Hakuouki: Hekketsuroku

Personally, I really really like this anime. (In fact, it's my favorite one as of now). But looking at the other reviews, I can tell that not everyone agrees... Well, I guess we all have our own opinions. :-/ Anyways, this review will also refer back to the first season, and may contain spoilers.

Story: 10
I found the story very interesting; and never once thought the anime was boring while watching it. I like the way that they make the anime last over a couple of years, rather than in a short amount of time like some other animes. But part of the reason why I ... rather enjoyed the story plot is because of the fact that I enjoy things that are more serious and realistic; so if you're someone that likes something silly and fun, this anime definitely isn't for you. I think that that is another reason why some people found the anime boring...cause most animes nowadays are filled with silly little moments (that are also rather unrealistic) that are supposed to amuse the watcher. Hakuouki doesn't really have any of those, so once again I suggest that you should only watch this anime if you enjoy serious story plots. Hakuouki (especially the second season) also contains some sad moments, another thing that I always look for in anime. Personally I really like sad animes as well, which is another reason why Hakuouki matched my preferences so much.

Art: 10
Well, I'm not too picky about art, so I don't care too much about it. The only thing I really look for in an anime art-wise is whether or not I like the style of the characters. And well, I found that the style of Hakuouki looks very nice compared to many other animes, so I immediately took interest in it. Truthfully, the only reason I started watching Hakuouki was because of the fact that I saw a picture of the style and like it.

Sound: 9
Actually I'm not really sure what it means by sound...so I'm just gonna assume they mean the music and stuff. As far as the OSTs go, I find that they really suit the anime so I'm giving the sound a 9. The openings and endings also really suited it, and I also enjoyed them personally, so all in all I say the sound is good.

Characters: 9
Personally, I really like the characters in Hakuouki. I like how everyone acts realistically, and how I can imagine a real person acting like them. In other animes, I constantly find myself asking 'Would a person actually do that?' because of how ridiculous they make someone act. No, I don't really have anything against that, but since I like it when animes make characters act realistic, I found myself really liking the characters of Hakuouki. Now what I see a lot are people hating on the main female character; Chizuru. True, she's not as likable as the other 'main' characters, but I actually kinda like her. Yes, sometimes I found myself saying 'Come on Chizuru! Try to protect yourself for once!', but I personally thought it was realistic at the same time since back then women were treated as inferior to men. And since Hakuouki is pretty realistic as far as the way they make the characters act and the way they stick to history, I had nothing against Chizuru for being like that. And the reason why I found myself liking Chizuru was because of some lines she says in the anime. I don't know about other people, but I like having 'favorite lines' in certain animes, so Hakuouki is no different. And some of my 'favorite lines' in Hakuouki come from Chizuru herself, which (to me) shows how she is more mature than you'd initially think she'd be.

Enjoyment: 10
Well, I really like this anime; there's not much to say. :3 Pretty much all the reasons why I like it so much is said above, so I don't have anything to add.

Recommendation:
So, all in all, I would only recommend this anime to people who enjoy animes that are more serious, have a bit of violence, have sad moments, and have characters that act more realistic than other animes. If you're looking for an anime that is either silly, fun, or romantic, I would suggest you looking for another anime. Yes, there are some moments that are more happy and fun, but there aren't many of those. And yes, there is also some romance in the anime, but it comes a lot later so those that are watching Hakuouki just for the romance would be disappointed.

Alot of people i have talked to, dislike this anime. Some of the reviews i have read, on here and on other sites, are poor.
In my opinion however this was a great anime. I may not be very experienced in anime watching, but i thought that this show had a great story line and great characters. I do wish this show had a bit of a happier way about it, but based on what it did have i think it was a very sad, yet amazing anime.
I would surely watch this again, and reccomend it to people. It may not be the best anime out ... there, I have seen beter ones, but in my opinion it is no where near the worst and is great!
I gave this anime a 9/10 overal I think i need to see more anime to decide weather or not this is truely a great anime, but so far in my book it is excellent.

I'm starting to think that the folk that disliked this anime series simply didn't understand it. I'll be blunt. I'll go as far to say that this series is categorized wrong.

This is not a harem.
This is not shoujo.
It WAS an Otome.

It's not anymore.This is a history and character piece about war. This is a drama. This has to do with coping samurai during the dawn of the Meiji era. It's not a happy go lucky "we all want the girl" series. It can be very sad at times and characters will die.

If this does not appeal to you then look ... elsewhere. Don't bother watching it then giving it poor reviews that say it's "boring" because you don't like Japanese history or can't understand a character contemplating why they are still alive when all their friends are dead.

It's also worth mentioning that the characters that form the backbone of the Shinsengumi squad in this anime are all taken from history and actually existed. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinsengumi)

Chizuru still gets so much hatred for being "weak" but people really forget she's not walking around Tokyo in 2012. This is in the 1860's and she's a woman. I'm not sure what part of that is so hard to understand. This is the way it was. Women poured tea, sat in the back and rarely fought. Bashing the character because the show is set in the past is ridiculous.

That being said, this arc had some of the most gut-wrenching, well delivered monologues I have heard in a series to date and I've been watching anime for 20 years. Toshi's piece at the end of episode 16 had me bawling. I'm currently raving about this series and I'm having a hard time understanding why it gets such poor reviews.

This series is sad. I said that earlier but i don't think I got my point across. This second season is wrapping up the war in the only way you know it can end. I probably cried more during this second season than I have watching any other series. The story is fantastic and very enjoyable if you know what you're getting into and can handle the drama.

I found the art fitting and superb. Whether it be a scene with snow or a sword fight, it never fails to deliver. The sound and music is fitting for the era the anime is set in. Very little modern music here and the intro and ending songs are extremely well suited.

The characters do nothing but get better and shine in this arc. Every one gets his time to shine right up until the very end. Even some you may have thought weren't the best. I won' t give away any plot points but they do an excellent job of tugging on the heartstrings here with decisions they make.

The romantic relationship between the male and female leads continues to take a backseat to the war story being told until the very VERY end but, honestly, I'm happy with that. There is very little time or space for hearts and flowers in the war-torn countryside. It IS there but it's not very pronounced and their relationship is very traditionally Japanese. If you're here mainly for a love story with a small dash of war drama, look elsewhere because this is the exact opposite. This is a war drama with a pinch of a love story.

Overall, I got a lot of enjoyment out of this series. I enjoyed the history, the drama, and just the way the story was told. You'll end up blubbering like a baby at the end though. The end is also a little ambiguous as to what happens but if you're like me you'll look to the happy side.

10/10 - Amazingly well done. Too damn sad to watch again.

Hakuouki is probably one of the top anime dramas around and Hekketsuroku, not counting the latest - currently airing - prequel, is by far the better one.

Hakuouki is tagged as "shoujo" because it is based on an otome game (a game designed for girls) but I can tell you for sure that the anime and it's plot are not really centered around the needy, rather colorless main female lead, but on emphasizing some historical facts about the military force of the time known as the Shinsengumi.
As many people are put out by the female character, who, during the first season, looks really out ... of place among the Shinsengumi, I would like to state this firmly: Chizuru is not the main focus of this show. The way I see it, CHizuru and her lacking personality is just a reminiscence of the original otome game which, as being addressed to a young female public, had to have this character to serve as an avatar for the player herself: Chizuru is colorless because she is a mere "virtual shell" for the player who is trying a bit of roleplay. Simply put, Chizuru is a secondary character, but a main instrument.

On my personal opinion, I suppose the staff could have come up with a better idea of a female character, provided it was actually needed for it to be, but they probably needed to stick to the original creator's idea.

In other words, I was completely unimpressed by Chizuru and totally won over by the rest of the show, especially by the history behind it and the way the show paid attention to some crucial details that build up the drama and tension of some people that actually existed (yes, knowing Hijikata was actually a real guy does make you cross your fingers everytime he is fighting).

Back to the actual history behind this anime. A lot of shows around here have samurais and they all tell about honor, death, protecting the ideals and stuff like this because this is what best sells. Hakuouki proves that true historical feeling can't be brought up just by having a guy with sword willing to die everytime his honor is at stake. The spirit of the samurai wasn't actually that shallow and real people, as well as human values, change with time. Hakuouki succeeds in depicting exactly this conflict, between the old and the new, the "death" of the samurais, coming along with the fireguns that slowly transformed them into what they are now: legends and stories of a bravery that was not measured by automatic tools.

Shinsengumi were this special military force assigned to defend the shogun empire. Although they were following the samurai code, they were't samurais and they were recruiting from among the normal people as long as they were willing to respect the code and die by it, were they to break it. The male characters in Hakuouki serve this purpose of showing how a lot of different and dispersed people came together following the belief they had in common, they were nor noble, nor more gifted than any other simple person. Regarding their clothing, I have read some opinions here and there about how flashy and inappropriate they were dressed in the show. Well, the real Shinsengumi uniform was exactly that: blue and yellow, flashy with the purpose of intimidating the enemy. Due to this one excentricity, their reputation was rather tainted, as they did not follow the common customs. Moreover, just as in the anime, they were using this knots and cords to keep a better control on their kimonos and large sleeves during the fights, so that they could have a better freedom during the fightings.

That being said, the producers didn't actually want to just make the guys look flashy: that was what Shinsengumi was about. Those "flying" laces around Hijikata are not there just to make him look like a "shoujo-ish" character, they are the that distinctive Shinsengumi cords I was talking about. The certain Souji Okita tying his sword to his hand (I bet everyone has this imagine stuck in their head by now) I believe is not mere coincidence either, but rather just another symbolic way of showing the practical thinking of the Shinsengumi. Nothing out of place or too theatrical.

What made the anime version of the Shinsengumis very dear to me was their change of uniform that occured in the beginnng of this season 2. Sure enough, the real version of those uniforms wasn't that good looking but even so, it resembles. While the real Shinsengumi uniform had its story and charm, by adapting to a modern european style they are in fact trying to cope with the new and replace the old, heavy and difficult traditional japanese armor. Again, their act is not seen with a good eye by the more conservative society. I found it somehow heartbreaking - the way they are trying to adapt to the new while still fighting for, basically, an old, lost cause.

Other details that I was able to spot include Hijikata's first pose in his new uniform, which is teh anime reproduction of an actual photo of the man wearing that uniform. Also, reading about Shinsengumis one could also find out that Harada's scar on his belly isn't some appearance trick, but has an actual real explanation behind it. Harada, just as the real one, mastered a spear and not a sword and thus he was, they say, ridiculed for being a mere peon and not even being able to commit a proper seppuku - of course, harada wished to prove the guy wrong.( On a side note, considering he didn't die, I assume he proved he wasn't actual able to perform a proper seppuku ....) Later on though, it is said he was showing his scar off with pride and also was inspired by it while chosing his family's crest.

The drama of the Shinsengumis parting and disbanding or dying is fascinating as it is also based on what actually happened to the real Shinsengumi. Basically, a group of people that strongly believed in their code, not making any distinction between their members as long as they were willing to train, was bound to end the way they did (in real life) along with the end of that era. The inner conflict of all the male characters is not only believable, but true to reality. I deeply admire that the anime did not try to change the facts even thought they had to have, here and there, sugar coated scenes so that Chizuru could also have her part once in a while.

The sueprnatural factor in the show is, ofc, not related to anything that has actually happened in real life, but I believe it was a perfect add for three reasons:
1. as for the Shinsengumi: normal people such as themselves, trying to be something "more" and save the things that they believe in, no matter the cost, is believable.
2. producers didn't use this to alter the facts in the end and that is good because I assume the temptation of making it a happy end was big, considering the characters' empowerment. Thus, them basically "failing"
again, even with supernatural help, just adds to the main drama.
3. being feared by the people is better suggested through the use of that certain elixir, than just by being part of the Shinsengumi, as in the case of the actual real people - either way, the effect is the same which is admirable.

I have to express my respect for the way some sad scenes were made.I heard people comparing this show to Clannad because... it made them cry even more. To be honest, I also cry easily but for some reason, this show just deeply impressed me, having an impact even deeper than the actually tearjerking stuff because it used a lot the power of suggestion rather than cheap old plain visible drama. I'm talking about, for example, not showing the moment of someone's death, you know, like the guy mumming his last breath, but showing some other details that let you figure out what actually happened. While in a way it is painful not to see it, because some people also cling to the hope that maybe "he didn't die", the way they animated this just gives a more noble feeling towards it. Simply put, it's elegant and triggers emotions.

Not much left to be said. I found the animation to be very... "shounen" like actually. A lot of action is present during fights and I found it very enjoyable, detailed and smooth, with cool effects. The guys look awesome, even if it wa sintended for the "shoujo" public (maybe - or probably?) I do believe the guys' faces. attitudes and behaviours are fit for what the original Shinsengumi were - some hell of a cool guys. There is quite a lot blood and gore present also.

The music is good, not everything is memorable, except for certain sad themes, but it fits the scenes and it doesn't make you feel like only the music is running the whole excitement. The very strong point of the sound is the use of drums during the tensioned scenes. It just builds up on that "samurais and assassins" athmosphere too damn well.

The history, the characters themselves, the sounds, it's impossible not to get hypnotized by the feeling of this show. In fact I am pretty sure I'll rewatch this soon after I finish watching the Reimeiroku also, hoping it will also be unforgettable.

There was only one thing I can say after finishing this anime.

"What a waste of my time."

Recommended for people who want historical facts about Shinsengumi.

If you came looking to watch an anime about monsters, damsels in distress and valiant warriors. You've found the right anime. If you came looking for a anime documentary on Shinsengumi and Hijikata (pretty close to it), this is almost the right anime for you.

But you'll not get anything beyond that. It tried to hard to be too many things and in the end failed to accomplish much. It had monsters with little focus on them, it had damsels in distress ... that was damsels in distress with a very weak character development (actually I can barely tell if there was any) and couldn't do anything but get into trouble and be a burden to everyone.

I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a story on Shinsengumi or Hijikata or the girl. There was not much of a build up, definitely no climax and a terrible end (this is actually debatable, because I thought the end was the only good thing about it).

Been a while since I reviewed something with such a low score, so... get your popcorn ready if you wanna read my 100% personal, biased, interpretation of dirt. Because I'll be dishing it out by the PAN.

To start - I fully enjoyed Hakuouki Season 1. Even gave it an 8/10. It's got ridiculously good looking ikemen, fighting/action, natural dialogue among characters, and a solid plot based on real historical events in Japan ... sounds like all the elements of a 素晴らしい subarashii anime (let me be my weeb self). I loved every minute of it as much as I love my 'historical otome ... games.' Even if Hakuouki was mostly based on entertainment value and not actually worth much in history books, it was still a delight to watch. I was shocked I hadn't heard of such an excellent series.

Then I started Season 2 (aka episode 12 - 24, some sites display the videos together), and my thoughts turned to 'ah, now I know why.' The quality, story, and characters rapidly deteriorate. The biggest factor for its failure lie in its protagonist, Chizuru. The second factor was simply 'too many plot elements.'

I'll start with (2), because I could write a book on (1).
There's just too much going on, plot wise.
- History from centuries ago
- Samurai / warrior bushido code and lifestyle
- 7 handsome dudes
- Zombies/vampires being artificially created
- Demons something something supernatural world war (will detail this later).

It's a really ambitious undertaking for any story to include so many elements. Hakuoki might not have been 'the worst' at juggling multiple themes, but it still detracted from what could've been a really great series. Season 1 introduced each theme gradually, in a way that made sense. But Season 2 just threw everything at the wall, with each element taking turns on 'this is suddenly important' rotating cycle, with no clear logic or timeline.

People who enjoy ambiguity will probably enjoy this kind of momentum, but for others who prefer a structured progression, this is definitely not the series for you.

Now, onto the main failure that is known as Yukimura Chizuru - a character who should be banned from all screens, media, and devices, save for 'here's how to NOT write a character.'
- SPOILERS AHEAD -

1. Chizuru's sword is a decoration, not a weapon.
Set in times of war, strife, and battle, it's pretty natural that people 'kill or be killed.' Not Chizuru. We watch her get 'saved' as a damsel in distress more than eight times... and she doesn't lift her sword once. We don't actually see her fight, ever, so the sword might as well be a decoration.

I got real sick of it. It's okay to not fight, but don't pretend to - that's where my anger lies. It's just kinda insulting to people who actually can hold their own (and I assume) people like Princess Sen or her shinobi, REAL WARRIOR WOMEN!!!!!

Worse, the Shinsengumi guys go from warning her 'You need to hold your own, protect yourself, we're not always going to protect you,' to full on defending her and her INTENTIONALLY HELPLESS WAYS. I grew sick of whatever excuses people made for her, and angrier at the guys for allowing it / change of attitude. It doesn't get any more contradictory than that.

Initially, I liked her other qualities. It was just the 'helpless' habit that pissed me off and reminded me very much of 'Saya' from Blood+, where it's like, "I'll always be in the face of danger but conveniently panic and not actually do anything while people around me die and try to save me."

I can't stand that attitude. It is just really selfish and the battleground is too costly a place to be selfish.

The least she could've done, if it's something she was bad at. Was to freaking train. She basically lived with soldiers; is someone going to live in a dojo 24/7 and tell me they refuse to pick up a sword or even practice? Once? Yup, that's Yukimura for you.

2. Chizuru is playing house.
Chizuru becomes something of a domestic housekeeper to the Shinsengumi - yes, even though they were soooo reluctant to let her join them. If they had this been this lenient in real life. Heck, any woman could've joined "the ranks." She cooks, cleans, makes tea, and doesn't make much progress (physically or psychologically) beyond the occasional errand running.

She was very lacking and predictable as a character. I really, really would've enjoyed this if she actually cared about her demon blood and was less of a traitor / try to see other sides. She pretends to be this selfless and compassionate individual, but really. She was affectionate and compassionate to a SELECTIVE few, so not actually a kind or good person.

A demon princess who REFUSES TO acknowledge her heritage or have anything to do with it, even if it might actually save humankind or at least help someone...? it's like she doesn't have a brain, only a puppet with a heart.

3. She's reactive, not proactive, I hate it.
Everything is an "oh no" and not a "let's go" with her. Her role felt more like an observer in an otome story, than an actual 'player' in a game. I know there's situations where the character is intentionally written like that, to not disrupt the history or rest of the show. But I really can't think of a single contribution she made, unless we count the 'who can sacrifice more to save each other' game that she started when joining the Shinsengumi, an already struggling force.

- Other pointers -
- There should've been a romance tag. Despite the fantastic (reverse) harem, Miss Useless just chooses ONE guy and lives in denial throughout the series. If you aren't the biggest fan of romance media, I'd recommend sticking with Season 1 and ignoring Season 2 completely. Also a grief tag for excessive deaths of many characters.

- Even if this was meant to be an accurate historical portrayal of Japan's Shinsengumi era... I just don't see the point of it. Because Chizuru's presence means the whole story isn't accurate already, so like... stay with the inconsistency?

- By the second last episode, we STILL didn't learn anything about the master race aka the demon race. The whole plot was wasted on Chizuru. Just a tease like everything else in this show.

- Honestly, the military pacing of Season 2 was so slow to me that I started doing my craft embroidery work while watching. EMBROIDERY. If that doesn't tell you how boring the show was, I don't know what will.

The only character I cared about was Kazama Chikage. Chikage x Chizuru is something I 500% support, only because I like Chikage so much. So yeah. Give Season 1 a try if you must, but I can't recommend this show to anyone else unless they are a masochist with lots and lots of time on their hands.

This is my first ever review and i decided to give this anime my first reciew. i know this review will suck, but please, bare with me!(:

Honestly, I'm giving this anime series a 10 out of 10. I've been looking for an anime that would make me feel excited about anime again. I happened to bump into this one and I just can't get over how great it was. I even went through the trouble of looking at the background of the anime characters and found it fascinating that some of the characters were real life people and that the battles actually did take ... place.

The first season gave the strong connections between all the main characters which helped in understanding the character's actions and feelings in the second season. The historical stories behind this series is incredible as well, though some of it is a bit inaccurate, it still follows the main plot.

The whole series basically made me feel all emotions; sadness, happiness, excitement, fear... At some parts it put me at the edge of my seat! I found the characters of the anime fairly realistic too. They weren't too sweet like most anime characters now adays. Chizuru annoyed me at times when she couldn't defend herself, but I guess it made sense because most women back in those days were looked at as defenseless and didn't know how to actually fight. In this season, I found that her character developed more than in the first season as well as Hijikara. I also loved how the characters westernized in this season, but they still kept their "samurai spirit"... Saito! Anyways, this anime is the first anime to make me feel actually depressed... in a good way... I'm not going to spoil anything, but it's just...! I can't. You'll just have to watch it and this season seriously made me cry inside and out. I absolutely loved how throughout the series you think someone is evil (if you've already watched this, you'll know who I mean) and in the end find out that you were fooled! This whole anime series was full of suprises.

The artwork was gorgeous and the men... were hot hah, but I just loved each and every one of their personalities. I'm sorry, I'm all over the place. I mean, this is my very first review ever and I'm just excited over this anime. If you haven't watched this anime, you've got to. The story is great; it makes sense, it actually educates you about Japanese history (because of course you want to know about history!), and seriously the story is awesome and action packed and the ending was not that bad... I actually loved the ending, but it was... Quite tragic. Really, I seriously recommend this anime to anyone who likes to see a good fight with an awesome story and moral to it. This anime is serious at a lot of moments, but can be heart warming and fun. So, if you haven't watched this series yet, watch it. It's definitely NOT a waste of time, in fact I thoroughly enjoyed it and there were absolutely no parts that were unnecessary. WATCH IT!(:

If you intend to watch this anime only for the Samurai and Historic stuff, go ahead, you'll probably enjoy this show, but if you expect romance and maintaining your sanity don't you dare click play on this anime. I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy.

[CONTAINS SPOILERS]

I was so pissed by the end of this anime... I am still pissed (therefore I'm writing my first review on MAL).

So, we have Chizuru, a girl that is looking for her missing father and end up with a bunch of guys that want to kill her and then they just don't want anymore; you must think ... "They realized her value and decided to keep her"... The only thing she does is TEA. One could make a whole movie containing the parts where she states "Excuse me, here's your tea". And then they start to take her to missions and stuff for her to help the wounded... As the daughter of a doctor you think she would actually take care of them but most of the time she does nothing, and when she does it's just offering a tissue to maybe stop the bleeding...

At some point she just ignores the fact that her father is still missing. Years pass by and they don't even mention it anymore.

Now that we have established that Chizuru does nothing, we have Hijikata who, out of nowhere, for no obvious reason just falls in love with her by the last episode of this second season. You must remember now that this is an anime based off an otome game, so it's expected that THERE SHOULD BE ROMANCE, but it doesn't. Two seasons and the only actual romance that comes along appears in the last episode. But the guys are hot, tho.

As I mentioned, it's supposed to be an otome game, but all the characters start dying. LET ME PUT IT STRAIGHT: THERE'S NO ROMANCE AND THEY DIE. ALL OF THEM. In the last episode Hijikata says that he wants to live to be with Chizuru forever, and 10 minutes later HE DIES TOO. Horrible. Appaling. Outrageous. 2 seasons, nothing happens, everybody dies. That's it.

I get that this is a historic anime, that the characters are based off real people and they all died in real life, but they included FUCKING DEMONS so WOULD IT BE TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR THEM TO KEEP AT LEAST ONE CHARACTER ALIVE???

Save your time. Save yourself. Go look for another thing to watch.

Ten ten all around! I was so eager to write this review because I loved this season so much!

-May contain spoilers-

Well I finally got what I wanted! Romance! And bonding and development within the characters! I didn't see it the first season but this second season was the best and even though it only has ten episodes, I don't think it was rushed at all.

Aside from the romance, what I liked best was how the era and age was moving. You see the characters fighting with swords even in the age of guns and machine weaponry. I think their actual personalities were best whenever they ... were up against someone whose weapon was a gun because they were so hesitant and old fashion about the new era and the changes in weapons.

The only thing about the new era and the passing of time that I did not like was how the characters looked the same. Chizuru was narrating the story and often used dates and years and a lot of years have passed and yet it seemed like no one had aged or grew taller.Personalities were mainly developed here, I think the writers were just focused on that more.

This anime is different from other anime I have seen so far, it does remind me of Hiiro no Kakera, but it is very different in the fact that the main characters pass away one by one and by the time it got to I think, maybe the third character dying, you would already know who would be dying next ebcause everyone who walked away from Chizuru and Toshi all told Chizuru to take care of Toshi, pretty much hinting they were not going to be around to and possibly the knew she liked him.

So to sum everything up, the story is ten because of the passage of time and because of the realistic transition from one era to another.

The art was beautiful, it kind of me reminded me of The Story of Saiunkoku

The sound was great

The characters were outstanding with how they have changed since the first season and you really see how everyone now had gotten use to Chizuru, even if she only did fight once.

I enjoyed this all around and will most certainly be rewatching this again.

I just cannot get enough of the forming romance that happens through the episodes, that was the best part ever! It was so romantic and passionate and Chizuru had become really devoted even though she could not fight, she was a great support and helper to her friends and Toshi as best as she could be.

So basically you have to ask your self if you like vampires. If you do then okay, keep reading. Now do you like historical fiction? do you like japanese historical fiction? if yes, then this anime is so far so good for you. It's based of the shinsengumi (probably spelled wrong) that were the fighting force for the shogunate of pre meji japan. So basically before 1860's. Anyways, the plot is basically about the struggles of this group and their dealing with the enemies of the shogunate. It also involves a female main character who finds her self staying with the group, and she becomes ... fast friends with all of them. The show has enough comic relief to not make it completely serious, and the comedy is actually quite amusing. There is also a fair amount of wit and sarcasm present throughout the show. It also involves the supernatural(vampires) who play a big part in the show. One can be turned into a vampire which greatly increases strength. Though when i say turned i suppose i really mean just physically enhanced as it is more of a serum. It kind of turns you into a vampire without the whole immortal thing. So anyways, i thought that it would be stupid using vampires, but it actually made it much more entertaining than i would of thought. The characters and art are very well done, and the plot is pretty good as well. Though of course the plot is history, just spiced up a bit. Overall a good show, and you fall in love with the characters.

Hakuouki Hekketsuroku is one of the best anime(s) I've watched, it's tragic and very sad.
The story was magnificent, I rated the overall anime (10/10) because it really touched me and it shows how tough it was to survive and live a normal life at the same time.

Art (10/10)- the art was incredibly beautiful, showing great detail.
Story(10/10)- The plot is really interesting and it builds it up till the very end.
Characters(10/10)- the characters were amazing, they all had great strength and they care about Chizuru a whole lot, which was really sweet.

Hakuouki Hekketsuroku is a little different from the other two prequels I have seen a year ago, and I both love and adore the hakuouki series so much I guess you could say, I am kinda obsessed with the samurai era, if there is two anime types I am obsessed with, is samurai and gundams, but this isn't a gundam anime, so I will get straight to the point, I love how they are honest and willing to fight to the bitter end, but realize that with time comes change, and they realize that past weapons cannot compete with modern guns or cannons. But, what ... is most honorable about this season, is that doesn't bother them, even though their efforts may be futile, they hold on to their beliefs to the bitter end.

This anime was my first "samurai" genre'd that I have watched, and if you can't tell by my score I thoroughly enjoyed this. I started watching the series yesterday, finishing season 1 the same day as well as starting a bit of season 2, and here i am, 12:00am, writing my first anime review because I think this deserves it.

STORY: 8/10
The tension was constant and never lacking at any point for me. I was constantly on edge, the last episode of this season making me sit up instead of laying down. However, I won't lie-- a lot of the times it was hard to follow ... what on earth was happening and what was taking place where, also bringing up how I found the last episode to be very briefly ended for me. That being said, I know there is still another season and two movies to watch. There were lots of names that I wasn't familiar with to the point that I had to google some terms, but in the end this contributed to my enjoyment. This series has showed me that not all anime are "easy" to watch and just breeze through, making everything clear. This challenged me, and I haven't had a series do this to me before.

ART: 10/10
The art was gorgeous. Even though the time gap is quite different in terms of airing date, I couldn't help but be reminded of my first anime I ever watched "Inuyasha". The style was crisp and clean, but was really reminiscent of the time period the story was set in. Amazing.

SOUND: 10/10
I am a huge fan of music. I was listening to tracks from this series before I even started watching this, and I was instantly in love. The sound effects were well done, too. Combining these two elements, I truly felt immersed and part of the experience.

CHARACTER: 9/10
With any anime, I expect there to be characters executed well enough that I can establish some sort of personal, emotional connection with them, and this season really nailed that. From Season one episode one to Season two episode ten, I felt it. The character development and how each individual of the Shinsengumi were affected by the turns of events took a toll on me, too.

ENJOYMENT: 8/10
I gave this the same score as story as it is what brought down the score for me at this point. I can't just brush off how confused I was, but even so I somehow have come to love this series enough to finish two seasons in 36-ish hours. It wasn't confusing enough for me to be completely lost, but there are parts where I sighed to myself as I let the narration try to make sense of the events for me. Alas, I still enjoyed it very much.

OVERALL: 9/10
To be honest, I first gave this a 7/10 because I was being harsh, but then I said to myself "No. This series cannot have this affect on me and all I have to give it is a 7." So if you're looking for something to get hooked into and really be thrown into the midst of it all, I definitely recommend Hakuoki. It even had a sprinkle of "romance" in it, which is often what I look for in the genre section (romance was not a listed genre for this series). This anime has broadened my horizons, and I have loved it.

Personally, I still like this anime, but I find the second season a little less strong, than the first.

The problems with the animation stayed. It's not bad, but not good, Saito's hair is awfully purple, and Hijikata's face stayed "the romantic good guy" face. The soundtrack also very similar, I simply love the theme "Kaze to Narite", it gives me chills every time, but sadly, it is the only really beautiful theme in the series, the others are... so-so.

The characters... again I have to say, they are doing a wonderful job with Souji. His fight with tubercolosis shows his strength, he never breaks, never shows ... his fear. His storyline is absolutely heartbreaking, and at the same time, somehow beautiful. I can say almost the same to Saito's story again, it's not as strong as Souji's, but still, his character development is great. He keeps believing in the unchanging things, while he learns, that he himself is the proof, that there are things that have to change. Heisuke got little time again, but also, some of his scenes are really strong, and really sad... and I grown appreciate Sannan's character very much by the end of the series.

And there's the problem: The two main characters. Chizuru didn't cease to be annoying, she is there, and she sometimes does things, but... It just doesn't work, her character never became more complex, than the beautiful flower, who is saved by the guys. And Hijikata just turned to be the hero. In the game, there are many scenes that show his flaws: He kills a soldier without second guess, when he tries to run away from battle, he can be cruel, he is strict, and when he breaks down because of losses and responsibilites, these flaws are even stronger. The series can't show this, so here, Hijikata is simply the hero: never makes big mistakes, never does morally questionable things.

Also, I'm a bit disappointed with the ending. It is rushed, and not even logical.

Anyway, if you liked the first season, you should watch this. There are some really good moments that are worth your time, but there are some serious flaws as well. But it is interesting, and all in all, the story is still great.

Hakuoki is outstanding in every sense.
If someone asks me, "Is Hakuoki worth watching?"
I'll answer: "It has Action, Adventure, Sexy men, Twists, Fighting, & Japanese History! Even though it has Barely any romance (but you can't say it doesn't have) still it's so worth watching!!"
The characters are amazing, who are mature, who have submitted their love and lives to a specific ambition, who know how to smile in toughest of times, who are TERRIBLY handsome, who know how to bear pain even when everyone abandons them, who know how to be patient. There are TONS of lessons to learn from this series.

Story: 9/10
It was so ... engaging that I finished the whole series in 2 days. I even re-watched it, because I didn't want it to end. The bonding between the characters, I missed missed their jokes, their love, their affection.
Yukimura Chizuru, female protagonist, is a girl on her way to find her father who has been missing since 6 months. She disguises herself as a man, to be secure on the way but is attacked by some samurai who were about to kill her when she's saved by Shinsengumi members, but she happens to see what she shouldn't have seen and as a punishment, she's brought to the headquarters of Shinsengumi where she's interrogated and then ordered to stay with them without going anywhere.

While her stay, she comes to know what the objectives of Shinsengumi are and how strong they are, who work for the Nation without being valued and respected, yet they continue to follow their duties as warriors of the nation. She starts searching for her father, with their consent and soon gets along well with the boys, however she doesn't see her father.
Different wars and Situations occur where she realizes how skilled all of them are, as warriors and as swordsmen. She tries to help them in a lot of ways and soon makes a place in everyone's heart.
This story includes tons of incidents one after the other, with a lot of action and planning schemes before setting out for war. Men, who are ready to die any minute, impress with their views of life. How one can be loyal and stay by someone's side, is amazingly depicted in this series.

Character: 10/10
Characters are so Strong that 10/10 is truly justifiable. The audience gets attached to all of them, since the start of the series. Every character is given attention, and audience loves every character at the end of series.

Hijikata Toshi
He's the protagonist of this series, who is the Vice Commander of Shinsengumi. Very strict, doesn't talk much, still the strongest of all members. He cares for everyone but doesn't show how caring he is. He has a gentle side that he shows only to Kondou-san and later to Chizuru. Unexpectedly he is the one who doesn't let Anyone kill Chizuru because he was the first to know she's not a boy, but a girl in disguise of a boy. Purple eyes, black hair, Strong swordsman, all these qualities make him stand out the most.

CHIZURU Yukimura, A very innocent and cute girl with a Loyal, cute and Easygoing personality. she soon gets along well with the Shinsengumi members because of her pure intentions and humbleness. Hijikata, unknowingly starts caring for her, when she stays by their side without expecting anything in return.

Okita Souji
He is the first person who gets our attention because of his lack of fear to kill someone on the spot (Apparently he is the one who asks to Kill Chizuru on the spot when she sees something related to them since he's too logical to take risks). He's cheerful and sly at a time and knows how to respond without any fear. Astonishingly handsome with brown hair and green eyes, he's considered a STAR warrior of Shinsengumi because of his Excellent sword skills earning the title CAPTAIN OF UNIT 1 of Shinsengumi. One of his OBVIOUS reasons to be in Shinsengumi is Head of the organisation, whom he calls "Kondou-san". He can accept anything but doesn't compromise on anything disrespectful or harmful to Kondou-san. He loves him like Kondou-san is his older brother, and does everything to please him. He being an orphan, got love only from him, since childhood, so he follows him wholeheartedly because of his kindness. His only desire to be in Shinsengumi is to protect him. When Chizuru becomes a member as well, she comes to know how much he cares about him, so she gets along with him really well.

Hajime Saito
3rd person to get everyone's attention is Saito, a left handed swordsman who saves Chizuru from being killed. He is just like Hijikata Toshi, less talkative and strong. Handsome at peak, he's also considered the best swordsman of Shinsengumi.

There are other boys as well, who get along well with Chizuru. Harada, Shinpachi, and Heiske, who are just like brothers to her. All of them have cheerful and humble personalities, always laugh and make Chizuru Comfortable to be there.

Villain characters are far more stronger and outstanding when it comes to fighting and sword skills. One of the reasons this anime is considered BRILLIANT is because of the fighting scenes that explain how much strength it requires to be on the war field.

If I'd explain how well described the characters are, it won't be far to praise this anime because of his character.

Art 10/10.
It is just OUTSTANDING. I loved the graphics and Animation style. Plus, Sword fighting is my favourite, so I loved it even more. Their Hair, eyes, historical dresses, Japanese traditional homes, fighting borders, everything is worth the praise.

Music 10/10
It's brilliant! Both opening and ending OSTs are my favourite!

Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: 9/10
If someone wants to see some Action Historical Romance, it's a MUST watch 👌🏻

This is so right plotted that I couldn’t sleep the night before 1st and second season cause of curiosity and emotions (i watched them all in 2 days, I reccomend u to watch it in the release order, not in the cronological one) .
#Spoiler
2nd season was all just crying for me. Im still so sad..but after watching the rest of the series and the 2 movies I feel a bit better…still it would be worth watching a next season to see what happened to Hajime kun and the rest..and how did Toshi and Chizuru escape then and if they made it back to Edo…. What ... did they do there… id really like that Hajime, Shinpachi and Harada to live again with Toshi and Chizuru and all get married and have childern, and y not to get all along with Kyo and even Kyuju....I am still crying…

This being a continuation of "Hakuouki", no review is needed. If you didn't like the first season (if that''s possible), you won't like this one either and you shouldn't watch it. If you liked the first season, you can't not watch or not like this one.
It's as simple as that.

I don't usually like historical anime, but i fell in love with this.
Every character has something that makes you love them and the story is kind of deep.
It makes you sad and happy and anxious, and you can't miss any second of it. Even the first season has that effect on you.

Even Chizuru is tolerable, which is good, because in these kind of animes, the main girl is really annoying and makes you want to hurt her.

Each character has their flaws, which is good, because they are not perfect and so you can enjoy even more.

If I have to say something negative, ... it's that this anime is so dark and causes crying and anxiety.