Soukou Akki Muramasa (Spoiler Warning)

How does one even begin to write about this work? Are there proper outlines as to what it fundamentally embodies? Would it be silly to try to write about it a bit more in depth even if it once more ends up on a stark surface level? Before deciding to write this, these sorts of thoughts were all floating throughout my head. There’s so much to be found within this game, yet due to this length it almost feels like it becomes all the more difficult to find this one significant common thread to talk about…
 

This review, or however one may refer to this writing, might end up a little different compared to prior ones I wrote, perhaps it could be best considered of as a start of a new chapter, a stepping stone as to reaching a new arc, please bear with me and keep in mind I’ll talk about spoilers.
 
If there is one notable underlying theme however, contrary to what I right before had claimed, it might be the way it depicts the consequences of killing. Both the state of mind it leaves a person who was never meant to handle the twisted brutality of the act of taking another one’s life and how someone like this would handle the guilt of their actions. A story not about heroes, not necessarily one about villains either, but something in between that stands beyond good and evil. Moving between both fronts, surrounded by a dark forest, in a gnarled fate.

 

Within this Muramasa places its central theme of the Law of Balance: For taking the life of someone you deem evil, thou hast to take a life of a person you view as to be good. Every enemy killed will cost the life of one friend, a twisted rule to which Kageaki, our main character, ultimately succumbs through the passage of this brutal story.

This Minato Kageaki… One of this works most interesting characters as the central protagonist and a person who comes to life through his endless dilemma paired with the perpetual weight that constantly comes down on his shoulder, weighing like iron claws on someone who at his core used to be a different person, corrupted by what The Law of Balance, Muramasa, placed on him. What can there be found within him, what spark resides in the midst of his heart? Learning more and more about him over each consecutive second, the answer may slowly uncover for oneself to find.
 
To its core this rule he was put under could almost feel artificial, contrived as to cause conflict to its whole outset, yet it virtually beautifully symbolizes Minato’s torn apart heart in a conduct that could hardly be replicated by anything else. Between good and evil, his two sides, the calm and rather reserved man who at the same time can become a beast once feeling the touch of a woman. One who has to act as a cold blooded killer, but couldn’t reside a more opposed heart to this reality.

 

His masculinity, the way he ends up treating woman when coming in physical contact with them, there’s this almost wild animal like being buried within him that paints a stark contrast to most of his outward appearance. Might it be a coping mechanism over the lost control over his life, the path that was forced upon him, a way to flee from this weight as to devour another person through sheer lust within an intimate act. Could it be merely his true personality coming to light or is it a mere reflection of the cold, all too brutal world he finds himself into, mirroring the broad strokes of the story themselves. There however, appears to be no ill intent as he clearly cares and takes worry about his partners after and before succumbing to his inner desires. Striking with a divided image that dazzles in the light each time. Loving and accepting through their own way, no matter how this would be perceived by outsiders. Through every intimate encounter with the opposite sex, this can be felt. Romantic relationships that start to blossom under the full moonlight as each of their hearts get shattered while taking a bliss of comfort together. There’s beauty behind it, stroked with all the roughness it needed. Taking a dip into the sweet bath of pleasure to escape the cruelty of their very own selves. Indeed, Kageaki is a pervert.

 

Resulting in one of the perhaps most interesting relationships, formed between him and her (Muramsa) that takes many turns while ultimately developing into something much deeper that on one hand couldn’t be much more beautiful yet at the very same time heartbreaking to see unfold in the way it could only leave a scorching heart in one sense or another.

 

They understand each other like no other, yet prior to their meeting they couldn’t have been further apart from morality standpoints. Placing him with a burden that would make him the killer of innocent people, following a duty that has to be fulfilled no matter what as everything else would’ve been left in vein and without purpose if it wouldn’t find an end. Having lost one of the most dearest persons to him, by pure ignorance or perchance desperation, now having to live with the consequences of his actions, further going down this very path.

 

From this point on, despite all, a beautiful relationship may blossom that gives each of them what they desire, a mutual supporting heart even after having fallen to one’s lowest point, hopeless, yet finding reason within the other’s eyes. Falling into one another’s arms, embraced by this warmth finding some comfort.

 

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How many more children have to die? How many more people will have to suffer? Can’t there be another path for peace, can’t there be kindness on this earth. For every soul shattered, more blood will be shed. For every flower trembled on, another innocent loses their life. This detestable nature of ours sickens me to the brim.
 

What is Muramasa if not a story about killing, death, and at its heart, finding love and forgiveness in atoning for their sins. One that deals with the ugly reality of humanity in the end seemingly always striving for conflict, resulting in all the more devastating sorrow and pain, only further continued, tragically worsened by each next step of trying to end violence with the very act of more onslaught. Yet is this all there is to it…? No, of course not. Even within this, amidst this dark even more cruel world of ours, there’s some hope and goodwill to be found within people’s hearts. Kageaki himself and many individuals he meets throughout his path by chance existing as a prime example for this, as paradoxical as it might seem. They possibly have a shining light within their soul that can spark over to other human beings. Maybe, even with the smallest chance, through the next generation, there can come in a change, a turn for a better world that resembles kindness instead of countless continued fighting. Or perhaps… It is to find meaning even in a world that can be so cruel with an endless amount of suffering, yet still retains a tad bit of its beauty between all of this.

 

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Hanachirasu is a work done by the same author, Narahara Ittetsu, four years prior to Muramasa. When talking about the latter it feels almost wrong to leave out the former completely, given how thematically relevant it remains to what this work attempted to a much larger scale. Telling a dramatic story within a tight setting about envy, masculinity, and swordsmanship, that consistently pulls itself off captivatingly as the wind blows with a tainted strike in the night. The beauty, passion and devotion to the work of art by the author could’ve already strongly been felt by then, sword fights that feel so detailed, drawing one deeply in even if not having engaged a whole lot with the subject matter at hand, all of this becomes even clearer within this next game as everything reaches its climax in a tragic spectacle that undoubtably leaves a lasting impression.

 
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A cherished pal of mine described Muramasa as an example of a perfect eroge, and to add to this, I surely feel like there’s some truth within these words. Born from enthusiasm, undertaking something grand and spectacular, not holding back as to fulfil it to its rounded out vision. In fact this is what drives the artistic freedom of this industry forward, essentially what sets it apart as something irreplaceable. Soukou Akki Muramasa is a game that wonderfully demonstrates what beautiful works can blossom within the boundless world of eroge. Worth a shot to be experienced, and hopefully remembered.

 
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Naturally though all of this in the grand scheme of things is completely irrelevant given how the best part about this game remains seeing Muramasa in a maid outfit. That was the point in time in which I knew I had to rate this game on such a high note, at last taking an even greater liking to this work. Her design is utterly pretty, sheer magnificent and all the more perfect in every corner. If I may describe it that way, it felt like a blessing from the gods.

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As an addendum, having written all this, I'll furthermore add thoughts I had written after each ending to this review below. They were prior only posted to a very dear friend of mine, the same as aforesaid, but shall now be immortalized and find one more place to rest within this write-up. Given how they were written prior to this one, there of course could be one or another points repeated. Perhaps it’s best to treat this part as a lost manuscript, compiled into a short collection. Nothing to take too seriously but by chance a sort of interesting insight into the thoughts of someone as they were first playing this work:

 

Two heroes, another side of one coin - Ichijou Ayane’s Ending

 
Phew, finished my first route and ending in Muramasa... A dead mother, two siblings fighting to death, a sword that only knows killing. confronting clashing ideals of justice... Between all of this there's if anything a lot to unpack and already an impressive experience whose strengths ever so often shine through like a lightning star. Both in the way how Ichijou and Kageaki parallel themselves and yet how different the way they took upon them is. Similar albeit all so distinct and at the end nothing but the same. Can't wait to dive further into it and see how the rest within diverging paths unfolds under the moonshine as the glint of the sword burns.

Nemesis but all the same - Kanae Ohtori’s Ending
 

These endings hit different if I do may say so. Keeps piling up so strong with many immensely good moments. How everything unfolded here with Kageaki and Kanae was both bittersweet and poignant. Truly sticks the landing in the path it shows and further dives into the turmoil within characters. In this unfair world, what meaning could one find? Is it meant to only end this way? Does our very existence only entail killing and fighting each other over and over again? Which answer could there be gained but to keep diving into this mess in an attempt to hopefully find an answer in the ashes of one's existence. Also what a beautiful final CG for this route, one that encapsulates their feelings paired with their journey filled with so much brutality and strive for justice in each of their ways, ultimately crossing together, beautifully.
 
"To protect the woman who had promised to kill him, he fought that same woman and died by her hand."

Conqueror - Tragic ending yet with all the beauty it could acquire
 
...Taking a step back, having gone through this part it surely feels harder to talk about than with the prior two routes. Not because of conflicting feelings or anything of that sort but because it's a lot to take in, with endless thoughts floating through my head as if it were a rather long lasting stream of, hardly to put into words, feelings. Nothing that shall prevent from trying anyways, though. Reaching to the stars and shattering the moon, in a climax beyond words, Muramasa surely keeps its promise, delving all the more into its themes, of primarily the law of balance, its sense of justice and both the guilt as well as the consequence stemming from killing. Taking no easy exit but rather beautifully depicting the gruesome reality of mankind and its endless slaughter.
 
Now ultimately taking a turn and possibly bringing Muramasa herself to an end within the final stretch coming right after the epilogue. Building on the aftermath and recovery while the shadows of the past have never fully gone and still lurk in the corner as one of the most important and defining decisions approaches.

 

"And thus I pay the price for my hate."
 
Hate is the very thing that ultimately leads to our demise. Being driven by hate will only blind one's eyes, clouded to see the truth. Thus within taking this choice Kageaki finally succumbs to himself, as the victims whose lifes he had taken. Losing Muramasa through this blindness and at last being freed of the shackles that the Law of Balance placed on him. Duty, laws, hate, but also love. The very love he gained by his shared relationship with Muramasa. What a befitting ending to the tale of no heroes~

Conqueror - Muramasa Begins
 
Though what would be left for him if he were to stay astray from this path that would ultimately lead to this tragic yet all too fitting ending? Stripping him of everything. How would one live on like this... An opposite path that might not free him but one that dives fully into fighting. Until the very end of both their lifes.. Utter madness but perhaps the only way they could've taken after surviving and being bound to the Law of Balance. In fact, despite all, Muramasa Begins. Within this though, maybe it is the young, the next generation who could bring a change to this, pursuing peace as the noblest of things in contrast to the death and suffering brought upon the surface by endless fighting. Perhaps this is what Hikari partially embodies, shining, untainted hope within this dark world.

Conqueror – Chachamaru, the missing one
 
Actually I didn’t write anything about this ending. Initially I didn’t go through it until after clearing the main route with both respective endings, thus there wasn’t much of a boost left to talk about it afterwards, not to mention the ending itself being rather short. Yet as it felt wrong to leave it out completely, here’s another brief aphorism, originally written in German (how fitting given how this work occasionally uses words of this language) as well as a translated version, I’ve decided to try my hands on for this review as a substitute:
 
Was wären wir wenn nicht menschlich, allzumenschlich. Töricht, allzu töricht bisweilen wir unsre eigenen Gräber graben alsgleich unsere gar eigene Existenz in der Kälte des endlichen Raums dahinschwindet. Doch darin könnte zugleich begraben liegen was uns fundamental menschlich macht, eine Spezies die in ihrer Art wie Naiv sie verweilt ganz und gar einzigartig ist.
 
TL: What are we if not human, all too human. Foolish, all too foolish until digging our own graves as we dwindle our very own being within this cold, vast space. Therein though may lie buried what makes us who we fundamentally are, a species so unique in the way of how naive they are.

 

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Afterword
 

Initially, before going through this game paired with most duration of my playtime, I honestly wasn’t even thinking that much about writing about it, to say the least to this extent as I ended up doing. Partially I had grown slightly tired of writing these kinds of reviews and felt like most of what I tried in the past resulted in being rather lacking. Yet despite all, this motivation came back as a flame sparked within me as I was finishing this work and through the whole experience talked about it a bit with a friend, writing these brief texts towards each ending. Therein this essay, partially composed of new talking points and reused words, was born with a supposedly new flair to it compared to some of my past writings. Whether this is true or ended up working though, that is probably for you, the reader, up to decide. Thanks for reading and by all means have a great day. 

Finally I want to bring up something of another side note, not at all important to this write-up, yet still holds importance to the past. By now, I had finished compiling 230 prior reviews I had written in the past into one large book titled: “Reendeavour into past write-ups”. Spanning over 260.000 words within almost 800 pages, it shall archive the past of many previous of my attempts to write about various works (Not including this newly written piece about Muramasa). There might be not much interest for it, but in order to somewhat preserve this work, I wanted to share it here anyways.

Ghonf