Hakuoki Movie series- Anime Review

I got both parts of the movie series from the Sentai Summer Sale as the DVD versions were so cheap. I really like historical Japan anime so, I got them because at the end of the day they were interesting. Knowing next to nothing on this series except after a bit of research they are based on a visual novel video game series of the same name. So, if I end up loving this 2 part movie series I will likely check out the 3DS game.

Plot

A war between the Shogunate's Shinsengumi, and the Ronin warriors called Rasetsu or Furies is going in ancient Kyoto. Caught in the middle is a woman disguised as a man to find her father. When coming to Kyoto in her search, Chizuru Yukimura finds her fate forever connected to Shinsengumi Vice Commander Toshizo Hijikata. Chizuru's father created an elixir that gives people strength, speed and healing and the Ronin forces are after it for its power.

Review

This series was a beautiful and brutal ride. The animation was gorgeous, but the story was tragic, a lethal combination. I do feel like this would work better as an anime series and not 2 movies though as everything is very quick paced and the story skips around a lot. Chizuru and Toshizo are both great and get a good deal of development, but the other character don't seem to get enough time to really connect with them. A great bonus in this set though is the historical guide that tells you the real life events, places, and people featured in the movies. If you like historical fiction, great animation and tragedy then give these movies a watch.