History VisualNovel / Hanachirasu

''Hanachirasu'' ("Flower Scattering" but Hana is written with the kanji of sword and cry, the flowers are actually the sounds of swords) is VisualNovel / HGame by {{Creator/Nitroplus}}. In a vein similar to VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi, Hanachirasu features few supernatural elements and also uses an alternate history as its setting. Originally released in 2004 It was given a FanTranslation by [=TLWiki=] in November 2010 and was officially released in the US in 2015.

In [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII 1945]], the first atomic bomb test in America fails; as such. the United States is forced to invade Kyushu in hopes of ending the war in the Pacific, shortly after the Soviet Union invades Hokkaido. Japan stubbornly refuses to accept the Potsdam Declaration, and the "no surrender" motto adopted by Imperial Japan results in increased casualties for the Japanese, American, and Russian soldiers. A revised Potsdam Declaration is issued, one that maintains that Kyushu and Hokkaido will be occupied, but also allows Japan full sovereignty of the remaining islands; Japan immediately accepts.

* {{Bishounen}}: Akane

* EyesAlwaysShut: Watari. [[spoiler: Until he gets pissed.]]

* HeroAntagonist: Igarasu.

* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Akane.
* LonersAreFreaks: Lampshaded with Igarasu in one scene.

* MultipleEndings

* SlasherSmile: Akane sports this quite a bit.
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: ''Ruthlessly'' cynical.
* SlipknotPonytail: Akane in the normal/true endings.

* TheRival: Igarasu
* ThereAreNoTherapists
* TokyoTower: Akane's final battle with Igarasu takes place here.

* VillainProtagonist: Akane

* WouldYouLikeToHearHowTheyDied: Akane taunting Igarasu about Misuzu.

* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler: Culminating in KillEmAll.]]

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler: By the end of the game, the only important named character that isn't dead is Itsurin.]]

* {{Utsuge}}: Constantly downbeat tone? Strong air of tragedy? [[spoiler: KillEmAll conclusion?]] All present and accounted for.

** HollywoodSwordplay is completely averted. As the novel makes clear many times, a battle involving two objects designed to kill each other is going to end ''very'' quickly. Rarely is a fight longer than a SingleStrokeBattle.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair:
** All are mostly normal, cept Itsurin, whose hair is a really bright red.
** If you look closely at Igarasu's hair, you'll realize that it's actually a very dark shade of blue

* RealityEnsues:
** HollywoodSwordplay is completely averted. As the novel makes clear many times, a battle involving two objects designed to kill each other is going to end ''very'' quickly. Rarely is a fight longer than a SingleStrokeBattle.
** While most of the characters have varying degrees of inhuman swordfighting skills, it's made clear those are only valid because of Ishima Kaigen's purge of all firearms from Tokyo. Even [[AxCrazy Akane]] freaks out when [[spoiler: Yasaka]] pulls a firearm on him as a last resort, and only survives because he was fast enough to literally disarm him.
** Being able to [[PowerCopying replicate any technique you witness]] means nothing if you don't understand the logic behind it. [[spoiler: Watari learns this the hard way.]]

* ShownTheirWork: The novel has some ''extremely'' detailed descriptions of Japanese swordplay and the technique behind it. Justified, as the SingleStrokeBattle nature of most fights means that excessive detail is the only way to keep the encounters interesting.

* MonsterSobStory: Akane is a remorseless killer and a borderline sociopath who commits multiple atrocities over the course of the story, but much of the tragedy is gained from showing just how empty his life is as someone purely obsessed with fighting his rival Igarasu, outright throwing away any chance he has at a better life in favour of pursuing his obsession. [[spoiler: He even kills himself after killing Igarasu, having nothing to live for.]]

* {{Seppuku}}: [[spoiler: Akane's method of suicide. He was so hardcore, he was his own ''second''. Yes, he still managed to decapitate himself even after disemboweling himself.]]

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: All are mostly normal, cept Itsurin, whose hair is a really bright red.

* BadassGrandpa: Yasaka, an old man who built like a tank and just as tough as one. [[spoiler: He even comes close to killing Akane.]]

In 1945, the first atomic bomb test in America fails. As such the United States is forced to invade Kyushu in hopes of ending the war in the Pacific, shortly after the Soviet Union invades Hokkaido. Japan stubbornly refuses to accept the Potsdam Declaration. As such the "no surrender" motto adopted by Imperial Japan results in increased casualties for both the Japanese, American and Russian soldiers. A revised Potsdam Declaration is issued, one that maintains that Kyushu and Hokkaido will be occupied, but also allows Japan full sovereignty of the remaining islands, Japan immediately accepts.

The result is a new Cold War front in which the United States won over Japan with promise of capitalist power. A new joint security is issued in 1969. But before it can be passed, a general known as Ishima Kaigen changes Japan forever.

** While most of the characters have varying degrees of inhuman swordfighting skills, it's made clear those are only valid because of Ishima's purge of all firearms. Even [[AxCrazy Akane]] freaks out when [[spoiler: Yasaka]] pulls a firearm on him as a last resort, and only survives because he was fast enough to literally disarm him.