Kajiri Kamui Kagura review (19/09/17)

I'll try to keep this review as spoiler-free as I can, but considering the nature of the game, it might be quite difficult, so be advised.

Kajiri Kamui Kagura is a game I've got a long personal history with. Muramasa was still fresh on my mind in 2011, so naturally the first trailer's Japanese aesthetics, artwork and music quickly caught my attention. It was one of my most anticipated titles of the year, so imagine my disappointment when all the release discussions pointed out that you should not read it before Dies irae. It's not like I wasn't interested in Dies (it's been on my radar since 2008), but I was less than excited about reading a gigantic opera of a VN just so I could read the VN I actually wanted to read.

Six years later, with the entirety of Dies under my belt, I could finally fulfill my original goal. A lot of time has passed, and yet some traces of that petty grudge remain, so I'd like to settle this once and for all. Kajiri Kamui Kagura is a sequel to Dies irae. It might only cover one route ending out of four, but it's a sequel nonetheless. It spoils the events of the original game, you won't get the complete experience unless you read them in order, and failing to do so is simply a waste of time. If the readers and Light themselves would've been more clear on this point, I might've had less regrets about dropping it before I even started. Hopefully you won't repeat my mistake now that you know this.

So, did I get the Muramasa successor I so wanted? Not really, no. The fights are way less detailed: the mind games step aside to make way for the more direct clashes of ideas and cravings. The atmosphere is there, but it feels rather empty at times, like the world ends right outside the protagonists' field of vision. The former point was expected after Dies, but the latter was a little bit more disappointing. I keep thinking that it's actually an excellent way to reflect the disturbing nature of Tengudou; the very reason Rindou has been considered insane is because she did not think only for herself. And yet I can't shake off the feeling that it could be a bit more likable; it could have at least some reasons you would like to live in this world. There were some hints of it in the very beginning, as Hotsuma was preparing for the New Year, but later on no one really cares about any country in particular, as the stakes get much higher. In the end, just like in Dies, the world remains an extension of its god, and even though part of Masada's genius is using even that to develop his vivid characters, I hope he won't become a prisoner of this scheme. Please prove me wrong, Senshinkan.

Speaking of Dies: there is a common complaint that KaKaKa does not stand on its own, as you are much more invested in the old cast and their fate. As we've established, this is a sequel, so having some shared characters is to be expected, and yet I do feel like the references could be turned down a few notches. The fight with the first tenma at the Dim Sea made a very strong impression on me; it does not say anything outright, it does not show you any old CGs or employ familiar voice actors, but when you put the pieces together and realize just who you are fighting, you get overwhelmed by despair and confusion to the point you just have to put the game aside for ten minutes or so. It raises your expectations and makes you look forward to more subtle hints about the nature of Yatsukahagi... And then the Fuwanoseki battle gives you a rather clear answer to that. And then it even shows you some Dies CGs later on in case you still didn't get it. Luckily, the story still has quite a few riddles to solve after that, but if this particular one was more subtle, the entire game would've felt more standalone, naturally putting the new characters under the spotlight. And I wouldn't have had to wait six years to read it. Ahem. Anyways, one of the story's main ideas is letting go of the old and accepting the new, which makes its own struggle to do so even more bizarre. Then again, we're talking about Dies irae, a game that is having its TV anime and mobile game coming out this year, so good luck letting go of that.

But enough of the shortcomings: what did I like about it? A whole lot. I'm a fan of using the structure of the narrative to reinforce the core ideas, and having so many protagonists with equally important routes shows you just how different this world is to the rigid opera of old. It might begin as a story of a bunch of egoists pulling in different directions, but in the end, it's this same range of experiences and opinions that saves the day. You never get these parallel paths out of your head, so seeing them develop and intertwine is even more satisfying. I'd go as far as to say that most new characters are better than the old ones; Habaki, Shiori and Yakou are my favorites by far (although Niko, Ootake and MIKADO FUCKING RYUUMEI are also excellent). Oh, it goes without saying, but all the voice actors have done a stellar job; if there is anything I'm missing, it's the individual character themes. Hopefully Pantheon delivers.

And, of course, there is Hajun. It's been a while since I enjoyed hating the antagonist so much (since Medaka Box and Kumagawa, I think?). Honestly, it's easy when the entire narrative makes you hate everything about him, but what really makes him great is his mix of genuine danger and faulty personality. He feels like he was made exactly so people would go "Yeah, but Hajun" in power level discussions or roleplay （∴） in the wiki comments, if you get what I mean. If only his fight was longer. God dammit, Hajun. God dammit.

Last but not least, this is certainly the most grand VN I've ever read. The very first fight has its participants unleash their strongest moves, ignoring the usual flow of the story that Dies irae was so particular about. But it doesn't stop there: seeing the kamunagura for the first time overwhelms you with all kinds of emotions, with the strongest one being "Welp, it's over, there's no way this scene can be outdone". And then there is the whole Shinza plot that gets explored for the first time in the series: in fact, I'm pretty sure it wasn't even considered a series until KaKaKa. It's only natural that the story of gods and divinities would finally tell you about the gods of old. I like crossover games for showing so many interesting worlds that you can explore, and KaKaKa makes me look forward to reading Paradise Lost and Pantheon the same way. It's not without faults, but it has become the foundation for something outstanding. And that is why I'm happy that it wasn't just a standalone game.