Hana Awase New Moon is a unique game, blending edgy and dark undertones with moments of levity and humour. I didn’t think it would end up among my absolute favourites list – but here we are! Here’s my attempt to review this underrated gem.
Disclaimer: the character overview section contains minor, out-of-context spoilers.
Contents
Basic information
Dev/pub: WoGa x dramatic create
Scenario writer: Gekka
Illustrator: Yura [other work – Otometeki Koi Kakumei★Love Revo!!]
Console: Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, Steam (PC)
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, Card Battles, Romance
Rating: CERO D (17 years and above), ESRB Mature
Release date: 2012-2019 (JP), 26 October 2023 (ENG), Steam TBC
Japanese: 華アワセ 朔
Visit the official website here (ENG).
Synopsis
Maiden prayers make flowers bloom.
“Kasen,” a card game played with Hanafuda cards.
Only those with certain abilities, “Kaei,” can harness the unique power of the flowers. They are primarily male, and the five most powerful individuals at the academy are revered as the “Five Brights.”
This game unfolds on the stage of the Kasen National Academy, where uniquely talented individuals are produced.
It is the story of the 五 光, and the maidens devoted to them.
FUN FACT!
Hanafuda is a type of Japanese playing cards. On the face of each card is a depiction of plants, tanzaku, animals, birds, or man-made objects. It is also played in Korea (known as ‘Hwatu’), Hawaii (known as ‘Sakura’) and Micronesia (known as ‘Hanahuda’).
✤ Trigger warning.
This game contains sensitive and dark content, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, violence, blood, mass murder and cult. There are also sequences with blinking lights which may affect photosensitive viewers.
Main characters
Mikoto
✤ Voice actor: Not voiced.
✤ Attends Kasen Academy with the Five Brights and becomes a Senki candidate.
✤ “Heroine that possesses the moon.”
Mizuchi
✤ Voice actor: Fukuyama Jun
✤ Same voice actor as Tomomori (Birushana), Mozu (Bustafellows), Kouga (Ayakashi Romance Reborn), Azusa (Starry Sky) and Vyn (Tears of Themis).
✤ “The proud and law-abiding citizen.”
Himeutsugi
✤ Voice actor: Tachibana Shinnosuke
✤ Same voice actor as Henri (Piofiore), William (Ikemen Villains), Rolan (Jakou no Lyla), Kosei (Ayakashi Romance Reborn) and Akito (KLAP!!).
✤ “The deeply affectionate Kaei.”
Karakurenai
✤ Voice actor: Hino Satoshi
✤ Same voice actor as Touma (Amnesia), Shien (Cendrillon palikA), Kashinaga (Katakoi Contrast) and Mikadomairi (STORM LOVER).
✤ “Pessimistic and red-blooded.”
Utsutsu
✤ Voice actor: Sugiyama Noriaki
✤ Same voice actor as Tyril (even if TEMPEST), Akito (Norn9), Naran (The Crimson Flower that Divides), Kashika (Cendrillon palikA) and Thor (Kamigami no Asobi).
✤ “The missing five brights.”
Iroha
✤ Voice actor: Terashima Takuma
✤ Same voice actor as Otoya (UtaPri), Sasuke (Shinobi, Koi Utsutsu), Aoi (Gekka Ryouran Romance) and Kyousuke (STORM LOVER).
✤ “The Kaei burdened with sin.”
Side characters
Here are a few important side characters that appear repeatedly across all four games and are significant to the story. Other side characters not featured are either not too important or would be spoilers!
Momotose
✤ Voice actor: Mizushima Daichuu
✤ A refined young lady, very fond of Mikoto.
Onosada Kurou
✤ Voice actor: Kuroda Takaya
✤ A teacher at Kasen Academy, always slacking off and drinking alcohol.
Kintokihana / Awahana
✤ Voice actor: Toyonaga Toshiyuki
✤ The twin chairmen at Kasen Academy.
Character & volume overview
Note that I will be discussing my general impressions about the characters across the Volumes. The ratings mainly represent how much I enjoy them as characters. I also put a “yandere score” under each LI (based on my personal judgement) – don’t click if you don’t want to reveal the scores!
Mizuchi
✤ Stoic and kind
✤ A slut
Mizuchi is a serious and polite young man. He really respects Iroha, and is a good close friend of Himeutsugi. He doesn’t get along with Karakurenai because their principles often clash. He is frivolous about rules and everything he does is centred around pleasing his family.
Why ‘a slut,’ you may ask? He is innocent and inexperienced when it comes to girls, but I sh*t you not this man is always in heat. He always finds himself ‘accidentally’ doing inappropriate things to Mikoto, and his excuses are also hilarious and adorable! I like how he acts stern and stoic, but he is actually easy to tease and is a very kind person. Seeing the way a straight-laced character like Mizuchi slowly fall for Mikoto was so rewarding.
BRIEF ROUTE / VOLUME IMPRESSION
Mizuchi Volume was the first game to be released of the Hana Awase tetralogy, and it really sets the scene for the entire series. The story starts off fairly lighthearted, but gradually becomes darker. This is a common theme across all Hana Awase games, but I feel the subsequent Volumes tend to be much heavier and darker. Mizuchi Volume was my first game, and it wasn’t long before I realise, “this game horny af.” I thought Mizuchi’s true route had a decent plot, and the romantic development felt organic and natural! It wasn’t the best true route by far, but it did make me fall in love with Hana Awase (plus, I just have a soft spot for characters like him).
Mizuchi rating: 8/10
4/10; 7/10 when he loses himself
Himeutsugi
✤ People’s princess
✤ Seductive
Himeutsugi is a soft-spoken, friendly, and sociable young man. To me, he’s the most complex character in Hana Awase. His name, which contains the word “Princess,” holds a lot of significance, which you’ll understand more once you play his true route. Hime is deeply affectionate towards Mikoto, and once he’s let in, he goes above and beyond to be with her!
Hime is also, undoubtedly, the most seductive of the Five Brights. He’s not exactly flirty, but he has his way with words, gestures, and I guess… experience? LOL. Anyway, you can expect some of the most *chef’s kiss* tastiest steamy scenes with him. I’m also a huge fan of Tacchin, so… 御馳走様でした 😳
BRIEF ROUTE / VOLUME IMPRESSION
Himeutsugi Volume was my second game, and I was delighted to meet more awesome side characters (Kagami~~ ♡). While I found Hime’s backstory and struggles profound, to me, the overall plot of his true route was so-so. BUT. It was incredibly erotic!! As I write this, I realise I probably just love the Hime in other Volumes more than in his own (?). In other words, I like seeing him suffer. 🤣 My favourite Hime is the one from Mizuchi Volume – man did things beyond common sense. Himeutsugi Volume was also mild in terms of spoilers, but there’s a plot point which I feel is huge foreshadow, so I’d still start with Mizuchi Volume.
Himeutsugi rating: 9/10
11/10
Karakurenai
✤ Oresama & womaniser
✤ Mizuchi’s No. 1 bully 🤣
In Mizuchi and Himeutsugi Volume, I really, really didn’t vibe with Kurenai AT ALL. I found him too rough, too forceful, and just overbearing. My tolerance for toxic behaviors is usually high – but I guess bro exceeded my threshold. According to vndb, he is also a tsundere – but that must’ve all gone over my head because I didn’t feel much of that side of him. Maybe he turned me into a hater too early. 🤣
Anyway, it’s not like it was all bad. Despite his aggressive antics, Kurenai genuinely loves and cares for all of his Minamo (maidens). His crude comments always made me explode in laughter – my favourite is whenever he goes after Mizuchi for being a virgin (the poor thing). He is also the only Kaei who can nonchalantly express his blatant horniness towards Mikoto, like asking if he can touch her pairs (fr, this man is so unserious). Also, a shout-out to Hino Satoshi; this role has to be one of his best performances!
BRIEF ROUTE / VOLUME IMPRESSION
I went into Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume curious to see if my mind would change after playing his true route… and I think I sort of did…? One thing I realised was, although he appears irredeemable, he is in fact the wisest and most mature amongst the Five Brights (he was especially cool in Iroha Volume!). I still didn’t resonate with the way he shows love and care, even after his true route, but I’m glad I was able to appreciate his character more. I also enjoyed the Karakurenai x Utsutsu backstory / dogfight!
Karakurenai rating: 7/10
6/10
Utsutsu
✤ Pure, relentless and devoted
✤ Altered my brain chemistry
I apologise in advance because this is about to turn into a simping corner. UTSUTSU IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE! I have never felt love so deep and pure from any otome LI, ever (okay I acknowledge the recency bias, Allan I still love you!). The little things about Utsutsu really got to me. For example, he is the only LI to call Mikoto, “Miko.” He declares his love in such a straightforward manner, and he does it often. There were times he did things that pained him because he misunderstood Mikoto’s words, and yet he still did them because her happiness is everything to him. He is devotion and selflessness in pixel form.
I’ll tell you my only disappointment. Utsutsu appears so late into the tetralogy, it’s absolutely criminal. I say this knowing that it’s for plot reasons, but I really wish there was more of him. If you are on the fence about continuing Hana Awase, at least get to the third game. DO IT FOR UTSUTSU. Also, big applause to Non-tan for delivering such a brilliant performance. Sure, there might be seiyuu bias at play here (Noriaki is one of my favourite seiyuus), but Utsutsu’s voice had me on chokehold the entire f*cking route.
BRIEF ROUTE / VOLUME IMPRESSION
Utsutsu’s true route was my favourite in all of Hana Awase. It was the least steamy, for sure, but that didn’t matter because it was filled with events that kept me at the edge of my seat. Honestly, ‘too steamy’ would have been a bit out of character for him anyway. His route also had a lot of important revelations about the game’s universe. Since his route contains plot crucial to the overarching story, it should definitely be played towards the end of Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume.
Utsutsu rating: 1000/10
9/10
Iroha
✤ Kuudere
✤ Thoughtless “pervert”
Iroha is apathetic and stern, and he is extremely uptight about rules and following orders. Despite his cold demeanours, he incredibly popular amongst all the students at Kasen Academy. I also feel like Iroha has a bit of an “S” side – he’s always in full force when he needs purge someone (lol). Iroha also takes kuudere to the next level, with Momotose dubbing him a robot with no feelings. In reality, he’s just clueless about other people’s feelings as well as his own.
Iroha is also lowkey a pervert, but in a comical way due to his thoughtlessness. If I recall correctly, he ends up topless nearly in every Volume. 🤣 This trait also puts him in the most random situation, like getting himself into a magazine photoshoot and other hilarious shenanigans. Man gave me a few good laughs, for sure. He’s also a sweet tooth, and the reason why he became one is so, so adorable!
BRIEF ROUTE / VOLUME IMPRESSION
Iroha Volume serves as the conclusion of the Hana Awase series. I enjoyed having my questions from previous games answered, though it felt a bit overwhelming because it was one reveal after the next! One little disappointment I had was that, after Mikoto and Iroha established their romantic feelings, little was explored about them. This might be the result of embedding a conclusion Volume with the actual Iroha route; alas, the romance got somewhat washed away in between. That being said, I enjoyed seeing the side characters shine in his Volume (especially Hinata~~ ♡). I also appreciate that a lot of his route was told from his POV, and seeing Mikoto’s full sprite was a nice touch!
Iroha rating: 7.5/10
5/10
Mikoto
✤ Elegant and kindhearted
✤ Loyal and stubborn
Mikoto is easy to love – she’s kind, caring, stubborn, and relentless. She’s got principles, and is unafraid to fight back when she needs to (the amount of b*tchslap she gave Kurenai… you go girl). One thing I appreciate about Hana Awase is how Mikoto remains loyal to the main LI of the game, no matter which sub-route you play! She would have moments of hesitation, which, let’s be honest, how can you not?! But babygirl remains steadfast in her love. A jealous Mikoto was also ultra adorable to watch. She is a fantastic, “perfectly imperfect” heroine and she made my Hana Awase experience even more special.
Game & route order
✤ Game play order
Because of the intricate interrelation of the plot across the four games, I recommend playing them in their original release order as follows.
Mizuchi Volume ➸ Himeutsugi Volume ➸ Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume ➸ Iroha Volume
Mizuchi and Himeutsugi Volumes set the stage for the world. There’s a plot point in Himeutsugi Volume which makes me reluctant to say the orders are switchable, but honestly, it’s not the end of the world. You do you. Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume, particularly Utsutsu’s route, plays a central role in the overarching narrative. You need to play Iroha Volume after completing the Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume, as doing otherwise will guarantee confusion.
✤ Route play order
I recommend starting with the main LI’s route, get the true end, and then go into the sub-routes. This is because the entire story of the game is built around the main LI, so going into sub-routes first may break the flow a bit. That being said, all the sub-routes have bad endings, so if you prefer to play bad ends first, then feel free to re-strategise. If you’re wary of spoilers, especially for future events, consider saving Iroha’s sub-route for the final playthrough.
Note that Mizuchi Volume doesn’t feature a route branching system, so you’ll have to start from the beginning to play all the routes. However, all subsequent games have branching points, which makes things a hell lot easier.
Only Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume has locked routes. Utsutsu’s route will require unlocking Karakurenai’s true end first, and Iroha’s route restrictions will be lifted after obtaining Utsutsu’s true end.
You can find all my walkthroughs for Hana Awase New Moon here.
Here is my final (true) route and character ranking.
Vira’s route ranking (true routes):
- Utsutsu
- Iroha
- Mizuchi
- Himeutsugi
- Karakurenai
Vira’s character ranking:
- Utsutsu
- Himeutsugi
- Mizuchi
- Iroha
- Karakurenai
Game features & experience
Notable features
✤ Protagonist name change
Leave Mikoto’s name on default if you want to hear the LIs say her name. Note that Utsutsu will still call you “Miko” regardless if you change the protagonist’s name!
✤ Play modes & voice options
The game has skip-read, auto mode, and skip-jump mode (though for whatever reason, the skip-jump function wasn’t working for me). You can also toggle individual character voices on or off. Notably, the LIs and main side characters are fully voiced, while the extras are unvoiced.
✤ Card battles (Hana Awase / Hana Utsushi)
Hana Awase / Hana Utsushi card battle UI
The card battles are straightforward – all you need to do is acquire specific card combination(s) and use them to attack your enemy. I found the system to be incredibly enjoyable! It strikes a perfect balance between strategic gameplay and an element of luck, making it not only heaps of fun but also a delightful time sink. Personally, I prefer it over other mini-games I’ve encountered in otome games, such as calendar/scheduling systems, rhythm games, quiz games, word puzzle games, and more.
Note that losing in the Hana Awase battle means the story won’t progress, but there are no consequences to losing in Hana Utsushi practice battles.
I grind through Hana Utsushi practice fairly early into the game. This is still my overall recommendation so you can breeze through any upcoming Hana Awase battles and ensure they don’t interfere with the story flow. However, I know that grinding through Hana Utsushi can be tedious, so you can always do it gradually throughout the game! I wrote more tips about the card battle in my walkthrough masterlist.
✤ Bonus content
In Mizuchi, Himeutsugi and Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volumes, you can collect CGs, BGMs and poems, and upon completion, you also get special stories. The special stories are all narrations, with no sprites or additional CGs (which was a shame, tbh). In Iroha Volume, you will only collect CGs and BGMs, and get a special story as well as Karakuri Novel as the bonus contents.
FUN FACT! #2
The poems read by the LIs are drawn from real poems! Examples include Ametsuchi no Kotoba (Words of the Universe), Man’yoshu (Anthology of Ten Thousand Leaves) and The Tales of Ise. For an in-depth exploration of their significance, The World of Shallow Dreams offers a comprehensive review and delved into the nuances of each poem (so far they have one for Mizuchi Volume).
Art and graphics
While the art style initially didn’t align with my shoujo-esque preferences, it grew on me over time. I do prefer the way the LIs are drawn in their CGs compared to their sprites. Himeutsugi, in particular, looks 100x better in the CGs (though there’s that one sprite where he’s ducking a bit, yep, love that one). Utsutsu stands out as the exception, looking great in both sprites and CGs.
The overall quality of the CGs is stunning, though I recall a few instances where I felt some characters didn’t quite resemble themselves. The earlier games also feature more texture-heavy CGs with generous splatter effects, while the later volumes had a cleaner style, which I tend to prefer. Given that the series spanned from 2012 to 2019, it’s normal to see some evolution in the art style across the four games.
Music
The OP songs are all so damn catchy! I am eagerly waiting the release of their full versions (pretty please, dramatic create-san). My favourite is from Himeutsugi Volume – “Ephemeral Agape” by Nakamura Meiko, who also happens to sing all the OP songs. The ED songs didn’t really catch my attention.
Someone has put together a comprehensive playlist of Hana Awase music on Youtube, link here.
The in-game BGM songs are lovely – as always, the ambient tunes were the ones that really stuck with me. “Daily Life: Distorted,” which plays up during everyday scenes, is probably my favourite since it sounds cosy and has a traditional melody that fits the Hanafuda and Waka motifs.
Length
I spent between 25 to 40 hours in each game, and when playing games in English, I consider myself a fast player. I had reservations about the value-for-money as each game is sold separately, but there’s unquestionably a substantial amount of content! The main LI’s route in each volume was the lengthiest, but the sub-routes also offered a decent amount of story.
In Mizuchi Volume, it took me ages to grind through the Hana Utsushi battles. I didn’t realise I had to only fight those marked with black cards—heck, I didn’t even know you had to exit the ranking to end the Hana Utsushi practice! But I became quicker and more efficient at it and only spent ~3 hours in Himeutsugi and Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume to go up to Momotose (though I kept losing to her during my Himeutsugi Volume grind, so I just left her ’till the end when collecting extra CGs).
Localisation
Here are my candid thoughts. Generally speaking, the translations read well and feel natural, and to me it didn’t come across as machine-translated. I also appreciate the use of natural Japanese honourifics like -sama, -san, -kun, and so on (personally, I find the translation of honourifics into Mr, Ms, etc., a bit off-putting). I also love the unapologetic use of swearing or crude words.
Now, onto the negatives. I did encounter some instances of translation errors, and unfortunately, some of them were quite significant. For example, there were cases where the subject referred to in the translation was blatantly incorrect. This is a frustrating error as it not only alters the meaning but also impacts the quality of the character presented. For players with limited understanding of Japanese, these errors might have gone unnoticed. If you’re more fluent than me, then perhaps you would have picked up more mistakes.
I also disagreed with how certain things were translated or worded, though happens in every game I’ve played and is subjective. There were also glaring typos here and there, which, although forgivable, do contribute to an overall sense of sloppiness.
Summary
Here are my final thoughts!
✤ When Hanafuda meets horny teens…
The game beautifully employs Hanafuda and Waka motifs through the card battles, poems, character names and various other elements in the game. I’m particularly grateful for Japanese and English-speaking bloggers who delve into the details, as their insights gave me some understanding to appreciate the nuances.
You’ll also find a high level of sugar content – things get extremely steamy! I also think the game has a perfect balance between romance and plot. Although the common route is long, romance starts trickling in early in the game.
Note that Hana Awase is plagued with themes of non-con / dubious con, sexual harassment and sexual assault. Exercise caution if any of these is a trigger for you!
✤ Fast-paced, with complex plot
The story progression is fast-paced yet comfortable. The plot is intricately complex, with significant amount of foreshadowing. It is normal to be left with questions, especially after completing the first two games. Some of your questions will be resolved in Karakurenai / Utsutsu Volume and more will be answered in Iroha Volume.
Overall, I found most things to be resolved well, although I do have a few small questions that linger unanswered. It could also be that the plot was so complex that I missed those little details that would have answered my questions. If I ever have the time, I definitely want to replay this game in the future!
✤ Dark and edgy, but with humour and lovable characters
The story gets dark in Hana Awase, but they provide rightly-timed moments of relief with comical, often slapstick humour, including a lot of sexual-themed humour.
It’s hard not to invest in the characters. They are written in such a human way, and you’ll come to appreciate their strengths and flaws. It’s also one of those games where many side characters are critical to the story and adds value to the game. I wish I could talk about more of them, but that would go into spoiler territory. My favourite side characters are Momotose, Kagami (who appears in Himeutsugi Volume) and Hinata (appears in Iroha Volume).
✤ Calling my fellow yandere and love triangle lovers
Hana Awase is a yandere-fest! If you are a fan of this trope, then it’s a must try. There are two LIs which I would consider ‘true’ yandere. The rest, including many of the side characters, will still show the possessive, obsessive and (lovingly?) violent traits—all the good stuff, though to a lesser extent.
You will also find elements of love triangle—and in some routes, love polygon, where multiple characters are in love with Mikoto. This is particularly true when playing sub-routes and in Iroha Volume. This aspect was a big win for me.
✤ Things to consider
Beyond the trigger warnings, here are some of the things you may want to consider before playing:
- Do you enjoy otome games with intricate plots, dark themes, and a touch of crude humour?
- Are you comfortable with sexual innuendos being interwoven into the game’s universe?
- Do you enjoy otome games that incorporate gameplay elements? Keep in mind that this game features card battle mini-games.
- Are you a fan of LIs with yandere traits? Be aware that some characters are full-blown, hardcore yandere.
If you answered yes to all these questions, then you’ll probably enjoy Hana Awase.
We all come from different walks of life and experience things uniquely, so I’m always keen to hear your thoughts about the game! If you haven’t played it yet, I’d love to know if it’s something you’d consider trying in the future.
+
- Dark themes with crude humours
- VERY HORNY
- Straightforward card battle system
- Great plot-romance balance
- Nuanced plot
- Very layered characters (and side characters)
–
- Mizuchi Volume do not have route branching feature
- Translation errors can be significant
- Nuanced plot = can’t afford to miss the little details
Thank you so much for this review I definitely enjoyed this series that I wish there was a FD but I guess that is impossible considering the ending of Iroha volume
I want to ask do you know where I can download the CG of all volumes ? especially the ones that appear in the battle system I tried to look but couldnt find them
Thanks for reading, glad you also enjoyed the series too! An FD would be nice indeed! I just want to see them mess around and be silly again~ I think FD is still feasible, but probably not a sequel given, as you said, the way things concluded in Iroha Volume.
I actually don’t know where you can easily download all the CGs – I googled around and cannot find anything useful. I’ll let you know if I find anything though 🙂
Could not get into this game at all. The sexual harassment/assault angle from all sources (even the teacher and the principal) is all a bit too much. Its not that I’m immune to the charms of “Trash Men” but it’s more on the MCs reaction (blaming herself for the things she absolutely had no control over) that made me feel ill. Shame cause the hanafuda part was very engaging.
Completely understandable, it’s not for everyone! MC did have great chara development on that aspect tho 🥺💕
Just a heads up in regards to what you said about the protagonist name change, Utsutsu will still call you “Miko” even if you change your name, I guess because he says it so much that there’s no way to make it more self-inserty lol. I didn’t mind though since I found it sweet.
Anyway his route made me into a simp too and I wish we could’ve seen more of him. I haven’t stared Iroha Volume yet so idk how much he’ll appear in that, but it’s a shame that he appeared so late in the series. 😭
Ahhhh thanks for pointing that out I only tried it out in one route so I just assumed it’s the same throughout, I’ll make sure to clarify in the post!
OMG SADKJADKSJ if you love Utsutsu then I think you will enjoy Iroha volume XD
Do you think the sub-endings are important for the overall story understanding? Or we can skip the sub-routes and just do true end on each game?
I think they hold some importance. If you skip the sub-routes, you will miss few small character-specific foreshadowing and there are sides / traits of the LIs that you may only find (or are more prominent) in the sub-routes. But honestly speaking, I don’t think skipping them will majorly impede with overall story understanding.
TLDR yes they’re important, but probably skippable though I’d discourage it. 🫶🏻
Thanks so much for the review! I already played annd loved all the games in Japanese years ago, but it’s awesome to know the switch versions have special stories that have been added. I can’t afford to buy all four just for the special stories haha. So I was wondering if you by chance knew where I could find a transcription of the special stories and/or a video of them?
Rina-san~ Thank you for reading!! I googled around and checked youtube vids but I can’t find anyone who’s shared a transcription or video of them yet. I’ll definitely share it if I encounter it in the future. Sorry I can’t be anymore helpful 😫