October 4th is the birthday of Ikemen Sengoku’s cunning kitsune, Akechi Mitsuhide. To celebrate, a new birthday story has been added to the store for a limited time, along with returning sets from previous years, all the way back to 2017.

☆ Event Name: Mitsuhide’s Birthday – Shape of Love
☆ Event Type: Story Sale
☆ Event End: 31st October 2021 (06:00 PM PST)

In total, there are six sets available to choose from: 2017 Deluxe Gift for Mitsuhide, 2017 Simple Gift for Mitsuhide, 2018 Special Gift for Mitsuhide, 2019 Special Gift for Mitsuhide, 2020 Special Gift for Mitsuhide, and the new 2021 Special Gift for Mitsuhide.

Each of the sets and stories have their own charm, so whether you decide to splash your cash on the birthday boy, or save your coins for another day, will depend entirely on what you’re looking for and how much you’re prepared to spend.

The reviews below are spoiler-free and designed to help you get an idea of what each set has to offer, including an overview of the story, value for money, and personalised recommendations based on your preferences. If you get to the end of this article and you’re still not sure which set to get, feel free to leave a comment at the end of the post, and we’ll do our best to answer your questions!

Special Gift for Mitsuhide – 2021

Set contains: Birthday Story – ‘Shape of Love’ (His POV), photo, ‘His Room’ theme, voiced line, letter, and castle avatar decoration (Mitsuhide Chibi).

Sweet: 4/5
Spicy: 4/5
Cost: 900 coins

‘Shape of Love’ is the most recent addition to Mitsuhide’s Birthday Story collection and this is reflected in the style and tone of writing. In some of the older stories, Mitsuhide’s signature way of speaking hasn’t yet been established, so he sounds slightly more modern or casual. In this birthday story, however, he gets far more of the poetic lines we’re used to reading in his main route and recent event stories.

It also has the added benefit of being written after his main route release, so MC and Mitsuhide are already in an established, romantic relationship when this birthday story takes place. It doesn’t contain any spoilers for his route, so it’s still safe for players who haven’t yet read his main story, and the fact that they’re already a couple means the story can get a bit ‘spicier’ than some of the earlier options.

“I shall never regret being born as long as you are with me.”

– Akechi Mitsuhide (Shape of Love)

That being said, I didn’t enjoy the plot as much as some of the others. His birthday seemed largely irrelevant to the events taking place, and it felt like more time was spent on the adventure than the romance. It does finish on a high note – with a particularly sweet scene (and a beautifully poetic metaphor) that bumped my ‘sweet’ rating up to a 4/5 – and I still recommend it for die-hard Mitsuhide fans, but it’s not my favourite of his birthday options, at least in terms of the story itself.

As for the rest of the set, I really love the photo and, as an added bonus, you can set it as your home page theme in ‘His Room’. The voiced line is also a nice touch (I always appreciate more voiced content!) and the letter is similarly romantic. I’m not particularly interested in castle avatar items, but the Mitsuhide chibi is pretty adorable, and I’m sure there are plenty of Ikemen Sengoku fans who will appreciate it more.

Note: There is a disclaimer in the game referring to this birthday story, stating that it takes place in the events of Act 2 of Ikemen Sengoku. It’s recommended that you read the prologue for Act 2, if you haven’t already, before reading this birthday story.

Special Gift for Mitsuhide – 2020

Set contains: Birthday Story – ‘A Secret Gift’ (His POV), photo, letter, and castle avatar decoration (background).

Sweet: 5/5
Spicy: 4/5
Cost: 700 coins

This set is slightly cheaper than the 2021 option, as it doesn’t contain a theme for ‘His Room’ or a voiced line. To be honest, I preferred the plot of ‘A Secret Gift’, so if you’re more interested in the story than the other bonuses, this may be a better choice for you than the 2021 set.

As with ‘Shape of You’, the 2020 story, ‘A Secret Gift’, takes place after MC and Mitsuhide have become a couple. It also has the benefit of being written recently, so the writing style is similarly consistent with the current tone of the game. The premise of the story ties in well with the birthday theme, and it’s a good all-rounder in terms of romance and spice.

“I love you. And can never tell you that enough.”

– Akechi Mitsuhide

Speaking of ‘spice’, none of the birthday stories got particularly explicit, but ‘A Secret Gift’ does have some steamy lines that made my jaw drop. There’s also an adorably romantic scene in the middle of the story (which is also where the photo appears) that made me give ‘A Secret Gift’ the highest ‘sweet’ rating of all the birthday sets.

In the end, both the 2020 and 2021 sets are pretty evenly matched, so it will come down to how much you want to spend, and whether you’re only interested in the story, or the additional set features as well.

Special Gift for Mitsuhide – 2019

Set contains: Birthday Story – ‘An Invitation to Tease’ (His POV), photo, ‘His Room’ theme, letter, and castle avatar decoration (room design).

Sweet: 3/5
Spicy: 2/5
Cost: 900 coins

‘An Invitation to Tease’ is the last of the birthday stories to take place prior to MC and Mitsuhide forming a romantic relationship and it’s my favourite of the ‘pre-romance’ stories. The plot premise was cute and the banter entertaining – and it got surprisingly flirty considering they’re yet to confess their feelings for each other.

It features the classic teasing that Mitsuhide fans have come to love, and I felt the story was enhanced by reading it from Mitsuhide’s point of view, rather than MC’s. Getting an insight into Mitushide’s inner monologue while he’s being mischievous and playful just made the whole scene feel much more adorable, especially as it’s made clear that the pair do already have feelings for each other.

“…Is this what it feels like to have someone special?”

– Akechi Mitsuhide

The photo isn’t my favourite of the series, but I do like that it’s unusual in its warm, autumnal tone, rather than the silvery, moonlit scenes we typically see with Mitsuhide. Some of the backgrounds in the story were similarly vibrant, with deep red maple leaves and Japanese arched bridges, which makes for a nice reminder of the fact that, despite Mitsuhide’s wintry appearance, his birthday is actually in Autumn.

As with the other birthday letters, it’s a cute, romantic addition to the set, and something else you can return to if you’re craving more Mitsuhide content. The castle decoration is also pretty, but this set does cost the same amount as the 2021 set, and I don’t personally feel that the room design is equal in value to a chibi and a voiced line.

Special Gift for Mitsuhide – 2018

Set contains: Birthday Story – ‘The Truth Behind His Deception’ (His POV), photo, ‘His Room’ theme, voiced line, letter, and castle avatar decoration (Mitsuhide chibi).

Sweet: 3/5
Spicy: 2/5
Cost: 900 coins

I love the photo that comes with ‘The Truth Behind His Deception’, and I appreciate that there’s a voiced line and ‘His Room’ theme included in the set, as well as a letter and castle decoration. The story takes place prior to any love confessions between MC and Mitsuhide, but that doesn’t stop it from somehow being beautifully romantic anyway.

Reading this scene from Mitsuhide’s perspective was definitely a bonus, as we get to witness his adoring thoughts about MC, even before they’re officially together. MC isn’t as perceptive as Mitsuhide, so by reading the story from his point of view instead, we essentially get to experience both of their inner monologues, with Mitsuhide observing every thought and emotion that flits across MC’s face.

“I wanted you to see my eyes. That way you can tell I’m not lying.”

– Akechi Mitsuhide

‘The Truth Behind His Deception’ is exceptionally cute, with an intimate moment in the latter half of the story that leaves the (future) couple feeling flustered, as well as some wholesome scenes with the rest of the Azuchi warlords – particularly between Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi.

If you’re trying to choose between the ‘pre-romantic development’ options (2017-2019), then either of, ‘An Invitation to Tease’ or ‘The Truth Behind His Deception’ are solid options. It just depends on whether you want a story that’s fun and playful with a hint of mischievous flirting (An Invitation to Tease), or a story that’s wholesome and romantic with a dash of passion towards the end (The Truth Behind His Deception).

Deluxe Gift for Mitsuhide – 2017

Set contains: Birthday Story – ‘Like a Sweet Poison’ (His POV), photo, letter, and castle avatar decoration (Mitsuhide chibi).

Sweet: 2/5
Spicy: 2/5
Cost: 700 coins

There are two set options from 2017: Deluxe and Simple. The ‘Deluxe’ set is more expensive than the ‘Simple’ one, but it includes a photo and the story is longer, so this is the one I would recommend out of the two 2017 sets.

The writing style in this story is a little different from the following years. It’s not too noticeable, but Mitsuhide’s way of speaking comes across as slightly more plainly spoken than the elegant, sophisticated manner we’re used to reading in his main route and recent event stories.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the story premise, and the photo is a perfect combination of ethereal grace and dangerous allure. It feels like a classic Mitsuhide scene, with conspiracies and secrets unfolding under the pale light of the moon. It’s a great example of the darker, mysterious side to Akechi Mitsuhide – that is, the side that first peaked the interest of every current Mitsuhide fan.

Simple Gift for Mitsuhide – 2017

Set contains: Birthday Story – ‘Like a Sweet Poison’ (MC’s POV), letter, and avatar attire (accessory).

Sweet: 2/5
Spicy: 2/5
Cost: 300 coins

If you want to celebrate Mitsuhide’s birthday without spending too many coins, or you’re not sure about his character and want an idea of what to expect, then I recommend the ‘Simple Gift for Mitsuhide’ from 2017.

The story is from MC’s perspective, rather than Mitsuhide’s, and it’s not as long as the version you get in the ‘Deluxe’ set. However, it’s a great way to get a feel for his personality, and the lines that made me love this story in the deluxe version are all still included here – they just don’t have the photo as a backdrop.

As you can probably tell from the price tag, it doesn’t include as many bonuses as the other sets, but not everyone is willing to spend 700 or 900 coins on a story sale. If you want to celebrate Mitsuhide’s birthday without breaking the bank, then this option still offers a special story, letter, and exclusive attire – all for less than half the cost of the other sale options.

Final Thoughts

Each of the available birthday sets has its own appeal, but if I could only choose one, it would be the 2020 set featuring the story titled ‘A Secret Gift’. This is because I prefer birthday stories that take place after the events of the main route, and I found the premise to be sweeter and more romantic than the 2021 option.

However, the 2021 set, ‘Shape of Love’, also features a voiced line and room theme that I absolutely love. It definitely feels like the most recent addition to the series – largely due to the signature, poetic writing style (including a particularly beautiful metaphor in the photo scene) – so I’d still recommend this for die-hard Mitsuhide fans, and those who want the extra bonuses in the set.

Among the pre-relationship options, ‘An Invitation to Tease’ is a playful, mischievous story with a focus on Mitsuhide’s flirtatious and teasing nature. In contrast, ‘The Truth Behind His Deception’ showcases Mitsuhide’s doting, adoring side, making it a sweeter, more wholesome alternative for fans who prefer this aspect of his personality.

For a dangerously alluring experience, ‘Like a Sweet Poison’ is a classic example of Akechi Mitsuhide prior to the character growth and romantic development we see in his route. It highlights the appeal of his character from our first impression of him, with tantalising hints at the layers of nuance lying behind his nonchalant façade.

‘Like a Sweet Poison’ also has the benefit of being available in two set options. The deluxe version is longer and includes a photo, but the simple version is more affordable and still provides a taste of the intriguing, enigmatic warlord that every Mitsuhide fan fell for in the first place.

In summary, there’s an option here for everyone, so it’s worth checking each set to see which of the themes and photos appeal to you, as well as how much you’re willing to spend on the birthday boy. Enjoy the stories, and let us know if this review helped you choose which set to buy!

Game Info

Game name:
Ikémen Sengoku: Romances Across Time
イケメン戦国・時をかける恋
Producer: CYBIRD / Ikémen Series
Platform: Mobile
Available to download: here!
Age Rating: 17+ (Google Play) / 12+ (Apple Store)

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