Koihime

Koihime can be best described as a classic Japanese folklore with a harem twist; Hentai Edition. If you like your hentai with well developed characters and an actual story, then Koihime is for you. With out any guilty feelings of rape, coercion, or black mail, it delivers an enchanting story with a great cast of characters that will leave you feeling sweet and satisfied afterwards.

“*sigh* that was nice.”

STORY 8
The story of Koihime involves a little mystery, a little drama, a little humor, and a good amount of love making. If you haven’t guessed it already, everyone is in love with the male protagonist, ... Musashi. He has come back to his grandmother’s countryside village, deep in the mountains, where he spent most of his childhood. Strangely, however, he doesn’t recognize his childhood friends. In fact, he doesn’t even remember any of the girls whom he supposedly played with during his childhood. But as Musashi wanders around and rekindles lost friendships, he begins to recall lost memories and stumbles upon some hidden secrets.

CHARACTER 10
Character is really where Koihime shines. They really portrayed the archetypes quite well for each of the female leads. It hits that “MOE” note perfectly in the male otaku psyche.
First we have Nami. She runs the only store in town. She’s the long haired traditional beauty that’s mature and refined. Gentle, caring, and compassionate, she not only cooks but will pour sake for you: the ideal wife.
Anzu is the quintessential little sister. She’s cute, flirty, and a bit spunky. She’ll kick you in the balls one minute and plead with you to “play” with her the next. Her little sister charm is dangerously irresistible. “Pleeeese… Oni-chan!”
Suzume is the tsundere type and a bit of a tomboy. She’s rather touchy and will kick your ass if she feels the slightest bit of jealousy or embarrassment. She’s also a miko-san (Shinto priestess) who lives in a temple on top of the hill.
Then there’s Mayuki, who is a bit of a mystery. She’s the shy yandere (quiet) gothic lolita type. You can usually catch her under a tree or standing by the river with a frilly umbrella staring into space. She has an innocent charm you just can’t ignore.
All these girls revolve around Musashi, the lucky protagonist. He’s happy-go-lucky, indecisive, and unable to resist seduction (who could?). Throughout the two part series, he serendipitously sleeps with all four of his childhood friends and ends up with a bit of a dilemma, but surprisingly, not the type of dilemma you would think. All the girls have a, shall I say, “Supernatural” side to them which makes for an epic harem that even the gods would be jealous of.


ART/ANIMATION 9
First off, you’ll notice that the art and animation is very nicely done. The art has a classic feel to it, reminiscent of the great hentai series, Wordsworth. In fact, they are both produced by NuTech Digital around the same time. The character designs are beautiful with out any over-sized proportions. The background and mountain scenes are well depicted and detailed. The animation is carefully thought out with a rather high production value. It is uncensored, which is a plus. The detailing of the private areas is pretty well done for hentai of that era.

SOUND 10
The nice background music really accentuates the mood. Sometimes soft, sometimes funny, other times serious. Each theme is unique and nothing is repeated either. The voice acting fits each character and personality very nicely. Sound FX are equally good with attention to detail such as running water, wind blowing, birds chirping, and breasts bouncing. Most of all, I love the ED theme. It’s soft and catchy. In fact, I’m looking for the song. Does anyone know where I can download it?

OVERALL 10
Well, I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed Koihime. I think it was well rounded in every way. A good story, quality art/animation, hot ecchi scenes, and a great music score, Koihime is an awesome classic that stands the test of time.

Story wise it was pretty good, except for the ending of the second episode and how the parents didn't like Musashi.

Art wise its really good, no censorship and the characters are well designed.

Sound wise it was great as far as the sex sounds and the romance themes.

Character wise it could do better, as Musashi was a bit of an idiot and the parents of the princesses needed more spice and less Musashi hating.

Enjoyment value, it scores highly despite the bittersweet ending, which really ruins it for me.

Overall I give it a 7 on thescore meter.