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!
