Alternative TitlesSynonyms: Hakuoki, Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan Japanese: 薄桜鬼
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 12
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Apr 4, 2010 to Jun 20, 2010
Duration:
23 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 7.601 (scored by 21621 users)
Ranked: #11022
Popularity: #368
Members: 43,056
Favorites: 939 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
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SynopsisThe protagonist, Yukimura Chizuru, is the daughter of a doctor who works in Edo. The father leaves Edo to work as a volunteer doctor and moves to Kyoto without his daughter. As time passes by, Chizuru starts worrying about losing contact with her father, so she decides to go to Kyoto in search of him. On the way, Chizuru is attacked by few criminals and witnesses a fight between an oni and the Shinsengumi. Taking her into custody and saving her, the Shinsengumi debate on what to do with Chizuru when they discover that she is the daughter of the doctor they are also looking for. So they decide to become Chizuru's protectors and help her look for her father (the doctor). Lots of events happen while she stays with the Shinsengumi, as they discover mysterious secrets and also fight against the Bakumatsu group. The story is overall romantic with a historical and political background.
(Source: Hakuouki official website) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Hakuouki Junrenka, Hakuouki, Hakuouki, Hakuouki Shinsengumi Kitan
Sequel: Hakuouki Hekketsuroku
Summary: Hakuouki Hekketsuroku Episode 0
Side story: Hakuouki Sekkaroku
Other: Hakuouki OVA, Hakuouki Movie 1: Kyoto Ranbu, Hakuouki Movie 2
Prequel: Hakuouki Reimeiroku
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Reviews
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Magdalen
108 of 164 people found this review helpful
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11 of 12 episodes seen
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| Overall |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
Ignoring the fact it's been a game, and the main female character is the most frustrating, ignorant and helpless ever, this is a brilliant anime.
Even if you find the story a little...sparse at times, the reason you should /definitely/ watch to the end of every single episode is the male characters - both the drawing of them and the personalities themselves. They aren't, like a lot of mangas based on games, guys who may be hot but are stupid, masochistic and aloof. They are warm, funny, incredibly good looking (a major bonus) and, of course, incredibly protective of the female protagonist.
Chizuru (the female protagonist) is the only reason (alongside the plot sometimes having holes big enough to drive a truck through) you might find this a little tiresome. She is, considering her 'powers' (something you'll find out about) incredibly helpless and unable to fend for herself - something I find most INFURIATING in girl characters.
I sticked through it because I thought there would be some sort of 'Kick-ass' moment where she'd begin to shine, but so far nil-but maybe there is hope for the second series?
However, the guys do make up for it tenfold. A few I feel I should mention is Saitou, Okita and Heisuke.
Saitou is just...brilliant. He's more than adequate for man candy but also a brilliant swordsman and very smart. One of your serious glasses types (but obviously without the glasses)
Okita is a lovely character, he gets fleshed out a lot more than the others seem to (for instance, from what I can gather so far it seems as if she's getting together with Hijikata, but nothing has been developed in his character for you to warm to him at all.). I really enjoyed the episodes with him involved, and he's a sight for sore eyes!
Heisuke is my personal favourite. He's the youngest, same age as Chizuru, but utterly brilliant.
All in all, you should watch for the fight scenes (guys), and the man candy (girls) and just the characters! I highly recommend it. read more
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8thSin
126 of 248 people found this review helpful
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12 of 12 episodes seen
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| Overall |
5 |
| Story |
5 |
| Animation |
3 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
*Spoiler warning* Do not read story section unless you've finished the series.
"Hakuouki" is based on a PS2 romance adventure otome game (games targeted toward girls).
The story starts with Yukimura Chizuru, daughter of a doctor in Edo (Tokyo's old name), arriving Kyoto in search of her father. She is saved by two Shinsengumi members from zombie-like demon, and gets taken into custody. Eventually she gains their trust and helps them out while looking for clues of her father.
Shinsengumi is an organization that actually existed in the late-Edo-period that acted as a 'special police' that served to suppress any anti-government movement in Kyoto. The actual organization only existed for less than a decade, but their legacies have been depicted in various novels, movies, and TV doramas that they have become something of a symbol of justice in the Edo-era. The latest Shinsengumi hit has been the NHK Taiga dorama "Shinsengumi!" starring SMAP's Katori Shingo in 2004. NHK, the government-owned TV station's Taiga dorama series are known for practically guaranteed 15%+ viewership ratings and A-list actors.
This anime's events and characters are inspired by the actual Shinsengumi, but the story is completely fictional.
The title "Hakuouki" is a made-up word comprised of kanji "Light-colored Sakura" and "Ogre". It describes the fictional vampire-like white-haired (light color) undead (Sakura) demons (ogres) in this series. Sakura (Cherry blossoms) symbolizes death or short-lived beauty for the short span in which the pink flowers blossom in spring. (Sakura also symbolizes farewells and new meetings since they bloom during graduation and new school year, which is April in Japan, but that is probably not the case in this series)
ANIMATION:
Animation in general lacked detail, and characters' faces were really deformed in some scenes while they were extremely well-drawn in close up and action scenes.
One thing they really succeeded in this show was use of lighting to create mood. From hazy moonlight to orange glow in the daytime to bloody red sunset, the light always seemed to shine from one direction, and matched the atmosphere they were trying to create.
One fatal flaw in the animation... was character design in the sense that they were all too idolized. Sure, all the main characters wore Shinsengumi uniforms with swords around their waist, but all I saw was a bunch of host and a school girl in cosplay. It all comes down to fan service, and they all seemed out of place amid peasants and lowly Shinsengumi members who looked legitimately from the Edo-era.
They even went as far as trying to have Chizuru pass for a boy. I know back in the day, it was unthinkable for a girl to be dressed like a boy, but please, you must be joking.
SOUND:
Main characters looked like hosts, at least they sounded like hosts too. Despite the fact that they were totally out of place, they stayed consistent by speaking modern Japanese the whole way and and all the characters sounded like they should.
Music in slice-of-life scenes had a serene, calming flow that worked very nicely in the background, which intensified in plot twists or confrontations, enhancing drama in every occasion. Powerful drum beats are added in action scenes, which not only fit the era well, but also made them all that more exciting.
Theme songs were ridiculously good for this series. OP song was epic with extremely catchy tune, elegant lyric, and great vocal. Amazing piece of contemporary Jpop-Enka hybrid that really blew me away. ED was pretty good, the somber song worked nicely for this series since many episodes ended with a tragedy. Sound and Marketing department sure have a lot of work ahead of them if they're to match or surpass the theme song quality and compatibility in season 2.
STORY/CHARACTER:
Before we even get to the story... there was a major problem with power balance in this anime. I can accept Oni villains being insanely strong because they're not human, but how are some of the Shinsengumi members able to fight almost evenly against them? What's even more puzzling is that those fighters struggle against lowly samurai when outnumbered. From their performance against the Oni, they should be able to easily defeat 10 minions by themselves.
This leads to the main problem with the story: Irrational character motives and too much sudden story developments between events.
- Oni can so easily penetrate Shinsengumi's defense, as proven by Kazama and Nagumo. Why didn't they just come in and kidnap Chizuru anytime they wanted? There was nothing there to stop them from second or third tries after the first attempt failed. (Why did it even take that long to make the first attempt?)
- I didn't exactly see how Chizuru fell in love with Hijikata. Seemed just like Hijikata was being excessively strict few times, and got persuaded by other members to bend the rules. It was a WTF moment for me when Chizuru started blushing when her twin sister asked her if she's staying for love.
- Overly gullible characters. Gets tricked so easily by villains and has no self-discipline when given the choice with the elixir. These guys are definitely not leader materials, and it's a wonder Shinsengumi can last so long with such incompetent commanders.
- You're trying to kill Chizuru for seeing a classified subject, and the next second, you're trusting her to send messages in a life-or-death situation.
- Chizuru, do not walk toward vampires when you're bleeding! Use common sense.
- Chizuru, run when you see danger! You're helpless, and you staying around is not going to help the injured or dead.
- Chizuru, PLEASE TRY TO ACTIVATE SELF-DEFENSE INSTINCT OF YOUR BRAIN! Help will not always arrive out of blue.
- Hijikata drinking elixir in the last episode came out nowhere. Where did he even get it? And his motive makes no sense, I mean... you're not human anymore, just because someone (who you knew didn't kill your best friend) provoked you.
Making a non-cheesy fictional story based on historical events is difficult. Add vampires, Oni, rushed storyline, and this feat becomes practically impossible.
The least they could've done was provide more backgrounds to each incident rather than "XXX advanced their troops to Kyoto", battle scene, "And this will eventually come to be known as Battle of YYY" before jumping to another historical event.
I think they should've just used the Edo-era setting with original events rather than try to camouflage an actual event.
The DBZ-style talking during battles, or talking for so long that backup arrive certainly didn't make the story any more believable.
ENJOYMENT/OVERALL:
Another unrealistic jidaigeki, I would have to say this is girl's version of "Sengoku Basara". Instead of mindless battles, you have mindless melodrama, which starts to get pretty predictable even without knowledge of Japanese history. In the end, it was a bidanshi cosplay fest, as expected of a shoujo anime. The story jumps from one historical battle to another, it's easy to tell this is just another "Rurouni Kenshin"-inspired piece that hopped on bandwagon of the latest Shinsengumi craze initiated by the 2004 NHK Taiga dorama.
However, I have to say that the characters are charming as intended, and the Oni villains are cool enough to have me watch this season to the end, and if I have a lot of time to kill, I'll be able to tolerate another season just to see how bad it gets. read more
Recommendations
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Both anime talking about the samurai in the Edo era, and the story talks about a group of people work in kill , wearing the same clothes
Same Shinsengumi characters, but different plot, and exact same time period and location, Kyoto. In both shows, the Shinsengumi Vice-commander, Hijikata Toshizo, takes in a young person and is placed under the care of the Shinsengumi. The most obvious difference is that in Peacemaker Kurogane, Hijikata takes in a 15 year old boy, Ichimura Tetsunouske and makes him his page, instead of a young girl.
Both about ancient samurai, and there is similarity in the names of some characters
It's about the history of japan (politically). Both show unique personalities of the shinsengumi.
So far it seems as though it might be just as gory as peacemaker.
I would definitely recommend this anime if you liked Hakuouki.
Both are about the Shinsengumi. If you don't consider that the characters are drawn differently, and that the main characters are different, (Tetsu and Chizuru), then Hakuouki can almost be considered a "sequel" to Peacemaker Kurogane, (in a way), as the Ikedaya Incident was the final event in Peacemaker Kurogane, while it is one of the first events in Hakuouki. They're both awesome!
Both about Shinsemgumi, both has characters called okita xDD
People get ill, fighting and both very very good!
both take place in the shinsengumi and they consist of a character that something happened to them leading to them joining the shinsengumi. in hakuouki the main character joins after witnessing a drug test going out of control where as the main character in peacemaker kurogane joins after his father is killed in search of revenge leading him to desire strength.
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Both of these Anime contain a female lead who is sought out by both the bad guys and good guys. They both have very mild personalities and both anime have bishonen.
Samurai bishies with powers.Many fights. Main heroine is weak and naive although she possesses a unique power.
Samurais, bishonens, powers, similar era, drama and romance.
1- Beautiful, attractive, powerful, amazing and sexy male character.
2- The history is developed in an especial era of Japan.
3- Both main characters protect a woman.
4- Fights, magical powers, swords, etc, etc.
5- Watch it. Its amazing.
4- I recommend it to every fangirl.
they both have funny bishounen characters and historical set up. also swordsplay and magical powers are smilar too
This is my first rec so bear with me.
Both of these have a reverse harem-like feeling where there is a female lead with many male characters surrounding her. In both stories, the main character is protected by a group of samurais or ninjas. They both are set in the past and have mystical or supernatural influences.
Many of the characters are also similar in looks, personality, or purpose.
Saizo and Hijikata are alike in looks and personality. They are both quiet and stern and give off an indifferent or aggressive vibe towards the female lead but turn out to be quite caring and kind.
Sanada and Kondou are similar in looks, personality, and purpose. They are both the "leaders" of the group of warriors and brought them all together. They are also both silly, carefree characters who both enjoy chasing after women. They are also both understanding and gentle towards the female lead.
Rokuro and Saito are also similar in all three traits. They are quiet and mysterious and tend to be the shadow and right hand man of the leader of the group. They both show traits of loyalty and quiet determination to accomplish the goals and protect their leader.
Although they are different in some ways, Kamanoske also reminded me of Okita with his looks and personality. While he was a bit more eccentric than Okita, he displayed Okita's indifference/preference towards violence and killing. They were also both a bit hostile towards the female lead when first meeting her.
Both shows are among my favorites and I thought of Hakuouki numerous times while watching brave 10. However ....SPOILER ALERT.... while I enjoyed Hakuouki more for it's intensity, I liked brave 10 more because it had a happier ending.
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Opening Theme"Izayoi Namida" by Aika Yoshioka
Ending Theme"Kimi no Kioku (君ノ記憶)" By Mao
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Related ClubsCute and Sexy Anime Fanclub, Heisuke Toudou FC ♥, Asian Mythology and Folklore Club, Polski FC Katany, Shinichiro Miki Fanclub, Katana Empire, ♥ Souji Okita FC, Edo , » Otome Gamers «, Watch Anime Together Club Headquarters, Nagakura Shinpachi Fanclub, Dream Come True, Hajime Saito Fanclub, (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ TanoREC, Anime Card Obsession (A.C.O.), Yukimura Chizuru (雪村 千鶴) FC, Manga Anime League (MAL), The Shinsengumi [A Hakuouki Fan Club], The Twin Factor, We love Bishies!BOY-GIRL-BOY/ REVERSE HAREM GARDEN <3, Saito Hajime FC, ♥ Saitou Hajime FC, Demon Lovers!, Muraki33's Awesomeness, Wonderland of Roses, ~~*Claim Club*~~, Hakuouki ♥, ♥ Toshizo Hijikata FC, Kou Ootani FC, ♥ Ryunosuke Ikenami FC, DEEN Club, MangAnime Temple, [Facial Hair]Sexy[/Facial Hair], Anime Music Downloader, World of Animes (W.O.A.), The Bishie Club, ♥ Keisuke Sannan FC ♥, Bloody Call, Hakuoki , Raining Sakura [Hakuouki RP], Dengeki FC, Sanosuke Harada FC ♥, ღ Paramour Paradise ღ, :: Otome Game Beginners ::, ♥ Ryunosuke Ikenami FC, Parades of Cards Club (P.C.C.) , 黒の刀 Kuro no Katana, ♥ Kazama Chikage FC, Samurai Heart, English Dub Fanclub, Arizona Visual Novel Club, Hakuouki Heart of the Sword, *Edo Era* Club, .:: ☆ ::. Romantic ♥ Historical .:: ☆ ::. , ·•●}Ж{﹏Sweetest Scene﹏}Ж{●•·, Sexy Anime Boys Club <3, We Luv Anime Guys, Hungarian Bishounen/Bishoujo Lovers~ <3 , , Guys With Swords, !~~tsubasalover's Friendships~~!, SunLink@AnimeManga, What I Want (W.I.W), Fantasy Club, Cards Collectors Club [.CCC.], Anime Soul Haven, Polski Anty FC Debilnych Bohaterek, Hakuouki Fanclub, Samurai & Ninja Club, Reverse Harem Club, The Sweet♥ Elixir, Hakuouki ~ The Pale Sakura Petal ~, Shinsengumi!, VOMIC (UTA PRI WINNER CARDS R UP!!!), Gender Bender Forever, Kaze's Anime Empire (KAE) see all
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