Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom

“Even the greatest splendour will fall to ruin.”

1864, Japan – a time of great change. When Chizuru Yukimura’s father, a doctor practising Western medicine, leaves home for Kyoto, he promises to write regularly to his daughter. But after a while, the letters stop arriving and the young girl decides to disguise herself as a boy and find out what has become of him. Arriving in Kyoto, she witnesses a violent clash between swordsmen – two of whom are red-eyed, white-haired, and act as if possessed by demons – only to be rescued and promptly arrested. Chizuru finds herself caught up in the conflict between the Shinsengumi, a corps of warriors established by the Bakufu to protect the shogun and restore order to the city– and the rebels, the Choshu.
 
Adopted by the Shinsengumi, Chizuru soon gets to know the charismatic samurai who lead the ranks: Isami Kondou; Toshizo Hijikata; Souji Okita. Although at first they are severe in their treatment of ‘Yukimura-kun’ (she keeps her masculine disguise when outside the headquarters) they soon begin to treat her as one of their own, almost as some kind of corps mascot. There is still no news of her father, however, and there are others who have taken a keen interest in Chizuru – and want to steal her away from the Shinsengumi. There’s also a mystery surrounding a strange elixir called the Water of Life which reputedly has dramatic healing powers. As Chizuru discovers that her fate and that of her father is intricately entwined with a sinister and secret plan, the shogunate regime that has held sway in Japan for over two hundred years begins to fall apart.

It would be easy to dismiss Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom as just another so-so anime series based on a video game; although, unusually, it’s an otome game aimed at girls, with a dashing male harem (rather a pleasant change). Frankly, I feared the worst, fully expecting mushy scenes and minimal plot development. And indeed, main viewpoint character Chizuru starts out as a pretty typical Mary Sue type of heroine, who ‘just happens’ to be present at every significant historical event in Kyoto. But to director Osamu Yamasaki’s credit a strong and involving story evolves that earns its 15 certificate by not shying away from depicting the darker side of this blood-soaked period of history. Also, it’s worth noting that for a show based on a video game, Hakuouki is refreshingly lacking in fan service; Chizuru is treated more like a kid sister than a love interest by her handsome guardians and, although, stronger feelings are hinted at, no romance develops in these first twelve episodes. Instead, we are treated to a paranormal alternate history version of the events that took place between 1864 and 1868. Yes, paranormal. Without giving too much away, there’s a strong supernatural element that makes this treatment very different from what the viewer might be led to expect.

Visually, there is a considerable gulf between the depiction of the main Shinsengumi protagonists, their main adversaries, and ‘the rest’. The rank-and-file extras (on either side) are drawn with the more historically accurate shaved heads and top knots, whereas handsome, chestnut-haired Okita and co. have impressively luscious flowing locks. There is also a considerable variation in quality in the drawing with all the money being lavished on the main characters, resulting in some disappointingly perfunctory artwork in the crowd scenes – and too much reliance on stills.

Nanae Chrono’s powerful Peacemaker (2003) was the first manga and anime treatment of the story of the Shinsengumi to be translated into English, bringing this turbulent period of change in Japanese history to a much wider audience (not to forget the wonderfully off-the-wall Gintama by Hideaki Sorachi which could in no way be described as historically accurate). I sense Chrono-sensei’s influence here, especially in the character designs for Toshizo Hijikata and Itou – but whereas Peacemaker concentrates on the events leading up to the bloody Ikedaya Inn confrontation, Hakuouki takes the story much further. And, to the credit of director Osamu Yamasaki and his creative team, Hakuouki – in spite of the paranormal twist – has the authentic feel of an historic samurai epic. The stakes are high, there are plenty of schemings, divided loyalties, and betrayals – not to mention dramatic sword fights. Much of the drama evolves from the growing tension between the Shinsengumi (depicted here as the upholders of old-fashioned codes of honour and swordsmanship) and their opponents (who frequently use guns to achieve their ends). The creators also don’t shy away from showing Okita’s tragic decline due to tuberculosis and the turbulent atmosphere of nineteenth century Kyoto is convincingly evoked. Besides, you just have to love a series where one of the characters quotes from the opening of the Tale of the Heike.

The original Japanese cast contains such stellar names as Shinichiro Miki as Toshizo Hijikata and Toru Ohkawa as Isami Kondo – although the US subtitles go awry from time to time (“It’s not a COMPLTETE success” and “From scratches to loose bowers”) – and I’m sure I spotted the date 1964 at one time instead of 1864…   The US team do their best with a dub script that doesn’t always do justice to the material and Brittney Karbowski gives an appealing portrait of Chizuru, bringing out her quiet, yet stubborn strength in the face of the many difficulties and heartbreaks she encounters; this heroine is not just a mere bystander. Amongst the men, there are strong performances from VA stalwarts Greg Ayres as Heisuke Toudou, and David Wald as Kondou, the commander of the Shinsengumi.

The Opening song “Izayoi Namida” by Aika Yoshioka (lively) and the Ending Theme “Kimi no Kioku” (a pretty, pensive ballad) by mao are attractive but not especially memorable – although the accompanying graphics are suitably gorgeous.  Kô Ôtani (Birdy the Mighty) is responsible for the score which is at its best when evoking traditional music from the period.

Extras include textless Ending and Opening songs and trailers; a shame, as a brief guide to the story’s historical background and characters would have been really useful for us Western viewers.

In Summary
This series will appeal to all who enjoy a rousing historical samurai drama with plenty of swordfights. But be warned: the story is unfinished and continues into a second series. Then there’s the prequel. And an OAV too, all coming our way soon in R2 format, thanks to MVM – which is good news if, like me, you’re hooked.