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waterscrollI liked it a lot. It was a classic redemption by love arc, and I always love those, but if you don't it might not be your thing. It reminded me in some ways of the Sanan route, so clearly relevant to my interests.
One nice surprise in the route - apparently his child form is his true form.
One disappointing surprise - I have no idea where the wiki got that he has a crush on Kazyua, I didn't see it anywhere in the route. Which was disappointing, because I was quite prepared to ship it.
Senkimaru became clan leader as a child, with his clan in very serious trouble. In a flashback we see entire families starving to death and many of his clan betrayed and murdered by humans they had tried to help. Both of these were results of Senkimaru's decisions, which he was really too young to have to make, and also the result of their clan's isolation. So, reasonably enough, he attaches to Yachiyo and Shu and their plan to destroy the ten-demon alliance and fight for some power and a place to live.
I thought the game balanced nicely here between explaining what he's been through and excusing him. His desperation made absolute sense. On the other hand it was already established that Chitose's clan was starving, Kazyua's clan was under attack and Kazutake's clan was homeless and impoverished, and none of them turn to destroying everything as a solution. But what they do turn to is alliances with humans. It seems, in retrospect, that this is what saved them, that the humans who allied with them are basically decent people. That didn't happen for Senkimaru's clan, so he had to find another kind of alliance. Once he sees that there are other options he's willing to consider them, and that's how his redemption starts.
I'm thinking about my noncon Sanan/Sen fic, in which Sanan attempts to coerce and manipulate Sen into a fury/demon alliance, on the grounds that they are two doomed peoples who can help each other survive. Sen isn't interested, mostly because she's lawful good and Sanan is rapey and terrible. I've wanted for a long time to figure out a way for them to have this conversation when Sanan isn't quite so evil, but now I'm wondering if it might go better with a leader of a clan that was more desperate than Yase, which seems to be the most prosperous of all the clans. Hm. (::ponders Sanan/Amagiri fic::)
The revelation about Yukina's backstory: When she was seven she killed her grandfather and took his powers. She then repressed the memory because, well, who wouldn't. That's why the elders raised her in ignorance and isolation, they were afraid of her and wanted to be able to control her and to kill her if she continued to be dangerous. This makes *total* sense. The elders did such a poor job of educating Yukina that I already suspected that they were keeping her ignorant on purpose. Oh and she's Princess Yase's sister and the whole thing about her being the Princess's guard was just a ruse to keep her docile.
Yukina's backstory in this route worked to make her connection with Senkimaru feel very powerful. They connected by being present for and hearing each other's deep childhood pain. I ended up very much believing in this romance, for all that they never kiss and only admit to having feelings for each other in the very last scene.
This was in some ways the happiest route ending. Everyone lives, including Shu and Yachiyo, who only appear in the flashback ending but seem to survive in the sweet ending also. (I assume all historical deaths still happen though.) Not only that but everyone ends up working together and after fighting on different sides in the civil war they reconvene in Yase and commit to working together in the future. Again this is clearer in the flashback route.
The route definitely has structural similarities to the Sanan route - the protagonist's unrelenting belief in her LI despite everything, the very hopeful ending. Also: the protagonist pulling a sword on her LI. Which here we get a CG of, thanks Otomate I am personally very grateful. On an emotional level, though, it felt more similar to the Okita route, with Senkimaru learning to move past his childhood pain and in the process being present for Yukina's.
The flashback ending was different from all the others in that Senkimaru didn't die. Which I appreciated, I was feeling very protective of him by the end. Instead Princess Yase dies and Yukina takes her place as the new Princess Yase. Which means that Yukina can't be with Senkimaru because their lives are taking them in different directions, he has to go find the banished demons and she has to govern in Yase. But it's implied that they could get together in the future, or she could end up with any of the others, since she worked with all of them on this route and has meaningful friendships with all of them. You could even get a harem out of this, if so inclined. But honestly all I wanted at this point was for Yukina and Senkimaru to hug until they both stopped hurting, and it was good to know that could still happen.
And oh look, someone put the game *with voice acting* online here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLliolnJYNB75bqVfDFi58Q/playlists
I think I'm going to be making heavy use of this, since the game doesn't give me a straightforward way to rewatch favorite scenes. And the voice acting definitely adds.
One nice surprise in the route - apparently his child form is his true form.
One disappointing surprise - I have no idea where the wiki got that he has a crush on Kazyua, I didn't see it anywhere in the route. Which was disappointing, because I was quite prepared to ship it.
Senkimaru became clan leader as a child, with his clan in very serious trouble. In a flashback we see entire families starving to death and many of his clan betrayed and murdered by humans they had tried to help. Both of these were results of Senkimaru's decisions, which he was really too young to have to make, and also the result of their clan's isolation. So, reasonably enough, he attaches to Yachiyo and Shu and their plan to destroy the ten-demon alliance and fight for some power and a place to live.
I thought the game balanced nicely here between explaining what he's been through and excusing him. His desperation made absolute sense. On the other hand it was already established that Chitose's clan was starving, Kazyua's clan was under attack and Kazutake's clan was homeless and impoverished, and none of them turn to destroying everything as a solution. But what they do turn to is alliances with humans. It seems, in retrospect, that this is what saved them, that the humans who allied with them are basically decent people. That didn't happen for Senkimaru's clan, so he had to find another kind of alliance. Once he sees that there are other options he's willing to consider them, and that's how his redemption starts.
I'm thinking about my noncon Sanan/Sen fic, in which Sanan attempts to coerce and manipulate Sen into a fury/demon alliance, on the grounds that they are two doomed peoples who can help each other survive. Sen isn't interested, mostly because she's lawful good and Sanan is rapey and terrible. I've wanted for a long time to figure out a way for them to have this conversation when Sanan isn't quite so evil, but now I'm wondering if it might go better with a leader of a clan that was more desperate than Yase, which seems to be the most prosperous of all the clans. Hm. (::ponders Sanan/Amagiri fic::)
The revelation about Yukina's backstory: When she was seven she killed her grandfather and took his powers. She then repressed the memory because, well, who wouldn't. That's why the elders raised her in ignorance and isolation, they were afraid of her and wanted to be able to control her and to kill her if she continued to be dangerous. This makes *total* sense. The elders did such a poor job of educating Yukina that I already suspected that they were keeping her ignorant on purpose. Oh and she's Princess Yase's sister and the whole thing about her being the Princess's guard was just a ruse to keep her docile.
Yukina's backstory in this route worked to make her connection with Senkimaru feel very powerful. They connected by being present for and hearing each other's deep childhood pain. I ended up very much believing in this romance, for all that they never kiss and only admit to having feelings for each other in the very last scene.
This was in some ways the happiest route ending. Everyone lives, including Shu and Yachiyo, who only appear in the flashback ending but seem to survive in the sweet ending also. (I assume all historical deaths still happen though.) Not only that but everyone ends up working together and after fighting on different sides in the civil war they reconvene in Yase and commit to working together in the future. Again this is clearer in the flashback route.
The route definitely has structural similarities to the Sanan route - the protagonist's unrelenting belief in her LI despite everything, the very hopeful ending. Also: the protagonist pulling a sword on her LI. Which here we get a CG of, thanks Otomate I am personally very grateful. On an emotional level, though, it felt more similar to the Okita route, with Senkimaru learning to move past his childhood pain and in the process being present for Yukina's.
The flashback ending was different from all the others in that Senkimaru didn't die. Which I appreciated, I was feeling very protective of him by the end. Instead Princess Yase dies and Yukina takes her place as the new Princess Yase. Which means that Yukina can't be with Senkimaru because their lives are taking them in different directions, he has to go find the banished demons and she has to govern in Yase. But it's implied that they could get together in the future, or she could end up with any of the others, since she worked with all of them on this route and has meaningful friendships with all of them. You could even get a harem out of this, if so inclined. But honestly all I wanted at this point was for Yukina and Senkimaru to hug until they both stopped hurting, and it was good to know that could still happen.
And oh look, someone put the game *with voice acting* online here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLliolnJYNB75bqVfDFi58Q/playlists
I think I'm going to be making heavy use of this, since the game doesn't give me a straightforward way to rewatch favorite scenes. And the voice acting definitely adds.
