First of all, I want to say that SoH is an amazing work in overall. It is dramatic, serious, interesting, tragic and soulful. Sometimes bloody, frightening, maddening, mind-blowing. But sometimes funny, colorful, warm and with unpredictable twists and turns. This game has completely unpredictable, intriguing situations, but they all add up to one big, overall picture. Each story chapter intertwined into one incredible book that you read out. You empathize with the characters, you understand them, you laugh with them, you cry because of them and fight for them.
Sure, you can make your MC a bad, rude, bloodthirsty person. You can do bad things and not delve into other people's problems, but what hooked me personally in SoH… is the opportunity to be a real hero without a demonstrative label. I can't stand characters who literally boast about being kind, fair and helpful. It looks so pompous, unpleasant and lofty. As if you are nothing compared to the beacon of justice and law. When a "hero" like this talks, I want to roll my eyes. I love when person shows who they are through their actions, even if, at first glance, they seems most unreliable and immoral.
The main character, ronin, is precisely like that. They don't trust anyone, have a hard time opening up to others, hate themselves more than all their enemies hate them combined… and at the same time, they embody a true talented, wise hero (if you play this route, of course).
Take for example my ronin. Akio. A man who hates himself, carries the weight of responsibility, guilt and a painful past on his shoulders, pushes people away… is incredibly caring, protective and conscientious. At first glance, just a drunkard mercenary, but in fact, a man with a heart of gold. Sometimes sharp-tongued, sometimes straightforward and stubborn. He often hides the truth to protect others and always suffers from some inadequate inner instinct of self-sacrifice for the sake of others. He doesn't think about risks, he just helps. It's in his nature. He doesn't believe in his own importance, but people are drawn to him. He fights, doesn't give up, shows strength, resilience, and will. To put it simply, at the beginning of the journey he is a real mess. He suffers from an innate sense of justice, bleeding heart, self-loathing, and men in love with him. He come an incredibly long way from a dirty dog to a man ready to learn self-forgiveness.
In this wonderful art, drawn by @tokiko220, I tried to show the connection between the past and the present. The way my ronin has changed from first book to the last one. How he looked at the beginning of the journey and where he is now. As you can see the "past" ronin have dark blood under his feet, and the "current" ronin stands on clear water. Streams of blood and water collide, mixing and like a river stream, flow away. The symbolism is that the past and present are inseparable, but now the ronin himself chooses whether the river will be clean or bloody.
I like that the ronin is not a permanently invulnerable hero. He can lose, he can grieve, he can see the consequences of his decisions. He may be in a complete despair, on the very edge. He can be weak, he can be scared. He can be human.
Plus, honestly, it's so funny that MC doesn't believe that someone can love, care and desire them, but most of the characters (both main and secondary) adore ronin with a variety of feelings.
Well, also, this applies only to my personal walkthrough, but after a long time my Akio become calmer, more graceful, more elegant and more wise, as if a real experienced sensei. But despite all his strength, incredible martial talents, leadership, he still revains sensitive and needy of love. I don't know if this could be called as a certain trope, but I absolutely adore when a strong, skilled, fearsome hero becomes soft, gentle and becomes vulnerable/open onlу with the loved one.
To put it simply, I never get tired of taking screenshots of favorite moments and admiring this rare, thoughtful story. The text is well-written, colorful and easy to read. You can understand how subtle the author feels his work, how much attention was put into the details, how much information been studied for the authenticity. The descriptions are captivating, the emotions are touching, the battles excites imagination and every character you met, carries something that you will remember. In your head every word transforms into a breathtaking series (or anime).
The story has exactly what lacks so much sometimes — a real, sincere, selfless kindness and the opportunity to make the world a better place. SoH can be very dark, expose baser aspects of human nature, frighten with real situations and fascinate with mythical mysteries. But among all this struggle and survival, I see a thrilling adventure full of inspiration, friendship and the desire to fight for good. SoH is about justice, about the desire to protect and learn, about hope in the darkness, about the strength born from love, care and protection.
SoH makes you think, feel, experience emotions, and only a great book has the power to do that.
Cr. @samuraiofhyuga (Devon Connell / MChoiceStudios)
