New Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms Screens Show Saito and Sanan

The second half of the enhanced version of Hakuoki is coming to the west. Idea Factory previously announced that Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms will release for PlayStation Vita on March 13 in North America, and on March 16, 2018 in Europe. It’ll pick up where Kyoto Winds left off, and will finish Chizuru’s story. Now they’ve released a new batch of screenshots focusing on two characters: Hajime Saito and Keisuke Sanan.

Here’s character bios for both Saito and Sanan:

Saito is the quiet, “lone-wolf” who acts as the captain of the Shinsengumi’s 3rd Division. As a man of few words, he finds most conversation meaningless. His seriousness stems from his childhood. Saito was mocked for being left-handed because it was considered a disadvantage. In spite of all of this, he became a master of the sword-style “iai.” He’s known to stare off into the distance to ponder, leaving people to wonder, including Chizuru, what exactly is on his mind…

Sanan, formerly the Sendai doman warrior and now the Shinsengumi colonel, is logical and reserved. He is obsessed with discovering an antidote for the Water of Life, because of his guilt over what he’s done to the Fury Corps. In Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms, Sanan is isolated and can only move by night. Over time, Sanan learns to overcome the guilt that has burdened him, and accepts himself as a Fury, giving him the confidence to contemplate a life with Chizuru.

Check out the new Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms screenshots below:

Here’s the official feature listing of the game (which will have PlayStation TV support):

• 12 Charming Bachelors – Start by choosing from one of 12 handsome bachelors and fall in love with Japanese history’s most famous warriors.
• Multiple Endings, One True Love – Explore the gorgeous world of Hakuoki through narrative choices that unlock branching storylines and up to 30 different endings.
• Beautiful History Comes Alive – The dramatic romance, friendship, and betrayal unfolds on your screen through fluid animation, vibrant art, and detailed CGs.

For more on the first half of the story, check out my Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds review. Here’s a snippet of what I had to say:

My one major beef with Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is that the story just sort of ends before it really gets going. For those that read through the story previously, this version ends after the fourth chapter comes to a close. That means there isn’t any proper conclusion, things barely get steamy with the love interests, and there are way more questions than answers when the credits start rolling.

If you’ve got money to spend, and don’t mind waiting for any sort of conclusion, then Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds is the best way to experience the first half of Idea Factory’s visual novel. The new scenes help to flesh out the existing stories, and the additional characters help make a familiar story feel new again. It’s a shame that all the hard work gets marred by splitting the story into two games, but it’s still a very enjoyable read.

Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms releases for PlayStation Vita on March 13 in North America and March 16, 2018 in Europe.