New Mission!

We've started on a journey to grind back our achievements in the JP version of Touken Ranbu, as the English version is terminating service at the end of August. We must rebuild!

Sadge because Matt just came back from his kiwame and he looks... different, it's not his iconic outfit but still very regal.

He came back only to leave me--so I thought--but he came home really early in the JP version, so for that I am eternally grateful to RNGsus.

Now, if only TK would stop being so stubborn and come home as well. I keep pulling all these other 3:20 forge time Tachis and not my own son? 

Reminder!

I have so much original character art that never got organized. I should really make a page for them here, in case I lose any of the files. I periodically like to commission pieces from an art group I'm in, and if I build a relationship with an artist, I'll repeatedly commission them throughout the years. I'll need a proper tag, for those OCs, or maybe I'll load everything onto a page? Hmmmmmmm.

I'm also back on the TOUKEN RANBU train, baby! Yeah, my sword sons have always been around in my fangirl heart, but getting to play the game on the big TV screen in my own home is something else, ahaha. Don't know how I managed to get this far, but this is all thanks to God.

I think Akari will have her own page. She has so much art, and most of it is uploaded to Toyhouse, but the image size is limited there. I don't have much art for Lena yet, or Kiria, so maybe combining them would work.

For the side characters, like Tomio, Nina and Belle, and oh, can't forget Orion... I'm not sure, but I'll make a goal of getting this done. Maybe if work isn't too busy tomorrow...

Ahh, I'll also upload the verrry last Nightshade boy--erm man--Hanzo! He deserves this, even if he is a bit vanilla. 

NIGHTSHADE - Chojiro-niisama

T___T I struggled to get motivation to write this, but I want to complete the series review so I will.

I think this route was my least fav. I'm glad I played this route before Hanzo's so that I have something to redeem the game after this, ahaha...

Introducing, MC's freakin' cousin - Chojiro. She admires him, she respects him, she... wants to marry him... guh...

Looks: ★★

Chojiro is not my style. SO much purple... Although his long hair, chest window, and green eyes give him an extra star.

Storyline: ★

They really do be making you date your cousin!! MC's mom is his aunt... a fact that I could not shake throughout his story. 

He's unbearably keen on killing you in this route. The most memorable scene for me was the emotional fight where MC gives her all to fight him, but accepts her death at his hands because she is no match for him. He stabs his sword into the ground and proceeds to choke the life out of MC... she reaches up as she's suffocating and grabs his sleeve like she did when they were children... She only escapes due to Kuroyuki (best boyo) coming to the rescue. 

Your childhood friends also all die in this route, save for Kuroyuki (thank goodness). You bury GEKKAMARU (sob) Ennosuke, and Kyara in the dirt and that is described in a needless amount of detail. Kasumi cream puff baby dies too. Somehow, in the end, Chojiro decides killing you is not as important as loving you...somehow... and this guy still musters up the courage to ask MC to be his wife... 

Dude, you tried to kill me and all my friends are dead, what the heck is romantic about that!!! And people complain about Kuroyuki being manipulative/yandere, well at least Yuki would never harm MC on purpose.

I did enjoy reading the twist at the end and the final duel they were to have. However, asides from the action scenes, this route was tragic and I can't support any route where MC's childhood friends die.

Dokidoki effect: ★

He's MC's cousin, and they DO NOT let you forget for a second. Multiple scenes reminded us that they are "teacher/disciple and cousins" with a lot of respect and love for each other... romantic love... erm... not my cup of tea...!!!

FINAL GRADE: ★

I would rather bleach my brain than date cousin Chojiro again...

Hey, at least the Iga blood would run EXTRA strong in their children.........

NIGHTSHADE - Goemon

Ahhh I am so tired. I took quite some time to fall asleep last night, even though I was tired. 

The weather has been cloudy and cool this week, not too warm for mid-June. I have been enjoying that, as the room my home office station is set up in gets the hottest out.

I HAD A DREAM about going on a mission with anime ninja Hanzo Hattori in the modern world, which was really enjoyable because MC had to pretend to be in a relationship with him for the mission but secretly has feelings for him. That sort of drama is fun. Her two friends try to take her away from him because he's "not a good person" for her. I can see Hanzo really wants his route played and won't be taking a skip for an answer! Well, he's the last one before the Nightshade saga is over.

Next up for review is Goemon-san aka Goro-san ahaha which is a route I really liked overall. He's a fun character and completely deserved the happy ending we got.

I loved his easygoing nature!

He does touch MC the most out of all the boys so far, except maybe Kuroyuki.

Taken out of context, these screenshots are naughty! It's all above board, unfortunately!

Pet pet

Pat pat

The only character who uses these ~SPICY~ lines...

...BUT HE'S ALSO serious about a relationship!

At the end of the game when your childhood friends (still alive!) are seeing you off, MC and Goemon make a happy pair.

The twists and turns in Goemon's arc were done well. I felt the storyline reflecting his easygoing nature and after Gekkamaru's SAD AND TRAGIC arc that the fluff did not deserve, Goemon lifted my spirits. TO THE FINAL SCORE!!!

Looks: ★★★★ 

Oh damn well I wasn't going to score him so high but his expressions and HIS NINJA OUTFIT with the full mask and hood hit me some kinda way. I mean look at it:

Alternative art aside, his look is a pretty generic one. It's the narrowing eyes and cheeky smirk that get me, though...

Storyline: ★★★★★

I'm thoroughly satisfied with this route, you get rescued by him and whisked away on a journey where Gekka-nii and Kuroyuki join in as well. And, you get a feast with ALL your friends the night before the finale!

Goemon is superb at planning his schemes. The way the plot twist happened and he released you from a life on the run wrapped up the storyline neatly like a present. So, so good!

Dokidoki effect: ★★★★★

He's a flirtatious womanizer but is it bad that the lines and his attitude worked on me? Takes MC for dessert, buys her presents, compliments her, protects her no matter what, etc. His interactions were more mature than Kuroyuki's. Goemon is a man who freely lives his life, is gentlemanly, and knows what he wants. MC will be smiling for the rest of her days with this master thief! Happily ever after.

FINAL GRADE: ★★★★★

The chillest storyline so far, and felt the most natural. I had nothing to complain about and went along for the ride. The ending where everyone runs through the village streets throwing gold into the masses while escaping was a great touch. The devs did NOT skimp on Goemon Ishikawa/Kotaro Fuma/Goro-san!

NIGHTSHADE - Gekkamaru (aka Gekka nii)

Ooohhhh boy did they do our boy Gekka DIRTY! At one point I actually thought I got the bad ending... (Yes I know, it was that surprising) Which is such a shame because LOOK at his character design, he's such a charming cinnamon roll of a character. Standard anime protagonist, but hey. Why mess with prince charming! 

WE REDEEMED OURSELVES! (You know, since he got zero points in our initial organic walkthrough with Yuki)

I guess we can't shake Kuroyuki, and I'm 100% fine with that!

FINALLY, this is what I've been trying to tell you all along!

Hug the girl~

Kiss the girl!!!

What to say, what to say... oh dear there's a lot. I feel like the devs failed our dear Gekka. Why do I feel that way? Well, because the route was tragic -- SPOILERS! 

All your friends from Koga die, seriously. Ennosuke is Gekka's best friend and gets slain by him ;_; WHAT THE HECK right? Kyara dies a bit more valiantly but it was still sad, and even baby cream puff otouto isn't spared. 

Compared to the happy endings where everyone is alive and well, this change in the storyline didn't do it for me and docked major enjoyment points from my playthrough. In the end, it's only Gekka and you visiting your friend's scattered graves aimlessly. Sure, you're in love and supporting each other, but all your childhood friends/family died before your eyes (except Kuroyuki which, well, yay!).

Let's explain more in the ranking system... GEKKAMARU'S SCORE!

Looks: ★★★★ 

He gives off some Shiro from Fire Emblem vibes with his colour palette. He's the "main" poster boy so of course we expect him to be handsome.

Storyline: ★★★ 

Too sad and tragic for me, the ending with the "curse" was a great addition to the plot but there is so much more they could have done to enhance this route. It's like they didn't care to give Gekkamaru a true "happy" end, but I suppose not every story has all rainbows and butterflies.

A big highlight in this route is that you get to travel together with Gekkamaru and his younger brother Kuroyuki - and that Yuki actually supports and cares for his older brother, instead of the hostile attitude in his own route. As someone who likes Kuroyuki (duh), this was a redeeming boon.

Dokidoki effect: ★★

He's not very romantic. He's your dependable, skilled, bodyguard boyfriend. From the other routes, I honestly hoped that his devotion would be enhanced or viewed in a different way when romancing him, but as someone else mentioned, his behaviour is much of the same. There's a lot of hand-holding, until he feels guilty for being in love with MC (as her servant) and pulls back, but literally nobody forced him to put labels and restrictions on himself. I'm glad he realized that in the end, anyway.

** Points for Gekka being able to cook well.

FINAL GRADE: ★★★

I'M STILL not over it! They did our boy dirty! I can't believe the yandere brother's storyline had no friend deaths but in Gekka's, all your friends die. What a twist, eh?

NIGHTSHADE - Kuroyuki

Ooof so being sick and covided has allowed me to stay home and rest lots, but was also the perfect time for me to pick up playing a juicy otome game and that game is about dating ninjas - certainly a genre I am very familiar with. Japan makes a lot of these huh? The dating oni/youkai and ninjas boys in feudal times kinda deal. 

This one was actually on the nintendo estore which was super surprising. It's also fully voiced (apart from MC) and the VA's are amazing so far! They put so much work into it.

I started off with my first organic playthrough and ended up with Kuroyuki WAY ahead in the leads for points... I guess I do have a type, BUT I wasn't intending it to be this way! Everything fell into place on its own. This little ninja is a yandere ahahaha but still so sweet and I really enjoyed a lot of him and MC's interactions.

G-G-GOLDEN DEER? Devs please, I already like him!

Probably the ONLY otome guy who held hands and DIDN'T lose a whole person

NAUGHTY! He says a lot of this naughty stuff throughout the game HAHA

B-but we're both kiddos...!

Cute traumatized bean T_T Darn people were right, I do have a thing for these "younger brother" types...

In any case... his VA is amazing and the voice is a perfect fit for this character. I find it hard to create a ranking system for characters I like but I'll try it... OK! Making a final score for Kuroyuki!

Looks: ★★★★ 

I mean he's the standard otouto type that makes you wanna squeeze and protecc him (despite his yandere tendencies) and his character poses are, from what I've seen so far, the best out of all the guys. I always was a sucker for the dark hair/red eyes combo...

Storyline: ★★★ 

DUDE we were on the run as fugitives! But it wasn't his fault in the end, which made things better; he didn't actually frame MC. Aww heck he was so cool with using Kagehemi in fights and protecting MC so I'll give him an extra star damn ★

What I liked best about Kuroyuki's storyline is that the majority of the chapters were only MC and him, giving ample opportunity for romantic/sweet scenes. Sure, he whisked you away and perhaps some people disliked the problematic aspects of the route, but this is fiction. I enjoyed spending time with him, the strongest ninja and assassin in the game due to his ninjutsu skill.

Dokidoki effect: ★★★★

His VA really made my heart melt, and the playful way he flirts with MC is my style. (Cute boys who tease are my weakness, huh?) After learning about his tragic backstory, one couldn't help but want to hold and comfort him. 

FINAL GRADE: ★★★★1/2

WELL... I ENJOYED his route... and he's a cute lil mischievous bean! Would play again o___o OR ELSE...???

He's my fav so far and best of all, at the end none of your Koga friends die. Which is more than I can say for Gekka-nii...