Hakuouki

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.

Japan's history is written mostly in blood rather than ink, which represents the source of interest for many people, with me proudly among them.

The story evolves around the Shinsengumi, the late Tokugawa Shogunate secret police.
They are followed in their struggle against the changing times where the old samurai ways of fighting and living are replaced by the incursion of western culture.
In Hakuouki the concept of time is well determinate, meaning that events don't unfold day after day and neither do battles so from that point of view its a plus.
Being a historical inspired tale ensures a certain continuity of the episodes while presenting key elements ... of that historical period.
I was literally enthralled by the fighting scenes because they aren't just flashed at great speed and because they add up to the fluidity of the series.
Also they are not displayed in the form of a white cut on a black background all while being dynamic and thrilling.

Artwork is a great combination of lighting and details that not only provides a great enviroment but also presents some of they best made individual characters I have seen in all my time since I started enjoying anime industry.

Characters have their own ideals struggles or rivalries but at times they merge into a single personality, for example when they all gather under one roof. They act according to their traits and each of them is faced with interior problems.
Since the army factor is very relevant to the series, the series display certain scenes that follow the morale of the support cast.

In the end if you enjoy a good action drama and historical tale then Hakuouki is definitely a good choice for you. It is very enjoyable while providing a good image of the events that unfolded during the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate

-Before you read this review, take note of this:
I haven't played the Hakuouki games or read the manga. This is from the perspective of someone who only watched the anime.

Story: 10
I really enjoyed the story. The historic content was interesting. The added elements of Rasetsu and the conflicts with the Oni were also captivating. There was nothing with the story that bothered me, and I didn't feel bored, not even once. I usually don't watch Shoujo anime because I hate sappy romance and girly stuff, but this anime was an exception. There were no scenes with girls crying that they love this and that. Chizuru ... was more like a member of the Shinsengumi. There was even action and sword-fighting, and that was entertaining.

Art: 10
It was amazing. The characters looked perfect. The scenery was great. The fight scenes were animated well also. Nothing to complain about here.

Sound: 10
Ending and opening sequences had nice songs that fit the anime. Sounds during the anime blended in well also.

Character: 9
I really like each Shinsengumi member. They all had different, but intriguing personalities. I would like to be around them, they were cool. The only character that bothered me was Chizuru. She tried to help out the Shinsengumi, but I still think she was a scaredy-cat. She couldn't protect herself.

Enjoyment: 10
What else can I say? It was one of my favorite animes. I even want to play the video game and read the manga now.

Overall: 10
This anime is worth it to watch!

Hello all! I'm not very good at writing but I just thought I share my thoughts on this one because i really enjoyed the first episode!
Okay this anime got me hooked. The story line is pretty much what the synopsis is! I think this anime has great potential because the art, music, personality of each character is so interesting. I thought that the artwork was somewhat dark and yet tranquil. If you like SWORDS+SAMURAI ISH+VAMPIRES/OGRE this is the anime for you. Also! I'm so into the traditional Japanese historical setting. I think it connects the past for us viewers to relate to culture. And ... i did do some research on the characters it turns out some of the characters are actual people that were military leaders so I thought that was SOOO COOL!

The opening has some hints on why I think the anime is going to do well. It hinted that there are going to be a lot of battles and each character will unfold their own tale. So I hope this helps you anime lovers. I really do love it and it's nice to finally see some hot boys fight with swords and transform into vampires if they drink this "medicine." :D

In terms of Romance, i don't want to say it is a typical romance story but in a way it is. The main female character is taken away and being protected by men. She is in a way imprisoned and kidnapped or forced against her will. Now i'm assuming love with unfold with one of the men so which is why this is a very successful romance story. If anyone reads old romance novels in general and if you don't then what makes a romance novel successful is a female usually gets kidnaped/forced to stay somewhere. At first the female will resent the men but slowly their kindness reveals and they end up falling in love. So mY PREDICTION is that this will also happen. Obviously though. haha but what i'm saying is this is "considered" a successful romance story based on what I've seen so far!!

-I apologize if this didn't help! This is like my second time writing a review~~ ^^* enjoy though!

After having watched 5 episodes of Hakuouki I feel at liberty to write that this is an excellent anime, worth every minute you take to watch it.
The story is good so far. Although not yet fully disclosed, it looks better as you watch each episode. I absolutely love the historical genre, and all the political turmoil taking place in the 19th century. I may be partial to the genre, but it evokes a constant feel of déjà vu, so I cannot go higher.
The main (male) characters (members of Kondo faction of Shinsengumi) are all named after real members of the faction. Other than that, ... they are quite typical, and there's really nothing out of the ordinary in this department. Despite the fact that this anime takes the road already travelled in the portrayal of characters, it does it good. The characters are neither boring nor two-dimensional, and they have their respective personalities. It would be a sin not to mention the fact that there's a bunch of angry, virtuous sword-wielders who are beautiful, and that the main female character is not too annoying or too incapable of action.
I guess I should elaborate on my overall grade. Truth being told, if I wasn’t writing this review I would have given it an 8 or a 9. Because, when I don’t review a series I’m mostly governed by the level of enjoyment in grading it. After careful consideration, it is impossible to give it more than 7, because Hakuouki is obviously a series made for the sake of pure enjoyment.

its still too early to say how the anime will turn out to be, I mean we are just through with episode 1. I am already seeing mixed to awesome reviews for this anime series. And why not? Its a famous "Neo-Romance" game, which has been turned into an anime now, with Bishies as the center point. Although I do have mixed feelings for this one as we already know how the previous Neo-Romance animes have ended, for example La Corda D'oro. The female protagonist never ends up with any guy, a real DISAPPOINTMENT for romance enthusiasts like me :(. I am hoping this isn't ... gonna happen here because even if the anime is having Romance as the central point, the historical & Political plot makes it more interesting (at least compared to a musical romance like Corda).

Story -9
The main plot is about the main protagonist searching for her missing father and gets the help of the Shinsengumi. While helping her almost all the guys fall for her. Sounds very much like Corda, but here comes the difference, there are some mysterious secrets that the Shinsengumi are hiding for Chizuru, our main female lead. What is the Shinsengumi being so secretive about? Why keep a female disguised as a male in their group? And why are the Shinsengumi so keen on discovering Chizuru's missing father? What do they really want from Chizuru? These are some questions like these that left me hanging and craving for more :).

Art - 10
In one word the art is beautiful (Kire desu). Its awesomely gorgeous with the way the creators have captured the background of historical time Japan. I'm sure we can look forward some more marvelous action sequence and pictorial beauty in the coming up episodes.

Sound - 9
Sound seems very apt with the anime, especially the fight sequences. Although its still the start but the OP and ED are really cool songs and maybe you can check the soundtracks of this PS2 game online. I have heard some of the OST's and they are really good. Five stars ***** for music

Character -9
Well I could have given it a 10 because of the bishies, but let's be real, bishies always look so dishy, especially in dating Sim changed into an anime series. So I tried to hold my bias here, but yes the characters look more real then in a 2-D game for sure :D.

Enjoyment - 9
OK, Bishies, history,politics with romance being the center plot and some comedy, drama and action thrown in between, you've got an almost perfect "Gourmet Delight" of entertainment served.

Overall:8
Yeah, the rating may change because we are just minus one episode so you never know ;)!!! I am looking forward to it, cant wait for the next one. MUST WATCH, that's all I can say for now.

Story. 7
It's a good setup, if you like reverse-harem. A young girl in search of her father is taken in by a group of warriors that is also searching for him. However, the plot didn't really advance all that fast. Certainly the political situation was constantly evolving, but in terms of what was going on the heroine, she was basically a bystander who did almost nothing.

Art. 9
Beautiful art, especially character design. And the fight scenes were surprisingly decent, for a reverse-harem. Fangirls who like guys with silver hair will be especially pleased.

Sound. 6
The soundtrack worked fine with the show, but ... there were no melodies that stood out to me. Not something I'd choose to listen to on its own.

Character. 8
I think character would get a 7 if not for Okita. The heroine was extremely boring and typical, the usual weak anime girl who is protected at every moment and does absolutely nothing for herself. I was fairly disappointed. I had real expectations for her development, but she was a lot like Yuki from Vampire Knight. Even after you find out she's a bit special, she doesn't do a single interesting thing. What's more, she often puts people in danger inadvertently because she can't stay put. Considering that her father was a doctor, at the very least she could have had some real medical knowledge, but all you see her doing is occasionally wrapping bandages.

Enjoyment. 6
In retrospect, I'm surprised I got through it. Until the very end, I was expecting the heroine to do something. I've seen enough anime at this point that I should've known better. Still, I'm a big fan of the reverse harem genre, and I had a weak spot for both Okita and Kazama.

Overall. 7
I've suffered way more through other shows. That's why it gets a 7 even though I didn't get much out of it. I do not recommend this to guys. I do not recommend this to girls who like strong heroines. If you need comedy in your anime, or strong plot, it's also not for you. And there weren't enough fights to satisfy someone who likes a lot of swordplay in their shows. This is really just for reverse-harem/bishounen/vampire fans and maybe those who are especially into artistically beautiful anime regardless of content.

I've seen a lot of negative reviews on this anime citing that it's boring, there is too much history, not enough action and so on. Frankly, you're in the wrong section. If you read a description and don't recognize the time periods or groups the anime is using, don't downrate it because you are ignorant of history.

Now, that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this anime. It's set in a very similar time period to Rurouni Kenshin except Hakuouki is set before and during the revolution. It revolves around a girl named Chizuru who left Edo to search for her father in Kyoto. While there, ... she runs into the Shinsengumi (who you may also remember from Kenshin) and they decide to keep her around because her father is the doctor they are looking for.

There is a lot of criticism for Chizuru's character. That she is a "Mary-Sue" and is weak. This anime is set in 1863 in a realistic Japanese backdrop. I don't think the women's rights movement had quite made it over there yet, folks. Chizuru is already walking the line by dressing like a man and carrying a sword for 99% of the show. Expecting her to suddenly turn into the ultra warrior during the age of samurai vs. bullets is, frankly, unrealistic. Keeping this in mind, I did find her character likeable. She really does do everything in her power to protect those around her and help as much as she can, despite being female. I can think of maybe 2 instances where she was "annoying" and both are easily made up for and forgotten. Chizuru also hides a powerful secret in her heritage that makes her wanted by several different groups hunting her.

The bulk of the rest of the cast is made up of bishonen and random soldiers. This anime is often classified as a "reverse harem" but I really don't see that. These guys do not fight over her, nor are more than 1 of then attracted to her. If having one female character and lots of males qualifies at as a harem then fine, but if you're expecting fights over the girl you're in the wrong section again.

The relationship between the heroine and the male lead doesn't even heat up until well towards the end of the 1st season and into the second. This is about 4 years in the anime. Make no mistake, this is definitely a character and history piece. At the end of it all, Hakuouki is about the overthrow of the Shogunate and the people it affected. It explores their relationships, their characters, and how far they are willing to go to survive in an era where samurai and ronin are a dying breed.

I found the story outstanding. I enjoy character and history pieces and this is one of my favorite settings. The Art is well done and they actually animate the sword fights instead of just showing that one still shot of the character swinging his sword. The music is, obviously, not modern at all but it fits this piece fantastically.

The characters are a tad weak. Not so much the female lead, but in the males. However, this could be attributed to there being 10 males for every 1 female in this series. Most of the male characters end up staying in the background even if they are named because there just isn't enough time to get to all of them. To be honest, I confused 2 of the main male characters with each other until close to the end of the first season. They aren't annoying or unlikeable, quite the opposite, but they just are not very memorable.

I enjoyed this anime a lot. I sat and devoured the first season in a sitting and am now working on the second. I am looking forward to the relationship between the male and female lead to finally blossom and I hope they have a happy ending!

This anime is one of the few rare decent reverse harem anime that exist. The fact that it was based on real life events may not seem original but it interprets them in its own way with supernatural twists added to it. I have not played the game, but as an anime only watcher I found it could be a standalone anime adaptation. The events that happened made sense to me and there is sufficient explanation of why certain events took place.

The plot progression is at first quite slow, but it is understandable to take some time for world building and understanding the characters ... and their motives better.
The characters such as Hijikata Toshizo and Souji Okita were based on real life people in that era and if one has some background knowledge on them it may increase your enjoyment of this series. There is an added bonus of them all being very good looking as well.

The main female protagonist Yukimura Chizuru may be the weakest part of the story though. However, considering the era she lived in, she is actually quite brave to take the actions that she did. She also has an interesting backstory attached.

Another good thing in this anime is that the romance is not the most important thing to the story. Even if it is a reverse harem, it does not focus too much in the romance. There is no annoying cliche moments of being unable to decide which male interest she should choose. Her interactions with the other main characters other than the one she likes do not seem to be with romance in mind.

From the beginning there is a mystery that needs to be solved in which everything is revealed later on. There are various bits of information that is revealed throughout the series. It is later in the series that it starts getting intense. Even being prepared for it will not help. It is then you realise this is not like the typical reverse harem. Do not expect this to be a very fluffy slice of life anime. There are wars and conflicts happening all the time.

One thing to note is the action scenes. I was surprised to find the animation for the action scenes were pretty good. It is smooth and fluid, which is unexpected since this is supposed to be a shoujo anime.

The thing that stood out for me was the ost. It is simply amazing. The atmospheric ost just fits the series perfectly. The songs are played just at the right moments and adds to the melancholic scenes. While the setting is already beautiful with cherry blossoms as a recurring theme, it forms a perfect harmony with the ost.

After watching the whole series is when you would understand just why this series is good. This anime excels at beautiful sad moments and tragedy.

The added fantasy in this anime helps it stand out among other historical anime. Despite what most people would think, the fantasy and historical drama themes are woven together perfectly. The romance isn't exactly the best, mostly because it's just an afterthought in my opinion.

The story ties your thoughts on what the participants in war go through to protect their honor and country. Though like most historical dramas, it's a real tear jerker. The plot makes it so that you start to understand what the characters are feeling throughout the many battles they fight.

One of the downsides to the anime was that Yukimura Chizuru can't ... really protect herself. It makes sense, yes, but I have yet to find a good historical anime that features a female protagonist that doesn't constantly need saving.

Overall, this anime is very enjoyable and has a well-thought story.

This is the big one.

The story is interesting, it's dynamic and, except the supernatural stuff, it's history based. This, for me, was the biggest surprise and enjoyment, the facts, the characters, the battles, the war, the ending, it all happened, and it shows the shift moment in Japan from swords to gun-power.

The characters (existed like I said). There are interesting, quite classic, the serious one, the funny one, the childish one, the quite one, the smart one and so one. (from girls perspective) they are sexy as hell.

The battles are enjoyable to watch, not bloody, but enough to show the fact, that ... it's life and death.

The supernatural line in story bends in quite good and doesn't mess with the history fact to much.

The ending is perfect, even if you need a little drink after it.

Overall - enjoyable, interesting, very informative, beautiful and romance line, even if small, give the story its softness and sadness.

I really like this anime :D I'm not a fan of historical anime, so i was sceptical at first, but this turned out rather good.
First of all, as a girl i must admit all the male protagonists are just kawaai
But thats not the reason i like it.
I find the idea of creating an all-wound healing medicine quite interesting.And also the "going insane " part.(You'll see when you watch the anime)
Time to time it really gets creepy.And the main character is also cool...Chizuru i mean.She's very brave and also kind.Not that it's something very special as a personality, but i've become quite attached to her.
Hopefully ... this will be one of the 25-30 series animes, would be sad if they ruin it with fillers.
Oh and the music is really nice, i love watching the opening

One of my anime-waiting-list this year coz I loooove Shinsengumi! And the most happiest thing for me, they finaly draw Hijikata more handsome than Okita ahahah. Well compare to other animes with the Shinsengumi guys in too u know. Even Saitou makes me dream about him. Also some great seiyuus like Miki Shinichirou, Morikubou Shotarou, Yusa Kouji, Toriumi Kousuke... OMG !

Of course, the story itself based on Jidaigeki (- real japan history mixed with fantasies). Use Yukimura Chizuru as the protagonist who's involves with Shinsengumi on her journey looking for her missing-father. In which I believe she's never exist on any history of Shinsengumi. Just ... enjoy it while take a good look for the Shinsen bishounen-tachi ne. Fun for watch really! The scene-battles also good to look at it. Very cool I told u that. if u've seen Peacemaker,well.. i think Hakuouki's a little better more than that coz there's also magic and so on. Following by beautiful design-character *u can see in eps of Sambala too*

Chizuru's story starts off in quite a common manner ( minus the rounin who are chasing her for reasons unknown ). Her father goes missing and she decides that it's been far too long since she heard from him so armed with a sword and a boy's attire, she sets out. Only to attract the attention of rounin who have nothing better do than chase a "boy" who did nothing to them ( I still have no idea why they were chasing her but well, rounin are rounin and we need something to start off with ).

Much to Chizuru's horror, the rounin are cut ... down by demon-like men, their hair gleaming white in the dark of the night. And they're about to cut her down too, when three men suddenly appear and save the day. But no, these men are not your conventional heroes. They are part of the Shinsengumi, a group of "police officers" whom the general population share no feelings of camaraderie for, at that time, a rebellion was slowly stirring.

Chizuru is handled none-too-gently for witnessing what happened and the Vice-Commander, Hijikata Toushizou is convinced that "he" must be killed. The gentle Commander, Kondou Isami is hesitant and we are slowly introduced to the other characters at this point. Okita Souji, Saitou Hajime, Harada Sanosuke, Toudou Heisuke, Nagakura Shinpachi and Sannan Keisuke. Chizuru is saved by the fact that the Shinsengumi too, is searching for her father and they they agree to keep her with them until he is found.

Hakuouki is a historical anime and still surprisingly, all the main male characters are models of the real-life people, apart from Sannan-san. One thing that you'll love about the anime is the male characters. All of them, while fiercely protective of Chizuru, do not display what typical reverse harem boys do. They don't constantly try to grab her attention or sweep her off her feet, only trying to cheer her up and sharing their true feelings with her. If there are any special feelings, the boys give way to the canon couple because there is no time to fight over love when everything they've been fighting for is falling apart.

Chizuru, while spending time with the group, discovers quite accidentally exactly why the Shinsengumi are searching for her father and is shocked. A not-so-chance meeting with a mysterious blond who is after her reveals much about herself that even she had no idea about.

Most people describe Chizuru as a spineless character who is of absolutely no use but I think that's exactly what she exists for - to bring out the best of the male characters. It's true that she's mostly unable to fight for herself, having to constantly depend on others but it's not exactly her fault. She has the ability to move on and tries her best to help others.

The anime managed to capture my attention with the events that were going on. Slowly but surely, the cogs of fate began to turn and started breaking down the protective shield that made the Shinsengumi what it was. Hakuouki is not at all the sparkles and rainbows it appears to be. The events of the anime faithfully follow what happened in real life and then you begin to realise that victory doesn't come as easily as it appears to.

Even so, Hakuouki is intriguing exactly because of that. Enemies and evil are not black and white. It's a blend of colours, never singular and that's exactly what the inevitable war that the Shinsengumi are about to face is. The end of this first season points towards more bloodshed, tragedy and unfortunate events. At this point of time, can they keep holding on?

The characters are not one-sided. They have flaws, their own personalities and they make decisions that might not always be the right thing. Their lives, quite refreshingly, do not centre around the female lead and the choices they make might, at times, be surprising. If you're someone like me who has a strong interest in historical events, then Hakuouki is the anime for you. It explores what happened in a truly gripping way.

I fell in love with the OP and ED but the OSTs are quite mediocre. The voice acting, however, was superb and the characters were really expressed well, especially Okita's voice, which I really fell in love with and Chikage, whom Tsuda Kenjirou-san voiced ( I absolutely loved him as Spanner ).

The animation was one of the strong points, in my opinion, Hakuouki is rightfully not tagged reverse harem but the bishounen quality is still there and the colours are kind of dark-themed, there aren't really any bright colours.

Hakuouki, as the first part of the series, did a wonderful job of introducing the characters to us.

It's not just fans of historical anime, I honestly don't think action fans will be disappointed by this either and if you're a huge fan of romance, then Hakuouki will definitely fulfill your thirst for it. Masochistic people ( like me ) who just can't stop watching tragedies, then, this, surprisingly might just be your cup of tea.

I dislike anything that has to do with war- and Japanese wars are prettty boring right? The word "Shinsengumi" seems like a refined word for battle and it's not because of the fact that this had good looking characters that i watched this anime- i was literally bored.

But this when compared to the original Hijikata Toshizo and the fictional one in this anime seems to share a lot of attributes. The whole story goes with the original one except for the supernatural elements, And this would be probably educational to a history buff or a Harem lover.

All starts with a girl who gets thrown ... unexpectedly into the Shinsengumi, gender bendered in order to find her father. This dedicatedly follows the true history written in Japan except for a few supernatural elements which were used for either Fan service or to make the anime less boring as it was historical. Some of the characters are real whilst i need to do more research: Hajime/Hijikata/Okita/Kondo/Yamazaki/Harada/Heisuke/Shinpachi are recorded in the real events. All other characters to my current knowledge might be fictional.

So now onto some real Shinsengumi facts:(no spoilers)-Wikipedia

**Hijikata Toshizo died a true warriors death- he was Oni Lieutenant but had human feelings- like he cried in one of the men's funerals who committed Seppuku. He was spoiled and handsome-but later became much matured.

True words: "I am not going to battle to win. With the Tokugawa government about to collapse, it would be a disgrace if no one is willing to go down with it. That is why I must go. I will fight the best battle of my life to die for the country"

**Hajime Saito- true swords man- Okita Souji feared his skills and he was a teacher at a dojo before coming to Shinsengumi. He was married later on.(sorry fan girls!)

**Heisuke Todo- Illegimate son of Takayuki Todo(rumor)posessed a sword of a higher ranking. Was the 8th Division Captain later on.

**Okita Souji :Was a relative of Kondo? And there was said to be an unusual relationship between Hijikata and him but it was not proved. He was a child prodigy and he did have a sister- two sisters in fact. (Gintama fans!)

Story:Was predictable- this could have been quite boring to a Japanese citizen as he/she probably knows the facts and how it's going to end. But i bet the added story elements and other key supernatural components must make it interesting without doubt. Has some epic plot twists,battle scenes,romance scenes and what's not.

Art: Was eye-candy- I'll admit secretly that i too wanted to be Chizuru at some point and take care of these guys. The clothes/swords/sakura petals/geishas were done and illustrated beautifully as required.

Sound: The opening was superb- totally attractive. There seem to be one unique soundtrack both in the original version and a piano version which added beautifully to the sorrowful scenes which i wept excessively. The Seiyus did a great job- especially Souji and Heisuke oh and Hijikata.

Character: Well these are bad-ass men fighting wars and training in dojos in their spare time. What kind of a treatment would a girl get with these lions? Question was difficult the answer is simple- all of them are amazing personalties. They all had their flaws and pros- but this anime gave a light hearted feeling to the whole situation. The Shinsengumi in here gave out the "family" feeling being Hijikata the mother, Kondo as the father and all others children- you can laugh- but's that should be the true feeling of a dedicated team who stakes their lives lol. The only chara which i failed to understand is Kazama- all other characters seemed unique to the plot. The Shinsengumi characters were comprised given the real background they should have been given- and that was very fascinating.

Enjoyment: I enjoyed the anime to my heart's content. I didn't know the stuff was real in this or else i would have watched it more intently. The conflicts-commotions all those little scenes that made you laugh all seems to add up on how would have Shinsengumi lived in reality. Did they lived happily like this- having incoming battles all the time? Or is it the total opposite?

Overall: I gave it an 8 although i was highly intended to give it a 7 at first- but due to the successful attempts in each category- it totally earned it's own score by respecting true events and representing the characters to the fullest level imaginable. This is by far a very interesting anime and i can't give a higher rating than that.

Dedicated review to those of the Shinsengumi for their dedication and admirable chivalry towards their country.

So when i started to watch this, i was really not sure if i was going to like it or not. It's a little old so i wasn't sure if the art styles would be as good as i am used too, on that account i was wrong to be concerned. Once i started watching it, i just loved it. The fighting is really well done and i like that the plot loosely follows historical events while adding in a good slice of fantasy. It was enough to keep my hooked the entire way threw. I don't think you have to be a girl to ... enjoy watching it either, although its certainly catered to that audience. If it has any major flaw, i agree with others who don't really like the female lead very much. Although i don't think she is so bad as deserve some of the criticism. She is a little washy washy at times but she also has good moments as well.

This anime wasn't Unique. Nice story about this girl wanting to find her father but she ends up in the Shinsengumi Headquarter. One bad thing is that the plot unfolded quicklier than i expected, for instance: in one episode the main character was up to be killed by the Shinsengumi and in the next episode this girl was friends with all of them. as of the animation it was good nothing was bad there except from some spilled details in some fights. the anime generally was Enjoyable with many nice scenes and nice soundtracks. the characters were plainly good

Now the good thing about this anime ... is that despite it being a shoujo one it has no to much kissing huging and crying stuff that i expected... in the contrary it has many fights and killings things that can make the anime seem more like a shounen one...

i have TONS of things to write about this anime but it has a second season so i'll be patient

Hakuouki is a very good anime. I watched it like 2 or 3 months ago. Its sad and exciting! This is my first time watching a historical anime and its good (based on real Japanese history)! I must say the main character is very...Defenseless, she sometimes piss me off. Probably you too. Other than that the story is nice! The drawings are good and...Yeah! Oh, and just to let you know, this anime will also make you cry. There will also be a season 2 this October. Yes, October 20th 2010, it will be released. All in all, I hoped this help!

Loved it!

For first i will say sorry for my language because english is my 3rd language so it will suck little bit. But enough of that.

The Hakuouki series is my favourite anime for long time, i found it really hard to find animes and mangas that will fit in my taste.
But in Hakuouki they have everything, good plot, amazing art and good characters. I don't know why some people don't like Chizuru, okay she sometimes get's on my nerve but she is good.
And one thing that i love about Hakuouki it's the song, i love them.

But overall it's amazing anime. I can't wait for ... the movies.

It's no wonder almost all the reviews start with the fact that Hakuouki is based of an otome game ( generally a game where the main objective is to get pampered by pretty boys with the perspective of one of them falling in love with you). It's this fact that made me ignore this title even though I stumbled upon it so many times.
Why?

Well, because even though I am a girl, I don't like the fact that this genre obviously thinks the viewer/player is a brainless moron that doesn't notice things being thrown right at them.
Well, did the show meet my expectations?
Well, Yes and No.

On ... the technical side of things Hakuouki surprised me with its attention to detail, motion, fluid animation and effort to make the most out of what the staff had to work with.
It's not just a still shot with a moving mouth. Not just arms and legs thrown in the air with no relation to clothing and accessories. In this show, when a person moves, the hair wraps around him, the katana at their leg shifts, the clothes shuffle. It's an obvious thing but there's too little anime shows that enjoy this amount of attention : like the subtle movements of the hand when a katana is drawn or when a person in a hakama is standing up. Have you ever put a kinomo on? Walked in zori? It's not as easy to stand up in any of those.

Which brings me to another beautiful aspect of this show.
Maybe precisely because it was based on a game, the costume designs are really detailed and beautiful. It's not just the same clothes with a colour variation. Every character wears his kimono and hakama in a different manner and this is true for the side characters also. There's probably a thousand ways to tie an obi and this anime shows it. The amount of detail to living, buildings, everyday household items and other time period details is astonishing and really beautiful.

This is also true of the historical side of the story here, which I believe is also the best part of the story in general. All the events, except probably those involving Chizuru and the..demons..vampires..whatever...are historically relevant if not true. And if this was the main plot it would have been a brilliant historical piece. The anime could have stood together so wonderfully just based on that.

Changes and innovations are a great thing but they do need to have a point. And that's the case with the "vampire" saga here. It serves no purpose! Will the story stay the same if it were gone-yes! Anyone who knows a bit of Japanese history should know where the story is heading. Will the characters and their relationships change- no! It's just a big distraction! And a loss of time that can seriously be made to fill in some very needed character development and historical background.
Since it's a Japanese show and the characters are real people, the names, places and details are being thrown right at you. And by the end of season one it's kind of hard to follow the historical events already. I think a serious amount of wasted time can be used to develop the relationships between the fighting factions. Get some insight on their motifs for example. It doesn't matter if you've read it in history books, it's just how it looks when you put the show together.

The characters in this show, of course are all pretty and a huge eye candy. And if the anime didn't have a lot of other good points, I'd probably leave it at that. However in a show that has something to offer, bad points tend to stand out even more. I wouldn't say the characters are not enjoyable or they don't have their personalities developed. They do. But in a very sort of clichéd, stereotyped way. They are obviously there because they need to attract different target groups. You can tell immediately that his is the fun guy and that's the serious guy and oh, we have a guy for every taste here (just in case, you know..) and you all know how they're going to act...yuppie...and they all have to pamper you..oh, I mean the main character that you're totally not supposed to identify with.....BORING! And that's the thing I really hate about this kind of show. YES! We do like the eye candy, but it doesn't have to hit us on the head like a cannon ball for us to notice!

Overall, if you don't mind the bishies thrown at you at every corner, it's an enjoyable show with some really great detail, animation, some really nicely choreographed and directed fighting scenes and a strong historical background that make it exciting to watch. The score isn't bad and fits nicely though I wish it had more of a classical Japanese tone to it. Because everything in the show is so tied to the time period, this is the only thing missing to really make it feel like you're thrown right in the middle of things.