Tamagojani

Ryuji best boy. 

I should preface this with the fact that SAPPHY has said pretty much all of this in one way or another, but I have to say my own words even if they are longer and not and beautifully articulated. Oops.

When it comes to Okita, I always have a lot to say. He’s my favorite character for a reason, and it’s not just because he has an attractive design or an absolutely captivating seiyuu. It’s because he’s complex, and it’s because out of every character in Hakuouki, he undergoes the biggest changes and developments. There are a lot of quirks and subtleties and I think, for me, it makes him the most interesting character in the game.

I feel like there are oftentimes a lot of things about Okita that are missed; it’s easy enough to chalk him up as a snarky asshole that doesn’t care. But… that’s not the case. It never was from the get-go, and I think that trivializing the growth he undergoes diminishes both who he is as a character, as well as the amazing job that was done writing and molding Okita in the character that he is.

When we’re introduced to Okita, it’s easy for a lot of people not to like him. Initially, you see someone who appears to be pretty uncaring – quick to spout death threats, show his lack of care, and tease when it’s completely inappropriate.  It’s easy to have a base judgment and go into his route thinking it’s just how he is. But it’s not. It’s not just how he is. Everything that happens, everything he says and does has meaning and basis. You have to start at the beginning though, the real beginning, not just the start of Shinsengumi Kitan/Demon of the Fleeting Blossom.