCOSKI...

Looking at them drives me insane i developed such a bond with all these fighters

I haven't seen Doppo this excited since last time his wife showed up

BAKI SWEARING?! 😰

How did Tokugawa grab Baki's shoulder?

ALSO WHY TF IS BAKI SO SURPRISED AS IF HE DIDNT GO AROUND BEATING UP PEOPLE WHEN HE WAS 13...

Don't worry Baki y'all will, Tokyo is not that big it seems

Shibukawa swearing 😨

"Imagine being mid but and Spec pulls up on you" "imagine having sex and she takes the mask and it's fucking Spec"

To be fair i would fuck a 2.21 muscular lady without going "hmmm this doesn't seem like a good idea..." in any moment

Chapter 23

I love how Dorian is just looking up

ACTUALLY ALL THEIR STANCES, Yanagi making dead eye contact with Gouki, Sikorsky with a firm pose just as Hanayama, Doyle with hiss chest up but eyes down giving a sense of pride, and, well, then there's Spec being Spec.

I like seeing Sikorsky having fun

I love Spec he played so smart SGSGSGS

😳 love wins!

Oh i had already forgotten about the dojo

Old man Dorian just has that effect on people

Threesome i see /j

He really was just fucking hiking i would love if they ever explained that ough 🥺

Did his facial hair just disappear?? STSGSFSD

BWHEKEGWJG THEY REALLY JUST FORGOT TO ADD IT FOR ONE PANEL IM OBSESSED

Such a good kick tho

The relationship these men can have is so oddly nice like not Doppo and Retsu specifically but all of the fighters in general. Like many of them barely know each other, but they all know their fighting styles and respect each other, plus have no reason to be in bad terms with one another and specially not now that they are all fighting for the same cause. It's just so nice to see em idk JAGSHS

Hey Igari.

Chapter 24

Thank God Doppo went <3 again it had been so long

Babe are you okay? You hadn't put a lil heart in your speech bubble for a while...

King really punched the fire

I will chose to believe that's true bc it's impressive 😍

You know it's funny like, Katsumi is mad good but he doesn't has as much experience as his dad and that leaves him in disvantage

Hehe i remember that guy

The manga is so much better than the anime ffs

I love that he didn't even realize

Chapter 25

Manga i don't think that's science

Also Baki just chilling with some doves lmao

I'm looking thru old messages see how my og reaction to this was

Huh i found nothing, that's odd. Well my reaction would have probably been like NOOOOO anyway so, y'all can imagine it

You left my dilf handless you fucking asshole good thing he has a wife

Imagine this dude cuts your hand and then just flexes his knowledge about science or whatever

HSSGGSFS THEY FIXED THE NO BEARD ERROR

Illiterate king <3

A guy did this to me once btw!!! Obviously in way smaller scale but he just touched something and the bleeding soon stopped!!!!

Honestly that's the most huge dick energy thing Doppo has ever done

Pfff I'm starting to remember why i liked Doppo so much 🥴

Bitches confused over him running away, tf was he supposed to do? He played it smart since there are no rules

Though yeah an eye and NOW a hand, insane

Chapter 26

Sjshhdhsn tanuki?

Oh, fox, he was calling him slick

Manga is pretty faster than the anime

Chapter 27

Where's your honor, Igari...

He is right sadly enough 😔

Oh i keep forgetting Igari's nature, he was probably trying to pull his silly little tricks again

This is just brutal honestly

Hehe this time i didn't get scared ☺️

I like that at least I'm not the only one who needs their mind off the gutter

Chapter 28

Love seeing em datin <3

He's so aggressive accidentally i love these dorks sm 😍🥺💞

SPEC FFS SJGDHWGW

Chapter 29

SPEC FOR FUCKS SAKE SJSVSJWGSH

Hanayama is such a real bro man

I LOVE THAT HE WAS JUST STALKING BAKI TOO BTW SJDGJDGDHSBDGDGS

To think i will still love hanayama but for entirely different reasons 😌

Chapter 30

Kaoru looks different but idk how

What the fuck is Spec even saying?

The fact that that makes no sense, i still love it a lot tho.

ALSO I ADORE HOW QUIET HANAYAMA IS WHEN FIGHTING

Okay Spec really has a point it really is beautiful

GOD I'M STARTING TO UNDERSTAND THESE CHARACTERS TOO MUCH I NEED HELP AJDGSJSGSHS 😭

But it's beautiful in the sense like, look how built he is! Look at all those scars!!! It IS beautiful it's a masterpiece!!!!!!!

"i choose to believe this is how hanayama always undresses" KSHSKDGSJ THE AMOUNT OF SUITS THIS MAN DESTROYS.. OBSESSED

Though yeah Hanayama in general is also beautiful isn't he?

Chapter 31

I would sob man look at him. Look at Shiba.

NO ONE RISKS HIS LIFE MORE THAN SHIBA YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE I STILL HOLD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR HIM!

A BENCH...

I really don't get why he's letting himself get hit, is he just flexing?

I cannot way to see him do his Technique ™

Chapter 32

Manga is so much superior to the anime, like, i haven't complained about Spec even once bc he isn't annoying anyone, in the anime he was so infuriating!!

I love when they just steal their standing poses sjsgjssgsh

That distortion effect so good

Chapter 33

I still think it's weird they used humans and not machines, though it was effective

I love how Spec managed to punch that statue without calling the attention of much people that's impressive

And i love that he keeps saying man he sounds like me with bro

Hanayama my beloved

Chapter 34

Yeah I'm not reading all that 😐

Oh this explains the holes in his clothes

[flatsuke]

I made a post before about some SLBP fankids I made (specifically, Yukimura’s and Saizo’s), so I thought I’d make another post about the AU, this time with redesigns, more info, and more characters!

Disclaimer: This is all self-indulgent and none of this is historically or canonically accurate whatsoever. I took a lot of creative liberties with this, so please don’t take it seriously

Soushi

Saizo and Radiance!MC’s son. Also serves as Akemi’s retainer/personal ninja. 

Unfortunately, he doesn’t know who his parents are because he was kidnapped by Iga ninja as a baby and Saizo was killed trying to rescue him. 

Iga also fakes his death so MC thinks her own son is dead :-(

More of his backstory in the previous post!

He’s significantly less laid-back than his father and takes his missions a lot more seriously. He’s still extremely prone to making snarky comments like his father, though.

He genuinely enjoys cooking, despite being a ninja who supposedly isn’t supposed to eat too much “flavorful” food. He’s also very skilled in the domestic arts, actually.

Similar to his father, he used to be blindly obedient to Iga before meeting his liege, Akemi. Since then, he’s only ever been loyal to her. 

That said, he’s very protective of Akemi, almost to the point of being paranoid. He shadows her for the most part to make sure she isn’t being targeted by anyone.

He was reluctant in training her because he didn’t want her to injure herself, but he relented because she had to learn how to protect herself when he isn’t there to do so.

He realizes his feelings for Akemi long before they even escape the Tokugawa, but he doesn’t act on them because he’s content with just being there for her. When she does return his feelings, he becomes subtly more possessive of her lmao

Akemi

Yukimura’s daughter. 

After Yukimura died in battle against the Tokugawa, she was sent to them as a war hostage, where she met Soushi. She eventually runs away from the clan with him after she discovers that they plan to poison her.

More of her backstory here!

She appears outwardly upbeat and outgoing like her father, but she hides a lot of her fears with a smile so people don’t worry about her.

She’s always at odds with herself because she hates her father’s philosophy of dying honorably for the clan, but feels she has to out of filial piety.

She grows to like using stave weapons and eventually learns how to use a naginata in combat. 

After being the Tokugawa clan’s hostage for years, she’s always felt alone and helpless until meeting Soushi. He was her only friend and vice-versa, so she trusts him immensely.

She keeps her father’s headband as a memento and carries it on her person for good luck.

She meets Mikoto and Shinya while they’re on the the run from the Tokugawa and eventually develops a close friendship with them, especially with Mikoto. 

She’s a little dense, and it takes her a long, long time for her to realize her feelings for Soushi (and his feelings for her). When she finally tells him, she becomes notably more flustered around him lmao

Mikoto

Masamune’s daughter.

She’s really close to her father and the rest of the Date clan. She especially loves spending time with Masamune, just quietly reading together.

The only person she isn’t close with is Masamune’s mother, Yoshihime, and she thinks of Mikoto as a cursed child, similar to her father.

In fact, she was poisoned as a child by Yoshihime, and she only managed to live thanks to the Dragon’s Tears antidote made by Shinya. 

She has a calm, introverted personality, and she doesn’t talk or smile much around people she isn’t comfortable with. 

With Shinya however, her personality does a bit of a 180. She bickers all the time with him, and she isn’t afraid to tell him off. They’ve known each other long enough to be comfortable with friendly banter (much to Kojuro’s dismay).

She knows basic swordplay, but she prefers intellectual, diplomatic pursuits. She can usually be found at Masamune’s favorite bookstore in town asking for copies of new books.

She’s lived in Oshu for the most part of her life, but she’s always wanted to travel beyond her home. She fascinated by the trinkets and stories that the Europrean traders bring in.

She meets Akemi and Soushi while they’re on the the run from the Tokugawa and eventually develops a close friendship with them, especially with Akemi. 

She and Shinya seem like complete opposites in terms of personality (she’s responsible and he’s laid-back), but when push comes to shove, they make a formidable duo.

Shinya

Genya and Shadow!MC’s son. Also serves as Mikoto’s personal ninja/healer (similar to Genya, Shadow!MC, and Masamune).

He and his parents have a very harmonious relationship overall. Genya has a playful father-son bond with him, while Shadow!MC dotes on him (while also teaching him herbalism and medicine).

His parents always drilled it in him to never use/make the Dragon’s Tears unless it was a life or death situation. So far, the only time he’s ever used it was when Mikoto was poisoned by Yoshihime.

He’s not a fan of the politics that goes on in Iga, so he ignores it, similar to his father. However, he does notice the sadness and wistfulness in his parents’ eyes when they talk about Sakuya...

He’s extremely abhorrent of family that tries to kill its own family members, so he’s open about his disdain for Yoshihime. He has mixed feelings about his uncle Sakuya because he knows his parents still regard Sakuya with love and warmth despite their turbulent past.

He’s a bit of a laid-back pacifist, only choosing to fight when absolutely necessary. Most of the work he does consists of medicinal jobs, but when he has to be a ninja, he does his work surprisingly efficiently. 

He’s very good at reading people. He prefers to talk his way out of messes than to fight.

He always teases Mikoto because of her uptight personality. He thinks her reactions are funny, and he loves the fact that he’s the only one who can get her to react so strongly.

He won’t admit it, but he deeply respects Soushi because Soushi is actively choosing to abandon Iga for a greater cause (in this case, it’s his love and devotion to his liege lmao)

He addresses Mikoto with her proper title, Lady Mikoto, for the most part. But on the rare occasions when he’s serious very about something, he’ll drop the honorifics and call her by her first name. 

[atopearth]

Samurai Love Ballad Party Part 13 - Hanzo Hattori Route

Hmm, so for this route, the heroine decides to go to Hanzo to see what he knows about the attack on Mitsuba, whether it was really done by the Oda or someone else, since he said some cryptic things that seem to infer that he knows more about this situation. It’s dangerous like Kaede said but it’s true that the secret of the Dragon Tears is important so she should be fine… Now that I’m playing this knowing who Genya is, it’s obvious that he’s being Masamune’s body double haha, I initially thought there was a new Masamune for the shadow routes hahaha. Genya looks good with an eye patch though! Genya’s a pretty funny and playful flirt though, I like him hahaha.

I still find it very fascinating that all the ninjas under the Tokugawa call themselves Hattori Hanzo, and it is only when the ninjas are talking with each other that they would communicate with their real names. Hanzo’s pet is a snake?? And here I was thinking Sakuya’s monkey was weird lol! Considering that Genya is the older brother and supposedly more talented and clever (from what the heroine remembers about the past), I wonder why he’s now considered the “good for nothing” compared to his “prodigy” younger brother…and Genya’s flippant and easygoing attitude too hmmmm.. Considering that Sakuya was the one who saw the heroine as a first love that he’ll protect no matter what in his route, it’s kinda funny to see that Genya seems to show much more concern and love over here in a few short chapters than Sakuya did in his whole route. Gotta admit that it’s pretty crappy to hear from Sakuya that Nobunaga plans to kill off all of the Mitsuba clan besides her since she knows how to make that concoction, doesn’t help that the way Sakuya told Genya about it (with heroine listening in) makes him just seem so heartless and cruel to not even care about how the heroine would feel compared to his mission.

Although Hanzo instigated all this by leading her to the answer of who killed her comrades, it’s still ridiculous of the heroine to think that she really can take down Nobunaga right here and there when she doesn’t even have a proper plan, she just rushes in and is surprised that Mitsuhide “coincidentally” spotted her, sigh. I know she wants revenge but she’s gotta understand that she’s gotta be more logical if she really wants to protect her clan, she’s the leader of her clan now and is the only one that can make the concoction, what do you expect the rest of them to do to survive without a leader, and to bear that she’s a leader who attempted to assassinate Nobunaga, and so then he could have a proper reason to wipe out the Mitsuba without even having to be sneaky about it. I honestly don’t like this heroine at all. She’s lucky that Genya cares about her. Also, she’s portrayed to be an inadequate ninja in battle, so it’s hard to take her seriously for her brain or her skills because she’s obviously lacking in both. If it was me, I’d definitely choose to go with Genya to cool my head, especially since Hanzo seems so dodgy and plays with your mind a bit too much lol. However, Hanzo first! He does say he’ll provide her the power to fight against Nobunaga, so if he’s serious, that would be beneficial, although with his personality, it wouldn’t be that simple lol.

I guess from Hanzo’s perspective, watching the heroine struggle and try to get revenge on a being that is way above her can be fun? But I wonder if that’s all he’s really interested in… Hmm so Hanzo is Ieyasu’s healer and gets him medicine etc too. Pretty terrible to hear that Nobunaga and them are going to attack Mount Hiei when that’s where her clan is currently hiding… Not surprised she tried her luck at using that technique Hanzo taught her on him hoping that he’d let her go with Ieyasu there so she can protect her clan by informing them somehow I guess lol. It’s rather naive of her to think that it would work on him at all, but I guess she had no other options, not surprised that Hanzo played with her a bit to see her reactions lol. Kinda crazy to think that Hanzo is immune to poisons, he must have had a tough childhood to cultivate this immunity if he says poison has no effect on all of the Hattori clan. But then again, none of the guys would have had a good childhood considering this time of war and the fact that they come from a background of ninjas. It’s true that even if she went to Mount Hiei there would have been nothing she could have done since she probably doesn’t even know the specifics of where her clan is, so yeah it’s natural for her to be so worried about their safety, especially since Nobunaga apparently razed the place😥

Gotta agree with the heroine that Hanzo is quite fascinating and piques my interest haha. It’s nice to see Hanzo show more of his feelings and a considerate side of him. We’ve always been seeing him teasing her and training her, so seeing him actually say he doesn’t want her as a healer to sully her hands killing Nobunaga when she should be using them to heal people was a bit touching. Honestly, I have no idea why Hanzo likes the heroine since she’s been pretty annoying to me this whole time lol, but I like Hanzo so that’s okay I guess haha. I like how blunt he was about his feelings towards her, but I’m also sceptical about it, would he do this to make her serve alongside him in the Tokugawa clan so that she can be of use to them? Although I do admit, rather than killing Nobunaga just like that, supporting the Tokugawa to be at the top and ousting Nobunaga and crushing his dream would be a much better revenge plot, just not sure how high the chances she has to live to see it hahaha.

Is Hanzo finally showing his true colours a bit more now? It’s been a bit boring this whole time because he always felt so “fake”, or just not genuine at least, so it’d be good to see a bit more from him, although I feel like his poisoning Ieyasu sounds like a plan they both made up to get the heroine to make the antidote in front of them? Yeah okay… Not sure I understand the reason why Hanzo did all that poisoning and stuff, and it feels so weird to see Ieyasu forgive him just like that and take him in again. Ieyasu ain’t no soft boy!!🤣 Although I still think things happened very awkwardly and haphazardly (similar to the other routes), Hanzo is pretty cute, and I like how he’s warming up to the heroine and being visibly softer and more genuine with her. Oh okay, I kinda take that back, he was legit only showing some emotion in the last few lines of the Light ending hahahah, there’s barely enough time for me to melt to him lolll. But I guess there’s still the epilogue so…let’s see.

It’s really cute how much Hanzo enjoys teasing Ieyasu though, you can tell how much he enjoys it~😊 Anyway, I’m done, I don’t know if I missed something so I don’t really get the point of Hanzo betraying Ieyasu and then quickly coming back because through the heroine, he realises that he actually cherishes this time and warmth he has shared with them all and all those bonds they created, but yeah, felt kinda random and haphazard for things to happen so quickly lol. I do like Hanzo but I guess similar to the other problems with the routes, I don’t feel like you get enough time to really get to know the guy, we’re always just getting to know the “fake” part of them, get betrayed by them, “save” them and then it’s the happy ending. It’s all that kinda formula for the routes and it’s kinda tedious tbh. Although I’d say Hanzo’s personality is better than the other two routes I did lol, but I’m really looking forward to Genya so hopefully that will be good~ Otherwise, average route just like the other two.

[mysticdragon3md3]

Reactions to Demon Slayer KNY ep15-26

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5:07 PM 10/8/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep15

I haven't quite decided to drop this series.  And if I watch Haikyuu instead, I'll want to write reactions and read subtitles instead of eat.  So KNY is best for my multitasking.  

5:33 PM 10/8/2020 A much better episode.  

I didn't write notes during because I was eating away from my keyboard.  

Really surprised there wasn't a scene of Zenitsu being told that Nezuko is Tanjiro's sister.  I would have liked to have seen Zenitsu come to the conclusion to be nice to Tanjiro in order to get close to Nezuko.  Such a drastic switch is funny.  And yeah, he *began* this episode with that drastic switch, but didn't it need an explaination?  I mean, I've watched enough anime tropes to know about "getting the older siblings' blessing to date the younger sibling" cliche.  But shouldn't they have explained it?  Or at least explained how Zenitsu is ok with Nezuko being a demon?  I know he's a hardcore girl-chaser, but he's also been mostly established as a coward, especially when it comes to demons.  So shouldn't there have at least been conflict between those 2 sies of himself?  At the least, seeing that play out would have been interesting.  

Felt kind of sorry for Zenitsu when he thought about wanting encouragement.  that's relatable.  But leaving him was the practical thing to do.  And anyway, even if he wanted encouragement, he should be honest with himself about not actually wanting to go into a forest of demons and be glad he got what he actually wanted.  

I'm going to say it.  Inuyasha's Yura of the Hair, Get Backers' Kazuki Fuuchouin, Claymore's Winged Anastasia.  So many of the ways the spider webs threads were used in this episode, other anime have done before.  Seeming like they're floating by standing on threads, puppeting corpses, controlling living people, etc.  I should research spider yokai and see if they originated these specific techniques.  

Oh, and Inosuke has an "animal spacial awareness" power too?  They say "technique", but c'mon, it's a power.  I don't know why I found it so much more acceptable in Naruto, but it just seems too much like a deus ex machina in KNY.  Maybe because Naruto had a lot of screentime to show training in techniques and normalizing that anyone can learn these "powers".  Whereas, KNY had a LOT of time lapse for the actual training montage episodes, and now these "powers" are coming out of seemingly nowhere.  

Ukogi is the sparrow, huh?  

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4:29 PM 10/10/2020 Demon Slayer Kimentsu no Yaiba ep16

WEll, tangling the threads is a good idea, but does that mean the spider demon has kept her threads untangled all the way from her fingertips, through the trees, bushes, and entire forest, WITHOUT getting them tangled?  I mean, is folding over a branch really considered "tangling"?  I thought thread technique characters could manipulate their threads more---at least in other series.  

I was wondering why they stopped attacking just because she snapped their necks, when half the people she was controlling were already corpses, but then I remembered she gave up on their usefulness.  

Really disturbing to see the mother spider so obviously terrified, about to be abused by her husband, while her own children are laughing at her.  

"If I die, I'll be released".  At least someone gets it.  

It's interesting how a lot of the demons have a quick flashback to their human memories right before they die.  I hope that pays off well in the overall story later.  

Tanjiro is sure taking his name misspoken by Inosuke during the previews, pretty well.  That's so refreshing, after so many series where a character completely freaks out then holds a grudge over their name being misremembered by someone that just met them.  I'm so tired of that trope.  It's so nice to see Tanjiro just patiently encouraging Inosuke to try again.  ;u;  Tanjiro continues to be so nice!  ;u;;  He and Nezuko really keep me sticking to this series.

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4:59 PM 10/12/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep17

But if Zenitsu passes out in 15min, then won't he just go unconsciously OP and kill the demon?

So his hair is yellow from lightning?  ok......?  

I have anxiety, depression, and suicidally low self esteem, so I can relate to Zenitsu, but WATCHING scene, after long scene, of a character who does nothing but scream and chase girls is not enjoyable.  I feel bad, constantly wondering why I keep hearing he's a fan-favorite character.  

Isn't saying that the time Gramps spends training Zenitsu is "wasted", the same as saying Gramps is a bad teacher?  Does this guy *really* respect Gramps as a former Hashira?  Sounds pretty disrespectful to me.

Well, it's nice to see the malicious child---enough to laugh at his own mom while she's getitng spousal abuse---get beaten by someone like Zenitsu.  

So is Zenitsu actually a little conscious?  Or is he dreaming?  

I'm sorry I forgot the bird's real name.  Chuntaro will have to do for now.  Chuntaro's crying face was super cute.  

It really hurts to see people picking on Zenitsu, when my anxiety/depression really forces me to identify with him.  And then the moral in the end is "everything is still worthwhile if you just don't give up"?  Sorry.  Not buying it.  If you're suicidal, you've already got the idea that death is an escape from suffering.  So the idea of working hard to survive, just to endure more suffering from your so-called "friends" and appreciating abuse from your "family" just because their abuse is proof of "not abandoning you", really irks me.  

Hang on a second...  This demon isn't overtly hostile.  What?  

Wait.  So this demon will abuse his wife but protect his daughter?  The hell?  And how he's spouting about protecting hsi family?  That's messed up.   . . .

2:44 PM 10/13/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep18

I don't understand.  Every other anime has translated "nisemono" as "fake".  Why is this series/episode translating it as "forged"?  Would it make sense to use "fake"?  There has to be something later in the story where "forged" makes more sense then using "fake".  I hope it comes soon, because it his really perplexing to me.  Right now, the emotional stakes of the fight don't mean anything without referring to a "fake bond".  

I guess the flashbacks aren't just for demosn right before they die.  

Wow.  These nichirin swords are breaking left and right in this episode.  

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10:34 PM 10/14/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep19

By god.  Someone figured out how to get Inosuke to take the time to heal his wounds in the midle of a battleground.  lol  Not bad.  lol  ^o^  

Wow.  All this time I had been hoping Nezuko would help out in this fight since it seemed so many odds were stacked against Tanjiro.  Then shen it actually happens, I had forgotten about it, then WHAM.  Genuine surprise.  ^_^  It's like how I never see Tokugawa protecting Ishida, no matter how many times i see that movie.  lol  

I'm sorry, but the talks between Tanjiro about fundamental philosophies is just too good!  ^o^  Nezuko has a will of her own...Fear is not a family bond...You need to fix that fundamental understanding...  It really helps to hear characters resolute in their belief that Nezuko has her own thoughts, to counteract all the ways this series keeps reducing her:  she can't speak, the hypnosis makes her protect humans vs she herself deciding to have a fervent wish/desire to protect humans, etc.  Need more of this.  Good job.  

Is the blade being held by threads?  It looks like it's not even touching Rui's neck. o.o?

That was good setup for these flashbacks when a character thinks they're going to die.  I liked that the Hashira saving Zenitsu explained that specifically, on top of the series repeatedly showing it with demons and other characters through now.  

This series really likes coming up with secret special techniques out of no where.  lol  I wonder why I put up with it so much with other Shonen anime?  Did they have better setup?  But even though it stands out a bit in KNY, I still roll with it because I love these protagonists and the animation is just SO DAMN GOOD.  

Ooh!  Nezuko doing a Demon Blood Art!  *o*!  Yes!  Agency for Nezuko!  ^o^

Wow.  Haven't seen anyone fight this much with a broken sword since Utena.  ^o^  

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8:09 PM 11/4/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep20

That was a good ep.  

Maybe as long as the characters are cool instead of really pushing for being the comedic characters, then I have absolutely no problems with this series.  

I love how creepy Kouchou is with her friendliness and how sincere her offers probably are.

I already forgot wisteria is poisonous to these demons.  lol  

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5:33 AM 11/6/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep21

Well, this is unusual.  They're showing the ghosts conversing with the oni after they die.  Usually it's jut the flashback, some last reaction to the memory, then the oni dies.  

Once again, I like how empathic Tanijro is.  I forgot that he can literally smell grief.  

Tomioka only *just now* recognized Tanjiro and Nezuko?  lol  

So Tomioka often acts contradictory to what he says?  He's a tsundere?  

Is this going to be the comedy duo for the episode?  Better than Inosuke and Zenitsu.  

I was wondering why Tomioka wasn't explaining earlier that Nezuko

"Kakushi".  Doesn't that mean "spirited away"?  Or maybe just "away"?  

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7:22 AM 11/9/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep22

In other words, they would have been IN SO MUCH TROUBLE if they went ahead and executed him.  lol  

"The fact is that Nezuko has refraine dform devouring humans for more than 2 years, and also that there are 3 people risking their lives for her.  To reject this notion, those who reject it must offer an even more convincing argument."  That's a really good argument.  

Other Hashira have never crossed paths with Kibutsuji before???

By those scares it loosk like Sanemi cuts himself a lot.  

I think she's more angry that he attacked her and Tanjiro though.  More than holding back hunger.  

Aaaaaaaaaand that's end of episode.  

This episode's direction has had SO MUCH "be awed" moments.  The music, the pauses, the slower pace of some reveals, etc.  They really want us to be awed by the Hashira and everything going on.  Sorry, but the ending theme animation sequence and the continuation of this series already proves that everything will end up ok.  But even if I didn't already know a few spoilers, I'm so tired of the whole "be awed" direction.  

All these Hashira are such exaggerated characters, I can feel how much this series is intended for younger audiences.  Suddenly, I'm more able to accept that article mentioning that kindergardeners watch KNY.  (https://soranews24.com/2020/09/07/japanese-schoolgirl-struggles-to-comprehend-the-shocking-truth-that-her-mom-is-kamen-rider/)

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12:30 PM 11/16/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep23

I' expect Nezuko to be more angry about the Hashira beating up Tanjiro, more than any temptation by the blood.  

omg Nezuko is speaking.  

I still think it's more dramatically impactful for Nezuko to solely make the decision herself to not eat humans, vs because of Urokodaki's hypnosis.  

Oh yeah, she's the medical person.  It makes sense for Tanjiro and Nezuko to stay at her house, at least for treatment.  

omg  He still wants to do that right now???  You can get back at the wind Hashira later.  lol  

Tamayo is teh oni doctor, right?  It seems like the Master has a physiological connection to demons, after all.  

Yes, please stop shouting.  I can tell the seiyuu is having a lot of fun, but omg...I don't think I want to see a return of their form of humor.

omg  He's awake.  I thought being asleep would be the only way Inosuke would be so still.  

I feel like the constantly crying Hashira is like a parody of all the Empathy I've been repeatedly praising Tanjiro for.  lol  

1:01 PM 11/16/2020

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6:29 PM 11/20/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep24.   Watched during dinner.  Didn't write reactions.

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9:36 PM 11/21/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep25

9:44 PM 11/21/2020 I can't watch this episode anymore.  After all those stupid commercials, realizing how spoiled I've been by YouTube's skip ad option, my whole body still being sore from day 2 of returning to my pushups/ballet exercises routine,...  Everything is just too annoying.  

This girl training Tanjiro during his rehabiliation is annoying.  Whether she's supposed to act as "teacher" for the training or "medical authority" in thier rehabilitation, it should be her responsibility to get Zenitsu and Inosuke back to rehab training.  Even if it wasn't, I hate this implication that this show is framing this situation as Tanjiro's responsibility!  It's not his responsibility!  His responsibility is to get himself healed!  This girl has no right to seemingly direct her anger at him for failing to get Zenitsu and Inosuke back to rehab training!  And even if she wasn't blaming him, the direction is certainly portraying that implication!!!  Adn Tanjiro is _reapeatedly_ trying to get them back to rehab training, so we have to watch this girl _repeatedly_ seem to blame him for their failures!  This whole thing is stupid.  

And then on top of that, the story is starting to move back towards Zenitsu and Inosuke's perspective, likely to finally reveal why they've been skipping out on rehab training.  But all I can remember is how much worse this series got when they showed up.  How much every scene with them went too long and too annoying.  How I don't want to watch them.  And how much better the series got again when they faded back into the background.  I'm sorry to their fans, but my brother was right (about Zenitsu):  Zenitsu and Inosuke are annoying.  I don't think I like them.  

Previous episode was good though.  All about Tanjiro and Kochou.  

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12:24 PM 11/22/2020 The other day, maybe 2 days ago, I was watching the Kimetsu no Yaiba ep where Tanjiro was struggling to do his full concentration breathing 24hrs a day, and I heard it again: The theme of diligent everyday work.  I'm listening to the One Punch Man opening theme, and that series was very much about that.  Did HeroAca also have that theme?  I doubt it, with all the superpowers.  Then again, it may not have stated it explicitly like KNY or OPM, but it probably *portrayed* it better than them.  

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1:52 PM 12/2/2020   Kimetsu no Yaiba ep25.   2nd try, after Crunchyroll crashed.  

1:56 PM 12/2/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep25

Unfortunately saw note from last time I tried to watch this ep and found it very annoying so I didn't finish it last time.  Maybe now's not a good time to watch an annoying show, while Nanay is giving off ominous vibes.  But I'm so close to finishing off this series/season.  

Ugh.  Oh yeah.  Tsundere.  That's part of why I gave up on this ep last time.  

Again, with the "work hard" theme.  If they're going to go with the "hard work solves everything" theme, that's been going around with series like One Punch Man, then at least be encouraging about it, sparrow.  I'm sorry, but I'm already from the generation/society that has lived with that "hard work ethic solves everything" being told all our lives, but by now has been proven a lie.  People work hard and work hard and the oppressions keeping them back aren't recognized.  Then "just work harder" gets used as a fuckin EXCUSE to ignore those oppressions and blame everyone's positions SOLELY on their individual motivations/ambitions.  I mean, *I'm* lazy and hopeless as all hell---I am Gen X, we're supposed to be nihilistic, after all---but I'm coasting!  Hard work does not deterine everything!  And there have been so many journalism pieces revealing the myth of the "hard work solution" just being used as an excuse to ignore problems and not help people, forgive me if seeing that theme being advocated just makes me cynacle as all hell.  

At least Kocho knows how to encourage people.  

If Shinobu is so angry that Kanao can't think for herself THEN JUST TEACH HER GODDAMNIT.  She's a little kid!  That's what you do with little kids!  omg Why does she bother staying angry after her big sister solved the problem right in front of her.  See?  This is what is so tiring about sticking to comedic cliches (in this case, the prolonged flustered angry ranting), instead of just allowing the writing to follow the logic of the characters.  Like PopCultureDetective advocated, you don't have to follow a genre's cliches, simply for homage, if those cliches just perpetuate negative things.  In this case, annoying nusance behavior for the purposes of obsolete ideas about comedy.  ..then again, this series has already proven that the manga-ka has warped ideas about prolonging annoying behavior as equating "comedy".  

Haganezuka is probably going to kick your ass for breaking your last swords.  Don't be so happy to see him---Yup.  There it is.  

He's probably going to chip the blades with that rock.  This is going to be bad.

At the rate Tanjiro is straining, he's going to need to recover from his rehabilitation.  lol  

LOL Tanjiro just tapped the teacup into place on her head! lol  I'm so glad he didn't just not splash her or completely forfeit the duel.  There's this old martial arts anime cliche about guys losing on purpose or forfeiting a match just because they "don't want to hit a girl".  It comes from old "gentlemanly" ideas, about respecting women because their "delicate" and frankly, before chivalry codes, knights were assholes and women were especially brutalized all the fucking time, so chivalry was needed to counter that.  But in martial arts anime, it repeatedly gets used on female characters who have actually been kicking everyone's asses, including the male protagonist's, for a big part of their screentime.  So it just ends up being really insulting to imply "hey, I'm this big strong dude, simply for being born male, and your sex/gender automatically makes you nothing but weak, so I'm not going to even try to actually win this duel, because anything I do without holding back is going to be too much for you to handle".  And maybe I'm old and have seen this cliche too many times with all my years on me, but I'm tired of it.  Maybe in real life, women still get brutalized much more than men, women still need efforts at consideration directed towards them to counter all the mysogyny, and the average man vs an exactl equal average woman tends to maybe have more muscle mass without trying, but when I watch an anime to see the fantasy of a woman unafraid to take a hit and able to dish it out just as well, you can't just break the immersion by bringing in those real world considerations of chivalry, without being simply demeaning towards that power fantasy female character.  

omg I thought someone would peak out and reveal they spoke for Nezuko.  But I think thee thing I've been griping about should happen, just happened!  Nezuko spoke for hereself.  ;u;  

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12:00 PM 12/3/2020 Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba ep26

Does this mean I have to watch the movie before season 2 is released?  I thought I could just skip the movie.  I hope it gets put on Crunchyroll.  Because AX won't be in-person again for a while.  

[cymelia]

Sanadamaru ramblings #3

one hundred years later...

I finished Sanadamaru a few weeks ago so here are my final thoughts on it. In summary, not very impressed but there are a few points that I like.

Spoilerssssss but not much details because I haven’t been taking notes.

On characterisation:

- I like Masayuki a lot and his friendship with cinnamon roll Katsuyori but he kinda just faded into the background after Katsuyori’s death. He has a lot of depth that I wish was explored more and I also really wish they gave us more on his thoughts on Mitsunari and what Masayuki saw in him but that’s my bias speaking. He’s a complex character and I love his final cutscene which shows that he’s still conflicted over Katsuyori’s death and his reason for fighting.

- I unexpectedly like Sasuke a lot? I wasn’t impressed by his design or his initial appearance at all, but he just grew on me. I like his bickering with Kunoichi and his mentor/rival relationship with Hanzo, and how he’s pretty much like a lost puppy finding his forever home and being alternatively grouchy or baffled at how nice they all are. His character development and relationships aren’t novel but something about them just hits the right note with me and I think it’s also because he’s not the focus at all so there was just the right amount of him without pushing it into the annoyingly repetitive territory.

- Sasuke also has great cutscenes! They are mostly action cutscenes which I think Koei is great at. I really like the cutscene where Hanzo told him that he regretted taking Sasuke in. Because if he hadn’t, then maybe Sasuke would not have become a ninja (and thus go on this path of heartbreak and death™). And then Sasuke dies in Hanzo’s arms and I felt genuinely sad until they zoomed in on Hanzo’s face and the single sparkling tear rolling down his face and sorry but that was funny.

- I love Chacha’s reserved personality and her silent strength but the writing for her was disappointing at parts. I wasn’t really fond of the intense focus on how ~lonely and isolated~ she was at Osaka Castle and how Yukimura was the only one who could ~set her free~. Also, I’m not really convinced by how trapped Chacha feels (at one point you need to help her sneak past all the guards in the castle town and get out to advance the story) and at the same time, Hideyoshi and Nene are portrayed as being genuinely worried over and caring for her. I get that they probably don’t want to portray Hideyoshi and Nene in a negative light but maybe they should just sit down and talk it out. Communication! It is a good thing.

- More interaction between Chacha and Takatora or Yoshitsugu would have been awesome too.

- I would also have liked to see more of Chacha’s thoughts during the final part, like what she thought of the retainer controlling her moves, the inevitability of their defeat, what it means to her to take the final stand, etc.

The parallel between the castles burning down at the start and at the end of her story is great though.

- The build-up to Sekigahara feels weaker in this story than the previous ones. Honestly unimpressed with all sides.

- If anyone’s curious about how the Gracia’s hostage situation went down in this version, it’s like this: Mitsunari is going after Gracia, Chacha volunteers to help him look for Gracia and Mitsunari agrees readily. Yukimura’s also dragged into this. In the end, everything burns down and Chacha’s like ‘oh dear it seems like Gracia died in the fire :| how sad’. Sakon asks if Mitsunari wants to see the body and Mitsunari’s just like ‘nah it’s fine’.

I know people have said how Koei is bound to avoid portraying Mitsunari in a negative light for this event and I guess that’s what they’ve done here. It’s not something that bothers me a lot because 1) the writing for Mitsunari (and in general) in this game isn’t great, and 2) I don’t view the hostage thing (what I know about the historical version) as omg evil!!!!! anyway.

- This game is probably the one most critical of the Tokugawa so far and it does bring up a lot of good points re: sacrifice, honour and ambitions. Masayuki is a really good foil to Ieyasu and later, when Masayuki fades into the background, Hidetada takes up that role.

- Speaking of Hidetada, he’s a pretty interesting character! He appears pompous and seems to run his mouth off at the start, but he turns out to be pretty observant with a good grasp of what’s going on. I like the part where he... uhhh shit I don’t remember in detail but it was the pre-Sekigahara battle and he opted to retreat? back down? so that Nobuyuki wouldn’t have to fight his own father and I’m weak to stuff like that. He seems like a very good candidate to take over from Ieyasu and lead the country into an era of peace.

A lot of the stuff added in this game felt to me like good ideas with poor executions.

- The castle town is neat and looks really cool but after the nth time of running from one end to the other end to talk to people to get story expositions it just gets tiring.

- Farming and fishing minigames are so easy I can’t even count them as minigames. The sneaking around guards thing that happens occasionally is a pain but not too difficult. Just annoying.

- Having a tea house that you can invite people to and chat with would be a lot neater if they gave us nice graphics of the characters talking (yes these are my priorities) and if the conversations are actually meaningful.

- Gift-giving is a great idea but again, it doesn’t really do anything. You just gift them something and get a thanks line of varying levels of enthusiasm.

- I quite like the exploration missions in between battles but they would be better with more variety like different landscapes, or unique hidden enemies or treasures. They do have all those, but just... it could be better.

- I couldn’t bring myself to really care about the NPCs nor could I tell them apart and there’s so much dialogue with them. I just kinda... not bothered talking to them after a while.

The missions from the villagers are okay but not really exciting. Hmmm actually I think it would be better with the missions were from the NPCs and if the missions tell us something about what each NPC is like.

Other miscellaneous things:

- Why is the final battle easier than Sekigahara??

- Yukimura spends a large chunk of time in his fashion disaster stage, such a tragedy.

- So much time spent on loading oh my god this is seriously the most annoying thing about the game.