Co-developed by CYBIRD and Animate, the Meiji-era romance game Koihana Bakumeiroku has revealed the first teaser video during the Animate Girls Festival 2022 (AGF2022). Shugo Nakamura and Makoto Furukawa will be singing the game’s theme song as their characters, Saitō Hajime and Hijikata Toshizō.
The romance game is the first project of +ONE by Ikémen Series, a new brand that was established to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Ikémen Series, together with the series’ new entry Ikemen Villains: Wrapped in Wicked Romance. Koihana Bakumeiroku is set to release on smartphones and PC via Animate Games in Japan in 2023.
The stage event, which featured the game’s voice cast Shugo Nakamura, Ryōta Suzuki, and Ryohei Kimura as guests, also revealed the project’s story and character details. At the end of the event, it was also announced that +ONE by Ikémen Series is working on the second game in collaboration with ABC Frontier.
▍Koihana Bakumeiroku Story
The end of the Boshin War changed the era’s name to “Meiji,” and a new era had begun.
You are the heroine who lost your childhood memories in a certain incident. After your adoptive parents passed away, you visited the new capital, Tokyo. As soon as you were fascinated by the gorgeous cityscape, you were involved in an incident – a man suddenly appeared, giving you no choice but to pull out your memento sword. Known by his name Hajime Saito, he was once the captain of the Shinsengumi’s 3rd division of the rebels and is now the captain of the Meiji government Battou Corps.
After meeting him and the government officers such as Takayoshi Kido and Kaishu Katsu, you learned the existence of “Shikabito”, a force that threatens the Meiji government. While chasing the incident surrounding the Shikabito, the new Tokugawa shogunate army led by Ii Naosuke, who lost his life in the past, appears. Beside him is Toshizo Hijikata, the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. On the other hand, general Takamori Saigo further drags you to an unprecedented three-way battle…
▍Character Profiles
■ Saitō Hajime – CV: Shugo Nakamura
The former captain of Shinsengumi’s 3rd division. After being defeated in the Aizu War, he entered the Metropolitan Police Department and serves as the captain of the Battotai corps that protects Tokyo. He feels a strong sense of loyalty to the Aizu clan and the deceased warlord Matsudaira Katamori, and even after the end of the samurai era, he still chose to wield a sword. He takes care of the heroine in various ways, but there seems to be a reason for that…
■ Kido Takayoshi – CV: Ryōta Suzuki
An advisor to the government, He is thoughtful, cautious, and open to a wide range of ideas. At the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, he was called ‘Escape Kogoro’ because he never fought needlessly and always escaped from the crisis. He can be kind to everyone regardless of one’s position, but it’s hard to see his true feelings behind those smiley eyes.
■ Saigō Takamori – CV: Ryohei Kimura
A general of the army that contributed to the establishment of the Meiji government. He is admired by his subordinates for his affectionate and generous personality. He is deeply trusted by Toshiaki Kirino in particular, and he also adores Kirino as if he is a younger brother.
▍Koihana Bakumeiroku AGF2022 Booth & Sneak Peek of Gameplay
If you can’t wait to check out the ikemen characters of Koihana Bakumeiroku, you are strongly recommended to visit its dedicated booth at Animate Girls Festival 2022, which is decorated with three life-size panels of Saitō Hajime, Kido Takayoshi, and Saigō Takamori.
While the booth gives a general introduction of its worldview and characters of this upcoming otome game, the distributed flyer has revealed the details of what players can expect from the game system.
In Koihana Bakumeiroku, players will be able to read five scenes for free every day. Just as in every other otome game, your choice will change the ending, as well as how your love interest reacts. Alternative stories that tell from the perspectives of the guys will also be available for you to learn more about his feelings.
The “Conversation” system allows players to spend intimate time with him. Pay them a visit sometimes and who knows, they may give you special items and unlock fully-voiced stories.
Create your one-and-only “oshi” room for your favorite characters with the interior and decorations obtained from reading the stories. You can also change the outfit of the boys according to your own preferences!
The game also features a gacha system where you could collect different cards of your “oshi” characters and build parties to challenge the mini-games!
Koihana Bakumeiroku is set to release on smartphones and PC in 2023.
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