To be really honest, after reading through the insanely creative events that SLBP puts on, sometimes the IkeSen events feel like predictable sitcom episodes to me. It’s a good thing the characters themselves are so great! Anyways, here’s my personal ranking of the the last IkeSen event (the one running last week), from least to most favorite:
Some little girl named Touka is in love with Ieyasu, and in an attempt to “help”, Masamune claims Ieyasu and MC are married. Girl’s skeptical, and demands proof by stalking Ieyasu and MC around all day. I don’t care if she’s approximately five and the daughter of some important daimyo – I just wanted to slap her. MC and Ieyasu totally should’ve just told her to scram. This ES’s only saving grace: Ieyasu is unexpectedly adorable ^_^
Shingen and MC conduct marriage therapy on a couple on the verge of divorce, by pretending to be married themselves and inviting said couple over for dinner! I don’t get the logic/reasoning at all, but hey, this is IkeSen, so it totally works. And then Shingen actually proposes to MC. This guy is so cheesy, I’m getting lactose intolerance 😂Choice quote:
“I love you too much, my angel. I don’t know if I can bear to wait any longer. I want to marry you right now—”
Nobunaga and MC enjoy a “romantic” getaway, cooking and cleaning in a little house in a remote village and pretending to be newlyweds (he invents a medieval washing machine!). Anyway, their presence turns out to be super convenient, when the corrupt daimyo of the village comes visiting after enacting an illegal tax hike! Choice quotes:
“It’s brave of you to point a sword at my wife. Brave, but foolish.”
“As your husband, I intend to give you plenty of love tonight.”
Kenshin and MC get roped into participating in a “Marital Melee” after they visit a village in search of fine sake. Said melee is an obstacle course, featuring rolling boulders and black powder bombs! Needless to say, Kenshin sweeps the competition. And relishes the chance to call MC his wife. What an amazing crazy guy. ❤ Choice quotes:
If bandits or bears or bandits and bears attack, I’ll protect you.
“…Mere words could never convey the depth of my feelings.” – after kissing MC in public like a boss!!
So… I didn’t end up enjoying Part 2 of this wedding event nearly as much as Part 1. Seems par for course, for SLBP events. That said, this half was still really fun to read!
“If I make you my wife…you can’t leave me again.”
Life seems pretty idyllic for MC and Mitsunari during the opening sequence of their story. Mitsunari enjoys MC’s manju (no, not an innuendo), and both of them spend hours on end quietly reading books. It’s cute, in its own antisocial way. But their peaceful way of life is interrupted when MC is sent to Ieyasu’s castle to entertain her friends/foreign representatives Fran and Lu, on Nobunaga’s orders. Mitsunari doesn’t seem too fazed, which saddens MC. That said, when Ieyasu insults MC by calling her a kitchen whore, M doesn’t hesitate to defend his precious manju girl (“I will cut that vile tongue straight from your mouth so that none will have to suffer it running away with you again!”). In any case, I turns out to be a complete and utter asshole (surprise!), and for some nefarious unknown reason, forces MC to extend her stay. But when the castle is surprise attacked, one of his retainers uses the chaos of battle to help MC escape. She runs into the forest and miraculously reunites with a frantic Mitsunari in full on bunny war garb (“Thank all the gods you’re all right…”). He and Hideyoshi end up helping an impressively ungrateful Ieyasu out, and the story concludes with our happy couple getting married…but not before M runs away in terror over how beautiful MC looks in a bridal kimono and then confesses all his true feelings to her in an actual literal mancave.
I’m not a huge fan of Mitsunari and his socially rude behavior, but to be honest, he was pretty adorable in this route. What I didn’t appreciate so much was the fact that half the story involved Ieyasu, aka world’s largest douchecanoe. …Maybe his sole purpose was to make Mitsunari seem like a better romantic prospect by comparison? So tl;dr the Mitsunari portions were great, but the Ieyasu portion sucked.
Personal enjoyment: 6/10
“How about starting with a drink, popinjay?” “Only proper, my little tiger.”
Kenshin’s event route is a thrilling tale of unresolved sexual tension between two incredibly attractive men, and I refuse to listen to arguments to the contrary. The story begins with the Uesugi clan on the brink of war with the Takeda clan. After surveying a future battlefield with MC, his beard fiancée, Kenshin “coincidentally” encounters Shingen at a tavern in the nearby village (after gleefully learning that Shingen et al. will be skinny-dipping in the onsen). All the underlings are raring for a fight, but Shingen and Kenshin are all about making love and not war for the night, over a round of sake. But after S blue-balls K by leaving early, Kenshin, offended, decides that battle is indeed inevitable (“To grant the desires given me by my incredible narcissism…I’ll have to kill him”). He and his awesome and loyal retainers make war plans, with the extremely beautiful Kagetsugu volunteering to be K’s decoy should the worst happen. But their precautions prove unnecessary: on the day of battle, the Uesugi do extremely well. And when Kenshin and Shingen meet once again, it becomes very obvious just whose sword will be doing the penetrating, this time ‘round (“So, you’re finally here to really give it to me, eh, popinjay?”).
…So maybe there was some subplot with MC in this route, somewhere? Something about hair combing, a shockingly yandere-ish scene in which Kenshin asks MC to die with him, and a lovely wedding at the end of the story? I wasn’t paying too much attention to the whole romance thing between the two. Sorry.
Personal enjoyment: 8/10 (Kenshin/MC romantic enjoyment: 2/10)
“I, uh, forgot to tell you something. …you look beautiful beyond words.”
Although there is certainly plenty of military conflict going on in Inuchiyo’s route, the main challenge presented is family drama. MC and Inuchiyo have the blessing of MC’s entire family, but things aren’t quite as simple with the Maeda clan. Toshihisa, Inuchiyo’s much older brother, does not approve of MC, because “Maeda brides should come from samurai families.” To be fair, it doesn’t seem like he approves of Inuchiyo much either. I’m missing a lot of main story context, but it seems like Inuchiyo is a bit of a prodigal son?Encouraged by MC, Inuchiyo decides to fight his next skirmish for Nobunaga under the Maeda banner, instead of the Shibata (Katsuie) banner, bringing honor and glory to the family name. Meanwhile, MC unintentionally launches a charm offensive against Toshihisa, winning him over with her tea and badass cooking skills. In the end, with Toshihisa’s blessing, Inuchiyo and MC enjoy a super adorable if somewhat hectic wedding, featuring, among other things, Nobunaga as a wedding crasher.
There wasn’t much in the way of drama or tension in this event route, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it. Some of the more shocking bits of knowledge (Keiji is his nephew?!?!?) really made me want to check out Inuchiyo’s MS. And on a really shallow note, this dude looks damn fine in his warlord gear, as well as in his wedding kimono. All in all, it was a fun read!
Can I just say: best event ever?? Between the dramatic drama, cheesy romance, and silly hats, SLBP’s latest wedding-based event’s got all its otome bases covered. Not to mention, there are CG rewards for finishing each route. Definitely an event worth participating in!
All of the routes in this event feature some sort of military plot, and Shingen’s is no exception. MC and Shingen are in the midst of planning their wedding, but there are problems: the Oda forces are on the move, and Shingen’s got his illness to worry about. Everyone’s morale is shaken when someone fires a bullet into a Takeda crest from a distance in the dead of night – it isn’t until that moment that Shingen’s retainers realize how deadly Nobunaga and his guns can be. Things get a little awkward, but Shingen levels with them, revealing his illness, and his honesty in turn rallies the troops. They execute a clever and effective secret flanking strategy that renders Nobunaga’s riflemen useless, and Shingen returns, victorious, to MC, to get married. The story ends with feasting and Shingen whisking MC away bridal style, on a classic Shingen note (“Er, where are you taking me?” “I’m going to make love to you”).
…Sounds like a pretty great synopsis, doesn’t it? Believe it or not, this was actually my least favorite route out of the three that are currently out. The military and political intrigue (not to mention, the smut levels) only gets better.
Personal enjoyment: 8/10
“Don’t you dare find ways to hurt yourself when I am not here to stop you.”
Ieyasu’s story begins with a pilgrimage to Nobunaga’s castle, for the first time ever. Which is interesting, and really highlights how historically inaccurate IkeSen is, haha. In any case, the guy’s his usual charming self during the visit, and MC’s her usual deluded self (“If you have the incredible surplus of time it takes to stick your nose where it shouldn’t be, use it to see my cup is not empty again.” That’s his way of telling me not to worry about Lord Nobunaga and see to the others, isn’t it…). But Ieyasu shockingly reveals that he’s occasionally capable of not being a total asshole in this route, and makes plans to visit Kyoto on their return journey, all because MC wants to. Unfortunately, said plans are derailed when a band of soldiers bearing Mitsuhide’s war standard attacks the traveling party, and they are forced to flee into the forest/hide in a cave. Ieyasu’s retainers understandably panic. If Nobunaga has terminated their alliance, their future is uncertain. Stuck in a dangerous situation, Ieyasu sends MC away back to Kyoto, while he deals with the problem at hand. …Let’s just say that after a bit of drama and fighting, the situation gets resolved cleanly. Ieyasu makes his way to Kyoto, and the route ends with a “surprise” wedding!
…Look. I freaking loathe Ieyasu. I am unrepentantly biased about it. But his event route was undeniably great. I loved the drama. And his hilarious band of retainers (especially the masochistic Tadakatsu). And the fact that, all assholery aside, it was clear that Ieyasu secretly really cares for MC (in this route, at least). All in all, this route was a total blast!
Personal enjoyment: 9/10
“We’ve been through so much since the day I met you…but I’m happy we made it here…together.
Poor Hideyoshi’s story is probably the darkest of the lot. Things start on a fairly lighthearted note: H has been put in charge of a military offensive, but instead of ditching MC, he wants her to come along while he temporarily switches castles. They detour to Kyoto so that he can meet MC’s fam (it’s adorable), and they even manage to sneak some quality sexy time in (“His long, deft fingers waste no time in warming me to him until I can take no more”). As Hideyoshi+staff get settled into their new castle, we are re-introduced to Lord Bessho Nagaharu, a neighboring lord who’s happy to aid H with his offensive. But their alliance sours when Hideyoshi withdraws from a battle after receiving orders from Nobunaga, leaving a castle full of innocent people to die. Disgusted, Nagaharu betrays the Oda alliance and throws in his lot with the enemy. Nobunaga orders H to starve him into surrender…but everyone finds this to be horrifying. After some encouragement from MC and his retainers, Hideyoshi eventually decides to defy orders (!) and use an alternative, more peaceful strategy. But despite his best efforts, things still end on a tragic note (“You are a kind man, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. …But, do not let my death be the thorn in your gentle heart”). In the end, Hideyoshi never does manage to come to peace with his and Nobunaga’s disagreements (“…Lord Nobunaga’s way is not the only one to Divine Rule”). But he and MC do get married in the end, in a touching and adorable scene.
This route was, imho, a tragic and angsty ball of perfection. Hideyoshi and MC had a amazing connection that clearly went past the superficial. There was so much backstory/banter between H and his retainers. And the whole thing with Nagaharu… wow. As a side note, I looked up Nagaharu’s history on Wikipedia, and this route couldn’t possibly be more historically inaccurate. Lol. But regardless, this was an amazing event route, with some Main Story-level storytelling. A+++ would read again.
“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!
Have you ever wondered what our favorite samurai warlords were like before they were fully cooked? Well wonder no more, because this latest event from SLBP/Voltage, which addresses that question, is positively glorious.
Young Kojuro is, hands down, the most hilarious thing ever. The story begins with MC in the Oshu territory the day before her new job begins, looking for a place to stay the night. A super bratty, antisocial Kojuro (!!) grumpily points MC to his siblings’ shrine after being prompted by his older brother. His sister Kita welcomes MC with open arms, and while MC helps with the cooking, gossips about Kojuro (“Oh, yes, a stubborn little thing. Always seems to find life such a CHORE, somehow”). The next day, MC leaves for her new employer…but while MC thought she’d be a cook, the creepy employer just wanted a bed warmer. MC flees employer and his goons, and runs into Kojuro, who saves the day with his hotness (…It is then that I realize that his appearance has somewhat betrayed him. His once-loose kimono is taut against his strong, muscled arms). The Katakuras welcome MC to stay at their place until she sorts things out.
To thank them, MC offers to clean Kojuro’s notoriously messy room. But when K proves to be less than helpful at pointing out items he’d like to keep, MC YELLS at him, fearlessly. I love this MC! In the end, after Shigezane the charming flirt points out that MC’s skillset would be invaluable to the domestically incompetent Kojuro, K agrees, and that is how MC ends up working for the absurdly hot warlord a decade or so before she’s meant to in the main story.
…Voltage could throw a story about Kojuro eating cereal at me and I’d probably still be content. I love this guy. And the juxtaposition between the older, kindly Kojuro and his younger, brattier self in this event is simply the best. I doubt there’ll be smut in his epilogue, but I’ll still probably end up buying it regardless. ❤
Personal enjoyment: 10/10
Shingen’s event route takes us back to the time when he was Harunobu, before he became the fearless charismatic warlord we all know and love. MC’s been hired as a maid to serve in a castle…or so she thinks. In reality, the lord of the castle (perhaps S’s dad?) is building a harem. Horrified, MC flees in the dead of night, only to run into Shingen, who disapproves of the whole harem thing, and takes MC to a room to hide overnight. The next day, MC is shunned by the local village, who a) thinks she’s a prostitute, and b) doesn’t want to deal with a runaway. Having exhausted nearly all her options, MC returns to Shingen’s annex. Seeing him chop firewood, MC doesn’t really recognize that he’s a high ranking samurai. The stress of the last two days catches up to MC, and when S is confused why she’s crying, she snaps at him like a boss (“you can’t PREPARE for assault”). Impressed, Shingen arranges for her employment as a legitimate maid in his little corner of the castle. The story ends with MC very publicly and embarrassingly realizing that Shingen’s a lord of some sort, and him tousling her hair. What better first day at work could there be?
I enjoyed this look into a slightly more vulnerable, less powerful Shingen. The writers did a fantastic job of including elements of his future mega-charismatic self into the story though! And when Kansuke (<3 <3) showed up? I was so delighted, you have no idea.
Personal enjoyment: 8/10
I think I might be slowly getting used to SLBP’s portrayal of this rude, candy-chugging asshole. It’s always jarring, given how charmingly sexy different his Ikesen portrayal, is. MC first encounters Nobunaga when he’s eating incognito at her family’s restaurant. When she instigates a fight with some local thugs after trying to stop them from beating on a kid, he chases them off with badassery…only to be immediately thanked with a bucket of water to the face by Yahiko, who might have misinterpreted the situation. Despite MC’s fears, he doesn’t in fact murder her brother on the spot, and MC ends up introducing N to drugs konpeito.
At some point, Nobunaga grabs MC to help him out in town. Turns out he’s in town to discuss ships with Fran and Lu, some foreign traders who also happen to be MC’s friends. Fran’s reaction to Nobunaga’s beautiful, fan-wielding presence is pretty great (F: “I had no idea there were such fine specimens here in Japan!… I’m talking about you, you fool! Hot! As! Hell!” N: “H-How dare you…!”). Meanwhile, trouble strikes when MC is waylaid by the local thugs from earlier in the story. MC has some fighting skills herself (!), but she’s rather outnumbered. Fortunately, N seems to somehow use MC’s pouch, containing respawned konpeito, as a homing device to find MC and take out the thugs like a boss (“All the men who take intending to kill me seriously at least have the sense to bring a full cavalry with them when they try”). In the end, Nobunaga summons MC to Azuchi to work for him, revealing his true identity to her, and her crazy life under the capricious warlord begins.
So… the truth is, I’m never going to really like Nobunaga all that much, given his presence in Shingen’s route. But I did generally enjoy this route, pre-existing biases aside. MC was pretty proactive and somewhat feisty in this event, which was fun to read (as well as a bit of a surprise). The trope of MC always assuming Nobunaga will murder children is hilarious. And Nobunaga’s bratty candy addiction will never not be entertaining. This event story seemed a bit different from the other two; based on both artwork and personality, it doesn’t seem to have been set that far into the past. It was a pretty fun read!
Personal enjoyment: 8.5/10
So, TL;DR, this event is the least smutty/romance filled event I’ve encountered to date. But nonetheless, the routes that’ve been revealed so far are all great reads! This glimpse into the past is pretty awesome 🙂
I have never fallen in digital love with an otome character as swiftly and definitively as I did with Takeda Shingen in his roller coaster of a route. Was it painful to read at times? Yes (thanks for the bunnies/warning, @oh-my-otome). But was it worth it? Oh hell yes. As a kdrama affictionado, I couldn’t ask for a more interesting character, or a more overwhelmingly wonderful plot.
The story begins with MC arriving as a poison tester, in place of her younger brother Yahiko. Shingen welcomes her warmly: it’s immediately obvious why this man is so famous for his charisma. We are introduced to some of the amazing men working for the Takeda clan: the adorably virginal Yukimura, his teasing companion Saizo, and, last but not least, the grumpy but awesome Kansuke, who holds some of Shingen’s deepest secrets. MC settles in nicely, and Shingen even goes out of his way to have the corrupt magistrate who was threatening her family/restaurant in Kyoto “taken care” of.
Things don’t remain perfect forever. One night, Shingen makes an unwanted sexual advance on MC (as Yahiko), biting her on the neck. Horrified, MC seeks sympathy from Yukimura, but pretty much gets none: “Lord Shingen is a great man, Yahiko…so great that he can see men and women equally, in every way.” So MC naturally runs away, and almost immediately gets captured by the Kenshin camp (Kenshin seems freaking amazing, but that’s a different story for a different day). At some point in time, Shingen arrives to extract MC, and gives her a groveling apology (by Sengoku warlord standards…):
“Until now, if there was something I desired, I just took it. I suppose never knowing someone who wasn’t glad to have your attention will do that.”
So his actions/rationale totally wouldn’t fly in the modern world, but given the time period, it’s positively romantic. When they return, Shingen goes about trying to make MC happy. He first tries to set MC up with Yukimura (who is, let’s be real, an amazing match for MC), and in a hysterical turn of events, offers to *adopt MC as his daughter*so she’ll have the status needed to marry into the Sanada family (can I say, hottest dad ever?). I can’t even with this dude, haha. When she’s reluctant, he then offers to send the homesick MC back to Kyoto…but neither MC or Shingen really want that to happen either. Over time, MC and Shingen grow truly fond of each other, and they share many sexy and cute moments together.
As the story goes on, we see that all is not well for Lord Shingen. A “young upstart,” Oda Nobunaga, has been decimating armies left and right (including Shingen’s) with gunpowder, in the name of unification. And Shingen is dying from one of the later stages of consumption, i.e. tuberculosis, but for morale, must keep it a secret. If you’ve read your history books, you probably already know how this tale ends. Let’s just say that Voltage doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to defeat and major character deaths. It gets brutal.
But woven between all that tragedy is one incredible love story. It’s one of those things you really have to read to experience properly. From the moment MC and Shingen confess their feelings to each other (midway through the story) to the very end, it’s a heart poundingly romantic (and gratifyingly smutty) ride. They have decently explicit sex (disclaimer: I paid pearls), multiple times. Neck hickeys become their thing. (Major spoiler) Shingen impregnates MC, and is unbelievably delighted when he learns this fact. Theirs is a love story that literally takes hundreds of years to resolve, but it’s worth every tragic moment along the way.
If I could go into detail over everything I loved about this route, I’d hit the Tumblr character limit super fast. Kansuke and his ten thousand needles. Shingen’s post-coital naked speech to his retainers. Every speech that Shingen gives, actually. Saizo and Yukimura’s banter. Shingen and Yukimura’s relationship. The inspirational loyalty of the Takeda clan. Shingen and MC’s love story is only enhanced by the many other things that go on in this route – including the sad parts. Put another way, I firmly believe that if Shingen’s route were a historical TV drama, it would be a masterpiece (tangent: the last time any storyline fucked me up this hard was Scarlet Heart Ryeo…!)
In short, Shingen’s Divine route is the single most amazing and ambitious otome route that I’ve encountered to date, and I think it would be difficult to top it in both scope and execution.
Choice quotes:
“I am sorry…I failed to bring you the unified country that I promised you.” “That was the first time a woman ever kissed me. Ha…you just keep giving me one first after another, don’t you.” “The woman I love is bearing my child within her womb…to a man, there is no greater honor than the one you have given me.” “Ha, Yukimura… you’ll never get my girl with those tears. Go to her..”
Personality: 10/10. Shingen has his flaws, yes (and they cause him to royally fuck up at times), but they honestly just make him feel more human. Also, his sheer dynamism/charisma makes him a joy to read.
Appearance: 10/10 That ponytail. That laugh/smile. TBH I don’t usually go for red hair but I think Shingen’s personality might be affecting my perception of his looks a little, as well. ❤
MC: 8/10. MC got way too self-sacrificial for my comfort when she was pregnant, but overall, I respected her loyalty/dedication.
Plot/Payoff: 10/10. The storyline, the maddeningly sexy smut, the CG’s…everything was fantastic.
This is Part 2 of my review of SLBP’s crazy Riot of the Heart event, where pairs of warlords encounter each other in unexpected situations! Part 1 here.
This event featured the reunion of Shingen and Kojuro, my two favorite smut lords! Tragically, there were no Shingen/Kojuro/MC threesomes in this route. 😉 So the story begins with a chance encounter between Shingen and Kojuro at the onsen. It’s not sexually charged at all. (Shingen laughs pleasantly, raking his gaze over Kojuro. … With his gloriously naked body on full display, Shingen climbs out of the bath and leaves Kojuro to his own devices.) After Kojuro helps MC with her sandal strap the next day, Shingen strong-arms politely invites Kojuro to stay at Tsutsujigasaki Castle for a while, to the temporary shock of his clan (since he’s the enemy and all). Kojuro settles in nicely, getting along with everyone and even helping out with some day-to-day minutiae. He’s bemused by the…differences in leadership style, shall we say, between the mega-charismatic, slightly micromanage-y Shingen and his own antisocial boss, Masamune. In any case, this whole saga turns out to be a long-shot recruitment pitch (on Shingen’s end), and an opportunity to observe the enemy (on Kojuro’s end). It’s also a bit of a reunion, because the two met long ago, as children. Ultimately, Kojuro’s loyalty to Masamune unsurprisingly prevails, and the pair part on good terms (after Kojuro makes a half-hearted attempt to advertise Masamune to MC, lol).
Given how unabashedly smutty my impression of Shingen is, I was honestly a little surprised by how PG this story was! But regardless, I enjoyed it. Shingen and Kojuro make an awesome duo, and this route honestly made me a little sad that we can’t just have all the warlords getting along all the time in SLBP, haha. I could listen to the warlords praise each other forever. (“There is something about that man that makes you want to follow him to the ends of the earth…of that I have no doubt.” – K)
The brawny men pair up in the next route, featuring Inuchiyo and Yukimura! This story takes place in Kyoto. Yukimura’s in town to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC?). MC first meets him when he scares away the perpetually annoying magistrate. Later that night, Inuchiyo runs into him randomly at a bar. Several hours and tons of sake later, and they’re lifelong buddies. Their differing life philosophies cause tension though: Yukimura has a suicidal dream of dying gloriously in battle, while Inuchiyo fights for survival. They duke it out over MC’s Absolute Victory Bowls, as well as in a symbolic fight at the UFC (“I want you to live!”). The fight ends in a draw, but in the end, it’s implied that while Yukimura remains battle-hungry as ever, he’ll be a little more keen on survival from now on. After hilariously mistaking MC to be Inuchiyo’s sister, Yukimura heads back to Kai, and MC and Inuchiyo share a brief and wholesome moment that ends…in a kiss. Scandalous. 😉
Both these guys seems super nice and relatively normal, so this was overall a pleasant read! I can’t blame Yukimura too much for mischaracterizing MC and Inuchiyo’s relationship though. After all, aside from MC’s internal monologuing about his manly good looks/strength, their relationship doesn’t appear to be super sexual. And Inuchiyo, like Shang from Mulan, isn’t exactly the slickest with words: “When I think about my own death, I worry what would happen to you so much I feel sick. You’d probably sob like an idiot…” It’s endearing – especially since he clearly cares for MC a lot. 🙂 Overall, I enjoyed the slice-of-life, apolitical feel of this particular story!
To counter the overly charismatic Shingen-Kojuro matchup, the final event pairing features the two grumps Mitsunari and Masamune. Long story short, Mitsunari’s been sent by Hideyoshi to visit Oshu for a few days. M1 and M2 hilariously get off on the wrong foot after a tense nonverbal fight over the same book in an antique bookstore, but they quickly (yet silently) bond over their antisocial nerdery – at Mitsunari’s welcoming feast, while everyone else is happily getting drunk and chatting away, might I add. Over the next few days, they teamwork to convince the antique bookstore owners not to close shop, eat MC’s food, and exchange books with each other, multiple times, like schoolchildren (“Only because I finished reading it already.” -Mitsunari). In the end, a strong bond of introversion is formed, and the visit concludes happily.
So…here’s the thing. I think Masamune’s antisocialness is endearing, esp. since he seems to be such a misunderstood sweetheart (just started his route). But Mitsunari? Mitsunari comes across as a socially stunted asshole who behaves like a dick just because he’s allowed to. And while he’s grumpily kind to MC at times, he mostly seems to just drag her from place to place, and he and MC don’t seem to have much chemistry, physical or otherwise (“What are you standing there grinning for? We’re going to sleep.”). Also, I don’t like his outfit. I have no idea if Mitsunari has more endearing qualities in his main route, but in any case, I personally think this route would’ve been much more enjoyable from Masamune’s perspective, since the storyline itself was pretty cute! PS Kojuro really needs to stop seducing me in routes that aren’t his… it’s becoming a problem. :’D
Overall Shingen rating: 9/10. No smut (which is shocking b/c Shingen), but still very good!
Overall Inuchiyo rating: 8/10. Inuchiyo and Yukimura are freaking adorable!
Overall Mitsunari rating: 6/10. Super cute storyline, terrible romance.
So if you’re short on time/total love points, here is my personal event route ranking! 1) Kenshin/Mitsuhide, 2) Shingen/Kojuro, 3) Inuchiyo/Yukimura, 4) Hideyoshi/Saizo, 5) Mitsunari/Masamune, 6) Ieyasu/Nobunaga
The Lustrous Look of Love is basically Voltage’s in-game equivalent of AU fanfic, in event form. In Shingen’s event, MC and Shingen have been peacefully keeping each other warm at night for a while (Nobunaga who?), but a visit from some beautiful dancers from Kyoto ignite insecurities on MC’s end; given Shingen’s extensive history with women (and men?), she isn’t sure if her feelings for the Sex Tiger of Kai are one-sided or not. This is a dating sim, so obviously they aren’t, but it takes MC nearly leaving with the dancers and Shingen chasing after her on horse (swoon) for the two of them to reaffirm their (exclusive) feelings for each other. And in between all this plot, MC and Shingen bang like bunnies multiple times, and the inimitable RubyLeeRay’s mirror kink for Shingen practically becomes canon. There’s a side plot involving the gender that MC chooses to present as that wasn’t super compelling personally, but overall, this event route is fantastic. What can I say? I like my smut. 😉
Kojuro’s event route is substantially more SFW. It’s… essentially the Sengoku era coffee shop AU, haha. Here, MC still works at her mom’s restaurant in Kyoto, where she is occasionally visited (platonically) by a mysterious man named Kagetsuna, who is very clearly Kojuro in disguise. After saving MC from a sticky situation at a catering event, catching some bad guys while at it, and revealing his identity (which hilariously means nothing to MC), things between them become heated. Almost. Kojuro disappears for reasons unknown, but he comes back and they reunite in a very wholesome and G-rated manner under a blossoming cherry tree. Needless to say, after Shingen’s smutfest, I was kind of disappointed. It doesn’t help that the plot here was pretty poorly fleshed out. Why did Kojuro hide his identity? Why did he disappear so long? I’m not exactly reading these events for the articles plot but things were definitely too confusing to be enjoyable.
So TL;DR, these two characters are actually no lie my current top 2 faves, but Shingen’s event route was way better than Kojuro’s. If you only have time to do one route, pick Shingen’s!
Selected quotes
“I recklessly took you into my bed without ever saying anything, didn’t I? Your future must have felt so up in the air.” …A second later [Shingen] cradles my head with his arms, holding me close. “Then be with me. There is no one who could ever replace you.”
“Kagetsu-” before I have finished saying his name, his lips have sealed mine in a searing kiss. He kisses me over and over, calling my name with a fiery passion. – I’m sorry. How does this kissing and talking at the same time work out logistically?? Hahaha
Overall Shingen rating: 8.5/10. Strange fixation on MC’s gender presentation AND TRAGIC LACK OF CG aside, it was great!
Overall Kojuro rating: 5/10. Boring plot which almost got interesting…but then didn’t.
Otome Reviews 