#characterization essay

Now, you all know that I like complex characters, and often characters with complexes, and Zelos is no exception, though not everyone might understand why. When people who know Symphonia think of Zelos, most of them think of the quintessential ladies’ man. Shallow, conceited, and not to be trusted, Zelos enjoys a life of luxury thanks to his status as the Chosen, a divinely ordained hereditary role second only to nobility. Using his good looks and his position of power to his advantage, he is a habitual skirt-chaser who prioritizes himself at all times and cracks jokes at inopportune moments (or, alternatively, ends up the butt of them). On top of all that, he’s a triple agent for the party as well as not one, but two different organizations opposing them. He appears unsympathetic to the plights of all those whom he considers beneath him, including some party members.

Basically, some players like Zelos because he’s a ladies’ man with a goofy side and they have a weakness for that. Some players hate Zelos for the same reasons. On both sides of the argument, not as many really take the time to consider his whole story, because believe me, that’s not even the half of it. See, Tales of Symphonia is one of those early 2000s JRPGs, a very long game where there’s a lot more story than the main plot actually explores, and where implications are more frequent than statements. As a result, most characters are much deeper than people might assume based on what they see from the main plot, and not everyone might choose to explore the specific events that lead to more exposition on each individual backstory. Hell, some people might not even know there is more backstory to explore. The anime goes into some of it, but not all, whereas the sequel… oh, God, what that abomination did to my precious characters is a rant for another time.

What not everyone accounts for is that, like all characters, Zelos’s past shaped who he is, and Zelos’s past qualifies as tragic. In order to groom the Tethe’allan Chosen lineage to produce a Chosen with the right genes for their purposes, the angelic organization Cruxis forced the Chosen at the time to marry another woman rather than his lover at the time. Thus, Zelos was born to be the future Chosen. As a result, from the beginning, he has been treated like a burden, his mother in particular telling him at every opportunity that he never should have been born. In fact, these were her last words to him when he was twelve and his father’s half-elven lover tried to kill him and dealt her a mortal wound instead. The lover was put to death, her daughter [Zelos’s younger half-sister] Seles was also blamed despite her youth and locked up in an abbey, and Zelos developed a prejudice against half-elves as a result. At some point after this, his father killed himself, and Zelos officially became the Chosen.

What a beginning, right? Zelos was quite literally born to assume a title, which he never asked for and consequently hates more than anything else, with the possible exception of himself. His parents loved neither one another nor their son, so he was perpetually undervalued, never given a sense of his own worth beyond the title he would assume someday. Thus, he grew up believing himself useless apart from his future role, longing for some kind of freedom and wishing people would like him for who he was rather than what he was.

So what did he do after he became the Chosen? No one cared enough to befriend him for his own sake, so he used his title, wealth, and looks to his advantage, occupying his time the way most any handsome young man with too much money to spare would. He took to hiding his self-loathing and cynicism behind a cheerfully flirtatious mask, indulging himself and some of his many admirers to distract himself from his perpetual dissatisfaction with his life as a whole. In the meantime, he also cheated his way through university since his female peers were willing to do his homework for him (even though it’s worth noting that Zelos is so sharp he’s actually better at math than Genis Sage, the resident prodigy).

Because of all this, Zelos learned to fight for nothing and no one except himself, because nobody else has ever fought for him as a person. With the exception of Sheena, whom he met and befriended sometime before the events of the game under undisclosed circumstances, he hasn’t grown emotionally close to anyone and is prepared to stay that way. He’ll make just about any deal as long as it means he can escape unscathed. The Renegades approach him and ask him to keep tabs on Cruxis? Sure, he can do that. Cruxis approaches him and asks him to keep tabs on the party? Sure, he can do that. As long as he has some guarantee of his own personal safety, anything goes, up to and including throwing his companions under the first applicable bus.

Or at least, that’s how it starts out. Things start changing for Zelos once he joins the party, even though he shoehorns his way into it based on that deal he made with Cruxis to report on their movements. The others aren’t exactly happy about this turn of events, since he acts incredibly full of himself and he won’t stop flirting with the female members, but they still treat him like a human being rather than just the Chosen. They’re the first people to openly trust Zelos and consider him a part of their group in spite of his quirks, which in turn gradually makes him endeavor to deserve that trust.

Except during the Kratos ending—or as I like to call it, the bad ending—where Lloyd, and by extension everyone else, asks the fatal question: Can I trust you? There’s a turning point where Zelos is responsible for handing the Sylvaranti Chosen, Colette, over to Cruxis. In the normal ending, this is a ploy to gain their trust so he can betray them at the last minute and throw the situation in the party’s favor. In the bad ending, this is not a ruse, and he stays behind to fight the rest of the party himself, forcing them to kill him. And this is after he already made a deal with Cruxis that, in exchange for Colette, they would release him from his fate as Chosen and give his title to Seles instead. Zelos chooses to die at the hands of his so-called friends despite already having a guarantee that the burden of his title as Chosen will be lifted. That’s how badly he hates himself.

Fortunately, that kind of extreme behavior is relegated to the bad ending. In the normal ending, he’s perfectly content to leave Cruxis once and for all and state his position as belonging firmly to the party, because they believed in him and gave him hope that he could change his situation for the better. After this point, kindly ignore everything the anime and sequel tell you, because Zelos is much less obnoxious than usual for the rest of the game, and with every indication of staying that way. This proves that his womanizing is less a fundamental part of his personality and more a learned behavior in response to the above set of reasons.

What we do know about Kodo, largely through inference, is that he is curious and intelligent enough to have gone abroad and studied in Holland at some point. We also know he started out working for the shogunate before he left for the western domains. I just don’t know why, after having been disguised as a human for more than ten years, he would serve the exact same humans that razed his village. Did the Tokugawa order him to do it due to his foreign education, even without any knowledge of his heritage? If so, I’d really have liked to hear about how that got started, because in a story so fixated on “here’s what everyone is fighting for and why”, I remember being extremely confused about Kodo’s shift in allegiance. To an extent, I still am. Though, perhaps there’s more unlocalized information in Reimeiroku…

At any rate, Kodo’s true motivation almost always boils down to getting revenge on the shogunate and/or expanding the Yukimura clan. That much, at least, is generally consistent (although nationalism is also a factor in Harada’s route for some reason). And his vendetta is understandable, given his status as one of so few surviving demons from the Yukimura village. However, I’ve always had a great deal of trouble getting into Kodo’s head long enough to see exactly how his mind was warped. Was that senseless destruction the immediate source of his decision, or was it more gradual than that? How unstable was he before the massacre? For instance, was he always this willing to let the ends justify the means? When exactly did he take the Water of Life, and for what exact reason—for experimentation, for power, out of necessity? Does he ever look back on the path he chose, and wonder about alternatives? Does he have any regrets that do not relate to Chizuru?

These are the kinds of things I’d like to know about Kodo. Without more background information on who he is rather than simply what he does, I have little choice but to think of him simply as “Chizuru’s evil father”. Much of the narrative tells without showing, because we are looking at this story through Chizuru’s eyes, and she is an unreliable narrator as far as her father is concerned. To say she’s biased is an understatement; until Kodo’s true ambition rears its ugly head, she’s the quintessential Daddy’s Girl. Trouble is, given how little onscreen development time they have together, I’ve never fully grasped exactly how that level of attachment developed in the first place.

You see, the other thing we know about Kodo is that he is a good actor. So good, in fact, that he is somehow capable of fooling Chizuru, over the course of her entire upbringing, into thinking he legitimately cares for her. Whether he actually does depends on the route, since sometimes he doesn’t care at all (to the point of killing her), and other times he really does (to the point of dying for her) but is terribly misguided. The issue I take with that variability in particular is that Chizuru’s childhood obviously takes place in the past, and therefore the difference in how Kodo behaves toward her per route feels almost like a form of retconning. Chizuru’s choice of love interest has literally nothing to do with Kodo’s opinions and actions, yet somehow, his behavior is qualitatively different across routes. I get that this is a function of the game and not the plot, but it makes no sense from an in-universe standpoint. It’s hard for me to understand him as a single character, all parts of him united, because his personality apparently fragmented so many years before the story even began.

And here we come to the heart of the matter: it is very difficult for me to assess Kodo as a person instead of just a plot device, because his personality feels so much dependent on continuity.

First of all, my definition of canon is basically “the source material and its official translations”, although some of it is more significant than others in my eyes—see the link for specifications. Contradicting versions of canon establish themselves as separate continuities in my mind, so I also accept the existence of multiple versions of canon. For example, Stories, Kyoto Winds, and the anime are all separate but parallel timelines in my mind because certain events play out differently or not at all depending on the material. Thus, none of them can coexist cohesively.

Coming with me on this? Good. Now, based on that definition, all fanwork, including my own, is non-canon just by virtue of being fanmade. I have always preferred to use canon as a base for my fanfiction, as in my KazaSen story using Heisuke’s route as a starting point and diverging from there, but to limit myself entirely to what has already been given me is an affront to the capabilities of my own imagination. Furthermore, I strongly believe in everyone’s freedom to write, draw, or otherwise create whatever they want.

While I personally prefer to adhere to canon events—whether I’m filling in missing moments or just using it as a platform for a plot of my own invention—there are exceptions if I find a concept interesting enough to pursue outside of those lines. For instance, the question that sparked my KazaSen story was “I know Sen said she didn’t want to, but what if they had to get married anyway?”. Essentially, I see canon as a set of guidelines, not the end-all be-all of a story. Canon may be important to me for the purposes of establishing the foundation of my stories, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to build on that. Canon has already revealed the basic plot; there is no point in just retelling it. Even my Truth or Truths, held in a context meant to resemble canon as closely as possible, are not themselves canon.

Our job as content creators is to fill in the blanks or develop our own stories however we see fit; it is up to each of us how much of our work is based on canon—not only in general, but creation to creation. Thus, while canon-compliance is a personal preference of mine, not everything I do is related to canon, nor do I claim it is. And if you need any kind of proof that I can and do step out of my usual territory, see the blatantly AU Texts From Bakumatsu, in which HaraShira is apparently a thing, and Chizuru and Sen often gossip about their sex lives. In fact, one of my pet peeves is actually when people claim things are canon or canon-based when they’re not… which is part of why I feel the need to make this distinction as regards my own behavior, just to avoid any misconceptions involving hypocrisy.

Basically, I don’t care whether fanmade material is rooted in canon or not—whether my own or anyone else’s—as long as it’s labeled correctly. And anyway, my love is more for accurate characterization than it is for the original material itself. The two are closely intertwined, since canon is our window into a character’s heart (and cause-and-effect is obviously a factor in shaping personality), but ultimately, my need for accuracy relates more to the character than the exact context. If a story is AU and acknowledges itself as AU, yet also manages to capture the essence of the characters, I’ll love it just as much as any canon-based work.

First of all, I’m not asking you to like Chizuru any more than I’m asking you to like anyone in real life. Some personalities mesh better with ours than others, and hers is no exception. And I’m definitely not saying I don’t have my own issues with how she usually acts, because hell, I’ve made fun of her myself:

The thing is, all my comments are exaggerations rooted in affectionate exasperation, whereas I’ve encountered several instances of alarmingly genuine agreement over the months. People definitely have their own individual preferences as to personality type, but no matter whether you love her or hate her, the point I hope to make today is that Chizuru is a valid and three-dimensional character.

Chizuru is hardworking and kindhearted, and has a strong sense of propriety and justice. Though she is sensitive in the extreme to others’ needs, she can be oblivious with regard to herself. She has a deep-seated desire to make herself useful to those who help her, such as the Shinsengumi and (in his route) Kazama. Because of her largely self-imposed sense of obligation, it can be difficult for her to decline tasks she does not want to do.

Chizuru is naturally very curious, which can make it challenging for her to drop a subject about which she wants to know more, and consequently makes her initial situation very hard for her to manage. She also finds it difficult to suppress or conceal her emotions or intentions, and in spite of her crossdressing, she is neither a good actor nor a good liar. Furthermore, Chizuru is easily flustered, which makes her a prime target for teasing, particularly from Okita. Similarly, while she does not have a quick temper, Chizuru can become indignant and defensive if she is passionate enough about something, even before the situation calls for it.

Despite her status as a demon, Chizuru is physically not very powerful. However, she is strong-willed to the point of occasional obstinacy, and can verge on the self-sacrificial if she believes it necessary. This is most prominent when she demonstrates overprotectiveness of her loved ones or even ideals.

Does that sound like a flat character? Sure, I can pick out a number of significant differences between her and myself, but she has a definite personality of her own—and, refreshingly for an otome heroine, it’s got no small number of flaws that come with it. More than that, it’s how her flaws are portrayed that I like. With characters labeled ‘Mary Sue’, often, their faults are downplayed or spun to be endearing. For Chizuru, they are specifically addressed and oftentimes developed/improved just like any other character’s faults.

More than that, different shortcomings crop up and are eventually resolved during different routes, lending her as multifaceted a personality as Kazama’s. For instance, on Harada’s route, her tendency toward self-deprecation is spotlighted; on Heisuke’s route, it is her stubbornness. Both are directly confronted as part of the plot, working in tandem with Harada’s and Heisuke’s own faults to be resolved so that both characters grow as a result.

Speaking of which, it’s worth noting that game!Chizuru and anime!Chizuru are presented differently, but though the depiction varies between media, these facets are always present in her personality—and that shows significant depth of character. Even within the game itself, each route brings out different aspects of Chizuru’s personality: in the games as a whole, she is an “active” Chizuru, most prominently in Saito’s, Heisuke’s, and Harada’s routes, and is more inclined to take her fate into her own hands. In the anime, she is a “passive” Chizuru, and her more submissive traits are also accentuated in Hijikata’s, Okita’s, and Kazama’s routes in-game. Yet they are all decidedly Chizuru, and all recognizable as such: tell me that isn’t a versatile character!

Now that I’ve hopefully at least established that Chizuru has a personality and is not a Mary Sue, I’ll get into some of her character traits that have been known to rub people the wrong way. And again, I’m not asking you to like them—just looking to explain them. She has excellent reasons for being the way she is.

First thing’s first, you have to keep in mind that Chizuru is very much a product of her time… in a way. Similarly to the entire plot of Hakuōki, and all the other characters, she is a seamless blend of modern concepts and past context. This means that as a young woman, she is naturally put in a passive position, but she is not helpless. From the very beginning, Chizuru makes the best of her situation and takes care of herself in every way she can. Her entire goal is to impose as little of a burden on the Shinsengumi as possible, which can hardly be called attention-seeking. More importantly, her subservience can be traced back to an earnest desire to help and to have something to do with herself, not out of weakness or bowing down to her superiors. She has an acute sense of what is right, but by no means does that make her less of her own person.

And regarding Chizuru’s fighting ability? I’ve heard many complaints about her lack of combat scenes, and believe me, I’ll be the first to yell at Chizuru in the anime or musicals for not drawing her sword, but I’ll also be the first to defend that choice. It would be out-of-character for Chizuru to be interested in violence of any kind; she prefers to assert herself with her words, preferably gently, although she has been known to talk back in the heat of the moment. Besides, it is explained in the games that she has developed a slight (and extremely understandable) phobia of blades due to having been conditioned to avoid them lest others find out about her demonic healing.

Chizuru’s self-defense training was not something she undertook of her own volition, and she has never claimed to be any kind of combat expert. Nor does she need constant support and rescuing; though she gets into tight spots sometimes, it is usually a.) demon-related, and b.) not because she insisted that someone save her. In other words, when she needs help, it isn’t because she’s gone looking for trouble or gotten in over her head by overestimating her abilities. Additionally, she does not get in the way during combat, so much as she is reluctant to initiate it. I will own that the anime and/or musicals could have handled this much better, but they are also different media, with a slightly different point—and in the meantime, mine still stands. Chizuru cannot be expected to be a master of combat; that is not who she is.

I’ve heard it said often among fellow Chizuru supporters that one does not have to be overtly badass or skilled in combat in order to be a strong female character, and I’d just like to underline that here. I’d argue that the guys’ dynamics with Chizuru develop precisely because that’s who she is, and that everything would change if her personality were altered in that way. In short, the game we know and love would cease to be. It is a delicate balance, and if we tweak Chizuru’s personality so that she comes more to the forefront, we defeat the point of the game we all love.

Another aspect of her personality that people may find troublesome, and the one that bothers me the most, is her obliviousness. But even that is forgivable if you look into the context. Chizuru is innocent, not ignorant. As the players/observers, we have been trained to look for signs of romance, because we are playing the route. This makes every blush, glance, and line of dialogue extremely significant. However, in Chizuru’s position as a naïve and somewhat sheltered girl who is not initially looking for love, it’s understandable that suggestive remarks or flirtation would go over her head. After all, she’s there to find her father, right? Why would she read into anything? And let’s not forget that she’s perfectly aware of what goes on in the red-light districts. She simply has no prior experience in sex or romance, and therefore no special sensitivity to most subtle remarks.

Now, back to the ‘not looking for love’ thing: I’d like to point out how absolutely non-romance-centric Hakuōki is. It gives priority to character development, including Chizuru’s, and much of her romance with any one guy depends on her actions (hence why there’s a Romance meter as well as Corruption). What I love most about Chizuru and her dynamics is that not all the guys fall for her at all, let alone instantly. This is not your typical ‘reverse harem’ game, where there’s a distinct possibility of romance with almost everyone no matter whose route you’re on. Everything depends on Chizuru’s choices, which are always colored by Chizuru’s personality, and while they may not necessarily line up with what you or I would do in that situation, Chizuru is who each character ultimately begins to respect.

She is significantly less of a self-insert than many other otome heroines, from what I’ve seen, and actually stands up well to the historically based characters as both a foil and a plot pusher. She interacts well with the environment around her, fitting into the game’s style of worldbuilding, revelations, and gradual pacing. A more ‘assertive’ heroine would naturally have forced them to put her in the spotlight, which would have defeated much of the point of the plot. The point is that she is our window into modified!19th-century-Japan, not its centerpiece, and that while her character development is always central (as she learns how to navigate the world around her and overcome her own internal battles), it is often intertwined with that of history itself. If we changed Chizuru’s personality, it would have changed not only the plot, but the entire message. Thus, because of her passivity and her pacifism and even her at times infuriating obliviousness, Chizuru is exactly the heroine that Hakuōki needs—no more, no less.

In conclusion, not everyone can be expected to like any given person, real or fictional, but you must acknowledge Chizuru as a functional character. I’m not even sure where I stand with her myself, but to me, she is who she is… and that’s the only thing that really matters. My point is simply that Chizuru is as complete and important a character as everyone else in Hakuōki, and that if your hatred of her is based on the fact that she is ‘shallow’ or ‘two-dimensional’ or a Mary Sue, you should consider that maybe she’s just not your type.

The first time Iba takes Chizuru out, he lies to her that he’s found news on her father just to get her to go with him. Not a great first impression, if you ask me. Chizuru tells him they should really head back to the compound if there’s nothing on Kodo, but he says that he thinks she needs a break, so insists that she stay out even though she clearly expressed her preference. Worse yet, if she insists, he pressures her into staying with him by using Inoue’s permission as leverage to guilt-trip her into staying. It’s weird and creepy and backs her into a corner, which she doesn’t seem to recognize. He’s also obsessed with taking her out on datelike scenarios from day one and mentions taking her back to the tea shop someday even though she shows no interest in doing so.

Which brings me to my next point: speaking of obsessions, it’s been ten years and Iba hasn’t let Chizuru go. He was nine. SHE WAS SIX. He’s madly in love with ‘her’… or rather, the memory of her. And when she doesn’t remember him, and tells him as much, does he back off with his clear romantic interest and start with the idea of just being friends and getting to know her as she is? Nope. He just kinda hangs around, reminiscing about how she used to be (as a goddamn child) and hoping she’ll remember so his obsessive love can be justified. And guess what? She fucking does. It’s the worst.

Sure, Iba turns up at a few opportune moments to save the day, but in order for that to happen, he basically has to be stalking her. He doesn’t even have an excuse most of the time, since he’s not with the Shinsengumi so he doesn’t need to be keeping tabs on her like that. Don’t tell me it’s out of the goodness of his heart. His heart is obsessive and unsettling.

Finally, HIS FUCKING DLC. In case you’re not familiar with it, he and Chizuru go to a palm-reader, and upon hearing that she may have met the man she’s going to marry, he starts interrogating the poor bastard about her future husband. Then he starts getting all insecure and asking whether she likes any of the Shinsengumi. Chizuru assures him multiple times that she’s not looking for love at the moment. But after that, does he drop it? Nope. HE TELLS CHIZURU TO GIVE HIM MORE TIME BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT HER TO MARRY ANYONE YET.

Excuse me??

EXCUSE ME????

NOPE. NOPENOPENOPE. It’s none of his goddamn business who Chizuru marries and when. He can’t just waltz into her life after ten years, when she doesn’t even remember him, and then claim dibs. HOW OVERLY POSSESSIVE IS THAT.

I legitimately don’t understand how anyone can actually, unironically, like Iba and/or IbaChi. Prince Charming is one thing, but do they not see how absolutely underdeveloped, unhealthy, and unbalanced he and this ship both are?? I’m aware that some of it is the translation but holy shit NOPE

Basically, Chizuru says Iba makes her feel happy, but Iba makes me feel icky. Looking at all this objectively, that level of obsession isn’t something that makes a healthy relationship. You can’t build a relationship in the present if all you ever focus on is a past attraction; I know that from experience.

Okay, so yeah, the translation was pretty subpar. And yeah, I loathe Iba’s route more than any other in any iteration of the game ever. I could talk all day about either or both of those. But the thing that bothers me most is actually relatively minor in comparison: the demons’ characterization.

In Stories, the demons are very much their own people. Being a demon is a part of who they are, and it is even a driving force for some of them, but it is never so significant that it takes over their entire identity. Sen governs her people kindly and wisely, but is isolated from the rest of the demon clans and is known to be somewhat lonely. Kazama is preoccupied with being an honorable demon, but he decides what that means, which is a part of why his personality varies route to route. It is that same ability to choose one’s own definition of what it means to be an honorable demon that causes Kodo and/or Kaoru to go astray. Amagiri prefers to live an honorable life as a person and as a warrior, while his role as demon is secondary to that. And Shiranui, simply put, doesn’t care in the slightest. All of them are fantastic characters driven by their own internal motivations, just like all the humans. The fact that they are demons may influence their personalities, but it never overrides them.

However, in KW, it seems that they’ve made being a demon a lot more significant, to the point that this emphasis starts eclipsing their personalities and even individuality as people. Sen is not only a princess of her own people, but is hinted to have some sort of authority over other clans. Amagiri and Shiranui are a lot more restrictive as regards Kazama’s attempts to kidnap Chizuru, actively preventing him from making a move on the streets of Kyoto (on Sakamoto’s route) as opposed to reluctantly cooperating—which in turn makes no sense, because this time around, they seem to alternately help and hinder with no explanation. The mention of ‘stray demons’, whom have deviated in some way from a never-before-mentioned code, is also introduced with reference to Kodo and Kaoru’s scheming (on Kazama’s route).

Sound familiar? It should, because Kyoto Winds has cannibalized itself trying to encompass the entire Hakuōki franchise in a single continuity… which unfortunately contains Demons’ Bond. DB as a prequel-spinoff of Hakuōki has never made sense to me in the first place, and it makes even less now. There’s just too much friction. I’ll own that in the Venn diagram of the two games, there is some overlap (the amount of which varies person to person and is very little for me personally), but there are still two separate circles in that diagram, objectively speaking. There are too many direct contradictions between Stories canon and DB canon for them to logically be set in the exact same universe with no changes.

However, to my dismay, KW seems to value DB highly enough as part of the continuity to sacrifice some of the very canon that originally contradicted it. The problem with this is that the reason I love Hakuōki is the original canon, because it explains just enough for everything to make sense without going into so much detail that any holes are readily recognizable. Since KW seems to alter that canon to try and accommodate DB, there are now too many in-universe alleged facts that do not add up. So, without further ado…

Although something had been bothering me in the back of my mind for some time, what first caused me to consciously realize the difference in the demons’ characterization is actually the contrast in Shiranui’s personality, because I love him enough that I am more sensitive to his quirks. In Stories, there’s an automatic bad ending on Ch4 of Harada’s route if you choose to run:

Shiranui: “Whoa, not so fast!”

I heard the crack of a gun firing, and my body shook as if I’d been punched… If I’d just been shot, then the wound should have healed itself already, but with every heartbeat, I could feel warm blood pouring out of my body.

Shiranui: “Even a demon can’t heal a shot through the heart… You’d run off and let a human fight your battles? You don’t have any pride at all, do you? I’m disappointed.”

But in KW, not only does trying to run have no effect (and in fact it seems implied to be the Right Decision this time???), but on an actual bad ending:

Shiranui: “What? You want some too? Sorry, but as it goes, female demons are a rare sight. So I can’t kill you just yet. Give it up.”

Then she runs off and someone else kills her, but that interaction still jarred me. Since when does Shiranui, of all demons, care? At all? Ever? Is this because “killing another demon is a punishable act that makes the offender a ‘stray demon’” [Kodo, KW Kazama Ch5]? But Shiranui is already breaking the code by interfering with human history, and besides that, he never values demonic culture more highly than what he himself thinks is right. He has a mind of his own—a wonderfully wayward mind. For him to suddenly decide “oh, you’re a Female Demon and that’s Really Important so I can’t kill you” completely undermines the fact that the issue of race is secondary to him. As far as he’s concerned, demons are better than humans, but he’ll still call demons assholes, and he’ll still befriend humans. Sparing Chizuru because she’s a female demon is something he would never do.

Now, back to the concept of interference with human history being taboo, because that was the biggest issue I had with DB, and it has now also seeped into KW (both the below quotes from Iba’s route):

Kimigiku: “Although demons are forbidden to interfere with human history… now that you have received the Demon’s Arm, you are no longer a human. You will receive no mercy from me.”

Sen: “…The life you had lived as a human would cease, for you cannot interfere with human history.”

If it is forbidden for demons to interfere directly in human history, and if Sen has the authority to banish demons (more on that later), then why does she permit Shiranui to continue fighting on behalf of Choshu when he is not acting to repay a debt, but according to his own will? Why does Sen not forcibly take Chizuru away to prevent her from getting caught up in human history, as she already has been? And besides all that, what are the consequences of being a ‘stray demon’—that is, why exactly does everyone consider it such a fearsome punishment? 

This is a direct contrast from Stories (“A Meeting of Demons” DLC):

The demons who’d settled in Yase had always been close to the emperor and the court from the moment they were granted permission to live at the base of the mountain. Those ties became stronger over the years, and from time to time, they worked in the shadows to advance the emperor’s agendas, starting during the reign of Emperor Go-Daigo. That had been the beginning of the Genkou era… Relations between Go-Daigo and the Kamakura shogunate had become strained. Eventually, they devolved into open conflict. The emperor and his supporters were driven from Kyoto and fled to Mount Hiei, where the demons of Yase protected them. As thanks for their loyalty in a time of need, the emperor granted them permanent exemption from land taxes, and granted special dispensation for some individuals to serve the emperor in times of emergency. Since then, the demons living in Yase had been inextricably tied to the imperial court. This meant that the village leader was expected to maintain relations with the court in addition to protecting the village. The demons of Yase had great respect for Princess Sen, the imperial court, and the emperor, for it was through them that they could live a life of relative peace and happiness.

And do you know what? That all makes sense! If Sen and her demons keep to themselves and expect all other demons to do the same, there would be no reason for Kimigiku to have undergone training to be an oiran in Shimabara. The point of that job is to gather information that can’t be easily obtained simply by listening to the gossip of the times. What point would there be in uncovering more confidential intel if demons are expected to live apart from humans and stay out of their conflicts? In Stories, it is because information is their trade in their service for the emperor. That’s a lovely little loop with no real holes.

Edit: Come to think of it, if demons are supposed to stay out of human matters, what reason does Sen have to come to Kyoto personally if she doesn’t already know about Chizuru? If she just wanted to hear the talk of the town, she could send other, less important people to listen in on conversation. And don’t tell me it’s because of her tomboyish personality, because one of her main points is that she weighs demonic custom much more highly than her own happiness. Or maybe they retconned that trait out of existence, too.

See, Stories paints a picture where demons and humans coexist (or don’t!) on their own terms, unique from clan to clan and demon to demon, practically symbolic of how and why conflict affects everyone, even those who are technically neutral—and it all hangs together. Even Kazama’s assertion at the end of his route that he will go back to living in the shadows is ultimately a personal decision, and although it is implied to be common-sense custom, it is never stated to be law. KW tries to squeeze all demons into the same mold, under a single overarching idea of What It Means to Be a Demon, which (in a hilariously bad line) Amagiri refers to as “the rules of being a demon”. There is no longer any room for individual interpretation, and although the writers removed that nuance, they did not remove some of its effects, such as Kimigiku having trained to be a geisha. There is no longer an adequate explanation for why the universe is the way it is, and it is very hard for me to suspend disbelief when I can see so many holes.

To circle back to the matter of Sen’s social standing, she and her predecessors are revealed (also in the “A Meeting of Demons” DLC) to have earned the title of ‘Princess’ because the clan has been led by female demons whom have protected Yase for generations, like any other clan leader. In other words, for Sen, ‘Princess’ is a title, not an even further elevated social status. In addition to her isolation, social and otherwise, this explains why she is not particularly famous among other demons. She has no authority over them; only over her own people. Suddenly saying that she has some kind of jurisdiction over other demons apart from her own village makes no sense, considering that several of them don’t seem to recognize her or her position. If she were really that powerful and well-to-do, you’d think she would be more influential. Instead, Kimigiku has to explain more precise details about who she is to Kazama on Heisuke’s route.

And that brings us to the retcon I hope to make infamous:

Sen: “Have you forgotten the law that we are not to become involved with human politics? …Using the power of demons to interfere with, if not destroy, the shogunate is out of the question. That means, of course, that attacking the men of the Shinsengumi with the intention of abducting this one here is out of line, as well.”

No, it’s not??? No, it literally isn’t. Kazama is working for the Satsuma to repay a debt, like the honorable demon he is. Attacking the Shinsengumi falls well within the lines of acceptable behavior as far as that debt goes, and nobody said anything about helping bring down the shogunate. In fact, Kazama tells her as much himself, but—without offering any legitimate counterargument—Sen simply says that even if leaves the service of the clan, it doesn’t excuse him from what he’s already done. Then she starts ranting at him about how she’s going to banish him and disband his clan if he doesn’t agree to leave Chizuru alone. (I’d include more of it in the block quote, but the translation was so shoddy I couldn’t stomach it.)

Now, keep in mind that Kazama barely knew who Sen was at the start of this conversation, and that she has never demonstrated the capacity to follow through with her authority. That is, even if she banished him and split his clan, who would carry out that command? And on what grounds? Yet, despite every reason to continue the argument or even attack, Kazama just… gives up. That’s right, Kazama. Gives. Up. For no comprehensible reason. At all. This interaction doesn’t hang together with anybody’s characterization as I understand it, not to mention the fact that Sen’s assertions don’t make sense. Furthermore, if she really can force Kazama to stand down like that, and his alleged crimes really are so grievous, why does she not confront Kazama and force him to stop pursuing Chizuru on every route? And, come to think of it, why doesn’t she do it earlier? Like, as soon as she knows who Chizuru is earlier?? This plot point doesn’t make sense to begin with, let alone as a replacement for its Stories equivalent:

Kazama: “I see. Well, if you will bear my child, then that is certainly more than I could hope for. However, I see no reason to abandon my current—” Sen: “You insolent, ungrateful knave! Know your place! …What clan could possibly offer you a more prestigious lineage than mine? Your child would be a descendant of Suzuka Gozen! You could take as many wives as you wished, but you would never sire the like again! To even consider any other woman as mother to your child is utter folly. You are the head of the Kazama clan. Surely, you have the foresight to see that.” Kazama: “You have an impertinent mouth… Nonetheless, this is an interesting proposition. I see you have not inherited the elegance of your predecessor, however. Very well. Once the Satsuma have overthrown the shogunate, I will come for you. I suspect that will be soon.”

See how Kazama now has an actual, specific incentive for leaving Chizuru alone—because Sen offered a sufficiently enticing alternative? See how he’s still not including himself among the Satsuma who will overthrow the shogunate? See how nobody mentions interfering with human history or what it means to be a demon? And do you see why I’m not just unhappy about this scene because it de-canonizes my OTP? Even if they choose to make KazaSen possible later, it will make even less sense in this already nonsensically altered context.

…And that reminds me of all my fears for the sequel in general. Because I know for a fact they’re including a certain CG in the sequel, Kazama will still be working with Heisuke and Chizuru, presumably to rescue Sen. Why would he rescue someone who earlier threatened to banish him and destroy his clan? Even if it’s only for the sake of saving a fellow demon and/or eliminating the furies, nothing could realistically entice him to work so closely with people he still considers enemies. His promise to leave Chizuru alone is extremely tenuous, since there is no longer an alternative proposition to attach him to Sen; only the threat of banishment keeps him in line this time. In fact, if Sen is indisposed and unable to enforce her threat, what exactly is keeping Kazama from taking Chizuru anyway?

Basically, the progression of Heisuke’s route—and Sen’s subplot in particular—relies on an incredibly delicate balance of characterization, which has now been upset because they removed the one factor that ties everything together. In general, KW appears to have significantly altered the basis of several interactions and added a few more explicit implications and undertones, but does not actually follow those changes and additions to their logical conclusions. Therefore, as far as demons are concerned, the game tries to shed more light on their culture, but that light creates more visible shadows where the newly created holes are.