Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto - Recommendations

Riven says...

Both animes are cryptohistoric fantasy with the Boshin War as background. Granted Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto is primarily aimed at males while Hakuouki at females but they both closely tied to historical events. If you are intersted in the Bakumatsu time period both titles will be enjoyable (and educational) expirience.

Tokiko says...

Both of these are set in same time period and historical occurences are often mentioned as kind of red knot, present thorough entire story. In both cases, you get to see strong, but subtle affection between characters, realistic fightscenes and in both cases, fantastic storyline, while important, is not overly expressed. Both also contain realistic (within limits of genre) swordfights, have generally realistic animation and strong lead characters of both genres. The atmosphere is also relativelly similar, even though each emphasises different themes.

snivets says...

If you like a good historical tale which involves the supernatural, then both Bakumatsu and Hakuouki are great choices. They are set in the same time period, and both tell alternate versions of history which involve the presence of supernatural forces in one form or another, with plenty of swordplay to delight.

PurplePeopleEater says...

Both have historical settings and an occasional narrative to inform on current historical events. Hakuouki has more story to it, deeper characters, and is focused on the shinsengumi while Bakumatsu lacks character development, has a weaker story without romance and focuses on a traveling troupe. Still, if you are interested in the historical period and events then you will like both.

puolukankukka says...

If you liked Bakumatsu, you might enjoy d'Eon as they both deal with actual historical events mixed with supernatural phenomena and conspiracy. There's also a similar tragic but refined feeling to these both.

JAhU says...

D'Eon and Bakumatsu are one of the few really serious shows out there. Also both of them have greate story and really good animation. There is a high chance that you will like D'Eon if you liked Bakumatsu, so give it a try.

MwrulesC says...

While they may take place in completely different settings, these two anime remind me of each other. Both Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto and Le Chevalier D'Eon are based around actual history that have supernatural elements woven into them. These are also both serious anime that can lose a person if you don't pay attention.

puolukankukka says...

Bakumatsu and the Kenshin OVA take place around the same era; each is a romantic story about a pretty, angst-ridden samurai.

freakzilla says...

Tsuiokuhen and Bakumatsu have plenty of connections. First of all the settings are the same. Both time and place support the samurai action in both anime. On top of that both share the same feeling and have a nice romance story.

LordOfKaos says...

Both series are set during the turmoil that saw the end of the shogunate in Japan. Both series also feature a tragic love story of betrayal. The main character in both series also have a similar feel to them. Both seem to be cold killers at the beginning yet as we see more and more of their character develop we begin to see the true compassion beneath the surface.

Michichan says...

Samurai Champloo has more humor than Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto, but viewers will find striking similarities between the personalities of Youjirou and Jin. I strongly recommend Samurai Champloo to any Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto fan who is looking for another samurai anime and won't mind Samurai Champloo's lighter theme.

JAhU says...

Although Samurai Champloo isn't as serious as Bakumatsu, something made those two shows feel alike. It must be a gut feel, since the only thing they certainly share is the fact that those are samurai shows, other then that, that take place in different eras and have completely different style. Still I dare to say that you might like one if you liked the other.

P.S. Samurai Champloo does get serious at times.

subparalien says...

Yay for historical setting and samurai swordfights! Both use a pretty style of animation. They have fairly different pacings. Samurai Champloo is far more jumpy while Bakumatsu is more slow and layered.

freakzilla says...

Blood+ and Bakumatsu are both anime that give us a mixture of a nice mysterious plot and some sword fighting action. The emphasis in both is definitely on the story and character development though. If you want to watch another anime with a dark gloomy and mysterious atmosphere you shouldn't put this off any longer!

Michichan says...

Both anime have their share of intense swordfights and supernatural mystery. Saya and Akizuki have similar personalities, since they are both withdrawn heros with destinies to fulfill.

freakzilla says...

If you are looking for another mysterious story, this could be your next pick! Wolf's Rain and Bakumatsu share a few important features, after all. Both have a gloomy atmosphere that is supported by both romance and mystery. The story goes quite deep, but doesn't move so fast that you'll lose track of it. Wolf's Rain gets a little sadder, but in the end they are still very alike.

subparalien says...

Both of these have slow steady character development with fantasy elements. Bakamatsu has a historical setting, Wolf's Rain an apocalptic one.

Ajna says...

Can an anime strongly focused on the last phase of the Bakumatsu be a great show, enjoyable by all the people out there quite far from being history geeks?

Well, these shows surely prove that...

ludithor says...

Both share the same part of the history of Japan [Bakumatsu].

Fully recommended to Japanese History lovers.. XD

Ajna says...

Can an anime strongly focused on the last phase of the Bakumatsu be a great show, enjoyable by all the people out there quite far from being history geeks?

Well, these shows surely prove that...

scenthr says...

Well, watching the history parts of Bakumatsu i always have that creepy feeling, wait didnt i watch this already? But no, i didnt. The final episodes of Shura are telling a story about the same period in Japans history as Bakumatsu, even telling about some of the same historical figures in a differnet way. This suits both of this anime well. By the way, for me, Shura is the better one, beacuse its a bit more to the point. Bakumatsu has less sense of purpose so i lost the meaning of the plot on few occasions.

Vanguard says...

Both seriese focus around the Revolution era of Japan, and both Youjiro and Kenshin have something they've regretted, and hidden in their past, come back to haunt them. So if you like Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto then Rurouni Kenshin is a must.

PurplePeopleEater says...

Both shows also happen in a similar time period, though Kenshin technically is about ten years later, it still deals with the time period of Intrigue in the Bakumatsu and the consequences of that time period. Both the main characters use special swords. However, Kenshin refuses to kill and Yojuro kills several people. Kenshins sword is made so that it won't kill and Yojuros sword guides him and is meant to slay a floating head. The mood in Kenshin is a bit lighter at times though and the sword fights are a lot better in Kenshin too. If you like Samurai and shows that take place in a historical background you will probably like this show.

freakzilla says...

Escaflowne isn't quite as dark as Bakumatsu, but it does have that same mysterious feeling to it. The plot has a few similarities as well: one is forced to choose between love and a mission that must be completed. Escaflowne might be a bit more romantic than Bakumatsu, but if you don't mind that you should definitely like it.