Hanachirasu

Hanachirasu ("Blade that Scatters Flowers" or something around those lines) is Visual Novel / H-game by Nitroplus. In a vein similar to Togainu no Chi, Hanachirasu features few supernatural elements and also uses an alternate history as its setting. Originally released in 2004 It was given a Fan Translation by TL Wiki in November 2010.

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.

After overthrowing the current government, Kaigen issues new laws in-order to remove Western ideals from Japan’s “tainted spirit.” Tokyo becomes the central basis for this. Firearms are banned, and a literal wall is constructed to emphasize its closure from other countries. Additionally, martial arts and swordplay become more widespread. Though Western idealists still maintain a war with those who wish to further Kaigen’s dream of a “pure Japan.” In the midst of this conflict comes the story of blood and vengeance of the mad swordsman Takeda Akane and his quest to face his one true rival, Igarasu Yoshia.

Compare Full Metal Daemon Muramasa, which share the same premise (and company), but with Humongous Mecha.

Tropes used in Hanachirasu include:

• Absurdly Sharp Blade: Most Japanese swords will dulls after cutting through a few people, but this is lampshaded.
• Alternate History
• Anyone Can Die
• Badass Grandpa: Yasaka
• Badass Normal: Both Igarasu and Akane, as ther is nothing supernatural about their insane sword skills. Akane even more so because he does not even have Igarasu's raw talent for kenjutsu. He got to where he was by working himself half to death. Plus, he kills a guy with a gun using only his sword, and develops a Maken on his own.
• Bishounen: Akane
• Bittersweet Ending: See Kill'Em All
• Break the Cutie: Yumi
  • Kill the Cutie
• Despair Event Horizon:
• Downer Ending: The Normal Ending which you get after beating the game for the first time. Not really surprising though.
• Driven to Suicide: At the end of the game after killing a countless number of people, performing many horrible deeds, and defeating and killing Igarasu, Akane kills himself because he considers himself to finally be complete. A slight aversion though since he'd planned to kill himself all along.
  • Death Seeker: Akane.
• Eyes Always Shut: Watari
• Expy: My goodness! Kaigen is a loli version of Yasunori Kato.
• Final Battle
• Foe Yay: In-Universe, Akane and Igarasu. Confirmed as of the Eternal end.
• Hero Antagonist: Arguably Igarasu, who is practically a rather decent Anti-Villain at absolute worst.
• Hime Cut: Every female character.
• Kill'Em All: By the end of the game, the only important named character that isn't dead is Itsurin.
• Letting His Hair Down: Akane in the final scene has his hair flying free from his ponytail. He looks just like a girl.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Akane.
• Loners Are Freaks: Lampshaded with Igarasu in one scene.
• Meaningful Name: The "aka" in Akane means "crimson".
• Mercy Kill: Akane does this to the female terrorist after he rapes her.
• Monster Sob Story
• Moral Event Horizon: In-Universe, his Moral Event Horizon happened for him the day he killed Misuzu. He became a Complete Monster after that.
• Multiple Endings: Three no-endings. One normal ending. One true ending. One Joke ending. Six endings total.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: The reason why Akane killed Misuzu was because he was jealous of how Misuzu gets to marry Igarasu.
• Say My Name
• Seppuku: 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.
• Slasher Smile: Akane sports this quite a bit.
• Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism:
• Slipknot Ponytail: Akane in the normal/true endings.
• The Rival: Igarasu
• There Are No Therapists
• Tokyo Tower: Akane's final battle with Igarasu takes place here.
• The Un-Reveal: Igarasu and Akane's past.
• The Watcher: Itsurin. She's basically a True Neutral who doesn't do anything to interfere with Akane and Igarasu's blood feud aside from handing them their weapons, holds no especial love or hatred for either even her brief H scene with Akane was done on a whim, in her words, and otherwise is content to just be The Blacksmith of each character's swords.
• Utsuge
• Villain Protagonist: Akane
• Yandere: Akane was always this for Igarasu, as revealed by the Eternal end.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: 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
• Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: Akane taunting Igarasu about Misuzu.