Ikemen Sengoku: Ieyasu route

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I guess this is the problem with the AU setting - what do you do with a character who has been AUed out of everything that made him interesting? Since in this universe Nobunaga lives Ieyasu doesn't get to do much conquering, empire building or governing. What's left in this universe is a highly competent, ambitious and violent warlord with an angsty past as a child hostage. The romance arc was more or less 'damaged, nasty, violent person learns to overcome childhood traumas in order to find love' but I've read so many better versions of that trope recently and this one didn't do enough to distinguish itself. So, it was fine, pleasant to read, but not that engaging. Probably worth the $3 I paid for it.

Probably I should read Nobunaga's route next, although I am considering Mitsuhide because that's the one I will almost certainly do next in Samurai Love Ballad. Historically Mitsuhide is the guy who killed Nobunaga for unknown reasons. In Samurai Love Ballad he's written as devoutly religious, honest, kind, very serious and intensely honorable. In other words, clearly going to be one of my favorites. In Ikemen Sengoku on the one hand he's devious and a little sketchy and on the other hand he *didn't* actually assassinate Nobunaga (because this is an AU where Nobunaga lives and in any case it was someone else who tried to kill him). So definitely interesting, but less written to speak to my interests in particular.

Comments

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I really enjoyed Mitsunari's route, where he is a pure perfect angel because he never had to make any of the awful choices he made in real life. He was also a lot of fun to spend time with.

I think I'm going to need to do Nobunaga's route next, because if this AU makes a case for itself anywhere it should be there.