Do you think Chizuru is boring?

[Huntok4r]

I've been a pretty big fan of the Hakuoki series for some time and I like to read reviews and forums at times just to see talking points with others and see other opinions.
I was surprised to see one not necessarily common but oft repeated opinion is that Chizuru is boring or annoying.
I never really felt that way, I do see how she wasn't necessarily a fighter or bold but I always felt like that a result of the time period and well she DOES fight in some routes or gets to being bold to aid whomever she is romancing or to tell Kazuma to back off or chill. I remember at least one being upset she never used her oni abilities but in her defense she never learned to use them nor was aware she was even an oni until recently. Others were frustrated with her talking habits though it seemed implied she didn't really have friends as a kid so she didn't seem to know how to socialize well.

I'm curious what others think.

[Huntok4r]

Messaggio originale di crystalfeng9898:

Can you please tell me what side stories you’re talking about? I don’t really know how to use steam discussions so I don’t know how to refer to a certain comment, but I’m just really curious. Are they from Hakuouki Zuisoroku? Do you think they will have the game on steam soon?

They likely meant Zuisoroku or the DLC on the game here on Steam. And we can't be sure. Idea Factory International (The non Japan branch of the Japanese company that makes the game) has promised more otoge but hasn't really followed through on it. So as long as we keep showing there's a demand for it, its possible but no promise.

[crystalfeng9898]

Messaggio originale di Huntok4r:

Messaggio originale di crystalfeng9898:

Can you please tell me what side stories you’re talking about? I don’t really know how to use steam discussions so I don’t know how to refer to a certain comment, but I’m just really curious. Are they from Hakuouki Zuisoroku? Do you think they will have the game on steam soon?

They likely meant Zuisoroku or the DLC on the game here on Steam. And we can't be sure. Idea Factory International (The non Japan branch of the Japanese company that makes the game) has promised more otoge but hasn't really followed through on it. So as long as we keep showing there's a demand for it, its possible but no promise.

I think I saw somewhere on reddit that Aksys was trying to localize SSL but this was back in 2016. Zuirsoroku is also only for playstation i think. However, they are so many fan disks for hakuouki that they aren't releasing.

[Metalhen]

Messaggio originale di crystalfeng9898:

Can you please tell me what side stories you’re talking about? I don’t really know how to use steam discussions so I don’t know how to refer to a certain comment, but I’m just really curious. Are they from Hakuouki Zuisoroku? Do you think they will have the game on steam soon?

Sorry was busy during Corona. If you asked about my post, I mean dlcs (ones we actually don't have, not even on steam, that came out with some japanese editions) and drama cds. Otome games also have blogs/websites for the most of them and in case of anniversaries and events, you often have access to more infos, written side-stories, recorded little bonus dialogues that won't make it on official drama cds... all full of character developpement, details and lore. Some of these you can find on social medias or Youtube but more often than not, you will have to translate them yourself.

Also, Hakuoki has a prequel, a distant prequel (that went into oni lore), a side-quel (average but looked at the other side of the war) and now a whole new DLC on Switch that greatly expanded on the main story. Also, the drama cds keep coming out.

I learned a lot from all these side-materials and really, if you only stay on the anime and vanilla main game, you miss like 70% of the story, not joking !

[Lunatea]

It makes sense to me that she is the way she is because she was raised by an emotionally manipulative and malignant narcissist father figure who kept her essentially locked up to be used as a blood source and tool in the future. She was taken from her village and separated from her own twin. She spent long stretches locked up at home while he traveled, and accepted that as what she deserved. That sort of upbringing would make it difficult for her to feel comfortable or even aware of her own power and independence. Unsurprising she'd constantly be looking towards others because she just saw herself as a burden all the time typical of neglected children. [\spoiler]


That's not even factoring in the expectations of women from that time period, but yeah I think even that plot point is enough to be like "oh ok, poor girl no wonder, I get her."

[Metalhen]

The character of her father/uncle change depending on the route. He's not always ill-intentioned.
Also he's not keeping her locked up per se. In Edo era there were strict rules for travel between provinces and even towns. You had to have a good reason to or the guards would not let you through anywhere. It was especially true if you were a woman. And if you were traveling alone you could risk being fined iirc, if not oc kidnapped and sold to a brothel. Also if you couldn't pay the fine you'd also be sold to a brothel if no one came for you. That's part of why Chizuru made the trip disguised as a boy.
Even if he had wanted to, Kodo would have had more trouble than it was worth taking her with him everywhere. That's why he left her home. But he didn't isolate her. Iba's route shows she had friends but it was too risky to show her powers and she grew too scared to be found out. Once these friends thought they saw something and immediately started freaking and calling her names. Iba had to step in. It's not Kodo who actively kept Chizuru alone in her room. He also allowed her to interact with Iba. Actually in the Switch games, we learn that it was Iba himself who started staying away from Chizuru while growing up, because he somehow got it into his head that he was unworthy of her and used that as an excuse not to visit, saying he would only do so once he became a strong, perfect samurai. And then he was all surprised when he saw she hadn't waited for him and met other guys...
You're not wrong on some routes, namely Saito's or Harada's or Yamazaki's. But it was just to even the field. It's not all on Kodo and not in all routes. And I say that hating the character.