“When I think about waking up beside you to see your smile every day, there is no greater happiness for me.”
What do you think would happen, if SLBP Shingen met IkeSen Shingen? My guess: SLBP Shingen would want to bang, and IkeSen Shingen would be politely horrified. …Anyways. Cybird promised 11/10 drama levels with the great Flirt of Kai, and boy did they deliver on that front.
MC starts out the route the same way as in all other routes in this game: as Nobunaga’s reluctant lucky charm/chatelaine. But after a bumpy and hilarious start, she settles in quickly, as all the Azuchi warlords do the things they also do during their main routes: Hideyoshi pats her head, Masamune flirts, Nobunaga propositions her…etc. And amidst this extremely familiar backdrop, MC has several run-ins with Shingen, first while wandering about town, and then later, while on the battlefield. He flirts with her incessantly and shamelessly. It’s honestly pretty impressive (“Something fell when you walked by. … It was me. I fell in love with you. You’ve stolen my heart.”)
Shingen has an information network that rivals Mitsuhide’s, but I guess there was a point of failure somewhere, because the guy becomes convinced that MC is Nobunaga’s mistress. And so he friggin’ kidnaps MC and takes her to Kenshin/Yuki/Sasuke land as a bargaining chip/distraction device (!!). Needless to say, despite being given the princess treatment, MC’s none too thrilled. She and Shingen make a bet: she doesn’t smile at him for two months, she gets her freedom back. Of course, this is merely a flimsy excuse for Shingen to amp up the charm in scene after campy scene, and for MC to secretly ‘mire them muscles (Shingen leaned on his arm, looking like the cover of a romance novel: “On the Precipice of Shirtlessness”). As time passes, they share moonlit strolls, S flirts like his life depends on it, and we learn that, among other things, Shingen’s into carpentry and has a pet BEAR. I was worried that MC might develop Stockholm Syndrome, but have no fear: she resists, until she is no longer a hostage. It’s reassuring.
Gentlemanly kidnapper behavior aside, Shingen’s developing relationship with MC is fraught with challenges throughout the entire route. Shingen hides practically all his true motives behind a smooth-talking facade, which, as a straightforward woman, MC does not appreciate. There’s an ongoing war with the Oda camp, and when Shingen decides to use MC as bait to draw out/weaken the enemy forces, MC is understandably furious and worried for her friends. Then, of course, there’s the biggest secret/reveal of all: Shingen’s dying. And so when he realizes he’s hopelessly in love with MC, he pushes MC away. All the way back to Azuchi (!).
It may have been this moment in time when I realized I was reading a trashy soap opera in mobile otome format, and just decided to roll with it, haha. MC’s return to the Oda camp is super heartwarming and cute (except for Nobunaga, who’s just sexy). But we’re in Shingen’s route, so not too long afterwards, MC finds herself reuniting with the dying Shingen in as campy and dramatic a way as possible: on the battlefield, in the dead of night, with MC finally smiling at Shingen (“I didn’t realize I’d fall in love with you then. Now, the moon seems small next to how my love for you has grown”). After consummating their relationship in a random tent, MC reveals her time traveler status, and the new couple makes grand plans to go Back To the Future™ to find a cure for Shingen’s illness.
But the drama doesn’t end there! I’d be disappointed if it did, having selected the Dramatic ending, after all. There’s a betrayal on the battlefield, and Shingen realizes he must stay in the past to save his province. MC and Shingen have a gloriously angst-filled parting, as MC goes, in Sasuke’s words, to have “a battle in the future to modify the events of the past before they occur.” But even staying alive in the past is a struggle for Shingen, who collapses on the battlefield, coughing blood. It’s a good thing his friends and frenemies have his back (“All I know is how to kill. To kill until I’m surrounded by a mountain of the dead. Let that stand as my tribute to you, Shingen” – Kenshin).
In any case, have no fear. I don’t think IkeSen does sad endings. When MC and Shingen eventually reunite, it’s as obnoxiously and disgustingly romantic as one can hope for. We learn that Shingen looks amazing in modern-day wear. And all’s well that ends well – MC ends the story with a hot, healthy boyfriend, and no bridges burned with the Oda gang.
Overall, I enjoyed playing through Shingen’s route a lot more than I initially thought I would. Perhaps SLBP has prepped me for angst, because while drama abounds, there wasn’t nearly as much sadness as I thought there’d be in this route. Shingen comes across as a charming and likable dude, and it was interesting reading a romance featuring a “fallen” warlord as opposed to one who still has his turf.
I know this is going to sound really odd, but one of the biggest flaws of this route is that the other guys in it were just too distractingly sexy/flirtatious. Nobunaga, was, hands down, the biggest offender, flirting with MC constantly in his insufferably sexy way (“What you hate or like is no matter. You are mine, my lucky charm, and I will bring you where I like”). But it wasn’t just him; Kenshin was hilariously attention-grabbing with his misanthropic yet bizarrely hot ways, and Sasuke seemed quite taken with MC as well. And don’t get me wrong, I friggin’ adore Nobunaga/Kenshin/Sasuke, but they made it really hard to get attached to Shingen. And along similar lines, I think the side characters may have been spread a little too thin; literally every member of the cast was featured in some significant way or another. It was great to read as someone who loves all the IkeSen dudes, but again, not so great for poor Shingen.
But flaws and distractions aside, the Shingen portions of this story really were pretty awesome, if unbelievably campy. I enjoyed reading MC’s valiant, if futile, attempts to avoid getting drawn in by Shingen’s charm. Shingen himself was an interesting character, and I enjoyed watching MC peel back the layers of his personality. Overall, this was a fun read with lots of things going on!
Choice quotes
Yukimura: “I heard how you put your lover, Nobunaga, under your spell, vile enchantress.”
Sasuke: “I wasn’t waiting, Lord Shingen. It was coincidence that I came in time to interrupt your kabe-don.”
Kenshin: “Why would I be worried about some random woman? I’ve even forgotten her name.”
Sasuke: “Lord Kenshin, you just said, ‘Sasuke, I see them. MC looks unhurt’ as they crossed the gate.”
MC: “For a super-genius scientist, you’re a real romantic.”
Sasuke: “All those who study the stars are.”
“As soon as this war is over, let’s you and I take the gamble of a lifetime.”
Personality: 8/10. Shingen’s surprisingly likable, for a guy who only knows how to talk in pickup lines! So the truth is, he’s got nothing on his SLBP counterpart, but that’s an impossibly high bar to pass.
Appearance: 6.5/10. His eyebrows make him look a old, like a 35-40 year old Hideyoshi. I think it’s intentional? But I’m judging by otome standards, mind you. Guy’s still super handsome.
MC: 10/10. I adored how proactive, mature, and opinionated MC was in this route! She was thrown into all sorts of crappy situations, but navigated herself through said situations quite well.
Plot/Payoff: 7/10. The characterizations, wartime plot and drama were fantastic, but with all of MC’s bouncing back between the Oda and Takeda-Kenshin forces, it was hard to get emotionally invested (not to mention, the other guys were too hot). Great ending/epilogue though!
Personal enjoyment: 7/10. A fun and enjoyable route!
Otome Reviews 