Shinsengumi Mokuhiroku Wasurenagusa Vol.3 Kondo Isami

新撰組黙秘録 勿忘草 第参巻 近藤勇

Company: Rejet
Based on: Shinsengumi /original
Released: 2012.09.26
Official site: http://rejetweb.jp/wasurenagusa/


Shinsengumi Mokuhiroku Wasurenagusa (after this simply 'wasurenagusa') is a series based on several historically famous people within the shinsengumi. The concept of the CDs is "what if I could have been there (and fall in love with one of them)". So while they are based on historical people, the rest is all fiction. The series uses the dummy head mic for several scenes. The third CD features Kondo Isami (CV: Inoue Kazuhiko).

As always this story is long: although it is short for this series: 75min (and 3:22min freetalk).

Like before the story begins with the Ikedaya Incident. Kondo was taking the lead in the raid on the Ikedaya Inn, and we are treated to a very bloodthirsty Kondo cutting down several conspirators. If you'd hear only this you'd think he is a psychopath to be honest (^-^;;)

However immediately afterwards we get to see a completely different side. Just like in the previous CDs you were caught up in the events of the Ikedaya Incident and your parents were killed, so for now you are staying at the shinsengumi headquarters. Kondo apologises for not being able to take better care of you because the past few days were rather busy.

You seem down, so he offers you some sweets. It turns out that he has quite the sweet tooth, but that Hijikata always forbids him to eat sweets because it wouldn't suit his image as leader of the shinsengumi. So Kondo always tries to hide sweets, and Hijikata finds them and disposes of them. However lately Kondo started to hoard higashi (dried sweets, by the sound of it it seems he has something like this or this) which he has been able to hide from Hijikata. He offers you some sweets as well, along with the offer to stay at the headquarters and work there as a (kitchen) servant.

You start to work at the headquarters and occasionally talk with Kondo there. At some point you run into him in town while you are on an errand for Okita. Kondo thinks you should also enjoy yourself every once in a while, and the two of you end up shopping together while holding hands. Kondo wants to visit a sword shop, which is where you get to hear about his katana obsession. In the end the sword he wanted to see wasn't good enough so he doesn't buy it (in fact he mentions it is probably an imitation of a famous maker).

A little while later he comes to inform you that they are heading out on a raid that night again, and that you should stay inside. Of course you worry about his safety. The next day you go and check on him because he seems down, and he confesses to you that he feels guilty for the deaths of those who died in battle last night. To cheer him up you give him a flower, and promise to always make sure there are fresh flowers in his room. He also tells you that he has always seen you as a little sister (ouch) but that he just realized that you are a woman as well.

The next time you see him he is once again running away from his duties and taking a break in the garden. You were searching for a piece of laundry that got blown away in the wind, and you end up searching for it together. While you are searching Kondo happily tells you that he dreamt of you last night, and it seems it wasn't an innocent dream either. He also tells you that "he started wondering whether you would show the same erotic expressions if he were to actually hold you” Σ(´ω｀*) He is certainly being straight forward there.

Of course all of this eventually escalates, and he sort of seduces you. Start of the awaited ero scenes, but his is where things get weird. Kondo somehow brings kotetsu (his katana) into this, and to be honest I have no idea what is going on. What I do get is that kotetsu turns him on just as much as your naked body, and that Inoue-san his voice next to your ear is very sexy, but I have no idea what he is doing with that sword.

In the final track he talks to you about the future of the shinsengumi, and that it won't all be easy. Compared to the first 2 CDs this one seems less emotional. Although he does talk about "being prepared for the end", and that he is trying to decide where to "use his life [and die]" and that this day might be close. While it is certainly depressing, it failed to move me to tears...

I didn't mention this before, but in the second CD I also had some problems with understanding what exactly is going on in the ero scenes. Not because I don't understand what is being said, but because the descriptions are rather vague. This time however, I had absolutely no clue about what was going on. In the end I was so pre-occupied with trying to find out what was happening exactly that the ero kind of failed.

I liked Kondo his normal personality though (when he is not in katana obsessed killing mode). The development in your relationship, where he first sees you as his little sister, then starts to realize that you are a 'woman', and eventually falls in love with you was good as well. Although I have to say I was surprised at his straight out telling you that he dreamt of you in certain ways. I expected Rejet to make some sort of reference to the fact that Kondo was already married at the time of this story, but they happily ignored this fact.

It is kind of hard to believe that the leader of the shinsengumi had a secret sweet tooth and regularly ditched his work, only to be scolded by Hijikata though. This does make me curious how Hijikata will be portrayed though.

The free talk is neither boring nor very special. Random fact: apparently Inoue-san did this recording barefooted.


Conclusion:
I am increasingly starting to dislike the ero in this series. Whether it is just being too vague or plain weird, it simply doesn't match with the rest of the story. The pacing and writing of the rest of the story are very good -as always- but the ero just seems to be done half-heartedly. Either that or their writer really needs to work on improving  ero writing skills.