Chizuru is a young girl who came to Kyoto disguised as a boy in search of her missing father, an accomplished doctor of western medicine with whom she suddenly lost contact several months ago.When the Shinsengumi reveal that they too have been in search of Dr. Yukimura, they allow Chizuru to remain under their care and assist them with the search. Agreeing to continue living as a boy so as not to distract the men who serve her new benefactors, Chizuru quickly becomes acclimated to their lifestyle, even working for them as an occasional messenger and healer.Tropes associated with Chizuru:
To be fair, the few times she does try typically result in her getting either chewed out by both the heroes and the villains, or killed unceremoniously in a blaze of Stupid Sacrifice. ...Except in one instance, in Harada's route, where this trope is played straight for a fleeting moment. While she knows self defence and has a weapon, it can be easy to forget the people around her are the Shinsengumi, and masters at their own craft.
Die for Our Ship: Interestingly enough, averts this at least in the Japanese community. While there is certainly a lot of Ho Yay fanart, pixiv artists seem to be fond of drawing Chizuru pairings.
It's All My Fault: She blames herself for the Oni attack on the temple and for the transformation of certain characters.
Japanese Honorifics: Uses polite speech and addresses most of the characters as [last name]-san, with the exception of Heisuke, who requested that she call him by his first name, and Osen. Appropriate in the case of the Shinsengumi executives, as they are socially superior to her.
One of the Boys: Justified, as there are no women she can hang out with, other than Osen whom she rarely gets to see anyway. Despite being the Yamato Nadeshiko, she grows accustomed to their antics and starts to enjoy their company.
Values Dissonance / Stay in the Kitchen: As mentioned on that page's Anime section, Japanese gender roles are still very different from that of Western countries. Combine that with the fact that Hakuouki is in a historical setting, which was even more traditional and Chizuru's Faux Action Girl status becomes considerably more justified, or at least understandable: she does want to help, but the historical setting/moment is simply not the best.
Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi. He takes care of most of its technical affairs and is said to hold the real power. Very dedicated to the Commander, Kondou.Tropes associated with Hijikata:
A Father to His Men: Becomes this later on after Kondou's death. Shows the most in the later parts of his route.
Badass Longhair: Cuts it short later when everyone changes to Western clothing.
Can't Hold His Liquor: It's for this reason that he stays away from drinking, even though he'll claim otherwise. According to Word of God, his limit is about four pints.
Determinator: Shows the most in his route. Even more after becoming a Rasetsu. The man does not rest!
Giftedly Bad: His poetry sucks, but he's still fond of it. He even admits that he has no talent, albeit in desperation because he doesn't want to hear Saitou inadvertently tell him so.
Snake Oil Salesman: Ishida Sanyaku, the medicine his family sells, doesn't actually work—at least, not to the extent that's advertised. Even so, Hijikata (and Saitou) will swear by it.
Shinpachi mentions in Sanosuke's route that everyone thinks this in regards to Hijikata's poetry. There's even an unlockable gallery scene that features Okita keeping Hijikata's poetry book away from him.
Tragic Dream: He wished to make Kondou's Tragic Dream come true for him.
First Name Basis: So far, he's the only person who doesn't address Hijikata by his surname or title, choosing to call him by the diminutive "Toshi" instead.
Heroic Sacrifice: In every route. After realizing that he's been Drunk with Power, he gives himself up to buy everyone else time to escape. He's planning on them recognizing that he is a daimyo and showing him mercy or allowing him to commit honorable suicide. He doesn't get either, and is executed.
The Good Captain: He's actually the commander and most of the Shinsengumi captains can be considered good, but among all of them, Kondou is the most triumphant example. A few of the captains even admire Kondou specifically for this reason.
No Hero to His Valet: Nagakura recalls their days at the Shieikan, when their lives were simple and Kondou treated them more like friends than subordinates.
Hijikata: Rather than a beloved brother, on the contrary, all those needless meddling and trouble-making are more like how someone treats an annoying unwanted relative.
Sannan: So true. That's Hijikata-kun, knowing full well what you're like in other people's eyes.
Mad Scientist: After he turns Rasetsu. How bad he gets depends on the route. He's at his worst in Heisuke's route, with Sanosuke's route (and his near-constant harassment of Chizuru during one chapter of it) a close second.
Okita: However, the person Kondou-san trusts most is that certain somebody who's treacherous, self-centered, self-absorbed, and enjoys writing crappy haiku.
Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Especially when he was a child. Kondou earned his loyalty by being the only one who encouraged him to look to the future instead of saying things like, "Oh, you poor child, your parents are dead and your sister left you all alone."
Downer Ending: His good ending, if you would believe it. It heavily implies that he dies right then, even though Word of God says that he had just fallen asleep.
There's more of a bittersweet flavor to his good ending. He's still breathing after he falls asleep, but for how long?
Parental Abandonment: It's revealed in Reimeiroku that after his parents died, his older sister begged Kondou to take him in. Okita didn't get over it until Kondou told him that everything must happen for a reason. This one scene is why Okita is so dedicated to Kondou.
Put on a Bus: In every route but his own. In at least one route, there's a Bus Crash.
The serious and reserved captain of the third squad in the Shinsengumi. He is also a kenjutsu instructor and is actually the preferred instructor among the lower ranks, as he is the most patient one.Tropes associated with Saitou:
The Alcoholic: Interestingly enough, Word of God says that he, of all people, has the highest alcohol tolerance of all the Shinsengumi executives. The historical Saitou was also a heavy drinker.
A Man Is Not a Virgin: Subverted. Shinpachi mentions something about women and playfully nudges Saitou, who awkwardly responds that he's "not familiar with this kind of topic."
Shinpachi: That's expected. If he told me he loved hanging out with women and had lots of love experience, that would be breaking news.
With a completely straight face, Saitou responds with "Woof". The other captains think that he's telling them something by code. Saitou just looks dejected and tells them that it's okay if they don't get it.
Ensemble Darkhorse: In Japan. Case in point: in B's-LOG, Japan's monthly magazine for all things otome, he has ranked number one in terms of popularity from August 2009 to December 2011. Consistently.
Friend to All Living Things: A CG from the games show him sipping tea with two small birds perched on his shoulder. He's either this trope, or he's able to sit so still that birds mistake him for a statue.
Geek: When it comes to Japanese swords, Saitou knows everything.
The Quiet One: Until he gets drunk, that is. He will either lecture at length (with the same emotionless face, no less) or start rambling about swords.
Undying Loyalty: To Hijikata and the Shinsengumi in general.
What You Are in the Dark: Early in his route, he's in danger of losing to Kazama. Chizuru offers to go with Kazama in exchange for leaving Saitou and his men alone. Kazama suggests that he agree and simply tell his superiors that they were overpowered and she was captured. Saitou states that he would know the truth and is determined not to surrender.
Living on Borrowed Time: As a Rasetsu. Out of all of Chizuru's potential love interests, he's the only one who drinks the Ochimizu on every single route. It makes sense, since the real Toudoudid die before the start of the Boshin War.
Badass Normal: In the games he's the only datable character who never drinks the Water of Life, and it makes him no less badass. In fact, it probably makes him more badass, as he goes up against a Water of Life enhanced Koudou and an army of furies with a little help from Shiranui and survives. It also means his is the only path to have a genuine, long term happy ending.
Badass in Distress: At one point in his route, he gets cornered by Shiranui while trying to protect Chizuru, and it's up to her to save him. Her choosing to heed his advice and run away instead leads to a bad ending in which both she and he are killed.
Big Brother Instinct: Especially in regards to Saitou in the drama CDs, and Ibuki in Reimeiroku.
Big Damn Heroes: With Heisuke and Shinpachi, in the climax of Saitou's route.
Hidden Depths: While he appears pretty cheerful and easygoing, he's constantly wrestling with doubts and negative emotions concerning the Shinsengumi, the Rasetsu and the fighting in general. Unless he's asked for his opinion, though, he usually keeps it to himself.
Mistaken for Gay: In Zuisouroku, he starts hitting on Chizuru in front of some men, briefly forgetting that she's supposed to be a boy. Needless to say, this happens.
Moral Dilemma: Ultimately, he finds himself torn between his sense of camaraderie towards Nagakura and his devotion to Chizuru, as their paths suddenly diverge at the end of his route. Chizuru decides to return to Edo to try to stop Koudou and his Rasetsu from ravaging the city, while Nagakura and the Seiheitai prepare to join the Bakufu forces in Aizu. Either way, he must say goodbye to one of them for what may well be the last time.
Approaching Foe Yay as they don't care for each other in the game.
Combat Medic: He studied medicine under Matsumoto Ryoujun, and his job in Kyoto was that of a doctor. He acts as an emergency medic in the Shinsengumi.
Final Speech: He's got three. One for Hijikata, one for Chizuru and one for Ibuki.
Ninja: Though he dresses like a stereotypical ninja, oddly enough, he isn't one. He actually works as a spy for the Shinsengumi. However; he does (quite hilariously), pretend to be one in order to save Chizuru from being discovered later on in the game and in one of the OVAs of the anime.
Perpetual Frowner/The Stoic: Comes off as this even though he's actually quite expressive and even a little childish (see Ninja entry above) underneath.
Blond Guys are Evil: Extra points for being on opposite ends with a dark-haired guy (Hijikata) AND for being one point on a love triangle. On his path in the games he's still a jerk, but he's a rather nice one.
Hints of his nice side also appear in Heisuke and Okita's routes.
Curbstomp Battle: On the receiving end of one at the end of Saitou's route. Saitou, Heisuke, Sanosuke, and Shinpachi beat him down.
Enemy Mine: In Heisuke's route. He does not appreciate Sannan kidnapping Sen, who'd promised him a child. Approaches Vitriolic Best Buds by the route's conclusion, judging from the banter post-rescue.
Explosive Breeder: His aspiration to have children is exaggerated and played for laughs in Yuugiroku, where he exclaims that Chizuru will give him 100 children. She's quick to point out that she's physically unable to.
Reluctant Warrior: An interesting villainous example. He makes it obvious that he prefers peaceful solutions over fighting. If he has to fight, he will more often than not curb stomp you. With his fists. Even if you're using a sword.
Character Development: Receives some in Sanosuke's route. It's revealed that he had a human friend who had died, and this plays into why he turned on Koudou and the Rasetsu.
Enemy Mine: In Sanosuke's route. Teams up with the Shinsengumi when the Rasetsu interrupt their fight, and gives them an opening to escape from the fight. Sanosuke later returns the favor when Shiranui appears near the end of his route to confront Koudou.
Freudian Excuse: His reasoning for tormenting Chizuru. He had an incredibly crappy childhood, simply because he wasn't female. As he puts it, the Nagumo family wanted a female demon to breed and they got the wrong twin.
Heroic Sacrifice: In Heisuke's route. Not the standard type of sacrifice: Sen convinces Kazama to leave Chizuru alone, saying she'll bear him a child instead.
Keigo: Similar to Oichi in that Chizuru calls her "Osen-chan".
Bald of Evil: How evil he is varies from route to route. He is arguably his most evil in Saitou and Sanosuke's routes. Neither one has him receive a Redemption Equals Death moment. In the former, he's even dispatched offscreen, while Sanosuke finishes him off in the latter.
Big Bad: Sanosuke's route. To a lesser extent in Kazama's route, mainly because of how short that route is.
Head of the Serizawa faction of the Roshigumi (what the Shinsengumi was called before it was the Shinsengumi). An extremely harsh yet very competent leader.Tropes associated with Serizawa:
