waterscroll

I am enjoying the Kyoichiro route very much but so far it's more MC/Hideyoshi than MC/Kyoichiro. I have zero problem with this since one reason I was interested in this route was to see Hideyoshi with someone who can call him on his bullshit. But I think I will be somewhat disappointed when in a few chapters (or however long it takes) MC kisses Kyoichiro instead of one or both of them slamming Hideyoshi against a wall and calling him a shameless reprobate while kissing *him*.

Ninja!MC, as we left her in the prologue, is looking for some security and safety for her clan, since Nobunaga is a non-reliable and possibly murderous employer and the Iga clan is out to get them. It seems like the four other routes are about her finding another patron for her clan, but the common route with Kyoichiro and Hotaru gives her two possibilities for leading her clan to safety without a patron. The Hotaru route would let her ally with Hotaru to work against Iga or forge a new kind of alliance with them. But my MC chose to work with Kyoichiro, as she explained to Kaede, in order to learn to be a merchant and free agent like he is. That way her clan could sell their medicines without being subject to any particular lord.

It speaks to this MC's ambition and initiative that this sounds like a good plan to her and that she can sell Kaede on it. This is an MC who knows what she wants and believes in her own abilities, more than any other MC in this game. She's very smart and not inclined to take things at face value and her 'good' dialogue choices are often about her thinking one step ahead and manipulating the situation. Also (as we see in the event story) likes sex and has no problem with initiating it. Doesn't this sound like an MC who would be great for Hideyoshi? Fortunately, Hideyoshi seems to think so too. He visits her shop and she gives him a healing salve for his leg, which works extremely well, and after that he praises her work to Nobunaga and says he'd like to 'court' her. He takes her out to lunch and visits her for dinner and praises her cooking. I am shipping it hard.

Meanwhile MC is living with Kyoichiro and learning from him how to be a merchant. Their relationship is purely professional, he respects her competence and treats her as a trainee. In the first crossroads she follows him as he highly competently robs from the rich and gives to the poor, and she's clearly impressed with him. Heck, I am too. But I am not sold on their romantic relationship. Most of their interactions are about business or about him insulting her cooking.

In the recent event story it seemed like what the writers are going for in the relationship is: they are both highly competent people who relate as equals and love each other but respect each other's autonomy. I like this in concept and I thought it was reasonably hot in the event story's smutty epilogue. Maybe the love is slow-developing? Because I am not seeing any hints of it in the main route. But I am seeing friendship and mutual respect, and maybe that's not a bad place to start.

In other fannishness, I am continuing to watch Guardian and just finished episode 5. I wouldn't say I'm enjoying it as much as sucked into a maelstrom of feelings by the intensity of emotion. But that's good, right? And probably the reaction the writers were going for. I wish I could say more thinky things about it, because I'd like to be able to discuss it, but I am not there yet.