I’ve already reviewed Ikemen Sengoku’s Date Masamune in a previous post, but I found myself wanting to re-play his route for the Dramatic Ending, and I figured I could add some updates while I was at it – including a comprehensive walkthrough for player choices and challenges.

I’ve now played both the normal and premium versions of each special story, so I’ve updated my special story reviews, and incorporated them into the route walkthrough below.

This walkthrough also explains the requirements and rewards for any challenges that occur throughout the route, as well as the optimal player choices for maximising your Romantic and Dramatic points.

Second playthrough: It’s also worth noting that if you’re re-playing Masamune’s route, you’ll be able to read some chapters from his point of view (POV). I highly recommend choosing these options when the occur, as the change of perspective adds some extra variety and prevents the story from feeling too repetitive.

You can use the navigation bar below to skip to whichever section you’re most interested in – otherwise, I hope you enjoy this new and improved review of Ikemen Sengoku’s favourite bad boy: Date Masamune.

Ratings

Character Design

Similar to:
☆ Leonardo Da Vinci (Ikémen Vampire) – Loveable storm, plus a nickname for MC that makes him sound like an oji-san
☆ Fenrir Godspeed (Ikémen Revolution) – Adventurous, playful, and free-spirited
☆ Uesugi Kenshin (Ikémen Sengoku) – Dark and dangerous with a thirst for battle

Hurricane Masamune – Impulsive, adventurous, and wild. The thing I love most about Masamune’s route is the quick-witted banter between him and MC. The back-and-forth is so fast and flirty that reading it is guaranteed to get your heart fluttering, even just from sheer excitement. It’s like the speed generates a spark between them, and I can’t get enough of these charged exchanges.

I also love how it addresses the cultural differences, as MC and Masamune try to understand one another despite having grown up in completely different environments. Regardless of the cultural barriers, they approach each other with respect – and MC is even willing to keep an open mind about his warmongering tendencies.

I really enjoyed this mature approach, as it meant their relationship was forged on equal footing, rather than MC being forced to solely acknowledge the love interest’s values, without them making the effort to meet her in the middle.

It’s also just a fun route. Even if Masamune isn’t your type, his story is undeniably exciting and action-packed. His backstory is intense and dramatic, and his spicy scenes reflect this wild, primal side that only MC can fully reveal.

His character is layered, as he initially just seems like an energetic, ‘genki’ guy who’ll whisk you off your feet on a fun adventure, but the story then slowly reveals complexity after complexity that just makes him all the more intriguing (and attractive).

Genki / Onii-san / Oji-san

Masamune will likely appeal to otome players looking for a more mature romance. It’s clear that both he and MC are not doing this ‘love’ (or ‘lust’) thing for the first time, so they’re aware of their feelings early on, and therefore free to act on them.

The emotional maturity of both these characters is much higher than that of other routes, as both of them are able to take a step back from their feelings and look at the situation more rationally, rather than simply reacting however their whims dictate.

They’re both passionate and steadfast in their values, but they’re able to appreciate other people, even if their values are different – so long as they’re of equal conviction. It’s refreshing to read such open and honest communication between MC and the love interest – and, as a result, the relationship they build feels much healthier and more organic.

Artist: Shiro Yamada – is the character designer for Ikemen Sengoku (and Ikemen Vampire!), and I highly recommend following their Twitter and/or Instagram account if you enjoy the designs in these games. On each character birthday, Shiro Yamada has posted art to celebrate, so you can scroll through their posts to find birthday artwork of your favourite characters!

Voice Actor

Kato Kazuki (加藤 和樹) – other works:

• Daisuke Kazama/Kamen Rider Drake (Kamen Rider Kabuto) – Drama
• Malleus Draconia (Disney: Twisted Wonderland) – Video Game
• Leon Dompteur (Ikemen Prince: Beauty and Her Beast) – Video Game

Kato Kazuki also has a YouTube channel for his music, which can be found here.

Story

“Life’s an adventure with you. You’ll keep me on my toes, right?”

– Date Masamune (Ikémen Sengoku)

Masamune’s route was a joy to read (and re-read), and even though I’d read this route before, I found myself completely engrossed all over again. I’d even cleared his Dramatic Ending before – many moons ago, on a different account that I used when I first got into otome games – so I vaguely remembered what was going to happen… yet I still absolutely bawled my eyes out at “that” scene (no spoilers – but if you know, you know).

The fact that I still enjoyed it so much is a testament to the quality of storytelling in Masamune’s route. To be able to recapture someone’s heart over and over again – even when they know what’s coming – is a truly impressive feat.

Furthermore, this story stood the test of time – still feeling fresh and unique, even years after it was first released. There’s a reason why Masamune consistently ranks high in the yearly Sengoku Awards events, and why he’s a popular fan favourite, and I think it’s largely to do with the way his route is a turbulent, dramatic masterpiece.

The story shifts from playful and fun, to angsty and dramatic, to sexy and passionate, and back to playful and fun again. Or, more often than not, a combination of several – if not all – of those things. Masamune brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘nuanced character’, and his route reflects the impressive level of thought and care put into his design.

In short, it’s a story that both works well in the context of the game, and stands on its own. The route is exciting, fun, and action-packed, so even if Masamune isn’t your type, there’s still plenty to enjoy, even simply from a storytelling perspective.

Content Warnings

Mild spoiler warning: Ikemen Sengoku is set in the sengoku era of Japan, also known as the ‘Warring States’ period – as such, war, death, and violence are prominent themes throughout every route in the game.

Masamune’s route seems like a wild, fun ride in the beginning, but it has a darker twist towards the middle of the story that deals with death, murder, and the associated trauma of these events.

I felt that this twist was handled delicately and compassionately, with plenty of warning signs to let the reader know that something more emotionally-intense is about to pop up in the story – so it shouldn’t come out of nowhere just for the shock factor.

In fact, it wasn’t much of a surprise by the time it was explicitly addressed by Masamune himself, but the scene was so well-written that it was still a compelling and emotional moment in the route, even if you’ve already guessed what he’s about to say (and even if it’s not your first playthrough!).

The inclusion of these themes function less as shock factor and more of a way to add depth and nuance to Masamune’s character, particularly to balance out his easy-going nature – thereby significantly fleshing out his personality and making him a more unique, memorable love interest.

However, it’s worth noting that these themes of war, death, and violence do appear in his route, so you can be emotionally-prepared for anything that may be difficult to read. If you want more specifics, feel free to send a DM on Twitter, and I’ll be happy to explain further.

Main Route – Walkthrough

• Chapter 1 – Love Challenge

  Player Choices:
  Part 2: “Shout.” (+4/+4)
  Part 6: “Those weren’t gifts.” (+4/+4)

  Love Challenge – Eyes Matching Masamune (+20 Beauty)
  Required Grace: 100+

• Chapter 2 – His POV & Avatar Challenge

  Player Choices:
  Part 4: “Touchy, aren’t you?” (+4/+4)
  Part 9: “What would show you?” (+4/+4)

  His POV: If you’ve already completed Masamune’s route before, you’ll have the option to read the first half of the chapter from His POV.

  I highly recommend this option as it prevents the second playthrough from feeling too repetitive, and it’s an interesting way to get a new perspective on the story.

  Avatar Challenge – Our Dripping Wet Kiss
  Sweet: 4/5
  Spicy: 4/5
  Recommend: Yes

  Previous review: A perfect beginning to a collection of Masamune stories, ‘Our Dripping Wet Kiss’ is playful, adventurous, spontaneous, and very typical of the interactions MC has with Masamune. During this special story, you learn a little about Masamune’s past, and there’s a nice mix of sweet and spiciness. Furthermore, it’s probably one of the most memorable scenes in his route, so it’s worth having in your ‘Memories’ collection.

  Updated review: I still agree with my previous opinion, but I’d also add that the normal version cuts out two parts – one playful and fun, the other steamy and spicy – making it significantly less memorable and enjoyable than the premium version of this special story.

  Every element of the scene is enhanced through the added lines of dialogue in the premium, extended version, so the emotional impact is substantially bigger. It’s also not too expensive – as it’s the first attire challenge in the route – so it’s a cost-effective option among Masamune’s saved stories.

  Cost:
  Normal: Charming Apricot Kimono (+20 Beauty) 3500 Gold or 150 Coins
  Premium: Sky Blue Floral Kimono (+50 Beauty) 300 Coins

• Chapter 3 – Letter & Love Challenge

  Player Choices:
  Part 1: “What are you thinking?” (+4/+4)
  Part 7: “They’re rough on purpose.” (+4/+4)

  Letter: Requires 34+ Love Points

  Love Challenge – Pink Peony Choker (+30 Beauty)
  Required Grace: 2500+

• Chapter 4

  Player Choices:
  Part 4: “How can you say that?” (+4/+4)
  Part 9: “Get right to work.” (+4/+4)

• Chapter 5 – His POV

  Player Choices:
  Part 2: “Yes, ‘Mom.'” (+4/+4)
  Part 8: “You won.” (+4/+4)

  His POV: If you’ve already completed Masamune’s route before, you’ll have the option to read the first half of the chapter from His POV.

  I highly recommend choosing ‘His POV’ for this chapter! It was seriously hilarious – whoever wrote (and localised) the ‘drunk’ scene deserves a comedic gold medal. Plus, it then got super sweet, so there’s a lot on offer in this version that can’t be experienced in MC’s POV – I definitely recommend it!

• Chapter 6 – Avatar Challenge & Letter

  Player Choices:
  Part 1: “Tease him.” (+4/+4)
  Part 8: “It seems dangerous.” (+4/+4)

  Avatar Challenge – A Desperate Hunger for Life
  Sweet: 3/5
  Spicy: 5/5
  Recommend: Yes

  Previous review: Masamune’s wildness isn’t just about excitement and fun. He also has a more animalistic, dangerous streak, which is very much the focus of ‘A Desperate Hunger’. This special story is an intense and emotionally raw scene where MC uncovers a deeply buried, vulnerable layer to Date Masamune’s character. I enjoyed this special story not only for the spiciness, but also for the opportunity to experience a new side to Masamune, particularly one that contradicts his usual carefree nature.

  Updated review: I agree with what I said before – it’s not just a sexy, spicy scene, but also a deeply intimate, emotional scene that takes Masamune’s character to a whole new level. I also love how it shows MC’s character growth, as she starts to adapt to her new, war-torn environment – coming to terms with the fact that the scary, bloodthirsty warlords she found impossible to understand are actually just people like her, born into a completely different world.

  This is one of the most poignant and memorable scenes in Masamune’s route, so I highly recommend opting for the premium version – not only to have it saved to your memories, but also because the premium version is slightly extended, with a longer lead up in the first half of the scene that more effectively builds tension, thereby heightening the emotional impact of the second half.

  It’s also just a beautiful, intimate moment between Masamune and MC that forms a key turning point in both the general plot and their romantic relationship, so it ticks all the boxes for me.

  Cost:
  Normal: Girlish Side Ponytail (+25 Beauty) 5000 Gold or 150 Coins
  Premium: Auburn Tousled Hair (+80 Beauty) 400 Coins

  Letter: Requires 90+ Love Points (if you’ve been using the walkthrough to get max points until now, you will have enough love points to unlock the letter without needing to use items).

• Chapter 7 – His POV

  Player Choices:
  Part 4: “That’s not a rule!” (+4/+4)
  Part 8: “Just now.” (+4/+4)

  His POV: If you’ve already completed Masamune’s route before, you’ll have the option to read the first half of the chapter from His POV.

  As with the previous two ‘His POV’ chapters, I recommend choosing this option if you’re re-playing Masamune’s route. The final ‘fireworks’ scene is adorable in MC’s POV, but seeing it through Masamune’s eyes and getting a better idea of what he was thinking during those moments made it even sweeter.

• Chapter 8 – Avatar Challenge

  Player Choices:
  Part 2: “I came to help.” (+4/+4)
  Part 7: “I mean it.” (+4/+4)

  Avatar Challenge – The Moment I Made My Choice
  Sweet: 4/5
  Spicy: 0/5
  Recommend: No

  Previous review: If ‘Our Dripping Wet Kiss’ focuses on the fun, light-hearted elements of Masamune’s character, and ‘A Desperate Hunger’ focuses on his darker, wilder side, then ‘The Moment I Made My Choice’ highlights the part of Masamune that’s caring, selfless, and determined to take responsibility for the people who rely on him. It’s a much sweeter, purer part of his personality, and I’m glad it also gets the spotlight, but this scene is also emotional in a more dramatic and sad way, which I don’t tend to enjoy re-reading later, so I won’t recommend it for your ‘Memories’ collection.

  Updated review: I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, it’s a turning point in the story and a fairly dramatic scene, but on the other hand, it’s not a scene I’m tempted to re-read later.

  Masamune gets his dashing hero moment and MC gets some character growth – so, plot-wise, it’s a fairly important special story. The premium version is a little more romantic (the normal version would only score a 3 on the ‘Sweet’ rating), but it’s not enough of a difference to persuade me to recommend the premium version over the normal one.

  Plus, the scene is fairly tense, so the extra romance isn’t particularly vital to the overall experience – in fact, I felt like the romance made the experience more confusing, as it distracted from the gravity of the situation.

  To be honest, I didn’t really feel that the scene took itself seriously enough in either version. Both Masamune and MC were guilty of stating the situation to be dire, without then behaving in a way that indicated that same level of severity.

  As a result, not having that extra ‘sweetness’ actually works in this special story’s favour, meaning the normal version is more effective at conveying the appropriate tension than the premium version.

  Cost:
  Normal: Night Prism Outing Set (+40 Beauty) 6000 Gold or 250 Coins
  Premium: Baby Blue Outing Set (+100 Beauty) 500 Coins

• Chapter 9 – Love Challenge & Letter

  Player Choices:
  Part 3: “Thank you!” (+4/+4)
  Part 8: “Thanks for that.” (+4/+4)

  Love Challenge – Purple Daisy Bag (+30 Beauty)
  Required Grace: 6000+

  Letter: Requires 130+ Love Points

• Chapter 10 – Avatar Challenge

  Player Choices:
  Part 2: “I wish you’d told me.” (+4/+4)
  Part 6: “How cute you were.” (+4/+4)

  Avatar Challenge – After The Chase
  Sweet: 5/5
  Spicy: 5/5
  Recommend: Yes

  Previous review: ‘After The Chase’ is probably my favourite premium option in Masamune’s route. By this point in the story you’ve encountered many of Masamune’s multi-faceted layers and his relationship with MC has returned to a state more reminiscent of the early stages, as seen in ‘Our Dripping Wet Kiss’. It’s adorable, fun, and includes a really good spicy scene that I actually liked more than the one in Special Story 5, ‘My Body And His’, from his Romantic Ending. If I could only choose one special story, it would be this one.

  Updated review: As with the other special stories in this route, I agree with my previous review – it’s playful, flirtatious, and fun – which is exactly what I needed after the drama and intensity of the preceding chapters.

  It’s a delightful way to wrap up the main route before it branches into the endings – and the premium version is significantly spicier, so if you don’t enjoy more explicit, ‘passionate’ scenes, then you may want to pick the normal version to cut some of that out.

  That being said, I personally found the extended scene to be more impactful in general, not just in its spiciness, so if you can tolerate a little bit of explicit content, then I still recommend opting for the premium version.

  Cost:
  Normal: Wisteria Blossom Kimono (+100 Beauty) 8500 Gold or 350 Coins
  Premium: Violet Ombre Haori Set (+180 Beauty) 600 Coins

Endings – Review

After Chapter 10, the route splits into one of three endings: Romantic, Dramatic, and Eternal. In order to unlock Masamune’s Eternal Ending, you’ll need to have already completed both his Romantic and Dramatic endings.

This is only my second playthrough of his route, so I haven’t been able to play his Eternal ending yet, but I have now played both the Romantic and Dramatic endings, which I’ve reviewed below to help you decide which finale is right for you.

After the reviews, I’ve also included walkthroughs for both endings – so, once you’ve picked your ending, you can use the guide to make sure you get as much out of it as possible.

Recommendation: I think it depends on what you’re in the mood for. If you want a more relaxed, slice-of-life style ending full of laughs and cuddles to soothe your heart after a route that fluctuated intensely between exciting adventure, playful banter, sexy spicy scenes, and heart-wrenching angst — then I recommend the Romantic ending.

On the other hand, if you were loving the emotional rollercoaster, and want to finish on a similarly dramatic note, I highly recommend Masamune’s Dramatic ending. Out of the two, I think the Dramatic ending is a little more interesting in its unique twist, turbulent emotions, and creative spicy scenes… although I did also love the Romantic ending for its heart-warming sweetness and endearingly intimate moments.

I’m glad that I’ve experienced both, but if I had to recommend only one, I’d choose the Dramatic ending. It felt more fitting for Masamune’s character and the overall tone of his route, and it’s the one I’d consider the most memorable out of the two.

Endings – Walkthrough

Final Thoughts

Masamune is the cool, dashing hero trope done well. He’s exciting, unpredictable, and somehow able to ‘suave’ his way through any situation (with a hidden angsty twist to add yet another reason to fall for him). His route was turbulent and action-packed with a delightful mixture of heart-warming care, and such well-written spiciness that you’ll be hot and bothered before they’ve even kissed.

I adored their dynamic, and how they both felt like a wild ‘matched set’. Even if their values differed greatly, their attitudes and personalities were consistently in sync, so their differences felt surmountable and made for an interesting obstacle that naturally wove itself into the romantic plot – rather than a forced, external interference included solely for the purpose of delaying that final, gratifying confession, whether it makes sense for the characters and their situation or not.

Masamune’s route was the first one I played in Ikemen Sengoku – back when I was first getting into otome games – and his story still holds up today, many years later. His character is fascinating, and flawed, with enough early appeal that you can understand MC’s attraction, and enough intrigue to drive the story forward – keeping you on your toes until the very end.

I adore Masamune and I love his story more and more with each re-play. No matter whether you’re a new otome fan looking for a place to start, or a seasoned veteran looking for someone who’ll bring a new flavour to your repertoire of husbandos, I whole-heartedly recommend ‘Hurricane Masamune’ and his rollercoaster ride of a route.

You’ll like Date Masamune if you like: playful and mischievous love interests; reckless and bold MCs; being bitten/nibbled; cute nicknames like ‘Kitten’ and ‘Lass’; eyepatches; and, of course, a good adventure.

Screenshots

Game Info

☆ Game name: Ikémen Sengoku: Romances Across Time | イケメン戦国・時をかける恋
☆ Developer: CYBIRD / Ikémen Series
☆ Publisher: CYBIRD / Ikémen Series
☆ Platform: Mobile
☆ Age Rating: 17+ (Google Play) / 12+ (Apple Store)
☆ More information: here!

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