Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds / Edo Blossoms Review:

 

This is a re-release of Hakuoki or Demon of the Fleeting Blossom: The Tale of the Shinsengumi. This version was broken into two halves - Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms, and sold separately. Both are needed to fully enjoy the story.

Story

Circa 1860s Japan, a girl named Chizuru Yukimura disguises herself as a boy to search for her missing father and is taken in by the Shinsengumi organization due to her father having developed a "Water of Life" elixir. This potion turns anyone who drinks it into a powerful vampire-like creature called a "Fury" or "Rakshasa", and certain rogue individuals now threaten the area. A group claiming to be "Demons" also try to periodically abduct Chizuru.

Kyoto Winds: This is the first half of the story and is comprised almost entirely of the common route which ends abruptly and on a light cliffhanger. While some might be put off by an hours long common route, I found it rather engaging and necessary to establishing the 12 love interests: who they are, their personalities, loyalties, and goals. There is a focus on slice-of-life moments in order to weave the friendships and rivalries of the massive cast. For such a large cast of characters they are all very diverse in personality and have preexisting histories with each other, giving the player multifaceted perspectives of the characters through the different routes. There is also a lot going on between multiple historic battles, 12 historic figures, and supernatural entities which can become a bit overwhelming to keep up with. Most of the major historical events and politics are only mentioned in passing, so it can be kind of hard to keep up unless you already have an existing interest in the history of Japan or are willing to do some additional research.

Edo Blossoms: This is the second half of the story which is comprised almost entirely of character routes. Edo Blossoms is where the paths of the various bachelors diverge, and unlike some other titles in the genre, the player can experience the varying sides of the guys without any of them feeling inconsistent. The stories vary widely but will usually contain the deaths of at least some of the Shinsengumi, and will resolve (at least partially) the conflict with Chizuru's father and the Demons. Edo Blossoms includes some content that was not in the original game release, such as previously skipped characters like Yamazaki, Sannan, and Nagakura. There are also three new guys: Iba, Souma, and Sakamoto (mentioned in the old game, but never appeared).

As a protagonist Chizuru Yukimura is your standard weak damsel with virtually no skills or likes and dislikes. She exists solely to be saved again and again by the men she lives with. I think what annoyed me the most was how these warriors repeatedly put themselves on the line for someone who is essentially dead weight and has no good reason to be there with them. Chizuru doesn't even have to be a badass or participate in the fights - I honestly don't think she would ever stand a chance - but a little more assertiveness or participation of some kind would've been nice. Too often she felt like an annoying child that insists on helping out their parents but only ends up preventing them from getting real work done. Perhaps the writers were worried that Chizuru having any skills outside of house work would diminish the imagine of her male protectors. I mean women had a number of restrictions imposed on them during that era, but then why did they give Chizuru a sword and have Kondou train with her? I wish they had left that part out if they weren't going to do anything with it. I could also buy Chizuru being representative of a woman from that era if Hakuoki were purely historical, but the story incorporates supernatural elements such as demons. Chizuru herself is also a "pure-blooded" Demon, but I never would've guessed she was anything other than human if the game hadn't told me otherwise. Outside of her healing abilities there is nothing remotely special about her. Even the imitation demons created from a human drinking the Water of Life serum appear to be more inhuman than Chizuru is. They possess super strength, speed, and healing abilities that surpasses anything Chizuru has. One bullet and Chizuru goes down. The "fakes" meanwhile can shrug off a firing squad.

Gameplay

Kyoto Winds is the first half of the Hakuoki visual novel, so it is an extra long common route plus one route chapter for each bachelor (starting at chapter 5) . As a result, a lot of the same events are revisited every playthrough, but can be skipped with the fast-forward feature that stops automatically whenever new content appears. There are eight to twelve points in every chapter where a choice will have to be made that will impact who Chizuru meets, which battles she'll witness, what information she becomes privy too, and what people she will bond with. Edo Blossoms is the part that actually delves into the different character paths. A Record of Service section enables the player to select a chapter or character route they have completed with either high or low romance. This feature is mostly useful for unlocking the multiple endings. There is one good ending for each bachelor, one unrequited love (bad) ending, and a handful of bad endings (mostly instant death scenarios).

There are a few typos and repeating words, which isn't uncommon with text heavy visual novels. Multiple sentences being condensed/translated to just a few words was unusual though, and the translations didn't always make sense colloquially in English; for example: (from prologue) "However, perhaps my overconfidence in myself is what served the situation at hand to me." Sometimes I would have to read the same sentence several times to understand what the game was trying to convey.

My route suggestions are as follows, accompanied by a brief discussion of the love interests and what I liked or disliked about them.

1. Souji Okita
2. Hajime Saito
3. Sanosuke Harada
4. Heisuke Toudou
5. Shinpachi Nagakura - He was not an option in the original game release.
6. Keisuke Sannan - He was not an option in the original game release.
7. Susumu Yamazaki - He was not an option in the original game release.
8. Hachiro Iba - A completely new addition.
9. Kazue Souma - A completely new addition.
10. Ryouma Sakamoto - A completely new addition.
11. Toshizo Hijikata - The "main" according to official canon.
12. Kazama Chikage - The main "big bad evil guy".
    

Chizuru has her own non-romance route where she discovers all the same stuff as the other routes minus a partner. Her father and the Shinsengumi all die in this route. I was really hoping for some gal-pal time hanging out with Sen, but alas.

Feel Free To Skip To Conclusion:

Okita

Sweet and sour in equal measure. I enjoyed his teasing personality, such as when he tormented a child for talking bad about Kondou. Okita's route is pretty romantic but also the least historical of the bunch because the person he is based on died from tuberculosis in real-life, so most of his route is made up. His relationship with Chizuru felt the most probable, as I could see someone like Chizuru, who has basic medical know-how, choosing to take care of him and becoming closer to him in the process. It was kinda hard to get attached to Okita though, knowing his time was limited. The final words of the epilogue even sounded like his dying farewell.

Saito

Stoic and quiet, Saito has immense willpower that he uses to tough out most of the Fury side effects. He is not one to openly shower Chizuru with affection, but you can tell that he is looking out for her in his every action. Nearly every major battle is featured in Saito's route, so his personal feelings take a backseat to the war, leading to a relationship with Chizuru that progresses slowly and subtly.

Harada

Perceptive and doting, Harada is easily the "cuddliest" with Chizuru. He constantly checks on Chizuru to make sure she is fine (even in the other bachelor routes), talks her through her troubles, and sets up hangout dates with Chizuru's lady friend when she is looking like she needs some girl time. A really nice, loving guy, and it was refreshing to not have to give blood to a Fury for once. I couldn't stand Chizuru's constant angst about being a demon though, or her spur of the moment attempts to run away. Harada's spontaneous hugging and kissing also had some pretty weird (and creepy) timing, like when Chizuru was crying over a failed escape attempt or just finished talking about having to kill her father.

Toudou

Sincere and considerate, Toudou can appear upbeat on the outside but is surprisingly serious when he needs to be. His time with Chizuru at the tea house is an especially nice moment and he feels like the best fit for Chizuru. The two of them just clicked, probably because they are on relatively even footing in regards to age and skill. I was a little annoyed with his angst over choosing to become a Fury which mirrored Chizuru's demon angst in Harada's route and further emphasizes how similar Chizuru and Heisuke are. He never looks down on Chizuru and tries to coax her into finding another partner because he genuinely believes that she deserves better than what he can offer.

Nagakura

Headstrong and emotional, Nagakura is the sweet "older brother" figure and a bit of a handful. I don't think he had much chemistry with Chizuru or was ever really looking to get romantically involved with someone. I mean, he had to confirm with Chizuru what a "spouse" was. Nagakura was the least romantic and moved way too fast. He doesn't confess to liking Chizuru as more than a "little sister" until really late and proposes on the spot. Personally I think Nagakura and Chizuru are better off as platonic friends, because a romantic relationship between these two just doesn't feel organic or warranted.

Sannan

He has condescending moments but is actually a gentle soul that is suffering a lot, and will go out of his way to take care of Chizuru in ways unspoken. Outside of his own route Sannan doesn't feel like someone Chizuru should be left alone with, so his personal route offers a nice change of perspective without breaking his character. For example, in all the other routes Sannan is very insistent on using Chizuru’s blood, but in his personal route he is the only Fury to do whatever Chizuru wants and experiences things with her on her terms, and so comes to change his views on it. He is not really a tsundere-type character and more of a person that is very logical and pragmatic but also unexpectedly genuine and caring. Their trip out of Japan in the ending seems to be a treacherous one though, and one they may not succeed in.

Yamazaki

He is mostly outside of the politics and battles starting in Edo Blossoms, and has some pretty good romance. He consistently looks out for Chizuru's well being (relationship or no) and in every route you will see him tailing Chizuru or taking care of her in some way; and not in a creepy possessive-stalker kind of way, but genuinely caring for her as a friend and member of the group. He is a shy, mellow guy that treats Chizuru as an equal (even when it is undeserved) and goes out of his way to include her in the group's activities. It is the only relationship without a big confession, love reveal, or second-guessing. The two of them are on the same level and know when they're officially "together" without having to say it outright.

Iba

He is the 'forgotten childhood friend' trope and very openly likes Chizuru. His route felt the most contrived and had a lot of weird stuff in it, such as grafting a demon hand onto himself that then makes him really lustful for children with Chizuru. There is another guy that does the same thing with the other demon hand and also wants children with Chizuru. This was one of the rare times when I actually feared for Chizuru's safety on account of all the torture, forced blood feeding, threats of rape, and sex slave stuff. It was just way too vulgar and fetish fueled for me. This route also had the most irredeemably disgusting villain and I am not entirely clear on how long Iba put Chizuru into a coma for during the ending... days? Months? Years? Or what happened during that time.

Souma

The young and dedicated greenhorn trying to figure out his life. He seems close in age and life experience to Chizuru, so the two of them feel like they're on the same page most of the time. He is one of the more inexperienced members of the Shinsengumi but gets a lot of plot important scenes in the form of flashbacks and stories about the origins of the Shinsengumi. It was pretty awkward for Hijikata to have to play match-maker for these two; like how young are they again? The main 'big bad' also gets over his grudge and literally just walks away.

Sakamoto

His passion and willingness to adapt to the changing times are his most admirable qualities. He is also the only one to get Chizuru to be more thoughtful by encouraging her to consider the rest of the world and the wider consequences of their decisions. Sakamoto's goals and ambitions for his country are very different from those of the Shinsengumi, making him a nice foil to Hijikata and a refreshing change of pace after 9 routes tackling similar themes. His relationship to Chizuru has no proper buildup and so feels very one-sided, but the ending where they travel the world together sounds like something both of them could get behind and enjoy.

Hijikata

It is clear in the other routes that he is a good guy at heart, just a little intimidating at first. He has a lot of serious responsibilities to the war effort and to the Shinsengumi - his true love. So he isn't really in a position where he can commit himself to a romantic relationship or be available emotionally. He knows this and tries to cut ties with Chizuru at least once. Hijikata and Chizuru don't even officially become a thing until the very last chapter of Edo Blossoms, but by that point he has almost no time left to live. This is apparently the "official canon route" but I personally don't consider it to be the best or most probable for Chizuru.

Chikage

He initially comes off as arrogant and aggressive, but is actually quite knowledgeable and honest. He holds insightful discussions with Chizuru, considers her perspective, asks her about her plans, respects her wishes, acknowledges her strengths (especially when others try to bring her down), and gives her space when it's needed. He doesn't force her to do anything that she doesn't want too and goes out of his way to keep her safe and happy; to the extent that he spends over a year trying to find a way into a dangerous war-zone just to reunite Chizuru with the Shinsengumi, whom he dislikes and is antagonistic towards. Chikage is a surprisingly grounded and caring person, but the relationship felt kinda one-sided.Chizuru never seemed to be all that into him and only gave-in at the end due to a lack of other options for a partner. There also isn't much happening for long stretches of time and all the major battles and deaths happen off-screen.

Conclusion

I don't like or understand why they broke a re-re-re-re-release of Hakuoki into separate parts when all previous versions have been a single title. The fact that you are buying just one part of a two part narrative should have been more prominent in the marketing for the game. When taken together though, there is a lot of content here. Perhaps too much? I had to dip in and out of this game for four years before I finally managed to finish every route. The design and color scheme for each character is very unique, ensuring that they visually stand out from each other. Fan lists for favorite Hakuoki characters online seem to vary a lot from person to person, so the writers did a good job of accommodating for different tastes. And with such a large and diverse mix of personalities present, gamers are bound to find at least one character they really like.

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Tales of Eternia: The Animation - Wacky Island Vacation

Tales of Eternia: The Animation is a 2001 Japanese animated series that acts as a side adventure to the video game of the same name (it was called Tales of Destiny II in North America). The show uses an original storyline featuring the four main protagonists and was supposedly produced as part of a multimedia campaign, but information on this is scarce. The series was picked up for an English translation in 2002 but the license ended up expiring and so the dub was never released.

Apologies in advance for the poor image quality. This anime series is very old and not widely available in good quality. 

Opening Music: Sora ni Kakeru Hashi (by Masami Okui)

Credit Music: I'd Love You to Touch Me (by Masami Okui)

Spoiler Warning: I am going to give a synopsis of each episode and my opinions at the very end.

Piofiore: Fated Memories Review: Dark Romance

 

 

 

Set in the small Italian town of Burlone around the early 20th century, the tale follows Liliana Adornato, who has been raised by the churchher entire life. One night Lili becomes entangled in a turf war between three mafia families: the Falzone, Visconti and Lao-Shu families all seek to rule, and Lili is somehow the common key element for all of them.

I've seen plenty of people express adoration for Lili as a protagonist, the sentiment generally being that she is brave and intelligent for a girl sheltered by the church. Her naively kind nature juxtaposed nicely with some of the mafias darker moments. Lili also managed to stand her ground around Yang when it was needed and was remarkably tolerant of someone so opposite to herself. That said, Lili did have plenty of dumb moments, such as walking down unfamiliar alleys alone in a crime ridden area and approaching hostile drug addicts. Lili also shows some initiative in escaping during Dante's route, but she doesn't bother waiting until he has left the yard before trying to climb out the window. She has amazing cooking skills, can treat a minor wound, and has the amazing ability to fall asleep anywhere anytime, but otherwise doesn't posses many meaningful skills or knowledge that would aid in her survival. She spends nearly the entire game as a damsel in distress, kidnapped or held hostage by the love interests. Then there is the obligatory best friend, Elena, but as soon as Lili meets a guy - poof - Elena is no more.

The cast was wildly inconsistent, dodging bullets in a shootout one moment then dying to a random civilian with a knife the next. It also wasn't uncommon to see the ever-convenient "he lost his mind" trope to justify characters breaking character; after-all anyone can technically do anything if they loose their minds in a fictional world. For example, take Roberto. He hates the mafia and wants to bring criminals to justice. In Nicola's route he accepts the aid of the Lao-Shu - arguably the most corrupt of the mafia families - and becomes weirdly convinced that Lili is in love with him despite her telling him otherwise. He then goes on a vigilante killing spree and goes toe-to-toe with the mafias best members. We never see Roberto act like this in any other route. And this applies to almost every bachelor to varying degrees - Yang being the only exception.

As a mafia story, Piofiore was pretty underwhelming. Racketeering, illegal transactions, torture, and other staples of a mafia narrative either weren't present at all or were a light background element. It's like the writers just didn't know what to do with the game's premise. So I was pretty excited when Gilbert's route dove into money counterfeiting, even if it was about him and the other mafia families trying to stop the counterfeiting. It marked the first time I felt like I was playing something vaguely mafia related. I mean, outside of the Lao-Shu, everyone in the Burlone mafia was way too nice, and whenever they did dare to get dark (gang rape or forced drug addition that is cured in only 2 weeks), it was used almost exclusively for the sake of shock value rather than for plot related reasons, and I can't help but feel as though these topics deserved more care and respect than they were given. Oddly enough, the story places a surprisingly large focus on pseudo-religion and mysticism with a take on Christianity that could come off as offensive to some individuals:

Piofiore's lore states that Jesus didn't ascend to heaven. He actually left behind a body, which the Falzone mafia family was entrusted to guard along with a holy relic. Even though the basis for an entire religion is stated to be a lie, the relic still has miraculous healing powers. However, to unlock the relic's powers, the current Falzone boss must pre-maritally bang a girl (the Key Maiden) selected through astrology. There is also some light blood sacrifice stuff involved.

 

 

 

As a visual novel, the bulk of the game is made up of text with periodic choices that will influence the route and ending the player gets. The standard fast-forward feature is present, which allows players to skip text they have already seen, making replays a breeze. A feature unique to Piofiore are short side story notifications that pop up for a limited time. They reveal important events and discussions happening elsewhere; things Lili wouldn't be present for. Viewing or skipping these notices will also impact the ending the player sees.

Piofiore's common route is made up of two prologue chapters that last about 30 minutes each. New scenes and choices are added to the prologue chapters after a single play-through is completed. Starting in chapter 1, the player will be set on a character route. Every character route has a total of eight to nine chapters with a good, best, and tragic ending plus 2 to 6 bad endings that result in an immediate death.

Certain character routes will also be locked until others are cleared. Nicola and Dante are the only two initially available, with Yang and Orlok's being unlocked after a first play-through has been cleared. Gilbert's route stays locked until all previous bachelors have been cleared and completing Gilbert's route opens up the Finale route, which contains a secret bachelor option.

Piofiore uses an usual system to gauge what ending the player will receive. It is decided by "High" or "Low" levels in two attributes: "Affinity" and a trait unique to each bachelor.

My route suggestions are as follows, accompanied by a brief discussion of the love interests and what I liked or disliked about them.

1. Common Route
2. Nicola Francesca - A relatively gentle introduction to the game.
3. Dante Falzone - Reveals the key maiden lore.
4. Orlok - A change of pace; someone not associated with the mafia.
5. Yang - A change of pace; different culture and values.
6. Gilbert Redford - Actually includes Lili in his activities and allies everyone against a common threat.
7. Finale

Feel Free To Skip To Conclusion:

Nicola is cheeky, cunning, and ruthless; a man with an agenda that uses his playful nice guy persona to gain an advantage. I enjoyed the light game of cat and mouse he plays with Lili and it was interesting to discover the outwardly confident guy had such low self-worth.

The Best ending reunited Nicola with his cousin, but I don't think it was beneficial to Nicola to remain with the Falzone family. He is not a traditionalist like Dante and doesn't believe in their sacred mission. His Good ending felt like the best fit for him because it is the only path in which Nicola seemingly finds self acceptance and distances himself from the Falzone family and Burlone. Ironically, he set out to free Dante from his fate but accidentally liberated himself.

I couldn't really bring myself to like him. His fake "nice guy" persona was too obvious. Even Lili seemed suspicious of him, at least initially. She eventually came to see him as a kind person... despite a torture scene, but it felt like she had to keep lying to herself. I also didn't feel much of a connection between Nicola and Lili. Dante is clearly Nicola's favorite and Lili will always be second to Dante. Nicola's initial flirtations (in both his route and Dante's), kidnapping and sacrificing of Lili were all in the name of keeping her away from his precious Dante. I didn't like Nicola's motivation for betraying the family either.

Dante has a strong sense of duty and honor, but is kind of awkward due to his low self-esteem. He tries to put on a "tough guy" persona despite being woefully suited to being a mob boss. He comes off as a man of two extremes: being genuinely sweet and caring, but also exceptionally cruel when his family is messed with or their holy mission is compromised.

The Best and Good endings were unremarkable happy endings. Nicola reunites with the Falzone family and Lili continues a relationship with Dante. The Best ending also marks the first and only time Lili uses a gun (I wouldn't trust her with one) and the only time the relic is unlocked/used.

Dante's route has some pacing issues. Half of the route features Leo (a side character) and the other half is filled with lots of mundane things, like latte drinking. Dante's relationship with Lili was really good, but kinda creepy given the "Key Maiden" thing; Color changing birthmarks after sleeping with someone? Being fated to unite and unlock a relic because the stars say so? Weird. It's also hard to like Dante after seeing Orlok's Tragic end. They use the "he lost everything he cares about" trope as an excuse to throw Dante's character development and humanity out the window in order to horrify readers. It felt contrived. He's certainly established as someone willing to cross moral thresholds to protect his family and the family's sacred mission. However, in this case, Lili is still the Key Maiden, who the Falzone must protect, and she had not lost that status in Orlok's route. So the depravity and malice targeted just at her is ridiculous, especially given Orlok (the target of his rage) wouldn't even be present after the first time.

Orlok is an angel, an assassin and a savior willing to make sacrifices for the greater good. His pureness is endearing - like playing with the church kids, but he is also young and naive.

In the Best ending, Orlok sacrifices his hand and his ability to fight for Lili, who is in his words, his greatest blessing. I like that he gave up something unhealthy but also important to his identity (his fighting skills), in exchange for something more important to his long term happiness and well-being. Orlok's Tragic Ending is infamously cruel. Dante's man of honor character and duty as the chosen protector of the Key Maiden is thrown completely out the window for the sake of shock value. I don't have a problem with Dante being nasty, but the physical and emotional damage he does to Lili and Orlok in this ending is on-par with, or worse, than anything Yang does. Save this ending for last if you don't want your perception of Dante ruined.

Orlok's relationship with Lili is sweet, full of affection and vulnerability, which contrasts quite well with the cruel and unforgiving world in which they live. This path also touched on the effects of religion, power, and poverty on the residents of Burlone. How faith can be perverted and exploited, but is still a good thing worth holding onto. I loved how Lili refuses to die a martyr and Orlok learns to question rather than blindly obey, freeing himself from toxic indoctrination while still holding onto his beliefs. Lili and Orlok felt like a good pair - two wholesome people spurring each other's development. I never felt a romantic connection between the two, which is fine, the close siblings or good friends vibe suited the two of them and where they were emotionally. My biggest complaint with the route is how they gave Orlok a compelling character arc at the expense of everyone else. Aside from Dante's major break from character in the Tragic Ending, we had Gilbert, normally the pragmatic one, suddenly turn dumb enough to believe Yang when he blames Orlok and Lili for exploiting the townsfolk. As the only love interest without a connection to the mafia it would have been a good opportunity to expand on the church, its apostle's training, the creepy Emilio guy, or Joseph Rosenberg's odd relationship with his biological son (Orlok).

Yang is a sociopath that doesn't understand his own emotional state. Most of what he does is purely territorial and instinctual. There is a measure of possessiveness about him; he doesn't care where Lili goes or who she talks to, just that she understands that she is "his" property and subject to his whims and abuse until he decides otherwise.

In the Best ending, love doesn't change or redeem Yang. It doesn't even inspire him to want to be a better person. Instead, Lili understands and accepts him for what he is, and doesn't ask him to change - something Yang seems attached to. He ends up trusting Lili enough to give her his real name and expose his back to her, something he would not do with anyone else. I found it easy to believe that a humanitarian like Lili could fall for a guy like Yang on account of all the stockholm syndrome boxes that got checked. Personally, Yang's Tragic ending blew me away. In it, Lili decides to not see him for who he truly is, and Yang plays along with her fantasy despite not wanting a mindless woman. It is clear from the start how this relationship was going to end given Yang's history with women, but damn, it concluded in a way that was just so perfect for Yang.

Yang was a welcome change of pace after having completed Dante, Nicola, and Orlok's routes. The Lao-Shu were culturally and morally very different from the Falzone and Visconti families, and felt the most dangerous; featuring a lot of really uncomfortable or disgusting activities: gang rape, human trafficking, drugs. There was no attempt at pretending the Lao-Shu weren't a criminal organization. Yang was the only mafia boss to stay consistent in every route, and I really enjoyed the complexity of Yang as an antagonistic love interest that didn't fall into the "he is secretly a good person" trope. I honestly couldn't have agreed more with Lili when she told Dante that at least Yang never faked being nice. This is a "bad guy" written well.

Gilbert is confident, sociable, charismatic, and generally a pretty nice guy with a positive attitude. He tries to do good things through shady means and is considerate of not just his own family, but the general public as well. He's the peacekeeper of Burlone, or at least its mafia leaders by getting the different factions to work together to bring down a common enemy - the only one to pull off such a feat.

All the endings are pretty tame - no heartbreak, no inner turmoil. Gil skips town in the worst ending and Orlok dies to some random civilian(?).

Gilbert's route is a calmer ride, easily the most forgiving to Lili. It marked the only time she was given agency to do what she wanted rather than being locked in a room or ignored. Not only was Lili given a choice, but she was included in the conversations instead of being told to leave the room or to sit quietly. Gilbert showed so much respect to Lili, even when she didn't come off as strong or particularly bright. He let the relationship with Lili evolve naturally, giving her time to come to terms with her emotions rather than forcing it; the two become partners in crime before they become romantic partners. I had the most fun with Gilbert's route. There was mystery and building momentum that was more interesting than any of the main conflict up to that point - mostly Lili's poorly defined church powers. The real downside to Gil is that he has no discernible character flaws. His route was a little too normal, too tame for a mafia story, but I suppose it comes with his route being a respite after the crazy ride of the others, hence it being locked until the end.

Finale: Henri is a surprise bachelor with a serious case of survivors guilt and an insane need of revenge against the mafia. There isn't much to say about the finale and Henri. Half of the route is taken up by Gilbert, which gives Henri very little room to shine. Like Lili, Henri's sister Chloe was a Key Maiden. Unlike Lili, she took the "destiny and chosen by the stars" thing a little too seriously, becoming unhealthily obsessed with Silvio (Dante's dad) despite Silvio having a wife. Chloe was eventually moved out of the Falzone household for trying to kill Silvio's wife. And I mean... Really? The crazy/obsessed/jealous thing again? Didn't we get enough of that with Dante? Well, Henri tries to find his sister in Lili, but comes to realize he can never bring Chloe back. So the two fake their deaths in a fire and run off together.

 

 

 

The localization/translation teams did a great job of making sure the syntax was spot on, and the UI was very clean with appealing flourish. The textured backgrounds were a bit odd, and the character art, while stylish, were not period accurate: a hoodie (Orlok), strapless dress (Lili), 2000s tribal tattoos (Yang). The plot was pretty good, but not what I would consider a mafia story. It focused too heavily on occult elements with distracting pseudo-Christian aspects sprinkled in. Underneath the pretty surface of Piofiore is an experience that can get disturbing in the best and worst ways, and barring a few hiccups, the writing is consistently good.

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