Nightshade/Hyakka hyakurou sengoku ninpou chou review

Published by: D3 Publisher
Available: Psvita JPN and on steam ENG

Nightshade is another shinobi themed otome game. I think there is already so many shinobi or samurai themed otome games,but I'm not bored of those yet I guess. Before I bought Nightshade from Steam I knew that this game also have psvita version in Japanese. But when this game was published in Japanese I wasn't that interested about it. But when it was translated to English I thought "well why not let's try?". I'm really slow play otome games on laptop so that is one reason why I haven't play this when I bought it in 2017 :'DD.

Summary from Steam:

During the Sengoku Period the two main factions of ninja clans, Iga and Kōga, warred against each other for decades. 

In the year 1593, Nobunaga Oda started the Tenshō Iga war, decimating most of the Iga ninjas in the process.

The very few that survived were absorbed into the Kōga clan, despite their past rivalries. After 17 years the Sengoku Period finally came to an end, and Japan was unified. Enju (Protagonist), daughter of Kandō Ueno, the Head of the Kōga clan, spends her days training diligently in hope of becoming a full-fledged ninja like her peers. At long last she is assigned to her first mission, but finds herself caught in a dark conspiracy――.

Routes
There might be some spoilers! 

Goemon

Seiyuu: Midorikawa Hikaru

As usually I went to look some route recommendations,if there was order to play routes. One blog recommend to start from Goemon and I thought "sure why not?". Because I didn't have any fav ones from this game and Goemon actually looked a really nice character.

In the game Goemon is "thief" but also former shinobi. He have a very playful personality,but also he is flirtatious. Goemon became interest in Enju and wanted to help her in difficult times. I enjoyed to play Goemon's route. Plot in the route was interesting in it's own way. After the plot moment I had a little bit mixed feelings,even though I knew everything is going to be okay and I will get my good ending. The ending in the route was cute,but at the same time felt kind of rushed?

I think Goemon's route was good start for the game. His route was enjoyable, but not that special in my opinion. Liked his personality and how he sometimes teased Enju with "wife and husband" jokes.

Hanzo 

Seiyuu: Tsuda Kenjiro

After Goemon route I started play Hanzo's route next. He already appeared in the first route and I kind of fell in love with him. Maybe because Tsuda Kenjiro is one off my favorite seiyuu,just maybe hmm? (¬‿¬)   Hanzo is head of the Tokugawa clan and his master is Ieyasu Tokugawa. He is very loyal for the Ieyasu. As character Hanzo is very serious, who doesn't show his feelings easily.

In the route Hanzo projected Enju and also helped her with shinobi training. I liked how Hanzo and Enju grew as character and how their relationship to each other changed. First I was scared that Hanzo's route was going to be a really boring. Because in the beginning of the route he was so cold and cared only about shinobi stuff. But my heart melted when Hanzo started to be more open to Enju and showed his feelings to her.

There was couple wtf moments in the end of route. I got more information and get to know more about Enju and her mothers past. This route was really nice to play even though the start was a really slow. But in the end Hanzo melted my heart and I cried for the cute ending. 

Kuroyuki

Seiyuu: Hiro Shimono

 Kuroyuki is Enju's childhood friend. He was send to Kaga clan to train his shinobi skills, but after 8 years he came back to Koga. First Kuroyuki was very mysterious for me. I knew that he have some big secret or something bad was going to happen in his route. Because all the time when I was playing I had the feeling that something bad was going to happen. In the end Kuroyuki ended up be "yandere childhood friend". 

Kuroyuki route started a very slowly,but it ended up to be a huge mess. Sometimes I was so confused what was happening. This route was also a really sad and I kind of felt sorry for Kuroyuki. Also you can kind of expect the plot in the beginning,but I still enjoyed to play it. I don't know what to say about Enju and Kuroyuki's relationship. You can kind of understand their strong feelings to each other,but at the same time you don't know if it's okay or not.

When Kuroyuki show his yandere side,at some point I didn't want Enju to be with Kuroyuki. Even though I was playing the good ending route I wasn't sure how to feel about the ending result. Sure they're happy, but at the same time I was like wtf??? I want say that I like kuroyuki,but at the same time I don't like him. So you can say it's "love-hate"? :'D

Gekkamaru

seiyuu: Hatano Wataru 

Second last route is Kuroyuki's big brother Gekkamaru. He is Enju's childhood friend and also bodyguard. Gekkamaru is gentle, but also very over protective. I found it kind of funny that I got some Lindo (dance with devils) wibes from Gekkamaru. Maybe because they both have same seiyuu and both characters are kind of over protective.   ╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭
The first two chapters from route were a really sad. I really hoped this route wouldn't be that sad and melancholy all the time. Well sometimes it was,but luckily there were some humor moments too. But I have to say at some point I was sad that so many characters died in this route. Well it was part of the plot so what you can do.

I felt so confused when I played the final chapters. There was so much going and just wondered how this route were supposed to end? At some point I thought that am playing the bad ending :'D. Thank god it wasn't lol. But all the facts were like hit to the face. Sometimes I also felt really disgusted at the final chapters.

Oh boy I still haven't talk about my opinions about Gekkamaru. Well I can say that I really liked Gekkamaru as character. Sometimes his over protective side was a little bit annoying, but he also was a really cute when he tried talk "normally" to Enju. I really liked how Enju and Gekkamaru understood each other and how they grow together.

Chojiro 

Seiyuu: Toriumi Kousuke

And finally last route from this game! Chojiro is Enju's cousin and he helped her train shinobi stuff. Chojiro is very loyal and he take his job seriously. He doesn't show his feelings easily and sometimes he doesn't know how to show his own feelings to Enju. Or what some feelings where supposed to mean. I really loved how kind and caring he was sometimes.

 I really wanted to this route to be a little bit nicer than Gekkamaru's. Because his route was a really sad, but this also ended up be sad one too. I also noticed there wasn't much difference with plot than in Gekkamaru's route. Well even though this route was similar I still enjoyed to play it. 

Final thoughts: 

 I was surprised that this was actually good because first I thought it would be boring. It was good but not like "the best game ever". Really enjoyed to play it and the story in the game was interesting, but some parts you kind of could figure out earlier before you end the route. Art style was pretty and character designs were nice. Music was also nice, but there was couple ost which was kinda meh.  

All routes were good in their own way,but sometimes it felt like some of them were a little bit rushed with the ending. Or is it just me who felt like it? 

For me its kind of hard to say who was "the main boy" in the game...Gekkamaru,Chojiro? I don't know. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯I kind of wanted that Ieyasu would have some special route. But didn't get any lol. My favorite boys ended up to be Hanzo and Gekkamaru. 

Hahah,feel weird that I don't have any critical things to say. But I guess its good that I liked this game... :'D

Anyway thanks again for reading my review,hopefully you enjoyed to read it. If you want ask something or comment feel free to! 

~ Sparkletokiya