🌸 Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds – Review

Play on Steam →
Platform: Steam / PS Vita
Developer: Idea Factory / Design Factory
Release Date: August 24, 2017 (Steam), September 25, 2015 (PS Vita)
Genre: Otome, Historical Fantasy
Price: $9.99

🏯 A Story of Blades, Blood, and the Bonds Between

🌸Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is a remastered and expanded retelling of Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan, the origin story of the Hakuoki franchise. With revamped art, a richer cast, and the series’ strongest narrative polish to date, Kyoto Winds takes players deep into the heart of Kyoto during the chaotic final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

You play as Chizuru Yukimura, a girl disguised as a boy in search of her missing father. This leads her into the inner world of the Shinsengumi, a powerful yet secretive samurai organization that protects Kyoto and harbors dark secrets involving the supernatural.

Unlike the anime—which focused mainly on Hijikata’s route—this game allows players to romance twelve different samurai, including long-awaited additions like Kazama, Sanan, and Yamazaki. The result is a historical fantasy drenched in emotion, danger, and complex romance.

✨ Key Features

• 💞 12 Romanceable Bachelors: Six returning fan-favorites and six brand-new routes.
• 📜 Historical x Supernatural: Romance real samurai as you uncover the secrets of demons and the Rasetsu.
• ⏳ 80+ Hours of Content: Over 30 unique endings and countless emotional scenes.
• 🎨 Animated Art & CG Gallery: Sprites now blink, move, and react with fluid animation. Backgrounds include falling petals, glowing light, and more.
• 📚 Languages: Playable in English, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese.

🎮 Note: This game only covers the first half of the full Hakuoki story. The emotional payoff and ending of each route continues in the sequel: Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms.

🎶 Art & Music

The character designs feature work by the legendary Kazuki Yone, with additional illustrations from Miko (Code: Realize) and Shiki Sakigumi (Hakuoki SSL). The CGs are soft, delicate, and hauntingly beautiful, making every story choice feel cinematic.

The opening theme, “Ruri no Sora e,” perfectly captures the bittersweet tone of the series. If you’re the type to loop OPs from visual novels, this one will be your new favorite.

🔥 Suggested Route Order

To avoid spoilers and follow a smoother arc, this is the ideal route flow:

Hijikata → Okita → Saito → Toudou → Harada → Nagakura → Sanan → Yamazaki → Iba → Souma → Sakamoto → Kazama

💘 Love Interests (Ranked & Reviewed)

Below is my full character ranking with expanded thoughts for each route:

🥇 Chikage Kazama – #1 Demon of Desire

CV: Kenjiro Tsuda

Kazama finally gets the spotlight he deserves. Arrogant, immortal, and hellbent on dragging Chizuru into his demon clan, he’s the ultimate “bad end turned good.” His route unveils the full mystery of Chizuru’s bloodline, making it essential lore for the series. I found his love for her to be obsessive yet genuine, and the push-pull between their two worlds gave this story incredible weight. He’s not just a villain; you slowly see the why behind his cruelty. Also, he’s sexy. Objectively.

🥈 Keisuke Sanan – #2 Twisted Tactician

CV: Nobuo Tobita

Sanan is a dark, seductive mind trapped in a crumbling body. His obsession with power and the Rasetsu serum gives his route a moral greyness I loved. While he creeped me out in other routes, here, you understand his isolation and fears. His descent into manipulation is tragic, and Chizuru’s kindness pulls him back just far enough to make the romance believable. I didn’t expect to fall for Sanan, but I did.

🥉 Ryouma Sakamoto – #3 Political Heartthrob

CV: Daisuke Ono

A revolutionary in every sense, Ryouma’s route focuses more on ideology and independence than romance at first. But when the feelings do hit, they hit. His democratic ideals and flirtatious charm make for a really fun, plot-rich experience. Also, this is one of the few routes that had a twist I didn’t see coming. He may not be as intense as Kazama or Sanan, but he’s a total package in his own right.

🏹 Sanosuke Harada – #4 Your Samurai Prince

CV: Koji Yusa

Sano is pure husband material: gentle, gorgeous, and deadly with a spear. His romance is one of the most complete and emotionally fulfilling in Kyoto Winds. He actually chooses Chizuru over duty, and his route gives you plenty of moments to swoon. If you want a feel-good route without sacrificing drama, pick Sano. And just wait for Edo Blossoms, he only gets better.

⚔️ Souji Okita – #5 Tragedy in Motion

CV: Shotaro Morikubo

Okita walks the line between flirty danger and heartbreaking illness. His violent threats and sadistic humor are masks for a deeper pain. His route is full of tension, fear, and the slowest emotional payoff, but it’s so worth it. Watching him allow himself to be vulnerable was like witnessing a dam break.

❄️ Hajime Saito – #6 The Loyal Blade

CV: Kousuke Toriumi

Saito is quiet, principled, and almost too loyal to the Shinsengumi. But beneath that ice is one of the softest hearts in the game. His sword obsession, gentle awkwardness, and explosive moments of passion make him a standout kuudere. His CGs are some of the most beautiful in the game.

💉 Susumu Yamazaki – #7 The Soft-Spoken Spy

CV: Takayuki Suzuki

Yamazaki was the biggest surprise. He’s intelligent, supportive, and romantically shy. Their shared connection as medical children adds depth, and his devotion to both Chizuru and the Shinsengumi never feels forced. This is the “good guy” route done right.

🛡️ Hachiro Iba – #8 Refined, Reliable, Romantic

CV: Mamoru Miyano

Chizuru’s childhood friend and a trained warrior with noble roots. Iba’s route is straightforward and sincere, with a twist I didn’t expect. He’s one of the most emotionally mature love interests. He’s not flashy, but he’s dependable and incredibly kind—someone you’d want beside you in real life.

☀️ Heisuke Toudou – #9 Idealistic Cinnamon Roll

CV: Yoshino Hiroyuki

Sweet, young, and a little lost. Heisuke’s passion and doubts make his story emotionally believable, but also a bit frustrating. His romance is cute, but it lacks the tension or stakes that elevate other routes. Still, he’s a refreshing breath of air in such a heavy story.

📚 Kazue Souma – #10 The Loyal Trainee

CV: Yuki Kaji

Souma is bright-eyed and eager, which makes his romance feel more like a mentorship for most of the game. He doesn’t quite mature until the end, and while he’s cute, the romantic tension doesn’t develop early enough to feel earned. He improves in Edo Blossoms, though.

🎭 Shinpachi Nagakura – #11 The Big Brother Route

CV: Tsuboi Tomohiro

Shinpachi’s route is the “friend zone” incarnate. While he’s funny and warm, the romance feels one-sided and emotionally shallow. Great comic relief character, just not a love interest I connected with.

🧊 Toshizo Hijikata – #12 Canon Coldness

CV: Shinichirou Miki

He’s important. He’s iconic. But his route is mostly a history lesson. The romance is so restrained it borders on non-existent, which is a letdown when everyone else is fighting for your heart. He shines in the anime, but his route here felt more like required reading.

🧕 Heroine Spotlight: Chizuru Yukimura

Chizuru is one of the rare otome heroines who actually grows. She’s naive at first, but she slowly learns to fight, navigate politics, and understand the people around her. Her reactions feel human, her emotions are palpable, and her evolution across all routes is both inspiring and believable. I loved how the story gave her agency, even when the men around her tried to protect her.

📦 Bonus Content – Wind Treasure Box DLC

For $3.99, you can purchase short slice-of-life bonus scenes with six characters (Saito, Iba, Nagakura, Harada, Heisuke, and Yamazaki). These are short (about 5 minutes each) but come with an extra CG and cute romantic fluff. If you’re a fan of those characters? It’s worth the price.

🌸 Final Verdict

🌸Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is one of the richest, most emotionally satisfying otome games I’ve ever played. Its historical setting is woven with fantasy, its characters are complex and distinct, and the love stories range from tragic to tender. Some routes are weaker than others, but the strong ones will leave a lasting mark.

Final Score: 9.5/10
For lovers of tragic romance, samurai lore, and demon boys who lowkey want to kidnap you.

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⛩️ Coming Soon!

The story isn’t over yet—our journey through the Shinsengumi continues! Stay tuned for a full review of Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms, the gripping sequel to Kyoto Winds, packed with even more romance, drama, and destiny.

🌸 The review will be blooming soon on Blush & Pixels!

💖 Thanks for reading! 💖

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