Random replay: Izuna Zanshinken
Entry posted by Clephas
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Izuna Zanshinken is one of three pretty high-quality VNs made by Akatsuki Works Black during the period of a single year. I say 'high-quality', but it was more for the pleasure levels rather than literary value. Izuna Zanshinken and Yurikago yori Tenshi Made are both what I like to call 'perfect examples of chuunige crack' that are also readable by people who aren't translators or native Japanese. Of course, there are hard moments, but in comparison to the normal ruck of chuunige, they are relatively easy on the brain. The third VN is Hotel, a post-apocalyptic utsuge based in a post-war world where for some reason, all life is slowly dying out for no apparent overt reason. It is a story about how a small community of survivors live their best amidst the growing realization there is no salvation coming. It is a melancholic VN that had me crying repeatedly and hit me with a mild mindfuck revelation at the end, while at the same time ending on a highly emotional note.
Izuna Zanshinken is the story of Musumi Kotarou, a young boy trained from birth for the sole purpose of being a 'kept' vigilante assassin. Kotarou's style integrates basically 'whatever works', though he prefers to use katana, claws, kunai, and his bare fists. Since his style is specialized for killing with no element of 'sports' to it, it is pretty brutal at times, lol.
Mmm... to be blunt, this VN is drenched in blood. There is more raw violence and bloodshed in this VN than in any other I've ever played. I don't mean the kind of magical violence that you see in a lot of fantasy VNs, where people are wiped out without a trace... I mean people being cut down, strangled, stabbed, cut open, dismembered, etc. Both the CGs and the writing are kind of graphic at times, and for those not used to blood, this will probably put them off.
However, because of the nature of the protagonist's work, there is always good reason why people have to be killed by him, at least... and his killing are generally pretty cathartic.
The musical style of this VN is almost exclusively variations on classical Japanese music with Japanese or Chinese instruments. Everyday scenes will sometimes have more western additions, but even those will include at least some Japanese instrumentals. Indeed, in many ways they were basically reinventing the 'jidaigeki' style in a VN based in a modern era.
Visually... think lots of blood? The style itself is pretty and there are a lot of CGs in this VN, not just H ones.
Content-wise... other than blood, there is some rape (no heroine rape though). There are also other objectionable concepts introduced such as human slavery, cannibalism, and lolis with bone fetishes. Most of the VN is done in episodic fashion, with single incidents making up a single chapter. The paths are distinctive, with the 'introduction' or 'common' route helping you to get used to the atmosphere before you go into the heroine routes. In the heroine routes, romance generally isn't the focus, though it is an element. One of the more enjoyable things about the routes is how they shape things so the protagonist plays a different role with each heroine. With Suzuka, it is the protector, servant, and confidante, with Shinobu, it is the role of the mentor and partner, and with Hikaru it is the role of friend and eventually an ally. 'Choices' in this VN are actually mostly choices of what scenes you want to watch (except for a few bad-end/good-end choices at the end of each path). For instance, in one scene you might get one focused in a slice of the protagonist's daily life interacting with the heroines or people at school (though school doesn't play much of a role, overall). However, the other choice might be a Socratic-style lecture from a teacher, where the students debate recent events and issues, like the recent abolishing (fictional) of the death penalty and its effects on society (this issue is actually a central social theme of the VN as a whole), or a scene told from the viewpoint of a victim, an assailant, or an antagonist.
Perhaps my biggest objection to this VN is that it was designed with a sequel in mind. You can tell because of the way the secret ending (accessed by filling in the rest of the flow chart) is done, leading you to think that matters are nowhere near their conclusion.
Overall, this VN is one of those that I think everyone who can stand the sight of blood should read, just so they can have the experience. It isn't a kamige, but it is a highly cathartic, highly emotional trip down a bloodstained road inside the experiences of a vigilante assassin.
Here is one of my favorite CG progressions, for those who want to have a idea of what it is like (spoilers)
Serial killer reads fanletters in prison
Serial killer gets a kunai in his voice box to keep him quiet
Serial killer's cell is set on fire by burning letter from the loved ones of one of his victims being dropped into gasoline
Serial killer is burned to death in his cell, where he had thought himself safe from all harm
- Chronopolis, LinovaA and XReaper
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